Narl had just swallowed a few wild berries, but his stomach was still growling with hunger. Leaning against a red rock, he only wanted to close his eyes and drift off.
"Get up! You lazy bones! The caravan's moving out!"
"Aren't we resting at noon?" Narl grumbled, reluctantly getting to his feet.
"What's the point? We're almost at Eagle's Point now. I've heard that once we're there, Lord Caesar the Merciful will welcome us with open arms—bread, roast meat, mushroom soup, all we can eat!"
At the mention of food, Narl's mouth began to water. He hurried to keep up with the group.
As a refugee from Highgarden, Narl had rarely eaten his fill, so when he heard that Eagle's Point was taking in settlers, he'd joined the migration caravan immediately. Sure, Eagle's Point was deep in the Red Mountains, and the name Caesar held no weight among Reachmens, but the promise of food was irresistible. And tales of the young knight's glory in battle only added to their faith in him.
Especially for a seventeen-year-old like Narl, those stories were captivating.
True to form, he sidled up to the leader and asked, "Is it true that Lord Caesar can cast fire magic?"
"Of course! The Daynes sent an army of twenty thousand to conquer Eagle's Point, and Caesar wiped them out with a single blazing spell! Then, when the Dornish regrouped with another hundred thousand, he torched them with a wave of his hand!"
Narl's eyes sparkled in awe, and another young refugee joined in, "I heard he wields a flaming sword that can burn anything!"
"No, it's a warhammer that blazes!"
"It's a sword, you idiot!"
The group quickly devolved into arguments about the legendary weapon, until the leader raised his voice over them all.
"Quiet down, fools! Lord Caesar is the prophesied prince reborn, of course he wields the flaming sword."
"The prophesied prince? What's that?"
"It's the ancient hero Azor Ahai reborn. In times past, this hero wielded the sword Lightbringer to drive out the darkness and monsters of the Long Night."
As the leader was speaking, they arrived at the entrance to Eagle's Point.
The guards were unfazed by yet another refugee caravan, seemingly well accustomed to such arrivals. After quickly explaining the basic rules of the land, the guards ushered them in.
As Narl crossed through the guarded valley entrance, his eyes widened.
There were neat rows of wooden cabins, bustling crowds, and a towering fortress under construction. It filled him with awe and made him instinctively lower his head and tread softly.
Not far ahead, Narl saw a regiment of soldiers in polished armor, lined up in orderly rows, training with curved swords, spears, and round shields. Standing before them was a tall, handsome young man.
"That's Lord Caesar," whispered the guard who'd led them in. "Behave yourselves. No disrespect."
Narl tensed up, averting his eyes and bowing his head to avoid looking directly at the legendary "fire-wielding" lord.
"My lord, this is the latest group of refugees from Highgarden, numbering one hundred thirty-seven."
"Very good," Samwell said, approaching the group and giving them a steady once-over.
Then, in a firm voice, he declared, "Since you have chosen to come to Eagle's Nest, as your lord, I am willing to take you in as my subjects. From this day forward, I shall provide you with food, shelter, and protection. In return, you must work for me, and in times of need, you must fight for me."
"Thank you, my lord!"
"We'll fight for you!"
"Thank you, Lord Caesar, for feeding us!"
The refugees burst into a disorganized chorus of thanks, some even falling to their knees to bow.
After a few words of reassurance, Samwell called over his steward Gavin to organize their accommodations and assign them tasks.
As he was about to resume overseeing the soldiers' training, Samwell noticed a large ship docking at the pier. The Starfall banner—a sword and falling star—flapped in the wind, and Samwell shook his head, a bemused smile crossing his face.
Just as he reached the pier, Nathalie Dayne disembarked, wearing a purple dress and a wide-brimmed hat to shield her from the sun.
"Nathalie, you're treating Eagle's Nest like your own home now, aren't you? Visiting so often."
Nathalie gave him a playful pout, closing the distance between them. "Lord Caesar, can't I visit as a neighbor? Besides, you're the one who said we should strengthen relations to prevent misunderstandings."
"Fine, fine. You're absolutely right," Samwell chuckled, offering his arm for her to take.
As they strolled, she glanced up at him and asked, "Is my mother here?"
"Your mother was here three days ago; you were here too, weren't you?"
"Oh, I was just checking. Maybe she'd come back in the meantime."
Samwell suppressed a sigh.
"Oh, look, Sam! You've got so many people here now!" Nathalie exclaimed, gazing at the bustling scene in amazement.
"That's because my fame has spread," Samwell replied, a hint of pride in his voice.
Nathalie nodded, apparently impressed by his renown, but her brows soon knitted in concern. "But Sam, aren't those Riverlanders under another lord's protection? Won't this cause problems?"
It could indeed be a problem. Although Mace Tyrell had issued him a writ allowing him to take in Highgarden's refugees, the agreement hadn't extended to the whole of the Reach.
"What trouble could it cause?" Samwell replied with a casual shrug. "These people came to me on their own, and they don't bear any lord's sigil. How could I know who they belonged to? I just thought they were mountain folk."
Nathalie chuckled. "Careful, or those other lords might come knocking."
"Let them." Samwell grinned. "If anyone here wants to go back to their old lord, I won't stand in their way."
He said this with great confidence, knowing that he treated these refugees fairly well—giving them food, shelter, and even pay. Unless they were fools, they'd stay.
If any lord came to contest it, he'd play dumb and claim he thought they were free folk from the mountains. After all, who could prove otherwise?
As they were talking, the maester, Qyburn, hurried over.
"My lord, a letter has arrived from King's Landing."
Samwell took the letter, read it quickly, and smiled. "Our good king is really going to put 'Red Viper' on trial."
"Huh?" Nathalie was puzzled. "But didn't Lord Arryn declare Prince Oberyn's innocence?"
Samwell shook his head. "Lord Arryn's forgiveness doesn't mean the king forgives him too. Well, I must prepare to head to King's Landing; the king has summoned me to testify."
"Can I come?" Nathalie asked eagerly.
"It's not a matter of 'can'—you have to come. Starfall should have received a summons as well; you're a witness too."
"Oh! Then I'll go with you," she said, beaming brightly.
(End of Chapter)