Chapter 227 Dragon Wolf Gallops in the Riverlands
Winterfell was an ancient, primitive, and wild place, featuring ruined castles, ten-thousand-year-old trees, and cold crypts. The Godswood of Winterfell best embodied this antiquity. The harsh cold of the North, the winter, and the ancient nature were deeply engraved upon House Stark.
Rhaegar inspected the mysterious relics of House Stark, the Winterfell crypts, the Godswood, and even the ancestral greatsword Ice, but he truly found no traces of magic or runes flowing within them. This was very strange; perhaps the deepest part of the crypts held such things, but Rhaegar could not simply venture into the deepest depths to explore.
"This is our family's Godswood, a place with a long history, even older than Winterfell itself!" Brandon Stark, the Wild Wolf, led Barristan and Rhaegar through the ancient Godswood. This was the place Rhaegar most wanted to visit, yet there was no sign of the Three-Eyed Crow's presence here. Ten-thousand-year-old giant trees spanned the area, and the smell of dampness and decay lingered. The forest contained no redwoods, but was composed of sentinel trees draped in gray-green needles, sturdy oaks, and ironwoods as old as the Seven Kingdoms. Some people were already frowning; for Southerners, godswoods had long been modified into warm, bright, secular gardens, filled with birdsong, flowers, and bright sunshine. Given the Northern Stark "barbarians'" approach, this godswood was a massive, untouched forest, which was naturally hard to accept. Prejudice in the human heart is like an abyss.
"This tree is called the Heart Tree, and it is older than Winterfell itself!" Brandon led Rhaegar to the center of the godswood, where an ancient weirwood overshadowed a pool of cold black water—this was the Heart Tree. This was also where Eddard Stark, the Quiet Wolf, would clean his sword after executions, a famous scene. Rhaegar did not know if Rickard and Brandon had such a habit, but many great historical events had taken place beneath this tree. Rhaegar felt that the tree and the moss-covered stone slab beneath it had already been polished smooth by time, with millennia of accumulated humus thickly covering the godswood's soil.
Rhaegar carefully examined this most ancient Heart Tree, possibly the oldest in the Seven Kingdoms. The weirwood's bark was bone-white, and its leaves were deep red, like a thousand bloody hands. A human face was carved into the trunk, with a long, melancholic expression. The deep, sunken eye sockets, filled with dried red sap, looked bizarre and full of warning. Those eyes seemed to transcend time, forever watching humanity, which was indeed their purpose. Greenseers observed time and everything through this tree. Their divinity slowly eroded their humanity, and time, for them, was merely a dimension.
"Legend says that the weirwoods can live forever, coexisting through endless time!" Rhaegar said to Brandon. The tree endured for millennia; people died, but the tree remained.
"An oak can live for three hundred years, and a redwood for three thousand years. A weirwood can live forever, as long as people believe in and respect it. This Heart Tree has existed longer than Winterfell!" Brandon introduced it to the group.
Facing the Heart Tree, this kind of divine miracle certainly stirred the heart. Rhaegar knew the mystery of the Heart Tree: it was the Greenseers' natural surveillance network, helping them cross the river of time. A Greenseer could enter the Heart Tree and monitor distant places through it. Since the Heart Tree could survive for thousands of years, the Greenseer could perceive the past and present of all areas within the tree's reach.
"Where must Lord Bloodraven be now, Beyond the Wall? How many eyes does Lord Bloodraven have? A thousand and one." Rhaegar looked at the Heart Tree. Was the Three-Eyed Crow watching him at this moment? But he shouldn't be able to see me, Rhaegar thought, because my body contains runes and fire that can isolate magical prying and intrusion. He should be able to see everyone else.
The Heart Tree's leaves rustled. Rhaegar looked at the tree; perhaps every leaf could become Bloodraven's eye. Transforming into a tree was probably the most profound form of skinchanging. Becoming a wolf or a bird carried far more danger and bestiality than becoming a tree. Bloodraven might not be able to observe Rhaegar, but the Three-Eyed Crow could observe others. He even crossed the river of years to observe his brothers; he loved one and hated one.
"Brynden was once half Targaryen, and now he is Greenseer Brynden. If we meet, perhaps it will be hard to distinguish friend from foe? Brynden's humanity has probably been surrendered to divinity, becoming a Greenseer who understands the vastness of the cosmos and the infinity of time. He owes House Targaryen nothing! Whatever grace he received, Brynden helped stabilize the main line of the Iron Throne through decades of turmoil, and he has repaid it all. The current Brynden belongs only to himself, only to the mission of the Greenseer." Rhaegar wanted to cross the Wall to visit Brynden, but Brynden might also come looking for him.
Brynden could observe Rhaegar through the eyes on the Heart Tree, and Bran would do the same in the future. The past was the past; even if they observed this moment, they could not change anything. But a Greenseer could also control beasts and birds. If the Three-Eyed Crow wanted to find Rhaegar, he would come sooner or later.
The wind murmured, and the leaves rustled. They left the godswood. A leaf fell after they walked away, resembling a bloody handprint.
"Where the godswood and the Heart Tree exist, the faith of the Old Gods endures!" Rhaegar thought. The Old Gods were outdated in the South, but their influence remained widespread in the North. Every noble castle once had a godswood where a Heart Tree grew, but most families who no longer worshipped the Old Gods converted their godswoods into secular gardens. It was said that the Old Gods only had power where the Heart Trees could see, and since the Heart Trees in the South had been almost entirely cut down, the Old Gods had lost their influence there. The weirwood trees in the South were cut down and burned a thousand years ago, surviving only on the Isle of Faces, where the Green Men quietly guarded them.
The most obvious difference between the North and the South was the difference in faith and race. The First Men and the Andals, the Faith of the Seven and the Old Gods. In fact, there was another place that did not believe in the Seven: the Ironborn of the Iron Islands. These two regions, coincidentally, still possessed residual traces of magic: skinchangers and greenseers. Meanwhile, the Faith of the Seven brought by the Andals from across the Narrow Sea, although orthodox, seldom exhibited magical fluctuations.
"It's strange, there's not a single leak of magic in this icy, snowy place!" Rhaegar walked around the godswood several times, and the courtyard where he lived was also spacious and warm. Unfortunately, nothing miraculous happened. Perhaps the Three-Eyed Crow didn't want to see him, Rhaegar thought.
"Prince Rhaegar, come riding with us in the Rills! That is the most unrestrained place to ride in the North!" Besides the feast at Winterfell, Brandon also invited Rhaegar to gallop through the Rills. That area had many streams, perfect for riding. Brandon was justifiably proud of his horsemanship, and Lyanna Stark, the She-Wolf, also had great talent for riding; each of them was like a centaur on horseback.
Brandon had grown up in Barrowton under the care of Lord Dustin, spending most of his time riding in the Rills. The sigil of House Ryswell of the Rills was a black horse's head with red eyes and mane, set against a bronze field with a black wavy border. Thus, the Wild Wolf had long-standing relationships with two local Lords.
"Hup!" "Hup!" More than ten fine steeds galloped across the Rills of the North, their riders traversing the land. Rhaegar the Silver Dragon, Brandon the Wild Wolf, Lyanna the She-Wolf, Ser Barristan the Bold, and several of Rhaegar's companions—Jaime, Myles, Jon, and others. There was also a young woman with brown hair and a heroic face, who rode alongside them. Barbrey Ryswell, the young daughter of Lord Ryswell, was an admirer of Brandon the Wild Wolf. The Wild Wolf was robust and handsome, a typical wild Stark and the heir to Winterfell, so attracting maidens was natural, and the Wild Wolf was used to it.
"Let's see who can reach that small stream first!" Brandon pointed to a stream in the distance. The group galloped across the Rills, the fine steeds neighing as they crossed the grasslands and rushed toward the stream. The shadows of the dragons also flew overhead. For the first time in over a hundred years, dragons had appeared in the North again. The last king to systematically tour the North was King Jaehaerys I Targaryen, the Conciliator.
The horses galloped. Brandon and Rhaegar arrived first, followed by the She-Wolf. Everyone's riding skills were outstanding. The most excellent were Rhaegar, the Stark siblings, and Barristan. Miss Barbrey, Brandon's admirer, also possessed considerable skill.
"The spring wind knows my heart; we are young men now." The wind on horseback swept across everyone's faces like a sharp blade. Rhaegar saw those beautiful young people: the gray-eyed wolves of House Stark, the golden-haired lion cub, and the red-haired griffin. In the wind of the North, everyone forgot the tedious and mundane, leaving only the joy of the rapid rush and the freedom of the gallop.
"Prince, not only are you a master of riding dragons, but your horsemanship is also unparalleled!" Brandon said, looking at the handsome young man with silver hair and purple eyes. Horses of various colors drank at the stream. The riders dismounted.
"I'm alright. Young Lord Brandon, your riding skills are what truly resemble a centaur!" Rhaegar returned the compliment. Since he carried the aura of dragons and traces of magic, the fine steeds were naturally very docile.
Brandon took out his sword and showed it to Rhaegar. "The things I love most in my life are a longsword and a fine steed!"
"Life is short, and I love too many things: longswords, dragons, harps, travel, adventure, and so on." Rhaegar smiled, flashing Orphan-Maker. In truth, he really wanted to poke fun at the Wild Wolf; the Wild Wolf's greatest love was undoubtedly recklessly chasing women. The way Barbrey looked at him was absolutely smoldering!
"I will also have a fine sword like that, but I need to wait until I succeed my father and become the Lord of Winterfell!" Brandon said.
"A Valyrian steel sword is too heartbreaking!" Jaime felt a pang in his heart upon hearing their conversation. House Lannister originally had one, but unfortunately, they lost it. Now, even with all their wealth, they couldn't acquire a Valyrian steel sword.
"I see that Miss Barbrey has feelings for you, Young Lord Brandon!" Rhaegar asked, taking advantage of the moment when Barbrey and Lyanna were elsewhere. The She-Wolf would make a suitable female knight. Rhaegar felt she and Roberta Baratheon were somewhat similar: both were opinionated and independent, but one was the older sister and the other the younger.
"She likes me, and I like her, but I can't possibly marry her. I have the responsibility of a firstborn son, and lust cannot control reason. Although I not only like polishing longswords, I also enjoy a bloodied sword!" When Brandon said this, many men laughed knowingly. "Prince, don't you like a bloodied sword? Any woman who sees those bright purple eyes will be intoxicated."
"Women are a kind of karma!" Rhaegar said to Brandon. "The most changeable thing in the world is a woman's heart; it can turn an innocent maiden into a venomous woman!" Rhaegar actually wanted to advise Brandon, but the Wild Wolf probably wouldn't listen. He only wanted to pursue maidens and not take responsibility. How was this different from Robert Baratheon?
Scandalous news was always everyone's favorite. Rhaegar suddenly thought of a strategy: Maester Varys's sexual scandal, a scandal that could simultaneously strike House Hightower and the Citadel, but he needed an opportunity to implement this matter. A maester having an affair with a member of House Hightower would be dishonorable for both parties, and if word got out, wouldn't it become a laughingstock? Just like a scandal involving a Kingsguard knight back in the day, which ruined his reputation. Ser Lucamore Strong of the Kingsguard was always kind and well-liked by the common people, but it was later discovered that he disregarded his sacred vows as a knight of the Kingsguard, secretly marrying three wives and fathering no fewer than sixteen children with them, all without the others knowing.
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