The next day, Lancelot led a small escort past the three waycastles—Stone, Snow, and Sky—and finally arrived at the Eyrie, perched at the very top.
The Eyrie was arguably the smallest of the major castles in Westeros, unable to compare in size to King's Landing, Winterfell, or Casterly Rock. It consisted merely of a cluster of seven slender white towers clinging tightly together.
Lancelot and his party were now in the High Hall, awaiting Lady Lysa's arrival.
Lancelot examined the hall carefully. It was built of white marble, and in the center of the floor lay a bronze weirwood door.
This was the "Moon Door." Almost all prisoners executed in the Eyrie were thrown through here, solving the problem once and for all.
To the north of the hall, a spiraling staircase led up to a weirwood throne, where only the Lord of House Arryn could sit.
"I'm late! My apologies for keeping my guests waiting."
Before she even appeared, her voice rang out. Lady Lysa entered the hall, escorted by two guards and four handmaidens.
She greeted her uncle Brynden first, then turned her gaze to Lancelot.
"Little Lancelot, I didn't expect you to change so much in less than two years," Lady Lysa said, her Tully-blue eyes fixed intently on him.
Her face was heavily powdered. Although she was younger than Catelyn, multiple miscarriages had aged her appearance significantly.
"Lady Lysa. We are here to invite Ser Brynden to join the Twelve Knights of the Round Table," Lancelot stated.
"Lancelot, my uncle is the Knight of the Gate. He cannot abandon his post for other matters. Please understand," she said with an apologetic expression, effectively refusing.
"Uncle, I trust you will continue to serve as the Knight of the Gate!" She looked at the Blackfish.
Brynden "Blackfish" Tully looked conflicted. On one hand, he wanted to go beyond the Wall; on the other, he wanted to protect the Vale.
"I will obey the command of the Warden of the East!" Brynden finally said.
"Then it's settled! I speak for my son," Lady Lysa declared. She waved her hand, intending to dismiss the guests.
Lancelot stepped forward to stop her.
"Please bring out the Warden of the East, the Defender of the Vale, Lord Robert Arryn. I want to hear his answer."
"You... he is still a child and doesn't understand these things. As Jon Arryn's widow, I rule the Vale in his stead," she retorted.
"Are you defying the Iron Throne? I have a royal decree here," Lancelot said.
"Lord Baelish also signed it," he added. He knew Lysa's weakness was Littlefinger.
"Baelish... he..."
Lady Lysa's expression shifted. Others might not have noticed, but Lancelot saw her hesitation.
"The position of Knight of the Gate can be filled by someone else. For example, Ser Lyn Corbray," Lancelot suggested.
Lyn Corbray had once killed a member of the Kingsguard, Prince Lewyn of Dorne. Although it was rumored he only won because he wielded the Valyrian steel sword, Lady Forlorn.
"He is indeed a suitable candidate," Lady Lysa admitted.
Since becoming a widow, several Vale knights and lords had begun courting her. Lyn was one of them.
"Since you are amenable, let us see Robert Arryn," Lancelot pressed.
"Go bring the child out," Lady Lysa ordered her handmaiden.
"Bring out" sounded as if she were referring to an infant, but Robert Arryn was six years old. Yet, he still had to be carried.
When Lancelot saw Robert Arryn again, he felt the boy hadn't grown at all; he was still so small.
"Lancelot, it's you! I was wondering who it was!" He sighed in relief, seemingly afraid of strangers. But having known Lancelot for six years in King's Landing, he naturally wasn't afraid of him.
"Robin! We need..."
Lancelot explained the situation. Robert Arryn looked confused.
"So you want my Knight of the Gate to go fight bad guys beyond the Wall?" he asked.
"Not just bad guys, but something even worse!" Lancelot said.
"Alright, I agree. Let the other soldiers see how tough our Vale knights are! I'll send Ser Brynden with a thousand Vale knights to go with you."
Robert Arryn said. He was much easier to talk to than his mother.
Having achieved his goal, Lancelot said no more, planning to leave the next day.
Ser Brynden went to gather the knights of the Vale.
That night in the Eyrie, Lancelot stood by the window in his nightclothes, looking up at the sky. It was clear and filled with stars.
At first, he didn't notice anything, but at some point, a red comet appeared in the sky. Trailing a long tail, it was slowly streaking across the heavens, coming from the East.
"The Bleeding Star has arrived! So soon?"
Just as the red comet appeared in the sky, Hrakkar, sleeping at the foot of the Mountains of the Moon, suddenly roared, waking from his slumber.
Immediately, his body began to grow rapidly, and his fur changed from white to gold.
The Unsullied guarding him backed away, for Hrakkar now exuded the oppressive presence of a dragon. He stood six meters tall and nine meters long.
"ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!"
Hrakkar spewed flames from his mouth, shooting them into the sky where they burst like fireworks.
Then, he looked toward the Eyrie. Sensing Lancelot was there, he took flight. His massive fleshy wings beat the air, creating powerful currents that lifted him into the sky.
Hrakkar flew toward the Eyrie.
The next time Lancelot saw Hrakkar was during breakfast. Podrick rushed in from outside in a panic, smashing the pitcher of milk he was holding.
"General Lancelot! Hrakkar is coming! He's already reached Sky Castle! You have to go see! He injured several Vale knights on his way up!"
Lancelot immediately stood up and went to the edge of the Eyrie. Gripping the iron railing, he looked down and saw a small black dot rapidly approaching.
Gradually, the black dot turned gold. Lancelot saw it was Hrakkar, but his appearance had changed.
Did he evolve again because he ate Sheepstealer's meat? Lancelot wondered.
But with his size, flying up here won't be easy.
The Eyrie had only fallen once, when Visenya Targaryen flew up on Vhagar. But Vhagar was a fully grown dragon at the time.
Current Hrakkar couldn't compare to Vhagar.
Hrakkar's golden eyes spotted Lancelot, and he flew even faster, breaking through the fierce winds to reach the Eyrie.