The Eyrie, compared to other castles in the plains, appeared quite small. Though the castle was indeed small, with its reliance on the rugged terrain and the series of fortresses, Wright believed it to be the hardest castle to breach in all of Westeros, without exception.
This was Wright's first time in the Vale. He had Odahviing fly along the King's Road, and upon reaching the crossroads near the inn, they flew east, all the while looking down at people smaller than ants and the steep mountains along the way—quite a unique experience.
Once they reached above Eyrie, Odahviing's massive size made it impossible to find a landing spot. Wright told him to fly off and have some fun while he went to find the family genealogy, and would call for him later.
Wright casually landed on a balcony where he could overlook the entire Vale and the Giant's Lance. Upon seeing the dragon and a person descending from the sky, the servants and soldiers watching the dragon on the balcony immediately recognized who it was.
"Lord Wright!"
"Hmm, greetings. Take me to the library."
A few soldiers led Wright through the narrow corridors of the castle, with steep stairs twisting left and right until they finally reached the library.
There was no one in the library; they had probably gone to see the dragon. Wright told the soldiers to find them, and not long after, an Maester assistant rushed in.
"Master Wright, greetings!"
Wright didn't engage in pleasantries. He pointed to the Hand of the King badge on his chest and said, "I'm here on official business, it's urgent. By the King's command, I've come to retrieve the Arryn family genealogy and bring it to King's Landing."
The Maester, who managed the ravens and were very well-informed, confirmed Wright's badge, and the assistant scholar said, "The Arryn genealogy was borrowed by a knight from House Ruthermont."
Wright narrowed his eyes and walked up to the scholar, leaning down to look at him. "How coincidental, borrowed, you say?"
The assistant was very nervous. The genealogy was a book that hadn't been looked at in decades, but ever since several letters from King's Landing arrived a few days ago, everyone seemed to want it. He thought of the potential implications and realized the seriousness of the situation. "Lord Wright, please come with me. I'll take you to find it!"
They turned left and right again, arriving at a barracks where many soldiers stood outside. Upon seeing their evasive glances, Wright realized that the genealogy might have been destroyed or tampered with.
"This is it?" Wright asked. "Stay close to me."
The assistant scholar, noticing the soldiers' expressions, followed Wright closely.
"Open the door!"
When no one responded, Wright kicked the door open with a single blow. Inside, standing by a table, was a man who looked at Wright in shock.
"Assistant, find the book! You, come here!" Wright ordered the assistant scholar before motioning to the man in the room.
"Lord Wright!" The man was nervous, his voice trembling.
Wright remained expressionless. "Do you recognize me? Good. Now, tell me, where is the Arryn family genealogy hidden?"
The man didn't answer immediately, his eyes fixated on the assistant, who was searching through the room, overturning boxes and cupboards.
He was thinking that once the assistant arrived, there would be no way out. If they found the genealogy, it would be over. He couldn't let Wright return to King's Landing! His dragon wasn't here, and while Wright's mage reputation was formidable, he had no retreat left. He had only one chance left.
A twisted expression appeared on the knight's face as he drew his longsword and lunged at Wright.
"Ah~~"
Wright sighed and reached out with his left hand, gripping the knight's sword arm. The ice began to crawl from his palm up his forearm. The genealogy still hadn't been found, so Wright intended to leave him alive.
"Kill the Baratheon!" the knight shouted for help as he kicked toward Wright.
Wright pulled the knight's hand and stepped backward toward the door, just as a large group of soldiers with swords came rushing toward them.
Wright channeled magicka through his right hand, setting a cold ice trap at the door. The magic circle flickered with ice-blue light before fading, merging with the floor.
With a grip on the knight's hand, Wright pushed him into the room, closing the door and bracing it with his hands and shoes.
"Open the door! Open the door!"
"Use an axe to chop it down!"
The knight's entire arm was covered in ice crystals. He struggled and shouted, retreating. As he moved back, his right arm was pulled off at the shoulder by his own force.
"Ah~~~" His shoulder, already numb from the cold, no longer felt pain. Kneeling on the ground, he let out a fearful, wailing cry.
Bang~ clink clink, a loud explosive noise mixed with the sharp sound of impacts came from the door. The door Wright had braced was now covered in sparkling, transparent ice, and white frost was leaking into the room.
"Found it!"
The assistant scholar emerged from under the bed with a gray cloth bundle. Opening it revealed a worn-out book, which he hurriedly placed on the table and flipped open to examine. With a look of joy, he exclaimed, "Wonderful, Lord Wright! The genealogy hasn't been damaged! It hasn't been altered!"
Wright walked over and turned the page to the section introducing Jon Arryn: blue eyes, blonde hair, and an aquiline nose.
"Heh, good work, young man. Would you be interested in studying at the Citadel? I can write you a recommendation letter."
"Yes! Yes! Thank you so much, Lord Wright!"
He had helped Wright, and in return, Wright gave him a little assistance. For Wright, writing a letter was a small favor, one that he might forget soon, but for the assistant scholar, it meant a lifetime of opportunity.
Such assistant, who were not from the Citadel, were essentially hired by the local lord to do miscellaneous tasks for the resident Maester. They would never be officially recognized by the Citadel but were still bound by its rules. After joining the Citadel, he would have to start as an apprentice, and years later, craft his own necklace to become a scholar. After another decade of effort, he might become a master scholar.
Wright picked up the cloth bundle and sent an ice spear into the knight's mouth, silencing his cries.
"Finally quiet. Let's go. I'll ride my dragon back to King's Landing. It's not safe for you to stay here. Pack your things and head to King's Landing. I'll leave your recommendation letter with Grand Maester Pycelle at the Citadel."
After speaking, he turned and walked toward the exit, the frozen ice parting automatically to clear a path for him.
The assistant scholar followed, his mouth agape in shock. The entire barracks outside had been covered in frost, a vast white expanse. The soldiers were frozen solid, still in various poses—holding swords, crouching, mouths open in curses. The hall felt like an ice cellar, and the assistant scholar could see his breath turning into white mist.
"Od~~Ah~~Viing~~!"
A loud, piercing roar echoed from Eyrie, reverberating through the valley.
"It's over, it's over! Master is leaving! Hoh~~~ Hoh~~~"
On the steep mountain road carved along the cliff, Ashara Dayne bent over, both hands gripping her knees, panting heavily.
"Ashara! I can't go any further! I can't climb anymore!"
Far behind Ashara, the voices of Dennis Arryn and his knights could be heard. One by one, they collapsed on the mountain path.
The mountain road from the base to Eyrie was carved along the rock wall, full of steps that wound upward. Even though the group of knights, accustomed to long training and in peak physical condition, struggled with the steep climb, the road was too long and too steep. With their armor and weapons, their legs could hardly move after a certain point.
The winding, obstructed path made it difficult to see ahead. They heard Wright calling for his dragon, but even if they signaled, Wright wouldn't be able to see them. They missed each other by a wide margin.