After the discussion, Aermir was granted permission to enter the Night's Watch library. After several days of research, Aermir had to leave because he had more pressing matters to attend to. Eddard told him that he had something to discuss with him before he left.
But before that, Aermir had a question he needed to ask, so he sought out Maester Aemon Targaryen. Most people didn't even know he was House Targaryen. It wasn't a secret, but he hadn't revealed it publicly either. Aermir learned of this while reading records about the Night's Watch in the Winterfell Library.
Aemon was a bald, wrinkled, and emaciated old man. His nearly blind eyes were cloudy and almost milky white. His thin, bony neck looked as if it might break at any moment. He might have aged more than 100 days, but his mind was still as sharp as ever, and he could perform his duties as Night's Watch maester with ease. Maester Aemon was walking out of the room, feeling his way along the ground with his black thorn staff.
Aermir extended his hand in greeting. As their hands touched, Aermir felt a strange tingling sensation, as if a subtle magical energy resonated within him. He briefly wondered if it had anything to do with the legendary Targaryen ' ability to control dragons.
The sensation of this magic was similar, but he couldn't recall where he had felt it before. He was certain he had experienced this magic elsewhere, but the thought quickly faded from his mind as more pressing matters took precedence.
"Maester Aemon," Aermir began, "I've been pondering the history of the Night's Watch, and I find myself confused about some things."
Aemon's milky-white eyes turned to Aermir, his expression calm and focused. "Master Druid, what could possibly trouble such a powerful being as you?" he asked gently.
Aermir took a moment to gather his thoughts before continuing, "Please call me Emre the Druid or Emre. There's no need for such formalities. I've studied the Night's Watch's historical records extensively and haven't noticed discrepancies. The Wall was built to defend against the Night's King and his minions. In the Age of Heroes, the Free Folk and Westeros fought side by side to repel the darkness. This testifies to our cooperative relationship with them. Yet, over time, the focus shifted to the Wildlings as the primary adversary. How did this fundamental shift occur? Why are these crucial historical facts reduced to legends and myths instead of cold, hard facts? In all the libraries I've searched, not a single parchment is on this matter."
After his family was massacred, Aemon held no loyalty to anyone. Therefore, his words were a poignant truth. "Indeed, the history of the Night's Watch is shrouded in mystery, which could be for two reasons: either the passage of time has obscured it, or more likely it has been deliberately erased."
Aermir reasoned similarly: if the cause was the erosion of time, then in such an important place as the Night's Watch Library, there should at least be some scattered information about their true mission. The only thing somewhat related to the Long Night is a short passage in the Night's Watch's Watch oath. "I am the sword in the darkness," but it could have many other meanings.
Yes, it happened thousands of years ago, but there was no looting or burning of books. Since the time of the Builders, the Stark have been King in the North; there must have been at least one parchment containing the information. Aemon continued, "We cannot simply view this as deliberate forging, because political agendas and social changes also occur."
Aermir shook his head. "But how could such important history be forgotten without a trace?" he pressed, his voice tinged with frustration. "Isn't it the Citadel's duty to protect history and knowledge? How could the Citadel allow these records to be erased from the library?"
Aemon's expression darkened, and his voice trembled with sorrow. " The Citadel is a fortress of knowledge, but also a seat of power," he explained. "Throughout history, some have attempted to manipulate information for personal gain, rewriting history to achieve their ends. Therefore, logically speaking, the Citadel could also be one of those manipulating history."
Sitting in his chair, Aemon's aged body looked somewhat weary; he leaned on his cane. "Before me, there were many other scholars in those libraries. Erasing a piece of information every few years, rewriting history isn't difficult. Citadel have ruled for millennia. Citadel are the teachers of the next generation of lords in each region. It certainly took hundreds, perhaps thousands of years, but it's still possible to change things."
Aemon began to tap the ground lightly with his cane, saying, "Which is more likely: an organization founded to preserve and develop knowledge made the greatest mistake, losing an entire century of history, or deliberately erasing history?"
Eddard walked up to Aermir with a serious expression, his furrowed brow revealing the weight of his thoughts. " Aermir," he began, his voice low and cautious, "I've been thinking about some things concerning Bran, and I thought perhaps you could offer some insights."
Aermir nodded, his gaze focused. "Of course, Eddard. What's bothering you about Bran?" Eddard hesitated for a moment, then continued, "I don't think Bran is an ordinary Warg. He's started having... strange dreams, seeing things he shouldn't be seeing. I've heard the stories of the Green Men, those who were granted the ability to foresee dreams by the Old Gods. Could Bran possess such a talent?"
Aermir's eyes widened slightly upon hearing this. "Possibly." In Aermir's view, everything in the ancient stories was true; they were all historical records. So the Green Men might be real. Eddard nodded, his expression serious. "I worry about what this means for Bran, for all of us." He looked at the crackling heart in the room. His eyes were fixed on the flames as he said, "In all the stories, the Green Men is depicted as almost insane. I don't want my son to suffer that fate."
Aermir nodded. " The Green Men's power is not to be underestimated. They have the ability to see slices of the future, an ability that can drive a person mad." Aermir walked to a chair, sat down wearily, and sighed, "I never intended to take in your other children, but now it seems Bran would be better off staying with the other Warg and learning to control his powers as much as possible."
He looked into Eddard's eyes and comforted him, "We'll guide Bran as best we can, Eddard. I'll protect him as much as I can."
Eddard grasped Aermir's hand tightly, expressing his heartfelt gratitude. "Thank you." Aermir placed his hand on Eddard's shoulder. "I've been telling you this all along, but it seems you don't believe me. I consider Robb and Jon my brothers. If anyone wants to harm them, they'll have to deal with me first. I don't want to put Bran under my wing, but I will teach him, Jon, and Bran how to be Druid."
Eddard looked surprised. "What do you mean by becoming Druid?" Aermir realized he hadn't told him. Rickon had finally found a way to cultivate Magic Heart. Of course, Aermir couldn't teach them to become Druid unconditionally. He wouldn't allow other powerful magicians to grow in his backyard.
" Rickon has found the way to become Druid and created his own Mana Heart. In time, he will become a powerful spellcaster. After everything Jon has gone through, I have decided to teach each of your children to be Druid so that they can protect themselves, but I have one condition. They cannot pass on their knowledge to others without my permission."