The rest of their way towards the library was completely smooth and after around ten minutes of walking, they stood before the towering edifice that was the library.
Numerous entrances dotted the perimeter of the library building. The primary entryway, a grand expanse through which a constant stream of people flowed, contrasted with the less frequented one Jon and Sam approached. This entrance was overseen by a lone Librarian seated behind a table. A few log books lay before him, serving as records of those entering and departing, as well as the books borrowed and returned.
"How will we get in?" Sam asked as they hid behind a pillar near the entrance. While it was really deserted here, it would still be impossible for them to enter without alerting the Librarian who would ask them for their identification which they didn't have.
"Fret not, I have a plan," Jon whispered back, his gaze flitting to the nearby bookshelves, and after choosing an appropriate one, he immediately sent an order to his friend.
"How are you going to—" Sam's query was cut short by a resounding thud resonating through the space. A massive tome had toppled from a high shelf. Startled, the Librarian, engrossed in a book, shot to his feet, demanding, "Who goes there?" He hastened toward the source of the noise, muttering, "Do you know how old the books here are—" only to find no one there. He looked around for a while but still didn't find anyone, "Maybe it was a mouse..." he mused before shaking his head and placing the book back in its place.
Unbeknownst to him, two unauthorized teenagers had seized the opportunity to infiltrate the hallowed halls of the Citadel's library.
"How did you manage that?" Sam whispered, awed, as they roved amidst the labyrinth of bookshelves. His gaze danced over captivating titles, each beckoning to him, eager for his perusal.
Jon's response was casual, "Hmm... What do you think?" As he skipped one section after another while searching for the one he wanted, they were going deeper and deeper into the maze. The one or two acolytes that they were coming across started getting scarcer as eventually, only dusty tomes were around them.
He eventually found the section he wanted which had a plate hanging with "BIRDS" written in big letters.
Jon entered that section with Sam mumbling softly behind him, "Did you pay someone to do that for you—But then the librarian would have caught him... Hmm then did you use a thread—But then how did you tie it to the books..." he kept talking to himself in circles making one absurd theory after another and disproving them on his own, "...D-Don't tell me y-you a-are a—" Sam gulped not completing his sentence, his eyes wide open.
Jon's amusement gleamed in his eyes. "Am I a what?"
"A m-magical, like a W-Witch?" Sam's voice trembled.
Jon pondered the notion. "Who knows?" he mused, his tone elusive. "What if I were?"
The bookshelf dedicated to Birds was a huge one and divided into two so skipped the Migratory one and went to the Non-Migratory. After which it was divided by region and the Reach section contained about five books which introduced all the birds recorded of which two were about the ones that had already gone extinct.
Sam hesitated for a while before he finally shook his head and said, "I-It's fine if you are, I think... as long as you don't eat me o-or use my blood for anything or don't sacrifice children or don't offer intestines and blood to the heart tree and other stuff."
Jon almost burst out laughing at that but stopped himself at the last moment, "Those are a lot of conditions but... I promise you that I won't do those things... now take one of these," he handed Sam one of the huge books while carrying the other two, "and let's go..." and they both wandered towards a nearby bench which was almost empty except for an Acolyte who was concentrating on copying an ancient book that was almost crumbling at its seams.
Jon opened the book and was just about to dive into it when he looked up at Sam who was looking at the nearby Acolyte hesitatingly as if wanting to ask something but not daring to, so he helped him.
"Psst! Hey!" Jon called softly. The nearby Acolyte looked up, perplexed. "Yes, I'm addressing you."
"Yes?" the Acolyte responded, puzzled.
"How many years have you been here?" Jon inquired, infusing his tone with authority.
"Five years," the Acolyte answered, baffled.
"Excellent," Jon nodded, "Now, my friend here," he waved at Sam who gave him a forced smile, "wants to know all about what an Acolyte does and what you've had to do since you joined here to become a Maester. So I need you to tell him all that you can about it... You know you're daily routine and stuff. Alright?"
"But Why? Aren't you one yourself—"
"Don't ask questions," Jon interrupted impatiently, "Here take these for your inconvenience," he placed about five silver stags on the table and the acolyte's eyes immediately lit up and all his questions died in his throat he immediately nodded his head like a chicken while pocketing them.
The Acolyte turned to Sam and started speaking after clearing his throat, "I joined here about five years ago and the beginning they..."
With the background noise of Acolyte droning on about his life, Jon scoured through the books to glean the information about the mystical bird he had heard about. He had been just asking about different kinds of usual creatures to satisfy his curiosity when he had heard from an old innkeeper about the Fortune Bird.
The Fortune bird was somewhat of an urban legend here in the Reach, it is said that whoever even catches a glimpse of one would be lucky for a whole year. But they are almost impossible to see as they are not only one of the smallest mature birds they are also one of the fastest birds recorded. They have the widest diversity of plumage colour, particularly in blues, greens, and purples. They were similar to Hummingbirds from his previous life so the moment he had heard about them he wanted to have one for himself.
After about two hours of rifling through page after page of information that wasn't even inserted alphabetically, Jon finally managed to find the information he needed. He read the two pages worth of information more than five times to make sure he didn't miss anything, from their habitats to their mating habits he took note of everything.
Satisfied, he closed the book, a triumphant smile gracing his features. Armed with this newfound knowledge, he knew where to find the mystical avian creature.
Glancing over, Jon noticed Sam's dejected expression, while the Acolyte had returned to his tasks after satisfying Sam's queries.
"Sam," Jon addressed him gently, "It's time to leave."
"Huh? Oh, yes," Sam responded absentmindedly. Once Jon returned the books to their respective shelves, they retraced their steps. The librarian, momentarily distracted by another falling tome, allowed them to exit without incident, cursing the circumstances.
"Are you all right?" Jon inquired, concern lacing his tone as they walked.
"Yes," Sam nodded, forcing a smile. "It's just... I hadn't imagined that an acolyte's duties would encompass so much... chamber pot cleaning and menial chores."
"Don't be troubled by it," Jon comforted, patting Sam's shoulder reassuringly. "We can revisit this library whenever you wish to borrow more books. Remember, this isn't the sole repository of knowledge in the world—there are many such places to explore. Winterfell boasts one of the oldest libraries, and then there's the Wall. You won't be confined to just one place."
"That's true," Sam agreed with a grateful smile. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it."
As they traversed a dim corridor, faint sounds of an argument filtered from within a nearby chamber. Intrigued, Jon cautiously moved closer to eavesdrop.
"What are you thinking, Jon?"
"Shh..."
Jon strained to catch the voices within the room.
"...You cannot simply come and go as you please, My prince. Certain rules must be upheld, even by you—"
"And what might those rules entail, esteemed Archmaester?" a languid voice drawled, dripping with nonchalance. "Furthermore, how do you intend to enforce them, may I inquire?" The voice oozed sarcasm, and Jon's eyes immediately widened as the realization washed over him as to who exactly was in the room.