6 Chapeter 6 MARWYN

" " Dialogue

-- -- Internal thought

«» Written note or letter

*** Scene break

() Explanatory author's note

The winter passed harshly, only about 6 months, the shortest winter in centuries. I hope it doesn't mean a short spring, because the projects would be further delayed. During the winter, I made significant progress. My farms were harvested before the first blizzard, achieving substantial results in production. It's still too early for the rotation, but it seems to be working. The blacksmith and the carpenter managed to perfect my sketches of the plow and the planter. Now they will spend the winter producing as much as they can, while teaching talented orphans how to make them. As for the orphanage, my unauthorized project is going well, although it was quite strange to pretend that no one knew what I was doing for a while, until my father summoned me to his solar.

Retrospective scene

"So… how is the orphanage going, son?"

"…"

"Let's pretend that such a big project can be carried out on my lands without me knowing."

"No, of course not, father. I just thought we would continue pretending that I get my way or something."

"Haha, you're right. I just wanted to see when you would ask for your allowance for supplies, but you've held up well. It seems you have more savings than I thought."

"Haha, maybe even more than you imagine."

"Is that so? Well, answer my question: how is your secret project going?"

"Well, father. The most expensive part was building the structure, although I think more orphans will come in winter, maybe we'll raise one or two more."

"Don't stretch yourself too thin. We don't know how long the winter will last. It's okay not to be able to save them all. Save money for yourself."

"Don't worry, father. I have enough funds to last a long winter, I just haven't started because of the difficulty of finding staff, you know, with the secret and all."

"Well, if you can fund the project on your own, I'll give you the land in the city and I'll get you the people to take care of the children, but it will be your responsibility to pay their salaries, feed them, and if the project fails, you'll have to bear the weight of their lives. Do we have a deal?"

"Of course, father. But speaking of funds, maybe I'll need a loan during the winter."

"You say you don't have funds?"

"No, no, father. It's not a problem of funds, but of liquidity. Give me a second, I'll show you. Just let me go to my room for something."

"If you need anything, I can send a servant. No one will take anything you don't specify."

"No, it won't be necessary." --I doubt they can even open the chest, hehehe.--

Moments later, Ned entered with two objects in his hand.

"Father, how much do you think you could lend me for these two things?" I said as I showed him a gold ingot and a silver one.

"What on earth... I'm sorry, son, but where did you find these?"

"They were in a chest in Godswood, along with the books I showed you."

"Oh, the books, I almost forgot about them. But are you sure, son? Maybe you should keep them as antiques for your house."

"Don't worry, I still have other pieces that I plan to keep."

"In that case, rather than leaving them on consignment, I would recommend selling them. You see, besides the lion's head, this gold ingot has the casting date, and this mark is like a serial number. I'm not entirely sure what they mean, but if they were buried so deep, they must be very old. Perhaps Lord Manderly would have a better idea of how much you could get for them. For now, if you want, I can lend you the weight in gold and silver, but I won't give them all to you at once; instead, I'll open something like an account for you to request it in case of need. But even if you're wealthy for your age, I won't let you squander it. You'll have to present me with a report of where your expenses are going, understood?"

"Yes, father."

"Tomorrow I'll send a crew to White Harbor to negotiate the pieces."

"Thank you, Father. I can offer them twenty percent of whatever is obtained."

"Don't worry about that, but remember to treat the passengers to something when they return, as it's your affair."

"Of course, father. Thank you."

End of scene

Once again, we were waiting in the courtyard. It seems that Maester Aemon was too optimistic about how long it would take for the maester's caravan to arrive, as it took them more than a week to reach the gates of Winterfell. What was also surprising was the fact that the caravan was larger than reported in White Harbor: two-wheeled vehicles, 8 full wagons, and a group of 20 guards. It was even larger than the Night's Watch caravan, and that was a caravan that brought goods to trade. At this point, we saw a maester descending, but he was too young to be Maester Castos.

"Welcome, Maester. Can you tell us what business your caravan has in Winterfell?"

"Good morning, Lord Rickard. It seems you were the one who requested a replacement from the Citadel, so here I am at your service."

"Forgive me for asking, but I don't think you're Archmaester Castos."

"That's because I'm not. My name is Marwyn; I am an Archmaester from the Citadel, and as of today, your maester."

"That only leaves me more confused. According to the Citadel's letter, Maester Castos was supposed to come."

"Oh yes. We found him a few days away. It seems he fell ill, perhaps with the plague, but don't worry. I have already informed the Citadel that I will replace him."

"I don't think that's how things work, Maester. You'll understand that until I have confirmation, I can't allow you to stay in the castle."

"Well, of course, that's why it took a little longer. I have the confirmation raven in my possession, as well as the credentials that prove two of my companions are the Northern adepts you requested."

"Here is the letter." Rickard opened it and read it, seeing the seals and everything seemed correct.

"I understand your distrust, Lord Stark. If you wish, we can stay in Wintertown until a new raven is sent to confirm the authenticity of the appointment."

"That would be best, Marwyn. I'll have my Guards guide you to the best inn in the city."

"That won't be necessary, my Lord Stark. I would prefer, if possible, to stay at your son's farms, or if you need me not to leave Wintertown, the orphanage your son runs would also be fine. I could educate the children in the meantime; I'm sure I could find potential for the Citadel."

"The orphanage it is then. My guards will show you the way."

"That same night, my father sent a raven to Maester Aemon asking about a certain Marwyn, as the Citadel's response would take at least a month to arrive. Therefore, my father was vigilant against that caravan.

A fortnight later, a raven from the Wall arrived; it was Maester Aemon reporting that he had arrived safely at the Wall. From that raven, we were able to confirm that indeed Marwyn was one of the maesters of the Citadel. We also discovered that much of the information obtained from Maester Castos was provided by him. It seems that two months ago, Marwyn sent a raven from the Citadel, and since the shortest journey would take longer, he sent a description and a pencil drawing of how the maester should look, although he confesses that it has been years since he saw him. This description matched perfectly with the man who was watching my father, even his extravagance in the way of traveling.

***

The damn Marwyn the Mage is in the North; I thought he would be in Essos or even Asshai at this time. Damn it, although I know he's a character attracted to magic and could be considered chaotic-neutral in this game of thrones, I can't say if he's good or bad or what his reasons are for coming so far North. It seems I need to talk to him, I thought as I finished my meal.

"Father, I'll go to the orphanage; maybe it's time we try to find out more about this caravan."

"Of course, son, but take a squad of escorts with you."

"Good day, Maester. If you have time, I'd like to speak with Archmaester Marwyn. Could you tell me where he is?"

"Good day, Lord Stark. The maester is currently indisposed, so to speak," he responded uncomfortably.

Remembering the character from the books, I got an idea of what could be causing the maester's indisposition, so I didn't press further to see him.

"Oh, I see. Would it bother you if we sat down to talk with you while we wait?"

"Of course not, my Lord Stark."

"Call me Eddard; my father is Lord Stark. What's your name, Maester?"

"Of course, Lord Eddard."

"And tell me, what's your name, Maester? I'm Brandon, my lord. I and Maester Luwin are the adepts your father requested from the Citadel."

"Oh, I see. You should be a Northerner, right? Tell me, where are you from? I don't think I know the town."

"I'm from a place in The Rills, but as I never liked to breed horses, my family sent me to the Citadel to study."

"Oh, I see. The Rills, right. You must ride very well then. Perhaps we should go hunting sometime, along with some children from Wintertown."

"I don't do it, my lord; I don't ride very well, and I don't think it's right for a lord to hunt with smallfolk…"

***

As Ned walked through the orphanage to meet with Maester Marwyn, he stopped Daniel and whispered to him, "I want you to find Arwen. Ask her to keep an eye on Maester Brandon. I want her to investigate who sent him and, if there's a chance, find out why he's here."

"Of course, my lord? May I ask why?"

"He's not who he says he is, at least not from the North."

"..."

"You see, Daniel, it's not so strange for someone from The Rills who doesn't know how to ride. But families wouldn't send their children to the Citadel just for that. Maybe families in The Reach would have the money, but not in the North. Besides, the term 'little folk' is only used in the South."

"Hello, Maester, good afternoon," Ned said as he entered the maester's room. Inside, Marwyn was with a guard.

"Good afternoon, young lord. May I ask what brings you to honor me with your visit?"

"Nothing special, Maester, just curiosity. It's rare to see a maester so willing to come to the North of his own accord."

"Haha, I can see why, young Lord. It's not winter, but the cold chills me to the bone when I'm outside."

"You'll get used to it, of course, if you stay."

"I hope to be able to stay, Lord Stark, in your service if possible," he said, giving Ned a meaningful look.

"Do you think we could have a private conversation, Lord Stark?"

"Without responding, Ned gestured for Daniel to leave the room."

"Don't get rid of your guard, Maester Marwyn."

"Oh, don't bother about him. He's deaf from birth, so he acts as if he's not here."

"If you say so. Now you have your privacy. Tell me, what do you want to talk to me about?"

"Of course, of course, but before that, I have some news that will interest you."

"You know, I found this guard in the whorehouse of Wintertown while he was telling his lover that he saw you on the day of Walys's death climbing the bell tower and swearing that you walked to the maester's tower... Luckily, I was the only one who heard his ramblings. But I found it offensive that he was spreading gossip. You know how rumors spread like the plague, they turn worse, and we don't want people to ruin your good reputation, so I captured him."

"Well, you see, that day I really wanted a book from the maester's collection, so I decided to go see him. But you know, with the door closed, I had to figure out a way to get in," he said nervously. "I know my excuse is weak, but I can't think of anything better."

"Well, young lord, you know, even if I earn my mask and Valyrian Steel scepter, I'm also a master of poisons. I know cruel poisons that kill by suffocation, slow poisons that can kill with a kiss, but also poisons that give a peaceful and painless death."

"Among them is a very peculiar poison that kills by cold and that only occurs in this region. You know what poison I'm talking about, don't you, Lord Stark?"

"Are you threatening me, maester?" he said, playing with my dagger in front of him, hiding my eyes that were shining.

Marwyn

Age: 37

Level: 72

"Oh no, no, no. You're misunderstanding me, Lord Wolf. I really want to work with you, but I know you distrust me. So allow me to demonstrate my sincerity," he said, indicating to his guard to bring a chest from the corner of the room.

"Please, Lord, see." As I approached, I saw the bell tower guard alive, tied up and gagged, but alive.

"Everything is fine, calm down," I said as I removed the gag from his mouth.

"Young lord, what's going on?"

"Nothing, don't worry, you're safe. Tell me, what's your name?" I said as I untied his hands.

"My name is Saka, my lord. I was the bell tower guard. Remember, we met that night...".

"Very well, Saka. Get out of the box, you can untie your feet yourself, right?"

"Yes, my lord," the boy said, sitting on the floor and trying to untie his feet.

"You know Marwyn, I don't like tough choices," I said as I left my dagger on the table and picked up the rope that the guard had on the floor, "but I like potential threats to my family even less," I said as I walked behind the guard still sitting on the floor. "Strangling someone is harder than I thought; people struggle a lot, but with their legs still tied and so close to the ground, it's a lost cause from the start," I said, giving Marwyn a dangerous look. 

"The woman I spoke to..."

"It's done,"

I could only nod before I had to lean over and vomit into the chest.

After about 15 minutes to compose myself, I returned to my place as Marwyn's man left to take the body and chest without much reaction.

"Excellent, now Marwyn, after this introduction, tell me what brought you so far north."

"Mainly curiosity, my lord. Maester Aemon speaks highly of you. He said he found something interesting. You see, I'm a seeker of truth and magic. A few moons ago, I was about to travel to Asshai with my retinue to continue my search, but then one of my glass candles lit up. I didn't know what it meant, but just then, Maester Aemon's letter arrived, and I KNEW there must be a connection. A gut feeling, you could say."

"A gut feeling brought you this far north, my lord?"

"Exactly. In the darkness that is the search for magic, it's all instincts and gut feelings."

"What I still don't understand is why me, a maester? What makes you believe that I can help you in your search?"

"Haha, when I arrived, I wasn't sure of anything, young lord. But then I investigated. I found that all the Starks are respected around here, but you, my lord, are held in a very rare reverence, even for these parts. Your new agricultural methods, your orphanage..."

"But that doesn't indicate anything. Maybe just a clever boy."

"Haha, yes, of course. But there are other indicators, like your father's newfound disdain for the southerners. Until a few years ago, your father could be considered a faithful supporter of the maesters and the south, but suddenly, he changed his mind. I thought maybe his wife or some new advisor was to blame, but when I greeted them at Winterfell, I saw how with small gestures he sought your advice when dealing with me. Also, the way he tensed up when I mentioned you and your projects, and when you were the first to come and measure me, I realized that you had to be the driving force behind the change."

"Again, more than just hints, nothing concrete."

"You are brilliant. Tell me, what else could have given you away?"

"Nothing more than hints. Wait for the guard. So, it was a test. All of this is a big test from the conversation with the maester to now."

"Excellent, Lord Wolf, but you're leaving out a couple more things. You see, for someone educated in magic, it's easy to track others who also have magic, and you, the berserker, and the witch who follow you reek of magic. The test was more a test of your character than a confirmation. Now, I'm completely convinced that you're the one I'm looking for."

"Haha, I really didn't think magic could be tracked," I thought.

"Alright, Maester, you caught me. Now tell me, what kind of cooperation are you looking for?"

"Nothing at the moment. I just know that magical things seem to follow you, and I want to be alongside you when those things happen. I know they will come; I know you'll seek them out. For me, that's enough. I only ask that you don't push me aside or hide these events from me."

"Ok, Maester, happy to cooperate, though you still leave the matter of your appointment and Maester Castos."

"I convinced the maester that it was urgent for me to return by orders of the Conclave, and my acolytes within the Citadel will take care of sending the appointment. As for Maester Castos, he'll leave White Harbor but will never set foot in the port again. By the time the Citadel discovers my ruse, it will be too late to change anything without risking their reputation."

"Okay, it seems like those are all the matters, so I'll take my leave."

"Of course, Lord Stark. By the way, there's no need to be ashamed. The first time is the hardest. I'd be more worried if you hadn't reacted at all. It's not something a decent man would enjoy."

"Thank you, maester," I said as I stood up from the chair.

"By the way, maester, I didn't prepare a gift for you, but maybe I have something," I said as I placed a flower on the table.

"No loose ends, Lord Lobo."

"No loose ends."

_________

Edrick Stark's Diary

Entry number 7

Iben is a group of islands inhabited by small, hairy people, very similar to the cannibals of Skagos, although if you ask them, they will deny any connection.

According to their own myths, they descend from giants. Despite their size, their immense strength leads me to believe they are telling the truth. Their culture is similar to ours, a race bred and adapted to the cold. They are tough, like their own language, but once you get to know them, they are really warm people, a warrior race without a doubt. Today, I was told a secret. It seems the rumors are true: they are relatives of the Skagosi, but they were the ones who escaped from there when the last giant died. Those who stayed, cursed them all, dug on foot while the sea was frozen. But they are not from here; it's not the first time they have had to escape from their home. People don't know their origins; they talk about escaping to the west and then to the east.

My companion has the theory that they originate from Essos, from a place between the Bones Mountains, but the truth no one will know.

I only know that they escaped again and seem ready to do so once more. That's why they no longer build in stone, that's why they have large ships.

_____________________________________

Hi

"I have nothing to say, hmm, I'll just say Hello."