Ch-45: Bearing Gifts from Afar: Timothy's Arrival
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While the couple was feasting, a strange ship came into the sight of the soldiers of the watchtower. Thankfully, it had the flags of House Baratheon. The guards still rang the warning bell and soon, the soldiers around the dock became vigilant.
A messenger also rode his horse to the castle to bring the news to Jorah.
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Tory sent the maids to get his Lord while he waited downstairs with the horse. Jorah arrived quickly when he received the message about the ship.
"Did we know about any ship from the Royal Navy or an important guest?" Jorah inquired.
"My Lord, we haven't heard anything about that. Could it be from Old Town, perhaps fetching the Maesters?" Tory suggested.
"I highly doubt it would be those fellows from Old Town choosing a Baratheon ship. Let's go. I think we should personally welcome the guests."
Both men mounted their horses, and a cavalry followed them. A few boats had already set off from the dock to meet the incoming ship halfway and figure out their purpose. All the arrangements seemed to be going smoothly, and Jorah was silently pleased.
Luckily, the group of visitors wasn't running around in confusion. They showed proper order. Jorah and the others waited until the massive ship finally docked on their shores, followed by their longboats.
"My Lord, it's a ship from Dragonstone, sent by M'Lady's house in response to her letter," a young sailor bowed and hurriedly conveyed the information he received from the ship to Jorah, surprising him greatly.
Jorah hadn't counted on Annara's family for support because there were hardly any men on that barren Dragonstone island. But sometimes, surprises come when you least expect them. However, the ship they were on looked quite unusual.
Jorah kept his curiosity in check and waited for the men to disembark. He recognized his brother-in-law, Timothy Farring, leading them. Timothy was no older than fifteen namedays but carried himself with maturity.
"My Lord, I'm Timothy Farring, and I come bearing gifts to honour House Mormont," Timothy saluted Jorah and spoke confidently.
"Welcome, Timothy. Bear Island is always open to friends and family, and you're family. Come with me," Jorah replied, not saying much and leaving Tory to deal with whatever was on the ship. He needed to speak privately to understand the situation better.
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"So, what's the story, love?" Jorah asked his wife after her tearful reunion with her brother and a long chat.
"Oh! The great lord wants his wife to be a spy?" Annara quipped.
"No, just the lady of Bear Island," Jorah replied with a confident smile.
"Humph. Father sent my younger brother here to check on me and to transfer the men he bought on the ship. The ship is a gift from father. It originally belonged to a merchant from the Summer Isles who traded it for a favour. There are nearly 700 men on board, beggars, lowlifes, and bastards from King's Landing, people no one cares about. They've come here in exchange for food and shelter."
"Hmm… I underestimated your father, I think. Sending men away from King's Landing not only serves our purpose but also gains some political standing in the small council in the Red Keep. Plus, your brother is someone who can easily move around here and get a real look at the island. Quite clever, I must admit," Jorah nodded thoughtfully after hearing his wife's explanation.
"Jorah, don't," Lady Annara became uneasy listening to Jorah and tried to speak, but he interrupted.
"Don't worry. I'd do the same for our daughter," Jorah reassured her with a kiss, understanding that there were probably some secrets meant only for her ears.
Jorah waited alone in the towers, watching a line of men coming down from the ship and a few men scurrying around the area. Tory had also returned by this time but waited patiently for Jorah to speak.
"Divide all these men into smaller groups and assign them to the Mountain Clans and Forest Clans for proper management. Tell Walrus that I need these men to bolster our numbers, but I don't fully trust them, so he should place some spies among them to ensure we don't have any trouble later."
Jorah issued his orders without turning back, and Tory saluted before hurrying off to carry them out. These men were very important to him, and the ship itself was extremely valuable.
"Summer Isles…" Jorah muttered before deciding to meet with Master Tumbor.
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"My Lord... I've never seen a ship like this," Master Tumbor remarked to Lord Jorah.
Together, they meticulously inspected every part of the ship, trying their best to understand its size and design.
"I believe this is the fastest trading ship in all of Westeros and Essos, Master Tumbor," Jorah replied.
"But why is the platform so high at the back?" Master Tumbor pointed out.
"I think it's for the archers. This ship looks like a war galley, but it's just a merchant ship. It's because of their sturdy wood and skilled archers that they can sail in open waters without fear of pirates," Jorah explained and struck the wooden deck with his hand.
To Master Tumbor's dismay, there was a dull sound, but the wood remained perfectly intact. "They call it hardwood, and I must say they're not wrong," Jorah remarked before shaking his hand to ease the pain.
"Master Tumbor, I hope you can spare some time to create a painting of this ship. I want our new merchant ships to be exactly like this."
Jorah gave his orders to Master Tumbor before leaving him alone on the vast ship.
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