Drent
There was no other way, he had to intervene. Garen was not only out of line, he was about to snap. He had a sword and Edonia still … morestood between him and the man that insulted him. Drent was not willing to risk her life on the small chance that Garen would back down.
“Drent, no...”, Tariel whispered pleadingly, but he did not stop. “Garen!”, he said loudly and the sellsword turned his head towards him. “Not you too”, he growled in return. “Fuck off, Drentie. Just stay out of my goddamn way for once”
“Garen, don't do something you're going to regret”, Drent answered sternly and the sellsword narrowed his eyes. “Like what?”, he asked and put a hand on the hilt of his sword. He glared at Edonia, who gulped, but remained firmly standing in front of him. “And you will go out of my way”, he snarled.
“Or what?”, Drent asked and started to feel more than just a little bit irritated at the needless aggression of Garen. In turn, the se… [view original content]
[Support Philip's plan] I'm pretty sure the cat mask guy is one of the Alley Cats. If we really want to find Kreep then we shouldn't concentrate on this one guy who most likely isn't him.
Drent
There was no other way, he had to intervene. Garen was not only out of line, he was about to snap. He had a sword and Edonia still … morestood between him and the man that insulted him. Drent was not willing to risk her life on the small chance that Garen would back down.
“Drent, no...”, Tariel whispered pleadingly, but he did not stop. “Garen!”, he said loudly and the sellsword turned his head towards him. “Not you too”, he growled in return. “Fuck off, Drentie. Just stay out of my goddamn way for once”
“Garen, don't do something you're going to regret”, Drent answered sternly and the sellsword narrowed his eyes. “Like what?”, he asked and put a hand on the hilt of his sword. He glared at Edonia, who gulped, but remained firmly standing in front of him. “And you will go out of my way”, he snarled.
“Or what?”, Drent asked and started to feel more than just a little bit irritated at the needless aggression of Garen. In turn, the se… [view original content]
Drent
There was no other way, he had to intervene. Garen was not only out of line, he was about to snap. He had a sword and Edonia still … morestood between him and the man that insulted him. Drent was not willing to risk her life on the small chance that Garen would back down.
“Drent, no...”, Tariel whispered pleadingly, but he did not stop. “Garen!”, he said loudly and the sellsword turned his head towards him. “Not you too”, he growled in return. “Fuck off, Drentie. Just stay out of my goddamn way for once”
“Garen, don't do something you're going to regret”, Drent answered sternly and the sellsword narrowed his eyes. “Like what?”, he asked and put a hand on the hilt of his sword. He glared at Edonia, who gulped, but remained firmly standing in front of him. “And you will go out of my way”, he snarled.
“Or what?”, Drent asked and started to feel more than just a little bit irritated at the needless aggression of Garen. In turn, the se… [view original content]
Drent
There was no other way, he had to intervene. Garen was not only out of line, he was about to snap. He had a sword and Edonia still … morestood between him and the man that insulted him. Drent was not willing to risk her life on the small chance that Garen would back down.
“Drent, no...”, Tariel whispered pleadingly, but he did not stop. “Garen!”, he said loudly and the sellsword turned his head towards him. “Not you too”, he growled in return. “Fuck off, Drentie. Just stay out of my goddamn way for once”
“Garen, don't do something you're going to regret”, Drent answered sternly and the sellsword narrowed his eyes. “Like what?”, he asked and put a hand on the hilt of his sword. He glared at Edonia, who gulped, but remained firmly standing in front of him. “And you will go out of my way”, he snarled.
“Or what?”, Drent asked and started to feel more than just a little bit irritated at the needless aggression of Garen. In turn, the se… [view original content]
Drent
There was no other way, he had to intervene. Garen was not only out of line, he was about to snap. He had a sword and Edonia still … morestood between him and the man that insulted him. Drent was not willing to risk her life on the small chance that Garen would back down.
“Drent, no...”, Tariel whispered pleadingly, but he did not stop. “Garen!”, he said loudly and the sellsword turned his head towards him. “Not you too”, he growled in return. “Fuck off, Drentie. Just stay out of my goddamn way for once”
“Garen, don't do something you're going to regret”, Drent answered sternly and the sellsword narrowed his eyes. “Like what?”, he asked and put a hand on the hilt of his sword. He glared at Edonia, who gulped, but remained firmly standing in front of him. “And you will go out of my way”, he snarled.
“Or what?”, Drent asked and started to feel more than just a little bit irritated at the needless aggression of Garen. In turn, the se… [view original content]
Alright then, I just wanted to give you an update on the current situation. I survived my surgery, obviously. I'm still at the hospital and will likely stay there until Wednesday to recover. The bad news are, I don't have an internet connection here aside from my phone's mobile data. Also, I'm currently feeling rather shitty after the surgery, so I'm not sure how much writing I'll be able to do either way. I have my laptop with me just in case though, so there's the chance I manage to write something. Finally, if you're among those currently expecting a private message from me, I'm afraid I have to keep you waiting until I'm back. Writing longer messages on my phone is a chore I'm just not able to do right now. If everything works out, I'll get back to you all on Wednesday, perhaps even with the new part already written
Alright then, I just wanted to give you an update on the current situation. I survived my surgery, obviously. I'm still at the hospital and … morewill likely stay there until Wednesday to recover. The bad news are, I don't have an internet connection here aside from my phone's mobile data. Also, I'm currently feeling rather shitty after the surgery, so I'm not sure how much writing I'll be able to do either way. I have my laptop with me just in case though, so there's the chance I manage to write something. Finally, if you're among those currently expecting a private message from me, I'm afraid I have to keep you waiting until I'm back. Writing longer messages on my phone is a chore I'm just not able to do right now. If everything works out, I'll get back to you all on Wednesday, perhaps even with the new part already written
Alright then, I just wanted to give you an update on the current situation. I survived my surgery, obviously. I'm still at the hospital and … morewill likely stay there until Wednesday to recover. The bad news are, I don't have an internet connection here aside from my phone's mobile data. Also, I'm currently feeling rather shitty after the surgery, so I'm not sure how much writing I'll be able to do either way. I have my laptop with me just in case though, so there's the chance I manage to write something. Finally, if you're among those currently expecting a private message from me, I'm afraid I have to keep you waiting until I'm back. Writing longer messages on my phone is a chore I'm just not able to do right now. If everything works out, I'll get back to you all on Wednesday, perhaps even with the new part already written
Wow!I really like these two parts! (the Drent one becuase we discover the past of lady Tariel (at least when she was at Raylansfair) while the Ilish one show some new interesting characters plus start the plan to hunt down a Kreep)
About the choice I will give me some time to think about it
Drent
There was no other way, he had to intervene. Garen was not only out of line, he was about to snap. He had a sword and Edonia still … morestood between him and the man that insulted him. Drent was not willing to risk her life on the small chance that Garen would back down.
“Drent, no...”, Tariel whispered pleadingly, but he did not stop. “Garen!”, he said loudly and the sellsword turned his head towards him. “Not you too”, he growled in return. “Fuck off, Drentie. Just stay out of my goddamn way for once”
“Garen, don't do something you're going to regret”, Drent answered sternly and the sellsword narrowed his eyes. “Like what?”, he asked and put a hand on the hilt of his sword. He glared at Edonia, who gulped, but remained firmly standing in front of him. “And you will go out of my way”, he snarled.
“Or what?”, Drent asked and started to feel more than just a little bit irritated at the needless aggression of Garen. In turn, the se… [view original content]
Hope you're recovering well! Back off to college today so my writing progression has pretty much come to a steady halt, so don't stress about the pm! I understand how difficult these things are on a small phone, and the main thing you need to do is rest, hope you recover soon!
Alright then, I just wanted to give you an update on the current situation. I survived my surgery, obviously. I'm still at the hospital and … morewill likely stay there until Wednesday to recover. The bad news are, I don't have an internet connection here aside from my phone's mobile data. Also, I'm currently feeling rather shitty after the surgery, so I'm not sure how much writing I'll be able to do either way. I have my laptop with me just in case though, so there's the chance I manage to write something. Finally, if you're among those currently expecting a private message from me, I'm afraid I have to keep you waiting until I'm back. Writing longer messages on my phone is a chore I'm just not able to do right now. If everything works out, I'll get back to you all on Wednesday, perhaps even with the new part already written
Whoa... Uh, I feel like a horrible person now. I had no idea you were having surgery. But, It's great to hear it went well. Hope you get around to feeling 100 percent soon.
Alright then, I just wanted to give you an update on the current situation. I survived my surgery, obviously. I'm still at the hospital and … morewill likely stay there until Wednesday to recover. The bad news are, I don't have an internet connection here aside from my phone's mobile data. Also, I'm currently feeling rather shitty after the surgery, so I'm not sure how much writing I'll be able to do either way. I have my laptop with me just in case though, so there's the chance I manage to write something. Finally, if you're among those currently expecting a private message from me, I'm afraid I have to keep you waiting until I'm back. Writing longer messages on my phone is a chore I'm just not able to do right now. If everything works out, I'll get back to you all on Wednesday, perhaps even with the new part already written
Alright then, I just wanted to give you an update on the current situation. I survived my surgery, obviously. I'm still at the hospital and … morewill likely stay there until Wednesday to recover. The bad news are, I don't have an internet connection here aside from my phone's mobile data. Also, I'm currently feeling rather shitty after the surgery, so I'm not sure how much writing I'll be able to do either way. I have my laptop with me just in case though, so there's the chance I manage to write something. Finally, if you're among those currently expecting a private message from me, I'm afraid I have to keep you waiting until I'm back. Writing longer messages on my phone is a chore I'm just not able to do right now. If everything works out, I'll get back to you all on Wednesday, perhaps even with the new part already written
Drent
There was no other way, he had to intervene. Garen was not only out of line, he was about to snap. He had a sword and Edonia still … morestood between him and the man that insulted him. Drent was not willing to risk her life on the small chance that Garen would back down.
“Drent, no...”, Tariel whispered pleadingly, but he did not stop. “Garen!”, he said loudly and the sellsword turned his head towards him. “Not you too”, he growled in return. “Fuck off, Drentie. Just stay out of my goddamn way for once”
“Garen, don't do something you're going to regret”, Drent answered sternly and the sellsword narrowed his eyes. “Like what?”, he asked and put a hand on the hilt of his sword. He glared at Edonia, who gulped, but remained firmly standing in front of him. “And you will go out of my way”, he snarled.
“Or what?”, Drent asked and started to feel more than just a little bit irritated at the needless aggression of Garen. In turn, the se… [view original content]
Surgery??? Shit, I hope you are feeling better and I am glad to hear that it all went well. Please do not worry and take your time to rest, surgery is not to mess around with.
Alright then, I just wanted to give you an update on the current situation. I survived my surgery, obviously. I'm still at the hospital and … morewill likely stay there until Wednesday to recover. The bad news are, I don't have an internet connection here aside from my phone's mobile data. Also, I'm currently feeling rather shitty after the surgery, so I'm not sure how much writing I'll be able to do either way. I have my laptop with me just in case though, so there's the chance I manage to write something. Finally, if you're among those currently expecting a private message from me, I'm afraid I have to keep you waiting until I'm back. Writing longer messages on my phone is a chore I'm just not able to do right now. If everything works out, I'll get back to you all on Wednesday, perhaps even with the new part already written
Drent
There was no other way, he had to intervene. Garen was not only out of line, he was about to snap. He had a sword and Edonia still … morestood between him and the man that insulted him. Drent was not willing to risk her life on the small chance that Garen would back down.
“Drent, no...”, Tariel whispered pleadingly, but he did not stop. “Garen!”, he said loudly and the sellsword turned his head towards him. “Not you too”, he growled in return. “Fuck off, Drentie. Just stay out of my goddamn way for once”
“Garen, don't do something you're going to regret”, Drent answered sternly and the sellsword narrowed his eyes. “Like what?”, he asked and put a hand on the hilt of his sword. He glared at Edonia, who gulped, but remained firmly standing in front of him. “And you will go out of my way”, he snarled.
“Or what?”, Drent asked and started to feel more than just a little bit irritated at the needless aggression of Garen. In turn, the se… [view original content]
I figured that I haven't told you anything about this surgery I underwent and frankly, I want to spare you the icky details, so let's keep it short. It was corrective surgery on my nasal septum, which was slightly misplaced after I broke my nose a while ago. While the nose itself healed nicely, the situation with my nasal septum grew worse, until surgery was required to allow the nose to fully function again. It was a routine surgery with very few risks and I'm pretty sure about 90% of the imaginable sureries are more unpleasant. That said, the aftereffects were still extremely uncomfortable and I unfortunately wasn't able to concentrate on any writing over the past few days. As of this, I just started the next part, which is a Garthon part. I'm not sure if I manage to finish it today, because I am currently not only under the effects of painkillers, but also extremely tired, as a result of only having slept about two hours over the past two days. Hospital rooms, eh? I'm glad I'm back home now. I missed writing, but the thing I missed even more is my own bed. I'll try to get back to writing as soon as possible and I will also catch up on anything I have missed while I was gone.
Now for a short recap. The last time we saw Garthon, he got into a fight with Harmund and Harndon Hoare, who intended to fuck him up badly for Harlan's wounds. This fight was interrupted by Kyra, whose arrival nearly caused Harndon to freak out, when she intimidated him into stopping to fight, while Harmund intimidated him into continuing. The arrival of Harrick finally ended this fight. As it turned out, Harrick was extremely pissed at Harmund and Kyra for nearly causing Harndon to break down. He escorted Garthon and Kyra to the Great Hall, where they met a colourful group of Iron Fleet Captains and Riverlords, who had gathered to listen to Garthon's version of the past events. To protect Torvin, it was clear that Garthon would tell them the full truth of what happened, but he also decided to praise the strong leadership Harren showed in this situation.
I am back and the Voting is closed!
Ilish is going to support Torold's plan
I figured that I haven't told you anything about this surg… moreery I underwent and frankly, I want to spare you the icky details, so let's keep it short. It was corrective surgery on my nasal septum, which was slightly misplaced after I broke my nose a while ago. While the nose itself healed nicely, the situation with my nasal septum grew worse, until surgery was required to allow the nose to fully function again. It was a routine surgery with very few risks and I'm pretty sure about 90% of the imaginable sureries are more unpleasant. That said, the aftereffects were still extremely uncomfortable and I unfortunately wasn't able to concentrate on any writing over the past few days. As of this, I just started the next part, which is a Garthon part. I'm not sure if I manage to finish it today, because I am currently not only under the effects of painkillers, but also ex… [view original content]
I am back and the Voting is closed!
Ilish is going to support Torold's plan
I figured that I haven't told you anything about this surg… moreery I underwent and frankly, I want to spare you the icky details, so let's keep it short. It was corrective surgery on my nasal septum, which was slightly misplaced after I broke my nose a while ago. While the nose itself healed nicely, the situation with my nasal septum grew worse, until surgery was required to allow the nose to fully function again. It was a routine surgery with very few risks and I'm pretty sure about 90% of the imaginable sureries are more unpleasant. That said, the aftereffects were still extremely uncomfortable and I unfortunately wasn't able to concentrate on any writing over the past few days. As of this, I just started the next part, which is a Garthon part. I'm not sure if I manage to finish it today, because I am currently not only under the effects of painkillers, but also ex… [view original content]
I am back and the Voting is closed!
Ilish is going to support Torold's plan
I figured that I haven't told you anything about this surg… moreery I underwent and frankly, I want to spare you the icky details, so let's keep it short. It was corrective surgery on my nasal septum, which was slightly misplaced after I broke my nose a while ago. While the nose itself healed nicely, the situation with my nasal septum grew worse, until surgery was required to allow the nose to fully function again. It was a routine surgery with very few risks and I'm pretty sure about 90% of the imaginable sureries are more unpleasant. That said, the aftereffects were still extremely uncomfortable and I unfortunately wasn't able to concentrate on any writing over the past few days. As of this, I just started the next part, which is a Garthon part. I'm not sure if I manage to finish it today, because I am currently not only under the effects of painkillers, but also ex… [view original content]
I am back and the Voting is closed!
Ilish is going to support Torold's plan
I figured that I haven't told you anything about this surg… moreery I underwent and frankly, I want to spare you the icky details, so let's keep it short. It was corrective surgery on my nasal septum, which was slightly misplaced after I broke my nose a while ago. While the nose itself healed nicely, the situation with my nasal septum grew worse, until surgery was required to allow the nose to fully function again. It was a routine surgery with very few risks and I'm pretty sure about 90% of the imaginable sureries are more unpleasant. That said, the aftereffects were still extremely uncomfortable and I unfortunately wasn't able to concentrate on any writing over the past few days. As of this, I just started the next part, which is a Garthon part. I'm not sure if I manage to finish it today, because I am currently not only under the effects of painkillers, but also ex… [view original content]
Nervously, Garthon looked from the captains to the Riverlords. Each of them obviously wanted to hear a different thing from him, wanted to see a different side of the king presented. Naturally, Harren had a very specific idea as well. The king gave him an impatient handwave. “Well, what are you waiting for?”, he growled, in a tone that sounded like feigned boredom.
Finally, Garthon settled for strength. There was little he could do wrong with praising Harren's strength, right? Everyone loved a strong king... right? The looks on their faces told him otherwise, but it seemed like his best option.
“Edmyn Tully planned this rebellion out of fear”, he started and the crowd started to murmur. “The very same sort of fear drew Torvin to his side. I don't know Tully very well, but I know my brother. Neither he, nor Tully were motivated by a higher goal. What united them was fear for their families”
The Riverlords erupted into loud murmuring, while Harren narrowed his eyes. Garthon gulped, knowing that he started wrong. Nonetheless, he was going somewhere with this and it was too late to turn back now. “I never shared my brother's fear!”, he continued to explain, silencing all but the most stubborn. “I joined him out of loyalty”
This was something many of the Captains seemed to emphasize with. While Cleaver Clint had a wide sneer on his face, Dorran Blacktyde looked almost impressed. “Ultimately, we paid the iron price. My brother is still in the dungeons, while I got this...”, he continued to explain and moved his hand to the fresh scar on his face.
“Where'd you get these bruises from?”, one of the Riverlords asked. Subconsciously, he glanced towards Kyra, who subtly shook her head. “The king punished me”, he explained. “As appropriate. He did not kill me, but that was the only mercy I was granted” He looked towards Harren Hoare, who seemed more pleased than before.
“You call that a punishment?”, Volmark asked. “Just cutting your damn cheek is no punishment” His hand firmly gripped the cleaver that hung on his belt and his grin got considerably crueler. “Harry, if you allow...”
“Fuck off, Cleaver”, one of the other captains called and Volmark turned his massive body around. “Who said that?”, he growled. “Who said that?” Alerah Blacktyde rolled her eyes, while Harren crossed his arms.
“That's because he is not the traitor here”, he growled, loudly enough to even silence the boisterous lord of Volmark. “If anything, he was loyal to his brother. I punished him accordingly” As he said this, he moved his own hand towards the very similar scar on his own cheek. “The real traitor is on his way. Then you can see the extent of my mercy...”
Garthon shivered as he heard these words. “King Harren showed me how foolish I was”, he explained in the attempt to regain the attention of the crowd. Most of them weren't looking at him anymore. As Garthon followed their glances, he realized that they were looking at Torvin. He entered the room, bound in chains, but unbroken.
Behind him walked his escort and Garthon and many others gasped as they saw the man. He was tall, clad almost entirely in dark grey iron, with a helmet that concealed most of his face. What little was visible showed his pale, almost milky white skin. In complete silence, the man carried a large battleaxe with him. An introduction as as unnecessary as impossible. Everyone in Harrenhal knew Tedyn Bullister, last of his line, Harren's favoured executioner and occasionally, the plaything for his sons. Once, he had been the fifthborn son of an unremarkable house from the Riverlands. Harren slaughtered his entire family after they attempted a petty rebellion and kept him as a servant. Now, he was known as the Axeman, Harren's favourite executioner. Garthon slowly felt his muscles tensing up.
“Torvin”, he whispered, in the attempt of gaining his brother's attention. Torvin only threw a tired glance towards him. “What do you want?”, he growled in return, and every word sounded and especially felt like knives twisting in his lower spine.
“Here we got the real traitor!”, Harren yelled and the crowd focussed onto him. “Torvin Breaker. A little shit that tried to kill me. So did his brother, but can I punish him for staying loyal to his family?”
Garthon gulped and looked at Kyra, who seemed confused and baffled of Harren's actions. At the very least he managed to attract the attention of every person in the hall. The king smirked and his expression looked in no way less cruel than Volmarks. “Torvin Breaker, do you regret your actions?”, he asked.
Torvin, ever the stubborn fool, shook his head and Garthon sighed, followed by a worried groan as Harren walked towards his brother. “You will”, he whispered and pointed towards the entrance of the Great Hall. Two men walked in.
On the left walked Harrick Hoare. The young prince had a look on his face that was entirely devoid of emotion, save for disgust. Unsurprising, given that the man to his right was Velmont Redloon. The last time Garthon had seen him has been weeks ago, on his way to Maidenpool. He still remembered their fight, he still remembered how he smashed Redloon's nose. The nose was still swollen and bandaged, but like Harren, like Volmark, his grin was cruel beyond measure. In his arms, he held... something. It was a small bundle, wrapped in linen and even from afar, it seemed to be soaked in blood.
Behind them, more and more people entered the hall. Garthon saw Damon Greyjoy, an enigma as always. He saw Simon Vessels and Hjalgar Holgarsson. Even Gabin Strad was there, though he remained far away from anyone else. The Great Hall was able to house an entire army and an entire army was exactly what entered at this moment.
“See, the traitor!”, Harren snarled loudly and pointed at Torvin, who still glared at him in defiance. Garthon looked away. The arrogance, the foolishness, they were unbearable. He tried his best and he knew, he would have had success, but he wasn't able to save Torvin from himself. “Traitor, I ask you again, do you regret your actions? Are you willing to repent?”, the king yelled.
Torvin's answer was just a single word and it came without hesitation. “Never”, he said decisively and Harren grinned. “Velmont!”, he yelled and Redloon started to approach him. Reciprocating his sick grin, he laid the bloody bundle into the king's arms. Then, he walked up to Garthon. “Hello, traitor”, he growled. And before Garthon could answer, under the watchful eyes of a thousand men and women, Velmont Redloon slammed his fist right into his face.
It wasn't a heavy punch. Perhaps Garthon was just used to way heavier, especially after his earlier fight with Harmund and Harndon. The punch, though unexpected, was just hard enough to cause him to stagger backwards, where one of King Harren's bodygaurds caught him.
“Enough!”, Harren yelled. He still cradled the bundle and directly approached Torvin. “Your brother brought up something interesting”, he growled. “Claimed that you only agreed to work with that fishcunt Tully because of your sense of family. That you were afraid what I might do to them and you decided to take me down first”
Again, Torvin shook his head in defiance. “I did it to end your tyranny. Both, the Isles and the Riverlands suffer under your hatred, your cruelty. I did it because I could no longer stand and watch how you bleed us dry! It's not just one kingdom that suffers, but both!”
The murmur was loud and more than one of the Riverlords found himself smirking at each other in triumph. Harren shook his head. “Would you call your brother a liar?”, he asked and this time, Torvin shook his head. “Naive”, he answered.
“So, your family had nothing to do with your plans?”, Harren asked again and Torvin shook his head. Harren's grin grew smaller. “Not even your little bitch back on Pyke?”, he asked and immediately, Torvin visibly tensed up. “Carissa, or maybe Clarissa. That is her name, isn't it?”
“Clarisse”, Torvin whispered and for the hint of a moment, Garthon saw fear in his brother's eyes, as Harren's grin grew wider and wider. “What have you done?”
“It took my men a full week, but they found her and brought her here”, Harren revealed. Garthon tensed up and he saw Torvin doing the same, just as Harren approached him. “When I saw her, there was a certain surprise”, he said and raised the small, bloody bundle. “When was the last time you saw her, Breaker?”
“Eight months ago...”, Torvin whispered, without averting his eyes from the bundle. Harren gave him a nod. “I'd say that's about right”, he confirmed. “You see, Harmund and Harndon played with her once she arrived. Lovely boys, aren't they? Though, Harndon got curious about one particular detail... Did you know that she was pregnant?”
Garthon saw how his brother slowly started to shake his head in disbelief. Something changed on Torvin's face. In an instant, confidence and defiance were replaced by primal fear. And as Garthon threw another glance at the small bundle, he understood what Harren just did and how far he would go to secure his power. He suppressed the urge to throw up.
“No...”, Torvin mumbled and Harren have him a cruel nod. “I told him there was a baby inside of her. Before I even bothered with reacting, he already had a knife in his hand and with the sweetest grin on his face, he told me he wanted to look at the baby”, he explained with vicious glee, visibly enjoying the agony his words caused. “I stopped him of course. Told him we couldn't harm such a valuable hostage like your sweet Clarisse. Donny moaned for a bit, but he followed my orders, as always. Harmund though... I just turned my head on him and Harmund kicked her right in the stomach”
He lifted the bloody bundle high up in the air, so that everyone in the hall was able to see it. Ten thousand people and none of them said a word. “The results have been... not pretty. Harmund would probably disagree, but Harmund is a degenerate”, he said and slightly lifted up part of the clothes wrapped around the bundle. Garthon looked at Torvin and never before had he seen his brother so helpless.
Without even the hint of compassion, the king let go of the bundle. It fell onto the floor in front of Torvin and the clothes around it slightly unwrapped when they made contact with the ground. Between the dirty, brown linen lay the blood-soaked corpse of a stillborn baby. Torvin reached the ground the same moment his stillborn child did. He was on all fours, a look of disbelieve on his face, although the sudden realization what was just taken from him slowly kicked in “Congratulations, Captain Breaker”, King Harren Hoare said. “It was a boy”
He turned around to approach his throne, but Torvin grabbed the end of his cloak. It wasn't an aggressive gesture, even though Teddyn the Axeman immediately, raised his giant axe. It took Harren just an angry glare to command him to calm down. “Wait!”, Torvin yelled. “Wait! Wait... Clarisse...”
Harren's cruel smile returned. “Is still alive”, he explained. “The Maester is tending to her, but she lost a lot of blood. It's been hours since she lost the baby and she still is not stabilized, though the Maester swears he can save her. Now, I don't feel very generous right now, so I probably need him for someone else soon, for example the halfwit son you almost killed”
“No!”, Torvin yelled in sheer panic, his gaze still fixed on his dead son. “No! Please, Harren! Your grace! King Harren, I will do whatever you want, but please!” Harren stopped and Garthon exchanged a look with Kyra. The young woman looked horrified, sickened and, like him, deeply afraid. Most importantly, she looked just as disturbed as Garthon on the fact that Torvin was actually begging for something.
“Whatever I want?”, Harren asked and Torvin gave him a nod. Tears streamed down his face without control. “Everything”, he offered. “Don't kill her. Please, your grace, keep her alive!” A grin flashed across Harren's face, as he turned towards the hall. “Am I not your king?”, he yelled. “Do I seem weak to you? Do you think I get soft?” No one dared to answer and the silence was deafening
“Hail Harren...”, the voice of Alerah Blacktyde finally sounded. On her own, her voice sounded less convinced, but others soon joined in, whether out of fear or out of genuine reference he did not manage to say. “HAIL HARREN!”, she screamed. “HAIL HARREN!”, the crowd answered, while the king just spread his arms in triumph. Somewhere in the crowd, Clint Volmark burst into laughter.
“Harry fucking Hoare!”, he yelled and approached the throne. He spat onto the stillborn, or perhaps onto Torvin who was still kneeling next to it and stopped right in front of the king. A good head taller and almost twice as big, he attempted to give Harren a jovial pat on the back. The king responded by violently punching him in the stomach, once, twice, again and then finally right in the head, until Volmark went to the ground.
“I am not your friend, Volmark”, he growled. “I am your king and you will treat me as such. The next time you approach without being ordered to, Bullister is going to take your head” Then, he reached down and helped the lord of Volmark back to his feet again. Cleaver Clint gave him a wordless nod, his smug grin was gone.
Torvin's gaze was still fixed on his dead son. He barely looked up as Harren knelt down to grab the stillborn child. “Well, that was entertaining, as well as educating”, the king chuckled and handed the child to Bullister, who wordlessly took it. His dark eyes were visible underneath his helmet and they showed fear more than anything else. “Tedyn, throw that to the dogs. Or bring it to Donny, wouldn't make much of a difference. The dogs probably make less of a mess though”, he ordered and Bullister shivered. Then, he gave him a nod and started to approach the door out of the hall. Behind him, Torvin slowly wept.
“Now, now, Breaker”, Harren mocked him. “Rest assured, I have kept your bitch alive for a reason and I will continue to keep her alive if you do something for me” In front of his entire court, he grabbed Torvin by the shoulders and helped him up. “Cleaver Clint Volmark!”, he growled, without averting his eyes from Torvin. Cleaver Clint gave him a nod and his tongue touched his upper lip, where it wiped a drop of his own blood away. “You want to raid again, do you?”
Even aside from the fact that his teeth were literally stained red, Clint's grin was bloodthirsty. “More than anything else, your grace”, he confirmed. Harren reciprocated his grin now. “As a matter of fact, I plan a very particular raid. I need someone as desperate as this pathetic little traitor here...”, he said and let go of Torvin, who almost sank back down onto his knees. “And I need someone as experienced and daring as you”
Immediately, Cleaver Clint went down onto one knee, a gesture he managed to do with considerable grace despite his mass. “In the name of the Iron Islands and the Drowned God, name any place in this world and I will sail there, I will slaughter their men, fuck their women and take their gold”, he declared. “Me and a hundred of my best will follow your call”
Harren gave him a pleased nod, before he looked at Torvin. “If you can gather a crew, then your ship is waiting in Seagard. Accompany Volmark to the Reach and raid the town of Raylansfair in my name. Slaughter them all, pillage their riches and burn their city to the ground”, he ordered him. “Return victorious and you will be forgiven. Your bitch will be returned to you, alive and you can make another son with her, or a dozen for all I care. Fail to return and she will die screaming, cursing your name with her final breath”
“I understand....”, Torvin mumbled in a monotone way. His gaze was still fixed onto the stain of blood on the floor, where his dead son lay just minutes ago. “I will need a crew though...” Harren gave him a nod and momentarily glanced at Garthon. “Rell Vessels will accompany you, to atone for what he did in the Riverlands”, he explained calmly. “Other than that... any volunteer is welcome to join you”
It took Garthon only a moment to know that he would stay by his brothers side once more. “You have your first mate, captain”, he said and put a hand onto Torvin's shoulder. His brother only gave him a solemn nod, while Kyra let out a sigh. “And my axe is yours”, she offered and the hint of a hopeful smile appeared on her face. It went away immediately when Harren shook his head. “Denied, Captain Greyjoy. I need you right here, in Harrenhal”, he stated. She gulped and gave him a nod. “As you wish, your grace”, she sighed.
Finally, the king turned towards the crowd. “Whoever feels ready to join Captain Breaker may now take a step forwards!”, he declared. “Glory awaits you! Remind the Reachmen why they used to fear the sight of our sails on the horizon. Paint the coast red with their blood!” The hall erupted into cheers and Garthon knew that his brother would get his crew without a doubt. He saw Dorran Blacktyde almost taking a step forwards, though his sister held him back, a hint of distrust on her face. The runtish Reymand Orkwood took a step back instead. But others came. Sailors, vicious killers, but, to Garthon's surprise, Rivermen as well.
Through all of this, he barely noticed Kyra walking up next to him, while one by one, Torvin's future crew stepped forwards, declaring their loyalty to their new captain. With a nod of her head, she commanded him to follow her and together, they walked down the Great Hall. “Is anything the matter?”, he asked and she raised an eyebrow.
“This... all of this. Raylansfair... I know the city and it's really not that impressive. Why does he wish to do it, all of a sudden?”, she stated. “And the commanders will be your brother and Cleaver Clint Volmark, whose loyalty is questionable at best”
“You think he plans something?”, Garthon asked and Kyra gave him a wordless nod. “I'm sure of that”, she declared. “Behind his petty cruelty hides a mind that ruled this kingdom for forty years. He has a plan and I doubt your brothers survival is required for it” She sighed again, stopped and grabbed his hand. For a moment, they looked each other in the eye. Kyra glanced over her shoulder, back into the Great Hall, before she gave Garthon a peck on the cheek. It was enough to cause him to blush.
“What was that for?”, he asked with a grin and she grinned as well. “Just for good luck”, she answered and he raised an eyebrow. “I bet a kiss on the lips works even better”, he proposed boldly. She smiled, but shook her head. “Don't get greedy just yet, Breaker”, she teased him. “First, you're going to spill some Reachmen blood for me. Then you return, the victorious conqueror, and we'll see” Her smile got smaller, but more honest at the same time. “Just promise me that you'll return. This kingdom has a lack of decent men”
She glanced past him and as Garthon followed her eyes, he saw Hjalgar, standing at the end of the crowd. He had his trusted bow in hand, but looked indecisive, glancing from the courtyard to the crowd that had amassed around the throne.
“New recruit perhaps?”, Kyra asked and Garthon shrugged. “Do we need him?”, he asked in return and she pressed her lips together. “He's a great shot and braver than he thinks he is. On top of that, he is loyal to Torvin, which makes him more useful for you than a thousand men like Cleaver. At the same time, he's a boy and this raid is going to be... dangerous, to say the least. Looks like he knows that as well” She looked back at him and he lost himself in her deep blue eyes, just for a moment. “You're Torvin's first mate. Why don't you decide if you need him? Help him with his decision”
[Encourage Hjalgar to join you][Encourage Hjalgar to stay behind]
Garthon
Nervously, Garthon looked from the captains to the Riverlords. Each of them obviously wanted to hear a different thing from him, … morewanted to see a different side of the king presented. Naturally, Harren had a very specific idea as well. The king gave him an impatient handwave. “Well, what are you waiting for?”, he growled, in a tone that sounded like feigned boredom.
Finally, Garthon settled for strength. There was little he could do wrong with praising Harren's strength, right? Everyone loved a strong king... right? The looks on their faces told him otherwise, but it seemed like his best option.
“Edmyn Tully planned this rebellion out of fear”, he started and the crowd started to murmur. “The very same sort of fear drew Torvin to his side. I don't know Tully very well, but I know my brother. Neither he, nor Tully were motivated by a higher goal. What united them was fear for their families”
The Riverlords erupted into loud … [view original content]
[Encourage Hjalger to join you] Eh. If Kyra insists we could use a good helping hand for this mission. Good god this part though... no mercy at all. I was really worried Torvin would meet his fate.
Garthon
Nervously, Garthon looked from the captains to the Riverlords. Each of them obviously wanted to hear a different thing from him, … morewanted to see a different side of the king presented. Naturally, Harren had a very specific idea as well. The king gave him an impatient handwave. “Well, what are you waiting for?”, he growled, in a tone that sounded like feigned boredom.
Finally, Garthon settled for strength. There was little he could do wrong with praising Harren's strength, right? Everyone loved a strong king... right? The looks on their faces told him otherwise, but it seemed like his best option.
“Edmyn Tully planned this rebellion out of fear”, he started and the crowd started to murmur. “The very same sort of fear drew Torvin to his side. I don't know Tully very well, but I know my brother. Neither he, nor Tully were motivated by a higher goal. What united them was fear for their families”
The Riverlords erupted into loud … [view original content]
Garthon
Nervously, Garthon looked from the captains to the Riverlords. Each of them obviously wanted to hear a different thing from him, … morewanted to see a different side of the king presented. Naturally, Harren had a very specific idea as well. The king gave him an impatient handwave. “Well, what are you waiting for?”, he growled, in a tone that sounded like feigned boredom.
Finally, Garthon settled for strength. There was little he could do wrong with praising Harren's strength, right? Everyone loved a strong king... right? The looks on their faces told him otherwise, but it seemed like his best option.
“Edmyn Tully planned this rebellion out of fear”, he started and the crowd started to murmur. “The very same sort of fear drew Torvin to his side. I don't know Tully very well, but I know my brother. Neither he, nor Tully were motivated by a higher goal. What united them was fear for their families”
The Riverlords erupted into loud … [view original content]
Wow!I really like these two parts! (the Drent one becuase we discover the past of lady Tariel (at least when she was at Raylansfair) while t… morehe Ilish one show some new interesting characters plus start the plan to hunt down a Kreep)
About the choice I will give me some time to think about it
Garthon
Nervously, Garthon looked from the captains to the Riverlords. Each of them obviously wanted to hear a different thing from him, … morewanted to see a different side of the king presented. Naturally, Harren had a very specific idea as well. The king gave him an impatient handwave. “Well, what are you waiting for?”, he growled, in a tone that sounded like feigned boredom.
Finally, Garthon settled for strength. There was little he could do wrong with praising Harren's strength, right? Everyone loved a strong king... right? The looks on their faces told him otherwise, but it seemed like his best option.
“Edmyn Tully planned this rebellion out of fear”, he started and the crowd started to murmur. “The very same sort of fear drew Torvin to his side. I don't know Tully very well, but I know my brother. Neither he, nor Tully were motivated by a higher goal. What united them was fear for their families”
The Riverlords erupted into loud … [view original content]
Amazing part to conclude this plotline around Breaker bro's failed rebellion. We haven't had Torvin PoVs in a while but man this part reminded me how amazing he is... and how sick Harren is. And Garthon too of course is great, but I think Torvin is still my favorite of the two. And now it seems we have couple more characters heading towards Raylansfair... I'm expecting some serious shit going down there by the end of this book.
[Encourage Hjalgar to join you] Why not, better get some friends to the crew because I suspect most of these people don't have much respect for Torvin and Garthon.
Garthon
Nervously, Garthon looked from the captains to the Riverlords. Each of them obviously wanted to hear a different thing from him, … morewanted to see a different side of the king presented. Naturally, Harren had a very specific idea as well. The king gave him an impatient handwave. “Well, what are you waiting for?”, he growled, in a tone that sounded like feigned boredom.
Finally, Garthon settled for strength. There was little he could do wrong with praising Harren's strength, right? Everyone loved a strong king... right? The looks on their faces told him otherwise, but it seemed like his best option.
“Edmyn Tully planned this rebellion out of fear”, he started and the crowd started to murmur. “The very same sort of fear drew Torvin to his side. I don't know Tully very well, but I know my brother. Neither he, nor Tully were motivated by a higher goal. What united them was fear for their families”
The Riverlords erupted into loud … [view original content]
Thanks! Yeah, I'm feeling better now. While writing this part, I actually fell asleep in my chair, but after this nap I'm feeling very well right now! In a week, I should be fully recovered and feeling better than ever.
I know, yeah. Hopefully it wasn't too horrible. I was actually unsure if that would take it too far, which is a thought I previously only had with Lunett's very graphic death. In the end, I only showed the aftermath of Harren's actions, because I really wouldn't have been comfortable with writing such a thing onscreen.
You know, for a few weeks a while ago, I actually thought about killing him off in this part, to show that Harren really means business. Arguably, it could have even been the kinder outcome for him. Now he has to live with the knowledge that he alone fucked his life and his whole family up. Similar to Lucas, this is going to seriously affect his personality.
[Encourage Hjalger to join you] Eh. If Kyra insists we could use a good helping hand for this mission. Good god this part though... no mercy at all. I was really worried Torvin would meet his fate.
Thanks! Yeah, I'm feeling better now. While writing this part, I actually fell asleep in my chair, but after this nap I'm feeling very well right now! In a week, I should be fully recovered and feeling better than ever.
I'm glad you enjoyed this part! Indeed, Torvin hadn't had a PoV in this chapter and he also was the first to have his storyline concluded in the last one, so there wasn't a Torvin part for over half a year now. It's good to hear that you still like him though! And you are definitely right with your assumption. Things are bound to go from bad to worse in Raylansfair, with Anturion, Bear and the Ironborn on their way, Clayton and his killers planning to acquire the Wildfire and Mullendore still having a mysterious master plan for the city. It's hard to believe that Harris once seemed like the biggest threat for the city, isn't it?
Amazing part to conclude this plotline around Breaker bro's failed rebellion. We haven't had Torvin PoVs in a while but man this part remind… moreed me how amazing he is... and how sick Harren is. And Garthon too of course is great, but I think Torvin is still my favorite of the two. And now it seems we have couple more characters heading towards Raylansfair... I'm expecting some serious shit going down there by the end of this book.
[Encourage Hjalgar to join you] Why not, better get some friends to the crew because I suspect most of these people don't have much respect for Torvin and Garthon.
Thanks! Yeah, I'm feeling better now. While writing this part, I actually fell asleep in my chair, but after this nap I'm feeling very well right now! In a week, I should be fully recovered and feeling better than ever.
[Encourage Hjalgar to join you] Torvin needs loyal companions now more than ever.
I loved this part, it was exciting, dark scary, everything a good story needs. I actually thought Torvin would die then, or bring in Clarisse and kill her to send a message. The Breaker's story gets more interesting with every part.
Garthon
Nervously, Garthon looked from the captains to the Riverlords. Each of them obviously wanted to hear a different thing from him, … morewanted to see a different side of the king presented. Naturally, Harren had a very specific idea as well. The king gave him an impatient handwave. “Well, what are you waiting for?”, he growled, in a tone that sounded like feigned boredom.
Finally, Garthon settled for strength. There was little he could do wrong with praising Harren's strength, right? Everyone loved a strong king... right? The looks on their faces told him otherwise, but it seemed like his best option.
“Edmyn Tully planned this rebellion out of fear”, he started and the crowd started to murmur. “The very same sort of fear drew Torvin to his side. I don't know Tully very well, but I know my brother. Neither he, nor Tully were motivated by a higher goal. What united them was fear for their families”
The Riverlords erupted into loud … [view original content]
Oh I have no doubt Torvin's character will approach a darker outcome since this has happened. On the other hand, Torvin's death would hit Garthon like a ton of bricks and would change his outlook, even after he confessed his crimes of treason toward an entire audience. Kind of similar to Ned's execution in a way.
You know, for a few weeks a while ago, I actually thought about killing him off in this part, to show that Harren really means business. Arg… moreuably, it could have even been the kinder outcome for him. Now he has to live with the knowledge that he alone fucked his life and his whole family up. Similar to Lucas, this is going to seriously affect his personality.
Garthon
Nervously, Garthon looked from the captains to the Riverlords. Each of them obviously wanted to hear a different thing from him, … morewanted to see a different side of the king presented. Naturally, Harren had a very specific idea as well. The king gave him an impatient handwave. “Well, what are you waiting for?”, he growled, in a tone that sounded like feigned boredom.
Finally, Garthon settled for strength. There was little he could do wrong with praising Harren's strength, right? Everyone loved a strong king... right? The looks on their faces told him otherwise, but it seemed like his best option.
“Edmyn Tully planned this rebellion out of fear”, he started and the crowd started to murmur. “The very same sort of fear drew Torvin to his side. I don't know Tully very well, but I know my brother. Neither he, nor Tully were motivated by a higher goal. What united them was fear for their families”
The Riverlords erupted into loud … [view original content]
[Encourage Hjalgar to join you] I'm impressed you went with something so dark it shows of what Westeros is really like.
Raylansfair is fucked with this many nations fighting over a small town no one will win (except for maybe aegon) the town will just get destroyed but this does seem to hype a very huge exciting battle which seems will happen and I'm excited for.
Garthon
Nervously, Garthon looked from the captains to the Riverlords. Each of them obviously wanted to hear a different thing from him, … morewanted to see a different side of the king presented. Naturally, Harren had a very specific idea as well. The king gave him an impatient handwave. “Well, what are you waiting for?”, he growled, in a tone that sounded like feigned boredom.
Finally, Garthon settled for strength. There was little he could do wrong with praising Harren's strength, right? Everyone loved a strong king... right? The looks on their faces told him otherwise, but it seemed like his best option.
“Edmyn Tully planned this rebellion out of fear”, he started and the crowd started to murmur. “The very same sort of fear drew Torvin to his side. I don't know Tully very well, but I know my brother. Neither he, nor Tully were motivated by a higher goal. What united them was fear for their families”
The Riverlords erupted into loud … [view original content]
Garthon
Nervously, Garthon looked from the captains to the Riverlords. Each of them obviously wanted to hear a different thing from him, … morewanted to see a different side of the king presented. Naturally, Harren had a very specific idea as well. The king gave him an impatient handwave. “Well, what are you waiting for?”, he growled, in a tone that sounded like feigned boredom.
Finally, Garthon settled for strength. There was little he could do wrong with praising Harren's strength, right? Everyone loved a strong king... right? The looks on their faces told him otherwise, but it seemed like his best option.
“Edmyn Tully planned this rebellion out of fear”, he started and the crowd started to murmur. “The very same sort of fear drew Torvin to his side. I don't know Tully very well, but I know my brother. Neither he, nor Tully were motivated by a higher goal. What united them was fear for their families”
The Riverlords erupted into loud … [view original content]
Comments
[Support Philip's plan]
[Support Philip's plan] I'm pretty sure the cat mask guy is one of the Alley Cats. If we really want to find Kreep then we shouldn't concentrate on this one guy who most likely isn't him.
Great parts!
(Support Phillips plan)
[Support Torold's plan]
[Support Torold's plan]
[Support Philip's plan]
Alright then, I just wanted to give you an update on the current situation. I survived my surgery, obviously. I'm still at the hospital and will likely stay there until Wednesday to recover. The bad news are, I don't have an internet connection here aside from my phone's mobile data. Also, I'm currently feeling rather shitty after the surgery, so I'm not sure how much writing I'll be able to do either way. I have my laptop with me just in case though, so there's the chance I manage to write something. Finally, if you're among those currently expecting a private message from me, I'm afraid I have to keep you waiting until I'm back. Writing longer messages on my phone is a chore I'm just not able to do right now. If everything works out, I'll get back to you all on Wednesday, perhaps even with the new part already written
Glad you are feeling okay and surgery went well. Take care of yourself now and rest. :-)
Don't worry about us,the most important thing is that you take care of yourself.
Wow!I really like these two parts! (the Drent one becuase we discover the past of lady Tariel (at least when she was at Raylansfair) while the Ilish one show some new interesting characters plus start the plan to hunt down a Kreep)
About the choice I will give me some time to think about it
Hope you're recovering well! Back off to college today so my writing progression has pretty much come to a steady halt, so don't stress about the pm! I understand how difficult these things are on a small phone, and the main thing you need to do is rest, hope you recover soon!
Whoa... Uh, I feel like a horrible person now. I had no idea you were having surgery. But, It's great to hear it went well. Hope you get around to feeling 100 percent soon.
Don't worry man take care of yourself. I hope you feel better as time progresses. Don't worry about us, like i told you your well being comes first.
As for the pm i sent you. Well one of the hardest lessons i have had to learn is patience. So i guess in a way you're helping me with that
.
[Support Torold's plan]
Surgery??? Shit, I hope you are feeling better and I am glad to hear that it all went well. Please do not worry and take your time to rest, surgery is not to mess around with.
[Support Torold's plan]
His plan just seems better to me.
I am back and the Voting is closed!
Ilish is going to support Torold's plan
I figured that I haven't told you anything about this surgery I underwent and frankly, I want to spare you the icky details, so let's keep it short. It was corrective surgery on my nasal septum, which was slightly misplaced after I broke my nose a while ago. While the nose itself healed nicely, the situation with my nasal septum grew worse, until surgery was required to allow the nose to fully function again. It was a routine surgery with very few risks and I'm pretty sure about 90% of the imaginable sureries are more unpleasant. That said, the aftereffects were still extremely uncomfortable and I unfortunately wasn't able to concentrate on any writing over the past few days. As of this, I just started the next part, which is a Garthon part. I'm not sure if I manage to finish it today, because I am currently not only under the effects of painkillers, but also extremely tired, as a result of only having slept about two hours over the past two days. Hospital rooms, eh? I'm glad I'm back home now. I missed writing, but the thing I missed even more is my own bed. I'll try to get back to writing as soon as possible and I will also catch up on anything I have missed while I was gone.
Now for a short recap. The last time we saw Garthon, he got into a fight with Harmund and Harndon Hoare, who intended to fuck him up badly for Harlan's wounds. This fight was interrupted by Kyra, whose arrival nearly caused Harndon to freak out, when she intimidated him into stopping to fight, while Harmund intimidated him into continuing. The arrival of Harrick finally ended this fight. As it turned out, Harrick was extremely pissed at Harmund and Kyra for nearly causing Harndon to break down. He escorted Garthon and Kyra to the Great Hall, where they met a colourful group of Iron Fleet Captains and Riverlords, who had gathered to listen to Garthon's version of the past events. To protect Torvin, it was clear that Garthon would tell them the full truth of what happened, but he also decided to praise the strong leadership Harren showed in this situation.
Glad to see you back, even with new avatar!
Rest first and concentrate of gaining more strength - go to sleep! :-)
I hope you recover soon!
Welcome back man. Don't pressure yourself into writting, take all the time you need. Anyway i'm glad you healed
.
I'm glad to see you'll get to sleep in your bed tonight. Got to take care of yourself first man.
And also I'm frightened about the horrible thing that Harren Hoare will do.
Garthon
Nervously, Garthon looked from the captains to the Riverlords. Each of them obviously wanted to hear a different thing from him, wanted to see a different side of the king presented. Naturally, Harren had a very specific idea as well. The king gave him an impatient handwave. “Well, what are you waiting for?”, he growled, in a tone that sounded like feigned boredom.
Finally, Garthon settled for strength. There was little he could do wrong with praising Harren's strength, right? Everyone loved a strong king... right? The looks on their faces told him otherwise, but it seemed like his best option.
“Edmyn Tully planned this rebellion out of fear”, he started and the crowd started to murmur. “The very same sort of fear drew Torvin to his side. I don't know Tully very well, but I know my brother. Neither he, nor Tully were motivated by a higher goal. What united them was fear for their families”
The Riverlords erupted into loud murmuring, while Harren narrowed his eyes. Garthon gulped, knowing that he started wrong. Nonetheless, he was going somewhere with this and it was too late to turn back now. “I never shared my brother's fear!”, he continued to explain, silencing all but the most stubborn. “I joined him out of loyalty”
This was something many of the Captains seemed to emphasize with. While Cleaver Clint had a wide sneer on his face, Dorran Blacktyde looked almost impressed. “Ultimately, we paid the iron price. My brother is still in the dungeons, while I got this...”, he continued to explain and moved his hand to the fresh scar on his face.
“Where'd you get these bruises from?”, one of the Riverlords asked. Subconsciously, he glanced towards Kyra, who subtly shook her head. “The king punished me”, he explained. “As appropriate. He did not kill me, but that was the only mercy I was granted” He looked towards Harren Hoare, who seemed more pleased than before.
“You call that a punishment?”, Volmark asked. “Just cutting your damn cheek is no punishment” His hand firmly gripped the cleaver that hung on his belt and his grin got considerably crueler. “Harry, if you allow...”
“Fuck off, Cleaver”, one of the other captains called and Volmark turned his massive body around. “Who said that?”, he growled. “Who said that?” Alerah Blacktyde rolled her eyes, while Harren crossed his arms.
“That's because he is not the traitor here”, he growled, loudly enough to even silence the boisterous lord of Volmark. “If anything, he was loyal to his brother. I punished him accordingly” As he said this, he moved his own hand towards the very similar scar on his own cheek. “The real traitor is on his way. Then you can see the extent of my mercy...”
Garthon shivered as he heard these words. “King Harren showed me how foolish I was”, he explained in the attempt to regain the attention of the crowd. Most of them weren't looking at him anymore. As Garthon followed their glances, he realized that they were looking at Torvin. He entered the room, bound in chains, but unbroken.
Behind him walked his escort and Garthon and many others gasped as they saw the man. He was tall, clad almost entirely in dark grey iron, with a helmet that concealed most of his face. What little was visible showed his pale, almost milky white skin. In complete silence, the man carried a large battleaxe with him. An introduction as as unnecessary as impossible. Everyone in Harrenhal knew Tedyn Bullister, last of his line, Harren's favoured executioner and occasionally, the plaything for his sons. Once, he had been the fifthborn son of an unremarkable house from the Riverlands. Harren slaughtered his entire family after they attempted a petty rebellion and kept him as a servant. Now, he was known as the Axeman, Harren's favourite executioner. Garthon slowly felt his muscles tensing up.
“Torvin”, he whispered, in the attempt of gaining his brother's attention. Torvin only threw a tired glance towards him. “What do you want?”, he growled in return, and every word sounded and especially felt like knives twisting in his lower spine.
“Here we got the real traitor!”, Harren yelled and the crowd focussed onto him. “Torvin Breaker. A little shit that tried to kill me. So did his brother, but can I punish him for staying loyal to his family?”
Garthon gulped and looked at Kyra, who seemed confused and baffled of Harren's actions. At the very least he managed to attract the attention of every person in the hall. The king smirked and his expression looked in no way less cruel than Volmarks. “Torvin Breaker, do you regret your actions?”, he asked.
Torvin, ever the stubborn fool, shook his head and Garthon sighed, followed by a worried groan as Harren walked towards his brother. “You will”, he whispered and pointed towards the entrance of the Great Hall. Two men walked in.
On the left walked Harrick Hoare. The young prince had a look on his face that was entirely devoid of emotion, save for disgust. Unsurprising, given that the man to his right was Velmont Redloon. The last time Garthon had seen him has been weeks ago, on his way to Maidenpool. He still remembered their fight, he still remembered how he smashed Redloon's nose. The nose was still swollen and bandaged, but like Harren, like Volmark, his grin was cruel beyond measure. In his arms, he held... something. It was a small bundle, wrapped in linen and even from afar, it seemed to be soaked in blood.
Behind them, more and more people entered the hall. Garthon saw Damon Greyjoy, an enigma as always. He saw Simon Vessels and Hjalgar Holgarsson. Even Gabin Strad was there, though he remained far away from anyone else. The Great Hall was able to house an entire army and an entire army was exactly what entered at this moment.
“See, the traitor!”, Harren snarled loudly and pointed at Torvin, who still glared at him in defiance. Garthon looked away. The arrogance, the foolishness, they were unbearable. He tried his best and he knew, he would have had success, but he wasn't able to save Torvin from himself. “Traitor, I ask you again, do you regret your actions? Are you willing to repent?”, the king yelled.
Torvin's answer was just a single word and it came without hesitation. “Never”, he said decisively and Harren grinned. “Velmont!”, he yelled and Redloon started to approach him. Reciprocating his sick grin, he laid the bloody bundle into the king's arms. Then, he walked up to Garthon. “Hello, traitor”, he growled. And before Garthon could answer, under the watchful eyes of a thousand men and women, Velmont Redloon slammed his fist right into his face.
It wasn't a heavy punch. Perhaps Garthon was just used to way heavier, especially after his earlier fight with Harmund and Harndon. The punch, though unexpected, was just hard enough to cause him to stagger backwards, where one of King Harren's bodygaurds caught him.
“Enough!”, Harren yelled. He still cradled the bundle and directly approached Torvin. “Your brother brought up something interesting”, he growled. “Claimed that you only agreed to work with that fishcunt Tully because of your sense of family. That you were afraid what I might do to them and you decided to take me down first”
Again, Torvin shook his head in defiance. “I did it to end your tyranny. Both, the Isles and the Riverlands suffer under your hatred, your cruelty. I did it because I could no longer stand and watch how you bleed us dry! It's not just one kingdom that suffers, but both!”
The murmur was loud and more than one of the Riverlords found himself smirking at each other in triumph. Harren shook his head. “Would you call your brother a liar?”, he asked and this time, Torvin shook his head. “Naive”, he answered.
“So, your family had nothing to do with your plans?”, Harren asked again and Torvin shook his head. Harren's grin grew smaller. “Not even your little bitch back on Pyke?”, he asked and immediately, Torvin visibly tensed up. “Carissa, or maybe Clarissa. That is her name, isn't it?”
“Clarisse”, Torvin whispered and for the hint of a moment, Garthon saw fear in his brother's eyes, as Harren's grin grew wider and wider. “What have you done?”
“It took my men a full week, but they found her and brought her here”, Harren revealed. Garthon tensed up and he saw Torvin doing the same, just as Harren approached him. “When I saw her, there was a certain surprise”, he said and raised the small, bloody bundle. “When was the last time you saw her, Breaker?”
“Eight months ago...”, Torvin whispered, without averting his eyes from the bundle. Harren gave him a nod. “I'd say that's about right”, he confirmed. “You see, Harmund and Harndon played with her once she arrived. Lovely boys, aren't they? Though, Harndon got curious about one particular detail... Did you know that she was pregnant?”
Garthon saw how his brother slowly started to shake his head in disbelief. Something changed on Torvin's face. In an instant, confidence and defiance were replaced by primal fear. And as Garthon threw another glance at the small bundle, he understood what Harren just did and how far he would go to secure his power. He suppressed the urge to throw up.
“No...”, Torvin mumbled and Harren have him a cruel nod. “I told him there was a baby inside of her. Before I even bothered with reacting, he already had a knife in his hand and with the sweetest grin on his face, he told me he wanted to look at the baby”, he explained with vicious glee, visibly enjoying the agony his words caused. “I stopped him of course. Told him we couldn't harm such a valuable hostage like your sweet Clarisse. Donny moaned for a bit, but he followed my orders, as always. Harmund though... I just turned my head on him and Harmund kicked her right in the stomach”
He lifted the bloody bundle high up in the air, so that everyone in the hall was able to see it. Ten thousand people and none of them said a word. “The results have been... not pretty. Harmund would probably disagree, but Harmund is a degenerate”, he said and slightly lifted up part of the clothes wrapped around the bundle. Garthon looked at Torvin and never before had he seen his brother so helpless.
Without even the hint of compassion, the king let go of the bundle. It fell onto the floor in front of Torvin and the clothes around it slightly unwrapped when they made contact with the ground. Between the dirty, brown linen lay the blood-soaked corpse of a stillborn baby. Torvin reached the ground the same moment his stillborn child did. He was on all fours, a look of disbelieve on his face, although the sudden realization what was just taken from him slowly kicked in “Congratulations, Captain Breaker”, King Harren Hoare said. “It was a boy”
He turned around to approach his throne, but Torvin grabbed the end of his cloak. It wasn't an aggressive gesture, even though Teddyn the Axeman immediately, raised his giant axe. It took Harren just an angry glare to command him to calm down. “Wait!”, Torvin yelled. “Wait! Wait... Clarisse...”
Harren's cruel smile returned. “Is still alive”, he explained. “The Maester is tending to her, but she lost a lot of blood. It's been hours since she lost the baby and she still is not stabilized, though the Maester swears he can save her. Now, I don't feel very generous right now, so I probably need him for someone else soon, for example the halfwit son you almost killed”
“No!”, Torvin yelled in sheer panic, his gaze still fixed on his dead son. “No! Please, Harren! Your grace! King Harren, I will do whatever you want, but please!” Harren stopped and Garthon exchanged a look with Kyra. The young woman looked horrified, sickened and, like him, deeply afraid. Most importantly, she looked just as disturbed as Garthon on the fact that Torvin was actually begging for something.
“Whatever I want?”, Harren asked and Torvin gave him a nod. Tears streamed down his face without control. “Everything”, he offered. “Don't kill her. Please, your grace, keep her alive!” A grin flashed across Harren's face, as he turned towards the hall. “Am I not your king?”, he yelled. “Do I seem weak to you? Do you think I get soft?” No one dared to answer and the silence was deafening
“Hail Harren...”, the voice of Alerah Blacktyde finally sounded. On her own, her voice sounded less convinced, but others soon joined in, whether out of fear or out of genuine reference he did not manage to say. “HAIL HARREN!”, she screamed. “HAIL HARREN!”, the crowd answered, while the king just spread his arms in triumph. Somewhere in the crowd, Clint Volmark burst into laughter.
“Harry fucking Hoare!”, he yelled and approached the throne. He spat onto the stillborn, or perhaps onto Torvin who was still kneeling next to it and stopped right in front of the king. A good head taller and almost twice as big, he attempted to give Harren a jovial pat on the back. The king responded by violently punching him in the stomach, once, twice, again and then finally right in the head, until Volmark went to the ground.
“I am not your friend, Volmark”, he growled. “I am your king and you will treat me as such. The next time you approach without being ordered to, Bullister is going to take your head” Then, he reached down and helped the lord of Volmark back to his feet again. Cleaver Clint gave him a wordless nod, his smug grin was gone.
Torvin's gaze was still fixed on his dead son. He barely looked up as Harren knelt down to grab the stillborn child. “Well, that was entertaining, as well as educating”, the king chuckled and handed the child to Bullister, who wordlessly took it. His dark eyes were visible underneath his helmet and they showed fear more than anything else. “Tedyn, throw that to the dogs. Or bring it to Donny, wouldn't make much of a difference. The dogs probably make less of a mess though”, he ordered and Bullister shivered. Then, he gave him a nod and started to approach the door out of the hall. Behind him, Torvin slowly wept.
“Now, now, Breaker”, Harren mocked him. “Rest assured, I have kept your bitch alive for a reason and I will continue to keep her alive if you do something for me” In front of his entire court, he grabbed Torvin by the shoulders and helped him up. “Cleaver Clint Volmark!”, he growled, without averting his eyes from Torvin. Cleaver Clint gave him a nod and his tongue touched his upper lip, where it wiped a drop of his own blood away. “You want to raid again, do you?”
Even aside from the fact that his teeth were literally stained red, Clint's grin was bloodthirsty. “More than anything else, your grace”, he confirmed. Harren reciprocated his grin now. “As a matter of fact, I plan a very particular raid. I need someone as desperate as this pathetic little traitor here...”, he said and let go of Torvin, who almost sank back down onto his knees. “And I need someone as experienced and daring as you”
Immediately, Cleaver Clint went down onto one knee, a gesture he managed to do with considerable grace despite his mass. “In the name of the Iron Islands and the Drowned God, name any place in this world and I will sail there, I will slaughter their men, fuck their women and take their gold”, he declared. “Me and a hundred of my best will follow your call”
Harren gave him a pleased nod, before he looked at Torvin. “If you can gather a crew, then your ship is waiting in Seagard. Accompany Volmark to the Reach and raid the town of Raylansfair in my name. Slaughter them all, pillage their riches and burn their city to the ground”, he ordered him. “Return victorious and you will be forgiven. Your bitch will be returned to you, alive and you can make another son with her, or a dozen for all I care. Fail to return and she will die screaming, cursing your name with her final breath”
“I understand....”, Torvin mumbled in a monotone way. His gaze was still fixed onto the stain of blood on the floor, where his dead son lay just minutes ago. “I will need a crew though...” Harren gave him a nod and momentarily glanced at Garthon. “Rell Vessels will accompany you, to atone for what he did in the Riverlands”, he explained calmly. “Other than that... any volunteer is welcome to join you”
It took Garthon only a moment to know that he would stay by his brothers side once more. “You have your first mate, captain”, he said and put a hand onto Torvin's shoulder. His brother only gave him a solemn nod, while Kyra let out a sigh. “And my axe is yours”, she offered and the hint of a hopeful smile appeared on her face. It went away immediately when Harren shook his head. “Denied, Captain Greyjoy. I need you right here, in Harrenhal”, he stated. She gulped and gave him a nod. “As you wish, your grace”, she sighed.
Finally, the king turned towards the crowd. “Whoever feels ready to join Captain Breaker may now take a step forwards!”, he declared. “Glory awaits you! Remind the Reachmen why they used to fear the sight of our sails on the horizon. Paint the coast red with their blood!” The hall erupted into cheers and Garthon knew that his brother would get his crew without a doubt. He saw Dorran Blacktyde almost taking a step forwards, though his sister held him back, a hint of distrust on her face. The runtish Reymand Orkwood took a step back instead. But others came. Sailors, vicious killers, but, to Garthon's surprise, Rivermen as well.
Through all of this, he barely noticed Kyra walking up next to him, while one by one, Torvin's future crew stepped forwards, declaring their loyalty to their new captain. With a nod of her head, she commanded him to follow her and together, they walked down the Great Hall. “Is anything the matter?”, he asked and she raised an eyebrow.
“This... all of this. Raylansfair... I know the city and it's really not that impressive. Why does he wish to do it, all of a sudden?”, she stated. “And the commanders will be your brother and Cleaver Clint Volmark, whose loyalty is questionable at best”
“You think he plans something?”, Garthon asked and Kyra gave him a wordless nod. “I'm sure of that”, she declared. “Behind his petty cruelty hides a mind that ruled this kingdom for forty years. He has a plan and I doubt your brothers survival is required for it” She sighed again, stopped and grabbed his hand. For a moment, they looked each other in the eye. Kyra glanced over her shoulder, back into the Great Hall, before she gave Garthon a peck on the cheek. It was enough to cause him to blush.
“What was that for?”, he asked with a grin and she grinned as well. “Just for good luck”, she answered and he raised an eyebrow. “I bet a kiss on the lips works even better”, he proposed boldly. She smiled, but shook her head. “Don't get greedy just yet, Breaker”, she teased him. “First, you're going to spill some Reachmen blood for me. Then you return, the victorious conqueror, and we'll see” Her smile got smaller, but more honest at the same time. “Just promise me that you'll return. This kingdom has a lack of decent men”
She glanced past him and as Garthon followed her eyes, he saw Hjalgar, standing at the end of the crowd. He had his trusted bow in hand, but looked indecisive, glancing from the courtyard to the crowd that had amassed around the throne.
“New recruit perhaps?”, Kyra asked and Garthon shrugged. “Do we need him?”, he asked in return and she pressed her lips together. “He's a great shot and braver than he thinks he is. On top of that, he is loyal to Torvin, which makes him more useful for you than a thousand men like Cleaver. At the same time, he's a boy and this raid is going to be... dangerous, to say the least. Looks like he knows that as well” She looked back at him and he lost himself in her deep blue eyes, just for a moment. “You're Torvin's first mate. Why don't you decide if you need him? Help him with his decision”
[Encourage Hjalgar to join you] [Encourage Hjalgar to stay behind]
[Encourage Hjalgar to stay behind] The more we bring, the higher the chances Leonard gets hurt.
And Jesus Liquid that was sick. Absolutely sick.
[Encourage Hjalger to join you] Eh. If Kyra insists we could use a good helping hand for this mission. Good god this part though... no mercy at all. I was really worried Torvin would meet his fate.
(Encourage Hjalgar to join you)
Sry missclicked reply. Ignore this comment.
Great Part Liquid. I hope it wasn't to bothersome to write. Hopefully you feel better by now.
Amazing part to conclude this plotline around Breaker bro's failed rebellion. We haven't had Torvin PoVs in a while but man this part reminded me how amazing he is... and how sick Harren is. And Garthon too of course is great, but I think Torvin is still my favorite of the two. And now it seems we have couple more characters heading towards Raylansfair... I'm expecting some serious shit going down there by the end of this book.
[Encourage Hjalgar to join you] Why not, better get some friends to the crew because I suspect most of these people don't have much respect for Torvin and Garthon.
Thanks! Yeah, I'm feeling better now. While writing this part, I actually fell asleep in my chair, but after this nap I'm feeling very well right now! In a week, I should be fully recovered and feeling better than ever.
I know, yeah. Hopefully it wasn't too horrible. I was actually unsure if that would take it too far, which is a thought I previously only had with Lunett's very graphic death. In the end, I only showed the aftermath of Harren's actions, because I really wouldn't have been comfortable with writing such a thing onscreen.
You know, for a few weeks a while ago, I actually thought about killing him off in this part, to show that Harren really means business. Arguably, it could have even been the kinder outcome for him. Now he has to live with the knowledge that he alone fucked his life and his whole family up. Similar to Lucas, this is going to seriously affect his personality.
Thats great. I feel happy for you man. Hopefully you are right
.
I'm glad you enjoyed this part! Indeed, Torvin hadn't had a PoV in this chapter and he also was the first to have his storyline concluded in the last one, so there wasn't a Torvin part for over half a year now. It's good to hear that you still like him though! And you are definitely right with your assumption. Things are bound to go from bad to worse in Raylansfair, with Anturion, Bear and the Ironborn on their way, Clayton and his killers planning to acquire the Wildfire and Mullendore still having a mysterious master plan for the city. It's hard to believe that Harris once seemed like the biggest threat for the city, isn't it?
Oh and also........nah forget it. Get your rest man.
Fuck this...
[Encourage Hjalgar to join you] Torvin needs loyal companions now more than ever.
I loved this part, it was exciting, dark scary, everything a good story needs. I actually thought Torvin would die then, or bring in Clarisse and kill her to send a message. The Breaker's story gets more interesting with every part.
Oh I have no doubt Torvin's character will approach a darker outcome since this has happened. On the other hand, Torvin's death would hit Garthon like a ton of bricks and would change his outlook, even after he confessed his crimes of treason toward an entire audience. Kind of similar to Ned's execution in a way.
[Encourage Hjalgar to join you]
[Encourage Hjalgar to join you] I'm impressed you went with something so dark it shows of what Westeros is really like.
Raylansfair is fucked with this many nations fighting over a small town no one will win (except for maybe aegon) the town will just get destroyed but this does seem to hype a very huge exciting battle which seems will happen and I'm excited for.
[Encourage Hjalgar to join you]
[Encourage Hjalgar to join you]