Bringing the Dawn

XXIV.

Jaeron Targaryen

On route from Sunspear to Greywater Watch, 300AC

The ship back to Greywater Watch felt like it was taking months on end. When in reality, it would only take about a week at most. The ship they had been provided at Starfall was one of the fastest they had, and this was made obvious as they passed the nearby peninsula beside Sunspear within a couple of hours. He had only been in the castle that had stood for who knows how long for about the same amount of time, but that felt quick in comparison. However, when they passed the eastern shore of the Stormland's, it had seemed like days had passed.

They had mostly avoided the Stepstones which was probably a good thing considering their reputation. Numerous pirates fought there, and multiple people style themselves rulers of the isles in question. Where if the Northern tales were true, the Children had broken the arm of Dorne to stop the First Men coming through as his ancestors waged their bloody war against the ancient creature now long extinct. Along the way, they passed places he'd only ever read about, and he would be lying if he said he didn't feel like a giddy child.

Tarth- nicknamed the sapphire isle due to the blue of its waters. A statement that was proven true as at times Jaeron could've sworn he could see the bottom of the sea. Multiple creatures underneath he had only ever seen drawings of in books. Numerous fish, sea snakes (or eels as Arthur called them, stating on the side they apparently tasted good), starfish, jellyfish. The list went on and on and he felt like a little child being told he could have as many sweets as he liked. Around the coast until they were at the Crownland's, Blackwater Bay opening far and wide. It stunned him that the capital lay there, as did the famous Red Keep and the even more notorious Iron Throne. Despite wanting nothing to do with a crown, he couldn't deny he was beginning to get angsty about it.

But it was when they passed two large isles that he was left awed. A part of him had wanted to ask the captain to dock so he could walk around Driftmark and Dragonstone, but he had managed to bite his tongue. He was only meant to go to Starfall, and he knew he was going to be in for an earful from Howland for going off to Sunspear to broker talks with the Martell's. Something he was not looking forward to. Howland was calm in nature, but he had found out the hard way those who were terrifyingly calm were a lot scarier than someone who was yelling at oneself. Eddard was much the same as him, and he understood why they had become such firm friends at Harrenhal, but the man he called father did have a bite when he was angry. Wolf blood does run strong in the Stark's, but it was rare to see it from some of them.

However, the captain did grant him one boon. By sailing around his ancestral Seat so he could see the castle in full view. Just thinking that Stannis Baratheon was currently residing within those walls made him angry. But he couldn't hold much resentment for the man, remembering his aunt's words to him when she had come down to Greywater Watch to speak to him. Family before duty, and duty before honour. Stannis had a duty to his brother who was the Lord Paramount of the Stormland's, and this duty compelled him to support the campaign. He wondered where the man's allegiance would lay when he found out the duty he had lost men to protect, had almost starved doing so during a siege led by the Tyrell's, was nothing but a lie? He shook his head to rid himself of the thoughts before taking in the architecture.

The Valyrian's of the Freehold were famous for their use of dragon flame. Hotter than regular flame to the point it melted stone, and they had used this well. Fusing numerous blocks together to create one single large slab of the material which they built the castle from. The stone turning a midnight shade upon being scorched, standing a couple of hundred feet tall with its many towers. Dozens of gargoyles of interesting creatures guarding the walls. Two massive carvings of dragon heads at the entrance. Seeing this made him excited to see his own again alongside Ghost. He hadn't felt like himself since leaving them, and he wondered how much they had grown. The last time he had seen them, the dragons had been larger than horses and Ghost came to his elbows.