As I bid farewell to Freya, I strode towards the keep, hopeful that Ned had discovered some promising news. I found him conversing with Luwin, his face heavy with disappointment.
"Have you found anyone?" I inquired, already knowing the answer by the look on his face.
"No, we haven't," Ned responded with a rueful sigh. "Anyone afflicted with greyscale is sent off to Essos almost immediately to prevent the spread of the disease here."
I nodded in understanding, having expected that. "Then I shall make my way to Dragonstone," I said with a sigh.
"When will you leave?" Ned inquired.
"Now, there's no sense in delaying it any longer."
"Will Fenrir accompany you?"
"No, I have a faster method this time," I replied, a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips.
"I shall return in a few days, Ned, Maester Luwin."
They looked at me in confusion but didn't question me.
I exited the keep and walked at a sedate pace to the nearest treeline. Once I was certain that no one could see me, I spread my wings and took to the sky, soaring towards Dragonstone.
The journey had started off exciting, but as time passed, it grew monotonous. I had no idea how much longer it would take to reach Dragonstone, but I remained certain that it wouldn't take more than a day.
As I soared through the clouds, the rocky island finally came into view. The imposing fortress perched atop the island took my breath away. Its magnificence was awe-inspiring, and I couldn't help but murmur to myself, "Now that is a castle."
A grin spread across my face, "When all hell breaks loose, I'm definitely claiming this beauty as mine."
As I set foot on the island of Dragonstone, I felt a thrill of excitement run through me. The air was crisp, and the wind carried the strong scent of sea salt. The island was rugged and barren, with steep cliffs and rocky caves dotting the landscape.
I had purposefully landed on the opposite side of the port away from prying eyes. I began making my way towards the castle, my eyes scanning the terrain for anything interesting along the way.
Inside, the cave was dimly lit, but I could see shiny black stones that made up the walls of the cave. I got an odd feeling from the rock, so I broke off a piece from the wall. A strange feeling washed over me, telling me to channel my magic through the rock. So, I did just that, and immediately the rock started melting. But instead of dripping through my hands, it stayed on my hands and I could see the now liquid rock twitch with every flare of my magic.
'Huh, that's unexpected. I wonder why dragonglass behaves like that,' I thought to myself.
I played around with it for a bit and then went back on my way to the castle, my mind buzzing with the possibilities of what I could do with this new information.
I finally reached the entrance of the castle after an hour of walking. However, I was stopped by a group of guards who fixed their suspicious gazes on me. Calmly, I informed them of my purpose and that I had been summoned by Lord Stannis. One of the guards nodded and motioned for me to follow him, and I eagerly complied.
As we made our way through the castle, I couldn't help but marvel at its imposing structure. The dark and brooding fortress seemed to emanate an aura of power and mystery, and I felt a thrill of excitement run through me. This was the place where it had all begun, and I wanted to explore every inch of it to unlock all of its secrets.
As I entered the Throne Room, I caught sight of Stannis Baratheon for the second time in my life. He wore the same stern expression, but there was a flicker of disbelief in his eyes upon seeing me. It was understandable; he likely hadn't expected me to arrive so soon.
"How did you manage to get here so quickly? The message was only sent to Winterfell yesterday," he asked, his voice laced with surprise.
"I heard of your plight and came as fast as I could," I replied, not wanting to elaborate on my mode of transportation.
Stannis looked like he wanted to ask more, but he dropped the matter, nodded, and motioned for me to follow him deeper into the castle.
We eventually arrived at a room where a girl lay on a bed, trembling with fever.
It was clear that she was gravely ill.
Approaching the girl lying on the bed, I could tell that the disease was still in its early stages. Though her skin was darkening, the cracks were not as numerous. However, I knew that with time, the marks would spread, and the skin would become dead and gray.
The maester standing next to her appeared surprised by my presence, but he quickly composed himself and launched into a detailed account of the patient's condition, the treatments he had administered, and her current state.
Although the maester's explanation wasn't necessary, I appreciated the gesture. He seemed to be a skilled and dedicated professional, one of the good ones.
Gently, I placed my hand on the girl's arm, closing my eyes to focus my attention on the disease. Grayscale was a devastating affliction caused by a microbe that slowly consumed the victim's flesh. It was notoriously difficult to treat, and there was no known cure.
Stannis looked at me with a steady gaze. "Can you heal her?" he asked.
Without hesitation, I replied, "Yes."
I wanted to try something different from my usual method, so instead of relying solely on my healing powers, I decided to use a bit of magic.
A small white flame appeared at the end of my finger, and I gently touched the girl's forehead. The flame spread across her skin, eradicating the disease and replacing the dead, blemished skin with unblemished, healthy skin.
I heard a gasp of surprise behind me, but I didn't pay it any mind. I was focused on the task at hand, and nothing could distract me.
After a few moments, the flames died down, and I withdrew my finger. I gave the girl one last scan to make sure that everything was as it should be, then stepped back.
The room was filled with silence as everyone waited with bated breath for Shirren to wake up.
It didn't take long. Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked around, clearly surprised to see so many people in the room. But her eyes widened in recognition as she saw me.
The young girl gazed up at me with wide eyes, her voice full of wonder. "Are you the White Mage?" she asked, her words laced with hope and anticipation.
A smile crept across my lips as I met her gaze. "Yes, my dear. I am the one they call the White Mage," I replied, offering her a small nod.
"But you can call me El," I added with a playful wink.
The girl's giggles filled the room, but her expression quickly shifted to one of concern. "I'm not sick anymore?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
With a reassuring smile, I told her. "You're going to be just fine."
The girl's mother rushed over to her daughter and hugged her tightly, muttering words of gratitude towards me. Recognizing their need for privacy, I quietly slipped out of the room, followed by Maester Cressen.
"I have heard a lot about your healing abilities, Ser Healer, but seeing them in person is something else entirely. I am Maester Cressen. If you don't mind, I have some questions regarding healing that I am curious about," he said, unable to hide the excitement in his voice.
"It's good to meet you too, Maester Cressen. I'm always happy to share my knowledge. Ask away," I replied.
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Stannis Baratheon had never felt such relief as he did at that moment even though he tried his best not to show it at that . The white flames produced by the healer that he had recognized from King's Landing had worked wonders, curing his daughter of the incurable disease that had been plaguing her in mere moments. He watched as his daughter slowly sat up in bed, her complexion returning to a healthy glow.
He saw his wife run up to their daughter, embracing her tightly. He knew she had been silently worrying herself sick over their daughter's condition, and he couldn't be more grateful that everything had turned out alright.
Once he was sure his daughter was well enough to be left alone, he made his way out of the room to speak with the healer. He found the man in question speaking to Maester Cressen, and approached him.
"Is there anything I need to take care of regarding my daughter?" Stannis asked directly, wanting to make sure he didn't miss anything important.
The healer nodded. "Yes, she will be a bit weak for a few days, and she'll need to eat enough for two people in that time."
Stannis nodded his head, taking in the information. "Thank you," he said. "You have done me a great favor, what would you like in return? If it is within my power I shall have it granted."
The healer looked at him for a moment, considering his words. "Actually," he said after a moment, "There is something I would like in exchange."
The healer continued. "I would like to stay in this castle for a day or two to explore," he said, a glint of excitement in his eye.
Stannis was taken aback by the simplicity of the request. "Is that all?" he asked, incredulous.
The healer hesitated before responding, "Well, actually there is one more thing. I have a keen interest in dragonglass. If you could send whatever amount you see fit to Winterfell, I would consider your debt repaid."
Stannis was taken aback by the healer's modest request, but he quickly agreed nonetheless. "Consider it done," he said, his voice laced with gratitude.
"I can have someone escort you if you wish to explore Dragonstone," Stannis offered.
The healer declined with a sly grin. "No need for that, Lord Stannis. The best exploration is always done alone," he said mischievously.
Stannis raised an eyebrow at the healer's boldness. Despite feeling slightly uncomfortable at the thought of someone wandering around his castle unsupervised, he couldn't refuse the man who had just cured his daughter of an incurable disease.
"Very well, feel free to approach the guards if you require anything."
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A/N: Sorry guys had a final yesterday and couldn't finish the edit on time.