The seasickness that had plagued the voyage across the Narrow Sea finally came to an end. When Lancelot emerged from the cabin again, he had actually slimmed down a whole size.
"I can't believe I'm just like the Dothraki—getting seasick the moment I step on a boat. It's downright embarrassing."
After the ship docked, Lancelot stepped onto the soil of Pentos. This land was vastly different from the continent of Westeros.
The cultures of the two sides were fundamentally distinct. The Free Cities were originally colonies, conquests, or places of exile for the Valyrian Freehold, whereas the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros were feudal domains.
Once Lancelot came ashore, he was quickly located by soldiers of House Lannister. One of them was holding a waterskin.
"Ser Lancelot, we've already arranged a manse for you. Please rest for a few days while we purchase enough horses and supplies. Then, we can travel along the Valyrian Road toward the ruins of Valyria!" a young Lannister soldier said.
"Podrick Payne, you truly live up to the name of House Lannister's most loyal friend." Lancelot took the waterskin he offered and took a drink.
Podrick Payne was the squire Tyrion had found for Lancelot. After all, Lancelot was a knight now, and he deserved a squire of his own.
He followed Podrick into the inn.
The travelers there had all sorts of hair and skin colors. Some had silver hair, likely from Volantis; redheads who might be from Asshai; dark-skinned people probably from the Summer Isles; and bronzed-skinned men who looked like Dothraki.
Lancelot rested at the Pentoshi inn for three days. Every night, he would use his skinchanger abilities to slip into the body of a stray cat in the city, controlling it to scout Magistrate Illyrio's manse.
However, Lancelot never found Viserys or Daenerys. Perhaps they hadn't wandered this far yet.
What Lancelot really wanted to find, though, were the three dragon eggs Illyrio had hidden away.
But Illyrio was a shrewd man. Whenever he wanted to be alone, he sent everyone else away.
Lancelot guessed that was when he entered some sort of secret chamber.
"Seems my luck is running thin! I've been to Illyrio's house over ten times and haven't found a trace of the eggs. Could it be he doesn't have them yet?"
The possessed stray cat lay on the eaves of Illyrio's roof, lazily stretching. Its vertical pupils stared fixedly at the main gate.
A tall man, dressed like a knight from Westeros, appeared at the entrance. This snapped Lancelot to attention.
"That knight... could it be Ser Jorah?"
The cat lightly leaped down from the eaves and followed the knight's footsteps into a parlor in the inner courtyard.
Separated by a door, Lancelot listened to their conversation.
"Magistrate, when will the Prince and Princess arrive here?" the knight asked in a gruff voice.
"Patience, my Andal friend, Ser Jorah! They only just departed Braavos. It will take another fortnight by ship. If the winds are against them, it will take even longer." Illyrio's voice sounded remarkably similar to Varys's.
"I wish I could sprout wings right now and fly to the Prince to pledge my loyalty!" Ser Jorah declared.
"Hahaha, he will know of your devotion. Ser Jorah, are you no longer serving as a sellsword with the Windblown?" Illyrio asked.
"No matter how much gold I earn, I can't afford to keep her."
Ser Jorah was speaking of his wife, Lynesse Hightower.
"Bear Island is a bitter, frozen place, after all. Even as a Lord there, the tax revenues wouldn't cover her spending. But what if you were the Lord Paramount of the North? As long as you remain loyal to Prince Viserys, when he returns to Westeros, the position of Warden of the North and Lord of Winterfell will be yours. That is the reward for aiding a dragon's rise!" Illyrio continued.
The conversation dragged on for a long time, but it was mostly empty words. Jorah boasted of his bravery, strength, and loyalty, while Illyrio kept making grand promises on Viserys's behalf.
Lancelot left the stray cat's body, his consciousness returning to his own.
"I need to hurry up and explore the ruins of Valyria! I'd love to meet Daenerys, but time waits for no man."
The next day, Lancelot gave instructions to Podrick Payne.
"Podrick, gather all the Lannister soldiers. We're going to disguise ourselves as a mercenary company and travel along the Valyrian Road."
"Yes, Ser Lancelot."
Podrick Payne was extremely efficient. He quickly rounded up all one hundred Lannister soldiers scattered throughout Pentos.
"You all know who I am, but you don't know why I'm here. I am telling you now: I came to find House Lannister's ancestral sword, Brightroar."
Upon hearing Lancelot's words, the Lannister soldiers began to whisper among themselves.
"I see. Ser Lancelot really is Lord Tywin's eldest grandson! If he actually retrieves the ancestral sword, his status as heir is practically guaranteed."
"That's right. If the family sword is recovered, it means the Seven are watching over us!"
"But Lord Gerion tried to do the same thing, and he died at sea."
"Lord Gerion was betrayed by the sailors he hired. We're all on the same side here! Who would turn traitor? You?"
"No, no, no! I am a loyal soldier of Lord Tywin Lannister!"
Lancelot overheard their murmurs. He continued,
"Aside from retrieving Brightroar, I also intend to tame the white lion of the Dothraki Sea: the Hrakkar."
The Hrakkar was the king of the white lion prides living on the Dothraki Sea. It was an albino lion, twice the size of a normal one.
Just as a direwolf is twice the size of an ordinary wolf, the white lion is twice the size of a regular lion.
Even people far away in Westeros had heard rumors of the Hrakkar. It was a beast far more terrifying than a shadowcat.
"Ser Lancelot, do you really want to tame a Hrakkar? Isn't that too dangerous? We'd probably have to go deep into the plains to find one. What if we run into the Dothraki?" someone asked.
Lancelot hadn't fully thought through how to handle a skirmish with the Horse Lords.
"If we actually encounter the Dothraki cavalry... if we can win, we fight. If we can't win, we run. If we can't run, we surrender. House Lannister will pay our ransom," Lancelot said finally.
"Alright, hurry up and get changed. These are the custom uniforms I ordered for our mercenary group, the 'Lionheart Company.' Until we return to Westeros, we are members of the Lionheart Company, and I am your first Commander, Lancelot Lannister."
Lancelot had Podrick bring out one hundred newly stitched uniforms, along with a large banner. On it was a red lion roaring amidst flames.
The Crimson Flame Lion banner was different from the standard Golden Lion of House Lannister. It was the exclusive flag of the Lionheart Company.
Every uniform also featured the Crimson Flame Lion on the left side of the chest and on the back.
"Ser Lancelot, I feel like I've joined some kind of secret order," Podrick said.
"That's right, Podrick. You've joined my organization: the Lionheart Company!" Lancelot replied.