Matters of Faith (Daern)

[Halaevia Baratheon]

Night had settled in the Vale, a heavy blanket of darkness. Up in the Eyrie, out under the star-speckled sky, a great fire blazed. This was Lady Halaevia's doing, a fire kindled as the sun went down, a light that shone out as a beacon. Around the fire knelt the faithful, most of them Lannister soldiers who had been drawn to Ser Torin's new faith on the long northward journeys. To one side were a few of Matilys Lannister's maids, although the Lannister girl herself was absent. Further out from the warmth and the light, standing, were those who wished not to pray but to observe.

Halaevia did not much care what had brought them to her nightfire. Earnest seeking, idle curiosity, or plain boredom. If they saw, they might begin to understand, and if they were worthy, R'hllor would call to them as he had to these others, and they would know truth.

There was an easy confidence to her as she prayed aloud, a quality the like of which she had not before known in herself. That too was R'hllor's doing. Her faith gave her courage, gave her strength, gave her what she needed to carry out the work that had been set before her. 'Look to the flames!' she called out, her voice carrying loud and clear above footsteps and murmurs. 'Without the light there is only darkness and death. R'hllor has sent us his fire to sustain us. The night is dark and full of terrors, but the Lord of Light will triumph as surely as his sun will rise. He will protect us.'

From the assembled worshippers there were shouts of 'Lord of Light, protect us!' Halaevia carried on. She spoke of the need to spread the Light of R'hllor across the seven kingdoms, and of the great battle between the darkness and the light. She told them that R'hllor fought for them against all darkness and all evils, and that each one of them did their part in tipping the balance. She urged them to stand for the truth of R'hllor's light, even if opposed. His blessing, she told them, was a fire that did not go out.

The rites lasted close to an hour, and at times she called forward some of those assembled to light candles and hold them aloft, and at others she recited prayers in Valyrian, her impassioned tones conveying meaning even to those who knew little of the language. It might have seemed near-theatrical in parts, but it was anything but contrived: Halaevia believed every word, and her devotion was obvious.

Afterwards, when most of those who had gathered began to drift away, Halaevia stayed by her fire, holding a single lit candle in one hand. She was watching not the flames now, but the people, looking on as they departed.

[Maester Daern]

Daern watched in a mixture of fascination and learning as the process went on. He had no head for time during their prayers. As the rest of the viewers began to fade out, Daern chose to stay, his eyes on the Lady Baratheon. He had no doubt that she had seen him. He had made mention of his interest within the Light. Whether she think that be for changing religion's sake or other, it did not matter to him. He had heard of the Light. Heard about Lord Stannis and his little red witch. Granted that yes, he had his opinions, he instead kept them quiet to himself.

Making his way down the steps of the observation area he met Lady Halavia with a smile of warmth on his face. Blame the religion, not the believer he thought to himself as he gave a small nod of her presence. "My Lady Baratheon. That was truly a rather interesting show of your beliefs." he began, offering his arm as they made their way to a bench. "I wonder, how long have you been a follower to the Light?" he asked, a small smile on his face.

[Halaevia Baratheon]

Halaevia had spotted Maester Daern among those assembled, and had been glad to see him. They had spoken of his interest in her faith, albeit briefly, and she had extended the invitation. Although she noted his presence, she could not have discerned his reaction to her preaching or the prayers by the fire. If she let herself think of her audience, in the moment, she might falter. There were many more by the fires now than there had been when she lit the first, the night after they left King's Landing.

When he approached her afterwards, however, he was smiling, and she was only too happy to take his arm and go to sit with him. 'I am pleased to see you here, Maester Daern,' she said, 'and even more so to learn that you take an interest. These ceremonies-' she gestured back towards the fire, 'they are better done by a trained priestess, I will tell you that, but here we must make do for now. It is the way of things, as R'hllor's light spreads so quickly across the land.'

She leant forward then, placed her candle on the ground in front of them. 'I am honored to be a part of this,' she told him. 'I only came to the Light myself...I suppose it is almost three years ago now.' That might have been enough to answer the maester's question, but the circumstances of it were a tale Halaevia never tired of telling. 'It was on Dragonstone,' she explained. 'My young son, he was terribly ill. He burnt with fever, he had a cough that could not be soothed. I lost my firstborn the same way, understand.' Her eyes dropped for a moment; even now she couldn't speak of that particular sorrow and not want to hide her emotion. 'I thought I was going to lose another child. I was told there was little hope. And then the Queen...Selyse, at Dragonstone,' if Halaevia was aware that she had misspoken, she gave no indication, no correction or apology, 'she asked if she might pray for him.'

Halaevia looked back to Maester Daern then, wanting him to understand. 'I cared nothing for any gods then. I wanted my boy to live, and she - and the Lady Melisandre who is R'hllor's priestess on Dragonstone - they gave me that. The Lord of Light saved my son Eliedt because of their faith. How could I not then at least consider the possibility that he was, as they said, the true god?' She smiled softly. 'At least, that was how it began. To look back I don't know how I ever managed without my faith to sustain me.' She was silent a moment, and then shook her head. 'But you are a learned man, Maester Daern, I do not expect that you will agree with my conclusions on the basis of one nightfire and my story.' She folded her hands in her lap. 'Tell me, do you believe in the Seven?' she asked, her more casual tone concealing what was in truth a serious question to her.

[Maester Daern]

Daern listened with quiet words. His hands stayed before him, tucked into his robes as he nodded his head approvingly. What a small and strange coincidence that the lady Halavia had been on Dragonstone with the red witch of Stannis. It seemed that, that was where this had all stemmed from in Westeros. "I am very glad for the health of your son my Lady. The power of prayer is a great and many thing, in any religion I have noticed." he said as he looked upon the candle, truly staring at the flame before him.

Nodding his head at her question, he sat up a little straighter, taking a deep breath. "I do my Lady. The Seven have served me well in my young years and I feel that they will do justly throughout my life in the Eyrie. They brought me here and I have made a very strong connection already with the Lord Arryn and Lady Arryn as well. The Seven can be found all about us, all the time." he said matter-of-factly.

Giving a friendly smile to Halavia he asked nicely, "If it is not oo forward of myself, what was your belief before the Lord of Light Lady Baratheon?" Daern was truly interested in the answer. He wanted to know more abut this intriguing lady who had visited his home and brought back his lady's husband.

[Halaevia Baratheon]

Throughout much of her life, Halaevia had held to the assumption that men who became maesters were, if nothing else, wise. She was beginning to doubt, however, that any of them knew anything that truly mattered. It was such a pity. This Daern seemed, at least on the surface, a kind and amiable man, and yet there he was, unable to discern the truth. There were so many like him. The darkness fed on their good intentions and they couldn't even see it.

It would not do, though, for her to start denouncing his errors in judgement as she might have on Dragonstone. Time and subtlety, that was what was required, and even then the chances were slim. Those who had spent their whole lives in devotion to the Seven rarely had the mental fortitude to admit that they had been wrong. So Halaevia gave him a small, noncommittal smile in return, and addressed his question: 'I do not suppose that I had much of a belief in anything,' she admitted. 'In fact, I was once rather attached to the idea that strong convictions of any sort were more likely to become liabilities than not. I was quite wrong.' There was a curious sort of pride in her voice as she said it, as if she were glad to have moved beyond the mistakes of her younger years.

'I expect,' she went on, 'that if I had an initial rejection of an old belief, it was too far back for me to remember. A child believes what they are told, at first. I was told of the Seven, as most children are, but my father had little time for them and I suppose that I knew it.' She shook her head. 'I was certainly not one of those unlucky girl-children hounded by septas.'

Maester Daern had been watching the flicker of the little candle Halaevia had brought. So the light drew him closer. It might have meant nothing, but she couldn't resist seeking out the cracks in what he had told her. 'You know that I shall have to disagree with you,' she said, but there was no real confrontation in it, only a hint of intellectual challenge. 'I would rather hear that you did not pray at all than that you prayed to gods which to me are only false idols. Yet the reverse does not seem to be true, you value the power in any type of prayer? Does it not concern you where that power might come from? It was not your Seven that saved my boy, I tell you that.'

[Maester Daern]

"You have nothing to fear in the way of being to harsh in your opinion. I have learned that nobles care not much for a Maesters beliefs but more so in their opinions. Ser Torin is one who would brandish his belief down ones throat rather than hear a valid argument." Daern said with a small and playful smile. It was no lie either, Torin Lannister had made damn sure that everyone within the Vale had known his new found calling.

"I can't say that the gods, old as well as new have ny real power. I can say they listen and perhaps nudge us in a certain direction. Call it luck or call it signs from above, I know not. But I am truly truly interested in your hearing of the Lord of Light. What are his origins? His beginnings and the like? It amazes me so and as well you can see, I do so crave knowledge." he finished, gesturing at his link, making its way about his neck and robes.

"You strike me as a true teacher Lady Baratheon. And if anyone can inform me properly I do believe that it is you my Lady." he said with a soft smile at the dark haired lady beside him. He allowed his eyes to wander about the great room, every candle catching his eye. The warmth within the room did not bother him, he was never truly one to be bothered by weather most often. Glancing back at Halavia he had to wonder if she had to adjust to the warmth of fire. He had so many questions for the pretty young woman but he bit his tongue and bid his time.

[Halaevia Baratheon]

It seemed to be a genuine interest he had, and this relaxed Halaevia, convinced her that it wouldn't be inappropriate to speak at length on the matter. 'It is kind of you to say,' she replied, smiling back at him, 'and certainly I shall tell you what I can of the matter, although that question-' there was a glint of amusement in her eyes, 'it is a complex one, a proper maester's question.' If anything, it flattered her, that he thought her capable of discourse on such weighty matters.

'I cannot tell you how the Lord of Light began, because he was there at the beginning of beginnings. Before there was anything else, there was only that separation, the Light and the Dark. Our Lord of Light, and the darkness that is his enemy, that seeks the destruction of all he has created. It is a struggle that has continued on, from the very first days to our time now. The darkness seeks to cover all, and R'hllor, who brought life to the world, the fire and the light, fights against it. It is here that the war is played out, and we all must choose whether we will serve the light or the darkness, whether we stand with the Lord of the Light or against him.'

There were none of the dramatic cadences of preaching in Halaevia's speech now. She had not a crowd to address but a single listener, and she told him the truth of it, matter-of-fact, although it was clearly a topic very dear to her. 'That is why I am here,' she went on. 'Ser Torin's faith burns brightly, as you well know-' another teasing half-smile, at that, she could imagine how bluntly Torin might put it all across. It delighted her that he did, of course, there were plenty of situations where that approach was precisely what was needed, '-but for the Lord of Light to triumph, many more must come to know the truth. In that sense, then, your beliefs matter a great deal, moreso than any opinion, and I wonder-'

She inclined her head towards him slightly, curiously, and questioned again: 'I wonder why a man might believe in gods he thinks have no real power. I might tell you that it is a delusion out of the darkness, but that is not the answer you would give me, I am sure. The power of the Lord of Light is real, and one does not have to have the gifts of a priest to see it, only to light a candle to chase away the blackness of night.' At that, she leant down and picked up her own candle again, and there was something reverent in the delicacy with which she held it. The small flame flickered, and Halaevia shifted her weight on the bench, turning inwards a little.

'Maester Daern, you said that it is knowledge you seek, and that is a worthy aim, but higher still than knowledge for its own sake is truth.' She paused a moment, and then shared something a little closer, a little more personal. 'I think that when my work here is ended, I will go to take vows at one of the temples. There is still much that I do not know, and I feel that I must learn it, it is so very important - but now,' she smiled again, candlelight reflected in her eyes, 'I will teach you what I can. You must not be afraid to ask what you want to know.'

[Maester Daern]

Daern listened quietly as Halavia went on. A smile played on his lips at her questions. Nodding his head again at appropriate times Daern took a deep breath before he launched into his answers. "Well despite that I have no real belief in my gods, every man is always looking to another, yes? The lowliest land blacksmith always looks to please his lord. The lords in turn look to please the kings. And who do the kings look to please? Why their gods. Or perhaps, their Lords." Daern said matter-of-factly, looking not to impose upon Halavia's beliefs. That was one thing he wished to tread lightly on, was the belief of this young woman here and more importantly, Torin Lannister. Torin seemed to be one of the hot headed ones and Daern had quickly that you wanted to keep the peace in his presence.

Nodding his head again at her last statement Daern cast his eyes away from the flame and met her eyes with a glint of a knowing smile. "You speak of truth. Truth no doubt conquerors us all but what leads us to this truth, I wonder? While the answer may be puzzling, it is clearly written within that statement. Knowledge, my dear Lady. Knowledge is what leads to truth." He finished with a smile at her before looking down at his chain. While it was not as impressively long as most it held a great importance to him. Many of his own links were repetitive, four iron, six bronze. Daern chose to learn something fully and wholly when he set his mind to it. He doubted that there was a link for the Lord of Light but he still wanted to seek out the truth.

Lifting a link up for Halavia to see he began again, "Why do you think the Maesters use links to show what we have learned? They start at one end and meet back at that same end again. It is a long journey in some cases. Others are simple and sweet and short. But it always comes full circle." he finished. Giving another long breath he smiled over at the Lady. "How is it you came and had Ser Torin see the Lord of Light?" Daern asked, truly interested in the events to un-fold.

[Halaevia Baratheon]

Halaevia's attention was drawn by Daern's gesture to his maester's chain. She was not over-awed by the concrete symbol of his knowledge, his long studies, as once she might have been. Wisdom came in many forms. He was right to say that truth was reached through knowledge, but as she saw it, not all knowledge led to truth. There was no morality in it, not without that discernment. Nonetheless, she could respect the effort it must have taken, his calling. A chain, full circle. Whom did he truly wish to please, she wondered, but did not ask it, focusing instead on his question.

'How did I? I did not...it was as Ser Torin told it,' she began, carefully. 'We found him, my daughter and I, washed up on Dragonstone's shore after the battle, wounded and near death. I saw that he was cared for, and I prayed to the Lord of Light that he would live.' It had been a desire for Lannister gold rather than true concern for Torin, who had been her enemy, that had prompted her, but that detail would only complicate the pretty narrative she was crafting. 'Ser Torin was sent a vision,' she explained. 'A vision of fire from our Lord of Light. He called Torin as his champion, to bring the true faith to all the seven kingdoms. He was...transformed by it, and now he follows only the Light. My purpose is to stand with him, my work in accord with his,' she added, a modest afterthought. She had the quiet satisfaction of knowing that Torin needed her if he was to succeed. The accolades were to be his.

'You said,' Halaevia went on, looking back to Daern now, 'that every man wishes to please another. Yet I would say that this is a secondary concern. A man of faith knows that first he must please his God. This is true whether he is a king or a lowly blacksmith. The will of R'hllor transcends temporal concerns.' It was not that Halaevia didn't perceive the more radical implications of making such a statement, only that she chose to ignore them. If people chose to turn against infidel lords and false kings who had not embraced the Light, it was of little consequence to her.

[Maester Daern]

Nodding as a smile was on his face, Daern looked up at Halavia. "I have heard of the priestess drowned in red that stands beside Lord Stannis. I wonder, are you now a priestess of R'hollor?" It was a thought that Daern actually did wonder about from time to time. Taking a deep breath, Daern studied the Lady Halavia. He wondered how true she had been on her previous comment. Could he truly ask her anything within their confidence? Or would this all brought back to Ser Torin and seen as some sort of treason? If so, it certainly wouldn't be the first time that a Maester had been cast in a dark and treasonous light.

"I am also wondering...what are the proper...rituals if you will, to be introduced as a member of the Light? To become a priestess or a priest in his eyes. Does R'hollor work alone or does he have disciples? Obviously he has chosen Ser Torin as a warrior of the Red, but does he have his fellows? The Seven have each other, they are not alone. The Old Gods were also amongst friends. I just wonder if R'hollor has chosen the hermits path." All things Daern did truly want to know. If not for pure curiosity and keen interest.

He gave another warm smile at the woman beside him as he awaited his answers. He almost had half a mind to let the Lady Baratheon know that the favor granted to him, was in turn granted to her. She was welcome to ask most anything of him. However as far as religion went, the Seven and the Old Ones had been around for eons, and most was already known about them.

[Halaevia Baratheon]

Halaevia took a moment to ponder his questions, which were, for the most part, quite insightful in nature. It pleased her; the young maester was certainly interested in what she had to say, though to what purpose she couldn't tell. The more she spoke with him, the more she wanted to bring him to the Light. He deserved better than to follow false gods.

'You have heard of the Lady Melisandre who is on Dragonstone with King Stannis?' That was no slip of the tongue, it was quite deliberate, but she smiled at Daern as she said it, an amused half-smile that made her eyes light up. Unless she had drastically misjudged him, he wasn't going to make a lot of fuss about it. 'She,' Halaevia went on, 'is a remarkable woman. She is the priestess who brought R'hllor to us; she travelled all the way from Asshai to reach us. As for me?' Halaevia shook her head. 'I am not a priestess, at least not in any official sense. I am carrying out the work of one because I know the rites and the prayers, and here in the Eyrie that makes me more capable of leading worship than any other.'

She paused for a moment, considering, and then went on: 'Ser Torin has sent for a priest, although if one will come to us it will be from across the sea. It will take time. As I see it, what I am doing pleases the Lord of Light, even if I am not an initiated priestess. There are, as you say, rituals, although I cannot tell you the details of them because I myself do not know. They are quite secret.' She smiled again. The fact that he thought it possible that she was already a priestess meant that she was doing her work properly. 'I do know that the details vary from one region to another.' The faith was well-established across Essos, and that continent was large enough that cultural variation had to be taken into account.

It was the question he had asked last of all that perhaps intrigued Halaevia most. She shifted her weight on the bench a little, getting comfortable, and smoothed down the dark red fabric of her skirt before she looked back to the maester. 'R'hllor is without equal,' she told him, 'in that he is the one god, source of all goodness in the world. I do not think it is right to say that he chose this, it simply is. Why one god, and not seven, or twenty, or hundreds? Because it is the truth. Yet I would not say that this means he is alone. He has his faithful, here in the world, those he chooses. At the end of this life, we shall go to be with him in the next.'

[Maester Daern]

Daern listened intently to Halavia's answers to his many questions. He noted the time that she put into the last one particularly. One very plain fact was evident with this woman. She believed utterly and wholly into this one mysterious Red god. He couldn't quite place if he had met someone as heavily religious as the Lady Baratheon before. He himself believed in the Seven, however it was not out of question for him to step out of line every once in awhile. She, however, was steadfast in her ways. He held her in a high degree of respect for that fact. If nothing else, Halavia was a very strong and reliable women, of that he had no doubt.

"I must say Lady Baratheon, you have impressed me to great heights. You are quite knowledgeable on the topic of your god. I would very much like to view your next leading from the beginning I think. I happened to come in late this evening, I'm afraid." he finished with an almost worried smile over at her. Despite her small stature, Daern could tell that she held some power, whether it be her knowledge or those eyes, he could not tell but he was sure that it was there.

"When are the prayer times for R'hollor? I know most the devout Old Gods followers are quite strict in their time allotments." Daern began, studying the flame of the candle once more. Despite their time together, the candle seemed to be waxed down quite a bit. Time seemingly did fly when one was enveloped in their studies it seemed.

((OOC: So sorry for the long wait on the reply. Just moved into a new house and the internet just got put on))

[Halaevia Baratheon]

Halaevia was on the verge of making her usual modest excuses. She wasn't so very knowledgeable at all, she wanted to tell him. She couldn't read or speak any Asshai'i at all, only the scripture that was in Valyrian, and R'hllor had never blessed her with any of the gifts he sent to those he truly favored. Something made her hold back, though. He was impressed. She had impressed this Maester with her knowledge, imperfect as it was, and that in itself was an accomplishment. For her to contradict him now served no purpose. She was here to further R'hllor's cause, not to play the unassuming widow. If she had done well, it was through the Lord of Light's inspiration, and there was no arrogance in admitting to that.

Instead, she smiled again, and she thanked him. 'I take such a compliment to heart,' she told him. 'You are very welcome to join us again tomorrow. I light the fires every night just before the sun has set, and the evening rites begin then. Sometimes there is a second ceremony, in the early morning to greet the dawn. In our temple, once it is finished, the great fire will burn through the night, but I shan't have unbelievers to tend it, and so it must wait.' Halaevia and Torin had spoken of converting the Eyrie's sept into a temple in R'hllor's honor, and she was confident that she would see it done in due course.

'Those are the official ceremonies,' she explained to Daern, 'but a person can pray at any time they choose, it is not so strict as all that.' Halaevia spent more time than most at prayer, any hour of the day or night when she sought guidance, sought to feel at peace. 'I like to light a candle, but in truth one does not need even that.' As if in response to her words, the little candle flame shot suddenly upwards, briefly reaching twice its height in what was, for such a small spark of light, a dramatic flare.

'You know this household far better than I,' she said then, regarding him curiously. 'Do you think it would offend if I asked Lady Arryn to the nightfire? Or Lord Luthor and his daughter?' Halaevia cared very little whether it would offend, but she did want to know more about them, the details that Torin wouldn't have told her. Perhaps Daern might share his opinions of them, if so prompted.

((OOC: No worries! :) ))

[Maester Daern]

A wondourous look was left upon Daern's face as the candle crackled. A small smile cracked at his lips at Halaevia's next words. color=Blue]"I would very much like to watch you lead the ceremonies. You hold everyone's attention with your grace and poise."[/color] Daern said thoughtfully as he watched the candle again. It drew his attention again and again he found. His eyes looked over at the Lady Baratheon as he shuffled his hands into the sleeves of his robes. His Maester's chain clinked loudly in the wide room, adding sound to the bright light, so different from their voices. His eyes caught hers once more before sliding to the candle before them.

"You know...I have always used flame. When I was a young boy learning my letters all the way to when I was a young man reading all new letters. Even now I use it without second thought. Perhaps what you are saying is true, My Lady. Many things are taken for granted. Water, the land that we toil, and most often...fire. So many different ways to start the Light. And from everything to reaching the chamber pot to meeting the King. So very inspiring and intriguing. You have certainly made this Maester think." Daern said with a small wink at Halaevia. It was a small jest at most other Maesters expenses. Daern knew that he was rather young in most Maesters terms and he prided himself on that fact.

Smiling over at the woman he couldn't help but notice how truly vested she was into her religion. "True passion is a rare thing to find Lady Halaevia. The fact that it comes from someone as truly interested in your passion is heart warming to know that Maesters are not the only ones that crave knowledge." he gave a little laugh as he leaned in close. "As to your previous question, I do believe the Lady Lena would be honoured to light the first flames. As to Lord Luthor, I do also believe he would go through with it. I can talk to them if you would like, My Lady." Daern said softly as he looked over to Halaevia again.

[Halaevia Baratheon]

Grace and poise? Halaevia supposed she had come a long way from the first time she lit a fire by the roadside and stumbled her way through the rites with only Torin and a handful of his men in attendance. She smiled again, softly, as once more her gaze met Daern's. There was a sharp, clear, ringing sound as one link of his chain hit against another, and it served to focus her. They looked back towards the flame at the same moment, and Halaevia listened as Daern shared his thoughts.

'I would be most grateful if you would talk to them both,' she said after he had turned back to the matter of Lady Lena and Lord Luthor. 'It would be a request better-received from your lips, I believe.' Hallie was a stranger to them, and an unwelcome one at least in Lena's eyes. Daern, by contrast, was their maester, someone whom they ought to trust, and he if not sympathetic to her belief was at the very least not immediately rejecting it. The intensity with which he stared into that little flame was proof enough of that.

'I must tell you,' she said to him lightly, 'how fortunate I am to have found you to converse with; someone who values knowledge and passion both! If passion is fire, then knowledge must be the fuel that feeds it. One without the other would be, by comparison, terribly lacking. Either a quick, bright flame that does not last or, like too many less enthusiastic maesters of my acquaintance, so much damp kindling,' she finished teasingly. 'You are quite different. I find it refreshing. If my passion is rare, then I am sorry for it, because it is so much to me. It is my courage and my comfort, my chief reliance.' She gave him another quick, sidelong glance. 'It is a certainty, one of few in these times, and wherever I go I may carry it with me. The Light does not leave us, not once it has touched our lives.' Was Daern to be one of the chosen, drawn as he was to that little candle? Halaevia couldn't say, not yet. But she hoped.