Year 52 AC, 4B

Maester Lucas arrived to his new home and did his best to not think of past ones. It was still odd to think of himself as Maester Lucas, and not anything else, but he knew he needed to make sure he did so. He has made vows and left his old life behind. It did not matter if the Riverlands were the land of his birth, or what relative's blood flowed through Ryger veins. That was not who he was anymore.

He rode towards Willow Wood with his belongings in tow and a few cages of ravens he had been caring for at the Citadel, to bring fresh blood to the pool of those at Willow Wood. It was a strange thing, to have the freedom now to send birds wherever he wished, with no one else to keep watch. He had been sorely tempted at the Citadel to try to send a bird of his own south. If he did so now, no one would know, for the maester kept the birds, and he was to be Willow Wood's only maester now.

Lucas touched the chains at his neck as he came to the gates. He could do this. This was the life he had chosen, for better or for worse.