The night was long, and sleep refused to come.
Matthew lay wide awake from dusk until dawn.
At first light, he scrambled up, exited the tent, and walked straight to the banks of the Blackwater Rush to wash his face.
Wald and the other two hadn't slept either, following right behind Matthew like ducklings.
However, they didn't dare pull out their crossbows now.
There were already quite a few fishermen by the river, and some had even started their day's work.
Matthew glanced back at them, a mocking smile on his dripping wet face, before diving headfirst into the water and swimming below the surface.
[Swimming Proficiency +1...]
Wald ran up to the water's edge and shouted:
"Matthew, what the hell are you doing?"
Matthew popped his head out of the water, wiping his face. He bobbed up and down, feeling the current, and laughed:
"Nothing. Going to do some work. You guys go do your own thing and just wait for me to come back."
With that, he dove back under, effortlessly riding the current toward a secluded spot.
[Swimming Proficiency +1...]
Climbing onto the shore, Matthew spat out some water and collapsed onto a giant rock to sunbathe.
He desperately needed rest.
Even that short swim had left him feeling drained.
He was so exhausted his eyelids were fighting to close even while he was in the water.
Under the blazing summer sun, Matthew lay on the rock, eyes shut tight, lids twitching.
In no time, his clothes were steamed hot.
This sauna-like treatment felt incredibly comfortable.
His constantly tense body slowly relaxed in the heat. A lazy feeling washed over him, and the soreness in his calves gradually faded.
The giant rock was located in Blackwater Bay, right behind the Winch Tower. It looked like a tusk growing out of the sea, curving up as if to stab the blue sky.
The area was full of dangerous undercurrents, whirlpools, and reefs. No people or boats ever came here. It was Matthew's secret base.
Here, he could get a good sleep and recover in peace.
Waves crashed against the rock, the sound rhythmic and constant.
Accompanied by the cries of seagulls, Matthew slept soundly.
When he woke up, the horizon was burning red. layers of orange-red clouds were arranged like fish scales across the sky.
"Oh, looks like rain is coming."
Having lived in King's Landing for so long, Matthew could tell the weather just by looking at the cloud formations.
He dove into the water, feeling the current, and slowly made his way back toward the Fishmarket.
He dared not stay here too long. Once the storm hit, no one could withstand the wind and waves it would whip up.
In the water, Matthew truly was like a fish. He could hold his breath for a long time and sense changes in the current clearly. He suspected the Swimming skill had actually altered his internal organs.
For him, walking on land was far less comfortable and convenient than being in the water.
But people ultimately had to live on land.
Returning to the river mouth, boats were rushing back one after another. They were moving fast, likely trying to dock before the storm hit.
The sailors couldn't see Matthew hiding underwater, and their long oars nearly hit him several times.
Matthew quickly moved away, surfacing to catch his breath.
Just then, a merchant ship sailed right over him, nearly colliding with him.
Rude fucking boat!
Matthew hid underwater, watching the hull glide by. Annoyed, he grabbed onto the rudder post at the stern, deciding to catch a free ride home.
The rudder post was black, slippery, and hard to grip. He had to use all his hand strength to keep from falling back into the water.
But holding on for too long would be exhausting.
Just as Matthew was about to let go, voices drifted down from the deck.
---
"Father, is the Duke really going back at a time like this?"
Dale Seaworth, dressed in a black robe with his long brown hair blowing in the sea breeze, had a square face that showed his reluctance.
Davos Seaworth glared at his son and scolded him in a low voice:
"What do you mean? We are vassals. When the Lord makes a decision, we follow it. It is not our place to say more."
His tone was heavy, like a mountain—both sheltering his children from the storm and weighing down on their hearts to keep them in check.
Dale looked at his father, his brown eyes burning. He shouted:
"But Lord Jon is dead! If we leave now, people will suspect us. They'll laugh at us."
"Hmph. Son, remember this: staying alive is what matters most."
Davos knew his son's temperament well and didn't bother arguing, offering only a simple warning.
With that, he turned and walked toward the bow.
Dale was unhappy, but he followed his father closely.
Matthew waited until the footsteps faded away before sighing in relief. He let go of the stern and sank into the water with a plop.
The sound wasn't loud, but Davos still stopped and looked back.
The river surface was black as an abyss. Aside from the boat and the splashing waves, nothing else was visible.
"Did you hear that noise just now?" Davos asked his son.
Dale shook his head, looking unconcerned.
"Probably a fish. There are too many fish here. It's dusk; them jumping is normal."
Davos nodded. He looked at the water on both sides of the ship and, seeing fish jumping, finally walked away.
Underwater, Matthew was already far from his previous position, heading for the docks.
As boats passed by, he spotted a fishing boat belonging to someone he knew and quickly climbed aboard.
Seeing Matthew suddenly appear, the fisherman and his son were startled.
Once he saw who it was, the boy shouted happily:
"Father, it's Big Brother Matthew!"
Running toward Matthew, he asked, "Big Brother Matthew, why did you climb out of the water? Where's your boat?"
Matthew leaned against the gunwale, slicking back his hair, and laughed.
"Didn't take the boat. I just wanted to play in the water, so I swam over. Didn't expect it to rain, though. Better to catch a ride home."
The fisherman, rowing the oars, kicked another oar toward Matthew. He grunted, "If you want to get back faster, row it yourself."
Matthew grabbed the wooden oar and immediately started helping.
The boy stuck close to him, clutching his clothes. Feeling the small boat speed up and watching the water churn beside them, he shouted in admiration:
"Father, Big Brother Matthew is so strong!"
Matthew chuckled and patted the boy's head. The hair was greasy and didn't feel great.
The boy nuzzled against his hand and whispered with a smile:
"Big Brother Matthew, did you know? Today we saw a group of people coming out of the Kingswood. They said they wanted to hire a boat to cross the river to King's Landing. My father said they were from the Kingswood Brotherhood."
Matthew's eyes flashed. He looked down at the boy and asked:
"So, did you take them?"
His brain was whirring, thinking about how to use this information to distract the Little Birds.
But first, he needed to know more.
The boy shook his head, then turned to look at his father, whispering:
"Father was scared to death. He just grabbed me and ran."
Matthew laughed loudly. "That was the right move. The Kingswood Brotherhood are bandits. Not many good people among them."
The boy nodded and said loudly, "I know. Father said the same thing. But those people stole someone else's boat and went to King's Landing anyway."
"That's none of our business. You have to learn to protect yourself first."
Matthew patted the boy's small shoulder, turned his head with a smile, and curled his lip.
The dock was coming up. And the Little Birds were about to have work to do.
When the fishing boat was close enough, he stood up slowly. Together with the fisherman, they used the wooden oars to push the boat into its berth at the market dock.
As the boat gently bumped against the pier, Matthew put down the oar, ready to jump off and head back.
But as he turned, he suddenly made a new discovery.
The merchant ship that had nearly hit him earlier was docked just two spots away.
Two people were walking down the gangplank. He recognized one of them—it was the Onion Knight, Davos Seaworth.
What a coincidence. Small world.
"So, the person leaving is Stannis!"
A great idea suddenly popped into Matthew's mind.
"Maybe I can..."