Chapter 147

All the officers stared at each other.

Mei was also somewhat surprised; she never imagined she would learn such news in a tiny viscounty in Streamland, and moreover, the source was a lowly steward.

"I have just made you Viscount of Hay Hall, Lord Meis; you may stay by my side, and I will give you some time to summon the soldiers of Hay Hall, shall I?"

"Your Highness, if you allow me to raise soldiers under your banner, I believe I can bring you at least a hundred men; at most, it would take three days."

"You may raise cavalry under the icefield wolf banner, but I have no three days to give you—at most one day; I even fear that tonight the cavalry of Longstream City will besiege Hay Hall. Of course, if you wish to raise soldiers for me, your information must satisfy me."

"Your Highness, this is surely the information you need: Lord Eddard's remains have been interred in sixteen places by Lady Dustin across the viscounties of Streamland." Viscount Meis said cautiously, watching Mei as he spoke.

Interred or dismembered? She felt a sudden, inexplicable anger.

Her enemies have abandoned all restraint.

Mei knew the officers were all watching her; she suppressed her anger and kept herself calm.

She could remain calm, but the officers of nearby Winterfell already had flushed faces, hands on their swords; perhaps only a nod from Mei would be needed for the whole castle to run red with blood.

"Her? Lady Dustin, why would she do this?"

"Your Highness, I am not clear on Lady Dustin's motive for this heinous act. Some say it is because Lord Eddard left her husband's remains in the south, thus she hates Lord Eddard—her husband had gone to rescue Lord Eddard's sister Lady Lyanna, and after the victory accompanied Lord Eddard further south, but what seemed an easy journey claimed the lives of those close to Lord Eddard, Lord Dustin among them; rumor has it Lady Dustin loved Lord Dustin deeply." He nervously swallowed, "Lord Eddard brought you and your brother back to the North, yet left the remains of those who traveled with him in the south; I think Lady Dustin has reason to hate."

"Reason to hate?" Mei let out a cold laugh.

"Your Highness, there are certainly other reasons, but I think it unnecessary to speak of them." He lowered his head.

"Tell me all the other reasons, then; I am intensely curious about this woman's past." What sort of person would bury Lord Eddard's remains in sixteen places, and moreover dismember them in Streamland rather than in the Barren Grave Hamlet she controls?

This is clearly meant to keep a secret.

"Your Highness, this has little to do with Lady Dustin. Normally, Lord Eddard could certainly bring the count's remains back to the North, but it seems Lord Eddard went for his beloved, rumor says Miss Ashara Dayne, to Starfall City; of course, other Northerners say he went to Starfall City to return the Dayne family sword Dawn, but that is merely a sword, and to Lady Dustin the reason seems too forced."

"Thus, in Lady Dustin's eyes, Lord Eddard chose to go to Dorne for his trifling affection, met his lover, yet refused to expend a little effort to bring back Count Dustin's remains, and this angered her?"

Mei had no interest in these matters; if they concerned her origins, she could simply ask Lord Leyde for answers, and besides, Harwin had already done this for her, so she felt she would not be satisfied with Viscount Meis's news.

"For Lady Dustin, trifling matters also include bringing back her two bastards." Viscount Meis lowered his gaze, "Lady Dustin has been widowed for many years, yet she has no children of her own."

"This news, hum, at least Lady Dustin bears ill will toward Winterfell; I have heard it many times in Winterfell." Luofu Geluofu said to Viscount Meis, "Even the Young Wolf knows this."

The Young Wolf merely never forcefully asserted his lordly rights.

"Your Highness, what I want to say is not Lady Dustin's motive for this act, but her purpose."

"What tricks are you playing? Isn't the reason for an act the same as its purpose?" Luofu roared, "Since she dares to treat Lord Eddard's remains thus, we must kill her!"

"Lord Luofu, it's not that simple; I also learned a bit by accident. Lady Dustin's doing this is indeed born of spite, but in fact she is using Lord Eddard's flesh and blood to practice sorcery."

As soon as the words 'sorcery' left his mouth, Mei sprang up from her seat, sword in hand, and walked toward Viscount Meis.

"What sorcery?"

This is a world with magic; even if its effects are often unsubtle, she cannot afford to ignore it.

"Your Highness, I have heard it is to place a curse on Lord Eddard's descendants. At that time the Young Wolf was still fighting in the south……and then……"

"I know what happened afterward!" Mei interrupted him, "How could a mere viscount's steward know such a thing?"

"Your Highness, Viscount Heiland is Lady Dustin's uncle; he knows a bit more than the average viscount, and my information naturally comes from him." He nervously stepped back half a pace, "Once, while entertaining guests, he let slip that Lord Eddard's remains had been dealt with, so the Young Wolf would be in trouble. At the time I was attending inside, I heard it and felt puzzled, not knowing the connection between the two, nor did I know what sort of curse it was, but I had already been paying attention to these matters."

"Continue." Mei knew there was more to come.

"Not long after, we heard in Hay Hall that the Young Wolf had been slain at the Red Wedding; though the whole North should have been shocked by this, Viscount Heiland's expression grew grave upon hearing it, and upon returning to the castle he broke into a cold sweat. I cautiously asked him what had happened; he merely remarked oddly that the curse had taken effect, but did not say what curse, and I did not dare press him. Later one day, Roger, heir of Laise'er, came to the castle to confirm Lord Eddard's remains—I am the castle's steward, so I could not miss their communication—and then I learned that Lord Eddard's body had been divided into several parts left throughout Streamland."

What sort of sorcery requires dividing a corpse among multiple places?

"Where is the portion of Lord Eddard that lies in Hay Hall?" Mei asked through gritted teeth.

The cavalry left the hall in anger, traversing the castle's sloping passage through narrow lanes, passing several stone gates, and arrived at the godswood of Hay Hall. The weirwood there was sturdy and vigorous, growing from the cleft stone, its roots gripping the rocks tightly, then extending into the crevices of the neighboring rocks.

The weirwood's countenance was stern and wrathful, as if it scrutinized every who entered the godswood.

They dug up the remains behind an oak beside the godswood. Luofu Geluofu carefully lifted with both hands a long thigh bone sheathed in bronze and offered it to Mei with both hands.

At that moment the little furry dog began to howl at the sky, its sound carrying through the trees, sounding bleak and mournful.

The bronze bore several runes she could not read; had it not been buried underground and grown somewhat rusty, she might have felt a sense of mystery.

She took the bronze, still slick with mud, in both hands; the instant she did, she felt a shock-like pain, but when she opened her palm, there was nothing on her fingers.

She pried open the bronze with a dagger, revealing the white bone within.

"Viscount, this is valuable information." Mei did not know how cold her voice sounded, "I had wanted to put the torch to this castle, but it is yours now, and I have no right to do so."

"Your Highness, what are we to do now?"

"Hay Hall is a death trap, unsuitable for defense. Once the warhorses are fed, we shall at once continue south, setting out for Harvest Hamlet. If Lord Eddard is right, we still have two hundred cavalry to gather." Mei turned to Viscount Meis, "I will take from the castle all materiel that can equip the warhorses; I hope you do not mind."

Soon afterward, Mei led the cavalry onward south, while Viscount Meis, with a few knights, followed behind the column and set out as well.