[Fight Rodrik and his men] Assuming John Gutten and crew survive long enough into the war of conquest and are still working for the Targaryens, it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a Dorne noble as a friend, and a really bad idea to let a Dorne noble get captured and possibly killed. And we have no clue how tough Rodrik is so single combat would be a bad idea, so hopefully the battle gets interupted with some passing travelers or maybe even the forest beast which will lead Richard and the Witcher dude to possibly help Sam. But I am pretty sure Jaro or I'lian are going to die, or Len, but I would be so crushed if they do because they are by far my favorite characters out of Gutten's crew, even more so than Sam.
Apologies for the slightly longer wait! There was other stuff I had to take care of yesterday. I also have to take back my earlier statement… more, this part will only include a PoV for Samantha, as her part got longer and longer while writing it. John will return in the next part. With this, I hope you enjoy
Samantha
“Fine. We'll do it your way”, Samantha agreed, as she reached for her dagger. In a swift movement, she cut Lenrianda's ties and the young woman immediately started to massage her aching wrists. She smiled at her newfound freedom. “But don't make me regret it”, Samantha added sharply, to which Lenrianda's smile faded. “Won't happen”, she assured her.
Not quite convinced about this, Samantha continued her way. Sasha walked close by her side, while Lenrianda was walking between her and Jaro, who was walking closely behind her. I'lian meanwhile had vanished into the underbrush again, to scout for any potential danger.
“Your… [view original content]
[Attack Rodrik and his men] Everyone except Sasha thinks this is the best option. Sasha's not the leader so I doubt he'll accept a challenge from her. Sasha's letting her care for Samantha cloud her judgement and I'm not interested in being a traitor. Lenrianda's cooperated. She told the truth, convinced Nymeria to let them go, she's been solid the whole way. We can't betray her.
EDIT: I might change to attack as it seems unlikely that this will win.
Apologies for the slightly longer wait! There was other stuff I had to take care of yesterday. I also have to take back my earlier statement… more, this part will only include a PoV for Samantha, as her part got longer and longer while writing it. John will return in the next part. With this, I hope you enjoy
Samantha
“Fine. We'll do it your way”, Samantha agreed, as she reached for her dagger. In a swift movement, she cut Lenrianda's ties and the young woman immediately started to massage her aching wrists. She smiled at her newfound freedom. “But don't make me regret it”, Samantha added sharply, to which Lenrianda's smile faded. “Won't happen”, she assured her.
Not quite convinced about this, Samantha continued her way. Sasha walked close by her side, while Lenrianda was walking between her and Jaro, who was walking closely behind her. I'lian meanwhile had vanished into the underbrush again, to scout for any potential danger.
“Your… [view original content]
[Fight Rodrik and his men] Assuming John Gutten and crew survive long enough into the war of conquest and are still working for the Targarye… morens, it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a Dorne noble as a friend, and a really bad idea to let a Dorne noble get captured and possibly killed. And we have no clue how tough Rodrik is so single combat would be a bad idea, so hopefully the battle gets interupted with some passing travelers or maybe even the forest beast which will lead Richard and the Witcher dude to possibly help Sam. But I am pretty sure Jaro or I'lian are going to die, or Len, but I would be so crushed if they do because they are by far my favorite characters out of Gutten's crew, even more so than Sam.
[Attack Rodrik and his men] Everyone except Sasha thinks this is the best option. Sasha's not the leader so I doubt he'll accept a challenge… more from her. Sasha's letting her care for Samantha cloud her judgement and I'm not interested in being a traitor. Lenrianda's cooperated. She told the truth, convinced Nymeria to let them go, she's been solid the whole way. We can't betray her.
EDIT: I might change to attack as it seems unlikely that this will win.
EDIT 2: Changing my choice to attack
EDIT: I might change to attack as it seems unlikely that this will win.
I hope that you do that,I'm surprised that there is so many naive readers that believe Rodrick's words.
Apologies for the slightly longer wait! There was other stuff I had to take care of yesterday. I also have to take back my earlier statement… more, this part will only include a PoV for Samantha, as her part got longer and longer while writing it. John will return in the next part. With this, I hope you enjoy
Samantha
“Fine. We'll do it your way”, Samantha agreed, as she reached for her dagger. In a swift movement, she cut Lenrianda's ties and the young woman immediately started to massage her aching wrists. She smiled at her newfound freedom. “But don't make me regret it”, Samantha added sharply, to which Lenrianda's smile faded. “Won't happen”, she assured her.
Not quite convinced about this, Samantha continued her way. Sasha walked close by her side, while Lenrianda was walking between her and Jaro, who was walking closely behind her. I'lian meanwhile had vanished into the underbrush again, to scout for any potential danger.
“Your… [view original content]
One could also say that hoping to win a fight against proffesional warriors, with 1:3 odds, is also a bit naive - or at least reckless Just like hoping that Rodrik agrees to 1v1 could be seen as naivety. So there really isn't a choice here that is clearly better than the others - they are all a huge risk.
Trust everyone even the people that obviously not deserved it is be naive
PS:Btw this is just my opinion about the matter,I'm not going to force people to make a choice different that the one that they have already do
One could also say that hoping to win a fight against proffesional warriors, with 1:3 odds, is also a bit naive - or at least reckless Just like hoping that Rodrik agrees to 1v1 could be seen as naivety. So there really isn't a choice here that is clearly better than the others - they are all a huge risk.
I found obvious that any choice that win will have bad consequences for our heroes however if I must be honest I still found the "trust that the person that want to kill your boss will let you go away" to be the most naive choice (even if I understand that a person want to hope to avoid a conflict even if they can't stop it)
PS:Just for be sure I want to say that I found naive the choice to trust Rodrick not the readers that make that choice because obviously I don't know nothing (Jon Snow Style) about them in Real Life;in brief I want to apologize if someone take this personal (since I must admit that the first post with the "naive" world can create some misunderstandings)
One could also say that hoping to win a fight against proffesional warriors, with 1:3 odds, is also a bit naive - or at least reckless Just… more like hoping that Rodrik agrees to 1v1 could be seen as naivety. So there really isn't a choice here that is clearly better than the others - they are all a huge risk.
What.... I leave for a week and this happens? Gosh dang it Sam. Now I have no idea what to do and I feel terribly conflicted on the choices here, but after a minute of consideration on all sides, I'll have to say... [Fight Rodrik and his men], someone's going to die anyway you dice it. Maybe it's not the smartest move, but maybe at least they'll go out in a blaze of glory.
Apologies for the slightly longer wait! There was other stuff I had to take care of yesterday. I also have to take back my earlier statement… more, this part will only include a PoV for Samantha, as her part got longer and longer while writing it. John will return in the next part. With this, I hope you enjoy
Samantha
“Fine. We'll do it your way”, Samantha agreed, as she reached for her dagger. In a swift movement, she cut Lenrianda's ties and the young woman immediately started to massage her aching wrists. She smiled at her newfound freedom. “But don't make me regret it”, Samantha added sharply, to which Lenrianda's smile faded. “Won't happen”, she assured her.
Not quite convinced about this, Samantha continued her way. Sasha walked close by her side, while Lenrianda was walking between her and Jaro, who was walking closely behind her. I'lian meanwhile had vanished into the underbrush again, to scout for any potential danger.
“Your… [view original content]
Like Bounden said, there is Vaasrand of Lys, who has been inspired by Geralt of Rivia. Both are white-haired monster hunters, who don't talk much, seem emotionless at first and use two swords. He's not quite a witcher, but he's the closest thing you'll get in FoT.
Apologies for the slightly longer wait! There was other stuff I had to take care of yesterday. I also have to take back my earlier statement… more, this part will only include a PoV for Samantha, as her part got longer and longer while writing it. John will return in the next part. With this, I hope you enjoy
Samantha
“Fine. We'll do it your way”, Samantha agreed, as she reached for her dagger. In a swift movement, she cut Lenrianda's ties and the young woman immediately started to massage her aching wrists. She smiled at her newfound freedom. “But don't make me regret it”, Samantha added sharply, to which Lenrianda's smile faded. “Won't happen”, she assured her.
Not quite convinced about this, Samantha continued her way. Sasha walked close by her side, while Lenrianda was walking between her and Jaro, who was walking closely behind her. I'lian meanwhile had vanished into the underbrush again, to scout for any potential danger.
“Your… [view original content]
Both of them already got purchased in their backstories. They are both currently owned by merchants. In case of Gross Mole it is a certain Masaewi Noor, in case of Dreck Rat it is a man called Goranero Sanys. Though, it is entirely possible of course that they will be sold to other masters over the course of the story.
Apologies for the slightly longer wait! There was other stuff I had to take care of yesterday. I also have to take back my earlier statement… more, this part will only include a PoV for Samantha, as her part got longer and longer while writing it. John will return in the next part. With this, I hope you enjoy
Samantha
“Fine. We'll do it your way”, Samantha agreed, as she reached for her dagger. In a swift movement, she cut Lenrianda's ties and the young woman immediately started to massage her aching wrists. She smiled at her newfound freedom. “But don't make me regret it”, Samantha added sharply, to which Lenrianda's smile faded. “Won't happen”, she assured her.
Not quite convinced about this, Samantha continued her way. Sasha walked close by her side, while Lenrianda was walking between her and Jaro, who was walking closely behind her. I'lian meanwhile had vanished into the underbrush again, to scout for any potential danger.
“Your… [view original content]
Apologies for the slightly longer wait! There was other stuff I had to take care of yesterday. I also have to take back my earlier statement… more, this part will only include a PoV for Samantha, as her part got longer and longer while writing it. John will return in the next part. With this, I hope you enjoy
Samantha
“Fine. We'll do it your way”, Samantha agreed, as she reached for her dagger. In a swift movement, she cut Lenrianda's ties and the young woman immediately started to massage her aching wrists. She smiled at her newfound freedom. “But don't make me regret it”, Samantha added sharply, to which Lenrianda's smile faded. “Won't happen”, she assured her.
Not quite convinced about this, Samantha continued her way. Sasha walked close by her side, while Lenrianda was walking between her and Jaro, who was walking closely behind her. I'lian meanwhile had vanished into the underbrush again, to scout for any potential danger.
“Your… [view original content]
Apologies for the slightly longer wait! There was other stuff I had to take care of yesterday. I also have to take back my earlier statement… more, this part will only include a PoV for Samantha, as her part got longer and longer while writing it. John will return in the next part. With this, I hope you enjoy
Samantha
“Fine. We'll do it your way”, Samantha agreed, as she reached for her dagger. In a swift movement, she cut Lenrianda's ties and the young woman immediately started to massage her aching wrists. She smiled at her newfound freedom. “But don't make me regret it”, Samantha added sharply, to which Lenrianda's smile faded. “Won't happen”, she assured her.
Not quite convinced about this, Samantha continued her way. Sasha walked close by her side, while Lenrianda was walking between her and Jaro, who was walking closely behind her. I'lian meanwhile had vanished into the underbrush again, to scout for any potential danger.
“Your… [view original content]
From how diverse your voting was, I guess this was quite a hard choice to make. I can tell you, there will be two possible general outcomes to this situation, depending on your choices. Two choices will lead to a more or less positive outcome, with slight differences depending on which choice was taken, the other two choices will lead to a largely negative outcome, again with a couple of small differences depending on the choice that was taken. Wether you actually chose correctly will of course be revealed in Samantha's next part. I'm looking forward to write it and I hope that I won't let you wait for long until this storyline gets continued.
The next part should be out either today or tomorrow. It will feature PoV's from John and Ilish. With John, I already gave you a recap the last time I closed the voting and nothing has changed since then, so here's a recap for Ilish's storyline only. The last time we saw Ilish, she was busy working in the tavern. Much of the part served to flesh out the characters of Audrey the innkeeper and the barmaids Megur and Daisy, though towards the end of the part, Ilish encountered Philip, Torold and Taenora, whom she had agreed to help hunting down Wolfius' son Kreep at the end of Chapter 6. They wanted to discuss something about their next steps this evening, though unbeknownst to them, they took seat at the table usually reserved for the tavern's most frequent customer, Jarow, the Lord of Bridges. He arrives soon afterwards and Ilish was left with the choice to tell him what the group was discussing at his table, or to lie to him. Ultimately, she decided to tell him the truth. Her next part is set a few hours later.
That's quite a busy tavern at the momemnt, with 3 PoV's currently inside. I wonder if their storylines will somehow impact each others in the next part.
The Voting is closed!
Samantha is going to fight Rodrik and his men
From how diverse your voting was, I guess this was quite a hard ch… moreoice to make. I can tell you, there will be two possible general outcomes to this situation, depending on your choices. Two choices will lead to a more or less positive outcome, with slight differences depending on which choice was taken, the other two choices will lead to a largely negative outcome, again with a couple of small differences depending on the choice that was taken. Wether you actually chose correctly will of course be revealed in Samantha's next part. I'm looking forward to write it and I hope that I won't let you wait for long until this storyline gets continued.
The next part should be out either today or tomorrow. It will feature PoV's from John and Ilish. With John, I already gave you a recap the last time I closed the voting and nothing has changed since then, so here's a recap for … [view original content]
That's quite a busy tavern at the momemnt, with 3 PoV's currently inside. I wonder if their storylines will somehow impact each others in the next part.
I speculate that Ilish PoV will not be now inside the tavern (since some hours pass from her last PoV) so the only ones inside are John and,with his last PoV,Drent..there is a chance that John will notice Drent approach Ian but outside that I suppose that everyone will go for their own road (aka plotline)
“So, when are we going to start?”, Jarow asked enthusiastically, while Philip looked on with grim disapproval. Ilish should have seen it coming. After telling him the truth about their task, Jarow had insisted on helping the, as he had put it, smallfolk of an allied lord. As always, Ilish hadn't been sure if he had actually understood the severity of the situation while hiding in the false reality he had created for himself in his mind. And as expected, Philip wasn't thrilled by putting the old man into danger once more. But Ilish had told him the truth anyways and she felt a lot safer with his three decades of experience at her side.
“First we have to speak to my daughter”, Taenora explained to him sternly, as she made her way through the crowd. There was something about her that left Ilish in awe. Without effort, she moved through the masses of people that enjoyed the fair on this evening, while maintaining the grace of a dancer. She was at least twice as old as Ilish, but in moments like this, she displayed almost youthful vitality. At the same time, there was no question that while Philip had brought them together, it was Taenora who led them today.
“Fine”, Jarow mumbled. “Don't see the sense in that, but if the lady wants it that way...” A pleased smile formed on Taenora's face, as she turned to her left, to enter an unassuming tent, with Ilish following her. The room was small, but comfortable and warm underneath the tent. A table was standing in the middle of the room, next to it a chair, on which a woman sat. Behind her, a linen sheet divided a part of the tent from the main room.
The woman on the chair looked up as they entered. She was in Taenora's age, with black hair and olive skin. Her eyes meanwhile were dark brown, although Ilish found it strange that while the woman had raised her head, she wasn't looking at either of them. Instead, it seemed her eyes gazed into nothing.
“Taenora?”, she asked, with a soft, soothing voice and the owner of the company took a step forwards, a smile on her face. “It's me”, she confirmed and looked at the others. “I have four people with me. There are Philip, Torold and Ilish, I've told you about them. And Jarow”
“Lord Jarow”, Jarow insisted and Taenora frowned, just for a moment, before her smile returned. “Lord Jarow, of course”, she said and the other woman raised her eyebrows, still not looking at either of them. “And this is my dear friend Melylea”, Taenora finally introduced her.
A kind smile appeared on Melylea's face. “It's a pleasure”, she said, still not looking at them. “My apologies for not greeting you personally. It's just that I'm not seeing very well anymore” Taenora had stepped behind her and put her hands softly onto the other woman's shoulders. “More like nothing at all”, she corrected her gently. “But I can assure you, Melylea is the best storyteller both sides of the Narrow Sea and she got a way with children that makes her invaluable for the company”
“Mother?”, another voice from behind the linen sheet sounded and only seconds later, a young woman, almost a girl still, emerged from beyond it. She had the same olive skin as Taenora and Melylea and shared her mother's brown hair, though her facial features, while undeniably similar to Taenora's, also had something about it that reminded Ilish of one of Megur's friends, Rosalie. Ilish clenched her fists. Suddenly, it seemed a lot more likely that this girl had indeed encountered Wolfius' son.
With a wide smile, Taenora rushed to her daughters side, while the young woman looked at the rest of the group, with wide eyes that showed far more curiosity than caution. “I see you got the rest of your group with you”, she deduced and Taenora gave her a nod, before she pointed at Ilish. “My dear, this is Ilish”, she said and her daughter took step forwards. “I figured that much”, she said calmly, though in her voice Ilish noticed a familiar sense of anxiety, something she felt herself whenever she thought about Wolfius and about Kreep. The one scene that was burned into her mind was Kreep after he had bitten Lawsen straight in the neck, his teeth stained with crimson blood.
“Hey”, the girl said. “I'm Nila. Mother told me you can help finding that... man, I keep seeing” Just for a moment, her confidence cracked, revealing the young girl underneath and Ilish, who had experience in dealing with younger girls, put on her most friendly facial expression, as she walked past Philip, Torold and Jarow and towards mother and daughrer. “It's alright”, she said comfortingly. “I've seen him as well and I can help you”
Nila sighed. “Hopefully”, she mumbled. “You see, it started completely harmless. A few days ago, I was helping Sophey, the wife of our magician, over at her tent. When I was about to walk home, it was already dark outside, so it took me a while to see him”
“Kreep?”, Ilish asked and Nila shrugged. “Don't know his name. Hell, what kind of name is Kreep?”, she said. “He was short, almost like a child and in the darkness, I even thought he was a child at first. So I approached him and I asked him if he got lost” She gulped and for a moment, disgust flashed across her face. “He was wearing this huge hat, you see. Only when he raised his head, I was able to see his face and...” She paused and Ilish put a hand onto her shoulder, to calm her down, seeing how obviously upsetting this was for the girl. “A part of the cheek was just... gone”, Nila finally revealed and Ilish sighed. “It's him”, she confirmed.
Now, Taenora's kind smile faded immediately. “That bastard”, she growled. “So he has been following my daughter indeed” Ilish raised a hand, signalizing that she wasn't done with asking questions. “Have you seen him afterwards?”, she asked, still hoping that Nila had just seen him this one time.
The girl gave her a nod, and her hopes were gone. “I... when I saw his face, I panicked. Don't know what it was, the missing cheek or the look in his eyes, as if he was already dead... I just ran away”, she mumbled. “Felt terrible afterwards. I thought, what if he needed my help? And I saw him again, three days ago, in the crowd. He was just standing there and the people, they were moving around him” She shivered slightly. “I think he was staring at me”
Taenora gave her daughter a light pat on the arm. “After this, she informed me about it”, she said. “I've already heard rumours about the son of Wolfius and I knew I couldn't waste any time” She glanced towards Melylea, who was quietly sitting on her chair. “Melylea”, she said to gain the blind woman's attention. “Have you seen the others? Ulaf, Irnas, or Gilbar?”
Melylea gave her a nod. “They were here. Gilbar wanted to wait for you, but you know how Irnas is in this situation”, she answered and a thin smile formed on her lips. “I believe he wanted to impress me. He's already starting to search for this man with the mask. Ulaf and the twins didn't need much convincing and Gilbar followed to keep them in line”
Sharply, Taenora gasped. “They were supposed to wait for us!”, she barked roughly, before she looked at Ilish. “You know it now. This murderer is preying on my daughter and half of my troupe has nothing better to do than to chase after him blindly” In clear irritation, she shook her head and started to walk in circles, while she looked at Philip and Torold. “This means we have to find him now. It would be a lot easier if we had the back-up I hoped for”
“So, what do you suggest?”, Philip asked. Taenora stopped walking and shifted her attention solely to Torold. “You mentioned your brother from the guard might be able to help” Torold gave her a nod. “I said that, yes”, he confirmed. “But Damien's pretty busy right now. They're going to to hang this Wolfius guy today, at the square near the centre of the town”
On Philip's face, Ilish saw that he just had the same idea she had. “They're hanging him!”, he exclaimed. “Damn it, they are hanging Wolfius today and we are here, making plans to search for Kreep at the fair!” He shook his head. “We've been fools. He's going to strike at the square, to free his father”
Torold raised an eyebrow. “And why should he do that?”, he asked. “The place is going to be crowded with guards. It's going to be far too dangerous for him” Philip looked at Ilish. “I don't believe Kreep will think that far”, he explained. “From what Ilish told us, this boy is like an animal. Driven by instinct more than by rational thought. Tell me, why shouldn't he try to save his father?”
Again, Torold seemed to be not convinced by what Philip just suggested. “Because he was seen here. He's hiding behind a mask. He chose the fair on purpose, he's blending in amongst all kinds of strangers and freaks”, he argued. “No animal would do that. He's smart, in his own way, too smart to waste his life trying to free a man that is basically dead”
“So...”, Taenora said, before she was interrupted by her own loud coughing. It took her a moment to regain her composure. “So, if I understood you correctly, Torold, you'd rather try your luck at the fair”, she said and the brewer gave her a nod. “Aye, mylady. Your men are here as well, somewhere, they can help us if we meet up with them”
“Meanwhile, Philip wants to search for Kreep at the town square, where Wolfius is about to get hanged”, Taenora continued and this time, Philip nodded enthusiastically. “The fair is huge. Someone like Kreep could hide here forever”, he answered. “But the square... I don't think he's the kind of person who would leave his own father to die”
“And your opinion? What do you want, Taenora?”, Ilish asked. Taenora sighed and her stern facial expression softened. “I want to stop this monster before he hurts my daughter”, she answered. “I don't think I'm suited to make decisions here. I'm too emotional, too involved. We don't need emotion here, we need a rational choice”
As she said this, she made the mistake of looking at Jarow, who grinned widely. “Lady, I'm here for two things”, he chuckled. “Killing that bastard and complimenting you for your nice ass, like a true lord” Taenora raised an eyebrow, before she wordlessly shifted her attention to Ilish. “Don't know what I was expecting”, she said. “But Ilish, Philip called you a smart girl. Where would you rather search for Kreep?”
[Search for Kreep at the fair][Search for Kreep at the town square]
John
“You call that a crazy story?”, Daghan said, after his loud laughter had died down. Temai grinned proudly, having just finished his tale about the time where he freed John from the Qohorik prison, with the help of Wildfire. “That is a crazy story, Ser”, he insisted. “We ended up disguising ourselves as priestesses to escape the city. You don't even want to imagine John wearing women's clothes”
“I think John was a beautiful priestess”, Janae remarked, with cutting mockery, though by the slightly slurred way she spoke, it was obvious that she was not sober. John glanced at her, noticing the amusement on her face and the empty mugs in front of her. Clearly, she had drunken enough to make jokes. A little bit more and she'd even start to smile, which was a slightly scary thought. “It's the moustache, my maiden fair”, he answered and now a happy smirk formed on her face. “You wouldn't be the only priestess with a moustache, my bear”, she remarked and took a sip from her wine.
“You have any more stories, Ser Daghan?”, Behara asked. “Preferably, anything that is more crazy than what my brother just told you, considering that you didn't seem to like his story” Daghan shook his head. “I liked his story a lot, mylady”, he assured her. “It's just that I could tell you stories that would make a White Walker die of laughter” He grinned. “And the best part is, they're all true”
“I'm all ears”, Temari said. Janae grinned as she heard his words and the expression was so unexpected and rare that she gained the attention of the whole table. “What?”, she asked and took a deep gulp from her wine, raising an eyebrow in amusement. “It's funny, since you're obviously not all eyes”
Temari's single eye narrowed, as he quickly grabbed the glass from her hands, emptying it with a sole, deep gulp. “No more wine for you”, he decided with a winning smile and before she could answer, he looked back at Daghan. “Ser Knight, tell your most crazy story”
A sly grin formed on Daghan's face. “Alright then”, he said. “This is a story that really happened, I can't stretch it enough. It happened shortly the war. I was still over at Myr, after Lord Aegon crushed the forces of the Hegemony. A few of my men, those who really shined on the battlefield, I took them to the brothel, the best one in the city” He chuckled and had to pause for a moment, until he calmed down. “So, I was talking to the madam, choosing the girls, when suddenly, this dwarf guy walked into the brothel, with a jackass and a honeycomb. The madam said...” He paused and narrowed his eyes, while the look on his face changed from amused and relaxed to attentive and tensed up. “Soldiers”, he growled, looking at something that happened behind John.
John, who was surprisingly among the most sober people on the table, carefully turned around, looking at the spot Daghan was glaring at. Three men had just entered the taproom, a lean man with light-brown hair, one with dark-brown hair and a tall, sturdy blonde. Neither of them wore any uniform or weapon, so John was surprised by Daghan's warning. “And what did the dwarf say to that?”, Janae asked.
“Soldiers?”, Behara asked, also among the more sober people a the table. “How can you know these guys are soldiers?” Daghan still glared past John, at the three men. “I am soldier myself, mylady”, he answered. “Have been one my entire life. I recognize soldiers the moment I see them. And the blonde man there, he's a soldier to the core”
Even though he brought no evidence, there was something about his voice that convinced John. The knight was certain about it. While he and Behara immediately understood what Daghan was implying, Temari still looked confused. “And this is a bad thing?”, he asked. Daghan clenched his teeth. “Think about it”, he growled. “Raylansfair has a city guard and a castle guard, but no standing army. There is only one group of soldiers in this city and they are not sworn to the Reach”
“You mean they are stags?”, Temari finally realized and Daghan gave him a grim nod. “What the hell are the stags doing here?” Now, the knight shrugged. “I've been asking that question since they arrived. My contact in the castle, she thinks they are manipulated by Harris' bitch. You met her?”
John gave him a nod. “She's been at his side when we returned from the tower”, he answered. “I believe she was responsible for the measly payment we got. A terrible woman, this Sherryl” Hearing this, Janae raised her head. “She's quite easy on the eyes”, she argued. “Shame that she's obnoxious as hell”
“Yeah”, Daghan agreed. “Fits the description Saerya gave me. She's a pretty snake, that Sherryl, pleasant to look at but venomous as fuck” He shook his head and glanced back at the soldiers. They were talking to Daisy by now, who pointed at the other side of the room, where a bearded man sat alone at a small table. The soldiers exchanged a few words with each other, before the man with the light-brown hair approached Daisy once more, while the other two approached the bearded man.
“Whatever they're doing, I'm sure I don't like it”, Daghan mumbled, before he looked back at John. “But anyways. You're willing to work for my king?” John gave the knight a nod. “Theoretically, yes”, he answered. “I don't like to limit myself. I'm a sellsword, not a knight. That means, I fight for the side that ends up winning”
“That's going to be the Dragonlord”, Daghan claimed. John still wasn't convinced. “Your Dragonlord has, what, a thousand men? Two thousand?”, he asked. Daghan smirked. “He has something much better”, he answered. “Have you ever seen a dragon, John? Have you ever felt the heat on your face when they breathe fire half a mile away from you?”
“There are men in the Free Cities who claim to descent from dragonslayers”, Behara argued. “They are not invincible” Now, Daghan's smirk turned into a wide grin. “Of course they aren't. But when a fire-breathing flying lizard, a hundred feet long, charges at you, would you have the courage to stand and fight?”
“As I said, we will consider it”, John answered. “First I want to wait, to see how your lord truly fairs in this coming war. It sounds like he's about to piss off every king in Westeros, which is rarely a good idea”
“There's one thing I still don't understand, Ser”, Behara said. “Why are you telling us all of this. Isn't it a risk for you? What if we'd decide to warn King Gardener? Instead of a continent surprised by your attack, you'd stand against seven prepared kingdoms”
“It's a good thought, girl”, Daghan complimented her. “But you see, I don't really take a risk with this. At this very moment, King Aegon is about send ravens to every king in Westeros. He has no intentions of attacking without warning. By the time you'd arrive at Highgarden, the king would already know”
“So, Lord Aegon seriously considers attacking seven kingdoms that know he is coming?”, John remarked and Daghan gave him a nod. “He's that certain about his victory. You may call it arrogance, but I call it confidence. He knows what he is capable of and he knows how to achieve his goals”
“And what will your role be in there?”, John asked and this time, Daghan focussed on him. “I'm going to leave this city soon”, he revealed. “My contact in the castle will remain for longer, executing our plans for this city and the archive. Meanwhile, I'll be needed on the battlefield. I've always been more of a soldier than a tactician” He paused and glanced at the two Stormlander soldiers that remained in the room. “There's a man coming to Raylansfair, a friend of mine and a friend of King Aegon, one of the really high-ranking men in his army. I'll be leaving with him, to head for the eastern coast”, he explained and a look of serious appreciation appeared on his face. “You're welcome to join me, John. You and your men, I'm sure we can need you”
“Like I said”, John answered. “We will consider it. It's not an easy decision and I have to take counsel with my men. Perhaps I'd also like to talk to this friend of yours first” Daghan gave him a pleased nod. “Understandable. And I'm sure my friend would like to talk to you as well. He's the kind of person that should get along really well with you” Afetr he said this, he once again looked past John and into the taproom. “Now, what the hell are they doing?”
As John followed his stare, he saw the young man with the light-brown hair approaching the stairs. He left Daisy behind and she was smiling brightly, as if he had charmed her. Daghan glared at the man in obvious disapproval. “I don't like what this man is up to”, he snarled.
“Shall we follow him?”, Temari asked and only momentarily looked at Daghan, who gave him a nod. “Hell yes, we shall”, he decided, though Temari quickly shifted his attention to John. “I mean, what do you think, John?” John leant back, unsure of what he should do now. If Daghan was correct, then three Stormlander soldiers were here doing... something, while obviously trying to remain unrecognized. The soldier that was just going up the stairs, to the second floor, where John and his group had their rooms as well, he was planning something. Though was following him the best course of action? Perhaps this wasn't something he should get involved in.
[Search for Kreep at the fair] I think Kreep is quite smart. Part of me thinks he, having just met his father, might not care as much as we are led to be.
[Follow the soldier] It might be one of the soldiers we know. Whatever he's doing, might as well check it out.
Ilish
“So, when are we going to start?”, Jarow asked enthusiastically, while Philip looked on with grim disapproval. Ilish should have se… moreen it coming. After telling him the truth about their task, Jarow had insisted on helping the, as he had put it, smallfolk of an allied lord. As always, Ilish hadn't been sure if he had actually understood the severity of the situation while hiding in the false reality he had created for himself in his mind. And as expected, Philip wasn't thrilled by putting the old man into danger once more. But Ilish had told him the truth anyways and she felt a lot safer with his three decades of experience at her side.
“First we have to speak to my daughter”, Taenora explained to him sternly, as she made her way through the crowd. There was something about her that left Ilish in awe. Without effort, she moved through the masses of people that enjoyed the fair on this evening, while maintaining the grace of a dancer… [view original content]
Question: Will Argella or any of the other visitors attend the hanging of Wolfius? Or is that secret?
No, it is currently not planned for them to attend the hanging. Neither of the visitors has any emotional connection to Wolfius, or finds executions particularly fun to attend, so they will deal with more important matters instead. It is planned that Lord Tyrell, Argella and Hobert, will soon meet and discuss the future of Raylansfair, which is likely going to happen around the same time the city guard is going to hang Wolfius. A majority of the characters attending the hanging will be smallfolk, some of them will be familiar faces, and members of the city guard.
[Search for Kreep at the fair] I think Kreep is quite smart. Part of me thinks he, having just met his father, might not care as much as we … moreare led to be.
[Follow the soldier] It might be one of the soldiers we know. Whatever he's doing, might as well check it out.
EDIT: Remembering now, it's probably Torrence going to search Shortwood's room.
Question: Will Argella or any of the other visitors attend the hanging of Wolfius? Or is that secret?
It is planned that Lord Tyrell, Argella and Hobert, will soon meet and discuss the future of Raylansfair, which is likely going to happen around the same time the city guard is going to hang Wolfius.
I'd imagine so. Are we getting closer to the time when he's going to be hanged? This chapter? Couple of parts?
A majority of the characters attending the hanging will be smallfolk, some of them will be familiar faces, and members of the city guard.
Question: Will Argella or any of the other visitors attend the hanging of Wolfius? Or is that secret?
No, it is currently not planne… mored for them to attend the hanging. Neither of the visitors has any emotional connection to Wolfius, or finds executions particularly fun to attend, so they will deal with more important matters instead. It is planned that Lord Tyrell, Argella and Hobert, will soon meet and discuss the future of Raylansfair, which is likely going to happen around the same time the city guard is going to hang Wolfius. A majority of the characters attending the hanging will be smallfolk, some of them will be familiar faces, and members of the city guard.
[Search for Kreep at the town square] From what little we've seen of Kreep, I do expect him to try saving his father. The fair has been a good place for him to hide so far, but there must be a reason why he has stayed in Raylansfair - and that is to save Wolfius. Dunno, could be totally wrong.
[Follow the soldier] So that's obviously Torrence, right? I suppose this choice might fuck up Drent's plans, but let's make this interesting
“This is a story that really happened, I can't stretch it enough. It happened shortly the war. I was still over at Myr, after Lord Aegon crushed the forces of the Hegemony. A few of my men, those who really shined on the battlefield, I took them to the brothel, the best one in the city” He chuckled and had to pause for a moment, until he calmed down. “So, I was talking to the madam, choosing the girls, when suddenly, this dwarf guy walked into the brothel, with a jackass and a honeycomb. The madam said...” He paused and narrowed his eyes, while the look on his face changed from amused and relaxed to attentive and tensed up. “Soldiers”, he growled, looking at something that happened behind John.
Ilish
“So, when are we going to start?”, Jarow asked enthusiastically, while Philip looked on with grim disapproval. Ilish should have se… moreen it coming. After telling him the truth about their task, Jarow had insisted on helping the, as he had put it, smallfolk of an allied lord. As always, Ilish hadn't been sure if he had actually understood the severity of the situation while hiding in the false reality he had created for himself in his mind. And as expected, Philip wasn't thrilled by putting the old man into danger once more. But Ilish had told him the truth anyways and she felt a lot safer with his three decades of experience at her side.
“First we have to speak to my daughter”, Taenora explained to him sternly, as she made her way through the crowd. There was something about her that left Ilish in awe. Without effort, she moved through the masses of people that enjoyed the fair on this evening, while maintaining the grace of a dancer… [view original content]
[Search for Kreep at the town square] From what little we've seen of Kreep, I do expect him to try saving his father. The fair has been a go… moreod place for him to hide so far, but there must be a reason why he has stayed in Raylansfair - and that is to save Wolfius. Dunno, could be totally wrong.
[Follow the soldier] So that's obviously Torrence, right? I suppose this choice might fuck up Drent's plans, but let's make this interesting
“This is a story that really happened, I can't stretch it enough. It happened shortly the war. I was still over at Myr, after Lord Aegon crushed the forces of the Hegemony. A few of my men, those who really shined on the battlefield, I took them to the brothel, the best one in the city” He chuckled and had to pause for a moment, until he calmed down. “So, I was talking to the madam, choosing the girls, when suddenly, this dwarf guy walked into the brothel, with a jackass and a honeycomb. The madam said...… [view original content]
Logic dictates the less crowded town square should first be searched as its easier and quicker to do (despite the execution more people are likely at the fair), in case Kreep isn't there the fair can still be checked. Besides: Protecting the pack is also an instinct and could be a driving urge to save his father, and once again, they can still go to the fair grounds after the execution.
[Remain in the taproom]
Opposite to approaching this as with the other characters logically (above), here with this team I feel intuition says to stay for now. At the very least check if the soldiers just 'randomly' try to stay unrecognized or if they actually tail Daghan and company and they just managed to spot that in time. In which case it could be a bad idea to go outside.
Ilish
“So, when are we going to start?”, Jarow asked enthusiastically, while Philip looked on with grim disapproval. Ilish should have se… moreen it coming. After telling him the truth about their task, Jarow had insisted on helping the, as he had put it, smallfolk of an allied lord. As always, Ilish hadn't been sure if he had actually understood the severity of the situation while hiding in the false reality he had created for himself in his mind. And as expected, Philip wasn't thrilled by putting the old man into danger once more. But Ilish had told him the truth anyways and she felt a lot safer with his three decades of experience at her side.
“First we have to speak to my daughter”, Taenora explained to him sternly, as she made her way through the crowd. There was something about her that left Ilish in awe. Without effort, she moved through the masses of people that enjoyed the fair on this evening, while maintaining the grace of a dancer… [view original content]
[Search for Kreep at the town square] You can never have too many eyes on Wolfius, because he probably has an ace up his sleeve.
[Follow the soldier] I'm definitely Team Targaryen and now trying to get all my favorite characters to join that team. Let's try to have John to enter Shortwood's room and learn more about him and piss of some stags on the way.
Ilish
“So, when are we going to start?”, Jarow asked enthusiastically, while Philip looked on with grim disapproval. Ilish should have se… moreen it coming. After telling him the truth about their task, Jarow had insisted on helping the, as he had put it, smallfolk of an allied lord. As always, Ilish hadn't been sure if he had actually understood the severity of the situation while hiding in the false reality he had created for himself in his mind. And as expected, Philip wasn't thrilled by putting the old man into danger once more. But Ilish had told him the truth anyways and she felt a lot safer with his three decades of experience at her side.
“First we have to speak to my daughter”, Taenora explained to him sternly, as she made her way through the crowd. There was something about her that left Ilish in awe. Without effort, she moved through the masses of people that enjoyed the fair on this evening, while maintaining the grace of a dancer… [view original content]
Ilish
“So, when are we going to start?”, Jarow asked enthusiastically, while Philip looked on with grim disapproval. Ilish should have se… moreen it coming. After telling him the truth about their task, Jarow had insisted on helping the, as he had put it, smallfolk of an allied lord. As always, Ilish hadn't been sure if he had actually understood the severity of the situation while hiding in the false reality he had created for himself in his mind. And as expected, Philip wasn't thrilled by putting the old man into danger once more. But Ilish had told him the truth anyways and she felt a lot safer with his three decades of experience at her side.
“First we have to speak to my daughter”, Taenora explained to him sternly, as she made her way through the crowd. There was something about her that left Ilish in awe. Without effort, she moved through the masses of people that enjoyed the fair on this evening, while maintaining the grace of a dancer… [view original content]
Ilish
“So, when are we going to start?”, Jarow asked enthusiastically, while Philip looked on with grim disapproval. Ilish should have se… moreen it coming. After telling him the truth about their task, Jarow had insisted on helping the, as he had put it, smallfolk of an allied lord. As always, Ilish hadn't been sure if he had actually understood the severity of the situation while hiding in the false reality he had created for himself in his mind. And as expected, Philip wasn't thrilled by putting the old man into danger once more. But Ilish had told him the truth anyways and she felt a lot safer with his three decades of experience at her side.
“First we have to speak to my daughter”, Taenora explained to him sternly, as she made her way through the crowd. There was something about her that left Ilish in awe. Without effort, she moved through the masses of people that enjoyed the fair on this evening, while maintaining the grace of a dancer… [view original content]
Ilish
“So, when are we going to start?”, Jarow asked enthusiastically, while Philip looked on with grim disapproval. Ilish should have se… moreen it coming. After telling him the truth about their task, Jarow had insisted on helping the, as he had put it, smallfolk of an allied lord. As always, Ilish hadn't been sure if he had actually understood the severity of the situation while hiding in the false reality he had created for himself in his mind. And as expected, Philip wasn't thrilled by putting the old man into danger once more. But Ilish had told him the truth anyways and she felt a lot safer with his three decades of experience at her side.
“First we have to speak to my daughter”, Taenora explained to him sternly, as she made her way through the crowd. There was something about her that left Ilish in awe. Without effort, she moved through the masses of people that enjoyed the fair on this evening, while maintaining the grace of a dancer… [view original content]
Comments
[Fight Rodrik and his men] Assuming John Gutten and crew survive long enough into the war of conquest and are still working for the Targaryens, it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a Dorne noble as a friend, and a really bad idea to let a Dorne noble get captured and possibly killed. And we have no clue how tough Rodrik is so single combat would be a bad idea, so hopefully the battle gets interupted with some passing travelers or maybe even the forest beast which will lead Richard and the Witcher dude to possibly help Sam. But I am pretty sure Jaro or I'lian are going to die, or Len, but I would be so crushed if they do because they are by far my favorite characters out of Gutten's crew, even more so than Sam.
[Attack Rodrik and his men] Everyone except Sasha thinks this is the best option. Sasha's not the leader so I doubt he'll accept a challenge from her. Sasha's letting her care for Samantha cloud her judgement and I'm not interested in being a traitor. Lenrianda's cooperated. She told the truth, convinced Nymeria to let them go, she's been solid the whole way. We can't betray her.
EDIT: I might change to attack as it seems unlikely that this will win.
EDIT 2: Changing my choice to attack
Witcher dude?
The monster hunter guy who is helping the farmers.
Is it sad that i expected that Geralt would exist in this story somehow.
I hope that you do that,I'm surprised that there is so many naive readers that believe Rodrick's words.
They're not naive.
[Fight Rodrik and his men] Finally caught up with the story! Cursed phones.
Trust everyone even the people that obviously not deserved it is be naive
PS:Btw this is just my opinion about the matter,I'm not going to force people to make a choice different that the one that they have already do
One could also say that hoping to win a fight against proffesional warriors, with 1:3 odds, is also a bit naive - or at least reckless
Just like hoping that Rodrik agrees to 1v1 could be seen as naivety. So there really isn't a choice here that is clearly better than the others - they are all a huge risk.
I found obvious that any choice that win will have bad consequences for our heroes however if I must be honest I still found the "trust that the person that want to kill your boss will let you go away" to be the most naive choice (even if I understand that a person want to hope to avoid a conflict even if they can't stop it)
PS:Just for be sure I want to say that I found naive the choice to trust Rodrick not the readers that make that choice because obviously I don't know nothing (Jon Snow Style) about them in Real Life;in brief I want to apologize if someone take this personal (since I must admit that the first post with the "naive" world can create some misunderstandings)
He already does, just under a different name.
What.... I leave for a week and this happens? Gosh dang it Sam. Now I have no idea what to do and I feel terribly conflicted on the choices here, but after a minute of consideration on all sides, I'll have to say... [Fight Rodrik and his men], someone's going to die anyway you dice it. Maybe it's not the smartest move, but maybe at least they'll go out in a blaze of glory.
Great part Liquid! Glad to finally be back!
I was just browsing through the character list, and I must say:
How? How and why?
Sounds like an Unsullied name... I could be wrong though.
WildlingKing is correct, Gross Mole is an Unsullied. There is also another Unsullied in the list, Dreck Rat, who has been submitted a while ago.
Like Bounden said, there is Vaasrand of Lys, who has been inspired by Geralt of Rivia. Both are white-haired monster hunters, who don't talk much, seem emotionless at first and use two swords. He's not quite a witcher, but he's the closest thing you'll get in FoT.
Really? I didn't notice.
Wow, I wonder if they will get... purchased
Both of them already got purchased in their backstories. They are both currently owned by merchants. In case of Gross Mole it is a certain Masaewi Noor, in case of Dreck Rat it is a man called Goranero Sanys. Though, it is entirely possible of course that they will be sold to other masters over the course of the story.
[Accept Rodrik's terms and surrender]
[Accept Rodrik's terms and surrender]
Be inactive for couple of days and have tons of things to follow-up with...
[Challenge Rodrik to single combat] Because I want to see Samantha kick his ass.
The Voting is closed!
Samantha is going to fight Rodrik and his men
From how diverse your voting was, I guess this was quite a hard choice to make. I can tell you, there will be two possible general outcomes to this situation, depending on your choices. Two choices will lead to a more or less positive outcome, with slight differences depending on which choice was taken, the other two choices will lead to a largely negative outcome, again with a couple of small differences depending on the choice that was taken. Wether you actually chose correctly will of course be revealed in Samantha's next part. I'm looking forward to write it and I hope that I won't let you wait for long until this storyline gets continued.
The next part should be out either today or tomorrow. It will feature PoV's from John and Ilish. With John, I already gave you a recap the last time I closed the voting and nothing has changed since then, so here's a recap for Ilish's storyline only. The last time we saw Ilish, she was busy working in the tavern. Much of the part served to flesh out the characters of Audrey the innkeeper and the barmaids Megur and Daisy, though towards the end of the part, Ilish encountered Philip, Torold and Taenora, whom she had agreed to help hunting down Wolfius' son Kreep at the end of Chapter 6. They wanted to discuss something about their next steps this evening, though unbeknownst to them, they took seat at the table usually reserved for the tavern's most frequent customer, Jarow, the Lord of Bridges. He arrives soon afterwards and Ilish was left with the choice to tell him what the group was discussing at his table, or to lie to him. Ultimately, she decided to tell him the truth. Her next part is set a few hours later.
That's quite a busy tavern at the momemnt, with 3 PoV's currently inside. I wonder if their storylines will somehow impact each others in the next part.
This could actually result in a scene where PoV often changes among the characters as they see events and express their opinions in thought.
I speculate that Ilish PoV will not be now inside the tavern (since some hours pass from her last PoV) so the only ones inside are John and,with his last PoV,Drent..there is a chance that John will notice Drent approach Ian but outside that I suppose that everyone will go for their own road (aka plotline)
Ilish
“So, when are we going to start?”, Jarow asked enthusiastically, while Philip looked on with grim disapproval. Ilish should have seen it coming. After telling him the truth about their task, Jarow had insisted on helping the, as he had put it, smallfolk of an allied lord. As always, Ilish hadn't been sure if he had actually understood the severity of the situation while hiding in the false reality he had created for himself in his mind. And as expected, Philip wasn't thrilled by putting the old man into danger once more. But Ilish had told him the truth anyways and she felt a lot safer with his three decades of experience at her side.
“First we have to speak to my daughter”, Taenora explained to him sternly, as she made her way through the crowd. There was something about her that left Ilish in awe. Without effort, she moved through the masses of people that enjoyed the fair on this evening, while maintaining the grace of a dancer. She was at least twice as old as Ilish, but in moments like this, she displayed almost youthful vitality. At the same time, there was no question that while Philip had brought them together, it was Taenora who led them today.
“Fine”, Jarow mumbled. “Don't see the sense in that, but if the lady wants it that way...” A pleased smile formed on Taenora's face, as she turned to her left, to enter an unassuming tent, with Ilish following her. The room was small, but comfortable and warm underneath the tent. A table was standing in the middle of the room, next to it a chair, on which a woman sat. Behind her, a linen sheet divided a part of the tent from the main room.
The woman on the chair looked up as they entered. She was in Taenora's age, with black hair and olive skin. Her eyes meanwhile were dark brown, although Ilish found it strange that while the woman had raised her head, she wasn't looking at either of them. Instead, it seemed her eyes gazed into nothing.
“Taenora?”, she asked, with a soft, soothing voice and the owner of the company took a step forwards, a smile on her face. “It's me”, she confirmed and looked at the others. “I have four people with me. There are Philip, Torold and Ilish, I've told you about them. And Jarow”
“Lord Jarow”, Jarow insisted and Taenora frowned, just for a moment, before her smile returned. “Lord Jarow, of course”, she said and the other woman raised her eyebrows, still not looking at either of them. “And this is my dear friend Melylea”, Taenora finally introduced her.
A kind smile appeared on Melylea's face. “It's a pleasure”, she said, still not looking at them. “My apologies for not greeting you personally. It's just that I'm not seeing very well anymore” Taenora had stepped behind her and put her hands softly onto the other woman's shoulders. “More like nothing at all”, she corrected her gently. “But I can assure you, Melylea is the best storyteller both sides of the Narrow Sea and she got a way with children that makes her invaluable for the company”
“Mother?”, another voice from behind the linen sheet sounded and only seconds later, a young woman, almost a girl still, emerged from beyond it. She had the same olive skin as Taenora and Melylea and shared her mother's brown hair, though her facial features, while undeniably similar to Taenora's, also had something about it that reminded Ilish of one of Megur's friends, Rosalie. Ilish clenched her fists. Suddenly, it seemed a lot more likely that this girl had indeed encountered Wolfius' son.
With a wide smile, Taenora rushed to her daughters side, while the young woman looked at the rest of the group, with wide eyes that showed far more curiosity than caution. “I see you got the rest of your group with you”, she deduced and Taenora gave her a nod, before she pointed at Ilish. “My dear, this is Ilish”, she said and her daughter took step forwards. “I figured that much”, she said calmly, though in her voice Ilish noticed a familiar sense of anxiety, something she felt herself whenever she thought about Wolfius and about Kreep. The one scene that was burned into her mind was Kreep after he had bitten Lawsen straight in the neck, his teeth stained with crimson blood.
“Hey”, the girl said. “I'm Nila. Mother told me you can help finding that... man, I keep seeing” Just for a moment, her confidence cracked, revealing the young girl underneath and Ilish, who had experience in dealing with younger girls, put on her most friendly facial expression, as she walked past Philip, Torold and Jarow and towards mother and daughrer. “It's alright”, she said comfortingly. “I've seen him as well and I can help you”
Nila sighed. “Hopefully”, she mumbled. “You see, it started completely harmless. A few days ago, I was helping Sophey, the wife of our magician, over at her tent. When I was about to walk home, it was already dark outside, so it took me a while to see him”
“Kreep?”, Ilish asked and Nila shrugged. “Don't know his name. Hell, what kind of name is Kreep?”, she said. “He was short, almost like a child and in the darkness, I even thought he was a child at first. So I approached him and I asked him if he got lost” She gulped and for a moment, disgust flashed across her face. “He was wearing this huge hat, you see. Only when he raised his head, I was able to see his face and...” She paused and Ilish put a hand onto her shoulder, to calm her down, seeing how obviously upsetting this was for the girl. “A part of the cheek was just... gone”, Nila finally revealed and Ilish sighed. “It's him”, she confirmed.
Now, Taenora's kind smile faded immediately. “That bastard”, she growled. “So he has been following my daughter indeed” Ilish raised a hand, signalizing that she wasn't done with asking questions. “Have you seen him afterwards?”, she asked, still hoping that Nila had just seen him this one time.
The girl gave her a nod, and her hopes were gone. “I... when I saw his face, I panicked. Don't know what it was, the missing cheek or the look in his eyes, as if he was already dead... I just ran away”, she mumbled. “Felt terrible afterwards. I thought, what if he needed my help? And I saw him again, three days ago, in the crowd. He was just standing there and the people, they were moving around him” She shivered slightly. “I think he was staring at me”
Taenora gave her daughter a light pat on the arm. “After this, she informed me about it”, she said. “I've already heard rumours about the son of Wolfius and I knew I couldn't waste any time” She glanced towards Melylea, who was quietly sitting on her chair. “Melylea”, she said to gain the blind woman's attention. “Have you seen the others? Ulaf, Irnas, or Gilbar?”
Melylea gave her a nod. “They were here. Gilbar wanted to wait for you, but you know how Irnas is in this situation”, she answered and a thin smile formed on her lips. “I believe he wanted to impress me. He's already starting to search for this man with the mask. Ulaf and the twins didn't need much convincing and Gilbar followed to keep them in line”
Sharply, Taenora gasped. “They were supposed to wait for us!”, she barked roughly, before she looked at Ilish. “You know it now. This murderer is preying on my daughter and half of my troupe has nothing better to do than to chase after him blindly” In clear irritation, she shook her head and started to walk in circles, while she looked at Philip and Torold. “This means we have to find him now. It would be a lot easier if we had the back-up I hoped for”
“So, what do you suggest?”, Philip asked. Taenora stopped walking and shifted her attention solely to Torold. “You mentioned your brother from the guard might be able to help” Torold gave her a nod. “I said that, yes”, he confirmed. “But Damien's pretty busy right now. They're going to to hang this Wolfius guy today, at the square near the centre of the town”
On Philip's face, Ilish saw that he just had the same idea she had. “They're hanging him!”, he exclaimed. “Damn it, they are hanging Wolfius today and we are here, making plans to search for Kreep at the fair!” He shook his head. “We've been fools. He's going to strike at the square, to free his father”
Torold raised an eyebrow. “And why should he do that?”, he asked. “The place is going to be crowded with guards. It's going to be far too dangerous for him” Philip looked at Ilish. “I don't believe Kreep will think that far”, he explained. “From what Ilish told us, this boy is like an animal. Driven by instinct more than by rational thought. Tell me, why shouldn't he try to save his father?”
Again, Torold seemed to be not convinced by what Philip just suggested. “Because he was seen here. He's hiding behind a mask. He chose the fair on purpose, he's blending in amongst all kinds of strangers and freaks”, he argued. “No animal would do that. He's smart, in his own way, too smart to waste his life trying to free a man that is basically dead”
“So...”, Taenora said, before she was interrupted by her own loud coughing. It took her a moment to regain her composure. “So, if I understood you correctly, Torold, you'd rather try your luck at the fair”, she said and the brewer gave her a nod. “Aye, mylady. Your men are here as well, somewhere, they can help us if we meet up with them”
“Meanwhile, Philip wants to search for Kreep at the town square, where Wolfius is about to get hanged”, Taenora continued and this time, Philip nodded enthusiastically. “The fair is huge. Someone like Kreep could hide here forever”, he answered. “But the square... I don't think he's the kind of person who would leave his own father to die”
“And your opinion? What do you want, Taenora?”, Ilish asked. Taenora sighed and her stern facial expression softened. “I want to stop this monster before he hurts my daughter”, she answered. “I don't think I'm suited to make decisions here. I'm too emotional, too involved. We don't need emotion here, we need a rational choice”
As she said this, she made the mistake of looking at Jarow, who grinned widely. “Lady, I'm here for two things”, he chuckled. “Killing that bastard and complimenting you for your nice ass, like a true lord” Taenora raised an eyebrow, before she wordlessly shifted her attention to Ilish. “Don't know what I was expecting”, she said. “But Ilish, Philip called you a smart girl. Where would you rather search for Kreep?”
[Search for Kreep at the fair] [Search for Kreep at the town square]
John
“You call that a crazy story?”, Daghan said, after his loud laughter had died down. Temai grinned proudly, having just finished his tale about the time where he freed John from the Qohorik prison, with the help of Wildfire. “That is a crazy story, Ser”, he insisted. “We ended up disguising ourselves as priestesses to escape the city. You don't even want to imagine John wearing women's clothes”
“I think John was a beautiful priestess”, Janae remarked, with cutting mockery, though by the slightly slurred way she spoke, it was obvious that she was not sober. John glanced at her, noticing the amusement on her face and the empty mugs in front of her. Clearly, she had drunken enough to make jokes. A little bit more and she'd even start to smile, which was a slightly scary thought. “It's the moustache, my maiden fair”, he answered and now a happy smirk formed on her face. “You wouldn't be the only priestess with a moustache, my bear”, she remarked and took a sip from her wine.
“You have any more stories, Ser Daghan?”, Behara asked. “Preferably, anything that is more crazy than what my brother just told you, considering that you didn't seem to like his story” Daghan shook his head. “I liked his story a lot, mylady”, he assured her. “It's just that I could tell you stories that would make a White Walker die of laughter” He grinned. “And the best part is, they're all true”
“I'm all ears”, Temari said. Janae grinned as she heard his words and the expression was so unexpected and rare that she gained the attention of the whole table. “What?”, she asked and took a deep gulp from her wine, raising an eyebrow in amusement. “It's funny, since you're obviously not all eyes”
Temari's single eye narrowed, as he quickly grabbed the glass from her hands, emptying it with a sole, deep gulp. “No more wine for you”, he decided with a winning smile and before she could answer, he looked back at Daghan. “Ser Knight, tell your most crazy story”
A sly grin formed on Daghan's face. “Alright then”, he said. “This is a story that really happened, I can't stretch it enough. It happened shortly the war. I was still over at Myr, after Lord Aegon crushed the forces of the Hegemony. A few of my men, those who really shined on the battlefield, I took them to the brothel, the best one in the city” He chuckled and had to pause for a moment, until he calmed down. “So, I was talking to the madam, choosing the girls, when suddenly, this dwarf guy walked into the brothel, with a jackass and a honeycomb. The madam said...” He paused and narrowed his eyes, while the look on his face changed from amused and relaxed to attentive and tensed up. “Soldiers”, he growled, looking at something that happened behind John.
John, who was surprisingly among the most sober people on the table, carefully turned around, looking at the spot Daghan was glaring at. Three men had just entered the taproom, a lean man with light-brown hair, one with dark-brown hair and a tall, sturdy blonde. Neither of them wore any uniform or weapon, so John was surprised by Daghan's warning. “And what did the dwarf say to that?”, Janae asked.
“Soldiers?”, Behara asked, also among the more sober people a the table. “How can you know these guys are soldiers?” Daghan still glared past John, at the three men. “I am soldier myself, mylady”, he answered. “Have been one my entire life. I recognize soldiers the moment I see them. And the blonde man there, he's a soldier to the core”
Even though he brought no evidence, there was something about his voice that convinced John. The knight was certain about it. While he and Behara immediately understood what Daghan was implying, Temari still looked confused. “And this is a bad thing?”, he asked. Daghan clenched his teeth. “Think about it”, he growled. “Raylansfair has a city guard and a castle guard, but no standing army. There is only one group of soldiers in this city and they are not sworn to the Reach”
“You mean they are stags?”, Temari finally realized and Daghan gave him a grim nod. “What the hell are the stags doing here?” Now, the knight shrugged. “I've been asking that question since they arrived. My contact in the castle, she thinks they are manipulated by Harris' bitch. You met her?”
John gave him a nod. “She's been at his side when we returned from the tower”, he answered. “I believe she was responsible for the measly payment we got. A terrible woman, this Sherryl” Hearing this, Janae raised her head. “She's quite easy on the eyes”, she argued. “Shame that she's obnoxious as hell”
“Yeah”, Daghan agreed. “Fits the description Saerya gave me. She's a pretty snake, that Sherryl, pleasant to look at but venomous as fuck” He shook his head and glanced back at the soldiers. They were talking to Daisy by now, who pointed at the other side of the room, where a bearded man sat alone at a small table. The soldiers exchanged a few words with each other, before the man with the light-brown hair approached Daisy once more, while the other two approached the bearded man.
“Whatever they're doing, I'm sure I don't like it”, Daghan mumbled, before he looked back at John. “But anyways. You're willing to work for my king?” John gave the knight a nod. “Theoretically, yes”, he answered. “I don't like to limit myself. I'm a sellsword, not a knight. That means, I fight for the side that ends up winning”
“That's going to be the Dragonlord”, Daghan claimed. John still wasn't convinced. “Your Dragonlord has, what, a thousand men? Two thousand?”, he asked. Daghan smirked. “He has something much better”, he answered. “Have you ever seen a dragon, John? Have you ever felt the heat on your face when they breathe fire half a mile away from you?”
“There are men in the Free Cities who claim to descent from dragonslayers”, Behara argued. “They are not invincible” Now, Daghan's smirk turned into a wide grin. “Of course they aren't. But when a fire-breathing flying lizard, a hundred feet long, charges at you, would you have the courage to stand and fight?”
“As I said, we will consider it”, John answered. “First I want to wait, to see how your lord truly fairs in this coming war. It sounds like he's about to piss off every king in Westeros, which is rarely a good idea”
“There's one thing I still don't understand, Ser”, Behara said. “Why are you telling us all of this. Isn't it a risk for you? What if we'd decide to warn King Gardener? Instead of a continent surprised by your attack, you'd stand against seven prepared kingdoms”
“It's a good thought, girl”, Daghan complimented her. “But you see, I don't really take a risk with this. At this very moment, King Aegon is about send ravens to every king in Westeros. He has no intentions of attacking without warning. By the time you'd arrive at Highgarden, the king would already know”
“So, Lord Aegon seriously considers attacking seven kingdoms that know he is coming?”, John remarked and Daghan gave him a nod. “He's that certain about his victory. You may call it arrogance, but I call it confidence. He knows what he is capable of and he knows how to achieve his goals”
“And what will your role be in there?”, John asked and this time, Daghan focussed on him. “I'm going to leave this city soon”, he revealed. “My contact in the castle will remain for longer, executing our plans for this city and the archive. Meanwhile, I'll be needed on the battlefield. I've always been more of a soldier than a tactician” He paused and glanced at the two Stormlander soldiers that remained in the room. “There's a man coming to Raylansfair, a friend of mine and a friend of King Aegon, one of the really high-ranking men in his army. I'll be leaving with him, to head for the eastern coast”, he explained and a look of serious appreciation appeared on his face. “You're welcome to join me, John. You and your men, I'm sure we can need you”
“Like I said”, John answered. “We will consider it. It's not an easy decision and I have to take counsel with my men. Perhaps I'd also like to talk to this friend of yours first” Daghan gave him a pleased nod. “Understandable. And I'm sure my friend would like to talk to you as well. He's the kind of person that should get along really well with you” Afetr he said this, he once again looked past John and into the taproom. “Now, what the hell are they doing?”
As John followed his stare, he saw the young man with the light-brown hair approaching the stairs. He left Daisy behind and she was smiling brightly, as if he had charmed her. Daghan glared at the man in obvious disapproval. “I don't like what this man is up to”, he snarled.
“Shall we follow him?”, Temari asked and only momentarily looked at Daghan, who gave him a nod. “Hell yes, we shall”, he decided, though Temari quickly shifted his attention to John. “I mean, what do you think, John?” John leant back, unsure of what he should do now. If Daghan was correct, then three Stormlander soldiers were here doing... something, while obviously trying to remain unrecognized. The soldier that was just going up the stairs, to the second floor, where John and his group had their rooms as well, he was planning something. Though was following him the best course of action? Perhaps this wasn't something he should get involved in.
[Follow the soldier] [Remain in the taproom]
[Search for Kreep at the fair] I think Kreep is quite smart. Part of me thinks he, having just met his father, might not care as much as we are led to be.
[Follow the soldier] It might be one of the soldiers we know. Whatever he's doing, might as well check it out.
EDIT: Remembering now, it's probably Torrence going to search Shortwood's room.
Question: Will Argella or any of the other visitors attend the hanging of Wolfius? Or is that secret?
No, it is currently not planned for them to attend the hanging. Neither of the visitors has any emotional connection to Wolfius, or finds executions particularly fun to attend, so they will deal with more important matters instead. It is planned that Lord Tyrell, Argella and Hobert, will soon meet and discuss the future of Raylansfair, which is likely going to happen around the same time the city guard is going to hang Wolfius. A majority of the characters attending the hanging will be smallfolk, some of them will be familiar faces, and members of the city guard.
But it's fun!
I'd imagine so. Are we getting closer to the time when he's going to be hanged? This chapter? Couple of parts?
It makes sense I guess.
Jenna....
[Search for Kreep at the town square] From what little we've seen of Kreep, I do expect him to try saving his father. The fair has been a good place for him to hide so far, but there must be a reason why he has stayed in Raylansfair - and that is to save Wolfius. Dunno, could be totally wrong.
[Follow the soldier] So that's obviously Torrence, right? I suppose this choice might fuck up Drent's plans, but let's make this interesting
Tyrion the time traveler
[Search for Kreep at the town square]
Logic dictates the less crowded town square should first be searched as its easier and quicker to do (despite the execution more people are likely at the fair), in case Kreep isn't there the fair can still be checked. Besides: Protecting the pack is also an instinct and could be a driving urge to save his father, and once again, they can still go to the fair grounds after the execution.
[Remain in the taproom]
Opposite to approaching this as with the other characters logically (above), here with this team I feel intuition says to stay for now. At the very least check if the soldiers just 'randomly' try to stay unrecognized or if they actually tail Daghan and company and they just managed to spot that in time. In which case it could be a bad idea to go outside.
[Search for Kreep at the town square]
[Follow the soldier]
[Search for Kreep at the town square] You can never have too many eyes on Wolfius, because he probably has an ace up his sleeve.
[Follow the soldier] I'm definitely Team Targaryen and now trying to get all my favorite characters to join that team. Let's try to have John to enter Shortwood's room and learn more about him and piss of some stags on the way.
[Search for Kreep at the town square]
[Follow the soldier]
(Search for Kreep at the fair)
(Follow the soldier)
[Search for Kreep at the fair]
[Remain in the taproom]