Oldtown

The raven leaps into it and becomes a smaller piece of night.

Another bird takes the letter for Oldtown's gardens.

Another for the Wolf in Winter.

Ned stays behind as the hatch shuts, the silence of stone closing in.

In the Reach, Olenna Tyrell's fingers tightened on the raven's letter as she read.

In the dim tent light, Margaery watches her grandmother's eyes sharpen.

The words from Oldtown's archives are clear.

Prince Rhaegar Targaryen's marriage to Elia Martell was annulled, and a new marriage was recorded in secret to Lyanna Stark.

And isn't it funny that that's when magic is coming back, that the maesters, uh, seem to be losing a little bit of their respect in, in the world.

Um, not to mention the fact that Euron is gonna siege Oldtown.

For what?

Yeah.

Wait and [laughs] also, why does Euron know what's important at Oldtown, right? Like where did he-

Sure

... learn that, right?

It's also interesting because, you know, we get this Drowned God chapter.

A cargo would be put in a baggage train for the short journey to Tumbleton, then a trading barge would float down the Mander all the way to Highgarden, potentially stopping at Cider Hall, Bitterbridge or Longtable along the way.

Or it could turn upriver to a different branch of the Mander and arrive at Golden Grove or Ashford Meadow, or even exit the Mander near Highgarden and sail south to Oldtown or north to Lannisport.

The reverse trip would require oars or sails and is not quite as easy, but nevertheless commonly done.

The bottom line is that a substantial portion of goods going to the Reach via King's Landing and in the reverse direction passed through or at least near to Tumbleton.

down in oldtown the streets choke with smoke as bells toll through the night from the hightower fishermen scream of shapes beneath the waves dock hands swear they've seen tentacles longer than masts sliding beneath the water most laugh it off as sailors talk until the sea surrounding oldtown boils with blood on the horizon iron-born longships appear black sails bearing golden krakens cut through the dawn's haze their war-horns sound deep and mournful and rolling over the city like a clap of thunder the first volley of fire-arrows arc towards the shore Lord Mace Tyrell rides hard with his forces to the defense of the city.

Beside him, Lord Tywin Lannister's voice carries over the panic.

To the walls! To the harbor! Drive these reavers back into the sea! Oldtown had sent for aid, but the combined forces of the Reach and Crownlands had arrived late.

The city is vast, and its defenses are strong.

Its fleets are numerous.

Oldtown should hold out, but the sea moves strangely.

The tide surges against the quays, and silence descends over the defenders.

The water erupts, and tentacles, thicker than any tower, lash upward and seize a galley of the Redwyn fleet whole.

He's around in the book.

He doesn't go to Oldtown till he's 12.

And yeah, I th- it's more like he's, you know, he and Ormund are in it together.

And then it's really after Ormund dies that Daeron feels like he's almost like a figurehead leader, where he's supposed to be the leader, but he can't actually control anyone versus this season where they basically did that with him already with Ormund.