At the end of the night, Gwayne was standing in front of the castle, watching the villagers gathering for their homes. Cerella kept him company, his grandfather was further behind with Sor Desmond, he whispered compliments for him all night, for the training that was given to his grandson. — I hope he's not dead! – Cerella, in a sleep tone. – a man so beautiful he shouldn't die in a trap, especially fighting savages.
— One less — said Sor Lymond, in a cold tone.
Ser Leo said goodbye to them while yawned and walked back to the village gate. The moon was full and lighting up the night. Daeron went up the staircase walking, with smile stamped on his face. – Happy night? – ask Cerella.
– Better! My father is very happy. — he said, in response.
Gwayne had his hand on his wet hair. "He took a bath" muttering him, remembering he needed it, too. — We need to see the Meister, Daeron. – said he, turning around and walking to the entrance. – I'll take a shower and find you later Cerella.
They went to the Meister's room on the first floor just to take a look at his injuries, he gave them two glass bottles with something for pain, if they felt overnight. Other than that, nothing more. They were in perfect condition, they'd soon be normal again. — I'll take a shower downstairs, meet you two in the fire room. Daeron didn't understand why he went alone, but he didn't object. Gwayne opened the dark ash door that gave access to the lower stairwell, he slowly descended with an archote in his hand.
Coming through the wide corridor of the first underground floor, with paintings on the stone walls, he went through the big staircase that led to even deeper floors. For the first time, he felt fear in a long period of time. The bad omen, the creature.
"What did that do to her?" It wasn't there, but it was part of the darkness. Anyway, there should be two men guarding by the stairs, looks like your grandfather finally gave up the lower floors, the prison without use. Gwayne turned the archote to the other side, and continued to the end of the hall, passing through other well-ornmented rail doors. Gwayne opened a half smile in that pitch.
It was your grandfather's cellar, where the best wine was. The golden wine from the Redwyne tree. And some more hidden behind the tree, maybe a dornish, or a preciousness of Essos. Gwayne advanced and entered the room, removed his clothes and entered the larger pool. The moonlight was lighting up the whole room, it was really very strong. "R'hllor"
the drunk, what was his name, the red priest who won the body combat of the hand tournament...
"What was his name again?"
"thoros of myr" is exactly that.
He was in the company of Beric Dondarrion who was massacred by the Mountain, but apparently they survived. That's what they said at the siege camp.
"A red priest..."
It's what I need. i need to get back to the river lands, i need to find him and get answers.
But now it can't be.
Gwayne saw Aerea's shadow leaning against the wall for a second, then disappeared. "Oh, sweet girl..."
Gwayne felt sad remembering the horrors, it was something repulsive. Unfair. Gwayne turned to the other side and dipped, then went back to the surface and threw her hair back. Gwayne washed and left, drying up with one of the towels that stood above the hot stones. You forgot to pick up clean clothes, so you'd have to stop by the room before he went to meet his friends. What he did quickly, then went to the fireplace room. Finding both sitting on a padded and flowery couch. The taste of Cerella. They were sitting very close, Cerella was holding her hand resting on Daeron's arm.
Gwayne smiled.
—They're talking about?
— Daeron's counting his military exploits... said her, turning red. — But, I don't know if I believe it. — She laughed.
Gwayne laughed too. — Don't be bad. Daeron's been resurrected. Gwayne sat next to her. — What news from here, and what happened while we were away? She seemed to be apprehensive.
— Apparently we have a new king, Renly Baratheon declared King to reveal his older brother. He gathering an army in Highgarden, you have support of the Reach, and the land of the storm, your pretension to the throne is more supported than brother Stannis.
- For the seven! And here in the village, did something happen? – Our grandfather
— traveled west in search of possible allies, he wants to remove support from the knights to the Sarsfields. My promised escaped to serve King Stannis.
"So that's why he left the night for the crown lands — we don't have the Clifton's support for that." Gwayne sighed.
— Where did Charlotte go? — asked Gwayne, looking into her eyes sticking to her.
– She couldn't wait to get her back, so I told her to send her back and sent her... Belvedere... Ser Belvedere will make sure she remembered she shouldn't say anything.— He said he did.
Daeron yawned. - Today is cold! - I said Cerella, loosing smiles and leaving. Gwayne laughed and looked at Daeron. - She never changes, did he? Go into the kitchen and get something. – No, she must have already gone to do that. – both smiled. – Let's go to the room. She arrived right after them, with a tray of kitchen things. Daeron sat on the bed and started shaking his feet, said he wasn't hungry. Gwayne sat with her on the table next to the door. She had everything on the tray she brought, lots of meat, fruit and sweet fruit jams. They ate small pieces of bread with jam, while Cerella filled him with questions about Jaime. Daeron was almost asleep in bed. - Well, I'm gonna sleep here with you, it's a lot! Very! - Cold. She said, chillin' out. - You're predictable, cousin. Cerella ran into the corner of the bed and assigned the places that would sleep. Gwayne went outside, look at the night. The moon was really beautiful, lighting the ocean to the trees' hearts. Sounds of small animals probed through the corners, night birds and insects, frogs. The archots that light up the village roads were all lit, and the owner of the tavern was expelling the last drunk from there, with help from the patrolmen who hit with the clubs on them. Gwayne laughed at that. Then he went back inside and found Cerella already lying under the fuzzy blanket. She looked at him only with her eyes out of the covers.
- So let's go to sleep soon. - He said, taking off his shirt.
- Don't think you gonna sleep naked! — She said, her cheeks rosy.
— no! — He said.
— Of course! — She laughed and lay back down.
He came in under the covers, emerging alongside Cerella. Daeron was already asleep, lying all crooked on the bed's feet, more out than inside. Cerella laughed at him, lifting the covers on her and lying on Gwayne's arm. - Good night! In the next few days it followed up like this, they kept doing everything together, revisiting places in the woods, the beach, and Gwayne spending the afternoon with his grandfather and Ser Patrick, making their plans and in the library with the Meister, studying the books.
One of those days, he woke up first than everyone, as always. Except his grandfather, who was already awake in the main hall. -
— A man must wake up early, didn't he, Grandpa? — He sat next to his grandfather at the table, the servants came and brought the breakfast . — Lord Wulf should be arriving, Lord of Seagrove spotted many warships passing through his port, descended in that direction. They can only be them, maybe they're already landing and pulling their ships off the coast. Gwayne smiled. - Good news!
— Yes, your wife is on the way too and with her five hundred well armed men and fifty knights. Besides your father and your sisters, of course. And Lord Luwyn's personal guard — Ser Lymond released a smile. – Time is turning. "Soon the Sarsfield and Lannister will be wiped from the face of the earth by the "young wolf" as they've been calling the boy Stark, or by Lord Stannis. Gwayne couldn't be bothered, he had good memories of Queen Cersei, his mother loved her, couldn't be a completely bad person and met Princess Myrcella in her name, didn't know Prince Tommen, but even without knowing him, i wouldn't want a child to die. That's what would happen if they lost. "one dead child, another..." He thought, getting dark and feral face.
- Now with the dead heir, and an old lion... - said him, putting his hand on Gwayne's shoulder. "And the elf arrested, Jaime possibly dead...
— The Gods smiled at us. — Sor Lymond, getting up and out.
Gwayne left right after for training with Ser Desmond, meeting with Jacks and the other boys during training. Then he spent the afternoon with Ser Hoot and Ser Leo, they had a lot to talk about. Then he walked back to the castle, he was tired. He found Cerella in the fireplace room with Septa, reading a book about gallant knights. About Jonquil and Florian, he greeted them and warned his cousin he'd go to bed early. Cerella said she'd join him later, Septa looked at her incredulate and she laughed.
He woke up in the middle of the night, but he didn't find Cerella by his side. He searched his shirt, but he wasn't in the place he had left, he heard the sound of the wind chilling strong outside the window, so he decided to open it. Out there was snowing, a terrible snow that covered the trees and houses' hearts, there was no torch with fire and the village was in complete silence. Outside his room was a dark, the castle was completely dark, came back to get his sword, and then walked down the dark hall, slowly down the stairs. The castle door was wide open, and the wind made her swing hard. He walked out and found no one at first sight.
"It must be a dream, it can only be a dream." He looked the side and found Aerea sitting on the heart tree roots. Gwayne walked to her.
— I feel you — she said, staring at him. — Gwayne.
— I don't understand — he said.
I feel it coming from beyond the wall, I feel an energy from the Sept of Baelor, I feel this very moment from the Riverlands... — she said. The energy of the volcano that sleeps under your feet and also from Castamere. — said she, getting up.
— are places I should go? — He asked.
— You will at some point, I'm so sorry, Gwayne.
— Don't feel it, I want to help you. — he said, extending his hand to her.
Aerea touched his hand with the fingertips. — where did you go, Aerea? – asked Gwayne.
— I wasn't... – she said, while a tear slipped through your face.
"What Barth believed, the question no one asked..."
— it wasn't you controlling the Balerion, was?
– No... – "take me home" was all I said, but the dragon that chose which house would take me, his house. Valyria.
— How can I bring you back, how do I save you?
– I don't know, please don't give up on me. – she said, with her voice down and squeezing his hand. – I feel that thing coming, Gwayne... Right now. He's here!
Gwayne turned back, pointing the sword but found nothing, just darkness and silence. He looked around and nothing but the wind, but he felt something terrible coming.
— Gwayne, it's the same energy I feel emanating from the north of the wall, and beyond the five forts of Yy-Ti... – said she, retreating to the tree. – The night is dark and smell of terrors...
Gwayne turned around and looked at her, her eyes were terrified.
- Run away! — she screamed
The next moment, he felt a hand grab his shoulder and twist, felt his bones break, before he could turn, he woke up in a scare. Fell to the ground, quickly twisting with pain. Gwayne was still feeling his hand on his shoulder, even after he woke up. He felt the touch, the rough skin and cracked. Cerella woke up scared and Gwayne violently turned on the floor, making the closet on the side of the bed fall on himself, dropping the necklace of the seven-pointed stars of Cerella on his chest, only so he felt the touch of the hand leaving him. He sat down quickly against the bed and breathed difficultly, Cerella came closer and hugged him. - What happened, what did they do to you in this damn war?
- nothing, i'm fine. - he said he still panting. - it was just a nightmare, i'm gonna get some air on the balcony, go back to sleep. Gwayne got up and went out, she followed him. The moon wasn't high in the sky any more, it would be dawn in a few hours. The village was quiet, only the patrols were passing along the road. Gwayne looked at Cerella, she was frowning.
— I'm gonna stay with you! — said she, crossing her arms and pouting. – okay, so I'm gonna go back to bed. When they turned to get in, they spotted far in the woods the trees move like there was something big going through between them, it made the birds fly.
- What was that? — She asked
Gwayne was silent, thinking.
— You wanna go there and find out?
— Are you crazy?
He smiled
— So let's go back to sleep.