Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Aftermath

In the great library of Jaampey there is a woven tapestry which, it is rumored, actually contains a map for crossing the mountains to the Rain Fields.As with many of the maps and books of Jaeampe, the information contained therein was deemed to be of such great value that it had to be implied by means of riddles and visual puzzles.Among the many patterns on the tapestry was a muscular, dark-skinned man with black hair holding a red shield, and in the opposite corner was a golden-skinned creature.The part of the golden-skinned creature was moth-eaten and worn badly, but judging by the scale of the tapestry, it was still much larger than a man, and probably had wings.According to the legend of Buckkeep, King Wise once sought and found the land of the old spirits by a secret path through the mountain kingdom.Do these two patterns represent the Elder and the Wise King respectively?Does this tapestry of tapestry record the path through the mountain kingdom to the land of the ancient spirits in Rainfield?

I learned much later that I had been found leaning on Burrich's body, on the tiled floor of the spa bath.At that time, I was shaking like I was suffering from sadism, and I couldn't wake up no matter how much I screamed.It was Jiang Osmanthus who found us, but how she even thought of going to the hot spring bath, I will never know.I still suspect she was to Eyo what Chade was to Shrewd, maybe she didn't serve as an assassin, but she always knew or found out about almost everything that happened in the palace.Anyway, she took over the situation and put Burrich and I alone in a room separate from the palace, and I guess for a while no one from Buckkeep knew where we were or what we were Dead is alive.She looked after us herself, assisted by an old manservant.

I woke up about two days after the wedding.Those 4 days were one of the most miserable days of my life. I lay in bed with my limbs twitching and twitching.I often dozed off, a dead, uncomfortable kind of slumber, either vividly dreaming of Verity, or feeling him trying to pass on me.I couldn't discern any tricks in the Skill's dream, only that he was worried about me.I could only catch occasional snippets, such as the color of the curtains in the room where he was teleporting, or the texture of the ring he absently twisted on his finger as he tried to reach me.I'd be jolted awake by yet another bout of more intense muscle spasms that left me wracked with cramps, before dozing off again exhausted.

I was just as miserable when I was awake, because Burrich was lying on the floor in the same room, breathing heavily, but otherwise barely responding.His entire face was swollen and discolored, and it was almost impossible to see his original appearance.From the very beginning, Jiang Osmanthus didn't give me much hope, saying that he might not be able to survive, and even if he survived, he would definitely be the same as before. But Burrich had narrowly escaped death before.The swelling subsided, the bruising faded, and when he finally woke up, he allowed himself to start recovering quickly.He doesn't remember anything after he took me out of the stable, I only told him what he needed to know.It's not really safe for him to let him know these things, but I owe it to him.He got out of bed and walked around before I did, and though he felt dizzy and headaches from time to time at first, it wasn't long before Burrich was able to use his spare time to get acquainted with Jaampey's stables and explore the city.In the evening when he came back to his room, we talked a lot quietly.We both avoided bringing up subjects where we knew we disagreed, and I couldn't be honest with him about things like Chade giving me lessons, but we mostly talked about the dogs he had, cared for, and There are horses he's trained, and sometimes he talks a little bit about his early days with the Riders.I told him about Molly one night, and he was quiet for a while, and then he told me that he had heard that the owner of the Lemon Balm Candle Shop had died in debt, and that his daughter was going to inherit the shop, Now I can only go to a certain village to join relatives.He couldn't remember which village it was, but he knew whom to ask.He didn't laugh at me, but told me seriously that I had to figure out what was on my mind before I saw her next time.

Prestige was no longer able to use the Skill.He was carried off the stage that day, but as soon as he woke up, he immediately asked to see Emperor Zun.I believe he conveyed Verity's message, because while Burrich and I recuperated, Regal did not visit us, but Kettricken did, and she mentioned that Regal was very concerned about us and hoped that We can recover fully from this accident as soon as possible.She told me I had a fit and fell into the pool and Burrich tried to pull me out but slipped and hit his head.I don't know who made up this story, maybe Jiang Osmanthus!I don't think even Chade could have made a better story than this.But Vanesse ceased to be leader of the group after delivering Verity's message, and as far as I know he never practiced the Skill again.He left the court, and went to the Willow Grove where the Rider and Patience had ruled.As far as I know, he later became wiser.

After the wedding Kettricken and the whole city of Jaampey mourned her brother for a month.I fell ill in bed, knowing only that there were many bells, chanting, and burning incense during that month.All Lu Ruishi's things were scattered and given away, and Yiyou personally brought me a simple silver ring that his son had worn, as well as the arrow that had shot through his chest.He didn't say anything to me, only told me what these two things were, and said that I should cherish the relics of such an outstanding man. As for why he chose these two things to give to me, he didn't say, and I could only wonder to myself.

A month later, Kettricken stopped mourning and came to wish Burrich and me a speedy recovery, and to say we'd see each other again at Buckkeep.Verity's brief brief encounter with the Skill had dispelled all her doubts about him, and she spoke of her husband with quiet pride, willingly setting off for Buckkeep, knowing she had married a noble man. It wasn't my turn to ride beside her at the head of the line on the way home, nor was it my turn to enter Buckkeep amidst horns and acrobatics and children's bells.That was Regal's job, and he did it decently.I think Verity never quite forgave him, but he dismissed Regal's plot as if it were just a little boy's prank, which I think scares Regal more than any public condemnation.Of those who knew about the poisoning, the blame rested on Chatter and Severn in the end, since it was Sevron who did get the poison and Chatter delivered the cider.Kettricken pretended to believe that it was the work of an over-ambitious servant without his master's knowledge, and Luril's death was never publicly attributed to poison, nor was my identity as an assassin revealed.Regardless of what Regal had in mind, his apparent demeanor was that of a young prince escorting his brother's bride home with grace and dignity.

I took a long time to rest.Osmanthus treated me with herbs that she said would rebuild the damaged parts of my body.I'm supposed to learn her herbs and techniques, but my mind seems to hold as much as my hands, in fact, I barely remember anything from that time now.My recovery was frustratingly slow, and to make it less boring, Osmanthus tried to arrange for me to read in a large library, but my eyes got tired quickly and seemed to be the same as my hands Easy to shake and unstable.Most days I lie in bed thinking.For a while I wondered if I wanted to go back to Buckkeep' and wondered if I could continue as Shrewd's Assassin.I know that if I go back, I'll have to sit under Regal at the table and look up to see him sitting at His Majesty's left hand; and I'll have to treat him as if he never tried to kill me, never used me to poison a me Admired man.I frankly talked to Burrich about it one night, and he sat and listened to me, and he said, "I can't imagine Kettricken feeling any better than you, or me. I'll have to see that The guy who tried to kill me twice, and call him 'His Royal Highness,'. That has to be up to you. I hate to let him think he scared us away, but if you decide we're going somewhere else , then let’s go.” I thought, at that time I finally guessed what the earring represented.

By the time we left the mountains, winter had really arrived.Burrich, Hand, and I got back to Buckkeep much later than the rest, because we walked so slowly.I get tired easily and my energy is still very difficult to manage.I would collapse unexpectedly, fall out of the saddle like a sack of grain, and then they would stop and help me back on, and I would force myself to keep riding.Many nights I woke up shaking and didn't even have the energy to cry out.These relapses subside very slowly.But I think what's worse is that some nights I won't wake up and instead have endless dreams about drowning.I awoke from this dream one night to find Verity standing by and looking down at me.

You can wake the dead, he told me kindly.We must find you a master who will teach you a little control, if nothing else.Kettricken wondered why I dreamed of drowning so often.I guess I have to thank you, at least you slept well on my wedding night. "Verity?" I said drowsily. Go to sleep!he told me.Galen is dead, and I'm keeping Regal a little tighter, so you don't need to be afraid.Go to sleep and stop having such loud dreams. Verity, wait a minute!My blind attempt to catch him broke the weak technical connection, and I had no choice but to listen to him and sleep. We continued on, through increasingly bad weather, all three longing to be home long before we actually got there.I believe it was during that trip that Burrich became aware of Hand's abilities.Hands was quite capable of making horses and dogs trust him' and he easily took Cobb's and my place in the Buckkeep stables, and the friendship he formed with Burrich made me more aware of my loneliness, though I don't like to admit it.

In the court of Buckkeep, Garen's death was regarded as a tragedy, and those who had least known him had said the most kind things about him.Apparently he was overworked and his heart was failing at such a young age.There was talk of naming a warship after him, as if he were a fallen hero, but Verity never subscribed to the idea, so it didn't work out.His body was returned to Farrow for burial with the greatest honor.If Shrewd guessed anything about what happened between Verity and Galen, he kept it well hidden, and neither he nor Chade ever mentioned it to me.We've lost our Master Skill, and we don't even have an apprentice to replace him, and that's no small thing, especially with the Red Ship Raiders not far from overseas.The matter was openly discussed, but Verity adamantly refused to consider the appointment of Tanning or anyone else in the group Garen had trained. I never knew if Shrewd had betrayed me to Regal, I never asked him or even raised my suspicions with Chade.I guess I don't want to know' Try not to let this affect my loyalty, but when I say "Your Majesty" I mean Verity. Luresh delivered the lumber he promised me to Buckkeep.The lumber had to be hauled overland to Wine River, then to Tu Lake by gondola, and then along the Buck River to Buckkeep.The lumber arrived just before the middle of winter, and it was as big and straight as Ruresh had said earlier.The first warship built from these timbers was named after him, and I think he understands that, but probably won't approve of it too much. King Shrewd's plan had succeeded.Buckkeep had not had a queen for many years, and Kettricken's arrival had sparked interest in life at court.Her brother's tragic death on the eve of her big day made people curious about her bravely going ahead with the marriage, and her apparent devotion to her new husband made Verity a romantic hero in the eyes of her own countrymen.They are a very outstanding pair, and she is young, fair and beautiful, which sets off Verity's quiet power.Shrewdly put them both on display at a ball that attracted nobles and nobles from the six duchies, and Kettricken's passionate and fluent call for unity to defeat the Red Ship raiders, and Shrewdly raised money, even in the During the winter storm, the Six Principalities immediately began to build fortifications.More watchtowers were erected and volunteered to guard them, shipwrights scrambled to take pride in building warships, and Buckkeep was filled with volunteers to serve as galleymen.For a brief period that winter, the people believed the legends of their own making, as if the Red Ship raiders could be defeated by willpower alone.I'm skeptical of that mentality, watching Shrewd encourage it, and wondering how he's going to keep it going when the smelting reality kicks in again. There is one other I must mention, who was involved in that conflict only because of his loyalty to me.I will carry the scars it left on me until I die, digging deep into my hands several times with its worn-out teeth before finally pulling me out of the pool.How it did it, I will never know, but when others found us, its head was still resting on my chest, and its life-and-death connection with this world has been severed.Big Nose is dead.I believe he gave his life generously, remembering how kind we were to each other when we were puppies.No human grieves as strongly as a dog, but our grief lasts for many years.