Game of Thrones: I Created the Magic Web

Chapter 108 Sparrow

The Kingsroad south of the Neck has a Wendwater River, which flows from south to north into Blackwater Bay.

Near the estuary on the east bank of the Wendwater River lies an unremarkable village called Strand, where over three hundred villagers live by fishing and farming, paying taxes on time to the knights sent by the Mallister family, and their days are stable and peaceful.

Fourteen-year-old Quell, however, is not content to stay in the village his whole life.

Sitting on a wrinkled and scarred rock at the top of the cliff, facing the white, churning waves below, Quell puffed out his chest and boasted.

"One day, I will wear bright, shiny armor, ride a fine horse that has never plowed a field or carried wheat, and wield a steel sword forged in a castle, and become a top-notch knight!"

He turned his head, his eyes fixed on the girl beside him.

"I won't be like Ser Jon, just riding around collecting rents and extorting coppers from us poor folk. When the war comes, I will go to the battlefield and fight with real swords and spears, and be a true knight!"

Quell's face flushed slightly, but his dark skin concealed the change, "To my mind, only a true knight deserves a girl like you, Jeyne. What a beautiful name, just like the Jeyne in the stories, the one from Stonehedge."

The sea breeze was strong, and Jeyne kept combing her long brown hair with her fingers, only smiling.

Quell stared dreamily at the girl in his heart.

In the entire village, Jeyne was the most sought-after girl. Boys in their teens and twenties, even married men, took extra care of her.

Her every smile, every movement was so charming, bringing the most beautiful colors to the drab village, giving the boys the most beautiful dreams, waking up full of energy every day.

Quell was most proud of being able to ask Jeyne out alone, which was unique.

Although Jeyne hadn't agreed to his courtship, just sitting here watching the girl of his dreams, occasionally having her fluttering brown hair brush against his cheek or nose, was enough to make him happy for a whole week.

Quell was very confident.

Jeyne's father had said that only a knight deserved his beloved daughter, and whoever became a knight first would marry Jeyne.

The other boys in the village were cowards, usually going out to sea to fish or working in the fields with the adults, only knowing how to cast nets and drive plow horses, and they wouldn't dare to fight with swords. Knights? They wouldn't even dare to think about it!

Although Quell himself was almost the same, he already had a plan.

Now was a good opportunity. Lord Renly of the Stormlands had betrayed the King in King's Landing and was gathering men to seize the Iron Throne. The King would definitely need many, many men.

Quell had decided that in a few days he would go north to King's Landing to serve the King.

The King was the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms and would surely win against Lord Renly in the south. When the time came to fight a few good battles, and he himself would cut off a few heads, becoming a knight would be simple.

Weren't so many stories like this?

The Battle of the Ruby Ford, the Battle of Summerhall, the Dance of the Dragons, the Ragefire, how many people became famous in them, how many legends have been passed down since then.

Anyway, no one cared about him, and his uncle, who took the best care of him, had gone to sea with a large ship a few days ago, and probably wouldn't be back for a long time. He only needed to bring some dry food, and he could leave at any time.

Quell had told everyone about his decision, hoping to gain a few companions and let people see how brave he was.

Unfortunately, neither of these goals was achieved.

The adults had no interest at all, even laughing and looking contemptuous, and a few of his friends were moved, but they were dragged back by their parents with beatings and scoldings.

Quell was very puzzled. Everyone's reaction to the war seemed different from the stories.

Especially the older people.

Upon hearing that Lord Renly had rebelled, the old men in the village were terrified, looking out of the village all day long, asking every passerby and merchant for news, as if they were afraid of being attacked by the army.

How could the army possibly look at a small place like Strand?

Quell was very sure. Strand was so inconspicuous, only interacting with a few neighboring villages and towns, the passing merchants were full of sorrow, often complaining that they had come to the wrong place, unable to collect any special products, and unable to sell their goods.

Although Quell himself had never been to many distant places, he was already tired of everything in Strand.

It was too quiet here, like a fish tank, the surface of the water without any ripples, and when you got close to it, it was fishy and smelly, the fish underneath lying half-dead at the bottom of the water, without any thoughts, just waiting to be taken out and killed.

Besides, he couldn't even become such a fish.

Quell didn't understand many things, but he knew that an orphan without the support of adults couldn't live in peace in the village.

Quell didn't have farmland, didn't have a fishing boat, and didn't have a proper job.

The villagers were all working hard to fill their stomachs, who would hire someone to work? Only big places had a place for people like him.

But he hadn't had the opportunity before, and could only hang around in the village.

Without coppers, he could only wander around the beach all day, picking up some odd shells, crabs, and small fish, and then go to various families in the village to mooch a fire to cook his ingredients.

If he really had no food to eat, he would stay at his uncle's house for a few days, enduring the difficulties of that woman who never had a good face, which was also unavoidable.

These days were too difficult to endure. Fortunately, there was Jeyne in the cold village.

Quell quietly moved his buttocks, so that he was closer to the girl he loved, a little closer.

Jeyne didn't dislike him as an orphan, her smile was his greatest comfort these years, allowing him to persist in living until now.

Even if only for her, Quell must become a knight.

Jeyne finally spoke, "The wind is getting stronger, I should go back, my mother still has something for me to help with."

Quell quickly stood up, "I'll take you."

Quell lived in an abandoned hut on the edge of the cliff, but he always insisted on sending Jeyne home, one of the dozens of houses in the village below, lively, with a barn, a fish tank, and no drafts.

Seeing the combination of Quell and Jeyne, the people along the way smiled and giggled annoyingly, even shouting something like "True Knight", "Pure Jeyne".

Quell never paid attention to these.

When they arrived at the house in front of Jeyne's house, a tall, thin figure slowly walked out of the door. He turned to look at Quell, his eyes very cold and firm, as if he was not looking at a person, but at something else.

Quell knew him. This gray-haired old man wearing an old wool robe was a wandering septon and had been in the village for several days.

Many children had restarted their formal names with this old man, and some had come to confess their sins and ask for forgiveness.

Septons also officiated weddings. Quell had thought about his wonderful wedding scene with Jeyne, but at that time, this septon would probably have already left.

Quell was very strange. The old septon gave people so many names, but only allowed people to call him "Sparrow".

Sparrow, what a simple and ordinary word.

Buzz ~

Suddenly, a chaotic sound arose at the entrance of the village.

Quell raised his head.

Sparrow prayed piously: "Mother, have mercy, bless this village, at least bless this one."

Quell looked at Sparrow in confusion, wondering why he was like this.

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