Excerpt from GEORGE MARTIN's new book, FLAME AND BLOOD: THE BLOOD OF DRAGONS
Hello Dear Steemians, with the permission of AST, we present a small excerpt in which the Archimeister Hildein recounts the fascinating story of the failed voyage of Alice Westhill, Eustace and Norman Hightauer Brothers to the West in search of unexplored lands and Unexplored wonders.
On the seventh day of the Year 59, a boat with torn sails and husked planks entered the port of Staromes. The flag on the mast burned so much that it became unrecognizable. It was not immediately that the "Lady Meredith", who left almost three years ago in the sea of Sunset, was recognized in the sailboat.
Sailors, merchants, movers, whores, thieves watched the crew descending from the ship. Nine out of ten are black than your little heads! Has "Lady Meredith" really crossed the Sunset Sea, where dark-skinned people live in the fabulous West-west as in the Summer islands?
But now Sir Eustace Hightower, the grandson of Lord Donnel, went down to the beach. He was emaciated, fried in the sun, the early wrinkles covered his face. With him were some elders, the remnants of the former team. One of the customs officers, after talking with him, he learned that the sailors of "Meredith " Not only resembled Letnets, but that it was Letts who were hired for madness, as Eustace, money instead of those who died on the road. Sir Eustace also said that his control is full of goods, but they are not taken in the countries of the Sunset Sea. "This is just a dream," sighed the captain.
Soon came the Knights of Lord Donnel to escort him to the high tower. There, sitting at Grandpa's palace with a glass of wine, being Eustace told his story. The scribes of Lord Donnel wrote after him, and in a matter of days, messengers, bards, and ravens scattered him for all seven kingdoms.
The journey began in such a way that it is better and not willing. Behind Bor, Lady Westhill sent Flying to the Sun south across the southwest, in the aspirations of warm waters and cold winds, and Autumn Moon and Lady Meredith followed her. The galleon Braavos was going very fast, and the hightowers had a hard time keeping up with him. "Seven smiled at the beginning. During the day the sun was shining, the moon was at night and a light wind led us forward. At sea, sometimes we saw fishermen, and once we noticed a large dark vessel, it was not the Ibbaen whaler. The fish was caught in abundance, the dolphins swam and they looked at us as if they had never seen the boat. We all think the gods blessed our way. "
Twelve days later, according to his calculations, the captains sailed southwards to the summer islands and farther west than all the navigators (if other boats went there, they did not return). In the "Luna " and "Meredith ", in honor of such an event, golden gold barrels were opened, in the "flying" they drank Lannisport's hot honey. If anyone noticed that they had not seen birds for four days, they did not remember that.
The SEPTA and the seven-pointed star tell us that the gods don't like human pride. Perhaps the captains celebrated their fate too noisy and too early; Anyway, since then, luck has changed them. "First came the calm," said Mr. Eustace. "There hasn't been a breeze for two weeks: the boats had to be dragged on boats. In the "Moon " in a dozen barrels of canned meat there were worms: at first glance, a little, but a bad sign. Finally, the wind came back and the sky at dusk turned red like blood. People were worried when they looked at him, and I lied to them, saying it was for the best. At night the stars disappeared, the wind howleded and the ocean shook. "
The first storm was followed by a second and a third. "The waves rose on the masts, heard thunder everywhere, the lightning of an unprecedented force dazzled eyes. One of them departed to the deck the mast of the moon . My assistant yelled about people overboard, not a single captain could hear the worst. We've lost sight of the "flight", and each well was washing new people at sea. I saw with my own eyes how the moon was sinking: it was right here that it was broken and burning, then a wave rolled and vanished. Yes, the ship was sunk by a monstrous wave, but my sailors shouted: "Kraken, Kraken! ". And I couldn't convince them.
I don't know how we survived tonight. In the morning, the sea calmed down, the sun shone in the clear sky: Who would have thought that beneath this blue surface lay the remains of my brother and many of his people? In "Lady Meredith " Broke the candle, broke the mast. Nine of our reclaimed at sea. Having prayed for them, we began to mend the ship, and soon the Sentinel saw candles in the distance: Flying after the Sun returned to US "
Lady Westhill not only survived the storm: she found the earth. The wind and the stormy sea kidnapped her westward, and at dawn the sailor saw birds circling in a misty mountain at dawn in a crow's nest. On that side were three uninhabited islets, "a mountain and two mounds." "Lady Meredith " Could not navigate alone, but three "Flying" boats dragged her ashore.
Both boats remained there for two weeks, repairing and filling the supplies. Lady Alice triumphed: Here it is, the western land, which is not on any map! Islands He called Eygona, Reyenis and Vysenyei. There sprouted Springs, the Brooks fled and the sailors filled all the empty barrels with fresh water. There were wild pigs and grey lizards with animals the size of a deer. Nuts and fruits were seen in the trees.
After testing them, Eustace decided that there was no need to go any further. "We have already made our discovery. I have never tasted those spices, but these pink fruits... here we can enrich ".
Alys Westhill's ears didn't believe it. What is this discovery? Three small islands, the largest of which is three times smaller than the Dragon Stone! The true miracles await them in the West; Perhaps beyond the horizon lies the second Essos.
"or the empty ocean stretches for a thousand leagues," said Mr. Eustace. Neither persuasion nor supplication could touch him. "Even if he agreed, the team wouldn't allow it ," he told Lord Donnel at Staromes. "One and all said to have seen the giant Kraken dragging the autumn moon to the depths ". If I ordered to sail further west, I would have been drowned and elected to be the captains of the other. "
and the boats departed. "Lady Meredith " She turned to her house, to the east, Lady Alice flew after the Sun to the west. The way back was no less difficult. Their storms shook, though not as terrible as the one that sank the moon. Unpleasant winds obliged to tack incessantly. One of the three grey lizards, taken aboard, bit the helmsman and the green leg had to be removed. Then they met a herd of leviathans. A huge white man, more than "Meredith ", hit her with such force that he hit the board. Then Sir Eustace changed course and took the boat to the summer islands: he believed it was the nearest land to them. But they strayed too far to the south and instead of the islands they reached the shores of the Bulls.
"We stayed there for a year, trying to make Meredith fit to swim, but the damage turned out to be more than we thought. You can take advantage there and there: gold, emeralds, spices, creating each other more wonderful. Monkeys who walk like people, and people who scream like monkeys; Wyverns, Basilisks, a hundred breeds of serpents, and all are poisonous. Some of my people disappeared completely at night, others began to die. With the sailor, bitten by a fly, three days later, the skin began to crawl and the blood began flowing through the ears, the penis and the back. Every sailor knows that people are crazy about salt water, but it's not much better to freshen up. There are worms that are almost invisible to the eyes: you will swallow them and put eggs in you. Also, the fever is not a day, less than half of the people are suitable for work. We'd all be there if it wasn't a summer boat. The people of the summer seem to know this hell better than they say.
Thus ended the adventures of Eustace Hightower, but what can we say about the adventures of Elissa from the House of Farmen, who called herself Alice Westhill? No one else has gone west of the flight, except...
Many years later, Corlis Velarion, born in the year 53 in the Driftmark, made nine great excursions in his Sea Snake and it was there where no other Westrosan had been with him. On his first voyage, he went through Jasper Gates to Yee Ti and the Isle of Leng and returned with such a valuable load of silk, spices and gemstones that the Velarions temporarily became the richest home of the Seven Kingdoms. In the second, being Corlis went even further east and came to the first of the Westerners, Asshay in the Land of Shadows, the black and gloomy city of sorcerers who conjured the shadows. Having lost his love and half the crew there, he saw an old wreck in the harbor, and then swore he could only be ' fly after the Sun '.
