Gulltown

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

The largest city in the Vale and the most important port, Gulltown is where much of the business of the Lords of the Vale is conducted.

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Lord Tommen Redfort, his ten knights and the litter bearing Sara Royce and Jeyne Lannister entered the city of Gulltown. It was past midnight and all was quiet, but at port The Acorn was ready to set sail. She was a large dromond, comfortable and well equipped, towering over the cogs around her. Lord Tommen escorted Sara and the baby up the gangplank, his knights following, and the captain of ship showed them to comfortable, warm cabins.

[Deleted]

The Acorn sets sail for King's Landing on the morning tide. Her captain is an experienced sailor who is fiercely loyal to House Royce and now House Arryn.

[Deleted]

When they reached the harbor, Aranya dismounted from her courser, cradling Brynden carefully, and turned to Selwyn.

"I have a mind to go to the Iron Islands," she said. "It might be dangerous. You don't have to come with me if you don't want to."

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

"We are not separating. You have my boy. But the Iron Islands are the worst place to go -- soon our cousin will be waging war there against the Greyjoys. If it is adventure you want, why not go north?"

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Aranya looked at Brynden, fast asleep in her arms. For a moment she didn't speak. Selwyn was right, it was dangerous. It was the hardest thing she had ever done, but finally she walked to Selwyn and put Brynden in his arms.

"It's not adventure," she said. Her voice came clear and firm, though her heart was aching. "It's something I have to do. Maybe - maybe I won't have to do it. But I must go, and it's too dangerous over there for my family." Brynden was still on her breast though. The thought of letting another woman nurse him almost drove her mad. "Keep him safe, and keep yourself safe as well. It's selfish of me to ask you to come, I realize that now. The Vale is strong and secure, and nobody will hurt you here."

She took the reins of her courser, and turned towards the enormous dromond making ready to sail for the Arbor, and from there to Lannisport.

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

Confusion gripped Selwyn's mind. He could not understand what was going on, why Aranya would abandon her son, why she would abandon him. But he stood still, and looked down at Brynden. The boy was all he had left in the world that mattered.

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"I'll be coming back," Aranya said gently, as if she could read his mind. "I'm not going to abandon you again, Selwyn, I promise that. Not you, not our son. I have work to do, and if I do it, I'm coming back."

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

"But why go alone? Why risk your life when you have so much to live for?"

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Aranya sighed, came back, and sat him down next to her on the pier. "I don't think you know this, and you won't believe me when I tell you - but I'm a - a skinchanger. A warg," she said quickly, when he stared at her. "Please don't think I'm mad. Those wildlings who were with us were also wargs, and they were teaching me. It seems that my - my Captain Snow," she managed a smile and squeezed his hand, "is my partner. I can slip into his skin and control him. It's been happening ever since my pregnancy."

She stared off into the distance. "I've never really believed in gods and things like that. I like weirwoods because they look old and lovely, but I've never cared for the spirits. But skinchanging is magic, Selwyn. What does it mean, that we can do magic? What am I supposed to do with it? Wulf and Fallon said that my horse is a demon and that I can't use violence like that anymore. And I've figured it out. I have made a life out of war - but the power of magic must be for peace. And that is what I must do. Make peace between all the lords and kings and..." she snorted. "Even the bitches. I can't watch soldiers getting killed on long winter marches when they should be safe at home with their wives and babies, like you are with me. And I especially can't watch them die if I know they're dying for no good reason."

Her mouth twitched. "I bet you never thought you'd hear that come out of me."

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

"And how will you make peace? There will be peace after the fighting is over. Peace cannot be made with Allard, Lady Sara must be avenged, Baldwin must be avenged. And the Ironborn sacked and killed every man, woman and babe they could find on the Red Fork. What peace is to be made with them?"

"Skinchanging is dangerous, sweetling. It drives men mad, men who warg from birth. They would control those massive unicorns on Skagos, those horns would be driven like lances. You must be careful to hold onto your soul. Perhaps you should look at those weirwoods a little more seriously."

[Deleted]

"Do you think I'm going mad? No, don't answer that, I don't want to know." She fingered the hilt of her saber, balancing its point on the wooden beams of the pier.

"There won't be peace, Selwyn, not even if we put Jeyne Lannister on the Rock and subdue Balor. Callen will turn his swords towards Dorne yet. One day he will. And then Emelia will raise her daughter as a claimant for the Iron Throne. There will never be peace. And since Brynden was born and my magic came to me - I have wondered about peace."

She sheathed her saber. "Wulf and Fallon have nothing left to teach me. It seems that I must go north after all. The maester of the Gates said that the Free Folk and the greenseers know what I want to learn." She turned to him. "It will be cold, but I can take you and Brynden. Will you want to come?"

[Deleted]

Aranya wanted to see Elane before she left, so she, Selwyn, Brynden and the black courser boarded a ship for King's Landing. The ship left soon after they boarded.

[Horas]

The knight with an owl on his surcoat ushers the three young Targaryens on to a ship anchored along Gulltown's docks. The ship is a swift merchant vessel from King's Landing, Lady Arya's Luck.

As the Targaryens disappear below decks, the knight turns to one of his men. "They seem like good boys. Pity the King will have to kill them."

The ship sets off for King's Landing.

[Deleted]

A swan ship sailed into the Gulltown port. Emblazoned across it were the words, Aranya. The ship docked and unloaded goods, for which merchants paid the captain handsomely. Lord Tommen Redfort disembarked, glad to be home again, and rode for Redfort Castle.