It took a week, but the telepath informed Ming that the Maesters did indeed know the locket. Asshai-by-the-Shadow is its origin, and only an incantation in Asshai may bring forth its power. Several versions of possible Asshai incantations were given as examples. As these were repeated to Hassan, they awakened a very old memory in him. As a child, he had heard similar-sounding words. He took the locket back to the sandkin compound and began discussing these findings with his elders. One elder remembered the old woman who had watched Hassan as a young child. He said she was old when he was a child, too, and that she was from a sect that had been banished for dark arts. The old woman had sung to Hassan while his parents had gone on a long mission. It was decided that he must do a dream quest to recover the words of the old woman's songs. The sandkin had not brought the needed ingredients with them to make their normal dream quest concoction, so they turned to the older Mangana for help.
He told them he could make a potion very similar to what they described, but it was very powerful and could pose many dangers. Hassan might not wake up, or he might be very ill when he does. The sandkin elders talked with Hassan a moment, and they all turned to Mangana, saying, "Hassan will risk it make the potion, please."
The stonekin came to pick up the gates for their home cavern. They were massive, so big they had to be turned at an angle to leave the eastern gates of the city. The carpenters and mill had been working on them for a month. They were 6 inches thick, bound by iron frames and slats across their backs. It took ten stout stonekin to lift them off the wagon and carry them at the proper angle through the gate. They were singing as they did it, surprisingly in Westeros, "Wood and iron, wood and iron. Wood and iron make a home gate safe!" When they got to their caverns, they lifted them into place, hinged on either side, and they swung perfectly. The stonekin were going to stay warm this winter.
And winter was coming, hundreds of animals were herded into the city barns that spanned the western walls. They were huge barns and livery stables that housed the many wagons used for road and fort construction. Wagons full of silage were brought in and stored, and all the fall crops were harvested and stored.
The field that served as the training ground in the center of the square saw less and less use. Training was moved indoors to a vast space open in the warehouse. The square also sprouted several large houses that the rich were building. More modest housing lined the outer walls where space allowed. Three taverns in town were a source of frivolity and celebration, as most of the crews were settling in for the winter. Even a fancy restaurant had opened, and Bart was a frequent patron. There were also food stalls throughout the city serving fish and a variety of strange delicacies. Brandon's Rest was a lively and happy place.
Trade had expanded, as its source was the wood and gemstones from the treekin and stonekin. Several major trade houses had set up business in the trade hall. A huge ship was nearing completion in the shipyard, and the configuration of its sails was something unique. It had only one mast and a very large triangular sail, but another large sail was set in front of the mast that could be adjusted to best catch the wind. It also had 6 wind tubes, which would allow faster movement without sails. The hull was covered in steel plates joined tongue-and-groove on all edges. She was dubbed the icebreaker but was christened the "Black Hand". She was all black on the outside. She sported 12 steel 'flowers': 4 on each side and 2 on the front and back. Crews were training on 'flower' operation morning, noon, and night. The booming of practice shots was now part of the city's atmosphere. The stonekin had set up a foundry in their caverns to form the steel plates, and they also did the structural straps that ran up her mast to the top. The mast was a single giant ironwood tree that towered above the three-story walls of the city. There were six bands placed equidistant around the mast and capped together at the top. They were well paid for these feats and spent most of it buying provisions for the winter, and a massive supply of the best coke in the 7 realms. Huge amounts of wood were spread around the stonekin caverns and the city for winter.
Hassan's quest was to be in the small training chambers inside the sandkin enclave. He wore just the locket and breaches. He was sitting on a pad in the middle of the floor, and had a jug of water nearby. Mangana had cautioned him about the need for a great deal of water in his system to take this potion. Lee and Hua Tuo were on hand in case of issues. He downed the potion in a single go and settled on the floor mat. It took a while to take effect, and when it did, he felt like visions were swarming him, like gnats. He swatted at them, and then suddenly, he was in another world. The old woman was rocking him and crooning as she did. Only this time, he could understand everything she said. Her eyes went wide, and she looked at him closely, saying, "Young one, why have you come to me, like this?" Hassan raised the locket towards her. "Ah," she said. "Come to discover the old woman's secrets, have you? Let's see what you have brought me. This is a very powerful item, but you must be quite careful in using it. It is rife with the dark arts, and only great skill will allow its use, without being drawn into them. Who made this? It feels like my youngest son made this. He was banished for his darkness....wait...I am long dead, aren't I? And you come to me through a vision quest? Perhaps my youngest son is long dead now, too." She smiled down at him. "I thank you for the chance to sing these songs one last time, young one. For in them is the history and power of my people. These are the words you must use to unlock the locket's power. There are 4 uses of the locket, and these words must be changed to invoke each use." She sang 4 different phrases that were close in meaning. And then she sang deeply of her people and their histories, and their knowledge. When Hassan woke, he had been under for two days. He was shaky and disoriented, but he felt OK. He remembered every word she had said and every note she had sung. He downed the jug of water while the doctors checked him over.