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Chapter 179: The Falconer’s Daily Life
🕑 Added 2025-03-01 12:34:49 +0000 UTC“When you come back, go to the market and buy some lamb. Anzan has passed the test to become a harbor guide and will start working at the harbor tomorrow. Buy some lamb to celebrate,” Mis said to Karatz, who had already changed into his falconer’s clothes and was getting ready to head out for work.
“Okay, got it,” Karatz responded loudly.
In truth, he didn’t need his wife to remind him. When he returned, he would buy some mutton so she could prepare a dish from their homeland. He would also stop by the smith’s to pick up the specially forged sword to celebrate their son’s new position as a harbor guide.
Karatz’s home was on the western side of Miracle Harbor, situated on a hillside. The houses here were built along the slopes—some made of masonry, others of wood—reflecting architectural styles from various regions. Compared to the neat, uniform houses and streets in the Miracle Harbor Castle area, this part of town had a more exotic charm.
Nearly all the residents here were former slaves from the continent of Essos.
A year ago, they had been transported from Slaver’s Bay to Miracle Harbor in large numbers aboard ships. At the time, they had believed they were destined for a lifetime of labor in some distant mine. But to their astonishment, as soon as they disembarked, the collars were removed from their necks, they were declared free, and they were given the opportunity to repay the cost of their purchase through monthly wages.
Afterward, the freed slaves were assigned jobs based on their skills.
Karatz's wife, Mis, is skilled in cooking. She once worked as a cook in the household of a slave master in Meereen. She was assigned to the navy camp as an assistant cook, preparing food specifically for the navy soldiers.
Karatz was a renowned falconer in Meereen. He was assigned to the eyrie on the hillside outside Miracle Harbor, where he and other falconers from different places train messenger hawks for communication.
Karatz’s wages were much higher than his wife’s, yet he saved every coin he earned, relying solely on her income for their daily expenses. Life was frugal—he even went without his favorite chewing tobacco—but it was worth it. After five months, he had managed to pay off all their debts.
He still remembered the overwhelming excitement they had felt when they finally became debt-free. Even now, the mere thought of that moment sent a rush of exhilaration through him. Becoming free people was something his family had never dared to dream of before.
For this, he was profoundly grateful to the Lord Summerhall and to the Seven Gods who had chosen Lynd Tarran to make all of this possible. He felt that he owed his entire life to repaying Lynd’s kindness.
And he was not alone—all those who had been freed through Lynd’s efforts shared the same sentiment.
Just two months ago, when Lord Lynd came to Miracle Harbor to inspect the city’s construction and oversee the Harbor City Hall’s operations, Karatz and many others had seen him from afar. He rode a magnificent horse, followed by a giant creature with black and white fur, with four Bronze Giant Guards stationed at the Miracle Sept and armored Knight Guards trailing behind. The crowd had erupted into cheers, and before long, all their praise had condensed into a single title: the Chosen One.
Karatz replayed the memory in his mind as he passed through the double-fish archway of Miracle Harbor and entered the city.
Miracle Harbor had no walls. When the city was founded, the Lord had declared that it would continue expanding outward, making walls an unnecessary expense and an obstacle to growth. As for security, the Lord seemed unconcerned. In his words, if the enemy had already reached the edge of the city, then walls would make no difference.
Though Karatz had lived in Meereen, he wasn’t originally from there. His father had been a sea merchant, but a massive debt had forced their family into slavery. As a child, he had been sold alongside his father to various owners, traveling to many cities across Essos.
And yet, of all the places he had seen, Miracle Harbor was the most well-organized city he had ever set foot in. The main roads were wide enough for six carriages to travel side by side, divided into left and right lanes with a row of green belts in the middle.
The streets were flawlessly straight and level, and from any point, one could see all the way to the end of the road. The entire city was divided into square sections by these thoroughfares, with a raised stone platform at every major intersection. Each day, four officials known as “guides” took turns standing atop these platforms, managing the flow of carriages and pedestrians, ensuring order, and correcting any disruptions caused by improper driving.
Karatz’s youngest son dreamed of becoming a traffic warden when he grew up, drawn by the authority they wielded. Even if an official from the Castle’s city hall broke traffic rules, they would be stopped and penalized.
For instance, Wyeth Rowan, the head of Miracle Harbor, had been punished multiple times for riding against traffic. If the most powerful man in the city wasn’t exempt from the rules, then naturally, no other official dared to challenge them.
Karatz could sense that Lord Lynd had an unwavering commitment to rules and cleanliness. He had not only established meticulous regulations on road usage—vehicles had to stay in the left and right lanes, pedestrians were required to walk on designated paths beside the road, and crossings were the only permitted places to traverse the streets—but had also taken measures to ensure the city's sanitation.
He had constructed two sewers along either side of the roads specifically for drainage and had introduced the role of sanitation officer, responsible for keeping the streets clean and managing the disposal of garbage and manure within the Castle. All waste was transported to a designated site called the garbage disposal facility, where it was sorted. Manure was converted into fertilizer for the fields, while other refuse was sent to the forge deep within the Red Mountains for incineration.
The workforce at the garbage disposal facility was not comprised of ordinary citizens. It consisted of beggars from the streets, lawbreakers, vagrants without skills, and newly arrived refugees struggling to find employment. All of them were assigned to work there. Except for the criminals, every worker earned ten copper coins a day—just enough to afford food.
Despite the widespread complaints about the strict laws Lord Lynd had put in place—even city hall officials grumbled about the extra workload they entailed—people still benefited from them. No one truly wanted to live in a disorderly environment where they could step in filth at any moment.
As Karatz passed the intersection of Saint Emblem Road and Wheel Road, a rotund man in gaudy clothing suddenly emerged from a roadside tavern and grabbed his sleeve, greeting him with exaggerated enthusiasm.
"Hey, Karatz! I knew I'd find you here at this time!"
Karatz frowned upon seeing the man. He pulled his sleeve free and spoke in a firm, no-nonsense tone. "Master Meria, I've told you before—all letters are opened by designated personnel. I’m just a messenger. Stop bothering me. If you're looking for information, wasting time with me won’t help you. You’d be better off waiting at the trading hall by the docks—maybe you’ll hear something useful there."
With that, he quickly crossed the road, making it clear he had no intention of continuing the conversation.
As he watched Karatz walk away as if fleeing for his life, Meria’s face darkened, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes. His expression suggested he was already contemplating a different way to handle this matter.
However, before he could decide on a course of action, a squad of guards in blood-red leather armor arrived at the tavern, swiftly apprehending him and his companions. The operation was executed with practiced efficiency—so fast that Meria was gagged before he had a chance to cry out or reveal his identity. The other patrons in the tavern instinctively withdrew, distancing themselves from the scene. No one wanted to get involved.
Meanwhile, Karatz was completely unaware of what had just transpired inside the tavern. What concerned him was Meria's persistence—it had made him realize that this was a problem beyond his ability to handle. If things continued in this direction, he could easily be dragged into a mess he wanted no part of.
Once he reached the eyrie, he would report this to his superiors and have them contact the Blood Armored Men to handle the situation. He disliked dealing with the intelligence division, but even that was preferable to having his peaceful life disrupted.
Passing through Glory Square, he entered Seven Gods Avenue and walked straight to the end of the road. Rather than ascending the steps to Miracle Sept for worship, he turned onto the northeastern forest path.
A guard post stood at the entrance of the path. Although the stationed guard recognized Karatz, he still conducted a thorough check of his identification, logged his name in the access register, and only allowed him through after he had signed.
The forest and grassland on either side of the path were unfenced, but no one dared to trespass. This area housed both the Navy Barracks and the City Garrison Barracks—any unauthorized intruder would be considered an enemy and shot on sight.
Not long ago, a drunken nobleman had wandered into the restricted zone. He hadn’t even been given the chance to explain himself before he was struck down by a dozen crossbow bolts. The brutal example had made sure that no one else dared approach the area without permission.
Reaching a fork in the road, Karatz saw three paths diverging. Each led to a different destination: the City Guard Barracks, the Navy Barracks, and the eyrie.
He was about to take the path toward the eyrie when a group of female cavalry in uniformed armor emerged from the direction of the City Guard Barracks.
In Miracle Harbor, the City Guard was divided into two battalions—one male and one female. These mounted warriors were part of the exclusive female City Guard.
Though some people looked down on the female battalion and even openly disparaged them, no one could deny their competence. These cavalrywomen were every bit as capable as their male counterparts. In fact, their leaders—Dacey Mormont and her deputy, Obara Sand—were notoriously formidable.
Not long ago, when a group of twenty mercenaries were patrolling the docks, they suddenly launched an attack on a warehouse storing goods and attempted to seize a ship docked at the pier. However, they were swiftly dealt with by two women working together.
“Tilan!” Karatz suddenly raised his hand and shouted as a group of female cavalry rode past.
The female cavalryman didn’t turn her head but shot Karatz a glare with narrowed eyes, as if blaming him for greeting her in an inappropriate place. She didn’t glance at him again until the group had passed.
Tilan was Karatz’s younger sister and a Gladiator in the Meereen Coliseum. She had originally belonged to a different slave trader, but after their family was bought by a trader from Pentos, he had also purchased Tilan at Karatz’s request.
Upon arriving in Miracle Harbor, Tilan immediately joined the garrison. With the combat skills she had honed in the arena, she was quickly put to good use and is now a squad leader, the one in the family who has fared the best.
“Anzan passed the dock guide test, and Mis is celebrating tonight by making her famous lamb soup. Make sure you come home for dinner!” Karatz called out to the passing cavalry patrol.
Tilan didn’t respond, only raising a hand to show she had heard him.
Karatz felt lucky to have run into his sister on the road, saving himself a trip to the barracks to inform her. Feeling more at ease, he made his way quickly to the eyrie at the top of the hill.
The entire eyrie was carved from a massive mountain rock, with each carrier nest connected by sturdy wooden ladders. More than forty carrier pigeons were kept here, tended to by thirteen trainers.
Though it couldn’t compare to the raven’s nest on the other side of the Castle in terms of quantity, the carrier pigeons here were far more valuable. These pigeons primarily transmitted information to the fleets, as well as other highly important messages within the territory.
Upon arriving at The Eyrie, Karatz immediately reported to his superior about what he had witnessed on the way. His superior carefully recorded his account, sealed it, and instructed an attendant to deliver it to the headquarters of the Blood Armored Men, The Black House.
With the matter reported, Karatz let out a small sigh of relief. He then joined his subordinates in tending to the carrier pigeons under his care.
In the afternoon, as he was about to hand over his duties to another falconer, the manager of The Eyrie hurriedly arrived at his section and asked directly, “How is the kestrel? Can it deliver a message immediately?”
Karatz froze for a moment. The kestrel was The Eyrie’s fastest carrier, used exclusively for delivering messages to Summerhall Castle. Only messages of the utmost urgency were entrusted to it.
“It can fly at any time,” Karatz responded without hesitation.
The manager immediately handed him a wax-sealed copper tube. Karatz selected a falcon, secured the tube to its talons, released it, then turned and left.
“What do you think happened?” another falconer who had witnessed the exchange asked, his curiosity piqued.
“I don’t know,” Karatz replied, shaking his head slightly. “It might be related to the naval fleet. There was a fleet mark on the copper tube.”
The falconer frowned in thought. “The naval fleet? Could it be news of another island occupation?”
“The Sea of Dorne is already an inland sea—there are no more islands to occupy. It must be something else.” Karatz shook his head, responding absentmindedly to his colleague’s words, though his thoughts had already drifted home.
