The scent of herbs filled Maester Aemon's room.
Miscellaneous objects cluttered the corners, and glass bottles held medicinal liquids of every color.
The old maester sat hunched over his desk, his hands deftly grinding dark green leaves.
His eyes had long since gone blind, so he could not see the leaves.
Instead, he smelled them and felt them with his hands.
"You're interested in herbalism?"
Aemon's voice was as gentle as ever.
He seemed to sense Lynn's arrival.
"Guards have been getting injured these past few days. I'd like to learn some basic treatments from you."
Lynn pulled up a chair and sat down, his gaze settling on the oddly shaped plants on the desk.
Aemon's hands stopped.
He turned his head, directing his sightless eyes toward Lynn.
"That is a maester's work."
When Lynn did not answer, he continued.
"Treating the injured is only the simplest application of herbalism."
"True herbalism covers a far broader range of subjects."
Lynn raised his eyebrows slightly.
He caught the deeper meaning in Aemon's words.
"Such as?"
Aemon chuckled and resumed grinding the leaves in his hands.
"Drugs that put people to sleep, for instance."
"Potions that affect the mind, clouding people's senses and making them speak the truth."
"Herbs that strengthen the body when consumed."
"Even... poisons that leave an enemy unable to fight."
The old maester spoke those last few words very softly.
A brief silence settled over the room.
The flames in the fireplace crackled softly.
Herbs that strengthened the body?
Wouldn't that let me skip all that tedious training?
"Would you be willing to teach me?"
Lynn wasted no time beating around the bush.
An almost imperceptible smile touched Aemon's lips.
Aemon poured the powder in his hands into a small porcelain bowl.
"Power itself is neutral. What matters is the mindset of the person using it."
He stood and felt for several glass bottles on the shelves.
"Herbs can save people from peril."
"Poisons can take their lives."
"The same herbs serve different purposes in different hands."
Lynn listened quietly without interrupting.
"Which would you like to learn?"
"Both."
Lynn's answer was crisp and decisive.
Aemon stopped, his blind eyes facing Lynn directly.
"Interesting."
The old maester sat back down.
"Most people choose the righteous side when faced with that question."
"On the surface, at least."
"But you..."
A hint of approval entered Aemon's voice.
"You're honest."
Lynn said nothing, simply waiting for Aemon to continue.
"In that case, we'll start with the basics."
Aemon pointed to the ground powders on the desk.
"This is nightshade. It has a mild paralytic effect."
"Used alone, it only causes slight dizziness."
"But combined with other herbs..."
He had Lynn pour some white powder from another bottle and mix it with the green nightshade.
"Adding bitterroot extract makes the paralytic effect several times stronger."
Lynn carefully noted the mixing process.
He committed every step to memory.
"What if it's applied to a weapon?"
Lynn asked.
Aemon's hands paused briefly before he resumed stirring the mixture.
"Poisons used on weapons need to penetrate more readily."
"Ordinary poisons take a long time to work when they come into contact with skin or a wound."
"But in battle, you often have only a moment."
He had Lynn take a small black bottle from the shelf.
It held a dark green liquid that gave off a pungent odor.
"This is blood-sealing throat sap. Large doses are fatal."
"But even a tiny dose can rapidly paralyze the muscles around a wound."
A spark of excitement flashed in Lynn's eyes.
This was exactly what he needed.
"But remember."
Aemon's voice suddenly turned serious.
"Poison is a double-edged sword."
"A moment's carelessness can harm the person using it."
Over the next few hours, Aemon explained the properties of various herbs and how to prepare them in detail.
Lynn devoted his full attention to every detail.
[Through Maester Aemon's guidance, you have learned a new skill.] [Herbalism (novice) 1/10]
The notification ringing in his mind lifted Lynn's spirits.
As expected, learning with someone to guide him was far more efficient.
"These basics should serve you for some time."
Aemon pushed several small bottles toward Lynn.
"Remember the formulas, and you'll be able to prepare them yourself."
Lynn carefully tucked the bottles inside his clothes.
One held a hemostatic agent, another ground nightshade, and another bitterroot extract.
One bottle of dark green liquid stood out in particular.
It was the finished paralytic poison that could be applied to weapons.
"Thank you for your guidance, Maester."
Lynn stood to leave, but Aemon called him back.
"Lynn."
There was a deeper meaning in the old maester's voice.
"Herbalism is a means, not an end."
"True wisdom lies in knowing when to use it and when to stop."
Lynn nodded, pushed open the door, and left the room.
In the courtyard, Torrhen was leading several guards in cleaning their equipment.
Seeing Lynn emerge, he immediately went over to greet him.
"My lord, the men are ready."
"This time, we plan to venture farther in and find more groups of Wildlings."
Lynn glanced at the sky. The sun was setting.
"There's no rush."
He took the bottle of dark green poison from inside his clothes.
"Treat the weapons first."
Torrhen looked at the little bottle in puzzlement.
"My lord, what is that?"
"Poison."
Lynn's answer was brief.
"Apply it to the blades, and it'll quickly leave enemies unable to fight."
A flicker of excitement crossed Torrhen's eyes.
Warriors of the North had always been practical.
As long as it gave them an advantage, they did not care whether the methods were honorable.
"Give everyone a little. Remember, don't let it touch any of your own wounds."
Lynn handed Torrhen the bottle.
"Let's leave after sunrise tomorrow."
That night, Lynn lay in bed, unable to sleep.
He kept thinking back over everything he had gained in the past seven days.
Aside from herbalism, the more important gain was the accumulation of Experience Points.
For seven days, the three squads had taken turns setting out.
On average, they brought back more than a dozen Wildling heads each day.
[Current Experience Points: 170]
The number filled Lynn with delight.
It was enough to raise both skills to the next level.
Lynn closed his eyes and began allocating his Experience Points.
[Spend 36 experience to raise Light Sword to the expert level?] [Confirm] [Light Sword (expert) 0/500]
A warm current spread through his entire body.
Lynn felt every move he knew become more refined.
His understanding of light swords rose to a new level as well.
Upgrading a skill not only refined the techniques he already knew, but also improved his aptitude for that weapon to a certain extent.
[Spend 66 experience to raise One-Handed Sword to the expert level?] [Confirm] [One-Handed Sword (expert) 0/500]
Another warm current washed over him.
Lynn could clearly feel his understanding of swordsmanship deepen.
The application of strength, the timing of attacks, the angles of defense.
All of these improved subtly.
And that was not all.
Lynn also discovered something.
There were underlying similarities between Light Sword and One-Handed Sword.
As the two complemented each other, his understanding of light weapons deepened further.
[Spend 16 experience to raise Unarmed Combat to the expert level?] [Confirm] [Unarmed Combat (expert) 0/500] [Spend 4 experience to raise Archery to the proficient level?] [Confirm] [Archery (proficient) 0/100] [Spend 9 experience to raise Herbalism to the proficient level?] [Confirm] [Herbalism (Proficient) 0/100] Name: Lynn Strength: 5 (4%) Agility: 5 (0%) Constitution: 5 (0%) [One-Handed Sword (Mastery) 0/500] [Light Sword (Mastery) 0/500] [Horsemanship (Proficient) 1/100] [Unarmed Combat (Mastery) 0/500] [Archery (Proficient) 0/100] [Herbalism (Proficient) 0/100] Remaining experience: 43
"Now that my overall strength has improved, I'll test it out on you."
Lynn looked at the members of the Night's Watch outside, an excited smile spreading across his face.
"Keep coming at me, one after another!"
"Every last one of you! I'll knock all of you who won't accept defeat flat!"
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