20th Day of the Fifth Moon, 281 AC – Starfall, Dorne
The river Torrentine wound like a silver serpent through Dorne, its waters cascading into mist where it met the cliffs below. Atop those cliffs, rising pale and proud, stood Starfall, the ancient seat of House Dayne. Its towers gleamed white against the desert sun, as though carved from fallen stars themselves.
Jin Mu-Won reached its gates at dusk.
His robes were patched with rough cloth given by farmers, his staff polished by his grip, his wounds bound but not healed. He looked a wanderer, yet not like any vagabond these walls had seen. The guards at the gate eyed him warily, their spears crossing.
"State your name and business, stranger," one demanded.
Jin inclined his head. "I am Jin Mu-Won. I seek only a night's rest and a place to learn of this land. If you cannot grant it, I will sleep under the stars."
The guards exchanged looks. His speech was strange, his bearing stranger still — calm, composed, as though no fear could touch him. Before they could decide, a clear voice rang from above.
"Let him through."
---
Ashara
She came down the steps with a grace that turned heads — tall, lithe, her hair a cascade of dark silk, her eyes a striking violet. Ashara Dayne, lady of Starfall, was known across the realm for her beauty, but to Jin, it was not beauty alone that marked her. It was the fire beneath, the keen intelligence that measured him even as she smiled.
The guards bowed as she approached. She stopped before Jin, tilting her head.
"You are no Dornishman," she said, her tone curious. "Nor crownlander, nor stormlander. And you walk like a knight, yet carry no sword. Tell me, Jin Mu-Won — what are you?"
Jin's lips curved faintly. "A man far from home. A swordsman without a sword. Perhaps, for now… simply a guest."
Ashara studied him a moment longer, then nodded. "So be it. Starfall has room enough for wanderers — and secrets. Come."
---
Supper at Starfall
That night, Jin was seated in the great hall. The fare was simple — roasted lamb, olives, flatbread — but more than he had tasted in weeks. Ashara sat opposite him, her chin resting lightly upon her hand as she studied him between sips of wine.
"You eat with the discipline of a monk," she remarked. "Measured bites, no excess. Yet your shoulders… you've carried weight. Heavy battles."
Jin swallowed, setting down his cup. "I have fought more than I wished. Enough that I learned to eat as though every meal may be the last."
Ashara's gaze softened, though her voice retained its edge. "And yet you live. You must have some gift, then. Or perhaps the gods favor you."
Jin chuckled softly. "If they do, it is a cruel favor. I am alive — but all I once knew is gone."
Her eyes flickered, a rare shadow crossing them. "Then we share more than you think."
---
The First Lesson
The next day, Jin walked the grounds. Starfall's men trained in the yard, spears clashing, swords striking wood. Their forms were strong, but to Jin's eyes, every flaw was clear. Too rigid, too hurried, breath wasted.
When a young squire slipped, dropping his spear, the other men jeered. The boy flushed, ready to flee — but Jin stepped forward.
"Your grip is wrong," he said gently, lifting the spear and offering it back. "Hold not with fear, but with breath. Here. Like this."
The boy hesitated, then obeyed. Jin guided his stance, lowering his shoulders, aligning his breath. "Now thrust. Slowly."
The spear moved — straight, steady, precise. The boy's eyes widened.
The yard quieted, watching. Ashara appeared on the steps, her lips curved in a knowing smile.
"You've found my brother's yard, stranger," she called. "Already teaching as though it were yours."
Jin bowed slightly. "A sword is not merely steel. Even a spear becomes a shield when wielded with breath. If they learn this, they may live longer when war comes."
Ashara's eyes narrowed. "You speak as though war is certain."
Jin's voice deepened, solemn. "It is. I can smell it in the air. Your world is on the brink."
Her smile faded. "Then perhaps you were sent here for a reason."
---
Whisper of Harrenhal
That evening, Ashara sat with Jin on the battlements, the Torrentine roaring below. The desert wind tugged at her hair, carrying scents of sand and sea.
"There is talk of a great tourney," she said quietly. "At Harrenhal, far north of here. Lords from all Seven Kingdoms will gather. Even the crown prince himself."
Jin's eyes lifted to the stars, strange and unfamiliar. "Such gatherings are rarely innocent. Power draws power — and conflict follows."
Ashara smirked faintly. "You sound more a maester than a swordsman."
He turned to her, his gaze calm but piercing. "In my land, I learned this: when the great gather, the small suffer. If war comes of this tourney, it is not the lords who will bleed first. It is the farmers. The children. The mothers. That is why I cannot turn away."
Ashara's breath caught, her violet eyes searching his. For once, she had no clever retort.
---
The Spark of Qi
Later that night, Jin sat alone in the courtyard. He closed his eyes, drawing upon his dantian. The ember within flared faintly, a spark of qi coursing through bruised meridians. His wounds burned, but slowly, steadily, he guided the flow, mending torn muscle, knitting pain into strength.
The air stirred around him, though no wind blew. The torches flickered as if bowing.
Ashara, watching unseen from the balcony, felt her breath hitch. For the first time in her life, she could not name what she saw — only that it was power, restrained yet vast, as though the night itself bent around him.
She whispered softly, "Who are you, Jin Mu-Won?"
---
Closing
When dawn broke, Jin stood upon the terrace, staff in hand. His body still ached, but the ember within burned brighter.
Ashara joined him, her smile faint but warmer than before. "You are no knight, no maester, no wizard. Yet you may be all of them at once. And soon, you will see Harrenhal. Perhaps then, you will understand this realm."
Jin's eyes fixed on the horizon. "And perhaps this realm will understand me. For better… or worse."
The Torrentine roared on, carrying both their words into the endless sea.