Chương 167: Beyond the Edge of the World (Part II)
POV: Davos Seaworth
In a fortified shipyard near Torrhen's Square.
A few hours after a forgotten name was spoken...
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The hour was late, but the night was not so late-not for the men in that shipyard, at least. There was still a good deal of work to be completed before dawn.
At least the first hull's keel, bulkhead and stern had to be completed in two days.
Two teams of carpenters continued incessantly to curve, carve and oil dark Ironwood and pale Weirdwood planks. The latter was even rarer and more challenging to work with than the former. The wood was as hard and stiff as granite, difficult and exacting to curve and carve.
But the well-paid and elite carpentry team could not bask in the laurels of excuses.
The Master Carpenter approached with an exhausted air toward the New Fleet Admiral, Ser Davos Seaworth, seeking a hopeful foothold against the woes of his men.
"Admiral Seaworth... As you can see for yourself, the men can't take it anymore. My squad has already completed a double shift. I have no team ready to replace them, nor can we continue the work without a well-deserved and necessary rest. To go further would negatively affect the quality of the project, Ser..." Davos looked at the man with a hint of empathy, scrutinizing him from head to toe. The Onion Knight was also exhausted, as was everyone else. Davos himself was fresh off a ten-hour shift as Instructor Supervisor.
That day, he had slammed, squeezed, and stretched his Sailor Trainees to the limit, making them tear all two hundred rags of flesh and bone on the dock at Torrhen's Square... His Sailors hated him for it. They indeed cursed his name in their sleep. It was already an entire moon that Davos had not granted them a glow of respite.
But it had to be done-the Sea was inclement and did not know the meaning of the word "Truce."
The body and clothes of Master Carpenter, Hogg, like the vast majority of those present, were soaked with oil, dirt and sweat, and every man's face seemed to plead for whatever makeshift bunk or pillow was available.
"One more hour, Master Hobb. One hour's work, that's all I ask. Just long enough to trim the broadside to the keel, and we will resume work in the morning. Hold out for this last stretch, and you and 'All' your men will be guaranteed a 'Full Extra Pay Shift,' plus a well-deserved evening of refreshments with 'Unlimited Food and Drink' provided by Torrhen's Square at the [Inn of the Pearl Hub!]" Davos made sure that all sixty-two workers at work heard his promises well.
Many paused to scrutinize the Admiral, only to resume work a second later with double the tenacity and grit.
At least fifteen or sixteen members of those squads were Ironborn prisoners of war, part of the spoils of war Torrhen's Square won in the crushing victory at Bear Island. Those who had chosen the red-hot knife instead of Death or The Wall... Eunuchs were forced to work for half pay until the day the debt was paid off, paid as they went with the other half withheld. Alcohol and good food were the few pleasures of life left to those defeated men.
Everything could be said about the despicable Iron Island raiders, but there was no denying that the Ironborn were the finest seamen and shipwrights in all of Westeros. The crew of Davos itself had recently welcomed into its ranks three seasoned Ironborn men who took the oath to House Tallhart. Men, too bound up in their love of the sea to trade it for a few women or narrow houses of ice.
"The broadside will be completed, Admiral." Promulgated Master Hobb with renewed motivation, taking his leave to return to work.
With a few bags of silver and which barrel of fermented alcohol invested, the impossible schedule to meet became more attainable by the minute...
Extra costs were not a problem. House Tallhart had spared no expense. Lord Leobald had allocated the Chief Project Treasurer up to 300,000 gold dragoons for the construction of three ships and respective crew training alone.
'We should make it in time... At this rate, at least the first hull skeleton will be completed.' Davos assessed himself, thinking back to the urgent dispatch delivered that afternoon.
Davos had to find a way to appropriately reward his cadet disciples. The Staff also needed the Carrot...
'They will evict me and hang me from the mast if I do not reward them adequately before they set sail. A visit to the brothels of Barrowton, perhaps? And the three poor eunuch devils...? Perhaps I could persuade House Tallhart to settle their debt, should they return from their voyage...' Davos postponed the matter to another time.
There were more pressing matters to think about. The Key to the East would arrive tomorrow...
Some unforeseen event had forced the young lord to plead with the castellan of Torrhen's Square to speed up the construction of the first new prototype. A Huge Innovative Vessel of a type never seen before, in form, structure and performance, which they were to name 'Cog'.
The Cog would not be ships made for war but pioneer vessels equipped for long, impetuous voyages in deep, dark and perilous waters. A four-masted, oarless vessel with a wide beam and deep hull, large enough to comfortably take one hundred crew members, with respective supplies of food and drinking water, enough for three whole moons.
This particular ship, the first of the three planned, would be christened 'Sun Blade'...
While eminently capable, the Sun Blade could not have outrun the corvette 'Raptor', the fastest ship in the North (and probably in all of Westeros and Essos). But the Sun Blade and its two twins, the 'Moon Walker' and the 'Stargazer', would have been unmatched on other vital factors such as Endurance, Stability and Manoeuvrability.
"Pull on my three! One, two...and three! Oh, Heave!" Thundered Master Hobb to the ten men lined up with ropes in hand, who, in turn, replied, "Oh, Heave! Oh, Heave!! Oh, Heave!!!" A massive curved bone-white plank was hoisted and slowly positioned at the base of the quarterdeck.
Davos and the master carpenters did not know precisely why Lord Duncan had explicitly requested the expensive Weirwood Tree wood for the support and keel ribs... The Tallharts had to enlist the support of the Rangers at the Eastern Fort on the Sea to obtain all the timber they needed. Only the Haunted Forest Beyond The Wall possessed sufficient Weirdwood's Trees for the job.
In fair trade with the Night's Watch, it was rumoured that many of the Wildlings had repeatedly strongly discouraged the Tallharts from taking wood from the Haunted Forest... Moreover, some old Free Folk Village Chiefs continued to intimidate the poor devils by telling them tales of curses and ill-wishes that would befall greedy men who desecrated the Gift of the Life-Singers.
Unfortunately, such rumours had spread like plague rats, reaching the superstitious members of his crew. This was not a good thing... Sailors and Curses were the perfect condiments for the dish called Mutiny.
Lord Leobald Tallhart was forced to give a pep talk to all two hundred sailor recruits in training, reassuring them that his 'Nephew Beloved' blessed by Seraphine himself, had averted curses by gifting every log in Weirdwood.
Before those men sailed the Sea, every potential threat had to be eradicated at the root. Before 'Davos' set sail, guiding them into the dark unknown...
'My wife is right... They should have nicknamed me the 'Fool's Knight' other than Onions.
The Fool Knight who followed the orders of the Mad Young Man... No, of the 'Mad Knight'... Now he's a knight... Well, at least they sound good.' Davos thought with jovial concern.
It was not death that frightened him. His wife, Marya, and their five children would still have a prosperous and secure future ahead should Davos never return.
House Tallhart had treated House Seaworth well, erecting a new manor three times as large, solid and welcoming as their previous home, granting them good fertile land and good, honest families to cultivate it, providing servants and loyal men-at-arms ready to serve them, but most importantly, a better future for his family.
No... Davos would not back down. He would captain the Sun Blade all the way to the edge of the dark, dark depths, or at least... he would die trying.
In a few moons from that day, the Onion Knight, the most famous smuggler in the Narrow Sea, the sailor who had circumnavigated the Sea of Shivers, touched the clearest shores in the Summer Sea, passed the Jade Portals, and survived the perilous and dark Straits of Asshai's Crocus, he would be at the helm of the small explorer fleet, guiding it to even stranger and more dangerous seas, and attempting to find a route to unknown waters that not even Corlys Velaryon, the legendary 'Sea Snake', had dared to sail...
*****
End POV
*****
POV: The Adventurous Mistress
Tallhart flagship galley.
A few hours before sixty-three workers were motivated...
[Author's recommended Soundtrack POV: Nothing Else Matter (Instrumental Cover) by Apocalyptica.]
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Quaithe remained motionless, trying to let out as little information as possible in the face of the diabolical demon who had uttered 'That Name'...
'No, I have to calm down... He couldn't have dug that deep. The Watcher's gaze couldn't have gone past the mask. And The King the Yellow himself has erected the barriers of that well-hidden and guarded chest. It's a bluff, a mere supposition, a trap to lure me into his devious deception...' The evil mist could not have passed through the artificial labyrinth so quickly or breached the barriers of Carcosa's most capable occlumancer.
Powerful as it was, the Green Demon would not have had time to erode those defences...
"That's the second time you've referred to me by that name, Ser... Who is this Elissa of Fair Isle?" So asked the witch with a curious and confused air.
"So you deny being, or ever having been, 'Elissa of House Farman', my lady?" Bloody Snow asked in turn with an irritatingly evil grin.
"Completely... I was born and raised in Manticore Island and bred in Asshai." Said the stone face in the calmest, most believable tone of voice the witch could muster.
"I see... So, I must have bet on the wrong horse..." The boy stood up towards the parapet showing a semblance of a defeated air, then rudely gave her his back as he watched the twilight on the horizon.
But the demon continued...
"It must just be a coincidence, then… Well, more than one." Affirmative the Green Knight in a wry voice.
"What coincidences are you referring to, Ser...?" Quaithe.
"Oh, nothing much, my lady... I cherished this visit to the North by the Confederacy.
The First Men need the help of the Magicians in the perilous times ahead... Therefore, I have taken great pains not to leave the fate of this most essential diplomatic visit to Chance...
Indeed, it was partly thanks to me that the Chief Sorcerer and his entire trusted delegation made such a long journey from the other end of the world.
Therefore, I ensured to get as much information as possible on every guest... Zick and Madame Zishua helped me enormously in gathering as much detail as possible.
However... unbelievable as it was, not even The Watcher and the Spider Queen knew much about the mysterious and talented Grand Witch of the Fourth Circle, the Personal Assistant and Spokeswoman of The King in the Yellow himself, Quaithe of the Shadows," the green eyes with silvery streaks turned momentarily, searching for any relenting from the Woman. But Quaithe did not waver... On the contrary, she continued undaunted in her stance.
Then the demon continued:
"...Therefore, I asked my master the kindness of putting a special eye on you. And guess what? The world's sharpest and most intuitive gaze could not dig through the peculiar defences of Chai Duq's assistant... A bizarre event, to say the least. A real challenge for my master, which Zick accepted with joy and enthusiasm, investigating more and more..." This time, Quaithe felt the blow, shivering inwardly.
Her master had been clear; she was to be 'Transparent' and 'Invisible' in the man's presence and to make contact with The Watcher only as long as was strictly necessary... Knowing that, for two whole moons of the journey, The Guardian of Love had eyes only for her caused cold shivers to grip her... As if a covetous man had obsessively glimpsed her nakedness all along the way.
"Of course... it would have been challenging for my master to search for needles in a dark, well-guarded haystack." A small sigh of relief transpired between the wall of impassivity... but the monster turned sharply, raising his index finger. "Unless...! One of his loving disciples had provided him with some enlightenment to point him in the right direction!
It's much easier to search for information when you know 'What' or 'Who' to look for." Quaithe's breath snapped.
"And guess what, my lady... The Watcher confidently stated that you are very comfortable on the sea as if a hidden part of you loves to travel. Master Zick also identified an 'overly' personal attachment towards the Targaryen dynasty... He noticed it during the official speeches between the Guardian of Love and the Leader of the Confederation of Mages.
A peculiar attachment towards the fate of Daenerys 'Born of the Storm', Lady Quaithe. The plot thickens!" That was why The Watcher smiled at her during that meeting...
"And not only that. Madame Zishua's network dug more deeply and carefully, confirming Zick's first two suppositions.
Mr Zoldhak told me that 'you', my lady, had accepted the assignment to keep an eye on the Three-Headed Dragon's progeny. And that, 'as it happens', Carcosa's impressive naval fleet has made incredible improvements over time... Maritime and structural improvements began just two centuries ago. A peculiar 'third' coincidence, don't you think?
The Chief Sorcerer publicly took you under his wing at the same time, right? A period that coincides with 'another' discovery from that time...
A "Third" coincidence that fits nicely with a "Fourth"...
In the year 75, After the Conquest, a young and intrepid sailor named Corlys Velaryon successfully reached the harbours of Asshai, and there, according to his writings, the Sea Snake swore that he had scanned a wreck. A wreck of a famous ship on the lips of every worthy sailor in Westeros and Essos...
[The Sun Chaser].
Does that name ring a bell, Lady Quaithe of Asshai?" Duncan Tallhart approached the table again.
"..." Silence was Quaithe's only reply.
"Oh, let me tell you the events concerning it and the story behind its captain. It is a fascinating story, full of 'Dragons', 'Loves' and 'Adventures'...
The Story of an intrepid young Sea Woman who shocked the Seven Kingdoms when she decided to set a course for the unknown West... To the uncharted 'Sea of Sunset'. A feat that would have made her famous throughout the Known World had said adventuress succeeded in finding a treasure more prosperous and coveted than even the mines of Casterly Rock..." Quaithe closed her eyes surrenderingly... She had failed.
She had failed her master, her saviour, who had given her a second chance to begin again.
The demon was not lying... He did have a means of pressure to force Quaithe into silence. Information that could have triggered the immediate outbreak of war on all fronts.
Duncan Tallhart knew Chai Duq's most jealously guarded secret, the secret weapon the Chief Sorcerer of Carcosa had hidden up his sleeve for the war he so coveted...
There was no need for proof. Just by divulging those 'Four Coincidences', all the eyes of the World would be on her. The Titan and the High Tower would hunt her down by any means, even scaling the high walls of Carcosa with their bare hands if necessary.
The Green Demon sentenced the final blow...
"The Route Beyond the Edge of the World."
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End Chapter.
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