บท 21: Chapter 21: The Wall P2
The Wall!
Harry had only heard of hearsay and some details from the dusty old tomes of Winterfell's library concerning the Wall. He always took any information he could find in those dusty tomes with a grain of salt. In the case of the Wall, this was more so simply because he could not fathom how a culture that raised the Wall lived in abject poverty.
There was no question that the North has remained poor. Unlike popular belief, Harry was not inclined to put all the blame on the weather and the dwindling population. There was that factor but they were not the major cause.
The major cause has always been the lack of conservation of knowledge, refusal to innovate and disastrous leadership. And Harry was not blind to the contributions of House Stark in this perpetual disempowerment of the North.
His ancestors took pride in doing nothing. And if someone came along that tried to change something their work will get undone by a moron in the next generation. Brandon the Burner came to Harry's mind. The Starks, instead of showing the fool for what he is, chose instead to show Brandon's 'love' for his lost father as the highlight of the incident. It is often romanticised to the extreme instead of looking at the devastating blow Brandon the Burner left on the North.
The North lost the western fleet because of his madness and every King of Winter after the madman, refused to build up the Northern fleet. As a consequence of inaction from the Northern Kings, the Ironborn would have a free hand in the Sunset Sea for the years ahead. The pirates of the Iron Islands would go on to exploit the Northern shores for centuries until finally, they pushed into mainland Westeros in the Riverlands. It took Aegon Targaryen and his magnificent dragons to beat back the reavers into their home islands.
Harry knew he was perhaps obsessing over some facts but the Starks and in large the First Men were stagnant. They were content with their lot in life be it poverty or hunger. How else could Harry explain House Stark's refusal to expand Winterfell into a city? Why were Stark kings refusing to expand glasshouses to increase yield during long winters? Why didn't they rebuild the fleet and increase trade with the southern kingdoms?
Most of all, why did the First Men abandon their magic? Magic so powerful that it could maintain an ice Wall for thousands of years.
Looking at the massive expanse of chamber right beneath Castle Black, Harry was more than starting to learn that there was some connection between this world to his world. What else could explain the Celtic runes adorning the wide expanse beneath the floors of Castle Black?
"This is incredible, my lord. Surely this must be built by Giants." said Anya, looking around in awe.
"The Giants were certainly involved." Harry agreed, looking at the twenty-foot tunnels and doorways within the chamber. "But, the runes...they were certainly made by a human with deep knowledge in magic."
Harry would not have taken the girl with him if it wasn't for her magic. Out of some ten odd women he found to possess a substantial presence of magic, Anya was the only one whom he found to have the ability to wield magic as he could. For that reason, he took Anya as a disciple and was training her in the finer aspects of magic.
"Look at these scripts my lord. It looks like they are..."
"Combination runes." Harry whispered in awe as he took in the elegant runes running along the periphery of the giant steel doors guarding the tunnel.
The First Men runes were distinctive. It has more in common with the Egyptian hieroglyphs of his world. But, the runes he found here were not just using the First Men runes. There were several gaps in the First Men runes and these gaps were filled by Celtic runes. It was an incredible find. A discovery that made Harry reevaluate everything he knew or supposedly knew about the nature of existence itself.
Placing his palm just above the surface of the steel door, he let his magic lose. Aided by the power ring his magic scanned the runes and he got some lukewarm response. It was as if the runes were bereft of any power. Harry could only glean an echo of the magic and the intent left behind in the runes.
"What does it say my lord?" asked Anya.
"Find for yourself, Anya."
Harry stepped aside and watched the raven-haired girl try her luck in connecting with the last embers of the magic left in the runes.
"Protect...no. That's not it. Keep out... The runes are intended to keep out something." said Anya, her eyes alight with wonder.
"Very good." Harry smiled in appreciation of his student's gift of interacting with magic like this. It was one of the reasons why he was sure Anya has the potential to use magic as he does.
"Can you glean more? What is it trying to keep out?" Harry asked, curious whether Anya could glean that information.
"I don't know my lord." said Anya, a frown of disappointment clear on her face.
"Don't worry. Even I'm as perplexed as you are." said Harry, leading Anya away from the runes and to look for other artefacts in the chamber.
It was a lie.
Harry was adept in Celtic runes and what he found on the door shook him. It challenged several of his notions about the nature of this world and Harry was having a genuine fear that he may not have been reborn in this world on just chance. He feared there were forces at play beyond the horizons he could see or perceive.
Harry now could understand why he was feeling the urge to find this place. It all made sense now. Even now, trying his best to put some distance between himself and the runes, he could feel a malevolent whisper gnawing at his mind. It was urging him to open the tunnel and let its power be allowed to boost his own. Or at least, that's what the whispers claimed but Harry was no idiot to place himself in such a position.
He could feel the urge to utter the name written in the Celtic script but he held himself back. Names have power and it'd be foolish of him to utter the name here of all places. Even the protective enchantment weaved into the core of the Wall would not save him from the entity's evil eye. If it has the power to whisper into his mind then he dare not tempt it any further and add fuel to its fledging power.
However, under the protection of his Occlumency shields, he uttered the name on the script. A name that was mentioned passingly in one of the lores surrounding the Deathly Hallows.
"Balor."
The name sent a shiver down his spine. The feeling Harry got was indescribable. He was not usually one for blindly believing in legends surrounding the Hallows but the circumstances were not in favour of his rationality. The discovery of Celtic runes in this world changed things. There is a reason why Celtic arts are considered dark and volatile in the wizarding world. And seeing those remnants of the Celtic culture in this world shook Harry.
He had Anya stop any further exploration and take their leave as he could hear his listening charms alerting him of the meeting in Castle Black was coming to an end. It was time to make himself scarce from this place. He could study what he found and from the collected artefacts later. There was time.
XXXXXXX
"This is preposterous Lord Commander. You want to hand over the lands which have been under the control of the Night's Watch for centuries to the Starks on a whim?" Ser Alliser Thorne thundered.
"Sit down, Ser Thorne. If I wanted your opinion I'd have asked for it." Jeor snapped back making the Ser Alliser sit down grumbling under his breath.
"Now, as I was saying the King has ordered the transfer of the Gift to the control of House Stark. There is hardly anything we can do to change the King's mind. So, I'll be travelling to Winterfell and speak with Lord Stark to ensure the interests of the Watch are given due consideration." Jeor explained to his gathered brothers of the Night's Watch.
"You want to grovel at the feet of Eddard Stark? The Night's Watch was granted dominion of the Gift by King Jaehaerys."
"And King Robert has rescinded the decision made by King Jaehaerys. What was once given by the Iron Throne has now been taken away by the Iron Throne. If you want to make the case before King Robert you are more than welcome to take a ship from Eastwatch and travel to King's Landing."
Of course, Ser Alliser didn't take the bait. The man must have known that Robert Baratheon would rather crush his skull than rescind the royal decree just because a Targaryen king once gifted the lands to the Watch.
"It is still not right." Jaremy Rykker mumbled.
"Are we here to discuss the right and wrongs of a King, Ser Rykker?" Maester Aemon asked. "I think not. Besides, who among the black brothers here thinks that we have been doing a fine job of taking care of the Gift. We are hard-pressed to man all the castles along the Wall. In times like this, we do what we must to fulfil our duty and our duty is at the Wall not at the lands far away from the Wall."
"Even still Maester Aemon. Surely you think this is folly to reverse the wishes of King Jaehaerys as a Targaryen. Surely, the Conciliator had a reason for giving the Gift to the Night's Watch." said Ser Jaremy.
"The past is often a mystery and can be interpreted in many ways Ser Rykker. Just because King Jaehaerys happened to be a wise king does not mean all his decisions are therefore inherently wise. The laws and affairs of the Seven Kingdoms must change with time. I'm but an old man who abandoned my titles long ago for the vows as a Maester and the Night's Watch." said Maester Aemon before falling silent in his seat.
"We should be focusing on the brighter side. Historically, the Watch has been strong when the Gift was populated with Smallfolk and Northern lords. I suspect we will get more recruits when the Smallfolk move in and they take interest in guarding the Wall to protect their lands from Wildlings. The way I see it, the King's decision most likely will benefit the Watch." Benjen put his opinion forth and that deflected any ill will against the recent happenings.
When the meeting was finally over it was decided that Jeor would seek out Lord Stark at Winterfell and present some concerns of the Watch. But, to raise those issues he needed to know what Eddard Stark was planning. This is why he had Benjen Stark in his chamber with Maester Aemon.
"So, tell us Benjen. What does your brother intend to do?"
"I'm in the dark as you are Lord Commander. King Robert must have made the decision after we left Winterfell." said Benjen, which left Jeor once again to speculate rather than depend on any substantial information.
"Would your brother take over the abandoned castles along the Wall?" Jeor asked.
"Probably not. There are some keeps in the Gift but their state is quite poor. Most likely, Eddard would look to restore them rather than infringe on the castles historically controlled by the Watch." said Benjen.
'That's good. I can work with that.' Jeor thought.
"Why would the King make this decision so sudden brother Benjen? Did Lord Stark have any grievances with the Watch?" asked Maester Aemon.
'Now, that's the elephant in the room.' Jeor thought, as he too was curious to know the reason behind this radical decision. He was meaning to ask Benjen this very same question albeit in private.
"Well, as it turns out my nephew was the reason behind the King's decision."
"Your nephew?" Jeor asked in surprise.
'What does a child has to do with the Night's Watch?'
As it turns out, there was a lot and Jeor was rather enthralled by the tale spun by Benjen Stark.
XXXXXXXX
In his old age, it was getting increasingly difficult to do most of his duties but he endured. Aemon may have lost the light in his eyes but his mind remained as sharp as ever.
"You have been working for hours Maester. Perhaps you need to take a break." Clydas suggested.
Aemon paused his writing while a small smile graced his thin lips. He was writing down the happenings of today on a parchment as it helped him to recollect certain information. The writings also helped as a reference should he forget any important events or information.
"You must have become tired of this old man pushing into your sleep hours Clydas."
"Please don't think like that Maester. I only worry for your health in these troubling times." said Clydas.
Aemon patted the shoulder of his steward to calm the fellow. The man has been his steward ever since he lost his eyesight. Since then, Clydas has never failed him to be his eyes.
"I jest my good man. For a man adrift in the wind at the end of the world, what else is left but duty." Aemon mused out loud.
"You still have family left Maester. One day, they'll seek you out and you'll be thankful to have lived that long by taking my advice." said Clydas as he helped Aemon to his bed away from the worktable.
"They are just children, all alone in this terrible world with a heavy burden on their shoulders. The Narrow Sea sits between them and their home. They probably don't even know that I exist." Aemon worried, tears gathering at the corner of his eyes.
"Of course, they know about you Maester. Prince Viserys shall one day visit you with Princess Daenerys. That day is not far away and they have good loyal men at their side protecting them." Clydas tried to reassure Aemon.
For a time Aemon didn't say anything but listen keenly with his ears. He noticed a subtle change in the air.
"Go Clydas. I can put myself to bed." said Aemon, a frown on his old wrinkly face.
As Clydus closed the door on his way out Aemon folded his army on his lap and sharpened his hearing.
"The two of you need not bother hiding. I may have lost my sight but that doesn't mean my ears are dysfunctional as well." said Aemon to his vacant room to the naked eye.
Suddenly, a veil of invisibility was lifted and Harry along with Jon was revealed to be standing in a corner of the room.
"We apologise Maester Aemon. But, when we learned that there was a Targaryen at the Wall we had to see for ourselves." said Harry.
"Is that so? And now that you have seen me, what do you think?" Aemon asked curiously.
"Well, you are old." said Jon.
Aemon smiled at the innocent but truthful answer. "Come closer children."
Harry and Jon walked closer and Aemon reached out his wrinkled hands. He began tracing the contours of the faces of the two boys.
"Tell me your names."
"On your left is Jon Snow, my brother. I'm on your right, Harrion Stark. We are sons of Eddard Stark, the Lord of Winterfell."
"Ah..." Aemon reached out and patted the two boys on their heads fondly. "I've heard about you two from your uncle. Harrion, the Stark who lit the forges that Valyria lost to the Doom. And Jon whom your uncle boasts to be the Warrior incarnate."
"Uncle Benjen exaggerates."
"Hmm... In this case, I don't think so. Now, what are you boys doing in my chamber at this late hour?" asked Aemon.
"We'll be gone on the morrow at first light. We ride for Eastwatch and we were hoping you could tell us how your family controlled the dragons." said Jon.
Aemon chuckled as this was a question he had asked oftentimes in his youth.
"My dear child, one does not control the dragon. A dragon is not a slave." said Aemon.
"But how did the Dragonlords of Valyria ride the dragons?" asked Harry.
There was for sure a well-explained complicated answer. But, Aemon was sure the children would only get confused and ask more questions. So, he opted for the concise and easy one.
"The key lies in the blood of a Dragonlord."
And for the most part, Aemon was right in thinking that the children would be satisfied with his answer. What he didn't realize was that he just unintentionally gave a crucial piece of information that'd decimate the already dwindling relevance of House Targaryen.
XXXXXXXX
"Do I need to know why you are staring at the piece of metal intently?" asked Benjen, breaking Harry out of his intense staring.
"Just looking for some answers." said Harry absently, focusing his magical senses on the small metallic cork containing a pinch of Aemon Targaryen's blood.
He had the blood extracted after he made sure the old Maester was asleep. He also made sure that it was painless. Extracting a small drop of blood from the thumb is not exactly an issue with magic at his beck and call. The Maester didn't even feel a thing.
However, Harry found his usual sensing methods were not yielding any results. For all intents and purposes, the blood has nothing in it except for a small magical signature that was hard to sense if he wasn't specifically looking for it.
'I'll have to develop finer tools if I'm to learn more from the blood. The Valyrians were said to be masters of blood magic. Without going to Valyria or access to some of their knowledge, studying this sample would be the only way to learn about their ability to bond with dragons.' Harry mused.
"Well, you can find those answers on the way. Now, we need to gain some distance if we are to take a ship from Eastwatch." said Benjen, taking Harry up from the ground and settling him atop a horse.
Harry pocketed the metal cork bound by magic into his pocket and looked at the towering Wall. It was indeed a wondrous creation of the First Men. It was a structure held together at the expense of massive amounts of magic. All the magic in the continent is being sucked dry by this towering monstrosity to hold back an ancient enemy of the Children and the First Men. When Spring first mentioned the dark entity he was sceptical but now he was more than aware of the dark one.
Despite standing on the safe side of the Wall, he could feel the dark one's power. It was calling to him and to further entice him it offered him something as a token of truce.
Opening his right palm Harry took a look at the power ring he made with his magic. The golden runes shined with magic but on its surface sat a familiar onyx stone. The Resurrection Stone has finally arrived and Harry was sure the dark one was a conniving thug who was tempting him to use the Stone. Out of all the Hallows, the Resurrection stone was the most dangerous artefact. It brazenly invades into a cosmic power that should not be in any mortal's possession.
Fisting his hand, Harry once against hid the stone and took one last look at Castle Black. There were answers to be found and questions to be raised, but until he could get to the bottom of what he found beneath Castle Balck he was determined to not use the Stone no matter how tempting. He hoped the artefacts and other collectables he found in the secret chamber can shed some light. Else, he could ask Spring.
So, Harry set his eyes east where the land met the ocean.
"To Eastwatch." Harry whispered as he spurred his horse forward.
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