The message is written in Redmaw's hand:
"To those of the land of Travance, which I have come to see as my adopted home, I leave this warning. Too long have you ignored the power in the north that rises against you. Though I and others like me have warned you, still you have blinded yourselves to the threat. I pray you regain your sight before it is too late. I leave now for the north, to return to the cold dark where I was born and whatever fate awaits me there. I hereby relinquish all titles and allegiances I hold save two; My oath of blood to Travance, whom I have fought and bled for more times than I can remember, and my oath of birthright to my Red Queen, in who's honor I will spit my last breath. Should I return, I will face judgement for everything I have done, and everything that I will do. Steel yourselves my brothers and Sisters, for when the Road comes it will swallow all before it, and the innocent will die with the rest of us.
Signed Darius Valyrson, known as Redmaw
Below it in neat poetic verse is written the following:
Do we not know, have we not heard?
The soul is like a lost bird
The body a broken shell
And man hopes being ignorant
‘Till in dark woods apart
He finds at last the lost bird dead
And that man may yet lift up his head
But nevermore his heart
There comes no noise but weeping
Out of the darkened sky
And the world cries out in horror
For even gods must die
And the heart of the locked battle
Is the happiest place for men
Where screaming souls as shafts go by
And many have died and all may die
Though this world be a mystery
Death is most distant then
Death blazes bright above the cup
And high as any crown
But in that dream of battle
We seem to tread it down
Wherefore I am a warrior
And waste the world in vain
For a man has no other power
Save that in dealing death most dour
He may forget it for an hour….
To remember it again