Chapter 64 Chapter 63 Davos

Their noises spiraled with the sparks of the pyre into the purple night sky,--"Lead us out of the darkness, O Allah, fill our hearts with fire, that we may flatter you with your light." Nightfire burned in the gathering darkness like a bright monster whose shifting and flickering orange light cast a twenty-foot shadow across the yard.On the city wall of Dragonstone Island, the monster and the legion of alien beasts echoed each other, ready to move. Davos looked down from the arched window in the gallery and saw Melisandre raising her arms as if to embrace the flickering flames. "R'hllor," her voice was clear and loud, "you are the light in our eyes, you are the fire in our hearts, you are the heat in our hearts. Your light is the sun that warms us by day, and your light is the night Guard our stars."

"Lord of Light, guard us. The night is dark and dangerous everywhere." Queen Selyse led everyone to respond, her thin face full of enthusiasm.King Stannis stood beside her, jaw clenched, the spikes of his red-gold crown reflecting light as his head moved.He was with them, but not one of them, Davos thought.Princess Shireen stood between her parents, the gray spots on her cheeks and neck almost black in the firelight. "Lord of Light, watch over us," sang the Queen.The king did not respond with the rest.He stared into the flames, and Davos wondered what he saw in them.A vision of the so-called "great war to come"? Or something closer to real life?

"We thank you, R'hllor, for the life," Melisandre sang, "and we thank you, R'hllor, for the day." "Thank you for the sun you sent to warm us," Queen Selyse and the others responded softly, "thank you for the stars you sent to guard us. Thank you for giving us hearths and torches against the pitiless darkness." Davos felt The echoing voice was weaker than the night before, and there were fewer excited faces reflected by the orange light.Will there be less tomorrow...or more? Ser Axell Florent's voice was like a high-pitched trumpet, his broad chest and splayed legs stood out from the crowd, and the flames licked his face like a great orange tongue.Davos wondered what Ser Axell would do to him afterwards, what they were planning to do tonight would make him the Hand of the King, fulfilling his dream.

Melisandre cried, "Thank you for giving us Stannis, my lord the righteous. Thank you for giving him a heart so pure and flaming, thank you for giving him the red sword of a righteous hero, thank you for giving him the faithful The endless love of your people. Please guide him, please protect him, R'hllor, and please give him the power to defeat the enemy." "Give him strength," Queen Selyse, Ser Axell, Devan and the others responded, "give him courage, give him wisdom." As a child, the monks taught him to pray to the blacksmith for strength, to the warrior for courage, and to the old crone for wisdom.Now he prayed to the Holy Mother, begging her to save his lovely son Devan from the evil spirit of the red woman.

"Lord Davos? Time to act," said Sir Andrew, nudging his elbow. "My lord?" The title still sounded strange to his ears, but Davos turned away from the window. "Yes, it's time." Stannis, Melisandre and the queen's party would pray for another hour, or even longer.The red priest lit a fire every day at sunset, thanking R'hllor for the day that was coming to an end, and begging him to bring back the sun the next day and drive away the gathering darkness.A smuggler must know the tides and catch the wind.After all, that was the only role that suited him: Davos the Smuggler.The crippled hand reached for the lucky charm at the throat, but found nothing.He threw his arms away and quickened his pace.

The companions followed closely behind, keeping up with his footsteps.The Bastard of Nightsong had a measles-ravaged face and a scruffy chivalry; Ser Gerald Goyle was fair-haired, broad and blunt; Ser Andrew Ismond was a head taller than the others, Spade beard, bushy brown eyebrows.They were all good men in different temperaments, Davos thought, but if things went wrong tonight, they would all be dead. "The sacred fire is alive," she explained when Davos asked the red woman to teach him how to glimpse the future through the flames. I can't see clearly. First it takes years of hard training to see the shadows in the flames, and then many more years to tell which shadows belong to the future, which shadows belong to the present, and which shadows belong to the past. In any case, the process is quite difficult, It should be said that it is difficult. You don’t understand, and you people in the sunset country have never understood.” Davos asked persistently, how Sir Axell could quickly understand the trick, and she only mysteriously Smile, "Any cat that stares into the flames will see playful red mice."

These words, and everything related, he did not hide from his subordinates from the Royal Party. "The red-robed woman may be able to predict our intentions." He warned everyone. "Just kill her first," "Fisherwoman" Lin Si suggested, "I know a good place to ambush, and several people go out with swords at the same time..." "You'll ruin everyone," said Davos. "Maester Cressen wanted to get rid of her, and she knew right away, I guess she saw it in the flames. In my opinion, she is sensitive to threats directed at herself." , but certainly can't know everything. If we ignore her completely from the beginning, we may be able to escape notice."

"What honor is there in sneaking and hiding," objected Ser Triston of Fushan City, who had been serving the Sanglass family while Lord Gunther was being sent to Melisandre's fire. "Is there any honor in being burned?" asked Davos. "You have also seen the end of Lord Sanglas, and you are eager to follow in his footsteps? I don't need honor now, I only need smugglers, what do you say?" They agree.Gods be blessed, they all agree. When Davos pushed the door open, Pylos learned arithmetic from Orthodox Edric Storm.Sir Andrew followed close behind, and the rest remained guarding the stairs and the entrance.The maester paused, "It's almost there, Edric."

The boy was puzzled by the intrusion of the visitor. "Lord Davos, Sir Andrew. We are doing sums." Sir Andrew smiled. "I hated arithmetic when I was your age, brother." "I don't mind arithmetic, but I like history best. History books are full of stories." "Edric," said Maester Pylos, "go and fetch the cloak. You must go with Lord Davos." "Me?" Edric stood up, "Where are we going?" He pursed his mouth stubbornly, "I don't pray to the Lord of Light. I believe in warriors, just like my father." "We know," said Davos, "come, boy, there is no time to lose."

Edric put on a heavy cloak of undyed wool with a hood.Maester Pylos laced him up, pulling the hood up over his face. "Are you coming, maester?" the boy asked. "No." Pylos touched the necklace made of many metal bars around his neck. "Here is my post, at Dragonstone. Come with Lord Davos, and do as he says. Remember, he is the Hand of the King, and what have I taught you about the Hand of the King?" "The Prime Minister calls the shots on behalf of the King." The young maester smiled slightly, "Exactly. Let's go." Davos had distrusted Pylos once, perhaps resenting him for taking old Cressen's place, but now he admired his courage.He may well die for it.

Outside the maester's chambers, Sir Gerald Goyle was waiting by the stairs.Edric Storm looked at him curiously, and when he came downstairs, he finally asked, "Where are we going, Lord Davos?" "Go to sea. A ship is waiting for you." The boy stopped suddenly, "A boat?" "Sarlador Sann's ship. Sara is a good friend of mine." "I'll be with you, boy," Sir Andrew assured him. "There's nothing to be afraid of." "I'm not afraid," Edric declared exasperatedly, "it's just...will Shireen come?" "No," said Davos, "the princess must stay here with her parents." "Then I'll go see her first," Edric explained, "and say goodbye to her. Otherwise she'll be sad." She'll be even more upset if you're burned to death. "There is no time," Davos said, "I will convey your thoughts to Her Majesty the Princess. After you arrive at your destination, you can also write to her." The boy frowned. "Are you sure I have to go? Why did uncle want me to leave Dragonstone? Did I annoy him? I bet I didn't mean to." He had that stubborn look again. "I want to see my uncle. I want to see King Stannis." Sir Andrew and Sir Gerald exchanged a look. "There's no time, boy," urged Sir Andrew. "I want to see him!" Edric insisted, louder. "He doesn't want to see you." Davos had to say something, and the boy moved on. "I'm his prime minister, his representative. Do I have to tell the king that you refuse to obey orders? Do you know how angry that would make him? You've never seen him angry!" He took off his gloves , exposing the four fingers that had been cut off, "But I've seen it before." It was a lie, of course: Stannis Baratheon cut off the Onion Knight's fingertips with no emotion but iron justice.But Edric Storm hadn't been born then, so it was impossible to know.The threat had the desired effect. "He shouldn't have done that," the boy said silently, allowing Davos to lead him down the stairs. The Bastard of Nightsong joined the party at the cellar door.They moved swiftly, across the shadowy courtyard and down the stairs made of stone dragon tails. Rings the Fisherwoman and Omer Bradbury were waiting at the side gate, with two bound guards at their feet. "Where's the boat?" Davos asked. "There," said Lindsey, "four oarsmen. The big ship is moored by the headland, and it's called the Crazy Purando." Davos snickered.A ship named after a madman, yes, is fitting.Sarah is rich in pirate black humor. He knelt on one knee before Edric Storm. "We must part," he said, "and there is a little boat waiting for you to take you to the great ship out in the open sea, and set sail. You are Robert's son, and I trust in your courage whatever happens." "I will. Only..." the boy hesitated. "Take it as an adventure, my lord," Davos tried to sound excited. "This is the beginning of a great adventure in your life. May the warrior guard you." "May the Father judge you justly, Lord Davos." The boy went out the side door with his kin, Ser Andrew, and the rest followed, except for the bastard son of Nightsong.May the Father judge me justly, Davos thought wretchedly, and it was the king's judgment that he worried about now. "What about the two guards?" Ser Rowland asked, as the captain of the guard, as he bolted the door. "Drag to the cellar," Davos said, "untie them after Edric is safely on the road." The bastard nodded slightly.It's useless to say too much, this is just the easiest part.Davos put on his gloves, wishing secretly that he hadn't lost his lucky charm, feeling more grounded and more secure with the bag of finger bones hanging around his neck.He ran his shortened fingers through his fine brown hair, wondering if he should get a haircut first, to look presentable when facing the king. Dragonstone has never been so dark and terrifying.He walked slowly, his footsteps echoing between the black walls and stone dragons.May the dragon in the stone never wake up.The stone drum tower stands tall in front, and when approached, the guards at the gate quickly parted the crossed spears.Not for the Onion Knight, but for the Hand of the King.At least Davos was the Prime Minister when he came in, and he didn't know what he would be when he came out.If I can really come out... The stairs seemed longer and steeper than before, perhaps just because he was tired.Holy Mother, I'm not made for this kind of thing.He climbed too high and too fast, and on the high mountain, the air was so thin that it was hard to breathe.When he was a child, he dreamed of becoming a millionaire, but that was a long time ago. When he grows up, he only wants a few acres of good land, a house for the elderly, and a good future for his sons. Blind Bastard had told him that smart smugglers don't overreach, and don't draw too much attention to themselves.A few acres of good land, a wooden castle, and the title of knight, I should have been satisfied long ago.If he can survive tonight, he is determined to take Dai Fenghang back to Cape Wrath, to the gentle Maria.Together we mourn our dead sons and bring up the living, no more for kings and powers. The Hall of the Chart Table was dark and empty when Davos entered, and the King was still by the Nightfire, with Melisandre and the Queen's party.He knelt by the hearth and lit a fire to drive the chill out of the circular room and the shadows back into the corners.When he was done, he walked around the house, going to each window in turn, drew the heavy velvet curtains, and opened the wooden windows.The wind blew in, filled with the salty smell of sea water, flapping his plain green-brown cloak. Walking to the north, he leaned on the window sill, breathing the cold night air, hoping to catch a glimpse of the sails of the "Mad Purando", but as far as he could see, there was darkness and emptiness.Has he left? He can only pray.A half-moon pierced in and out of the high, sparse clouds, and Davos saw familiar stars. "Battleship" sailed to the west, "Crone's Lampholder" was a golden halo surrounded by four stars, and dark clouds covered most of "Ice Dragon", except for the bright blue star marking true north.These were the stars of the smuggler, his old friends, and Davos hoped that meant good luck. But when his gaze shifted from the sky to the castle walls, he wasn't so sure.Under the light of the night fire, the wings of the rock dragon cast a huge black shadow.He tried to tell himself that they were just sculptures, cold and lifeless.Yet it belonged to them once, to dragons and dragonlords, to House Targaryen.House Targaryen has ancient Valyrian blood... The cold wind howled through the room, the flames swirled and danced in the fireplace, and the logs crackled.Davos left the window, but the shadow walked in front of them, like a long and slender sword, falling on the painted table.He stood at the table for a long time, waiting, waiting.They finally went upstairs, their boots stepping on the stone steps, and the sound came first before anyone arrived. "...not three," the king was saying. "There must be three," came Melisandre's answer. "I swear to you, Your Majesty, I saw his death and heard his mother's wailing." "You saw it in the Nightfire." Stannis and Melisandre entered together. "The flames are full of traps. What is the present, what is the future, what is possible. You can't be sure..." "Your Majesty." Davos paced forward. "Lady Melisandre is telling the truth. Your nephew Joffrey is dead." Even if the king was surprised at his presence at the painted table, he did not show it. "Lord Davos," he said, "he is not my nephew, though I have thought so for years." "He choked on food at his own wedding feast," said Davos, "and someone else may have poisoned him." "He's the third one," said Melisandre. "I can count, woman." Stannis paced along the table, past Oldtown and the Arbor, toward the Shields and the mouth of the Mander River. "It seems that in this day and age, weddings have become more dangerous than wars. Who poisoned them? Any news?" "It's said to be his uncle, the little devil." Stannis gritted his teeth. "He's a dangerous fellow. I learned my lesson on the Blackwater. Who will tell?" "The Lysians are still doing business in King's Landing. Salado Sann has no reason to lie to me." "I think so." The king ran his fingers across the table. "Joffrey...remembers a cat in the castle kitchen...the cooks used to feed it scraps and fish heads, and one of them told the boy it was going to have kittens and thought he'd want one. And Joffrey disemboweled the poor animal with a dagger, to see if it was real, and when he found the kittens, he showed them to his father, and Robert beat him so badly that he nearly died." The king took off his crown and put it on the table. "Whether it's a dwarf or a leech, it's a good thing for the country and the people. They'll send someone to meet me." "They won't," said Melisandre. "Joffrey has a brother." "Tomen," said the king reluctantly. "They will crown Tommen and reign in his name." Stannis clenched a fist. "Tomen's temperament is gentler than Joffrey's, but also born of incest. He is another monster growing, another leech on the kingdom. Time is running out, and Westeros needs a real man to stand up." Come out, the child can't do it." Melisandre shuffled closer, "Then save them quickly, Your Majesty, let me awaken the dragon in the rock. I have achieved the goal of the three kings, give me the boy." "Edric Storm," Davos said. Stannis turned with shuddering anger. "I know his name. Spare me, don't say any more. I don't like it like you, but I have to answer to the country. My duty..." He turned back to Melisandre, "You Swear, there is no other way? I swear on your life, if you lie, I guarantee that your life will be worse than death." "You are the one who is destined to resist the ancient alien gods, in response to the prophecy five thousand years ago. The red comet announced your arrival. You are the reincarnation and rebirth of Azor Ahai, the prince in the prophecy. If you If you fail, the whole world will perish together." Melisandre walked towards him, her red lips parted, and the big ruby ​​in her throat throbbed. "Give me the boy," she whispered, "and I will give you back your kingdom." "Impossible," said Davos, "Edric Storm is gone." "Not here?" Stannis turned. "What do you mean, gone?" "At this moment he is sailing safely on a Reese battleship." Davos stared at Melisandre's pale heart-shaped face, seeing frustration and confusion flashing across.She didn't see it! The king's eyes were dark blue bruises set in sunken eye sockets. "The bastard was taken from Dragonstone without my permission? A Lysian battleship, is it? The pirates there thought they could use this The kid scammed me out of my money—” "Your Prime Minister did it, Your Majesty." Melisandre looked back at Davos knowingly, "Bring him back quickly, my lord, hurry up." "The boy is out of my hands," said Davos, "nor yours, lady." Her red eyes made him squirm. "I should have left you in the dark, sir. Do you know what you've done?" "I did my job." "This is betrayal." Stannis walked to the window and gazed out into the night.Was he looking for that ship? "I raised you from the pariah, Davos," the king said, more tiredly than angry. "Is it so hard to be loyal?" "My four sons died for you at the Blackwater River, and I almost died in battle. In this life, I will always be loyal to you." Davos Seaworth had already thought deeply about the speech he was about to say. Anxiety, he knows his life depends on it. "Your Majesty, you made me swear to give you honest counsel, to protect your rights and your country, to punish your enemies, and to take care of your subjects. Isn't Edric Storm your subject? Not I swear Someone to protect? How can I keep my oath as a betrayal?" Stannis gritted his teeth again. "I never asked for this crown. Gold is cold and heavy to wear on my head, but as long as I am king, I have a responsibility... If I have to sacrifice a child, I will kill him." To the Fire, to save millions from the Darkness... Sacrifice... is never easy, Davos, or it would not be a sacrifice. You explain, lady." Melisandre said, "What Azor Ahai used to quench the 'Lightbringer' was the hard work of his beloved wife. A rich man who owns a thousand fat cows, offering one of them to the gods is not considered What, but the one who sacrificed his only cow..." "She speaks of cattle," Davos told the king. "I speak of men, your daughter's friend, your brother's son." "He is the king's son, with the power of king's blood in his veins." The great ruby ​​at Melisandre's throat shone like a red star. "You think you've saved the boy, don't you, Onion Knight? You're wrong! No matter how far you go, Edric Storm will die with the rest when the long night falls. When the time comes, darkness and cold It will engulf the whole world, and even your own sons will not be able to escape. Do you know? You have interfered with a great cause that you cannot understand!" "There are many things I don't understand," Davos admitted, "and I never pretend to understand. I know seas and rivers, and the way the coast goes, and rocks and shallows, and where there are hidden bays where boats can slip Landing. I also understand that a king must protect his people, or he is not a king." Stannis' face fell. "You dare to laugh at me to my face? Do I have to learn the duties of a king from an onion smuggler?" Davos knelt down, "If I offend you, just cut off your head. I will be your loyal servant regardless of life or death. But I still have a few words, for the onion I brought you, for the finger you cut off, Please hear me out." Stannis drew Lightbringer, and its light filled the room. "Say what you want, but don't delay." The muscles in the king's neck protruded like ropes. Davos fished the crumpled parchment out of his cloak.It was thin and brittle, but it was his only shield at the moment. "The King's Hand should be able to read and write, so I asked Maester Pylos to teach me." He smoothed the paper on his knees and said in the light of the magic sword.