Lessons at sea

The morning mist had not yet dissipated from the Three Towers, House Costayne's silver chalice and black rose coat of arms gleamed coldly in the morning light of the dock.

Daemon stood at the bow of the "Arbor," his long, silver-gold hair fluttering in the sea breeze of Whispering Sound, the three-headed dragon brand on his right shoulder still warm from the fireplace at Three Towers Castle the night before.

At the dock, Earl Costayne waved goodbye with his clansmen. His second son, accompanied by servants, carried crates of empty freshwater barrels that had just been loaded onto the ship, and shouted, "Your Highness, if you travel through the Dornish Sea, remember to avoid the reefs on the south shore!"

The blue and white sails of the Redwyne fleet unfurled in the wind, and the grape emblem undulated like waves.

The cliffs of the Three Towers gradually receded, the gray-brown stone walls and Watchtower on the cliffs shrinking into small dots in the distance, with only the House Costayne's checkered flag still fluttering at the dock, like a frozen silhouette.

Alyn Redwyne stood by the ship's wheel, his orange hair plastered to his face by the sea breeze, and called out to Daemon, "Your Highness, it will take two hours to cross the Redwyne Straits. We'll reach Sunhouse before noon!"

The Glutton and Dreamfyre hovered above the fleet, the black shadow of the Black Dragon intertwined with the pale light of the blue dragon, causing the followers on the deck to frequently look up.

Mund Hightower clung to the ship's railing, the astrolabe that Bernard had given them children spinning rapidly in his hand. He pointed to the islands on the west side of the strait. "Sister, look at those islands, aren't they marked as Horas's 'Grape Island' on the Citadel map?"

Bethany leaned closer, her pale purple dress brushing against the sawdust on the deck. She pointed to the vineyards on the edge of the island. "Yes, the House Redwyne grows their grapes there. The Arbor wine we bought in Oldtown last year was made from grapes from here."

As the midday sun pierced through the clouds, the outline of Sunhouse finally appeared on the horizon.

This House Cuy castle is located on the southern coast of the Reach bend. The pale blue stone walls extend from the edge of Cuy Town to the sea, and the blue flag with six yellow flowers fluttering in the wind on the castle roof looks like six dancing flames.

The dock was already crowded with people. Count Kuy wore a blue robe embroidered with yellow flowers, the coat of arms on his chest echoing the flag. Behind him, his servants carried wooden chests filled with freshly baked flatbread and cured meat—supplies for the fleet.

"Your Highness Prince Damon! Your Highness Princess Geri!" Count Kui hurried forward, clutching a peach freshly picked from the orchard. "Our Sunhouse is your last supply point before heading to the Stormlands. Count Hobart sent a messenger yesterday, so I specially ordered the kitchen to prepare fresh food today, including tuna just caught by the fishermen of Kui, and peaches picked this morning. Please do try them!"

He led the group into the town, his actions not only aimed at ingratiating himself with Daemon and Gael, but also frequently currying favor with the Hightower siblings. The stone streets of Cuy Town were paved smoothly, with fishing nets and dried seaweed hanging from the wooden houses on both sides, and the air was filled with the aroma of sea salt and wheat cakes. "Our Cuy family has always been loyal to the Tower of the Oldtown. Last year's trading season, it was Earl Hobert who pulled strings and helped us open up the shipping route to the Summer Isles."

In the courtyard of Sunhouse, supplies were already laid out on the long table: bags of rye, barrels of fresh water, and piles of cured meat and smoked fish like small mountains. The maids of the Cuy family were packing peaches into wooden boxes, preparing to load them onto the ship.

Bethany walked up to a stall displaying fabrics and picked up a piece of light blue cloth. "This is a specialty of Cuy Town. It's been soaked in seawater, so it won't spoil easily. It's perfect for making sails."

Mund, meanwhile, stood around a the Smith, watching the Smith forge fishhooks, his eyes filled with curiosity. "The maester at home said the fish in the Dorne are the fattest; we're sure to catch some big ones with these hooks!"

Damon followed Count Kuy to visit the watchtower of Sunhouse, from the top of which one could see the entire confluence of Redwyn Strait and Whispering Bay. The sea breeze carried a salty smell that invigorated the spirit.

"From here south lies the Sunset Sea," Count Kui said, pointing to the distant horizon. "Beyond our city of Yangwu, you'll see the coast of Dorne, but there are many reefs there. Your Highness must ensure that Captain Redwin is on his guard, especially since the Ironborn and Dorne fleets have been quite unruly lately."

As evening fell, the fleet prepared to depart from Yangwu City. Count Kuy, along with his clansmen, saw them off at the dock. He handed Damon a cloth bag. "Inside are dried meats that my wife and maids personally dried. We usually only dry a little bit of lean meat for our own consumption each year. It can last for half a month at sea. Your Highness can use it as provisions for the journey, or have the cook add some seasonings and cook it."

Daemon accepted the cloth bag and returned the gesture with a slight bow. "Thank you, Earl. This supply has been a great help to us." The sails of the fleet rose again, the blue and white cloth gleaming in the twilight. The blue flag with yellow flowers of Sunhouse gradually shrank, eventually becoming a few stars on the horizon along with the lights of Cuy Town.

Over the next few days, Redwyne's fleet sailed along the Sunset Sea, the coast of Dorne unfolding like a brown ribbon in the view to the left.

Maester Bernard moved a wooden stool to the center of the deck. His five-foot height forced him to stand on tiptoe, yet he still enthusiastically waved a hand-drawn map. "Look here, gentlemen," he said, pointing to a winding river on the map, "This is the Sulphur River. The House Uller's Hellholt is built right at its source. It's said that the river water there has a sulfurous smell, and even the fish are fatter than elsewhere, though drinking too much of it will give you a stomachache."

The followers on deck gathered around, Myles Rivers, still carrying his prized the North battle axe wherever he went, leaned close to the map. "Maester, what about the Salt Shore we're about to cross? Doesn't the Gargalen ' castle look like a giant mound of salt?"

Bernard smiled and nodded, pulling a piece of dried salt crystal from his pocket. "Look at this salt, it was dried on the salt flats of the Salt Shore, three times saltier than King's Landing salt, perfect for curing meat."

He then pointed to a green area on the map. "That's the Greenblood. The water is green because there's a lot of silt at the bottom, making it shallow enough to wade across. The orphans on the river live on rafts and make a living by fishing."

Daemon leaned against the ship's railing, gazing at the distant Salt Shore of Dorne —brown sands stretching inland from the shore, with the Gargalen Castle standing like a gray-brown stone at the edge of the beach, its salt crystal emblem on its flag gleaming in the sunlight.

Gael walked to his side, her pale purple eyes reflecting the coastal scenery. "Scholar Bernard knows so much, even the fish of Dorne." Mysaria, holding a wooden box of fresh berries, added, "He just told me that the lemons from the Lemonwood are the sourest, and the Dalt family uses them to make fruit wine, much stronger than the wine from Arbor."

Every afternoon, the deck would echo with the sounds of Daemon and Gael organizing lectures by several scholars and Alys Rivers, serving as a way to relieve the boredom of the voyage.

Bachelor Bernard's classes were always the liveliest. He would sit on a wooden barrel, and for example, on the day he left Yangwu City, when he talked about the history of Yangwu City, he would imitate Count Kui's tone, which made everyone burst into laughter;

When discussing Dorne customs, he would take out the parchment he brought from the Citadel, pointing to the illustration of Sunspear: "Look at these triple-curved walls, built by the Rhoynar. Only the House Martell family can open the innermost door. The Tower of the Spear and the Sun Tower, one representing House Martell's spear and the other representing Rhoynar's sun, are like the Lee brothers."

Whenever he talks about history and geography, he does so with such wit and humor that it's as if he's personally experienced and traveled those places. Coupled with his approachable physique, his classes are not only the most lively but also always the most popular.

Alys Rivers's lesson took place in the shadows at the stern of the ship. She wore a dark green dress and held a herb she had picked from Sunhouse between her fingertips, explaining its uses.

Most of the boys surrounded her, but their eyes were always fixed on her skirt and chest; every smile and gesture of Alys Rivers attracted their attention. Of course, there were exceptions, such as Larys Strong and Jarman Waters.

However, this teaching method also attracted competition from the "witch" among the three maesters. Although Maester Bernard did not show any particular behavior, the other two Vaegon Targaryen and Leonno Strong, did not hold back in expressing their "immorality."

However, when Vaegon asked Sir Leonno, a fellow countryman of the "witch," about Alys Rivers's inexplicable knowledge, Sir Leonno would always frown, stroke his bald head, and avoid the topic as if facing a formidable enemy, causing his second son Larys, to secretly cover his mouth and chuckle.

So, in Alys Rivers ' classes, only Mysaria would occasionally take the time to listen attentively, diligently taking notes, and occasionally raising her hand to ask questions, "Sister Alys, can this herb really cure a cold? Maester Bernard mentioned something similar back in the Citadel."

Alys Rivers always smiled and nodded in response to her questions, eliciting cheers from the boys who handed the herbs to Mysaria: "Try it next time, my recipe is guaranteed to work better than the potions from their Citadel." However Bethany Hightower would also occasionally listen in, as she was quite interested in this mysterious "witch" who also "loved" green dresses.

At the request of Prince Daemon and his second son, Larys, Leonno Strong's lesson was held in the ship's cabin. Dressed in a plain black robe, quite unlike his usual appearance, he held a copy of "The Laws of the Seven Kingdoms" and explained the differences in laws between the Riverlands and the Reach.

Jarman Waters was initially only there because his "friend" Larys Strong had dragged him along to study. However, seeing the strong, muscular appearance of the other man, who looked like a powerful warrior, he also wanted to come over and ask about combat techniques. But as he listened to Leonno analyze the "conflict between the laws of the First Men and the laws of Andals," he gradually put away his nonchalance, and his one eye gleamed with seriousness in the candlelight.

Larys Strong, on the other hand, sat in the corner with his cane, his dark eyes full of understanding. He would occasionally add a few words, which earned him a rare nod of praise from Leonno to his second son.

Gradually, on Jarman's recommendation, students such as Myles, Lyonel Corbray, and the House Royce twins also joined Leonno's class.

The quietest class was clearly that of Vaegon the Targaryen, perhaps because of his sister Gael's rare request to speak up; perhaps because of his disgust for Alys Rivers, this self-taught scholar who flaunted her knowledge in a "scandalous" manner; or perhaps because of some inexplicable acknowledgment of Daemon. This Grand Maester from the royal Targaryen Lineage had only come out of retirement to teach at the invitation of his students Bernard and his junior, Leonno.

He sat in the shadows at the bow of the ship, his long, silver-gold hair cascading down his grey robe, holding a book titled "A New Treatise on Stellar Orbits" in his hands. When he explained things, his tone was harsh, often mocking, "You don't even know the basics of star angle calculation."

The audience consisted of only a few people, Rosby Bernard, Larys, Rayford Rossby. Rupert Crabb and Colin Celtigar tried to attend once, but were so embarrassed by his retort, "You can't even read a star chart, yet you want to study astronomy," that they never went again.

The voyage went exceptionally smoothly. The Iron Islands ' longships spotted the Glutton's shadowy form in the distance and turned north to flee.

Dorne's patrol boats circled the convoy once, and upon seeing the Dreamfyre fly low overhead, immediately retreated to the mouth of the Greenblood;

Merchant ships from the Triarchy kept a safe distance, and even their cargo dared not approach the Redwyne fleet's route.

The captain of the Redwyne fleet this time was Big Horas the Elder, the uncle of Alyn and Little Horas. He shared the same name as Little Horas, but was also a seasoned captain. Standing by the helm, he exclaimed to Daemon, "Your Highness, I've sailed for thirty years and never been this successful. The might of the true dragon is more effective than the fleets of the Seven Kingdoms."

The sunset on the seventh day was exceptionally magnificent, its golden-red light bathing the cliffs of Dorne Cape of the Broken Arm in Dorne, turning the brown rocks a honey color.

The sails of Redwyne's fleet were edged with gold by the setting sun, Glutton and Dreamfyre hovered high in the sky, and the shadow of the Black Dragon and the pale light of the blue dragon fell on the sea like two flowing flames.

Big Horas pointed to the sea ahead. "Daemon Highness Damon, once we pass Broken Cape of the Broken Arm in Dorne, we will leave the Dornish coast and reach the waters of the Stepstones!"

Daemon stood at the bow of the ship, gazing at the sea horizon that was gradually darkening in the distance.

The coast of Dorne has disappeared to the left, only the outline of Sunspear's triple curved walls and Tower of the Spear remains faintly in memory.

Scholar Bernard approached him, holding a newly drawn map. "Your Highness, although the Stepstones are currently in turmoil, with your dragons around, they certainly won't dare to come."

Gael leaned against Mysaria, her pale purple eyes reflecting the setting sun. "We're finally reaching Stormlands. I wonder if the winds there are stronger than in Whispering Sound."

Mysaria nodded, clutching a lemon leaf that had drifted in from the direction of the Lemonwood, and said softly, "Hopefully, the lemons there aren't like that citric acid that Maester Bernard somehow produced."

As the sun gradually sank below the horizon, its last rays fell upon the sails of Redwyne's fleet, turning the blue and white fabrics a golden-red hue.

The Glutton let out a long dragon roar, which Dreamfyre echoed in response. The two dragon roars reverberated across the sea, as if to conclude this successful voyage and to set the stage for the upcoming Stepstones Islands.

The followers on deck leaned against the railing, gazing into the darkness. No one spoke, yet they all knew that the next journey might bring new challenges, but as long as the dragon remained and the boy at the bow was there, they were not afraid of any Storm.