Maybe I'm cruel to say this but I'm the only one that think,in a way or in another,our loved comic relief will do something wrong or,even a … moreworst situation,risk his life?
About the other Pov I'm sure that Arthur will soon rise in the rankings of "people that Wolfius want to kill" and Mathea will go in the mode "no one must die before a fair trial"
Maybe I'm cruel to say this but I'm the only one that think,in a way or in another,our loved comic relief will do something wrong or,even a … moreworst situation,risk his life?
About the other Pov I'm sure that Arthur will soon rise in the rankings of "people that Wolfius want to kill" and Mathea will go in the mode "no one must die before a fair trial"
For what I've read until now of the character you have created I agree with you;however maybe we should remember that the always gracious Wolfius is a murder that,more of a time, threaten to kill not only Arthur but even his father and his sister.
To her right, Maya saw Aldrik. The knight was leaning against the wall, his direwolf sitting next to him, always cautious but not very inconspicuous. Gregar obviously preferred him and if Maya was honest, so did she. Not counting their rather rocky first meeting, Aldrik had proven himself to be a pleasant travelling companion and one she fully trusted.
To her left, there was Irving. In comparison to the strong, intimidating knight, he looked plain and almost a bit pathetic. There was also his terrible reputation. While Irving was indeed a watchguard, he was infamous in Gulltown for his inability to stay awake during such a task. During their journey, he more than once proved that the rumours were true. Yet, at the same time she had to remember when he saved her life. Maybe he deserved more credit than she was willing to give him. And there was the way he just looked at her. Maya was many things, but not cruel.
“Fine”, she sighed. “Irving, the job is yours” Gregar raised an eyebrow at these words and Irving's eyes widened, as a wide smile formed on his face. “Thank you!”, he exclaimed. “You won't regret it, I promise”
He attempted to take a step towards her, but Maya raised her hands to keep him at bay. “No hugs, please”, she said with a smirk, before she shifted her attention towards Aldrik. “Ser Aldrik, are you okay with this?”
The knight gave her a short nod. “As you command, Ambassador”, he proclaimed. “Maybe it is for the best. I wouldn't feel well with such a task” His left hand patted the wolf's head. “Knightfang and I will patiently await your return. Perhaps I even find another way to contribute to our mission in the meantime. Lord Harlen Tyrell arrived in the city. Perhaps he is more open to reason”
“Then do it”, Maya allowed. “We'll meet again in a few hours, hopefully with the documents. And then we go home” A smirk flashed across Keat's face. “And then I get paid, you mean?”, he chuckled. “And then you get paid”, Maya confirmed, before she looked at Gregar. Her companion had a big frown on his face, bigger than usual. “Is everything alright?”, she asked.
Gregar shook his head and glared at Irving. “I want to be honest, Maya, this decision is a big pile of bullshit”, he growled. “You know him. He's going to fuck this up and then he's going to blame us!” Irving opened his mouth to protest, but Maya cut him off. “I made my decision, Gregar”, she said softly. “I know you are not happy with it, but you have to accept it”
“Looks like it”, Gregar muttered, before he walked away, out of the alleyway. “You coming?” Aldrik let out a sigh as he looked after him. “Keep an eye on him, ambassador”, he warned her. “I'm not questioning his loyalty, but his temper worries me” He paused and looked from Keat to Irving. “And keep an eye on Irving and especially on the thief”
“You know I'm standing right here, do you?”, Keat asked, before he turned towards Maya. “If you are ready, then we should follow Gregar. The archive is not far” Maya gave him a nod and the thief walked past her and Aldrik. “Jackass”, he mumbled as he glanced at the knight.
“Don't you worry, Ser Aldrik”, Maya reassured him as she saw Gregar, Keat and Irving standing at the other end of the alleyway. “I'm going to stay careful. Tomorrow, we'll be on our way back home”
“Your home”, Aldrik answered with a distant look in his eyes, before his gaze softened. “Ah, don't listen to me, ambassador. I'm sure you'll make it” A smile flashed across his face as he took a polite bow in front of her. She answered with a curtsey, decidedly less elegant than his gesture, but nonetheless genuine. Then, they went their separate ways, Maya walked towards her group, while Aldrik took the other way, back to the inn.
“So, how are we going to do this?”, Maya asked as she looked at Keat. The thief and Gregar had taken the lead, while Maya and Irving were walking behind them. “Getting in is actually not that hard. Aside from the occasional patrolling city guard, there are no guards in front of the building. The main door is locked of course, but I am prepared. I arranged for a small window in a backalley behind the archive to be open”
“Something tells me it's not going to stay that easy”, Irving said and even though he still seemed to be more happy than usual, the characteristic morose tone in his voice shined through. Gregar rolled his eyes in annoyance, but Keat only chuckled. “You are right”, he confirmed. “Inside of the building, there are a couple of guards. Not your typical city guard. These people can read. They are castle guards, some of the best, as I've been told”
“Oh wonder”, Irving mumbled. This time, Keat was wise enough to ignore him. “We have to avoid them of course. I hope you like darkness, because inside the archive, it will be your best friend”, he continued to explain. “The only problem is, this building is huge”
“Is it?”, Gregar asked. “I've been there just yesterday and it seemed to be rather small. Sure, three stories, a large front, rather impressive and all, but I've expected more from the famous archive” Keat's smile got wider. “On the surface it is indeed not very impressive. But there are a couple of additional basements below. Trust me, it is huge and it deserves its reputation”, he answered. “The question is, what exactly are we looking for?”
“A number of old contracts the Vale once made”, Maya explained. She knew it was a bit risky to tell a thief the truth about their mission, but Keat had something on him that made her trust him. “We're going to use them to hopefully prevent a war”
“I see”, Keat answered calmly. “I'm no expert, but that sounds like an important document. We have to go underground and if you don't have any specific details, I'm afraid we have to look around for a bit. Also, I have to acquire a key”
“Is that going to be a problem?”, Maya asked. Keat shook his head. “No big deal. But if we don't manage to find these contracts you are looking for, we have to return later, maybe tomorrow”, he explained. “Also not a big deal, as long as we remain unseen today”
“And what exactly will be my job?”, Irving asked and this time he even sounded mildly interested. Keat shortly glanced at him. “Obviously, you're not made for a break-in. Remember that window I mentioned? That will be our way out as well. You're going to stay in the backalley and try to remain in the shadows, in case a guard walks by. As soon as we leave, it will be your job to check if it's safe for us”
Irving gave him a nod. “Alright. I can do this”, he confirmed and looked at Maya. “You can count on me” His enthusiasm came surprising, considering that it was the first time Maya had ever seen him being enthusiastic about anything at all. “You're oddly eager to help”, she remarked. “It's so... unlike you. You sure you're not going to screw this up?”
“Please, I never screw anything up”, Irving answered proudly. This was enough for Maya and Gregar to exchange an amused glance. “Yeah... for a moment I thought you'd be serious here”, she chuckled. “I am serious!”, Irving protested, loud enough for Keat to put a finger onto his lips. “I mean... you can count on me”
“Since when?”, Gregar growled and Irving narrowed his eyes. “No one's talking to you”, he answered, before he looked back at Maya. “Last week I had an interesting talk with a guy named Marak. He gave me some advice”
“About what?”, Maya asked and immediately, she noticed that Irving's cheeks got more reddish than usual. “About how I can pull my weight around here a bit more. How I can get you all to respect me”, he stuttered. “See, I'm tired of being in your way. I'm not screwing this one up, I promise”
“As if”, Gregar snarled, but he stopped talking as soon as they stepped out of the street and onto a large square. The archive of Raylansfair was impressive as it was built entirely out of white marble in a city where most buildings were built out of wood. It wasn't impressive in terms of height, being a mere three stories high, but it had a broad front, half a dozen pillars that supported the canopy and a large set of stairs that lead up to a thick, wooden door.
The square was empty, thankfully, and no one noticed as Keat led the group across it past the archive's heavy walls and into a small backalley that led them around the building. “You sure this area is even patrolled?”, Irving asked as he looked around the narrow backalley. Keat gave him a nod. “Infrequently, but yes, it is”, he answered.
“Well, I can do this”, Irving proclaimed again. Once more, Gregar shook his head, but he stayed silent. “We'll see”, he growled. “If you fuck this up, I'm going to beat you up so fucking badly...” Maya cut him off by putting a hand onto his shoulder. “No one is going to fuck anything up, you hear me?”, she said softly, before she gave Irving a stern glare. “I'm trusting you”
A smile appeared on Irving's face and soon it turned into a wide grin. “And I can only tell you once more, I'm proving my worth”, he promised and saluted in front of her. It wasn't more than the pitiable attempt of a real salutation, but it nonetheless caused Maya to smile, even though, as she was looking upon the high walls of the archive, she still had the lingering fear that she was going to regret it. What she was about to do was extremely risky at best and she could only hope it was a risk worth taking. She looked at Keat who was leaning against the wall of the archive. “Then lead the way”, she ordered.
No Choices for this part
Arthur
Arthur vividly remembered the night Wolfius was presented to him on a silver platter. Even bound in chains, the killer was still the most aggressive and threatening being he had ever encountered. When Arthur had refused his offer, a murderous glare had been visible in his eyes. He remembered the low growl with which Wolfius threatened him, threatened his sister. Arthur had always considered himself to be a peaceful, forgiving man. But this was something he could never forgive. Wolfius wouldn't get a second chance.
At the same time, Arthur still hesitated to kill him directly. Refusing to help, it was one thing. Actively ending a life was something else entirely though, something Arthur had never managed to do. He never considered himself a killer before and he felt disgusted at himself for what he was about to say. Still, something about Wolfius, the eery confidence he had even while he was apparently helpless and locked away, it terrified him. It terrified him enough to consider a possibility he saw as downright horrible, but necessary
“Perhaps...”, he said and cleared his throat as he realized how meek his voice sounded. Mathea didn't look at him, instead she slowly opened the box she had been carrying with her, revealing a number of fine, surgical tools. Wolfius raised an eyebrow and as his almost feverish glare met Arthur's, a wide grin formed on his face. “Perhaps you don't have to heal him”, he finally said. “If you don't want to, I mean. He's going to die either way, as soon as the lord approves of the death sentence. Maybe it's for the better if we just leave”
Mathea looked over her shoulder and directly at him, a puzzled look on her face. Then, she slowly raised from the ground and turned around. She narrowed her eyes and the look on her face changed from puzzled to one of pure disbelief. “Excuse me?”, she hissed. “I'm sorry, it sounded as if you just suggested I should leave this man to die from an infected wound”
Arthur gulped as he saw the stern, somewhat disappointed look in her eyes. “I... yes, that was basically what I was suggesting”, he stuttered. “I mean... maybe it would be for the better. He is responsible for more than half a dozen murders, at least in Raylansfair. Who knows how many he had killed elsewhere? This city... this world will be better off without him”
This time, Mathea gave him a nod, even though the look on her face still did not change. “You are right. I know damn well how right you are”, she agreed. “I have two of his victims at my house. It took me days to even stabilize the girl”
“So she's still alive?”, Wolfius asked weakly, the hint of disappointment in his voice. “Maybe I should have cut deeper” His grin faded as Mathea shot a glare at him. “You're not making this any easier for me, you know?”, she said sternly, before she shifted her attention back at Arthur. “He is going to die either way, you said it yourself. In a few days, he won't be a threat to anyone ever again”
“But what if he manages to escape?”, Arthur asked the question that was keeping him on the edge ever since he looked Wolfius in the eye. Mathea raised her eyebrows. “Do you have such a low opinion of your own dungeons?”, she asked. “Listen, Arthur, I know you are right. He has to die, I give you that. There is no other way to make sure that he never hurts anyone again. But that's not the point here...”
While she said this, she knelt down again, close to Wolfius. “The point is that I am a healer, not an executioner. This man is despicable, he is dangerous, but I am not a killer. If you want him dead, you have to do it yourself”, she explained. “I can't leave him to die from an infected wound. I won't...” She paused and glared at Wolfius, who was neither grinning nor smiling. “I won't judge you if you decide to kill him yourself. I know your intentions are good”, she said and her voice gained a sharp tone. “But never again ask of me to leave someone to die, not even someone like him”
Arthur clenched his fists, as a deep feeling of shame started to rise inside of him. He joined the city guard to protect lives, just as they had protected his life once, not to take them. And he knew, even now, he couldn't kill Wolfius, as tempting as it was.
“You're right”, he admitted reluctantly. “It... it was a stupid idea. I'm sorry. I'm not going to kill him” Mathea's stern face softened up a little bit and she gave him a relieved nod. “I know”, she answered. “You're not a killer either”
She paused as she looked at Wolfius, who in turn gave her a slightly dazed look. “What?”, he asked and Mathea let out a sigh. “Your pants. I never thought I'd ever say that, but you have to take off your pants, or else I can't have a proper look at your leg”
Immediately, Wolfius sickening grin returned, although it appeared to be slightly forced this time, likely as a result of his bad condition. “Why don't you do it yourself, healer?”, he chuckled. Mathea frowned at his words and sighed, as she reached back into her bag, to pull out a pair of scissors. “First of all”, she said as she carefully moved the scissors towards his leg. “I am not your friend. I just saved your life, but I would have done that for anybody. Don't you ever think I have forgotten what you did to the Mettel family”
Wolfius gave her a nod and his grin got wider. “You can tell them, once I'm out of here, I will finish...”, he started to say, but the rest of his words turned into a pained groan as Mathea ripped away a piece of fabric from his pants, to reveal the wound in his left upper leg. “And second”, she continued. “I am tired of you. People like you disgust me”
She moved closer towards the beast and narrowed her eyes, but Arthur also noticed that her hands were shivering, as she clung to the pair of scissors as if it was a weapon. “And you have two options now. First, you stay quiet, you wipe that smug grin off your face and in turn I will do my best to make this as easy as possible”, she hissed. “Second, I will treat your wound, but I will do it without taking your sick, twisted feelings into consideration, you understand?”
Instead of answering her, Wolfius glanced past her and towards Arthur. “Boy, where have you found her?”, he asked in disbelief, before he gave Mathea a nod. “Option one please. Get it over with and then leave me alone”
“Alright then”, Mathea sighed as she inspected the wound. Arthur followed her glance and shivered as he saw the hole in Wolfius' leg. It wasn't the most gruesome wound he had ever seen and it didn't look infected, but it certainly wasn't a clean wound. While Mathea didn't even flinch, Arthur never liked the sight of blood. “This is going to hurt more than just a little bit. I'm trying to be as soft as possible, but I have to disinfect the wound”, she explained as she reached into her bag to reveal a small bottle. “This is really strong alcohol and I'm pouring it onto your wound. It's unpleasant, but necessary”
Wolfius gulped, before he nodded. And without further warning, Mathea held the bottle above his leg and poured some of the liquid down. The killer's reaction was more severe than Arthur expected. He had seen this procedure before and usually, the patients started to scream. So did Wolfius. But unlike any other patient Arthur had ever encountered, Wolfius tried to jump forwards in a fit of rage, his scream a mixture of pain and vicious anger, his face twisted with beastly hatred. While the chains prevented his hands from reaching Mathea's throat, as he likely intended, he came dangerously close and would have likely grabbed her if she wouldn't have jumped back. His sudden movement caused her to let out a surprised, slightly scared scream.
For a moment, Arthur was about to tackle Wolfius, but the killer relaxed immediately after he realized that his chains prevented him from harming the healer. Both, Mathea and Wolfius were breathing heavily, he in huge agony, she in mild shock.
“Sorry...”, Wolfius finally mumbled, a sheepish apology that sounded almost genuine. “Reflexes. Perhaps you could give me a bit of the milk” This time, something that resembled a smirk flashed over Mathea's face, even though her eyes were still widely opened, shocked from his sudden outburst. “I'm afraid I can't do this”, she answered and her voice sounded controlled, but triumphant at the same time. “I have to use my supplies on Rosalie Mettel”
Wolfius genuinely frowned and mumbled something, his voice too low for Arthur to understand a word. For a moment, he didn't look threatening at all. For a moment, he was just a chained and wounded beast.
Footsteps were heard and as Arthur turned around, he saw his father walking down the stairs to the dungeon. As always, Hackor was wearing his green armour, but inside the building he wasn't wearing his cloak. A stern, but tired look was embedded on his face as he greeted Arthur and Mathea with a nod. “Lady Mathea, it's a pleasure to have you here”, he said.
“I'm always ready to help, Commander Nathamer”, Mathea answered, although she barely looked at him as she focussed on Wolfius' wound. Hackor cleared his throat as he realized that she wasn't even paying attention to him. “I was hoping to welcome you personally, but I see my son already took care of that”, he said. This time a smile flashed over Mathea's face. “Indeed, commander. Your son has been very polite”
“Good to hear”, Hackor muttered and he raised an eyebrow as he looked back at Arthur. “Actually, there is something I have to talk about with my son, in my office” Arthur gulped as he considered the look on Wolfius' face just a few moments ago. “Right now?”, he asked and Hackor gave him a nod. “Only if you are comfortable with it. As soon as possible would be perfect, but I leave the ultimate decision up to you”, the commander answered. “If you'd rather stay here, then go and see me later”
As if she had read his thoughts Mathea glanced over her shoulder, at Arthur. “Don't you worry for me”, she assured him. “If you want to talk to your father, then by all means, do it. I believe Wolfius now knows how he has to behave in my presence. And if not, I can certainly handle him”
[Stay with Mathea and Wolfius] Do not trust Wolfius one bit. Goddamnit Mathea. Could have let him die.
Gregar shook his head and glared at Irving. “I want to be honest, Maya, this decision is a big pile of bullshit”, he growled. “You know him. He's going to fuck this up and then he's going to blame us!”
Maya
To her right, Maya saw Aldrik. The knight was leaning against the wall, his direwolf sitting next to him, always cautious but not ve… morery inconspicuous. Gregar obviously preferred him and if Maya was honest, so did she. Not counting their rather rocky first meeting, Aldrik had proven himself to be a pleasant travelling companion and one she fully trusted.
To her left, there was Irving. In comparison to the strong, intimidating knight, he looked plain and almost a bit pathetic. There was also his terrible reputation. While Irving was indeed a watchguard, he was infamous in Gulltown for his inability to stay awake during such a task. During their journey, he more than once proved that the rumours were true. Yet, at the same time she had to remember when he saved her life. Maybe he deserved more credit than she was willing to give him. And there was the way he just looked at her. Maya was many things, but not cruel.
“Fine”, she sighed… [view original content]
Btw, liquid I'm interested, Which characters are yours? ( Except random soldiers #167 etc)
To give you a list, I have created Harris… more, Lord Raylan, Maester Eaton, Dairon, Lady Halla, Septon Corbin, the Burned Man, Harpy, Archmaester Quent, Lucion Lannister, the sons of Harren Hoare and every lord that is currently introduced aside from Hobert, Petyr Blackwood and Darren Reyne. Naturally, I have also created most of the personality and backstory of the characters that were mentioned in the Ice and Fire canon, namely Loren Lannister, Harren Hoare, Harlen Tyrell and the Durrandons.
Basically, every time I have to fill a specific role which none of the already submitted characters can fill, I create a character to fill it. This mostly happened in the early days of the story, where none of the comparably few user-submitted characters were able to fit into roles I saw as mandatory for the story. Nowadays, it mostly happens when I want to … [view original content]
About Maya Pov I like how the infiltration began and I start to think that MAYBE let Irving be the watchdog was not a mistake (because Aldrik can do an useful task tha our loved comic relief can't even dream to accomplish)
About Artur Pov I must admit that I like it because give more space at the healer and Wolfius showing that even if he is a psycopath and a murderer he is still a man that suffer from his wounds.
About the choice to do I'm not sure of the outcome since leave with Hackor will sure be the logical one (help your father and hear what he want sure is more productive to watch a healer save the life of a murderer) however Wolfius is a dangerous subject and I'm sure that he not whisper sweet words when Mathea refuse him the milk.
At the end this is my choice: [Leave with Hackor] because if Hackor want to talk about something important I think that is our duty to hear him now for the safety of the city (plus I want to give the father more screentime while Wolfius,for me at least,can waste all the rest of the chapter at his prison cell)
Maya
To her right, Maya saw Aldrik. The knight was leaning against the wall, his direwolf sitting next to him, always cautious but not ve… morery inconspicuous. Gregar obviously preferred him and if Maya was honest, so did she. Not counting their rather rocky first meeting, Aldrik had proven himself to be a pleasant travelling companion and one she fully trusted.
To her left, there was Irving. In comparison to the strong, intimidating knight, he looked plain and almost a bit pathetic. There was also his terrible reputation. While Irving was indeed a watchguard, he was infamous in Gulltown for his inability to stay awake during such a task. During their journey, he more than once proved that the rumours were true. Yet, at the same time she had to remember when he saved her life. Maybe he deserved more credit than she was willing to give him. And there was the way he just looked at her. Maya was many things, but not cruel.
“Fine”, she sighed… [view original content]
Maya
To her right, Maya saw Aldrik. The knight was leaning against the wall, his direwolf sitting next to him, always cautious but not ve… morery inconspicuous. Gregar obviously preferred him and if Maya was honest, so did she. Not counting their rather rocky first meeting, Aldrik had proven himself to be a pleasant travelling companion and one she fully trusted.
To her left, there was Irving. In comparison to the strong, intimidating knight, he looked plain and almost a bit pathetic. There was also his terrible reputation. While Irving was indeed a watchguard, he was infamous in Gulltown for his inability to stay awake during such a task. During their journey, he more than once proved that the rumours were true. Yet, at the same time she had to remember when he saved her life. Maybe he deserved more credit than she was willing to give him. And there was the way he just looked at her. Maya was many things, but not cruel.
“Fine”, she sighed… [view original content]
Maya
To her right, Maya saw Aldrik. The knight was leaning against the wall, his direwolf sitting next to him, always cautious but not ve… morery inconspicuous. Gregar obviously preferred him and if Maya was honest, so did she. Not counting their rather rocky first meeting, Aldrik had proven himself to be a pleasant travelling companion and one she fully trusted.
To her left, there was Irving. In comparison to the strong, intimidating knight, he looked plain and almost a bit pathetic. There was also his terrible reputation. While Irving was indeed a watchguard, he was infamous in Gulltown for his inability to stay awake during such a task. During their journey, he more than once proved that the rumours were true. Yet, at the same time she had to remember when he saved her life. Maybe he deserved more credit than she was willing to give him. And there was the way he just looked at her. Maya was many things, but not cruel.
“Fine”, she sighed… [view original content]
Indeed, Sherryl has been submitted by a user. In fact, she was one of the reasons why it is now required that everyone leaves their username in the submission, because I would have loved to talk to her creator about a few details I had to change.
Maya
To her right, Maya saw Aldrik. The knight was leaning against the wall, his direwolf sitting next to him, always cautious but not ve… morery inconspicuous. Gregar obviously preferred him and if Maya was honest, so did she. Not counting their rather rocky first meeting, Aldrik had proven himself to be a pleasant travelling companion and one she fully trusted.
To her left, there was Irving. In comparison to the strong, intimidating knight, he looked plain and almost a bit pathetic. There was also his terrible reputation. While Irving was indeed a watchguard, he was infamous in Gulltown for his inability to stay awake during such a task. During their journey, he more than once proved that the rumours were true. Yet, at the same time she had to remember when he saved her life. Maybe he deserved more credit than she was willing to give him. And there was the way he just looked at her. Maya was many things, but not cruel.
“Fine”, she sighed… [view original content]
[Stay with Mathea and Wolfius] We can talk to Hackor anytime, I think we should make sure everything goes smoothly here. Besides Mathea is starting to grow on me, I'm so glad she didn't listen to Arthur.
Maya
To her right, Maya saw Aldrik. The knight was leaning against the wall, his direwolf sitting next to him, always cautious but not ve… morery inconspicuous. Gregar obviously preferred him and if Maya was honest, so did she. Not counting their rather rocky first meeting, Aldrik had proven himself to be a pleasant travelling companion and one she fully trusted.
To her left, there was Irving. In comparison to the strong, intimidating knight, he looked plain and almost a bit pathetic. There was also his terrible reputation. While Irving was indeed a watchguard, he was infamous in Gulltown for his inability to stay awake during such a task. During their journey, he more than once proved that the rumours were true. Yet, at the same time she had to remember when he saved her life. Maybe he deserved more credit than she was willing to give him. And there was the way he just looked at her. Maya was many things, but not cruel.
“Fine”, she sighed… [view original content]
I don't feel safe leaving her with Wolfius all alone - even if I believe she could more or less handle this chained beast with some "strong hand" she showed already. I am as well happy with the presentation of her in overall, she is just like I've imagined her and knew that she will threat him anyway - even if murderer.
Maya
To her right, Maya saw Aldrik. The knight was leaning against the wall, his direwolf sitting next to him, always cautious but not ve… morery inconspicuous. Gregar obviously preferred him and if Maya was honest, so did she. Not counting their rather rocky first meeting, Aldrik had proven himself to be a pleasant travelling companion and one she fully trusted.
To her left, there was Irving. In comparison to the strong, intimidating knight, he looked plain and almost a bit pathetic. There was also his terrible reputation. While Irving was indeed a watchguard, he was infamous in Gulltown for his inability to stay awake during such a task. During their journey, he more than once proved that the rumours were true. Yet, at the same time she had to remember when he saved her life. Maybe he deserved more credit than she was willing to give him. And there was the way he just looked at her. Maya was many things, but not cruel.
“Fine”, she sighed… [view original content]
Maya
To her right, Maya saw Aldrik. The knight was leaning against the wall, his direwolf sitting next to him, always cautious but not ve… morery inconspicuous. Gregar obviously preferred him and if Maya was honest, so did she. Not counting their rather rocky first meeting, Aldrik had proven himself to be a pleasant travelling companion and one she fully trusted.
To her left, there was Irving. In comparison to the strong, intimidating knight, he looked plain and almost a bit pathetic. There was also his terrible reputation. While Irving was indeed a watchguard, he was infamous in Gulltown for his inability to stay awake during such a task. During their journey, he more than once proved that the rumours were true. Yet, at the same time she had to remember when he saved her life. Maybe he deserved more credit than she was willing to give him. And there was the way he just looked at her. Maya was many things, but not cruel.
“Fine”, she sighed… [view original content]
Maya
To her right, Maya saw Aldrik. The knight was leaning against the wall, his direwolf sitting next to him, always cautious but not ve… morery inconspicuous. Gregar obviously preferred him and if Maya was honest, so did she. Not counting their rather rocky first meeting, Aldrik had proven himself to be a pleasant travelling companion and one she fully trusted.
To her left, there was Irving. In comparison to the strong, intimidating knight, he looked plain and almost a bit pathetic. There was also his terrible reputation. While Irving was indeed a watchguard, he was infamous in Gulltown for his inability to stay awake during such a task. During their journey, he more than once proved that the rumours were true. Yet, at the same time she had to remember when he saved her life. Maybe he deserved more credit than she was willing to give him. And there was the way he just looked at her. Maya was many things, but not cruel.
“Fine”, she sighed… [view original content]
Maya
To her right, Maya saw Aldrik. The knight was leaning against the wall, his direwolf sitting next to him, always cautious but not ve… morery inconspicuous. Gregar obviously preferred him and if Maya was honest, so did she. Not counting their rather rocky first meeting, Aldrik had proven himself to be a pleasant travelling companion and one she fully trusted.
To her left, there was Irving. In comparison to the strong, intimidating knight, he looked plain and almost a bit pathetic. There was also his terrible reputation. While Irving was indeed a watchguard, he was infamous in Gulltown for his inability to stay awake during such a task. During their journey, he more than once proved that the rumours were true. Yet, at the same time she had to remember when he saved her life. Maybe he deserved more credit than she was willing to give him. And there was the way he just looked at her. Maya was many things, but not cruel.
“Fine”, she sighed… [view original content]
Maya
To her right, Maya saw Aldrik. The knight was leaning against the wall, his direwolf sitting next to him, always cautious but not ve… morery inconspicuous. Gregar obviously preferred him and if Maya was honest, so did she. Not counting their rather rocky first meeting, Aldrik had proven himself to be a pleasant travelling companion and one she fully trusted.
To her left, there was Irving. In comparison to the strong, intimidating knight, he looked plain and almost a bit pathetic. There was also his terrible reputation. While Irving was indeed a watchguard, he was infamous in Gulltown for his inability to stay awake during such a task. During their journey, he more than once proved that the rumours were true. Yet, at the same time she had to remember when he saved her life. Maybe he deserved more credit than she was willing to give him. And there was the way he just looked at her. Maya was many things, but not cruel.
“Fine”, she sighed… [view original content]
Maya
To her right, Maya saw Aldrik. The knight was leaning against the wall, his direwolf sitting next to him, always cautious but not ve… morery inconspicuous. Gregar obviously preferred him and if Maya was honest, so did she. Not counting their rather rocky first meeting, Aldrik had proven himself to be a pleasant travelling companion and one she fully trusted.
To her left, there was Irving. In comparison to the strong, intimidating knight, he looked plain and almost a bit pathetic. There was also his terrible reputation. While Irving was indeed a watchguard, he was infamous in Gulltown for his inability to stay awake during such a task. During their journey, he more than once proved that the rumours were true. Yet, at the same time she had to remember when he saved her life. Maybe he deserved more credit than she was willing to give him. And there was the way he just looked at her. Maya was many things, but not cruel.
“Fine”, she sighed… [view original content]
[Stay with Mathea and Wolfius]My bet that Wolfius may snatch a scapel or knife from Mathea and use it while they leave. And I could've seen Mathea reaction from miles away.
EDIT: Changing to [Leave with Hackor] cause Hackor may has something important to say.
Maya
To her right, Maya saw Aldrik. The knight was leaning against the wall, his direwolf sitting next to him, always cautious but not ve… morery inconspicuous. Gregar obviously preferred him and if Maya was honest, so did she. Not counting their rather rocky first meeting, Aldrik had proven himself to be a pleasant travelling companion and one she fully trusted.
To her left, there was Irving. In comparison to the strong, intimidating knight, he looked plain and almost a bit pathetic. There was also his terrible reputation. While Irving was indeed a watchguard, he was infamous in Gulltown for his inability to stay awake during such a task. During their journey, he more than once proved that the rumours were true. Yet, at the same time she had to remember when he saved her life. Maybe he deserved more credit than she was willing to give him. And there was the way he just looked at her. Maya was many things, but not cruel.
“Fine”, she sighed… [view original content]
Maya
To her right, Maya saw Aldrik. The knight was leaning against the wall, his direwolf sitting next to him, always cautious but not ve… morery inconspicuous. Gregar obviously preferred him and if Maya was honest, so did she. Not counting their rather rocky first meeting, Aldrik had proven himself to be a pleasant travelling companion and one she fully trusted.
To her left, there was Irving. In comparison to the strong, intimidating knight, he looked plain and almost a bit pathetic. There was also his terrible reputation. While Irving was indeed a watchguard, he was infamous in Gulltown for his inability to stay awake during such a task. During their journey, he more than once proved that the rumours were true. Yet, at the same time she had to remember when he saved her life. Maybe he deserved more credit than she was willing to give him. And there was the way he just looked at her. Maya was many things, but not cruel.
“Fine”, she sighed… [view original content]
Maya
To her right, Maya saw Aldrik. The knight was leaning against the wall, his direwolf sitting next to him, always cautious but not ve… morery inconspicuous. Gregar obviously preferred him and if Maya was honest, so did she. Not counting their rather rocky first meeting, Aldrik had proven himself to be a pleasant travelling companion and one she fully trusted.
To her left, there was Irving. In comparison to the strong, intimidating knight, he looked plain and almost a bit pathetic. There was also his terrible reputation. While Irving was indeed a watchguard, he was infamous in Gulltown for his inability to stay awake during such a task. During their journey, he more than once proved that the rumours were true. Yet, at the same time she had to remember when he saved her life. Maybe he deserved more credit than she was willing to give him. And there was the way he just looked at her. Maya was many things, but not cruel.
“Fine”, she sighed… [view original content]
Maya
To her right, Maya saw Aldrik. The knight was leaning against the wall, his direwolf sitting next to him, always cautious but not ve… morery inconspicuous. Gregar obviously preferred him and if Maya was honest, so did she. Not counting their rather rocky first meeting, Aldrik had proven himself to be a pleasant travelling companion and one she fully trusted.
To her left, there was Irving. In comparison to the strong, intimidating knight, he looked plain and almost a bit pathetic. There was also his terrible reputation. While Irving was indeed a watchguard, he was infamous in Gulltown for his inability to stay awake during such a task. During their journey, he more than once proved that the rumours were true. Yet, at the same time she had to remember when he saved her life. Maybe he deserved more credit than she was willing to give him. And there was the way he just looked at her. Maya was many things, but not cruel.
“Fine”, she sighed… [view original content]
Maya
To her right, Maya saw Aldrik. The knight was leaning against the wall, his direwolf sitting next to him, always cautious but not ve… morery inconspicuous. Gregar obviously preferred him and if Maya was honest, so did she. Not counting their rather rocky first meeting, Aldrik had proven himself to be a pleasant travelling companion and one she fully trusted.
To her left, there was Irving. In comparison to the strong, intimidating knight, he looked plain and almost a bit pathetic. There was also his terrible reputation. While Irving was indeed a watchguard, he was infamous in Gulltown for his inability to stay awake during such a task. During their journey, he more than once proved that the rumours were true. Yet, at the same time she had to remember when he saved her life. Maybe he deserved more credit than she was willing to give him. And there was the way he just looked at her. Maya was many things, but not cruel.
“Fine”, she sighed… [view original content]
This certainly would have been the choice I would have picked, regardless of wether or not Hackor had something important to say. While Wolfius is chained and wouned, I hope this part hopefully showed that he is still dangerous. If he seriously manages to get his hands on Mathea, he could quite likely be able to kill her. Hackor isn't in any danger of getting killed at the moment, so there's the good chance that he and Arthur will be able to talk to each other after Mathea is finished with treating Wolfius.
The next part is hopefully going to be out today. It is going to be a Jaron part. Yes, another one. I once again realized how long his storyline in this chapter will be and came to the conclusion that I have to put his third part at this point, in order to evenly spread his parts across this chapter. Though, considering what I have planned for him, I hope you won't mind. In his last part, Jaron, Harpy and their companions arrived at the masquerade that gave the current chapter its name, in order to prevent the Tom from assasinating Lord Hightower, the High Septon and, ironically, Maron Mullendore. While Ayden is currently keeping an eye on the High Septon (and another one on his girlfriend, who is singing for the guests), Harpy, Martin and Keira kept close to Mullendore and the masquerade's host, Lord Petyr Vyrwel. As you may remember, this Lord Vyrwel is none other than Lucas' older half-brother, a charming, scheming man that is heavily implied to be behind the old Lord Vyrwel's tragic death. Finally, Jarek (whose name is far too similar to Jaron's for my liking) decided to keep an eye on Lord Hightower, since he is acquainted with Hightower's bodyguard. After a bit of thinking, Jaron decided to join him, which is where the next part will start.
And now, prepare for a shout-out. As you know, I always love it when a new story starts, so I decide to give a little bit of help, to make it a bit more popular. The story I'd like to present you today is called The Vigilant Sky and it is written by @TeamKennyW00T. In my opinion, TeamKennyW00T is one of the most talented writers on this forum, something he proved on numerous occasions in his earlier stories. The Vigilant Sky is a little bit different from other stories here, as it has no character submission. However, there are choices to be made, so it is still an interactive story. I can't tell you too much about the plot, as it has just started a few days ago. Instead, I'd like you to take a look for yourself, if you're interested. As always, all you have to do is to click on this link.
Seems interesting I give you that but I rather be a part in the creation of the story using characters.. isn't a greater of a great feeling to see how your character will adapt, react or become in a particular story base on personality and backstory you'd give?
The Voting is closed!
Arthur is going to stay with Mathea and Wolfius
This certainly would have been the choice I would have picked, r… moreegardless of wether or not Hackor had something important to say. While Wolfius is chained and wouned, I hope this part hopefully showed that he is still dangerous. If he seriously manages to get his hands on Mathea, he could quite likely be able to kill her. Hackor isn't in any danger of getting killed at the moment, so there's the good chance that he and Arthur will be able to talk to each other after Mathea is finished with treating Wolfius.
The next part is hopefully going to be out today. It is going to be a Jaron part. Yes, another one. I once again realized how long his storyline in this chapter will be and came to the conclusion that I have to put his third part at this point, in order to evenly spread his parts across this chapter. Though, considering what I have planned for him, I hope you wo… [view original content]
That's strange but I'm happy that my choice don't win!XD
Talking about the fic that you promote and the absence of character submission in it I can say that it's true that a reader will be more engaged of the plot knowing that one or more characters in it come from his own mind but it's obvious that the writer can sometimes have less freedom about them and their situation (while a writer that use only characters create by himself will never have this problem)
The Voting is closed!
Arthur is going to stay with Mathea and Wolfius
This certainly would have been the choice I would have picked, r… moreegardless of wether or not Hackor had something important to say. While Wolfius is chained and wouned, I hope this part hopefully showed that he is still dangerous. If he seriously manages to get his hands on Mathea, he could quite likely be able to kill her. Hackor isn't in any danger of getting killed at the moment, so there's the good chance that he and Arthur will be able to talk to each other after Mathea is finished with treating Wolfius.
The next part is hopefully going to be out today. It is going to be a Jaron part. Yes, another one. I once again realized how long his storyline in this chapter will be and came to the conclusion that I have to put his third part at this point, in order to evenly spread his parts across this chapter. Though, considering what I have planned for him, I hope you wo… [view original content]
Seems interesting I give you that but I rather be a part in the creation of the story using characters.. isn't a greater of a great feeling … moreto see how your character will adapt, react or become in a particular story base on personality and backstory you'd give?
Yeah. Plus, I'd basically already written the entire story prior to deciding to put it up on the forums. All the characters are pretty much fully developed, so there's not much room for more characters.
That's strange but I'm happy that my choice don't win!XD
Talking about the fic that you promote and the absence of character submission in… more it I can say that it's true that a reader will be more engaged of the plot knowing that one or more characters in it come from his own mind but it's obvious that the writer can sometimes have less freedom about them and their situation (while a writer that use only characters create by himself will never have this problem)
Perhaps you could think of some kind of "competition" for a character you may need and add to the plot to spice it up even more, I guess this could help to bound readers to this specific interactive story.
Yeah. Plus, I'd basically already written the entire story prior to deciding to put it up on the forums. All the characters are pretty much fully developed, so there's not much room for more characters.
Perhaps you could think of some kind of "competition" for a character you may need and add to the plot to spice it up even more, I guess this could help to bound readers to this specific interactive story.
Many apologies for not posting this yesterday. Something came up and I got very busy, so I had to take a few hours off. The wait for the next part should be shorter. As always, I hope you enjoy.
Jaron
With one last, worried glance at Harpy, who was walking arm in arm with Lord Vyrwel, Jaron turned his attention towards Jarek, who already seemed to be casually chatting with Lord Hightower's intimidating bodyguard. With a man like that at his side, it was hard to believe that the lord was in any danger at all, but it couldn't hurt to check on them. Aside from that, Jaron was curious to meet the lord of Oldtown.
Jarek spotted him as he approached the group that surrounded Hightower and quickly pointed at him, saying something to the bodyguard. “Get over here, Jaron”, he called him as soon as he was close enough. “Jaron, you have to meet Ser Arryk Bulwer. Arryk, this is Ser Jaron Storm, one of Lady Caron's bodyguards”
Arryk gave him a calm nod as he extended his hand to give Jaron a firm handshake. Then, he took off his helmet, revealing his face. He was older than Jaron, likely in his thirties, with a long head full of auburn hair, paired with a bushy full beard and narrow, green eyes. Extensive facial scarring gave him a somewhat disfigured appearance. Aside from several small scars on his head and neck, there were four deep markings that stood out, going diagonally across his face, starting from the upper right side of his head, all the way down to the left side of his neck, apparently the result of some sort of animal attack.
“Pleasure to meet you”, Arryk said in a calm, polite tone that was a lot softer than Jaron had actually expected from this man, although there was a hint of distrust in his voice. “We have expected Lady Caron's arrival yesterday. Has there been any trouble?”
“You know how the road is in these days”, Jaron chuckled, which caused Arryk to give him a calm nod. “I know”, he agreed. “I was just wondering. Four men sounds like an awfully large number of bodyguards for a secondborn daughter”
Instead of Jaron, Jarek answered. “The safety of his children is very important for Lord Caron”, he explained and Jaron immediately realized that Arryk wasn't convinced. Still, the bodyguard gave him a nod. “Understandable”, he said. “However, I am surprised that he chose you, of all people, to guard his beloved daughter. How have you ended up in Lord Caron's service anyway?”
“You remember the incident at the Sept?”, Jarek asked and Arryk gave him a nod. “Nearly killed you back there, how could I forget that?”, he answered. A smirk appeared on Jarek's face. “Glad you didn't do it”, he chuckled. “Anyways, one of the people I saved turned out to be working for House Caron. He made the necessary introductions. Turns out, Caron pays a lot better than the Burned Man”
“And now, after months you spent at Nightsong, Lord Caron sends you back to Oldtown, to guard his daughter”, Arryk concluded and Jarek gave him a nod. “I know the city. He figured, my knowledge could be valuable”, he answered. Slowly, Arryk started to frown at these words. “What a coincidence, isn't it?”, he asked.
Before Jarek could answer, a hand was put on Arryk's shoulder. The bodyguard immediately turned around, grabbing the hilt of his swords, but relaxed as soon as he saw the man standing behind him. Like most people in the room, he concealed his face with a mask. In his case, it was shaped to resemble a goat, consisted entirely out of silver and was hiding most of his real face. However, Jaron saw that he had short white hair and brown eyes. Despite the fact that his mask was consisting entirely out of silver, the rest of his clothes was more modest, at least considering that this man was one of the most powerful noblemen in the whole kingdom, someone who even had a distant claim to the throne.
“Mylord”, Arryk exclaimed as he saluted. “Greetings, Arryk”, Lord Hightower answered with a stern voice. “I hope you are not bothering the guests” With these words, he glanced at Jaron. “My name is Manfred Hightower, lord of Oldtown”, he introduced himself with a nod of his head. “I hope Arryk wasn't bothering you. He can be quite inquisitive at times” A proud smile flashed across Arryk's face. “All for your safety, mylord”, he interjected. “Mylord, this is Ser Jaron Storm, one of Lady Gwynna Caron's bodyguards”
“A fellow bodyguard, splendid”, Lord Hightower said in a tone that concealed boredom with politeness, although there was a certain sharpness in his voice that showed Jaron that he was sharing his bodyguards hint of distrust. “But it is wonderful to hear that Gwynna finally arrived. Petyr was patiently awaiting her arrival. Where is she at the moment?”
Arryk pointed at the group that surrounded Harpy and Lord Vyrwel. Currently, Harpy was talking to the host and to a tall noblewoman that was wearing a mask shaped like the head of a fox. “Over there, the lovely young lady talking to Lord Vyrwel and Lady Florent”, he explained. Jaron noticed that the lord let out a slightly disgusted noise at the latter name.
“I hope the journey to Oldtown was safe and comfortable”, Hightower stated. Jarek shook his head. “Half of the journey led through the dornish marches. Have you ever been there, mylord?”, he asked. Hightower gave him a proud nod. “I fought against the Stormlanders two times and four times against the Dornish savages. During one of these occasions, I even fought a duel against Lady Caron's grandfather...”
Before he could continue, the arrival of an old, thin servant cut him off. The man looked bored, even surrounded with all the decadence, as if nothing could faze him. He took a stilted and deep bow in front of Lord Hightower and a second, even more stilted but far less deep one in front of Jaron, Jarek and Arryk. “Mylord Hightower, Lord Vyrwel requests your presence”, he simply said, before he shuffled away.
Hightower let out a sigh. “That was a short talk”, he remarked, before he slightly bowed in front of Jaron and turned towards Lord Vyrwel's group, near the centre of the room. “I'm afraid, with this I have to apologize, for I don't want to keep our host waiting. I'm going to use this opportunity to introduce myself to Lady Caron. I'm probably doing her a favour. Nobody should be forced to talk to Lady Florent”, he stated in a polite tone, before he turned away. “I'm going to compliment the lady on her excellent bodyguards. Now, if you need anything else, Arryk will be at your service”
His bodyguard stayed behind for a moment. “Four bodyguards. One of them my old friend Jarek...”, he mumbled and glanced at Jaron and Jarek. “I know the road can be dangerous and the city even more, but was it really necessary to bring that many to this event?” Jaron opened his mouth to answer, but Arryk cut him off. “And then the way you separated from each other. One of your near the High Septon. Two of you near Lord Hightower. Three near Vyrwel and Mullendore”, he continued. “The most important men that are attending this event”
“Are you implying anything, Ser Arryk?”, Jaron asked and Arryk shook his head. “Just stating the obvious”, he answered, before he lowered his voice. “I hope for your sake that you don't plan anything. I hope for your sake that I'm just too paranoid here” With these words, he turned towards Lord Hightower and silently followed him, leaving Jaron and Jarek behind.
“So... he's your friend”, Jaron stated and Jarek gave him an apologetic look. “At least that's what I've thought”, he answered. “Must be the stress. Protecting the lord during such an event can't be easy” He glanced at the large frame of Arryk, before shaking his head. “Though, to be fair, he did try to kill me the last time we saw each other. Don't think that should put an end to our friendship though”
“What exactly happened between you?”, Jaron asked, mostly out of genuine curiosity. Jarek grinned as he heard these words and for a moment, he seemed to be genuinely amused as he closed his eyes. “Me and a few other sellswords have been hired by the Burned Man to track down a group of slavers”, he explained. “As you can imagine, a city like Oldtown is perfect for low-life dregs such as them. And as you can imagine, the Burned Man opposes them fiercely” He paused and put a hand onto the collar of his shirt.
“So we infiltrated their hideout, took them out one on one. At the same time, Arryk had received a hint about the whereabouts of these slavers and he decided to take them out himself. He is a knight after all, you know”, he continued and pulled down the collar of his shirt, revealing a large scar on his shoulder. “Things got chaotic with a heavily armoured knight going berserk in this hideout. In the darkness, he mistook me for the enemy. Ran me through with his sword. I got lucky that he recognized me in time, or else I would have bled out. Later, we got a good laugh out of it and...” He cut himself off, as he looked past Jaron and his smile turned into a smirk. “Guess we get some company, not that I would mind...”, he chuckled.
As Jaron followed his gaze, he saw Keira approaching. Like Harpy, her own mask was elegant and rather small, barely hiding her face and no comparison to the ridiculously ugly thing Jaron was forced to wear. She visibly enjoyed the attention her looks gave her, the glances that most noblemen and even some of the noblewomen shot her as she passed them. Catching their attention was like a game for her and here, in this illustrious festivity, she was visibly more comfortable than Jaron or Jarek.
“Congratulations”, she said as soon as she reached them. “You spent five minutes with Hightower and he already decided to rather talk to Harpy herself. Makes our job easier” She glanced past them and despite her smirk, a slightly worried streak appeared on her face. “Maybe you want to talk to the High Septon as well. Ayden looks rather frustrated”
Jaron turned around and looked across the room, past small groups of masked noblemen, past colourfully dressed entertainers and past a legion of servants until he found Ayden, leaning against a pillar close to the High Septon. He seemed to be casually chatting with a small man, who was wearing a flat, wooden mask, painted in red and blue. However, even across the room, Jaron could see him throwing increasingly angry glares at the High Septon, who in turn was only looking at the singer. In the past minutes, he had gotten closer to her and it was clear that he wasn't admiring her admittedly beautiful voice. It was also clear, from the look on her face, that the singer was visibly uncomfortable with this sort of attention.
“Maybe I should take over from him”, Jaron mumbled, before he looked back at Keira. “How is it going?” The whore threw a glance back at Harpy, who was brightly smiling while she was talking to a large, red-headed man, who was wearing a mask that hid most of his face, a mask shaped like the wings of a butterfly.
“Harpy is having a great time”, Keira explained. “Lord Vyrwel is a perfect host and he seems to be smitten with her. Trust me, I got a good eye for that” She noticed the expression on Jaron's face and put a hand onto his upper arm. “You shouldn't worry. She knows what she's got with you”
“Which is not very much”, Jaron growled and slightly raised his wounded arm. Keira shook her head. “You're selling yourself short, little hero. Besides, Harpy is not like that. And there is still Martin to look after her. He's keeping her safe”, she said softly, before she took another glance at Harpy's group. Her smile widened. “The man she's talking to right now is Commander Mullendore. A bit old for my liking, but seven hells, he is charming”, she explained. “And he has some fascinating things to tell. You should talk to him, I bet you're going to love his stories. War, bloodshed, all of these grisly details, but the way he explains them is strangely captivating”
Despite the fact that it was loud in the room, Jaron was able to pick out Harpy's laughter in particular and apparently, Keira heard the same. “Don't worry for her. She's having the time of her life right now”, she assured him. “You see, it's the first time she's at an event like this”
“That's obviously not true for you”, Jarek interjected and Keira gave him a polite nod. “Indeed it isn't”, she confirmed. “The... man... person I am working for, Hishi, often sends me and others to similar events, to entertain the guests. Hishi is earning a lot of gold with agreements like this and the local noblemen get to be very happy for a night. I'm surprised Lord Vyrwel hasn't requested this sort of entertainment for tonight”
“That opens a new problem I haven't even thought about”, Jarek continued. “The whole room is full of local noblemen. What if anyone recognizes you?” Keira's smile got a sly streak as she glanced around the room. “Oh, I'm pretty sure at least Lord Fossoway has already recognized me. The presence of Lady Fossoway prevents him from spilling the beans”, she explained. “They know me as a whore. Tonight, they don't see a whore, they see a respectably dressed handmaiden. In turn, they may have their masks, but I still recognize dozens of them. Trust me, I'm more dangerous to them than they could ever be to me” She stopped, paused and an her smile got a slightly apologizing streak. “Not that I want to be dangerous to them, I guess. But you shouldn't worry about that”
“Hopefully”, Jarek answered. “So, any leads about the Tom?” Keira shook her head, once again looking around the room. “Not yet. I saw a couple of cat masks, but none of them display the same craftsmanship as the Alley Cats”, she answered. “And even if, it could still be just a coincidence. There are hundreds of masked men in this building and cat masks are not the least popular choice these days”
“So we're going to need a lot of luck, huh?”, Jaron summarized. Keira gave him a nod. “Thankfully, I was born lucky”, she stated, before she once again looked past him. “Yeah, someone should really take Ayden's position. Wasn't the brightest idea to put him near the lecherous old fuck that's gawking at his girlfriend”
Jaron followed her stare and saw Ayden slowly approaching them. His fists were clenched and even though he was wearing a mask, Jaron saw the murderous glare in his eyes. “Someone has to take over”, he growled in a calm, but audibly restrained voice. “I can't take it anymore. And this rat is supposed to be the High Septon?”
“Maybe he just has a different definition of the term 'holy'”, Jarek interjected, which caused Ayden to glare at him. “If this evening wasn't so damn important, I would have punched the fucker already”, he answered. “Look at what he's doing”
He pointed at the High Septon and even though they were standing at the other end of the room, Jaron was afraid that the man could have noticed it. However, he only seemed to have eyes for the singer. Jaron was unable to hear the words of the song she was singing, but the melody was mournful. Underneath his wolf-shaped mask, the High Septon had a wide grin that certainly wasn't fitting for this sort of song. He had gotten dangerously close to her, up to the point where he occasionally put a hand onto her upper leg, a gesture that made the singer visibly shiver, even though she continued to sing without missing a beat.
“I tried to ignore it. I know Taria has no choice here, but for fucks sake, he is the High Septon! I expected more dignity from him”, Ayden explained. “Not in Oldtown”, Jarek answered and Ayden slowly shook his head. “I can't take it anymore. I know he is important and all, but I swear to the old gods and the new, I won't be able to stop anyone from killing him”
“Perfectly understandable”, Jaron answered and glanced at Lord Vyrwel and Harpy. As if she had read his thoughts, Keira followed his glance and put a hand onto his forearm. “Come on, don't worry about her”, she tried to calm him down. “Everything will be fine. See, I'm going to check up on her”
With these words she separated from the group and started to walk back towards Harpy and Martin. Jarek looked after her and let out a sigh. “Man, what does a woman like her see in a man like Wilshere?”, he asked, but neither Jaron nor Ayden actually bothered with responding.
“That means you want one of us to take your position?”, Jaron asked and Ayden gave him a nod. “Preferably someone who knows how to behave better than the High Septon”, the sellsword growled. “Because I seriously don't know how long I can just stand there, while this fat hypocrite is groping my girl”
Jaron let out a sigh. “I think I could do it”, he answered and Ayden gave him a thankful nod. “I appreciate it, Jaron”, he stated. “Give me a sign once Taria gets a break. I'd like to talk to her about... well, about something important”
Just as Jaron turned towards the High Septon, ready to assume his new position, Jarek suddenly grabbed his broken, left arm. Pain flashed through the left side of his body and he just barely managed to avoid letting out a pained scream. “The hell, Jarek?”, Ayden growled, but Jarek immediately silenced him by putting a finger onto his lips.
“Sorry”, he answered without even looking at Jaron. “I've forgotten about your wound. Now slowly turn around. Look to the small door over there, but don't make it too obvious. I don't want him to see us”
The pain faded slowly and with clenched teeth and heavy breathing, Jaron turned to the door Jarek had mentioned. Naturally, dozens of masked noblemen were blocking his view and at first, he didn't realize what Jarek was hinting at. Then, just for a second, he saw it. A plain, white cat mask, looking just like the one that was worn by the Alley Cats.
“Keira mentioned that it might be a coincidence”, Jaron remarked and Jarek narrowed his eyes. “Look again. Closely this time”, he hissed. Once again, Jaron only saw one man with a cat mask, although only for a moment, before the mask disappeared in the crowd again. Then, he saw a second cat mask, shaped slightly different. Next to the second one stood a third man, also wearing a cat mask.
“Coincidence, huh?”, Jarek growled and curiously looked at Ayden. “You're the man with the plan. What are we going to do now, Blackwell?”, he asked. Ayden let out a sigh. “Looks like we got us some cats”, he muttered. While he said this, the cat masks disappeared into the crowd once more, but this time Jaron was sure that they were walking towards the door.
“Where is that door leading to?”, he asked. “Outside”, Jarek answered. “From the size of the whole premises, the gardens must be at least as huge as the mansion itself. Lots of places to hide. Who knows how many there are”
“I'm going”, Ayden decided. “I have a choice between watching that fat bastard groping my girl, or actually trying to stop these cat-masked freaks. That's an easy one for me. And you're going to follow me” And with these words, without waiting for either Jaron or Jarek, he started to move through the crowd, towards the door.
Jarek sighed. “I can't remember anyone giving him the lead in this mission, but whatever”, he moaned. “We still don't know how many there are. We've seen three, but I bet we haven't seen all of them” He looked from the door to the High Septon. “Seriously though, no one is watching the High Fatso”, he remarked. “So, here's what I'm thinking. Ayden shouldn't be out there alone. One of us is following him, to make sure that he doesn't get himself killed. The other one takes his old position near the High Septon, to make sure he doesn't get killed either” A smirk formed on his mouth as he looked back at Jaron. “That would be your choice. I'm not particularly keen of doing either of these things, but well, someone has to, right?”
[Follow Ayden][Take Ayden's position near the High Septon]
Awesome Pov Liquid! At the beginning I was thinking that the choice will be between guard the High Septon or protect Harpy from the masked Butterfly instead the choice that you put has to do is,well,much more hard.
Follow Ayden sure will put our hero in a dangerous situation since Jaron must still recover from his wounds and I'm not sure he can fight well against enemies that are good to hide (and the author hinted that the garden is full of places to hide);plus that smell like a trap set up by Mullendore to drive away Jaron and friends from the mansion before a huge attack.
Take Ayden's position near the High Septon seems the safest choice for Jaron that can control the Septon and the other members of the party (expecially hidden alley cats) however if the cats attack the septon,or even characters more loved from our hero, Jaron probably will not protect them enough well (always because of his wounds)
At the end of the day I've decided since I'm not sure of the best outcome that I will not chose now but await until I make,for me,the best decision.
“The... man... person I am working for, Hishi, often sends me and others to similar events, to entertain the guests. Hishi is earning a lot of gold with agreements like this and the local noblemen get to be very happy for a night. I'm surprised Lord Vyrwel hasn't requested this sort of entertainment for tonight”
The first time one of my characters is mentioned in the story!
I make my choice:[Take Ayden's position near the High Septon] (because if a fight start at the garden I'm almost sure that Jaron will not be strong enough to help Ayden during the fight and that will lead them to suffer even fatal wounds (while Jarek should be enough strong to help Ayden during the possible fight);plus if we remain where we are we can control more not only the Septon but,more important,Mullendore
Many apologies for not posting this yesterday. Something came up and I got very busy, so I had to take a few hours off. The wait for the nex… moret part should be shorter. As always, I hope you enjoy.
Jaron
With one last, worried glance at Harpy, who was walking arm in arm with Lord Vyrwel, Jaron turned his attention towards Jarek, who already seemed to be casually chatting with Lord Hightower's intimidating bodyguard. With a man like that at his side, it was hard to believe that the lord was in any danger at all, but it couldn't hurt to check on them. Aside from that, Jaron was curious to meet the lord of Oldtown.
Jarek spotted him as he approached the group that surrounded Hightower and quickly pointed at him, saying something to the bodyguard. “Get over here, Jaron”, he called him as soon as he was close enough. “Jaron, you have to meet Ser Arryk Bulwer. Arryk, this is Ser Jaron Storm, one of Lady Caron's bodyguards”
Arryk gave hi… [view original content]
Many apologies for not posting this yesterday. Something came up and I got very busy, so I had to take a few hours off. The wait for the nex… moret part should be shorter. As always, I hope you enjoy.
Jaron
With one last, worried glance at Harpy, who was walking arm in arm with Lord Vyrwel, Jaron turned his attention towards Jarek, who already seemed to be casually chatting with Lord Hightower's intimidating bodyguard. With a man like that at his side, it was hard to believe that the lord was in any danger at all, but it couldn't hurt to check on them. Aside from that, Jaron was curious to meet the lord of Oldtown.
Jarek spotted him as he approached the group that surrounded Hightower and quickly pointed at him, saying something to the bodyguard. “Get over here, Jaron”, he called him as soon as he was close enough. “Jaron, you have to meet Ser Arryk Bulwer. Arryk, this is Ser Jaron Storm, one of Lady Caron's bodyguards”
Arryk gave hi… [view original content]
Comments
I'm surprised Arthur would actually try to let someone die without a fair trial, doesn't really sound like him.
I don't know, I just want Maya/Irving to happen ^_^
For what I've read until now of the character you have created I agree with you;however maybe we should remember that the always gracious Wolfius is a murder that,more of a time, threaten to kill not only Arthur but even his father and his sister.
I think that is the ship hoped for more of the whole history XD (not that I disliked it)
Maya
To her right, Maya saw Aldrik. The knight was leaning against the wall, his direwolf sitting next to him, always cautious but not very inconspicuous. Gregar obviously preferred him and if Maya was honest, so did she. Not counting their rather rocky first meeting, Aldrik had proven himself to be a pleasant travelling companion and one she fully trusted.
To her left, there was Irving. In comparison to the strong, intimidating knight, he looked plain and almost a bit pathetic. There was also his terrible reputation. While Irving was indeed a watchguard, he was infamous in Gulltown for his inability to stay awake during such a task. During their journey, he more than once proved that the rumours were true. Yet, at the same time she had to remember when he saved her life. Maybe he deserved more credit than she was willing to give him. And there was the way he just looked at her. Maya was many things, but not cruel.
“Fine”, she sighed. “Irving, the job is yours” Gregar raised an eyebrow at these words and Irving's eyes widened, as a wide smile formed on his face. “Thank you!”, he exclaimed. “You won't regret it, I promise”
He attempted to take a step towards her, but Maya raised her hands to keep him at bay. “No hugs, please”, she said with a smirk, before she shifted her attention towards Aldrik. “Ser Aldrik, are you okay with this?”
The knight gave her a short nod. “As you command, Ambassador”, he proclaimed. “Maybe it is for the best. I wouldn't feel well with such a task” His left hand patted the wolf's head. “Knightfang and I will patiently await your return. Perhaps I even find another way to contribute to our mission in the meantime. Lord Harlen Tyrell arrived in the city. Perhaps he is more open to reason”
“Then do it”, Maya allowed. “We'll meet again in a few hours, hopefully with the documents. And then we go home” A smirk flashed across Keat's face. “And then I get paid, you mean?”, he chuckled. “And then you get paid”, Maya confirmed, before she looked at Gregar. Her companion had a big frown on his face, bigger than usual. “Is everything alright?”, she asked.
Gregar shook his head and glared at Irving. “I want to be honest, Maya, this decision is a big pile of bullshit”, he growled. “You know him. He's going to fuck this up and then he's going to blame us!” Irving opened his mouth to protest, but Maya cut him off. “I made my decision, Gregar”, she said softly. “I know you are not happy with it, but you have to accept it”
“Looks like it”, Gregar muttered, before he walked away, out of the alleyway. “You coming?” Aldrik let out a sigh as he looked after him. “Keep an eye on him, ambassador”, he warned her. “I'm not questioning his loyalty, but his temper worries me” He paused and looked from Keat to Irving. “And keep an eye on Irving and especially on the thief”
“You know I'm standing right here, do you?”, Keat asked, before he turned towards Maya. “If you are ready, then we should follow Gregar. The archive is not far” Maya gave him a nod and the thief walked past her and Aldrik. “Jackass”, he mumbled as he glanced at the knight.
“Don't you worry, Ser Aldrik”, Maya reassured him as she saw Gregar, Keat and Irving standing at the other end of the alleyway. “I'm going to stay careful. Tomorrow, we'll be on our way back home”
“Your home”, Aldrik answered with a distant look in his eyes, before his gaze softened. “Ah, don't listen to me, ambassador. I'm sure you'll make it” A smile flashed across his face as he took a polite bow in front of her. She answered with a curtsey, decidedly less elegant than his gesture, but nonetheless genuine. Then, they went their separate ways, Maya walked towards her group, while Aldrik took the other way, back to the inn.
“So, how are we going to do this?”, Maya asked as she looked at Keat. The thief and Gregar had taken the lead, while Maya and Irving were walking behind them. “Getting in is actually not that hard. Aside from the occasional patrolling city guard, there are no guards in front of the building. The main door is locked of course, but I am prepared. I arranged for a small window in a backalley behind the archive to be open”
“Something tells me it's not going to stay that easy”, Irving said and even though he still seemed to be more happy than usual, the characteristic morose tone in his voice shined through. Gregar rolled his eyes in annoyance, but Keat only chuckled. “You are right”, he confirmed. “Inside of the building, there are a couple of guards. Not your typical city guard. These people can read. They are castle guards, some of the best, as I've been told”
“Oh wonder”, Irving mumbled. This time, Keat was wise enough to ignore him. “We have to avoid them of course. I hope you like darkness, because inside the archive, it will be your best friend”, he continued to explain. “The only problem is, this building is huge”
“Is it?”, Gregar asked. “I've been there just yesterday and it seemed to be rather small. Sure, three stories, a large front, rather impressive and all, but I've expected more from the famous archive” Keat's smile got wider. “On the surface it is indeed not very impressive. But there are a couple of additional basements below. Trust me, it is huge and it deserves its reputation”, he answered. “The question is, what exactly are we looking for?”
“A number of old contracts the Vale once made”, Maya explained. She knew it was a bit risky to tell a thief the truth about their mission, but Keat had something on him that made her trust him. “We're going to use them to hopefully prevent a war”
“I see”, Keat answered calmly. “I'm no expert, but that sounds like an important document. We have to go underground and if you don't have any specific details, I'm afraid we have to look around for a bit. Also, I have to acquire a key”
“Is that going to be a problem?”, Maya asked. Keat shook his head. “No big deal. But if we don't manage to find these contracts you are looking for, we have to return later, maybe tomorrow”, he explained. “Also not a big deal, as long as we remain unseen today”
“And what exactly will be my job?”, Irving asked and this time he even sounded mildly interested. Keat shortly glanced at him. “Obviously, you're not made for a break-in. Remember that window I mentioned? That will be our way out as well. You're going to stay in the backalley and try to remain in the shadows, in case a guard walks by. As soon as we leave, it will be your job to check if it's safe for us”
Irving gave him a nod. “Alright. I can do this”, he confirmed and looked at Maya. “You can count on me” His enthusiasm came surprising, considering that it was the first time Maya had ever seen him being enthusiastic about anything at all. “You're oddly eager to help”, she remarked. “It's so... unlike you. You sure you're not going to screw this up?”
“Please, I never screw anything up”, Irving answered proudly. This was enough for Maya and Gregar to exchange an amused glance. “Yeah... for a moment I thought you'd be serious here”, she chuckled. “I am serious!”, Irving protested, loud enough for Keat to put a finger onto his lips. “I mean... you can count on me”
“Since when?”, Gregar growled and Irving narrowed his eyes. “No one's talking to you”, he answered, before he looked back at Maya. “Last week I had an interesting talk with a guy named Marak. He gave me some advice”
“About what?”, Maya asked and immediately, she noticed that Irving's cheeks got more reddish than usual. “About how I can pull my weight around here a bit more. How I can get you all to respect me”, he stuttered. “See, I'm tired of being in your way. I'm not screwing this one up, I promise”
“As if”, Gregar snarled, but he stopped talking as soon as they stepped out of the street and onto a large square. The archive of Raylansfair was impressive as it was built entirely out of white marble in a city where most buildings were built out of wood. It wasn't impressive in terms of height, being a mere three stories high, but it had a broad front, half a dozen pillars that supported the canopy and a large set of stairs that lead up to a thick, wooden door.
The square was empty, thankfully, and no one noticed as Keat led the group across it past the archive's heavy walls and into a small backalley that led them around the building. “You sure this area is even patrolled?”, Irving asked as he looked around the narrow backalley. Keat gave him a nod. “Infrequently, but yes, it is”, he answered.
“Well, I can do this”, Irving proclaimed again. Once more, Gregar shook his head, but he stayed silent. “We'll see”, he growled. “If you fuck this up, I'm going to beat you up so fucking badly...” Maya cut him off by putting a hand onto his shoulder. “No one is going to fuck anything up, you hear me?”, she said softly, before she gave Irving a stern glare. “I'm trusting you”
A smile appeared on Irving's face and soon it turned into a wide grin. “And I can only tell you once more, I'm proving my worth”, he promised and saluted in front of her. It wasn't more than the pitiable attempt of a real salutation, but it nonetheless caused Maya to smile, even though, as she was looking upon the high walls of the archive, she still had the lingering fear that she was going to regret it. What she was about to do was extremely risky at best and she could only hope it was a risk worth taking. She looked at Keat who was leaning against the wall of the archive. “Then lead the way”, she ordered.
No Choices for this part
Arthur
Arthur vividly remembered the night Wolfius was presented to him on a silver platter. Even bound in chains, the killer was still the most aggressive and threatening being he had ever encountered. When Arthur had refused his offer, a murderous glare had been visible in his eyes. He remembered the low growl with which Wolfius threatened him, threatened his sister. Arthur had always considered himself to be a peaceful, forgiving man. But this was something he could never forgive. Wolfius wouldn't get a second chance.
At the same time, Arthur still hesitated to kill him directly. Refusing to help, it was one thing. Actively ending a life was something else entirely though, something Arthur had never managed to do. He never considered himself a killer before and he felt disgusted at himself for what he was about to say. Still, something about Wolfius, the eery confidence he had even while he was apparently helpless and locked away, it terrified him. It terrified him enough to consider a possibility he saw as downright horrible, but necessary
“Perhaps...”, he said and cleared his throat as he realized how meek his voice sounded. Mathea didn't look at him, instead she slowly opened the box she had been carrying with her, revealing a number of fine, surgical tools. Wolfius raised an eyebrow and as his almost feverish glare met Arthur's, a wide grin formed on his face. “Perhaps you don't have to heal him”, he finally said. “If you don't want to, I mean. He's going to die either way, as soon as the lord approves of the death sentence. Maybe it's for the better if we just leave”
Mathea looked over her shoulder and directly at him, a puzzled look on her face. Then, she slowly raised from the ground and turned around. She narrowed her eyes and the look on her face changed from puzzled to one of pure disbelief. “Excuse me?”, she hissed. “I'm sorry, it sounded as if you just suggested I should leave this man to die from an infected wound”
Arthur gulped as he saw the stern, somewhat disappointed look in her eyes. “I... yes, that was basically what I was suggesting”, he stuttered. “I mean... maybe it would be for the better. He is responsible for more than half a dozen murders, at least in Raylansfair. Who knows how many he had killed elsewhere? This city... this world will be better off without him”
This time, Mathea gave him a nod, even though the look on her face still did not change. “You are right. I know damn well how right you are”, she agreed. “I have two of his victims at my house. It took me days to even stabilize the girl”
“So she's still alive?”, Wolfius asked weakly, the hint of disappointment in his voice. “Maybe I should have cut deeper” His grin faded as Mathea shot a glare at him. “You're not making this any easier for me, you know?”, she said sternly, before she shifted her attention back at Arthur. “He is going to die either way, you said it yourself. In a few days, he won't be a threat to anyone ever again”
“But what if he manages to escape?”, Arthur asked the question that was keeping him on the edge ever since he looked Wolfius in the eye. Mathea raised her eyebrows. “Do you have such a low opinion of your own dungeons?”, she asked. “Listen, Arthur, I know you are right. He has to die, I give you that. There is no other way to make sure that he never hurts anyone again. But that's not the point here...”
While she said this, she knelt down again, close to Wolfius. “The point is that I am a healer, not an executioner. This man is despicable, he is dangerous, but I am not a killer. If you want him dead, you have to do it yourself”, she explained. “I can't leave him to die from an infected wound. I won't...” She paused and glared at Wolfius, who was neither grinning nor smiling. “I won't judge you if you decide to kill him yourself. I know your intentions are good”, she said and her voice gained a sharp tone. “But never again ask of me to leave someone to die, not even someone like him”
Arthur clenched his fists, as a deep feeling of shame started to rise inside of him. He joined the city guard to protect lives, just as they had protected his life once, not to take them. And he knew, even now, he couldn't kill Wolfius, as tempting as it was.
“You're right”, he admitted reluctantly. “It... it was a stupid idea. I'm sorry. I'm not going to kill him” Mathea's stern face softened up a little bit and she gave him a relieved nod. “I know”, she answered. “You're not a killer either”
She paused as she looked at Wolfius, who in turn gave her a slightly dazed look. “What?”, he asked and Mathea let out a sigh. “Your pants. I never thought I'd ever say that, but you have to take off your pants, or else I can't have a proper look at your leg”
Immediately, Wolfius sickening grin returned, although it appeared to be slightly forced this time, likely as a result of his bad condition. “Why don't you do it yourself, healer?”, he chuckled. Mathea frowned at his words and sighed, as she reached back into her bag, to pull out a pair of scissors. “First of all”, she said as she carefully moved the scissors towards his leg. “I am not your friend. I just saved your life, but I would have done that for anybody. Don't you ever think I have forgotten what you did to the Mettel family”
Wolfius gave her a nod and his grin got wider. “You can tell them, once I'm out of here, I will finish...”, he started to say, but the rest of his words turned into a pained groan as Mathea ripped away a piece of fabric from his pants, to reveal the wound in his left upper leg. “And second”, she continued. “I am tired of you. People like you disgust me”
She moved closer towards the beast and narrowed her eyes, but Arthur also noticed that her hands were shivering, as she clung to the pair of scissors as if it was a weapon. “And you have two options now. First, you stay quiet, you wipe that smug grin off your face and in turn I will do my best to make this as easy as possible”, she hissed. “Second, I will treat your wound, but I will do it without taking your sick, twisted feelings into consideration, you understand?”
Instead of answering her, Wolfius glanced past her and towards Arthur. “Boy, where have you found her?”, he asked in disbelief, before he gave Mathea a nod. “Option one please. Get it over with and then leave me alone”
“Alright then”, Mathea sighed as she inspected the wound. Arthur followed her glance and shivered as he saw the hole in Wolfius' leg. It wasn't the most gruesome wound he had ever seen and it didn't look infected, but it certainly wasn't a clean wound. While Mathea didn't even flinch, Arthur never liked the sight of blood. “This is going to hurt more than just a little bit. I'm trying to be as soft as possible, but I have to disinfect the wound”, she explained as she reached into her bag to reveal a small bottle. “This is really strong alcohol and I'm pouring it onto your wound. It's unpleasant, but necessary”
Wolfius gulped, before he nodded. And without further warning, Mathea held the bottle above his leg and poured some of the liquid down. The killer's reaction was more severe than Arthur expected. He had seen this procedure before and usually, the patients started to scream. So did Wolfius. But unlike any other patient Arthur had ever encountered, Wolfius tried to jump forwards in a fit of rage, his scream a mixture of pain and vicious anger, his face twisted with beastly hatred. While the chains prevented his hands from reaching Mathea's throat, as he likely intended, he came dangerously close and would have likely grabbed her if she wouldn't have jumped back. His sudden movement caused her to let out a surprised, slightly scared scream.
For a moment, Arthur was about to tackle Wolfius, but the killer relaxed immediately after he realized that his chains prevented him from harming the healer. Both, Mathea and Wolfius were breathing heavily, he in huge agony, she in mild shock.
“Sorry...”, Wolfius finally mumbled, a sheepish apology that sounded almost genuine. “Reflexes. Perhaps you could give me a bit of the milk” This time, something that resembled a smirk flashed over Mathea's face, even though her eyes were still widely opened, shocked from his sudden outburst. “I'm afraid I can't do this”, she answered and her voice sounded controlled, but triumphant at the same time. “I have to use my supplies on Rosalie Mettel”
Wolfius genuinely frowned and mumbled something, his voice too low for Arthur to understand a word. For a moment, he didn't look threatening at all. For a moment, he was just a chained and wounded beast.
Footsteps were heard and as Arthur turned around, he saw his father walking down the stairs to the dungeon. As always, Hackor was wearing his green armour, but inside the building he wasn't wearing his cloak. A stern, but tired look was embedded on his face as he greeted Arthur and Mathea with a nod. “Lady Mathea, it's a pleasure to have you here”, he said.
“I'm always ready to help, Commander Nathamer”, Mathea answered, although she barely looked at him as she focussed on Wolfius' wound. Hackor cleared his throat as he realized that she wasn't even paying attention to him. “I was hoping to welcome you personally, but I see my son already took care of that”, he said. This time a smile flashed over Mathea's face. “Indeed, commander. Your son has been very polite”
“Good to hear”, Hackor muttered and he raised an eyebrow as he looked back at Arthur. “Actually, there is something I have to talk about with my son, in my office” Arthur gulped as he considered the look on Wolfius' face just a few moments ago. “Right now?”, he asked and Hackor gave him a nod. “Only if you are comfortable with it. As soon as possible would be perfect, but I leave the ultimate decision up to you”, the commander answered. “If you'd rather stay here, then go and see me later”
As if she had read his thoughts Mathea glanced over her shoulder, at Arthur. “Don't you worry for me”, she assured him. “If you want to talk to your father, then by all means, do it. I believe Wolfius now knows how he has to behave in my presence. And if not, I can certainly handle him”
[Stay with Mathea and Wolfius] [Leave with Hackor]
[Stay with Mathea and Wolfius] Do not trust Wolfius one bit. Goddamnit Mathea. Could have let him die.
I do not regret this choice 100 percent.
This is a little bit late, but hm. No Sherryl?
About Maya Pov I like how the infiltration began and I start to think that MAYBE let Irving be the watchdog was not a mistake (because Aldrik can do an useful task tha our loved comic relief can't even dream to accomplish)
About Artur Pov I must admit that I like it because give more space at the healer and Wolfius showing that even if he is a psycopath and a murderer he is still a man that suffer from his wounds.
About the choice to do I'm not sure of the outcome since leave with Hackor will sure be the logical one (help your father and hear what he want sure is more productive to watch a healer save the life of a murderer) however Wolfius is a dangerous subject and I'm sure that he not whisper sweet words when Mathea refuse him the milk.
At the end this is my choice: [Leave with Hackor] because if Hackor want to talk about something important I think that is our duty to hear him now for the safety of the city (plus I want to give the father more screentime while Wolfius,for me at least,can waste all the rest of the chapter at his prison cell)
[Stay with Mathea and Wolfius]
[Stay with Mathea and Wolfius]
Indeed, Sherryl has been submitted by a user. In fact, she was one of the reasons why it is now required that everyone leaves their username in the submission, because I would have loved to talk to her creator about a few details I had to change.
[Stay with Mathea and Wolfius]
[Stay with Mathea and Wolfius] We can talk to Hackor anytime, I think we should make sure everything goes smoothly here. Besides Mathea is starting to grow on me, I'm so glad she didn't listen to Arthur.
[Stay with Mathea and Wolfius]
I don't feel safe leaving her with Wolfius all alone - even if I believe she could more or less handle this chained beast with some "strong hand" she showed already. I am as well happy with the presentation of her in overall, she is just like I've imagined her and knew that she will threat him anyway - even if murderer.
Alright then Irving, time to see if you can do anything without failing...
[Stay with Mathea and Wolfius] I think it's just for the best to keep eyes on that beast.
[Leave with Hackor]
[Stay with Mathea and Wolfius]
[Stay with Mathea and Wolfius]
[Stay with Mathea and Wolfius] Leaving a deranged psychopath alone with an important healer? Nope.
[Stay with Mathea and Wolfius....and kill this fucker already!] I dont care if he's injured^^ I cant feeling comfortable as long as he is alive.
[Stay with Mathea and Wolfius]My bet that Wolfius may snatch a scapel or knife from Mathea and use it while they leave. And I could've seen Mathea reaction from miles away.
EDIT: Changing to [Leave with Hackor] cause Hackor may has something important to say.
[Stay with Mathea and Wolfius]
I changed my mind, [Leave with Hackor], although it will make no difference.
I feel like Hackor has something really important to tell us and it be bad to not hear.
My favourite scene from latest Arthur part:
That's creepy but at the same time really well done!
[Stay with Mathea and Wolfius] Yeah... No.
Great part!
That's actually pretty cool.
[leave with hackor]
This is really awesome! I absolutely love the expression on their faces
The Voting is closed!
Arthur is going to stay with Mathea and Wolfius
This certainly would have been the choice I would have picked, regardless of wether or not Hackor had something important to say. While Wolfius is chained and wouned, I hope this part hopefully showed that he is still dangerous. If he seriously manages to get his hands on Mathea, he could quite likely be able to kill her. Hackor isn't in any danger of getting killed at the moment, so there's the good chance that he and Arthur will be able to talk to each other after Mathea is finished with treating Wolfius.
The next part is hopefully going to be out today. It is going to be a Jaron part. Yes, another one. I once again realized how long his storyline in this chapter will be and came to the conclusion that I have to put his third part at this point, in order to evenly spread his parts across this chapter. Though, considering what I have planned for him, I hope you won't mind. In his last part, Jaron, Harpy and their companions arrived at the masquerade that gave the current chapter its name, in order to prevent the Tom from assasinating Lord Hightower, the High Septon and, ironically, Maron Mullendore. While Ayden is currently keeping an eye on the High Septon (and another one on his girlfriend, who is singing for the guests), Harpy, Martin and Keira kept close to Mullendore and the masquerade's host, Lord Petyr Vyrwel. As you may remember, this Lord Vyrwel is none other than Lucas' older half-brother, a charming, scheming man that is heavily implied to be behind the old Lord Vyrwel's tragic death. Finally, Jarek (whose name is far too similar to Jaron's for my liking) decided to keep an eye on Lord Hightower, since he is acquainted with Hightower's bodyguard. After a bit of thinking, Jaron decided to join him, which is where the next part will start.
And now, prepare for a shout-out. As you know, I always love it when a new story starts, so I decide to give a little bit of help, to make it a bit more popular. The story I'd like to present you today is called The Vigilant Sky and it is written by @TeamKennyW00T. In my opinion, TeamKennyW00T is one of the most talented writers on this forum, something he proved on numerous occasions in his earlier stories. The Vigilant Sky is a little bit different from other stories here, as it has no character submission. However, there are choices to be made, so it is still an interactive story. I can't tell you too much about the plot, as it has just started a few days ago. Instead, I'd like you to take a look for yourself, if you're interested. As always, all you have to do is to click on this link.
Seems interesting I give you that but I rather be a part in the creation of the story using characters.. isn't a greater of a great feeling to see how your character will adapt, react or become in a particular story base on personality and backstory you'd give?
That's strange but I'm happy that my choice don't win!XD
Talking about the fic that you promote and the absence of character submission in it I can say that it's true that a reader will be more engaged of the plot knowing that one or more characters in it come from his own mind but it's obvious that the writer can sometimes have less freedom about them and their situation (while a writer that use only characters create by himself will never have this problem)
It's a story that will eventually be published
Yeah. Plus, I'd basically already written the entire story prior to deciding to put it up on the forums. All the characters are pretty much fully developed, so there's not much room for more characters.
Perhaps you could think of some kind of "competition" for a character you may need and add to the plot to spice it up even more, I guess this could help to bound readers to this specific interactive story.
I might do that, but it would have to be later in the story, once the plot is clearer.
Many apologies for not posting this yesterday. Something came up and I got very busy, so I had to take a few hours off. The wait for the next part should be shorter. As always, I hope you enjoy.
Jaron
With one last, worried glance at Harpy, who was walking arm in arm with Lord Vyrwel, Jaron turned his attention towards Jarek, who already seemed to be casually chatting with Lord Hightower's intimidating bodyguard. With a man like that at his side, it was hard to believe that the lord was in any danger at all, but it couldn't hurt to check on them. Aside from that, Jaron was curious to meet the lord of Oldtown.
Jarek spotted him as he approached the group that surrounded Hightower and quickly pointed at him, saying something to the bodyguard. “Get over here, Jaron”, he called him as soon as he was close enough. “Jaron, you have to meet Ser Arryk Bulwer. Arryk, this is Ser Jaron Storm, one of Lady Caron's bodyguards”
Arryk gave him a calm nod as he extended his hand to give Jaron a firm handshake. Then, he took off his helmet, revealing his face. He was older than Jaron, likely in his thirties, with a long head full of auburn hair, paired with a bushy full beard and narrow, green eyes. Extensive facial scarring gave him a somewhat disfigured appearance. Aside from several small scars on his head and neck, there were four deep markings that stood out, going diagonally across his face, starting from the upper right side of his head, all the way down to the left side of his neck, apparently the result of some sort of animal attack.
“Pleasure to meet you”, Arryk said in a calm, polite tone that was a lot softer than Jaron had actually expected from this man, although there was a hint of distrust in his voice. “We have expected Lady Caron's arrival yesterday. Has there been any trouble?”
“You know how the road is in these days”, Jaron chuckled, which caused Arryk to give him a calm nod. “I know”, he agreed. “I was just wondering. Four men sounds like an awfully large number of bodyguards for a secondborn daughter”
Instead of Jaron, Jarek answered. “The safety of his children is very important for Lord Caron”, he explained and Jaron immediately realized that Arryk wasn't convinced. Still, the bodyguard gave him a nod. “Understandable”, he said. “However, I am surprised that he chose you, of all people, to guard his beloved daughter. How have you ended up in Lord Caron's service anyway?”
“You remember the incident at the Sept?”, Jarek asked and Arryk gave him a nod. “Nearly killed you back there, how could I forget that?”, he answered. A smirk appeared on Jarek's face. “Glad you didn't do it”, he chuckled. “Anyways, one of the people I saved turned out to be working for House Caron. He made the necessary introductions. Turns out, Caron pays a lot better than the Burned Man”
“And now, after months you spent at Nightsong, Lord Caron sends you back to Oldtown, to guard his daughter”, Arryk concluded and Jarek gave him a nod. “I know the city. He figured, my knowledge could be valuable”, he answered. Slowly, Arryk started to frown at these words. “What a coincidence, isn't it?”, he asked.
Before Jarek could answer, a hand was put on Arryk's shoulder. The bodyguard immediately turned around, grabbing the hilt of his swords, but relaxed as soon as he saw the man standing behind him. Like most people in the room, he concealed his face with a mask. In his case, it was shaped to resemble a goat, consisted entirely out of silver and was hiding most of his real face. However, Jaron saw that he had short white hair and brown eyes. Despite the fact that his mask was consisting entirely out of silver, the rest of his clothes was more modest, at least considering that this man was one of the most powerful noblemen in the whole kingdom, someone who even had a distant claim to the throne.
“Mylord”, Arryk exclaimed as he saluted. “Greetings, Arryk”, Lord Hightower answered with a stern voice. “I hope you are not bothering the guests” With these words, he glanced at Jaron. “My name is Manfred Hightower, lord of Oldtown”, he introduced himself with a nod of his head. “I hope Arryk wasn't bothering you. He can be quite inquisitive at times” A proud smile flashed across Arryk's face. “All for your safety, mylord”, he interjected. “Mylord, this is Ser Jaron Storm, one of Lady Gwynna Caron's bodyguards”
“A fellow bodyguard, splendid”, Lord Hightower said in a tone that concealed boredom with politeness, although there was a certain sharpness in his voice that showed Jaron that he was sharing his bodyguards hint of distrust. “But it is wonderful to hear that Gwynna finally arrived. Petyr was patiently awaiting her arrival. Where is she at the moment?”
Arryk pointed at the group that surrounded Harpy and Lord Vyrwel. Currently, Harpy was talking to the host and to a tall noblewoman that was wearing a mask shaped like the head of a fox. “Over there, the lovely young lady talking to Lord Vyrwel and Lady Florent”, he explained. Jaron noticed that the lord let out a slightly disgusted noise at the latter name.
“I hope the journey to Oldtown was safe and comfortable”, Hightower stated. Jarek shook his head. “Half of the journey led through the dornish marches. Have you ever been there, mylord?”, he asked. Hightower gave him a proud nod. “I fought against the Stormlanders two times and four times against the Dornish savages. During one of these occasions, I even fought a duel against Lady Caron's grandfather...”
Before he could continue, the arrival of an old, thin servant cut him off. The man looked bored, even surrounded with all the decadence, as if nothing could faze him. He took a stilted and deep bow in front of Lord Hightower and a second, even more stilted but far less deep one in front of Jaron, Jarek and Arryk. “Mylord Hightower, Lord Vyrwel requests your presence”, he simply said, before he shuffled away.
Hightower let out a sigh. “That was a short talk”, he remarked, before he slightly bowed in front of Jaron and turned towards Lord Vyrwel's group, near the centre of the room. “I'm afraid, with this I have to apologize, for I don't want to keep our host waiting. I'm going to use this opportunity to introduce myself to Lady Caron. I'm probably doing her a favour. Nobody should be forced to talk to Lady Florent”, he stated in a polite tone, before he turned away. “I'm going to compliment the lady on her excellent bodyguards. Now, if you need anything else, Arryk will be at your service”
His bodyguard stayed behind for a moment. “Four bodyguards. One of them my old friend Jarek...”, he mumbled and glanced at Jaron and Jarek. “I know the road can be dangerous and the city even more, but was it really necessary to bring that many to this event?” Jaron opened his mouth to answer, but Arryk cut him off. “And then the way you separated from each other. One of your near the High Septon. Two of you near Lord Hightower. Three near Vyrwel and Mullendore”, he continued. “The most important men that are attending this event”
“Are you implying anything, Ser Arryk?”, Jaron asked and Arryk shook his head. “Just stating the obvious”, he answered, before he lowered his voice. “I hope for your sake that you don't plan anything. I hope for your sake that I'm just too paranoid here” With these words, he turned towards Lord Hightower and silently followed him, leaving Jaron and Jarek behind.
“So... he's your friend”, Jaron stated and Jarek gave him an apologetic look. “At least that's what I've thought”, he answered. “Must be the stress. Protecting the lord during such an event can't be easy” He glanced at the large frame of Arryk, before shaking his head. “Though, to be fair, he did try to kill me the last time we saw each other. Don't think that should put an end to our friendship though”
“What exactly happened between you?”, Jaron asked, mostly out of genuine curiosity. Jarek grinned as he heard these words and for a moment, he seemed to be genuinely amused as he closed his eyes. “Me and a few other sellswords have been hired by the Burned Man to track down a group of slavers”, he explained. “As you can imagine, a city like Oldtown is perfect for low-life dregs such as them. And as you can imagine, the Burned Man opposes them fiercely” He paused and put a hand onto the collar of his shirt.
“So we infiltrated their hideout, took them out one on one. At the same time, Arryk had received a hint about the whereabouts of these slavers and he decided to take them out himself. He is a knight after all, you know”, he continued and pulled down the collar of his shirt, revealing a large scar on his shoulder. “Things got chaotic with a heavily armoured knight going berserk in this hideout. In the darkness, he mistook me for the enemy. Ran me through with his sword. I got lucky that he recognized me in time, or else I would have bled out. Later, we got a good laugh out of it and...” He cut himself off, as he looked past Jaron and his smile turned into a smirk. “Guess we get some company, not that I would mind...”, he chuckled.
As Jaron followed his gaze, he saw Keira approaching. Like Harpy, her own mask was elegant and rather small, barely hiding her face and no comparison to the ridiculously ugly thing Jaron was forced to wear. She visibly enjoyed the attention her looks gave her, the glances that most noblemen and even some of the noblewomen shot her as she passed them. Catching their attention was like a game for her and here, in this illustrious festivity, she was visibly more comfortable than Jaron or Jarek.
“Congratulations”, she said as soon as she reached them. “You spent five minutes with Hightower and he already decided to rather talk to Harpy herself. Makes our job easier” She glanced past them and despite her smirk, a slightly worried streak appeared on her face. “Maybe you want to talk to the High Septon as well. Ayden looks rather frustrated”
Jaron turned around and looked across the room, past small groups of masked noblemen, past colourfully dressed entertainers and past a legion of servants until he found Ayden, leaning against a pillar close to the High Septon. He seemed to be casually chatting with a small man, who was wearing a flat, wooden mask, painted in red and blue. However, even across the room, Jaron could see him throwing increasingly angry glares at the High Septon, who in turn was only looking at the singer. In the past minutes, he had gotten closer to her and it was clear that he wasn't admiring her admittedly beautiful voice. It was also clear, from the look on her face, that the singer was visibly uncomfortable with this sort of attention.
“Maybe I should take over from him”, Jaron mumbled, before he looked back at Keira. “How is it going?” The whore threw a glance back at Harpy, who was brightly smiling while she was talking to a large, red-headed man, who was wearing a mask that hid most of his face, a mask shaped like the wings of a butterfly.
“Harpy is having a great time”, Keira explained. “Lord Vyrwel is a perfect host and he seems to be smitten with her. Trust me, I got a good eye for that” She noticed the expression on Jaron's face and put a hand onto his upper arm. “You shouldn't worry. She knows what she's got with you”
“Which is not very much”, Jaron growled and slightly raised his wounded arm. Keira shook her head. “You're selling yourself short, little hero. Besides, Harpy is not like that. And there is still Martin to look after her. He's keeping her safe”, she said softly, before she took another glance at Harpy's group. Her smile widened. “The man she's talking to right now is Commander Mullendore. A bit old for my liking, but seven hells, he is charming”, she explained. “And he has some fascinating things to tell. You should talk to him, I bet you're going to love his stories. War, bloodshed, all of these grisly details, but the way he explains them is strangely captivating”
Despite the fact that it was loud in the room, Jaron was able to pick out Harpy's laughter in particular and apparently, Keira heard the same. “Don't worry for her. She's having the time of her life right now”, she assured him. “You see, it's the first time she's at an event like this”
“That's obviously not true for you”, Jarek interjected and Keira gave him a polite nod. “Indeed it isn't”, she confirmed. “The... man... person I am working for, Hishi, often sends me and others to similar events, to entertain the guests. Hishi is earning a lot of gold with agreements like this and the local noblemen get to be very happy for a night. I'm surprised Lord Vyrwel hasn't requested this sort of entertainment for tonight”
“That opens a new problem I haven't even thought about”, Jarek continued. “The whole room is full of local noblemen. What if anyone recognizes you?” Keira's smile got a sly streak as she glanced around the room. “Oh, I'm pretty sure at least Lord Fossoway has already recognized me. The presence of Lady Fossoway prevents him from spilling the beans”, she explained. “They know me as a whore. Tonight, they don't see a whore, they see a respectably dressed handmaiden. In turn, they may have their masks, but I still recognize dozens of them. Trust me, I'm more dangerous to them than they could ever be to me” She stopped, paused and an her smile got a slightly apologizing streak. “Not that I want to be dangerous to them, I guess. But you shouldn't worry about that”
“Hopefully”, Jarek answered. “So, any leads about the Tom?” Keira shook her head, once again looking around the room. “Not yet. I saw a couple of cat masks, but none of them display the same craftsmanship as the Alley Cats”, she answered. “And even if, it could still be just a coincidence. There are hundreds of masked men in this building and cat masks are not the least popular choice these days”
“So we're going to need a lot of luck, huh?”, Jaron summarized. Keira gave him a nod. “Thankfully, I was born lucky”, she stated, before she once again looked past him. “Yeah, someone should really take Ayden's position. Wasn't the brightest idea to put him near the lecherous old fuck that's gawking at his girlfriend”
Jaron followed her stare and saw Ayden slowly approaching them. His fists were clenched and even though he was wearing a mask, Jaron saw the murderous glare in his eyes. “Someone has to take over”, he growled in a calm, but audibly restrained voice. “I can't take it anymore. And this rat is supposed to be the High Septon?”
“Maybe he just has a different definition of the term 'holy'”, Jarek interjected, which caused Ayden to glare at him. “If this evening wasn't so damn important, I would have punched the fucker already”, he answered. “Look at what he's doing”
He pointed at the High Septon and even though they were standing at the other end of the room, Jaron was afraid that the man could have noticed it. However, he only seemed to have eyes for the singer. Jaron was unable to hear the words of the song she was singing, but the melody was mournful. Underneath his wolf-shaped mask, the High Septon had a wide grin that certainly wasn't fitting for this sort of song. He had gotten dangerously close to her, up to the point where he occasionally put a hand onto her upper leg, a gesture that made the singer visibly shiver, even though she continued to sing without missing a beat.
“I tried to ignore it. I know Taria has no choice here, but for fucks sake, he is the High Septon! I expected more dignity from him”, Ayden explained. “Not in Oldtown”, Jarek answered and Ayden slowly shook his head. “I can't take it anymore. I know he is important and all, but I swear to the old gods and the new, I won't be able to stop anyone from killing him”
“Perfectly understandable”, Jaron answered and glanced at Lord Vyrwel and Harpy. As if she had read his thoughts, Keira followed his glance and put a hand onto his forearm. “Come on, don't worry about her”, she tried to calm him down. “Everything will be fine. See, I'm going to check up on her”
With these words she separated from the group and started to walk back towards Harpy and Martin. Jarek looked after her and let out a sigh. “Man, what does a woman like her see in a man like Wilshere?”, he asked, but neither Jaron nor Ayden actually bothered with responding.
“That means you want one of us to take your position?”, Jaron asked and Ayden gave him a nod. “Preferably someone who knows how to behave better than the High Septon”, the sellsword growled. “Because I seriously don't know how long I can just stand there, while this fat hypocrite is groping my girl”
Jaron let out a sigh. “I think I could do it”, he answered and Ayden gave him a thankful nod. “I appreciate it, Jaron”, he stated. “Give me a sign once Taria gets a break. I'd like to talk to her about... well, about something important”
Just as Jaron turned towards the High Septon, ready to assume his new position, Jarek suddenly grabbed his broken, left arm. Pain flashed through the left side of his body and he just barely managed to avoid letting out a pained scream. “The hell, Jarek?”, Ayden growled, but Jarek immediately silenced him by putting a finger onto his lips.
“Sorry”, he answered without even looking at Jaron. “I've forgotten about your wound. Now slowly turn around. Look to the small door over there, but don't make it too obvious. I don't want him to see us”
The pain faded slowly and with clenched teeth and heavy breathing, Jaron turned to the door Jarek had mentioned. Naturally, dozens of masked noblemen were blocking his view and at first, he didn't realize what Jarek was hinting at. Then, just for a second, he saw it. A plain, white cat mask, looking just like the one that was worn by the Alley Cats.
“Keira mentioned that it might be a coincidence”, Jaron remarked and Jarek narrowed his eyes. “Look again. Closely this time”, he hissed. Once again, Jaron only saw one man with a cat mask, although only for a moment, before the mask disappeared in the crowd again. Then, he saw a second cat mask, shaped slightly different. Next to the second one stood a third man, also wearing a cat mask.
“Coincidence, huh?”, Jarek growled and curiously looked at Ayden. “You're the man with the plan. What are we going to do now, Blackwell?”, he asked. Ayden let out a sigh. “Looks like we got us some cats”, he muttered. While he said this, the cat masks disappeared into the crowd once more, but this time Jaron was sure that they were walking towards the door.
“Where is that door leading to?”, he asked. “Outside”, Jarek answered. “From the size of the whole premises, the gardens must be at least as huge as the mansion itself. Lots of places to hide. Who knows how many there are”
“I'm going”, Ayden decided. “I have a choice between watching that fat bastard groping my girl, or actually trying to stop these cat-masked freaks. That's an easy one for me. And you're going to follow me” And with these words, without waiting for either Jaron or Jarek, he started to move through the crowd, towards the door.
Jarek sighed. “I can't remember anyone giving him the lead in this mission, but whatever”, he moaned. “We still don't know how many there are. We've seen three, but I bet we haven't seen all of them” He looked from the door to the High Septon. “Seriously though, no one is watching the High Fatso”, he remarked. “So, here's what I'm thinking. Ayden shouldn't be out there alone. One of us is following him, to make sure that he doesn't get himself killed. The other one takes his old position near the High Septon, to make sure he doesn't get killed either” A smirk formed on his mouth as he looked back at Jaron. “That would be your choice. I'm not particularly keen of doing either of these things, but well, someone has to, right?”
[Follow Ayden] [Take Ayden's position near the High Septon]
[Follow Ayden]
Awesome Pov Liquid! At the beginning I was thinking that the choice will be between guard the High Septon or protect Harpy from the masked Butterfly instead the choice that you put has to do is,well,much more hard.
Follow Ayden sure will put our hero in a dangerous situation since Jaron must still recover from his wounds and I'm not sure he can fight well against enemies that are good to hide (and the author hinted that the garden is full of places to hide);plus that smell like a trap set up by Mullendore to drive away Jaron and friends from the mansion before a huge attack.
Take Ayden's position near the High Septon seems the safest choice for Jaron that can control the Septon and the other members of the party (expecially hidden alley cats) however if the cats attack the septon,or even characters more loved from our hero, Jaron probably will not protect them enough well (always because of his wounds)
At the end of the day I've decided since I'm not sure of the best outcome that I will not chose now but await until I make,for me,the best decision.
The first time one of my characters is mentioned in the story!
I make my choice:[Take Ayden's position near the High Septon] (because if a fight start at the garden I'm almost sure that Jaron will not be strong enough to help Ayden during the fight and that will lead them to suffer even fatal wounds (while Jarek should be enough strong to help Ayden during the possible fight);plus if we remain where we are we can control more not only the Septon but,more important,Mullendore
[Take Ayden's position near the High Septon]