Chapter 58 Chapter 57: Daenerys

Meereen was as big as Astapor and Yunkai put together, and like its sister cities it was built of bricks, but Astapor was red and Yunkai was yellow, and Meereen was many colors.Its walls were taller and better repaired than Yunkai's, and it was full of bunkers, with tall defense towers covering every corner.Behind the wall, a gigantic pyramid pointed to the sky, a colossal eight-hundred-foot-tall thing with a towering bronze harpy on top. "The harpy is a cowardly thing," Dario Na Harris commented upon seeing it, "with a woman's heart and a chicken's leg. No wonder her offspring hide behind the walls."

But the moat hero did not hide.He emerged from the city gates, clad in scaled armor of brass and jet, and riding a white warhorse whose armor was pink and white striped to match the silk cloak on the hero's shoulders.Holding a fourteen-foot pink and white corkscrew spear, his oiled hair combed into two huge curved horns, he galloped back and forth under the painted brick walls, challenging the besiegers to send a warrior to fight him. A male and female. Her bloodriders were eager to meet him, even fighting each other for the chance. "Blood of my blood," Dany told them, "your station is here, beside me. This man is a buzzing fly, ignore him, he will be gone soon." Ago, Jhogo and Although Rakharo is brave, after all, he is young and very precious, so he cannot take risks.They can gather her khalasar and are her best scouts.

"Very wise," said Ser Jorah, who was also watching from the tent, "let that fool run and yell till the horse is lame. It will do us no harm." "Greatly harmful," Whitebeard Arstein emphasized. "Two armies meet not only with swords and spears, sir, but also with morale. One side will collapse and flee first, while the other side will hold on to the end. This man builds courage in his own heart, sows to our army Seeds of doubt." Ser Jorah snorted. "If the people we send are defeated, what kind of seeds will be sown?" "You can't win if you're afraid to fight, ser."

"I didn't discuss the battle at all. Listen, even if the fool fails, the gates of Meereen will not open. Why risk your life for no reason?" "In my opinion, it's about honor." "Enough." Dany had enough troubles to listen to their arguments, and Meereen had more than a pink and white moron hero who shouted insults, and she couldn't be distracted.After the battle of Yunkai, the ranks numbered more than eighty thousand men, but less than a quarter of them were warriors, and the rest... well, Ser Jorah called it a walking mouth, and now the prospect of famine loomed .

The "great masters" of Meereen retreated before Dany marched, fortified the walls and cleared the fields, harvested all the grain that could be harvested, and burned what could not be harvested. Scorched farmland and poisoned wells were everywhere.Worst of all, they had nailed a slave child up on every milepost along the coast road from Yunkai, nailed them up still living with their entrails hanging out and one arm always outstretched to point the way to Meereen. .Daario was in the vanguard, and he told the troops to put the children down before Dany saw them, but she rescinded the order when she heard about it. "I'm going to watch them," she said, "see each one, see their faces, and count them. I'm going to remember them."

When they came to Meereen, on the salty shore beside the river, she counted to one hundred and sixty-three.I will take this city, Dany swore to herself again. For an hour the pink and white moat hero insulted the besiegers for not being men, mocking each other's mothers and wives and gods.The defenders of Meereen cheered and cheered on the city. "His name is Oznak Zo Parr," Brown ben Plumm told her after the council of war.This person is the new head of the Second Sons, elected by fellow mercenaries. "Before I joined the Second Sons, I was his uncle's personal bodyguard. These great masters! They are all fat maggots, and the women are not bad-if you don't look at the inappropriate masters in an inappropriate way, then It would cost your life instantly. A friend of mine named Scapo, who had his liver ripped out alive by this Oznak, claimed that Scapo raped a lady with his eyes and that he was doing it to protect her honor. I ask you, how can eyes rape? His uncle was the richest in Meereen anyway, and his father commanded the city guard, so I ran away like a mouse before he killed me too."

They watched as Oznak zo Parr dismounted from his white steed, took off his tunic, pulled the thing out, and roughly pissed into the burnt olive grove where Dany's golden tent was.Seeing him triumphant, Daario Na Harris jumped onto his horse with his arakh in his hand. "Shall I cut that off and put it in his mouth, Your Grace?" His gold teeth gleamed in the middle of a forked blue beard. "I want his city, not his little things." But she was getting angry.If you ignore it, you will be regarded as weak by the people.But who to send? Daario is as important as the bloodriders.The Stormcrows would not have been in control without the richly-dressed Tyroshi, many of whom were former followers of Puranda Na Jisen and Salo the Bald.

On the high walls of Meereen, the laughter grew louder, and hundreds of defenders followed the example of the heroes defending the city, urinating from between the walls to show their contempt.They insulted slaves to show off their courage, she thought, and if there were Dothraki khalasar outside the city, she would not dare to do it anyway. "We must fight." Astan emphasized again. "Yes," said Dany, as the hero put the thing away. "Strong Belwas." The tall brown-skinned eunuch sat in the shadow of the large tent eating sausages.After hearing the order, he ate three mouthfuls, wiped his oily hands on his trousers, and asked Astan with the white beard to fetch the weapon.An aged squire sharpens his master's arakh every night and polishes it with bright red oil.

When the knife came, Strong Belwas squinted down the edge, and with a grunt, slipped it back into the leather sheath, and fastened the sword belt around his broad waist.Arstan brought the shield too, a small iron disc about the size of a pie plate, which the eunuch held in his left hand, rather than strapped to his forearm as was the custom of Westerosi warriors. "Prepare onions and liver, Whitebeard," said Belwas, "not now and later. Killing makes strong Belwas hungry." Without waiting for an answer, he trudged out of the olive grove. out, towards Oznak zo Parr. "Why send him, Khaleesi?" Rakharo asked. "The fellow is fat and dumb."

"The strong Belwas was once a slave in the arena here. If the famous Oznak was defeated by such a person, the great masters would be greatly humiliated. They are worthless to them, and the Meereenians cannot be proud." Moreover, unlike Ser Jorah, Daario, Brown Ben, and the three bloodriders, the eunuch did not lead troops, draw up plans, or provide The ability to speak out.He does nothing but eat, drink, brag, and yell at Arstan.Belwas is the easiest pawn to discard.The time has come to weigh up the protector Magister Illyrio has sent her. Belwas plodded forward, to the cheers of the siege party, and from the walls and towers of Meereen came shouts and jeers.Oznak zo Pal remounted, straightening the corkscrew lance.The war horse shook its head impatiently, pawing the sand with its hooves.Although the eunuchs are huge, they are small compared to the men and horses. "If you have chivalry, you should dismount," Arstein said.

Oznak zo Pal leveled his spear and charged. Belwas stopped, legs apart, the buckler in one hand, and the arakh that Arstan had so carefully tended in the other.The yellow silk bellyband couldn't hide his huge brown belly and sagging chest, and apart from a ridiculously small studded leather vest, he wore no armor, even his nipples were exposed. "We should give him mail." Dany felt suddenly uneasy. "No need, the mail will only slow you down," Ser Jorah said. "No armor is worn in the arena, and the audience has to watch the bloodshed." Dust rose between the hooves of the white warhorses, and Oznak thundered toward Strong Belwas, his striped cloak fluttering in the wind, and the city of Meereen screamed and shouted.The cheers from the siege side seemed sparse in comparison, because the main Unsullied remained in formation and stood silently, expressionless like stones.Belwas was also like a stone, blocking the horse's path rigidly, with his broad back tensed.Oznak's spear was aimed at the center of his chest, the bright iron point gleaming in the sunlight.He'll be stabbed to the bone, she thought... Just at the nick of time, the eunuch turned sideways and passed the rider in the blink of an eye.The hero of the moat circled his horses and raised his spear, and the men of Meereen on the walls shouted louder when Belwas made no reply. "What is he doing?" Dany asked. "Show off," Ser Jorah said. Oznak led his horse around Belwas in a wide circle, then kicked his spurs hard and charged again.Belwas waited quietly again, turned around at a critical moment, and pushed the spear head away.This time she heard the eunuch's rumble of laughter echoing across the field as the hero passed. "The spear is too long," Ser Jorah said. Go ride, don't try to pick people up in a chic way." Oznak zo Parr charged for the third time, and Dany could see clearly that he was heading for Belwas, like a Westerosi knight in a jousting, not Rudos. Racks head-on into their opponents. Considering that the flat and wide ground allowed the horses to gain speed, but also allowed the eunuchs to easily dodge the cumbersome fourteen-foot spears, the pink and white defender of Meereen tried to anticipate the actions of his opponents, and at the last moment, he sent The lance deflected to catch up with the dodge of Strong Belwas. The eunuch had been on guard for a long time, this time he squatted down instead of turning to the side.The lance passed harmlessly overhead, Belwas rolled abruptly, and the sharp arakh cut a silver arc, slashing at the leg.The steed neighed sharply, then fell, and the hero tumbled from his saddle. A sudden silence fell over the brick walls of Meereen.Cheered and became Dani's subordinates. Oznak sprang from his steed and drew his sword before Strong Belwas could strike.The gold and iron intersected, and the ringing sounded again and again, like a storm, so fast that Dany couldn't see the moves clearly.It wasn't long before Belwas was slashed under his breasts, blood covered his chest, and Oznak had an arakh cut between his horns.The eunuch drew out the knife vigorously, and slashed three times, separating the hero's head from his body.He held his head up high for the Meereenians to see, and flung it toward the gate, where it bounced and rolled on the sand. "The heroes of Meereen are nothing more than that." Daario laughed. "Victory is meaningless," Ser Jorah warned. "You don't win a city by killing a guard one at a time." "It doesn't make sense," Dany agreed, "but I'm glad I killed the guy." The city's defenders began firing crossbows at Belwas, but they were too far away, and the arrows skimmed the ground harmlessly.The eunuch turned his back on the rain of steel arrows, took off his pants, squatted down and pulled a pile of shit in the direction of the city, then wiped his ass with Oznak's striped cloak, stopped to search for the corpse, and staggered back The dying horse was brought out of its agony in front of the olive grove. On reaching the camp, the besiegers gave a warm welcome.Her Dothraki shrieked, and the Unsullied struck the shield with spears, clanging. "Well done," Ser Jorah praised, and Brown Ben tossed a ripe plum to the eunuch. "Sweet fruit for sweet victory." Even her Dothraki handmaidens were effusive. "We'll braid your hair and tie bells on it, Strong Belwas," said Jhiqui, "but you have no hair." "Strong Belwas don't want jingling bells." The eunuch swallowed Brown Ben's plums in big gulps, throwing away the pits. "Strong Belwas wants onions and liver." "No problem," Dany said. "Strong Belwas is wounded." Blood ran red from the cut under his breast, staining his stomach. "That's nothing. Before I kill someone, I always give the other party a chance to slash me first." He patted his bloody belly. "Count the scars and you'll know how many men Strong Belwas has killed." But Dany, who had lost Khal Drogo to a similar wound, would not let it go, and sent Missandei to fetch a freeman of Yunkai, known for his rejuvenation, to heal him.Belwas growled and complained, and Dany scolded him for being a big bald-headed baby, until he was willing to let the doctor staunch the bleeding with vinegar, sew it up, and wrap it with a rag soaked in strong wine.Only then did she bring the generals and officers into the account for a meeting. "I must take this city," she said, sitting cross-legged on a pile of cushions surrounded by three dragons.Eli and Jiki pour wine for everyone. "Its barns overflow, its pyramids are figs and dates and olives, its cellars are barrels of salt fish and bacon." "It also has chests of gold and silver and gems," Daario reminded them. "Let's not forget the gems." "I have carefully examined the walls on the land side, and there is no weak point," Ser Jorah Mormont said. "If there is enough time, we may be able to dig through a certain tower and get a breakthrough, but what will we eat during the period? The supplies are almost exhausted." "There are no weak points in the walls on the land side?" Dany asked.Meereen stood on the sandy headland where the brown Skahazadhan emptied into Slaver's Bay.The north city wall stretches along the river bank, while the west city wall is close to the bay. "That means attacking from the river or the sea?" "Attack with three ships? Of course, it is imperative to send Captain Grole to investigate, but unless the city wall by the river collapses and cracks, it will be death." "How about building a siege tower? My brother Viserys told a similar story, you can build a tower to attack the city." "The tower is of wood, my lord," Ser Jorah said. "The slave traders burned every tree within twenty leagues. Without wood there would be no catapults to smash down bunkers, ladders to scale walls, nor siege towers, tortoise shields, and battering rams. Of course you can attack with an axe, but..." "Did you see those bronze heads on the gates?" asked Brown ben Plumm. "Rows of harpy heads with gaping mouths? Meereen spouted boiling oil from their mouths to cook the Battlefield." Dario na Harris smiled at Gray Worm. "Perhaps the Unsullied should swing the axe. I hear boiling oil is like a hot bath to you." "That's not right." Gray Worm didn't smile back. "Little people don't feel the burning pain like ordinary people, but the hot oil is enough to blind, even kill. But the Unsullied are not afraid of death. Give the little people battering rams, and we will knock down the gate or die for it." "You're all going to die," said Brown Ben.When he took command of the Second Sons at Yunkai, he claimed to be a veteran of many battles, but he would not boast of being valiant on all occasions.The so-called "there are old mercenaries and bold mercenaries, but there are no old and bold mercenaries." She deeply agrees with this. Dany sighed. "I will not sacrifice the lives of the Unsullied for nothing, Gray Worm. Perhaps starvation will force the townspeople to surrender." Ser Jorah looked sullen. "We shall starve to death before they do, my lord. There is no food here, no fodder for horses and mules, and even water in the river. The Meereenians dump their dung into the Skahazadhan and draw their own water from deep wells. There have been reports of disease outbreaks in the camp, including high fever, brown leg disease, and three cases of blood plague. More to come if we stay longer, and don't forget that the slaves are weakened from the march." "They are free folk," Dany corrected, "not slaves any more." "Whether it's a slave or a free citizen, people are starving and will soon get sick. The supply in the city is relatively sufficient, and it can be supplemented by water. Your three ships can't block the river and the ocean." "What advice do you have, Ser Jorah?" "You won't like it." "I still want to hear it." "Yes. Abandon this city if you ask me. You cannot free every slave in the world, Khaleesi. Your goal is Westeros." "I haven't forgotten Westeros." Dany often dreamed of it, of this legendary land that had never been seen. "But if the old brick walls of Meereen can make me give up so easily, what can I do against the great stone castles of Westeros?" "Like Aegon," said Jorah, "conquer with fire and blood. When we reach the Seven Kingdoms, your dragons will grow up, and you'll have the resources to build siege towers and trebuchets, which are lacking here. The conditions are available in Westeros... But I warn you, the road through the Land of Long Summer is long and harsh, full of unknown dangers. You stopped in Astapor to buy an army, not to start a war. Put Leave the strength you have accumulated with great difficulty to the Seven Kingdoms, Your Majesty, leave Meereen to the people of Meereen, and go west to Pentos." "Admit defeat?" Dany said angrily. "Cowards hide behind high walls, and they are the ones who lose, Khaleesi." Qiao Goko said. The other bloodriders agreed. "Blood of my blood," said Rakharo, "it is known that when cowards burn their food and fodder and hide, the great khal seeks out a truly valiant foe." "Everyone knows." Ji Qi agreed while pouring wine. "I don't know." Dany took Ser Jorah's advice very seriously, but giving up Meereen like this was more than she could bear.She couldn't forget the children on the pillars, the birds tearing at their guts, their skinny arms pointing forward along the coast road. "Ser Jorah, you say we are running out of supplies, and if we head west, how will we feed the free folk?" "Sorry, it can't be done, Khaleesi. They will either feed themselves or starve to death. Yes, many, many people will die on the march, cruel, but there is no way. We desperately need to get rid of this Scorched earth." Dany left behind a trail of corpses as she crossed the Red Waste, a sight she never wanted to see again. "No," she said, "I will not send my people to die." They are my children. "There must be a way to get into the city." "I have a way." Brown Ben Plumm stroked his mottled gray and white beard. "The sewer." "Sewer? What do you mean?" "The huge brick sewer connects the Skahazadhan River and is used to drain the city's waste water. For some people, this may be the only way in and out of the city. After Scapo lost his life, this is how I escaped from the city. Lin's." Brown Ben grimaced. "The smell never leaves people, I always dream about it at night." Ser Jorah looked dubious. "It seems to me that getting out is easier than going in. According to you, these sewers lead to the river? Doesn't that mean that the discharge is at the bottom of the city wall?" "And it's enclosed by iron bars," admits Brown Ben, "but some of them have rusted through, or I would have drowned in excrement. Once inside, you need to endure dirt and dirt, and you have to climb a long way, through the black bricks. Maze, may never get out. Sewage is never lower than waist level, maybe even higher than the top of the head based on the marks I saw on the wall. There is something down there, the biggest rat in the world and worse.. disgusting gone." Dario Na Harris laughed out loud. "As disgusting as when you crawled out? Forget it, if someone is stupid enough to try, when he gets out, I'm afraid all the slave traders in Meereen will smell it." Brown Ben shrugged. "Your Majesty asked if there was a way to enter the city, and I just reported the truth... Ben Plumm doesn't want to go down these gutters again, even if he gives me all the gold in the Seven Kingdoms. If others want to try, then welcome. " Ago, Jhogo, and Gray Worm wanted to speak at the same time, but Dany raised her hand to stop her, "The sewer sounds hopeless." She knew that as long as she gave the order, Gray Worm would lead the Unsullied down to the sewer, and neither would her bloodriders. hesitate.But none of them are suitable for the task.The Dothraki are horsemen, and the Unsullied's strength lies in its discipline on the battlefield.Faced with such a slim chance, can I send my own people to die in the dark? "I think about it, let's all back down." The officers bowed away, but the maid and the dragon stayed behind.As Brown Ben left, Viserion flapped his pale wings lazily over his head, sweeping across the mercenary's face.Bailong awkwardly landed one foot on his head and the other on his shoulder, let out a scream, and flew away again. "He likes you, Ben," Dany said. "Very likely." Brown Ben laughed. "You know, I have a little blood of the real dragon." "You?" Dany was surprised.Plumm, an old mercenary, good-natured half-breed, with a broad brown face, a broken nose, bushy gray hair, and large black almond eyes from a Dothraki mother, claimed to be Braavos, the Summer Isles, The blood of Ibben, Qorhor, Dothraki, Dorne, and Westeros, but this was the first time she had heard that it included Targaryen blood as well.Dany looked at him inquiringly, "How is that possible?" "Well," said Brown Ben, "an ancestor of Plumm in the Land of Sunset was married to the Dragon Princess. That's what Granny told me. She lived in King Aegon's time." "Which Aegon king?" Dany asked. "Five Aegons ruled Westeros." Her brother's son would have been the sixth, but the usurper's men slammed him to death against the wall. "Five, that many? Oh, what a mess. I don't know who it is, Your Majesty, but this old Plumm is a high lord, and there was a lot of talk at the time... um - please forgive me - his stuff It's six feet long." Dany laughed, and the three bells in her braid rang loudly. "You mean six inches?" "Six feet," Brown Ben replied affirmatively, "if it were six inches, what would anyone care about? Your Majesty." Dany giggled like a little girl. "Did your grandma witness this spectacle?" "That's not right. The old lady is half Iban, half Qohor, never been to Westeros, my grandfather must have told her - and he was killed by the Dothraki before I was born gone." "And where did your grandfather learn about it?" "One of the nursery stories, I guess." Brown Ben shrugged. "The thing about King Aegon of some unknown life and old Lord Plumm, I'm afraid that's all I know. Your Majesty, I Gotta go take care of the Second Sons." "Go," Dany ordered. After Brown Ben was gone, she lay back on the mat. "If you were grown up," she said to Drogon, scratching between his horns, "I could ride you over the walls and melt that harpy into scrap." But it would take a lot. Years before her dragons grow big enough to be ridden.When they grow up, who will ride? The dragon has three heads, and I have only one.She wanted Dario.If there is any man who can rape a woman with his eyes... Dani felt a little guilty.When the officers came for a meeting, she found herself peeking at the Tyroshi, remembering the golden teeth that gleamed when he smiled.Besides that, there are his eyes.Those bright blue eyes.All the way from Yunkai, Daario would bring a flower or a branch of a plant to his nightly report...to help her understand the land, he said.Oh, there's bee willow, black rose, wild mint, lady's lace, daggerleaf, gorse, thornwood, golden harpy... and he tried to keep me from seeing the dead children.He shouldn't have done it, but he had the best intentions.Dario Na Harris could make her laugh in a way Jorah the Knight never could. She tried to imagine what it would be like to allow Dario to kiss herself, like Ser Jorah had done on the ship.The thought both excited and disturbed her.The risk is too great.She didn't need to be reminded, she also knew that the Tyroshi mercenary was not simple, behind his smile and witticism, he was dangerous and even cruel.Salo and Puranda were still his companions in the morning, but at night he cut off their heads and sacrificed them.But Khal Drogo was also cruel, and the most dangerous man in all the world.But she still fell in love with him.Can I love Dario? What would it mean if I slept with him? Would that make him one of the three dragons? She knew Ser Jorah would be mad, but didn't he say I could have two husbands huh? Maybe if I marry them both, everything will be solved. But these are silly ideas.She had a strong city to conquer, and dreaming of kisses and the bright blue eyes of sellswords would not help her break through the walls of Meereen.I am the descendant of the real dragon, Danni woke herself up, but her thoughts kept spinning, like a mouse chasing its tail.Suddenly, she couldn't bear the enclosed space in the big tent anymore.I want to feel the breeze on my face, I want to smell the ocean. "Missandei," she called, "saddle the silver horse, and prepare your own mount." The little document bowed. "Yes, Your Majesty. Would you like to summon the bloodriders?" "I'm not going to leave the camp, just take Arstein with me." Among the children, there was no need to take precautions.And the old squire neither talked like Belwas nor looked at her like Dario. The burnt olive grove where the tent stood bordered the sea, between the camps of the Dothraki and the Unsullied.With their mounts saddled, Dany and her companions set off along the coast, with their backs to the city.Even so, she could feel Meereen jeering behind her.Looking back, it stands there, the afternoon sun is shining brightly on the bronze harpy statue atop the Great Pyramid, and soon slave traders will be wearing fringed toka robes and reclining chairs , feasting on lamb, olives, puppies, honey dormouse, and the like, while outside the city her children were starving.Sudden rage filled his body.I will beat you, she swore. Riding over the pickets and ditches that surrounded the eunuch's camp, Dany heard Gray Worm and his sergeants training one squadron to master short swords, shields, and heavy spears, while another squadron wrapped themselves in white loincloths in the sea. bath.She noticed that the eunuchs were very clean, unlike the mercenaries—some of her men smelled like they hadn't bathed or changed since her father lost the Iron Throne.In contrast, the Unsullied insisted on washing every night, even after a long day's march, and when no water was available, they washed it with sand in the Dothraki fashion. Seeing her pass by, the eunuchs knelt down one after another and clenched their fists in front of their chests to show their respect.Dany returned the salutes one by one.It was high tide now, and the waves were foaming at the feet of the silver horse.She saw her ships in the open sea, the "Belerion" nearest, the great merchant ship that had been called the "Cedurion," and she drew up her sails.In the distance are the rowboats 'Melaxes' and 'Vaghar', formerly known as 'Jacicyoso' and 'Summer Sun' respectively.They actually belonged to Magister Illyrio, not hers at all, yet she gave them new names without thinking, dragon names, and more: Old Valyria before the Doom, Balerion, Mi Rax and Vhagar are gods. South of the tidy stake moat and the area where the eunuchs practiced bathing was the Freedmen's Camp, a far more noisy and chaotic place.Dany had armed the ex-slaves as best she could with weapons from Astapor and Yunkai, and Ser Jorah had organized those capable of fighting into four cohorts, yet she saw no reason for the drill now. sign.Around a fire of burning driftwood, hundreds of people gather to grill horse carcasses.She frowned at the smell of meat and the hiss of fat as the boy turned the horse. The children ran after the horses, cheering and cheering.There was no salute here, and the free folk called out to her from all sides in all sorts of strange languages.Some paid homage to her and called her "mother", some asked for favors and help; some prayed to strange gods to bless her, and some asked her to bless them.She looked left and right, smiled at them, touched raised hands, and let the kneelers touch her stirrups and legs.Many free folk believe that touching her brings good luck.If it helps to give them courage, let them touch it, she thought, the road ahead is full of unknown dangers... Dany paused to speak to a pregnant woman who wanted the Mother of Dragons to name her baby when someone grabbed her left wrist.She turned to catch a glimpse of a tall man in ragged clothes, with a shaved head and sunburned cheeks. "Don't try too hard." Before she could finish speaking, she was dragged off her mount by the other party.The ground rushed head-on, suffocating, and the silver horse neighed and backed away.Dizzy, Danny rolled over and propped herself up on her elbows... ...and saw a shining steel sword. "Treacherous sow," he said, "I knew one day you'd come and have your legs kissed." His head was as bald as a pumpkin, and his molting nose was red, but she knew the voice and the pair of eyes. Pale green eyes, "Cut your tits first." Dany was vaguely aware of Missandei calling for help.A freeman rushed forward, but only took a step, and the sword flashed, and he fell to his knees, blood running down his face.Melo wiped his sword on his breeches, "Who's next?" "Me." The white-bearded Astan jumped off his mount and stood in front of her, holding a long hardwood cane, and the salty sea breeze stirred his snow-white hair. "Father," Melo said, "get out of here before I snap your cane in two and stab your—" The old man feinted with one end of the cane, then drew it back, and struck out with the other end, so fast Dany couldn't believe it. The "Bastard Titan" staggered back into the sea, blood and a few broken teeth spat out from his smashed mouth.Whitebeard blocked Dany behind him, and Mero slashed at his face, and the old man backed away quickly, swift as a civet.This time the cane hit Melo hard in the ribs, making him stagger.Astan launched a counterattack, stepping on the water spray and moving sideways, holding back a swinging strike, dodging the second strike, and intercepting the third strike towards the middle.They moved so fast she could barely see.Missandei pulled Dani up, only to hear a "crack", she thought that Astan's crutches had broken, only to find jagged bones protruding from Mero's calf. When the "Bastard Titan" fell down, he writhed vigorously, reached forward, and stabbed the old man's chest.Whitebeard dismissed the weapon contemptuously, and struck the big man's temple with the other end of his cane.Melo collapsed to the ground, the waves coming at him, and blood bubbled from his mouth.In a short while the Free Folk swarmed upon him too, and overwhelmed him with knives, stones, and angry fists. Dany turned her head away, nauseated.She is more frightened now than she was when it happened.He almost killed me. "Your Majesty," Astan knelt down, "I'm old and useless, and I'm really ashamed. I shouldn't have let him get close to you. It's all my fault. I lost my beard and hair, and I didn't recognize him." "It's okay, I didn't recognize it either." Dany took a deep breath to stop her trembling.There are enemies everywhere. "Please take me back to the account." She was wrapped in a lion's skin and drank mulled wine when Mormont arrived. "I've seen the wall by the river," Ser Jorah began. "It's a few feet higher than the land side, and it's just as strong. The Meereenans have set up a dozen fireships under the battlements—" She interrupted him, "You should have warned me that the Titan's Bastard escaped." He frowned. "There is no need to frighten you, Your Majesty. I have put a price on his head—" "Pay the money to Whitebeard. Melo followed him after he left Yunkai. He shaved off his beard and wandered among the free folk, waiting for a chance for revenge. Arstan killed him." Ser Jorah stared at the old man for a long time. "A squire killed Melo of Braavos with a club, didn't he?" "A staff," Dany confirmed, "but he is no longer a squire. Ser Jorah, I want you to knight Astan." "No." The sharp denial was surprising enough.Even stranger, it came from two people at the same time. Ser Jorah drew his sword. "'The Bastard of Titans' is a famous killer. Who the hell are you, old man?" "A knight better than you, sir." Astan said coldly. The knight? Dany was confused. "You said you were a squire." "It used to be, Your Majesty." He dropped to one knee. "In my youth I was squire to the later Lord Swann, and I now serve Strong Belwas at Illyrio's behest, but in the years in between I was a knight of Westeros. I Did not lie to you, Her Majesty, but withheld some facts, and faults in connection therewith. I beg your forgiveness." "What facts did you keep?" Dany was dissatisfied. "I want you to tell me now." He looks down. "In Qarth, when you asked my name, I called myself Arstan. In fact, I did go by that name when I traveled east with Belwas to find you, but that was not my real name." She was more suspicious than angry.As Jorah warned, he deceived me, yet saved me just now. Ser Jorah flushed. “梅罗剃掉胡子，你却留起了胡子，对吗?难怪看着这么面熟……” “你认识他?”丹妮迷惑地询问被放逐的骑士。 “我见过他十几次……大多数时候是远远看着他跟他的兄弟们站在一起，或驰骋于比武场中。七大王国里每个人都知道'无畏的'巴利斯坦的名号。”他用剑尖抵住老人的脖子。“卡丽熙，跪在您面前的是巴利斯坦·赛尔弥爵士，御林铁卫的队长，他背叛了您的家族，为篡位者劳勃·拜拉席恩效力。” 老骑士眼都不眨，“真是乌鸦还说八哥黑，就凭你，还敢讲什么背叛。” “你来这儿是为什么?”丹妮要他回答，“劳勃派你来刺杀我，又为何救我的性命?”他为篡夺者效力。他背叛了雷加的英名，他抛弃了韦赛里斯，任由哥哥在流放中自生自灭。然而假如他要我死，只需袖手旁观……“我要全部的真相，以你身为骑士的荣誉发誓，你究竟是篡夺者的人，还是我的?” “是您的，如果您愿意接受的话。”巴利斯坦爵士眼中含着泪水。“没错，我得到劳勃的宽恕，并在御林铁卫和御前议会中为他效力，跟弑君者和其他坏蛋一起共事。他们玷污了我的白袍，没有什么可以为此开脱。若铁王座上那邪恶的男孩不剥夺我的职务，也许我仍在君临效力，承认这点让我羞愧，但确是事实。当他取下'白牛'系于我肩的披风，并于同一天派人来杀我时，我眼中的障膜仿佛突然揭开。我意识到必须寻找真正的国王，并为他而死——” “我可以成全你。”乔拉爵士阴沉地道。 “安静，”丹妮说，“我要听他说完。” “也许必须身为叛徒而死，”巴利斯坦爵士道，“可我至少是真实的。在获得劳勃的宽恕之前，我在三叉戟河英勇作战，你却站在另一方，不是吗，莫尔蒙?”他不待回答。“陛下，很抱歉我误导了您，但这是唯一能防止兰尼斯特家知道我投效您的方法。和您哥哥从前一样，您也受到监视。多年以来，瓦里斯伯爵把韦赛里斯陛下的每一步行动都知会御前议会，我听过上百次这样的报告。而自您跟卓戈卡奥结婚以来，您身边就一直有个线人出卖您的秘密，用情报换取八爪蜘蛛的金钱和承诺。” 他不会是指……“你搞错了，”丹妮望向乔拉·莫尔蒙爵士，“告诉他，他搞错了。没有线人，乔拉爵士，告诉他。我们一起穿越过多斯拉克海和红色荒原……”她的心扑腾得像笼中的小鸟。“告诉他，乔拉，告诉他，他是如何大错特错。” “异鬼把你带走吧，赛尔弥。”乔拉爵士将长剑扔到地毯上。“卡丽熙，那只是一开始，在我了解你之前……在我爱上你之前……” “不要说那个字!”她退离他身边。“你怎么可以?篡夺者承诺你什么?金钱，是金钱吗?”不朽者曾说她还会遭到两次背叛，一次为财，一次为爱。“告诉我，他们承诺你什么?” “瓦里斯说……我也许可以回家。”他垂下脑袋。 我正要带你回家!她的龙体会到她的震怒。韦赛利昂咆哮起来，灰烟从尖嘴中升起。卓耿用黑翼拍打空气，雷加的脑袋向后弯曲，喷吐火焰。我真想说那个词，烧死他们两个。难道就没人可以信任，没人可以保护我吗?“维斯特洛的骑士都跟你们两个一样虚伪吗?滚出去，免得我的龙把你俩烤焦。烤焦的骗子是什么味道?比布朗·本的下水道还臭?滚!” 巴利斯坦爵士僵硬而缓慢地起身。他的动作头一次跟年龄相符。“我们要去哪里，陛下?” “去地狱，为劳勃国王效力。”丹妮感觉到脸颊上的热泪。卓耿尖叫，尾巴来回抽动。“让异鬼带走你们两个。”然而这话她说不出口。他们背叛了我，但也救过我。可他们是骗子。“你们去……”我的大熊，我勇猛强壮的大熊，没了你，我还能做什么?还有这老人，他是我哥哥的朋友。“你们去……去……”哪里? 她知道答案。