The Wolf Spirit Clan

Weilisi sat with his head lowered for a while, then drew out a leather-bound notebook with yellowed sheets tucked between its pages-Lord Rickard had borrowed it from Maester Luwin. It contained not only documents copied from the Citadel, but also material Maester Luwin had compiled.

The notebook already contained many research notes on "Skinchangers," the "Wolf Spirit King," and legends of the North. Many of the inserted sheets also bore hand-drawn pictures of weirwoods and the Children of the Forest. But the notebook was clearly unfinished, with many blank pages at the back.

Weilisi turned to a blank page, first drew a lifelike white wolf, then added annotations in a special script used by the Citadel-[When the subject takes human form, humanity clearly outweighs animal nature. Extremely friendly toward humans... (passage omitted)... suspected of possessing precognitive abilities. Highly malleable, with exceptional potential for cultivation...]

When he finished writing and drawing, Maester Weilisi summoned a guard. "Tell Lord Rickard I wish to see him."

After returning, Ghost thought it over all night and decided to discuss it with Lyanna.

After hearing him out, Lyanna widened her eyes and looked at her in confusion. "You want to help that little fellow Petyr? Why, Ghost? Don't tell me you've fallen for him?"

Ghost gave her a smack. "What nonsense are you talking about? I just think Brandon was partly at fault here too. He was too rough with a girl."

Lyanna nodded. "Brandon always gets into trouble when he drinks. That Petyr seems like a good person. It would be a shame if he died."

Ghost asked, "Is there any way to stop the duel?"

Lyanna shook her head. "Impossible. A formal duel concerns a knight's honor, and Father has agreed to it too."

Ghost had wanted to ask whether Brandon could go easy on him, but thinking of Brandon's temperament left him with nothing but a sigh.

"Ah..."

The door was gently pushed open, and Ned slipped inside with another little basket hanging from his arm. "Ghost, are you hungry? I brought you something tasty."

He looked up. "Huh? Lyanna's here too?" His cheerful tone quickly turned flat.

Lyanna rolled her eyes. She was now absolutely certain something was going on with Ned. Did he have feelings for Ghost?

No, surely not? Who courted a girl by desperately stuffing her with food? But I'm his sister! Why hasn't he ever stuffed me with anything tasty???!!!

Under Lyanna's unblinking stare, Ned grew restless... somehow, his sister's gaze seemed a little off.

Quick-wittedly, he uncovered the basket. "Lyanna, I brought you some treats too." Luckily, he had brought plenty.

Only then did Lyanna look away. Gazing at the lovely treats in the basket, she asked, "What are these? They're so pretty."

Ned stole a glance at Ghost and said softly, "Pears poached in red wine, raspberry preserve cake, and hazelnut almond biscuits."

Lyanna: ...Wasn't I the one who asked? Once your big brother grows up, there's no keeping him, sigh~

Since Ned happened to be there, Ghost shared his thoughts, hoping Ned could offer some ideas too.

Ned's expression gradually grew grave. He agreed with Lyanna. Brandon would never call off the duel, and he would definitely kill Petyr.

"Ghost, can you tell us why you want to save him?" Ned and Lyanna both looked at Ghost.

Ghost fell silent. She couldn't explain this clearly.

Lyanna and Ned exchanged a glance, stopped pressing, and began thinking of a solution. "If only someone could persuade our eldest brother to show mercy. But that person can't be Catelyn."

Ned said nothing for a long while. Looking at Lyanna, he said haltingly, "Actually... I do have an idea."

...After some plotting, Lyanna's little face flushed with anger, and she shouted, "Are you even my brother? What kind of awful idea is that?"

Ghost was a little surprised too. He truly hadn't expected it... honest Ned had actually been this mischievous as a boy?

She hurried to comfort Lyanna too. "That won't do. Lyanna doesn't like Robert to begin with. We've been here for two days, and who knows where he's been drinking and whoring."

"Exactly! That man has no manners, and he's supposed to be a great lord!" Lyanna couldn't let it go. She had originally still hoped Robert might become a little more reliable. Who could have known that the moment he reached Riverrun, he would dive into a tavern and drink himself senseless, without so much as coming to greet his betrothed even now?

Ned felt exhausted. Caught between his brother and his sister, he felt he had it far too hard.

In his own view, aside from being a womanizer and fond of drink, his brother Robert was quite suitable as his brother-in-law in every other respect, whether status, bloodline, martial prowess, or wealth.

He believed Robert simply hadn't married and started a family yet. Perhaps once he was with Lyanna, he would give up his womanizing ways.

(Ghost: In your dreams...)

But he dared not tell his sister any of that, for fear she would hit him.

As an outsider, Ghost could understand Lyanna's feelings very well. She was passionate and romantic by nature, seeking an intense, devoted love. Besides, what normal woman would want her future husband to be a drunkard who hired whores all day?

Ned didn't understand. None of the men in this world would understand. They were constrained by the attitudes of their era.

Ghost hugged Lyanna and gently urged her, "Let's just forget it. This isn't worth making Lyanna suffer."

Ned quietly apologized to Lyanna. He too realized that his sister had an extremely poor impression of Robert, and planned to have a proper talk with his sworn brother when he had the chance.

Lyanna and Ghost mercilessly kept the treats and chased Ned away, then lay on the bed together to chat.

Lyanna brought up Petyr Baelish again.

"Ghost, we're good friends, right?"

Ghost nodded as the two lay on their sides facing each other. Lyanna's eyes were truly beautiful, her red hair smooth and glossy. Hers was a spirited, androgynous beauty.

As it happened, Lyanna was thinking the same thing about him.

The girl the white wolf had become had golden hair that shimmered in the moonlight, stunning beauty, and exceptionally deep-set, sculpted features. No one who saw her would doubt her noble blood.

"Then can you tell me the real reason? Why do you want to save Petyr Baelish?"

Ghost hesitated, unsure how to explain, but she didn't want to deceive Lyanna either.

After a moment's hesitation, she said, "Lyanna, if I told you I could foresee some things that will happen in the future, would you believe me?"

"That's so cool!!!" Lyanna's eyes rounded in surprise, and she cried out excitedly.

Ghost: ...? That wasn't the reaction I expected. Not even a little doubt?..

Then Lyanna dragged him into a rambling conversation that lasted all night...

The next day, Ghost returned to his room with his head spinning. He nearly jumped in fright upon entering. Maester Weilisi stood in the room, leafing through his "homework."

"You're learning Old Valyrian very quickly." Weilisi offered him a rare word of praise.

"Yes..." Ghost was a little nervous. "What brings you here so early?"

Weilisi leafed through Ghost's study materials while discussing an unrelated topic. "The people the king sent to Essos encountered a great storm and put in at an island port north of Pentos. Word from court says Dorne has already sent Elia Martell to King's Landing..."

The intensive cramming over this period had paid off. Ghost had a rough understanding of the current situation.

It involved certain royal secrets. King Aerys had always wanted to find Rhaegar a bride of pure blood. The great houses of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros coveted the position of future queen, but the king seemed determined to find a descendant of the Valyrians.

The Targaryens had rejected marriage proposals from more than half the great houses of the Seven Kingdoms. It was said that Rhaegar Targaryen had even privately rejected the greatest beauty in the Seven Kingdoms-Tywin's daughter Cersei Lannister-twice.

The Kingdom of Dorne was among those that had yet to invite such a rebuff, but clearly, they could no longer sit still either.

(Princess Elia Martell was the elder sister of Oberyn Martell, the "Red Viper." She was the Dornish princess in Game of Thrones who married Rhaegar and was later killed by the Mountain when King's Landing fell.)

Weilisi watched Ghost calmly, waiting for his response. Perhaps he wanted to test him?

Ghost asked tentatively, "Do you mean the king might ultimately choose a marriage alliance with Dorne? And give up looking for Valyria's blood?"

Weilisi didn't answer, instead bringing up something else. "I've obtained some secret records about your race. Perhaps you would be interested."

Is this dangling an empty promise in advance for the worker? Ghost thought. He was indeed curious, though. "Will you tell me?"

"Of course, but not all of it."

Oh, a carrot dangled before a donkey. Unlock achievement rewards according to your contribution.

"Your race descends from the legendary creature known as the Wolf Spirit King. A thousand years ago, during an internal conflict with the Children of the Forest, the Wolf Spirit King devoured several Greenseers and gained Greensight cursed by the Old Gods..."

Meow, meow, meow?