AN: At the end, Marwyn might be right on the money, or he might be seeing conspiracies where there are none.
Disclaimer: I don't own A Song of Ice and Fire, the Game of Throne or the Star Wars books, TV series or games. They belong to their creators, publishers and/or copyright owners. This story is not for sale or rent.
Chapter 7 Part 5
=Sith=
291 AC
Temple of the Great Shepherd
Lhazar
News of Astapor's fall spread through Slaver's Bay and beyond like wildfire thrown in a dry forest. It took a bit longer for brave traders and the odd Khalasar prowling between Meereen and the Lhazar to carry rumors and more to the lush steppes. Marwyn was teaching godswives anatomy and Westerosi healing methods in the Temple of the Great Shepherd while, in turn, learning all they had to offer.
A few priestesses had traveled far and wide, even visiting Asshai. Mirri Maz Duur was one such woman who recently returned from her own long journey to gain knowledge.
Marwyn eagerly taught her all he knew in exchange for tips on magic, shadowbinding, and everything else she was willing to share. Lately, Miri has been teaching everyone willing to listen about herb lore as practiced by the Dothraki. Meanwhile, he was helping the woman improve her Common Tongue.
The Maester greatly appreciated the time spent among the Lhazareen people – it was peaceful here as long as the Dothraki didn't raid them, and even the infamous horse lords dared not sack the Temple of the Great Shepherd, for their Khals sometimes needed accomplished healers.
In fact, Khal Chago's Khalasar, fresh from Meereen, brought stunning news instead of mere rumors about some sorcerer taking Astapor. Chago was an unusual Dothraki warrior, wiser than most, and proof that you couldn't fit whole people in a simple mold. In that regard, he was similar to Rodrick the Reader, Lord of Harlaw, who was anything but a normal Ironborn reaver.
Chago cared about his people more than was typical for the Dothraki, earning him the undying loyalty of thousands of warriors. At the same time, his temperate nature meant that he avoided taking risks and opportunities for glory that almost every other Khal would have seized without considering the price. Consequently, Chago had a small, tight-knit Khalasar and was often a target for Khals, with many more warriors following them.
The Khal was rather infamous, from what Marwyn learned, and honestly, he might have thrived if he had been born in another culture. Instead, he was a target and still lives only thanks to his great cunning and the Stranger's luck.
A few months ago, Chago's Khalasar apparently barely survived a skirmish with a much larger Dothraki horde led by the aging Khal Bharbo. That saw them diminished to a few thousand warriors, now responsible for nearly three times their numbers in wives, children, and slaves. Deserters seeking glory further diminished Chago's Khalasar, leaving only his utterly loyal warriors behind.
This Dothraki horde might have been on its last legs and destined for destruction, yet Marwyn wouldn't know it by walking among them. After they had camped around the Temple and requested medical aid in exchange for gold and goods, the Maester was among the first to accept the offer for curiosity's sake, if no other reason. That was how Marwyn learned Chago's unusual story.
Everyone who still followed their Khal was proud of it. Bloodriders, warriors, women, and children were all utterly convinced that Chago would find a way out of their predicament so they wouldn't end up as a part of the Khalasar of a less caring Khal.
Marwyn kept his thoughts to himself and instead asked all the questions he could think of. This was a priceless opportunity to learn about Dothraki culture, especially an exception to the stereotype!
"You've heard news of Astapor?" Marwyn asked a Bloodrider with an infected wound across his chest. Herbs gathered by Dothraki women and medicine bought at Meereen had kept the slash from festering too bad and killing the man. Nevertheless, the wound was red and weeping pus, weakening him and would eventually kill him if left as it was.
The Maester used all the knowledge he gained in Essos and the Citade to clean, threat, and bind the slash, giving the warrior a fighting chance. He even sang a spell taught by the people in Asshai that Miri taught him. Her primary focus had been birthing songs to aid midwives in their work. However, she also learned a healing chant or two and taught the Maester how to properly sing. Using one of those on the Bloodrider couldn't possibly hurt.
"Sorcerer took that city!" The Dorthaki blurted out. The man was a bit feverish and not entirely coherent, making it a minor miracle he managed to ride all the way to Meereen after being wounded and then to the Temple without falling off his horse. "They speak of a red and black Dragon!"
That certainly got Marwyn's attention. He was eager to learn more and kept asking his other patients pointed questions.
"A Targaryen they call him!"
"A Westerosi like you took the Unsullied and Astapor!"
"He murdered all the Good Masters with foul sorcery!"
Marwyn heard more rumors and fearmongering than possible truth until he got to speak with a hale Bloodrider, who had been paying attention in Meereen.
"I've heard it all," the Dothraki spoke in broken but comprehensive Bastard Valyrian. "A Targaryen Prince, Viserys took Astapor in a single night. I've been there and seen the walls. A proper Khalasar can storm it easily, but that doesn't matter. The boy proved himself by taking the Unsullied from the Good Masters and conquering the city that way," the Bloodwarrior scrunched his nose in distaste. "He proved himself queer by liberating all slaves," a head covered with braids and bells shook, making them jingle." The Meereene don't like it at all. They were trading extensively with Astapor, buying all kinds of slaves instead of taking them for themselves," he scoffed.
Marwyn nodded sagely and sipped a fermented mare's milk. While the taste was terrible, it wasn't like he could refuse if he wanted to loosen people's lips and learn more.
=Sith=
Khal Chago and his Khalasar left two weeks later. By then, Marwyn had ample opportunity to put his new knowledge to good use. He determined he had learned all he could from the Lhazareen. It was time for the Maester to plan the next part of his journey. Marwyn already intended to visit Slaver's Bay and take a ship to Qarth from there before finally returning to Westeros. By the time he visited the Jade Gates and got back, the Maester would have spent about eight years away from the Citadel, broadening his knowledge.
Now, he had to go to Astapor and visit its Sorcerer ruler, especially if everyone was talking about Viserys Targaryen. Marwyn knew that there was power in King's blood. There was fire in the dragonlord's veins, even if they lost their dragons centuries ago. His time in Essos made that crystal clear. Only magic fading from the world made it difficult for various sorcerers and warlocks to track down the last Targaryens and use them in foul rituals.
If Viserys had awakened magic in his blood and could wield it, Marwyn had to find the boy before anyone else could get to him. The last Targaryens needed to know what dangers lurked all over Essos and, perhaps more importantly, the kind of snake pit ready to destroy them in Westeros.
Marwyn knew it wasn't as simple as the Citadel being against the Targaryens and magic in general. However, many of his fellow Knights of the Mind had no use for unreliable things like magic and sorcery. Such people believed the world was better without magic, so they could all live in an age of reason. While others were keen on unearthing ancient mysteries or didn't care either way, some wanted magic gone. They feared and loathed those with magic in their blood, like the Targaryens and the Starks.
