WILOW-Ch.309: Letter from Bloodraven
Lonely Hills, Bolton Lands
POV of Domeric Bolton
"Now you're getting it, Auntie." Domeric smiled, "Still, I would like Kilgharrah to grow a bit more before the rumors about the wyverns spread. I don't care much about the wyverns as they can always be replaced. But I would rather not lose Kilgharrah to an assassin if possible. It is still vulnerable to steel and poison at this stage of its life."
His aunt Barbrey nodded, "Are you sure the Wargs… Skinchangers will remain loyal to you, though? You've given them a taste of power, and they'll be hungry for more."
"They're loyal to me." He nodded.
He wasn't going to give a wyvern to a Skinchanger who was not loyal to him.
And the fact that he alone defeated and captured all these wyverns in the first place would put fear of him in them, and they wouldn't even think about rebelling against him.
Plus, once Kilgharrah grows up, he wouldn't even have to worry about the wyverns, considering how a typical dragon would grow 2-4 times larger than a wyvern by the time it reaches adulthood.
Kilgharrah would undoubtedly be even bigger than them.
And most importantly, all Skinchangers had signed numerous magical contracts and bore Domeric's Magical Mark.
Although Domeric used the magical mark mainly to monitor the vitals of his men in positions of power and to act to rescue them in emergencies, the mark, like magical contracts, made it impossible for them to betray Domeric.
"If you say so." His aunt said, but she still seemed worried about Domeric's safety.
So Domeric decided to share some of his newfound knowledge with her to ease some of her concerns.
"By the way, you don't need to worry about King Robert. He will die soon, and Westeros will then be plunged into war over who will sit on the Iron Throne."
"What? Why? When? How do you know that?" His aunt asked worriedly.
'Ugh ... Maybe this wasn't the right topic to alleviate her worries,' Domeric thought.
"Dragon Dream. I saw it last night. I was planning on telling everyone at the next war council, but there's no harm in you knowing in advance." He said.
"What should we do? We can't just sit idly by, Domeric. This is a serious matter." She said.
"There's really not much extra we need to do. Unlike other lords, we have a ready army, and they're always in training. When I explain the situation to the generals at the next war council, they'll take the necessary precautions." Domeric said.
"So, we're just going to stand by and do nothing?" his Auntie asked.
"There's not much we can do in terms of war preparations. But I want to take advantage of the situation Westeros will find itself in and put some of my plans into action, even though it's earlier than I planned. How's your lobbying efforts with the Northern Lords going?"
"Slowly. It's impossible to talk about such matters directly and put them into words. Otherwise, these words will reach the ears of the Starks, and they will think you're preparing to rebel." She said.
"This is perfectly normal. I expected this when I started lobbying, but it looks like the war will happen quicker than I expected. So, we need to step up our lobbying efforts." He said.
"Do you have a plan in mind?" she asked.
"Yes, there is. You and Mance will continue to meet with the Northern Lords, but this time we will not go empty-handed. Tell them that before Jon Arryn died, he discovered a problem with the legitimacy of the King's children, and that Lord Stannis is now aware of it. Tell them that if Lord Stannis finds the proof he seeks, a war for Westeros will be inevitable, and therefore, it would be better for them to prepare for war." Domeric explained.
"Do you think they'll believe us?" she asked.
"It matters little whether they believe us or not. Once the lords who support me begin to raise and train troops, other lords will do the same, at least to protect themselves. And when news of the King's death reaches us, and Lord Stark gathers his armies to join the fight, many will be grateful for our advance notice." He said.
"But, shouldn't you tell the Starks this kind of information first?" his aunt asked. However, she wasn't happy about it.
"Normally, yes. But I want the Northern Lords to be grateful to me, not Lord Stark. So, until the Starks learn this information from the other lords, you need to meet with as many lords as you can. Leave the Starks' dealings to me."
"I will make the necessary preparations, and you can leave the briefing to me, Mance." She said and looked at the wyvern landing in the distance, where its Skinchanger master was sitting on the ground.
"Let's check up on the wyvern riders and see if the saddle and the riding suit still need more adjustments." He said and got up from the ground.
Kilgharrah grumbled in discontent but got and flew away to hunt for a rabbit or deer to eat.
He had only taken a few steps when he heard a loud 'caw' from behind him and turned around to see a raven landing in front of him. There was a letter tied to its leg, and he instantly understood who had sent the letter to him.
"What is it?" his aunt asked once she noticed that he had stopped.
He waved his wand, and the letter flew up to him. "Just a letter from Bloodraven."
Because if the raven came from anyone else, then it would have flown to the Owlery of Dreadfort rather than go to him.
"The Greenseer?"
"Yes. Him." He opened the letter and quickly went through its contents, then frowned.
"What does it say?" his aunt asked.
"He wants me to return the favor I owe him." He said, "You remember Lyra informing us during last night's dinner that Bran Stark has regained consciousness?"
"Yes. What of it?"
"Well… Bran has… turned into a fledgling Greenseer after his little fall."
His aunt's eyes widened at that piece of information. "What does Bloodraven want from you then?"
"He wants me to bring Brandon Stark to him." He frowned, "Along with the Jojen and Meera Reed for some reason."
"What does he want from them?" His aunt asked, looking at the raven with a suspicious gaze.
"I don't know. Jojen Reed himself had some green dreams. And while Meera does have some magical potential, it's not as much as her brother, and she cannot even begin to compare to Brandon Stark. So, truly… I don't know what Bloodraven wants from the Reed siblings, especially from the girl."
"Are you going to do it then. Send those three to the Greenseer."
He shrugged, "I'll talk with their parents and tell them the truth. If their parents allow them to leave, then yes, I'll take them up North. If not… then I won't. And I was already planning on healing Bran's legs. Once Bloodraven is finished with him, I can bring him to the Dreadfort and get that out of the way."
"Well, at least you're not kidnapping children from their beds." He mock glared at his aunt, who just chuckled at him.
"So, when are you going to talk with their parents?" she asked.
"I won't talk with their parents. I'm supposed to be on the ships with my men halfway up to Hardhome right now." He said.
"And I might be ready to reveal my Dragonlord heritage, but I won't reveal my magical powers at the moment, especially the power to travel from one place to another in an instant. No, I'll have to send someone else in my stead. Someone who would be able to convince both the Reeds and the Starks to send their children beyond the Wall."
"And who is this person that you've put so much faith in?"
He smiled and replied. "Someone they would never dare look down upon."
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Next Chapters' Name:
Ch.310: Very Important Envoy
Ch.311: To Go or Not to Go
Ch.312: Travel Companions