Chapter 26 - Next destination
After speaking with Maester Aemon and giving him a new reason and purpose to live, I had completed everything I could do now. His face had looked brighter, clearer, as if some weight had been lifted from his old shoulders. I knew he would hold on now, longer than even he expected, to guide those who still carried dragon blood. When we stepped out of his room again, the air of the Wall felt strangely quiet. I closed my eyes, took Val and Leaf by their hands, and with a soft pull of magic, we vanished from the cold stones of Castle Black and reappeared near the Manderley seat, White Harbour.
The change in scenery nearly shocked my senses. From the frozen north to the smell of salt, fish, and fresh bread, White Harbour felt almost too lively. The great harbour was bright with white stone, ships of all sizes, and banners carrying the fat merman of House Manderley. Their seat, the New Castle, stood proudly on the riverbank, all pale stone and smooth walls, built stronger and cleaner than most keeps in the North. It looked like a place that cared about comfort, feasts, and proper beds.
The city itself was busy but not noisy for a port city. Unlike other ports, where people shouted from morning to night, the folk here had a steady, organised flow to their work. Val was impressed, though she tried to pretend she wasn't. Leaf, on the other hand, looked around in awe.
After a little enquiry and paying a few coins, we managed to book passage on one of the better ships leaving for Braavos. The captain promised a journey of two to three weeks, depending on winds and waves. I did not mind. A slow sea trip felt almost like a holiday. We also booked the best available cabins on the ship. They were not as grand as any lord's chambers, but after whole life in forests and tunnels these felt like luxury to Val and Leaf.
I had thought, more than once, about simply teleporting straight to Braavos. It would have been easier, faster, and far less tiring than weeks at sea. But my Teleportation power had its limits. I could only travel to places I had already been to or the places I knew, either by sight or by having touched their land, breathed their air, or felt their presence through the trees. And Braavos had no heart trees that I could use.
Even if there were a few trees scattered somewhere, their voices were too faint for me to reach. Blind teleportation worked only across short distances. Trying it across the Narrow Sea would have thrown me into the water or into the middle of a ship's hull. So, for now, I had to travel like any other man with the transportation available in this world.
Life on the ship soon settled into a strange but comfortable rhythm. Days were long, the horizon endless, and the sea had a way of making time feel slower. The breeze was cool, the air salty, and at night the sky felt larger than anything in Westeros. But the real entertainment came from my two partners.
Every morning, I tried to train or exercise on the deck. I had imagined peaceful stretches and calm sword forms. Instead, I got Val bouncing around me like an excited pup. She had endless energy. If I swung the sword twice, she swung hers ten times. If I tried running, she sprinted ahead, then ran back, then circled me like some overexcited wolf. Her joy was loud and alive, so loud that some sailors began watching us for entertainment. A few even started betting on how long I could last before collapsing.
Then there was Leaf.
For someone older than every kingdom of men combined, she was surprisingly, or worryingly enthusiastic. She copied Val in everything, almost like a student determined to learn how to "be wild." If Val climbed the ship's rigging, Leaf followed. If Val laughed loudly at a joke, Leaf tried laughing the same way, though hers sounded more like a tiny bird attempting to roar. If Val tried balancing on the railing, Leaf joined her, making the captain nearly faint.
More than once, I had to pull them both down before they toppled into the sea. I thought forest folk were supposed to be calm. But here she was chasing and copying Val all day around.
Our evenings were calmer. The three of us would sit in the cabin or on the deck, watching the waves slide under moonlight. Val talked about her people, her sister, and her memories of the True North. Leaf sat beside her, listening quietly, absorbing everything. Sometimes she asked questions about human customs. Sometimes she simply watched me with those deep moss-green eyes.
The nights with Val and Leaf settled into a rhythm of their own, restless and charged. We stayed awake long after the ship fell silent, talking in low voices, sharing warmth, thoughts, and closeness. If the mornings were for training in weapons, nights were a different workout.
Val always led with her fearless, eager energy. Leaf who was curious and newly awakened to the world mirrored her every move with determination. Their excitement and energy never seemed to dim, if anything, it grew stronger each night. I often found myself caught between them, listening to their competition and Val guiding Leaf. The nights stretched long and breathless.
I had gained many things from Leaf and I was still learning to understand each power. The first was greensight, the rare power to see pieces of the past and present through the trees, and sometimes faint shadows of the future. Along with that came warging, both of which strengthened in me.
The third gift was the most new and strongest. A deep elemental control over Water and Earth, the very powers the Children once used when they shattered the land bridge that connected Westeros to Essos. With practice I could bend water, shift soil, and move stone in ways no ordinary man ever could. My senses were sharper too, clear hearing, deeper sight, and a natural awareness of the world around me. I already had a long life ahead because of the Hot but through Leaf I felt a different kind of longevity, old and steady, like the slow heartbeat of the forests themselves. This was the power of control over plants and trees.
I thought about it that the powers were one would need for trees to grow, Water, Earth, Life and Time.
Weeks passed in this rhythm. Training, laughter, eating, staring at the sea, and trying to keep the two wild creatures beside me from scaring the sailors into early retirement. Despite everything—the wars, the fear, the long journey ahead of us, I felt warmth settling in my chest. The powers in me free stronger and complete the more we spent the nights together.
And finally, one misty morning, the shadow of a giant Titan rose from the sea.
Braavos.
The free city awaited us. The home of the Faceless Men. The seat of the Sealord. And somewhere in its crowded streets, the two lost children of the dragon, Daenerys and Viserys.
End of Chapter 26 - Next destination