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Chapter 149: The First Knight
🕑 Added 2025-02-14 12:31:13 +0000 UTCAfter attending to the affairs of the territory, Lynd received a raven from Bitterbridge, informing him that Vortimer and Joel’s escort had passed through Bitterbridge a day earlier. Given their pace, they were expected to arrive in Longnight Town—at the intersection of Tumbleton Road and The Roseroad—within a day or two.
Lynd took Glory alone, packed the dragon egg into his backpack, and set off for Longnight Town to await Vortimer and Joel’s escort. He hadn’t left the dragon egg in Tumbleton because he needed to use dragon runes to maintain it every few days. If too much time passed, the previous maintenance would lose its effect. Since the journey to The Wall would take several months, he had no choice but to bring the egg with him.
The intersection of Tumbleton Road and The Roseroad had become the most prosperous area in the region. In the early days, Nymeria had settled some of the displaced people she had recruited, along with Tumbleton’s original residents, to establish a town. Initially, the settlement had served only as a rest stop for passing caravans, but as Tumbleton Road extended toward Grassy Vale and later Summerhall, the crossroads grew in importance.
Over time, the small town expanded into a large one, prompting Lynd to construct a fortress there. Nymeria had stationed Wenda the White Fawn as the fortress and town's administrator, which was how the town got its name.
Lynd didn’t enter the town itself but waited at the fortress outside. When Wenda the White Fawn returned from her patrol and learned of his arrival, she came to see him, still in her armor.
"Aren't you taking anyone with you on your journey?" Wenda asked, surprised to see Lynd alone.
"I'm not going to war, so why would I need anyone?" Lynd shook his head. "Besides, Highgarden will send someone. There’s nothing I need to do." Then, as if something had just occurred to him, he asked, "Has Spark been in contact with you recently?"
Wenda the White Fawn shook her head. "We haven't spoken in over a year. The last time was when you went to Dorne. You don’t need to worry about her. As long as Kingswood stands, she’ll be fine."
Lynd frowned. "I need to find her. Do you know of any way to contact her?"
After completing his territorial inspections, he had visited Kingswood several times, hoping to see Spark and learn about the fire in Summerhall, as well as the fate of the female dwarf she had rescued. Yet, he had found nothing. Even when he deliberately activated the power in the dragon runes to create a commotion in Kingswood, Spark had not appeared. It felt as though she was no longer there.
Wenda the White Fawn shook her head again. "I’m sorry, my lord, but Spark always finds me. I’ve never reached out to her first."
"When you last saw Spark, did she say anything?" Lynd pressed.
Wenda thought for a moment. "She asked me to look after her garden while she went on a long journey to visit a friend."
"A friend?" Lynd frowned but didn’t pursue the matter further. Wenda likely wouldn’t know more.
The only beings the Children of the Forest might consider friends were other Children of the Forest or nature-aligned individuals like the Greenseers. In all of the Seven Kingdoms, there were only two places where the Children of the Forest were rumored to still exist: the Isle of Faces, in the center of Gods Eye Lake, and the marshes and ancient forests west of the Neck.
Since his route to The Wall would take him past both locations, Lynd considered the possibility that if Spark was no longer in Kingswood, he might ask Glory to help him search for her when they passed through those areas.
Lynd did not have to wait long in Longnight Town. Half a day later, the escort arrived.
The convoy consisted of around five hundred people—four hundred prisoners and the rest soldiers assigned to guard them. Perhaps due to the previous incident, Willas had been more cautious this time. Not only had he sent enough soldiers to secure the prisoners, but he had also placed the renowned swordmasters Vortimer and Joel from The Reach in charge of the escort.
Once the prisoners were secured in the fortress cells, Vortimer and Joel were guided by a servant to Lynd’s room.
"Lord Vortimer, Lord Joel, it's been a long time!" Lynd greeted the two men as they approached, bowing slightly.
"My lord, it has been a while," Vortimer replied, returning the greeting. Unlike before, his demeanor was more reserved, carrying an air of respect that hadn’t been there in the past.
In contrast, Joel remained as carefree as ever. He simply nodded at Lynd and said, "Lynd boy, don’t even think about expecting me to call you 'my lord.'"
Lynd smiled and nodded in response. "There’s no need for formality between us. Lord Vortimer, that goes for you as well—just call me Lynd like you used to. We'll be traveling together for a month or two, and being too formal will only make things uncomfortable."
Joel turned to Vortimer with a smug expression, giving him a knowing wink before extending his hand. "Told you, the kid hasn’t changed. Pay up."
Vortimer shot Joel a glare before unfastening a small money pouch from his waist and tossing it to him.
Joel caught it, then immediately threw it to his attendant. "Tell the others that today, I, Master Joel, am treating—drink as much as you like."
Vortimer frowned. "We still have to travel tomorrow. If they drink too much..."
"It doesn't matter," Joel said nonchalantly. "If they get drunk, we can just have the prisoners carry them. It won’t slow us down." He gestured toward Lynd and added, "Besides, we’ve got a Chosen One here who can take on a thousand enemies single-handedly. No prisoner with a shred of intelligence would dare do anything stupid."
As they spoke, the group entered the house. Lynd instructed the servants to prepare wine and food, while Joel and Vortimer removed their armor with the help of their attendants.
Noticing that Joel’s badge had changed from the crane of House Crane to the rose of House Tyrell, Lynd couldn't help but smile. "I didn't expect Lord Joel to be working for Highgarden. I thought you’d spend the rest of your days as captain of the men-at-arms for House Crane in Red Lake."
At Lynd’s words, Joel rolled his eyes. It seemed the remark had touched on a sore subject. With a shrug, he sighed, "Talking to you is no fun at all. You always hit people where it hurts, leaving them at a loss for words."
Nearby, Vortimer chuckled and added, "He was driven out because, when Lord Alester Florent was a guest at Red Lake with his family, he climbed into Lady Melara Crane’s bed. Lord Alester caught him in the act, and he fled. House Crane expelled him, House Florent put a bounty on his head, and in the end, he had no choice but to seek refuge in Highgarden."
Lynd, having been preoccupied with managing his own territory, rarely concerned himself with the internal affairs of The Reach. He had not expected to hear such a scandalous story.
As he processed the information, he recalled what he knew about Lord Alester of House Florent and Lady Melara. His expression turned somewhat strange as he looked at Vortimer. "The Lord Florent you’re referring to… he’s the one from Brightwater Keep?"
Vortimer smirked. "That’s the one."
Joel, meanwhile, kept his head down, focusing on his drink, his face full of embarrassment.
Lynd directly addressed the crux of the matter. "Isn’t Lord Florent’s wife, Lady Melara, an old woman?"
Joel groaned. "I told you, talking to you is no fun." He downed the rest of his wine in one gulp and gestured for his cup to be refilled. Then, looking at Lynd with great dissatisfaction, he muttered, "She’s a mature woman. A very attractive mature woman..."
Vortimer, ever the opportunist, interjected at just the right moment. "One that’s well past her prime."
Joel said nothing, merely bowing his head and drinking in silence.
"I never would have guessed that Lord Joel had such a taste," Lynd mused, shaking his head. Then, his expression grew more curious. "After House Florent put a bounty on you, you didn’t flee The Reach or come to me for refuge. Instead, you went to Highgarden. Could it be because of Lady Olenna?"
At that, Vortimer could no longer hold back his laughter, and Joel shot Lynd a look of pure mortification. Judging from their reactions, Lynd wasn’t the only one who had drawn this conclusion. It seemed similar rumors had already spread among the nobility in Highgarden.
With laughter shared among them, the tension of status differences gradually faded, and their relationship returned to what it had once been. The conversation soon turned to recent events in their respective circles, further strengthening their camaraderie.
From Vortimer’s words, Lynd learned about the current situation in Highgarden. Relations between Highgarden and Dorne had grown tense due to the recent cancellation of the marriage alliance, leading to a deterioration in their diplomatic ties. However, despite the public strain, Highgarden and Sunspear had continued their correspondence in secret.
Vortimer spoke most frequently about Willas. Since Willas had become paralyzed, Vortimer, as Highgarden’s master-at-arms, had taken on the role of captain of Willas’ men-at-arms, ensuring his protection while he served as Highgarden’s law enforcement officer.
Willas had earned the nickname Fair Rose of Gold due to his ability to deliver fair and balanced judgments in disputes.
His rulings often left both parties satisfied, and Lord Mace Tyrell, believing it beneficial for Willas to have responsibilities, had officially appointed him as Highgarden’s chief arbiter. Over time, Willas’ reputation for impartiality had not only restored the respect he had lost due to his paralysis but even surpassed it.
His influence had grown to the point that he was able to command the lords of the river and bay lands to gather death-row prisoners and send them to The Wall as recruits for the Night’s Watch. The Reach lords raised no objections, likely because this arrangement suited them well—it provided a convenient way to rid themselves of troublesome individuals they could neither execute nor tolerate in their lands. As a result, not all the men sent to The Wall were criminals; some were simply unfortunate souls whom their lords had deemed nuisances.
For Willas, the legitimacy of these individuals did not matter—his only concern was reinforcing The Wall’s defenses.
From everything Vortimer shared, Lynd could sense that Willas’ concern about the White Walkers ran deep. His every action seemed geared toward strengthening the defenses against whatever might come from the Land of Always Winter.
Fortunately, Willas remained rational. He had not taken any drastic measures beyond his means, nor had he overstepped his limits.
After a night's rest, the Highgarden escort resumed its journey north along The Roseroad. This time, however, the group included one more traveler—Lynd—and one more beast—Glory.
Curiously, among the prisoners, many were followers of the Seven. During their breaks, some would kneel before Lynd, confessing their past sins as if he were a septon of the Faith.
Lynd, however, did not offer them absolution like a septon would. Instead, he simply listened, his gaze calm and unyielding. More often than not, these hardened men—guilty of all manner of crimes—would break down under his silent scrutiny, weeping like children. When their emotions subsided, they would lean forward, kiss the back of his feet, and quietly leave.
Joel, watching one such interaction, shook his head in disdain. “You're turning into more and more of a charlatan! You should put a wooden box in front of you and have them drop in a halfpenny every time they confess. Who knows? Maybe you’ll gather enough to build a castle before long.”
Lynd smirked. "I'm sorry, Lord Joel, but your idea is worthless. My castles in Summerhall and Miracle Harbor haven’t cost me a single coin—the church is covering all the construction expenses. Besides, I have so much gold that I don’t even know what to do with it. Only you, my lord, would care about halfpennies."
Vortimer, who had been listening, grinned. "So the rumors are true—all the treasure the Ironborn looted from the Westerlands ended up in your hands." He shook his head, looking at Lynd with envy. "You lucky bastard. Well then, you’re paying for everything on the way."
As they traveled, the three of them passed the time with their usual sharp-tongued banter, exchanging sarcastic remarks and jabs.
The convoy moved quickly, passing through Kingswood and arriving in King's Landing.
Upon reaching the capital, the escort halted outside the city for several days. As soon as King Robert heard of Lynd’s arrival, he summoned him at once—only to drag him back into Kingswood for a hunting trip.
At the same time, Robert instructed Lord Jon Arryn to select additional prisoners from the dungeons and hand them over to Vortimer to be sent to The Wall along with the others.
Though only a year had passed since the rebellion, Robert’s appearance had already changed dramatically. Layers of fat now sagged from his chin, nearly obscuring the once-handsome face he had been known for. His body had thickened, and his old armor barely fit anymore.
But his changed appearance did not mean that his strength had waned. He could still swing his massive warhammer with the same devastating force.
During the hunt, Robert once again challenged Lynd to a duel. However, this time, he did not insist that Lynd use the greatsword of the Banished Knight. Instead, he allowed him to wield a broad-bladed hand halberd.
The outcome was inevitable. Lynd did not hold back in the slightest. The moment Robert lunged, Lynd evaded the strike with swift footwork and pressed the halberd’s blade against Robert’s chest in a single decisive move, ending the duel before it had even begun in earnest.
Unwilling to accept the result so easily, Robert ordered the Kingsguard—Barristan Selmy included—to fight Lynd together.
The result remained unchanged.
Only Barristan the Bold and Robert himself managed to last more than a single exchange. Working together, they forced Lynd to fight for two full rounds. But the rest of the Kingsguard, including Jaime Lannister, fell to him in a single move each.
Afterward, Robert marveled at Lynd’s strength, pleased that he had fought without holding back despite Robert’s royal status.
When they returned to King’s Landing, Robert summoned his court and, before all his gathered nobles, once again honored Lynd with a new title.
This time, he was named the First Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
