Ice and Fire: Reign of the Dragon.

Chapter 441 Some roads must be walked alone

The night was as dark as ink. The moonlight shone through the broken stained glass windows, casting mottled shadows on the dusty floor. The four teenagers were huddled in a corner, with only a dying tallow candle providing a faint light. Duncan's tall body almost completely blocked the crack in the door, ensuring that no one would suddenly break in.

Aegon sat on an overturned bookcase, his hands clenched into fists, his knuckles white, his eyes terribly red, as if burned by fire, but he stubbornly refused to let tears fall.

"I'm going to King's Landing." His voice was soft, but with an unquestionable determination.

Hoffa sighed, his icy blue eyes flickering with worry under the candlelight. He sat cross-legged on the ground: "I knew I couldn't hide it from you." He whispered, "But it's too dangerous. Your father left you in Dragon's Nest to protect you."

"But he is dying now!" Aegon's voice suddenly rose, then immediately lowered, as if he was afraid of alerting the guards outside.

Hagen leaned against the bookshelf, his violet eyes full of struggle. "Lord Igor would not agree." He whispered, "And the herbal medicine convoy is strictly checked. How did you sneak in?"

"Duncan can help me." Aegon turned to the tall boy beside him with pleading eyes.

Duncan scratched his head, a rare seriousness appeared on his honest face. "I can pretend to be a guard." He whispered, "Egg. No, you can pretend to be an apprentice and say you are going to King's Landing to deliver medicine."

Hoffa frowned: "But your hair"

"Dye it," Aegon said without hesitation.

Hoffa opened his mouth as if to object, but ultimately just shook his head.

At this moment, a gust of cold wind suddenly seeped in from the gaps between the bookshelves, and the candlelight shook violently and almost went out. The four young men turned around suddenly and saw a hunched figure standing in the shadows, as if he had walked out of an ancient mural.

No, it was from that mural. That mural was a secret door that led to an unknown place.

Rey Vareses walked out of the shadows tremblingly on crutches, his turbid purple eyes glowing faintly in the darkness. His appearance made the air seem to freeze.

The four teenagers were so frightened that they almost jumped up, and Duncan almost knocked over the bookshelf behind him.

"Great, great grandfather!" stammered Hagen, saluting in a flustered manner.

Rey ignored their panic, and slowly walked up to Aegon, lifted the boy's chin with his skinny fingers, and looked into his eyes carefully.

"I have spoken to Aegor." The old dragon's voice was as hoarse as wind blowing through dead leaves. "His exact words were: 'A true dragon must spread his wings.' You are a true dragon, Aegon."

Aegon's breath hitched, his heart pounding violently in his chest.

Lei Yi let go of his hand and turned to walk towards the door. The sound of his cane hitting the ground was particularly clear in the quiet old library. Before leaving, he slightly tilted his head and said the last words:

"The motorcade will leave at dawn the day after tomorrow. Don't let anyone see you."

The door closed gently, and the four teenagers stood there in a daze. The candlelight finally stabilized, illuminating their shocked faces.

Hagen was the first to break the silence: "S-So, is this allowed?"

Hoffa took a deep breath. "No," he whispered, "this is a test."

Aegon clenched his fists, and the fire in his eyes burned even more fiercely.

The Dragon Head Gate slowly opened in the morning mist, and the creaking sound of the hinges startled the ravens on the city wall. Twelve carriages loaded with medicinal herbs lined up in a long queue, and the drivers were wrapped in thick cloaks, and the white breath they exhaled condensed in the cold air.

In the corner of the last carriage, there were several huge baskets of herbs covered with burlap. In one of the baskets, Aegon was curled up, his dark brown hair was messy and stuck to his forehead. His purple eyes flickered in the dim light, and it was unknown what he was thinking.

Duncan stayed beside the carriage fully armed. He had his own warhorse "Thunder" and his own packhorse "Quick Step". Before leaving, he met Igor, who did not expose their plan but encouraged him. He promised to knight Duncan.

"Ego, are you okay?"

"Hush!" Aegon raised a finger nervously.

The master of the caravan was being inspected by the guards at the city gate. The guards poked at a few medicine baskets with their spears, and when the spear tips almost grazed the sackcloth covering Aegon's head, the boy's heart beat so fast that it seemed like it would burst out of his chest.

"Is this batch of medicinal herbs going to be sent to King's Landing?" the guard asked as a routine matter.

"Yes, it's for the Grand Maester and His Highness Damion." The caravan manager coughed twice, "I heard that Prince Meka was seriously injured. Some of the medicinal materials are only available in our Dragon Nest City."

Aegon dug his nails into his palms.

On top of the city wall.

Hoffa was in the shadow of the Laurel Tower, his silver hair ruffled by the morning breeze, and in his hands was a sealed parchment scroll with "From Daemion himself" written on it in Valyrian.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Hagen appeared behind him at some point, with worry in his eyes. "The letter will expose their whereabouts. Dad might even ride a dragon and take them back to Dragon's Nest."

Hoffa didn't look back. "Uncle Damion will understand. Aegon needs protection, but he cannot be taken back by force. A true dragon will eventually grow up."

At noon, the caravan stopped at a fork in the road to rest. Aegon took the opportunity to get out of the medicine basket and breathe in the fresh air greedily. His trousers were stained with the smell of mint leaves and chamomile, and the dye in his hair was smudged by sweat, leaving brown marks behind his ears.

"Here." Duncan took out half a piece of hard bread from somewhere, "I got it from the kitchen."

Just as Aegon was about to thank them, he suddenly heard the drivers talking:

"I heard that the prince's wound has festered and he has a high fever."

"Lord Blood Crow has gone to the other side of the Narrow Sea to find a witch doctor himself."

"That's a rumor. Didn't they say His Highness Damion was there as well?"

"what?"

The boy's face turned pale instantly. Duncan quickly put his big hand on his shoulder and said, "Don't listen to their nonsense. Your father is stronger than a wild bull. Lord Damion's medical skills can even bring the dead back to life. Prince Maekar will be fine."

But Aegon's eyes had changed. He looked towards King's Landing, his purple eyes burning with determination: "We have to move faster."

Night falls
As the caravan camped by the roadside, two dark figures crept into the woods. Duncan carried a bag wrapped in sackcloth, and Aegon held a knife he had taken from the medicine cart, though he was not sure what to do with it.

"From here, go east," Duncan unfolded the crude map he had stolen, "and walk along the stream for two days to reach a branch of the Blackwater River, where you can catch a fishing boat."

Their figures quickly disappeared into the night. On the top of the Silver Blood Tower, Rei looked at the starry sky in the north, with a thoughtful expression on his wrinkled face.

"Should we send someone after him?" Igor's voice came from the shadows, and he walked out with a wry smile. "Or are you also happy to see Aegon's growth?"

The old dragon king nodded gently: "Let him go. Some roads must be walked by oneself, and only then can the dragon grow up."

(End of this chapter)