Even Skyreach, seemingly perched in midair, faded into the distance as their footsteps carried them away.
William and Erren walked the road from Skyreach toward Starfall. To be safe, they decided to take a detour around Starfall rather than return the same way through High Hermitage. After all, the Darkstar's morals had long since shattered, and William didn't believe the others in High Hermitage would be so noble as to ignore grudges.
Looking back at the endless mountains, Erren sighed, "I won't forget this place."
"Heh, you won't forget the lovely Valena either, right?"
"You're no different. Last night, I saw you with Lady Nymeria in the garden."
Nymeria's fiercely assertive gaze flashed through his mind, quickly replaced by the innocent smile of little Rose, and William felt a pang of guilt.
He coughed twice. "I returned to my room early last night! Later, Nymeria was with the twins—everyone knows she likes girls."
"Heh," Erren scoffed. "I've run all this way with you, not easy at all. Once we get back to Oldtown, we'll first test our luck at the Changeable Roulette, then enjoy some fine wine, and finally relax at the Wind of Lys."
Calculating the costs made William wince, but… "Fine! You've really worked hard to come with me to Skyreach. Once we're back, we'll relax properly."
Erren grinned triumphantly. They crossed the Torrentine from Starfall and traveled south along the Red Mountains, returning to Oldtown. The journey through mountains and rivers seemed far less grueling now.
After leaving the Wind of Lys, the two first returned to William's home to rest for a full day, only setting out for the High Tower the following day.
At the training ground, William naturally remained the center of attention. He trained seriously with the other knights, seeing if he could recruit allies to participate in the Highgarden Tournament. Compared with the prize money for the championship, the Red Viper's promise was clearly more valuable, so William didn't mind sharing some of the winnings.
However, among the Hightower family's knights, none were particularly strong. The only one William felt worth recruiting was "Greysteel." Just as he was thinking this, Garth appeared at the edge of the training ground and waved to him.
William greeted the other knights briefly before running over. Garth wore his usual stern expression. "William, come with me."
They walked down a corridor, where a man stood with his back to them, gazing at the Honeywine River. When he turned, William realized it was none other than Baelor Hightower, eldest son and heir of Lord Hightower. Handsome and distinguished, Baelor was often smiling and known as "Baelor the Brightsmile," yet now his expression toward William was serious.
"William, you've spent six years in the High Tower, almost as long as my family."
That was a slight exaggeration. Perhaps for Garth it was true, but William wasn't particularly familiar with Baelor, Gonsor, or Humphrey. "Yes, Ser Baelor."
"In that case, I'll be direct. Malora has been acting strangely recently. Do you know anything about it?"
"Uh, I haven't seen Lady Malora in two months," William said evenly. He had already anticipated Malora running into trouble—he just hadn't expected it would be Baelor coming to him, rather than Oldtown's elder who doted on her the most.
Baelor frowned.
Garth stepped closer, looking William in the eye. "William, Malora is my sister. When I was little, if I fell ill, she'd stay by my bed singing to me. If she saw an injured bird, she would always tend to it carefully. She studied potions diligently to prevent the tragedies of the Great Spring sickness from repeating. She's truly a gentle person. Though she may seem a little unhinged—people call her the 'mad maid,' and she has caused you trouble—she has never harmed anyone. If you know something that could help her, please tell us."
Solve the Harrenhal curse once and for all—or save an innocent woman? Seeing Garth' pleading eyes, William's mind waged a fierce battle. Finally, he spoke with difficulty: "The last time I returned to Harrenhal, Lady Malora asked me to bring her something."
Baelor's eyes lit up at William's words, and he asked eagerly, "What kind of things?"
"Some relics… mainly notes, and a few pieces of jewelry," William stammered. "These belonged to the previous Lord of Harrenhal and Lady Danelle Lothston."
Baelor inhaled sharply. Though Danelle had lived decades ago, the legends of her practicing black magic, eating human flesh, and bathing in blood were widely known. Considering Malora's bizarre behavior, he felt he might understand a little—and also realized the situation was even more complicated. Yet he still had a question: "How did you come by Lady Lothston's relics?"
"My mother is a descendant of the Lothston family. She had some items passed down through the family."
"Lady Shella's maiden name is Lothston? That explains it," Baelor nodded. "William, you've studied the occult at the Citadel and know more than the average person. What do you make of this?"
"I haven't seen Lady Malora in two months," William said cautiously. He didn't fully understand the situation and dared not speak recklessly.
"Baelor, don't trouble William—he just helped deliver some things," Garth interrupted, stopping Baelor from pressing further.
William, however, wanted to know what had happened and asked, "Ser, could you tell me what's going on with Lady Malora?"
Garth sighed. "She… seems completely changed. First, she dismissed her personal maid, claiming she was too controlling—but that maid had served her faithfully for over twenty years. Then, due to a mistake by the steward, her new personal maid was… untrustworthy. After stealing something and being caught, Malora didn't interrogate her—she simply had the maid thrown from the High Tower into the Honeywine River."
Even though he had expected something unusual, William couldn't help letting out a hiss, as if his teeth hurt. "This… this change is indeed quite drastic."
The three of them exchanged glances. Suddenly, Garth suggested, "Why don't we consult Archmaester Marwyn?"
"No!" William and Baelor exclaimed in unison.
Baelor lowered his voice. "Malora has so many… matters—how could we let Marwyn know?" William nodded in agreement. Malora knew many of his secrets, after all.
Garth looked at them helplessly. "Then what can we do?"
Baelor pondered. "Oldtown has many extraordinary people, but very few can be trusted absolutely. I'll try to find a couple of them first."
At that moment, they saw someone jogging from a distance. Judging by the figure, it seemed to be a young woman. The three of them stopped their conversation. When the person arrived, William realized it was the same young maid who had brought him to see Malora last time.
The young maid, upon seeing William, visibly relaxed and greeted the three of them neatly. Then she looked at William. "Ser William, Lady Malora learned that you've come to the High Tower and wishes to see you."
"Ah?" William felt something was off. His eyes darted around. "I happen to have other matters to attend to, so I'm afraid I cannot see Lady Malora."
The young maid immediately became almost tearful. "Ser! If you don't go, Lady Malora will throw me into the river!"
William looked at her sympathetically, hoping her swimming skills were adequate.
Baelor suddenly coughed twice. "William, you'd better go."
Everyone looked at him. The young maid brightened with relief, while Garth and William exchanged wary glances. Baelor addressed the maid: "Dora, go wait over there for a moment. I'll speak with Ser William for a few words. He'll come shortly."
Dora gratefully nodded at Baelor and stepped aside.
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