18

Chapter 17: Waves and ripples

Hello again.

So to reiterate, cannon has been moved back by about five-ish years. Meaning most characters will have been aged up.

Furthermore, instead of being born in 286 AC, Sansa is born 283 making her just one year younger than Jon and Robb, and 5 years younger than Beor, instead of the normal 8 years it would've been (for obvious reasons)

8 years isn't a large gap if they are both adults but since I'm writing it, I'd rather it be a more manageable 5 years. This won't change canon much, beyond the changes Beor is making that is.

oh and Beor is six feet and eleven inches, taller than Lord Umber, but not as tall as the Mountain. he will stop growing at about seven feet and four inches.

If you want an idea of his general build, search "Beorn by Tomasz Ryger" it should be the first thing to pop up. Imagine that guy with brown-reddish hair, with a Viking style mohawk, just some stubble instead of a beard, and more slender features. The rest is pretty much the way I imagined him.

A few people have mentioned that Beor is OP, and I agree. it is by design. No normal man can accomplish what Beor is accomplishing. His being physically overpowered is realistically the only reason some Rando didn't just walk up to him and shank him in broad daylight.

I'm not a good enough writer to create a character who's just smarter than everyone else, and frankly, I still wouldn't buy it. No one is smarter than a sword through the chest. lol

"My lord", the sailor announced, as he prostrated, forehead to the ground, "I have returned.", facing his young master as they had returned to his study.

His was the first face he had seen when he first got off the ship he had called home for the last two years. Here he was, standing tall and regal, a large smile on his face as greeted him before ushering them both-with great fanfare, might he add- to the now finished Bear's Den.

The young lord had grown since the last time he had seen him. He was taller than he had been a year ago, and his clothes, though they looked newly made, were straining to contain his rippling muscles. His chestnut hair was also longer, his face shedding the baby fat, making him look his body was finally catching up to his mind.

The sailor could feel his master's gaze on him, and when their eyes met, he could see the unbound pride and joy Lord Mormont felt towards him. It took all of his strength not to bask in his lord appreciation.

"Rise, my friend, rise", the young lord addressed him, his voice strong and kingly, his eyes small suns feeling him with warmth, honored at being called the lord's friend.

The lord walked to him and hoisted him up himself, taking him in a half hug, as he patted the sailor's shoulder affectionately.

"It is good to have you back with us, Jon. Far too long have you been gone, but you are here nonetheless. Speak, my good ser, how are you? I know the hardships of the sea, and you have braved one none before you have. Truly, I am blessed to have such a talented man in my service", Beor said, hands still on the sailor's shoulder, a gentle smile on the face of the giant of a man.

I'm healthy, my lord", the sun-kissed sailor said, bowing his head slightly as he spoke to his master, simply happy to have returned safely to his home and liege.

"The Sunset Sea are waters full of mysteries and awe-inspiring creatures, but my men and I were sailing for a cause greater than ourselves. We could not have failed."

His lord nodded, and with one last shoulder pat, moved away from him, before offering him a seat, as he took one of his own.

This was then that he finally noticed the other occupants of the large study. Lord Stark, was sitting in a chair to the side of the large Goldenheart wood desk, right next to his wife, who was a delicate vision, dressed in a blue and grey dress.

Lady Maege was also present, looking well, wearing an equally soft smile on her face as her son did.

The last occupant was a dwarf with white-blond hair and mismatched eyes, dressed in red and gold doublet. Though he'd never met him, the description fit the Imp of Casterly Rock like a glove.

Quickly realizing his lack of decorum, he turned to them and hastily bowed, all the whilst apologizing.

"Think nothing of it, Ser Jon", lady Stark said, in a soft, distinguished voice, " you have come from far away, it is normal to be happy to be home.", with lord Stark's nod silently echoing her words.

" You have all my thanks, my lords, my ladies"

"Take a seat, Ser Jon", the young lord all but commanded, his friendly smile never leaving his lips, " Seat and tell me of what you have found."

"If it pleases my lord", he said politely, before seating down, and beginning to tell his story.

He had sailed from First Light, he recounted, with a good wind to his sails, the sky only slightly covered, all and all a good weather for sailing.

The next day, in the afternoon, they had reached Lonely Light, as they have rehearsed many times in preparations for the expedition.

The young lord and he had carefully plotted their course. They knew that sailing Southwest one would encounter the Farman Islands, Aegon, Rhaenys, and Visenya. Elissa Farman had sailed from Oldtown, in the South of the continent, and after reaching the small archipelago sailed her ship westward.

The young Master ordered that when the islands came in view to adjust course and sail West Northwest instead, hoping that with his more advanced sailing tools, it might be easier to find other lands, or at least not get stranded at sea.

A week they sailed, then two, then three on the surprisingly placid waters. There were a few storms, but they had passed by quickly. About a month out, truly out of waters commonly sailed by their kin, they had started witnessing awe-inducing spectacles.

Large pods of pure white whales, each as long as one of the ships, approached seemingly out of sheer curiosity. They swam along with the ships for what seemed like hours before losing interest and went on to do what it is that whales do.

Then at night, the sea started glowing. He had thought it was a trick of his eyes at first before the phenomenon reoccurred night after night.

Large creatures, some looking like squids, others like massive sea snakes or overgrown jellyfish prowled about, covered with bright pearls that outlined their body in the dark of the night. One cannot explain or convey the fright that seize him and his men in those nights, some saying that they were wandering in the realms of the gods, others convinced that they had long died and were now in some fantastical world choke-full of beauty and nightmares.

He also, to his everlasting shame, was shaken once or twice and had even considered turning tail and running back to his master. But more than his fear of the unknown, he knew he could never bear to see the Mormont looking at him with anything less than pride and satisfaction.

So he pushed on, galvanizing his men, and urging them to carry on. And on they went, singing songs from their homeland as they blazed a path into the unknown.

"The sea was glowing you say?" cut in the Lannister imp, as he stroked his chin, interrupting the sailor's story.

" Yes, m'lord.", he answered, a bit miffed at being cut off so rudely, but he continued unperturbed.

They'd even faced grave danger on more than one occasion, between the Great Expanse, as he had taken to call it. Large sharks, as big as regular whales, several times attempted to bite a chunk out of the ships, likely believing them to be floating carcasses. After a few well-placed projectiles from their overpowered weapons, they quickly learned to keep their distance, lest they became floating carcasses.

It took them a whole month since bypassing Lonely Light for them to make land again. It was a rather small island, part of a chain of islands that expanded far into the sea. A large fuming mountain was the one thing that disturbed the thick green forest that covered the island. Frankly, the land did not seem too hospitable

But it was the first plot of land they'd stumbled on after almost a month and a half at sea. They named it Green Isles, as it was a green blob in a sea of endless blue.

After a few days and having refilled their provisions, they left the archipelago, taking with them various exotic-looking birds, various plants and seeds.

They continued as such, going days on end before reaching small islands, exploring for a few days before leaving.

On one such occasion, they landed on a rather large isle with the common tropical weather. It seemed similar to the ones they had reached before, and with no hesitation, he and a few of his men made for the island.

The place was covered with large trees

This is where they met those terrible lizards, as his men called them. The queer creatures, half-bird half-lizard, some as large as a horse, were all over the land. A large species seemed rather hostile towards them and it took three men to put down a large one who had been posturing.

Needless to say, they left immediately, bringing with them the corpse of the beast, with the idea of bringing its bones back with them, taking care to mark the approximate location of the hellish place.

"Do you still have the remains with you?" Lord Beor asked, intrigued.

"Yes, of course, my lord", Jon replied, pleased that the lord seemed to approve of his gift. "The men should still be unloading the ships, very soon it shall be in your possession for you to do as you please."

"You have done well, ser Jon", he replied great deal of pride in his voice.

Lord Lannister cleared his throat, turning their attention on him. "It is a wonderful story, my good ser knight", he began, meeting his eyes with his mismatched ones, " but did you find a way to Essos or did you turn around after sailing for six months? You understand why your answer may be of the utmost importance."

Ser Jon turned to his lord, and began speaking only after he received his silent affirmation.

"Aye, my lord, we did. It seems my lord Beor was correct again.", he answered, before turning to address his lord. "I've learned a long time ago not to doubt you, my lord, but I must admit that it never ceases to surprise me."

"How do you mean, Ser Jon?" asked lady Stark

" My lord had somehow divined that the Jade Sea wasn't, in fact, a closed sea. This whole expedition rested on the assumption that we could find a way from the Sunset Sea into the Saffron Straight."

"And did you?" lord Stark asked, his face unreadable.

"Aye, my lord, I did."

The Lord Mormont smacked his hand on the ironwood, splintering the precious wood.

"Control yourself, son.", Lady Maege admonished her son, slapping him lightly on the back of the head, eliciting chuckles from the Lannister Imp.

The Mormont coughed slightly in his closed fist, attempting to salvage his image.

"This is great news, Jon!. I knew that if anyone could do it, it would be you", he said more calmly

"So this whole expedition, this whole thing was made on a hunch?" asked Lord Stark, a small frown marring his face. " And you still chose to follow his orders? he continued, addressing the sailor.

"My lord Mormont ordered, the least I can do is to obey."

Lord Eddard Stark only nodded at the answer, his eyes showing respect to the man.

"It seems your recklessness paid off, son." Lady Maege said, with mock frustration, "Again."

"It wasn't a hunch or recklessness. I had good reason to believe I was right, and I had a man bold enough to attempt the trip." He said, patting the sailor on the shoulder.

"Ask anything of me, Jon," the lord of Bear Island and Sea Dragon Point said. " If it's in my power, I shall give it to you".

Quickly kneeling, the sailor answered, voice filled with emotion. "If it pleases my lord, allow me to continue serving you to the best of my abilities. This is all I ask."

"Then it shall be done, my friend", the lord answer, gaze filled with pride and respect as he looked over his vassal

The return of the Mormont expedition caused a big turmoil on the island and the lands around. The North was abuzz with the news, as exotic gifts, animals, and other foreign stuff were unloaded from the ships into the Bear's Den.

Gold and silk from Asshai, saffron from the faraway land of Ulthos, rare birds from beyond the Sunset Sea. and other precious and shiny things from Yi Ti and the Jade Sea were all funneled into the lord's castle.

To celebrate the occasion, Beor declare the day a holiday and ordered for food and silver to be distributed freely in his lands. The name of Ser Jon the Brave was on everyone's lips, being touted as the greatest sailor who ever lived.

"You are quiet", Tyrion said to his friend, who seemed to be in a pensive mood, on such a merry day.

"Hmm?" said Beor eloquently, as he was brought back to earth.

"You have in your possession the key to Yi Ti, Asshai, and the Far East, and you are lost in thought. Why aren't you celebrating? Are you not feeling well?" Is it a woman? the dwarf asked teasingly.

"What is it with you and women, Lannister?" Beor asked his friend, slightly ticked off. He had to raise his voice slightly to drown the loud noises of the ongoing festivities.

"I ought to be asking you that question, Mormont. You happen to be one if not the most sought-after commodity in the realm. Why aren't you neck-deep it to a sea of massive tits? Have you even ever kissed a girl? Tyrion asked, almost concerned for his friend. "Are you a sword swallower?" he said, a horrified look on his face.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Beor replied, an annoyed look on his face. "I just don't make a habit to display my appetites. It's no one business but my, after all."

"That's fair enough." The Lannister said, hands raised in a placating manner. "So what happens now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your expedition was a success, but to use your words, what's your endgame?"

Beor leaned against the balcony, looking down on the crowd below as they feasted away.

"How long does it take to sail to Yi Ti and back normally, do you know"?

Tyrion thought for a second before answering. "Two years? Maybe longer depending on the circumstances, I'd say."

"My ships circled the world in half that.", Beor said, gaze lost somewhere on the horizon. We can now trade directly with most of the Jade Sea. The things we can acquire, the things we can discover... I can only imagine."

"So money then?", Tyrion asked frowning. Is this what it's all about?"

"Not money, brother. Money is just a means to an end. I just want to do something that matters. And what greater deed is there than to be known as the man who made the world smaller?

"You so all that for personal glory?

"Personal glory?", his friend asked, as if he had never thought of it in these terms. "Is that what you call it?

Honestly, I only did what I did because it seemed fun and worthwhile. Not for the Mormont name, or anything of the sort. I just did what I wanted, for the betterment of my people."

"And you just so happened to rake in tons of gold and silver while working for the betterment of your people?" Tyrion retorted, mirth all over his face.

"Well, I did say it was worthwhile and fun, didn't I?"

That elicited a laugh from the Lannister dwarf. " My father would have a conniption if he heard you say those words. To him, all that matters is the legacy of the Lannister name. All he has ever done out of the duty of the Lannister House, so our name can be remembered even after all memory of us had faded away."

"Sounds like quite the drab way to live life," Beor answered, his amber gaze gliding over the happy crowd below. "No wonder he is always so sourly, all the time."

"This is my father you speak of, Beor", Tyrion said, mock annoyance in his voice.

"Then you should know it better than I.", Beor shot back, undeterred. "I've only seen the man for two months. Whilst it was undeniably a brilliant and driven man, I couldn't help but feel like he was a bit... twisted, if I may use that word."

"Twisted?"Tyrion asked, intrigued as to where the conversation was going.

"I suppose there's a better word for it, maybe. But who spends millions of gold dragons on a sword? All that coin for a sword I took from a corpse. Rare or not, a sword is a sword, yet here he was giving millions to a boy because he brought him a sword."

"But Red Rain is a valyrian sword, a symbol of status and power.", Tyrion said, a frown on his face.

"If you ask me, someone who goes to those lengths for status and power ought to think hard about why they're doing that.", Beor answered, crossing his arms.

"Isn't it hypocritical to admonish others for seeking status and power when you just treated the Master of Coin like you stable boy?"

"I did seek the status or power, I didn't steal it from anyone, or swindled innocents to be where I am now."

Tyrion thought of what the Mormont had said, rubbing his chin. "Even then" he answered, "aren't you becoming what you are criticizing?"

"I will never be like one of them. If I ever stoop to that level of scum, I wouldn't hesitate to hurl myself from a window."

"Then we will do well to always keep one close by. You might need it, sooner or later."

Beor only scoffed at that, looking at his friend from the corner of his eye. "Do you write those things in advance?"

Tyrion laughed at that " They come to me naturally, unfortunately. More than being a dwarf, the gods have cursed me to be unbearably witty. It is my burden to bear."

"Oh, do shut up, Lannister!"

In all the noises of the celebration, one could hear the two friends laughing heartily.

The news of the Mormont flotilla coming back home spread around like wildfire, and in a realm where little went unchanged, such grand news was a breath of fresh air blowing on the burning embers of gossip.

Smallfolk and highborn alike were either believing or seriously doubting the news, believing them to be fanciful tales from the now near-mythical Bear Island.

It didn't matter to them however if it were true or not. What mattered was having something new and interesting to talk about.

It did however matter to one Tywin Lannister. He had heard the news from Gerion, his younger brother, who himself had heard it from Tyrion. The little wretch of an imp claimed to have been present when the whole event took place. Tywin knew his son to be a lot of things, twisted, arrogant, stupid, but a liar he was not. Especially when it came to Gerion.

The older man was seated in his study in The Lion's Tower, mulling over the revelation. For all his faults, Tyrion did one good thing in his life, in the man's opinion, and that was befriending the young but ubiquitous Beor Mormont. Whatever the boy saw in his son, he would never know. Maybe he had a soft spot for broken and ugly things.

His thoughts rested a moment on his youngest son. These last few years, Tyrion had changed. On multiple occasions, he had explicitly gone against his orders and left Casterly Rock to go gallivanting around The Seven Kingdoms doing gods know what. Beyond that, his behavior had changed, going as far as being more discrete in his proclivities. He didn't as much as he used to, and even started showing interest in things that had nothing to do with whoring or drinking himself into a misshapen grave. If he didn't hate the creature with all the fibers of his being, he might have even felt a bit of pride in his son's newfound sense of purpose.

Regardless of that, this news was quite troubling for the Lannister patriarch. For the past five years, House Mormont had been cornering the transport market in Westeros. Allied with the Iron Bank- how did that even happen, he wondered- and with ships faster than anything he had seen before, they had made a killing in shipping goods from Westeros to the end of the world.

Daunting trips to the Jade Sea were not beyond their ship's capabilities, their speed and armament making the trip a lot more manageable when compared to other shipping companies. Needless to say, when one can reliably and rapidly transport a lot of goods from a side of the world to another, men with plenty of gold would quickly seek such services.

Thus House Mormont had become really rich. It wasn't deep wealth like his house or the Hightower had, at least not yet. But it was undeniable that the Northern House influence was making itself felt on the Western Coast more and more.

Their lands once thought mediocre were now producing foodstuff and lots of it. Enough for the Westerlands to indeed feel the effects of it. His people were now buying more than they were selling to the Northmen, especially when it came to high-end goods. Since the Mormonts invited smallfolk to their lands promising protection and food, plenty of those affected by the Greyjoy Rebellion had made their way North, causing the population to balloon.

Tywin had thought that would've been a catastrophic idea. It stood to reason that inviting such a large influx of people would only result in disaster and misery, at least in the first few years. But no such thing happened. The people came, and the Mormonts got richer. He was starting to see a pattern and he didn't like it.

Tywin leaned back in his seat, sipping on the Gold Arbor he had in his golden cup adorned with lions, the spicy smell tickling his nose. His piercing green eyes roamed the missive his brother had sent him until they rested on the reason for his sleepless nights. Beor Mormont.

The man did not doubt that the boy was the source of House Mormont's newly found fortune. Ever since he appeared on the scene during the Greyjoy Rebellion, not one day went by without hearing that twice damned name.

He had spoken to the boy multiple times. He was bright, brash, spoke like he knew everything that was to be known, and did not seem to understand normal decorum. Exactly what you would expect from a precocious child. Had he not gained possession of the Reyne sword, he no doubt would have never seen the Mormont as anything special.

He remembered that day clearly despite the years trickling by. "Do you know why I went to Old Wyk, my lord? Instead of waiting at Pyke with my fellow Northmen?" The boy had asked nonchalantly

"Do tell." That was all he had said.

"I went there to get you Red Rain. I sought out The Drumms personally, at great cost to myself, might I had, to retrieve the ancestral sword of the Reynes of Castamere. Surely this is worth more to you than a measly five hundred thousand gold, wouldn't you say?"

Since that day, he had mulled over the interaction more time than he could count, especially since the boy went on to become so rich and famous.

This boy, of then one and ten, willingly went where no child his age had any right to be, specifically to get the Red Rain from the Drumms, no doubt knowing Tywin could never resist the temptation of acquiring it no matter the cost.

And he like an idiot did exactly that. Though he did not exceed the five million he was ready to spend, he still provided the Mormont the foundation upon which his whole empire was being built.

Tywin did not like feeling like a pawn, a stepping stool, in someone else's game. However, the Mormont boy managed to know whatever he knew was not the point. All that mattered, was the Lannister will not let this enemy alone until he could be cowed, controlled, or destroyed. His opponent was but a boy and he was the most fearsome man in the Seven Kingdoms. This quarrel was all but settled already, the boy just didn't know it yet.

"On to other subjects, my lords, I have news from the North", the Grand Maester said, his voice shaky with a stutter, addressing his fellow council members, before handing a slip of paper to the Hand of the King.

"Ah, finally, I was beginning to think I was going to start looking for a new Master of Coin", a gruff Jon Arryn said, as his keen eyes, belying his age, gleaned over the slight piece of paper.

"What does it say, my lord?" The stern voice of Stannis Baratheon let itself be heard, impatience clear, from across the large table. The man looked as dour as a rainy day in the Iron Islands, his bright blue eyes the only sign of intelligence in the way he carried himself.

"I presume our newly made Master of Coin as faithfully accomplished his mission", said a bald man, clad in bright flowery silks robes, the scents of perfumes rolling off of him. Lord Varys was a rather plump man, utterly unremarkable beyond his bold fashion statement. He spoke with a sickly sweet voice, "I have to be honest, I had my doubt when it came to your choice my Lord Hand, but once again your wisdom trumps us all."

"Aye, Lord Varys", the old Arryn replied handing the paper back to Grand Maester Pycelle, who proceeded to read what it said.

"My esteemed lord Hand, I hereby confirm that the current negotiations are going well. I have had a meeting with Lord Beor Mormont, and thanks to the Seven, I have been able to steer his answer towards an affirmative answer. I shall be returning to King's Landing as soon as the provisions are clarified and the contract is signed.

Your humblest servant, Petyr Baelish, Master of Coin."

"Well, this is good news, Lord Renly Baratheon, the youngest member of the Small Council, said enthusiastically. "The Northman has too much honor to refuse a direct request from the king. I told you lot there was nothing about which to worry."

"It still leaves a nasty taste for the Crown to be begging like so. It is our duty that, with this new sum, we put the books of the treasury in order." Stannis said, frowning, laying back in his chair. "We cannot keep on going like this."

"Aye, Lord Stannis, but that us for later. For now, however, we get to be happy that the Crown has no foreign debt." Varys piped in.

"And in return, we are begging a small house from the North to give us gold. Is that really any better?"

"What are they going to do? Refuse? For all his money and influence, the Mormont boy still needs our ports to transit when coming back from Essos. We're his biggest trade partner. I doubt he'd want this fruitful partnership to end. It'd hurt us, but it'll certainly gut him." Renly retorted, leaning on his elbow, as he poured himself a small cup of brandy. For all his disdain for the North, he had grown to enjoy that new spirit of theirs.

"Peace, my lords.", the Hand of the King said, knocking on the table with his knuckles. "Lord Stannis is right. We already owe House Mormont more than five million gold dragons, making them the major debtor of the Crown. This time, however, we can use this coin to better the realm and not waste it on frivolous expenditures.

However, Lord Renly is right. Whilst we have incurred a mighty debt to the Mormont, they aren't powerful like the Tyrells or Lannisters. This partnership is mutually beneficial to both parties. Lady Maege and her son need us as much as we need them.'

"You might want to reconsider that line of reasoning, my lord." said the Master of Whispers.

"What do know that we do not, Spider?" asked Stannis, as looked at the man with suspicion.

"Why, my lord, I am humbled that you entertain such high thoughts of me.", he said covering his smile with a carefully manicured hand.

"Out with it, you! Stannis said, incensed. The sound of grinding teeth was music to the eunuch's ears.

The Master of Whispers tittered, an odd sound coming from him before he continued. "My little birds sing songs of monumental importance. Truly a marvel of an accomplishment, my lords."

"Though I appreciate your talent for mummery, Lord Varys, we do not have all day." Jon Arryn smiled with a nigh toothless smile.

"I'm certain you remember that Lord Beor Mormont, a little bit over a year ago dispatched a small fleet to attempt crossing the Sunset Sea..."

" A most arrogant action, if one has ever been done." Pycelle chimed in, cutting off the eunuch. "Better sailors and richer lords have attempted the feat. It speaks to the young lord's blind arrogance that he even thought of trying such a thing. A sign of unbridled youth, perhaps."

The other members of the small council couldn't help but agree with the sentiment.

"Then I'm certain you'd be glad to know that the young. lord's arrogance has paid off apparently".

Jon Arryn felt dread slowly build in the pit of his stomach, as the eunuch went on telling his tale.

"What do you mean?" The Grand Maester asked, all the while stuttering uncontrollably.

"It appears that said small fleet after a whole year of travel finally made it back to First Light a little over a week and a half ago."

"This can't be true, I find it very hard to believe", the old man stuttered at the revelation.

Varys seemed to be enjoying the chaos caused by the announcement. Lord Stannis was frowning, Lord Renly was coughing uncontrollably, having swallowed wrong due to his surprise.

The Hand of the King sat stoically as ever, though the small layer of perspiration upon his brow betrayed his nervousness.

"That is all very good for the Mormonts, but what does..." Stannis began, before stopping, thinking his words through.

"The only reason you would bring this up as an issue is if he reached the Western Shore of Essos." The Hand of the king said., looking at the Spider, who was the perfect image of calm in the middle of the storm.

"Or perhaps founding a way to the Jade Sea, maybe?" he said, almost teasingly, reveling in the despair that had etched itself on the man's face.

"Magnificent," the old maester said. "We had suspicions that the Jade Sea wasn't a close sea, but to have proof. This is great news."

"It still took him a year for a trip back and forth, didn't he? That is not short enough to make the travel more profitable than the normal transit." Renly managed to get out, finally having gotten his cough under control.

"You seem to misunderstand, my lord. It didn't take the Mormont ships a year to sail to and from the Jade Sea." The eunuch began.

The Hand of the King could hear his heart beating in his skull. 'No', he thought sullenly. 'Are the gods yearning for our doom?'

"It took him a year to circumnavigate the world." The Spider, sending the old man in a spiral of desperation.

"What does circumnavigate mean again?" Renly asked, slightly confused.

"It means, brother, that the Mormont not only reached Essos through the Sunset Sea, but they also traveled through the Jade Sea, into the Summer Sea, around the Arm of Dorne, up the Western Coast, and finally to Bear Island, all in one year," Stannis answered, almost condescendingly.

"How long did it take to cross the Sunset Sea?" Grand Maester Pycelle asked, "Do you know?"

"My sources aren't clear, I'm afraid. It could be anywhere between two and five months."

Jon Arryn rested his balding head in his hands. The boy had just grabbed the key to Asshai, Yi Ti, and the other cities of the Jade Sea, and he didn't even have to stop on the East Coast. He was no longer someone who could be bullied around. Not when his ships were the only ones to reliably make the trip.

Sighing, he turned to the Grand Maester. "Send a raven to Lord Mormont, this is a momentous event in the history of the Realm. Surely the King would like to be regaled personally with the stories of his men and their exploits."

"At once, my Lord Hand."

The elder Arryn fell back in his seat. He was getting too old for this. He could feel a conflict brewing at the horizon. From the Targaryens in Essos, and the suspicions he was having about the king's progeny. And now the balance of power was shifting again, and rapidly. He was most likely witnessing the birth of a new Great House in the Seven Kingdoms, and he wished with all his might that he weren't there to see it.

"I'm getting too old for this shit.", he muttered to himself, as he looked out the glass stained window.

There ya go. Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals.

Sorry for not giving you much about what the expedition saw. I wanted to keep it slightly foggy, like the journals of old explorers, but also I didn't enjoy writing this part, for some reason.

Anyway, we start seeing the big players move in against Beor due to his spectacular rise in power.

I hope you enjoy reading this. Take care, laddies...