Lancelot's telling of Ser Duncan the Tall's story was so vivid that even the wildling boy Agoda forgot to eat his meat, not noticing until the piece of bear meat in his hand fell to the ground.
"To think someone from Flea Bottom could become Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, and even have a prince named after him... that is truly remarkable," Agoda said.
"But his death was so frustrating! Dying while trying to put out a fire? What kind of end is that?" Agoda complained.
"It was an accident!" Lancelot replied.
The tragedy of Summerhall was a tragedy for the entire House Targaryen. After losing their dragons, the dragonlords had long lost the ability to dominate Westeros unchallenged.
But they still held onto a dream: to hatch dragons once more.
"Melisandre, can wildfire really hatch dragons from eggs?" Tyrion asked, licking grease from his fingers.
"No. Wildfire is a destructive flame, not a flame of rebirth. And dragons disappeared because the tide of magic receded. That is why House Targaryen could no longer hatch dragon eggs."
"However, now the tide of magic is returning. The appearance of the direwolves and Hrakkar's mutation are proof," Melisandre said.
Hrakkar mutated because of me, Lancelot thought to himself.
Though, Hrakkar was already somewhat of a mutant beast naturally.
"According to ancient books from Asshai, when the stars weep blood, that is the moment magic officially returns," Melisandre stated.
"What does 'stars weep blood' mean?" Tyrion asked.
"I do not know. It has not appeared yet."
"Aren't you a witch? Look into the flames, can't you see it?" Tyrion rolled his eyes.
"The secrets of the fire are hidden deep. Sometimes I can only see what is on the surface," she replied.
"Lancelot, do you know what 'stars weep blood' means?" Tyrion asked.
"It is a sword that slays the seasons. Its arrival marks the coming of a long winter."
"But maesters usually just think it's a comet with a long tail!"
"By the way, did you forget the pattern on the back of the playing cards?" Lancelot asked.
"Ah, I really seem to have forgotten?"
Lancelot took out the playing cards to show him.
Lancelot had made several versions of playing cards. Initially, the back design was the Iron Throne, but later he changed it to a Crimson Lion, the banner of the Lionheart Company.
Later still, he made a deck with the "Stars Weep Blood" pattern. He kept this last deck for himself, while he gave two other decks to Joffrey and Sansa.
Those two had become obsessed with playing cards lately; they felt uncomfortable if they went a day without playing! In Westeros, where entertainment was scarce, the appearance of playing cards was revolutionary.
This was entertainment for the masses. While Cyvasse existed—a mix of chess, Stratego, and Jungle—it was a game for high-intellect players, like Tyrion, who was quite good at it.
"It's a bit boring after dinner. Let's play cards!" Lancelot said to Benjen Stark and Yoren.
"How do you play?" Yoren asked with great interest.
"Four players is perfect! Come on, I'll teach you!" Lancelot said.
For the next few days, they traveled during the day and played cards at night when bored.
The days were fulfilling, but as it got colder, they stopped playing. No one wanted to take their hands out of their warm clothes.
Finally, Lancelot and his group arrived at Queenscrown, a place once visited by Queen Alysanne, wife of King Jaehaerys the Conciliator.
They rested there for a day before setting out again. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Lancelot began searching for the lost dragon egg.
However, one look told him he might not find it easily. The landscape had changed long ago; only a Weirwood tree remained unchanged.
Wait, a Weirwood tree.
Lancelot approached a Weirwood tree taller than Winterfell's Heart Tree. He had seen this place in the Greenseer's memory.
"If I remember correctly, it should be right here!"
Lancelot called Hrakkar over.
"Dig down into the snow until you find a dragon egg."
Hrakkar gave a very human-like look of confusion.
He didn't quite understand Lancelot's command.
Lancelot had to demonstrate for him.
Only after seeing Lancelot dig did Hrakkar start digging into the snow.
The commotion was too loud and attracted the others, but Lancelot didn't hide it anymore.
After all, everyone going back to King's Landing was on his side.
"What are you doing, Lancelot?" Tyrion asked.
"There might be treasure here. I'm digging for gold!" Lancelot replied casually.
"Digging for gold? The Westerlands have plenty of gold!" Tyrion said.
"But it looks like you're digging for something else? Antiques? Or magical items?"
Lancelot laughed it off and didn't say more.
Everyone else went back to sleep because of the cold, leaving only Melisandre behind.
"I saw it! Ser Lancelot! Soon, you will ride Hrakkar and fly up the Wall," she suddenly said.
Lancelot looked at her and saw burning eyes. Within that firelight, there seemed to be mysterious visions.
Hrakkar brought up a round stone in his mouth. Lancelot took it and saw that it was indeed a dragon egg, but it was devoid of life.
Lancelot remembered the "Essence of the Dragon" he had won in the lottery, which could grant life to a dead dragon egg.
"I wonder if it can revive it, in this time before magic has truly returned. Will it work?"
Lancelot decided to try. He took out the Essence of the Dragon and injected it into the dead egg.
Then he placed the dragon egg on the fire to roast. Fire was the source of a dragon's power and could help it become stronger.
After placing the egg on the fire and adding plenty of wood, Lancelot went to sleep.
When he woke up the next day, he didn't hear Hrakkar's roar, causing everyone to wake up late.
"What's going on?" Lancelot wondered.
"Ser Lancelot, things seem to have gone beyond your expectations. Hrakkar has changed," Melisandre's voice came from outside.
Lancelot walked out and saw a colossal white lion, comparable in size to a mammoth. And this white lion had three horns on its head.
Two were long, and one, which looked new, was shorter.
Besides that, Hrakkar had grown a pair of massive fleshy wings from his ribs, like a pterosaur's wings.
"You... how did you become like this?" Lancelot asked. He was asking Hrakkar, but how could Hrakkar speak?
"The answer lies there!" Melisandre pointed to the fire pit. The dragon egg was gone.
"He didn't eat the dragon egg, did he?" Lancelot asked.
"Correct. Once the dragon egg was cooked, Hrakkar ate it. That is what caused his transformation! Are you satisfied now? Ser Lancelot," Melisandre said.
"I still have to think of how to explain this to Robert and the others when we see them."
Lancelot felt that without a legitimate reason, he couldn't convince them.
However, Tyrion came up with a reason for Lancelot.
"Just say Hrakkar was cursed by a wood witch among the wildlings, turning him into a monster. But Hrakkar hasn't lost his mind; he's still the same Hrakkar," Tyrion suggested.
Lancelot agreed to this plan. After all, wildlings were primitive, and curses were common among them. They had wood witches too.
Lancelot rode Hrakkar, partly walking and partly flying, until they finally arrived at Castle Black at the Wall.
Castle Black was the terminus of the Kingsroad and the headquarters of the Night's Watch.
"No wonder Maester Lomas Longstrider listed the Wall as one of the nine wonders of the world in Wonders Made by Man!"
Lancelot remarked, looking at the towering wall of ice stretching across the horizon.
"My goal is to stand on the Wall and piss off the edge toward the haunted forest. Want to join me, Lancelot?" Tyrion said.
"Uncle Tyrion, aren't you afraid a gust of cold wind will blow you off?"
"Walking out there to piss... isn't that better?" Lancelot joked.
"We are the King's envoys!"
Led by Benjen Stark, Lancelot met the high command of the Night's Watch.
Lord Commander Jeor Mormont (the Old Bear), old Maester Aemon, the First Steward, the First Builder, the Master-at-Arms, the blacksmith, and others.
The men of the Night's Watch were shocked by Lancelot's mount, Hrakkar, causing his popularity points to spike by several hundred.
Benjen Stark introduced Lancelot to the Old Bear and the others, explaining his status as the King's special envoy.
"King's envoy, and a Lannister at that. Hmph!"
Ser Alliser Thorne let out a cold snort. He had been an officer in King's Landing but was taken prisoner when Tywin Lannister sacked the city. Refusing to bend the knee to Robert, he was sent to the Wall.
"So you are Ser Alliser Thorne. I heard you are a Targaryen loyalist?" Lancelot looked at the rigid, lean man with greying hair.
"If House Targaryen hadn't lacked a backbone, Robert might not have won the war," Alliser retorted.
"Winners take all. Now Robert I of House Baratheon sits on the Iron Throne. If you weren't a brother of the Night's Watch, your words just now would be considered treason in King's Landing," Lancelot said.
"Let Robert come here and kill me if he can! Hahaha, does he dare?"
Ser Alliser, the Master-at-Arms, mocked.
But his smile vanished quickly because a giant lion head turned to look at him.
Alliser swallowed hard. He tried to draw his sword to protect himself, but Agoda instantly snatched it away.
"You... are a wildling!"
Alliser recognized Agoda's attire and features as non-Southern.
"The wildling wants you to kneel now. Kneel before Ser Lancelot. Crow!" Agoda pointed the sword at Alliser Thorne.
Facing the dual threat of Hrakkar and Agoda, Alliser's knees began to bend. However, his expression grew even more twisted and terrified.