At Eagle's Point.
Todd Flowers entered the lord's cabin and bowed to Samwell, saying,
"My lord Caesar, you wanted to see me?"
"Yes." Samwell raised his head from a pile of documents and said, "I want you to make a trip to Highgarden to gather as many refugees as you can and bring them back to Eagle's Point."
"Refugees?" Todd furrowed his brow and cautioned, "My lord, even if they are refugees, they are still under the protection of House Tyrell. You cannot just…"
Before he could finish, Samwell tossed a parchment over to him.
Todd caught it and, upon unrolling it, saw that it bore the signature of Lord Mace Tyrell himself, permitting Samwell to recruit refugees from Highgarden and bring them to Eagle's Point.
Todd was stunned. He hadn't expected that Samwell would be able to persuade Lord Mace Tyrell to approve such an order. It was simply…
He struggled to find the right words but recognized Mace's signature, and he also knew Samwell would never dare to forge something so important, not unless he was ready to leave the Reach forever.
So, he kept quiet.
"Take fifty men with you to Highgarden. Tell the refugees that we'll provide food and shelter here, and if they work, they'll earn credits—yes, you're familiar with our work-credit system, so you can explain it to them. Also, tell them that anyone who reaches Eagle's Point safely will get a ten-copper reward upon arrival. Remember, as long as they're willing to come, I'll take them—young or old, men or women, as many as you can gather."
"Yes, my lord," Todd answered, even though he had an urge to ask: But what if too many people come? Can we really afford it?
But he didn't ask.
Todd was finding it harder and harder to understand his young lord. Everything Samwell did—whether fighting, making money, or running the territory—was unconventional, yet he kept succeeding every time.
This fledgling territory was growing at an astonishing pace.
Todd felt he was in no position to question a lord like this.
In Todd's eyes, Samwell might not have been the wisest of lords, but he was undoubtedly the most astonishing.
As Todd left the cabin, he was mulling over who to bring along to Highgarden when he heard a commotion near the docks.
Another merchant ship? he thought, frowning.
Ships bringing food and supplies had been visiting Eagle's Nest regularly, and the fact that there was now a dock here was hardly a secret. But recently, the flow of ships had been unusually high.
Then again, he thought, given Eagle's Point's geographical location, it really could grow into a proper port.
Todd shrugged it off and turned to leave.
Shortly after he left, Samwell also emerged from the lord's cabin.
He gazed toward the busy dock, squinting.
Unlike the carefree Todd, Samwell had sensed something peculiar about the influx of ships.
It's far too many.
Even if word about the new settlement at Eagle's Point had spread, it shouldn't have suddenly attracted so many vessels.
He'd also noticed that most of these ships hailed from Dorne.
That made him realize that his little fiefdom had likely already caught the attention of the Dornish lords.
He had expected this day to come eventually, but not so soon.
No, wait…
He suddenly recalled that the surge of Dornish ships started not long after Petyr Baelish, "Littlefinger," had left.
Considering Littlefinger's inclination to sow discord, there was a good chance he was the one who'd alerted the Dornish.
With this in mind, Samwell strode toward the dock.
On his way, people greeted him, and he nodded in response. Soon, he was at the dock, where he found a Dornish ship captain named Don.
"My lord, thank you for allowing us to dock here."
"No need to thank me. This is an open port, welcoming anyone with friendly intentions," Samwell said, noting the flag on the mast. "You're from Starfall?"
"Yes, my lord."
"Have you had any notable visitors in Starfall recently?"
"Notable visitors?" Don looked confused. "Who do you mean by 'notable,' my lord?"
"Someone important from King's Landing."
"From King's Landing?" Don thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Not that I know of, my lord. I haven't heard of any important people from King's Landing coming to Starfall recently."
Samwell nodded, unsurprised. Knowing Littlefinger's penchant for subtlety, he wouldn't likely make a direct visit to Starfall. That would make his meddling too obvious.
"How did you hear about the new dock at Eagle's Eyrie?"
"The news has spread around Starfall's docks and even further, to High Hermitage and Blackmont. Everyone's talking about how they might be able to stop here to resupply. Though…"
"Though what?"
"Well, your dock here is a bit simple, my lord. The pier isn't long enough, there aren't enough berths, and there's no warehouse for storing supplies or food and water… I mean no disrespect, my lord…"
"It's fine," Samwell replied, chuckling. "Your feedback is valuable. But you must remember that my lands have only just begun construction. We need time to improve things. By the way, who's currently managing Starfall?"
He remembered that House Dayne's main branch was in decline; many had passed away, leaving only a young boy to inherit the title.
"It's Ser Ulrick Sand, my lord."
"Ulrick Sand…" Samwell murmured, recognizing the surname "Sand" as the Dornish surname for bastards. So this Ulrick must be a Dayne bastard temporarily managing Starfall.
But he couldn't recall much about the name from his memories, so he mentally filed it under "unimportant side characters" and asked another question, "The Lord of Starfall is Edric Dayne, right? Where is he now?"
"Lord Edric went to Blackhaven, my lord. He's now squire to Lord Beric Dondarrion."
The mention of Beric Dondarrion jogged Samwell's memory.
The man with seven lives—the Lightning Lord.
A tragic soul with a purpose—though perhaps "cursed soul" was more fitting.
The man destined to die multiple times for a cause he had no control over.
Samwell remembered that Beric had married Edric's aunt, which explained why he'd taken the young orphaned lord of Starfall to Blackhaven.
After a moment of thought, Samwell smiled and said,
"Could you deliver a message to Ser Ulrick at Starfall for me? Tell him I plan to pay him a visit."
Don was briefly taken aback, then nodded enthusiastically.
"Of course, my lord!"
(End of Chapter)