Chapter 9: Chapter - 9
After making sure that nothing in my lab was actually on fire, I made my way to the keep and knocked on Lord Stark's solar.
"Come in," he called out.
I enter and see the Warden of the North go through the ever-present stack of paperwork.
"You called Lord Stark?" I ask, curious. It was very rare that he called me to the keep unless it was an emergency.
"The King has summoned you to King's Landing," he says, getting straight to the point.
"What, why?" I ask in confusion. I had gotten quite famous in the last two years, but I didn't think I had done anything to warrant the attention of the stuck-up nobles in the capital so suddenly.
"There has been an outbreak of the Winter Chill in the capital. Almost a fourth of the smallfolk are infected, along with quite a few of the residents of the Red Keep." he explains.
I blink in surprise. I hadn't seen that coming. I hadn't heard of anything like this happening in the story, so I must have messed up the plot already without kno- Ah, fuck, I see what happened, or at least a vague idea of what happened.
There was probably a Patient Zero somewhere who has now certainly passed away. In a world where I did not exist, he would have died in the place where he first contracted the disease, without spreading it. However, because I do exist, he attempted to travel to Winterfell to seek healing from the magic healer, possibly with a group of people. He died on the journey, but not before spreading the disease to others. And due to the increased traffic from merchants to Winterfell, which was also a result of my existence, the disease rapidly spread to all major cities.
'Im either correct or being overly narcissistic but whatever, no point in trying to figure out how it happened'
"I see. But why do I have to go in person? Can't I just send them a supply of the medicine I have made?" I ask, still feeling a bit bewildered.
He sighs, "That would have been the case if you weren't so well known throughout the realm already. My guess is that the lords in Kings Landing want to get a measure of you and see if they can use you in their games. And the King probably feels that the problem would be solved the fastest if you were there in person." Lord Stark explains with a frown, clearly unhappy with the situation.
I shrug, "Makes sense, I guess. When do I have to leave?" I asked, keeping my voice steady on the outside, but inside I felt a mix of annoyance and excitement. Although I was irritated about being summoned by the King, I had been contemplating traveling for a while. I was growing a bit bored of staying in Winterfell. Now, I finally had the perfect excuse to go on a journey.
"I will have a group of soldiers ready to escort you by tonight. You should reach the capital in a few sennights," Lord Stark replied.
"Um, Lord Stark, if time is of the essence, it would be best if I leave alone with Fenrir. You have seen how fast he is compared to horses, and he's probably the only escort I need. The soldiers would only slow us down, no offense my lord," I suggested.
I hardly needed an escort. I was pretty much invulnerable, if you don't count magic shenanigans, and I wouldn't have to do much fighting anyways if I had Fenrir with me.
I was extremely excited about the trip, but I wouldn't be able to do things freely if I had to babysit a group of soldiers. I also had no intention of spending an entire month just traveling. I could even make some detours on the way back, just to see the sights and mess with some infamous characters.
"Are you sure you will be fine all alone in the capital? It is not a place where even I would be comfortable being alone," Lord Stark said, looking at me with a concerned expression.
"It's alright, my lord. I'm smarter and stronger than I look, and if things go pear-shaped, it will be easier for me to escape if I only have Fenrir with me instead of a group of soldiers," I replied, trying to reassure him.
He contemplated my reasoning for a few moments and hesitantly agreed.
I took my leave and walked back to the clinic to prepare for my journey.
As I was leaving the keep, I saw Arya running down the hallway. Her eyes light up when she sees me, she runs past me without a word and hides in a room to my right. I was confused by her behavior until I saw Robb come into the hallway from the same direction, looking annoyed.
"El, have you seen Arya? She ran away from her lessons, and they sent me to track her down," Robb said.
"I have no idea, Robb. I just came from having a talk with your father in his solar," I say with a smirk, tilting my head towards the room Arya was hiding in.
Robb gets the message and plays along while slowly moving towards the room and catches her before she could run away.
Arya gave me a look of betrayal. "Traitor," she said.
"You wound me, little wolf. I clearly tried very hard to deceive your brother," I replied, trying to sound fake and sincere at the same time.
She just pouts at me until Robb asks, "What brings you to visit father? You normally don't come out of your clinic unless it's for training or hunting."
"I have to go to the capital," I replied nonchalantly. "There's been an outbreak and I've been summoned to help."
Arya's eyes widened in shock, "You're leaving?! When?"
"Tonight," I answered. "But don't worry, I won't be gone for long. I'll be back in two moons at the latest."
Despite my attempts to reassure them, it took a few more promises and bribes before they were satisfied and I was allowed to leave.
When I arrived at the clinic, I had a similar conversation with Freya. It took some time to calm her and assure her that I would be fine and would return soon. I explained to her that she couldn't come with me, as she was the only one who knew how to run the clinic.
After I finally got her to calm down, I told her I had to leave tonight, which caused another argument about how she was supposed to help me get ready for the capital. I got confused
"I didn't really need anything other than food and water for the journey."
She looked at me like I was an idiot and said, "You're going to go into Kings Landing in the same clothes you are wearing right now??"
"Um, yes?"
She gave me a look that people give to kids when they say something particularly dumb.
"You're not going to meet the King and his court dressed like someone who lives in a forest. You are the White Mage, you need to dress the part."
"White Mage???" I asked, incredulous.
She lets out a weary sigh. "It's what people in the south call you."
My eyebrows furrowed. "Since when? And I thought they called me a heretic or demon worshiper or something equally unimaginative."
She rolls her eyes "You rarely pay attention, and the only ones that call you that are the septons. The rest of the southerners that come here to get healed by you call you the White Mage."
As Freya called me by the nickname I didn't even know I had, I couldn't help but feel disappointed. "That name is so plain and doesn't make sense. I never wear white, it's a nightmare to keep clean. I'd much rather be called the Black Mage," I grumbled.
Freya appeared exasperated with my failure to grasp the importance of my name and appearance. My confused and crestfallen expression only seemed to annoy her further.
"I'll be back," she said, before leaving the clinic to gather the things she deemed necessary for my journey to the capital.
So I grumbled to myself and headed to my laboratory to take a look at some of my experiments, since I wouldn't be there for a while. I also made the decision to destroy some of the dangerous experiments to prevent any accidents from occurring in my absence. Then I went to pack some food for the journey.
As I entered my bedroom, I was greeted by the sight of Skitter perched on my windowsill.
"Hey girl," I said, "I'm going to have to leave you behind this time. I need someone to protect Freya and the clinic in case anyone tries their luck when Fenrir and I are gone."
Skitter dipped her head once in agreement, and I took a moment to pet her before she disappeared off to who knows where.
While having an invisible assassin in the Red Keep might sound like a good idea, I didn't plan to kill the annoying characters before the plot started. That would be too easy and life would get boring too soon. Instead, it would be better to mess with people and watch their reactions.
It took a few hours to gather everything I needed for my trip, but finally, I was ready. Just as I was packing my last item, Freya entered the room, holding a white trench coat.
"Wow, that looks nice," I said, trying to make a joke. "It would look even better if it was black though."
Freya looks displeased with my comment. "Just take it, okay?" she says, her voice cold.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way," I quickly apologize, trying to make amends. "It's just that I was surprised you managed to get it so quickly."
"I've been working on it for a while," she says, her tone softening.
"You made this?" I ask, impressed.
"Of course, why do you look so surprised?" she says, her tone now sounding a bit offended.
"I didn't know you could sew," I say, surprised. She looked insulted by my comment, so I didn't say anything more on the topic.
"Thank you for the coat, Freya. I truly don't know what I would do without your help," I say, expressing my gratitude and appreciation for her.
She smiles warmly in response, "You're welcome."
"So, when do you plan on leaving?" she asks, looking at me expectantly.
"I've got everything packed and ready to go," I answer, feeling a mix of excitement and sadness. "I just need to speak with Lord Stark before departing."
As I put on my new coat, I couldn't help but admire it, despite white not being my preferred color. Freya takes my old coat and mentions something about burning it. I wisely decide not to voice any objections.
Together with Fenrir, we set off towards the keep to inform Lord Stark of my upcoming journey. Upon arriving in the courtyard, I was surprised to see the entire Stark family waiting for me.
"You're traveling light, I see," Lord Stark comments, observing my modest satchel.
"I don't really need much," I explain. "I'm just bringing some medicine for the Winter Chill. It's easier to make it in the capital than to bring it all the way here and then across the continent."
Lord Stark nods and hands me two scrolls, each bearing the emblem of a direwolf. "The first will ensure that you reach the capital without any interference from lords who might try to stop you," he explains, his voice serious. "The second is a message for the King."
I thank Lord Stark and say my goodbyes to everyone. I nod at Lady Stark, while she had stopped trying to condemn everything I did after I healed Bran, we still weren't really on friendly terms, you could say.
I exchange farewells with the children, promising to bring back gifts from the capital.
As I turn to bid farewell to Freya, I am at a loss for words. But to my surprise, she leans in and gives me a kiss. A warmth spreads through me, and I can't help but smile. "I'll be back soon," I promise her, as I gaze into her eyes.
I climb on top of Fenrir, pat him on the side,
"Let's go, my friend. Adventure awaits," He sets off like the wind, excited for our journey ahead.
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