Forum of Thrones: An Interactive Story

WildlingKing

[Fight Ian Shortwood] Hmm, Shortwood (or Ward) certainly has an interesting backstory. I am a bit uncertain here whether this guy is a traitorous murderer who is more dangerous than you'd expect, or rather a sort of misunderstood hero. Nonetheless, I feel like together Drent and Garin can take this guy, and hopefully bring him to Argella, which I would see as a better option than just letting him go. After all, Drent's just here to do his job, Argella can be the one to judge what should be done with "Ian".

LiquidChicagoTed

I'm surprised that we already discover Ian backstory! That man has a really long list of betrayals!

Well, it has been half a book since he got introduced. I really felt it was time to reveal this secret, especially as I think not revealing it to the readers kind of limits his ability for character growth. This will offer a lot of exciting new possibilities on where I can take him as a character. Originally, I must say, I had something different planned for this reveal, as I wanted Lucas and Leonard to stumble over it instead of Drent, but found the two storylines drifting apart, to a point where this reveal wouldn't have been more than a minor detail for Lucas, whereas it is a more central development in Drent's storyline for this chapter. On top of that, due to the connection between Emphryus and Ian/Derek, this reveal came a lot easier for Drent's storyline.

Wait a second,Emphyrius was a squire to Baron Schoedek?That man must be ancient!

Indeed, Emphryus squired for Baron Schodek and was knighted by him eventually. He is thirty years old, whereas Baron is a lifelong friend of the Storm King, which means he is somewhere in his mid sixties. He is old for a knight, but as examples such as Barristan Selmy have shown, old age is not a reason to step down from such a position. Though Baron is surely not as skilled as Barristan, he is still more than capable to do his duties.

Oh Garen,you are such a foul-mouthed snake ready to betray for some money!What will be the Drent PoV without you?

Surely a lot less enjoyable Garen is a jerk and as this part has shown (and not only this part, to be fair), he is without even the tiniest moral when it comes to his payment, but I'm having a lot of fun with writing such an unapologetic asshole who is still one of the good guys out of sheer pragmatism only and not because of personal loyalty or a sense of duty. That sets him apart from just about every other character in Drent's storyline, save for maybe Tariel. While he is certainly not a well-liked character (at least that's the impression I got so far, correct me if I'm wrong), I think he therefore adds an important flavour to these parts.

I found weird hear Emphiryus that Drent make a mistake to not follow Ward,Drent should have remember the knight that he protect the princess (and he should have said the same thing to Ian,despite the "knight" had a much logical reason to complain)

This probably needs more explanation. See, Emphryus thinks Drent has acted in a noble, honourable way and he would have done the same without a doubt. However, he is also a thoughtful man who realizes that the dutiful thing to do is not always the smart thing. In this case, he thinks that Drent made a mistake from a purely logical standpoint, as he fears that this would anger Ian to the point where he would become a danger. His concern is that maybe Ian wasn't a threat to the Stormlanders in the city, but refuing to help him when he clearly offered a temporary alliance might have been enough to push him over the edge and to make him this threat Argella fears him to be. And to be fair, Emphryus never outright called it a mistake, just a foolish thing to do, as this probably made a peaceful end to this situation somewhat less likely.

Something that I found really funny is that yell Ian name in the middle of the city worked

Haven't you heard? This is one of the easiest ways of summoning a Shortwood. It's a bit like Bloody Mary, but instead of saying the name into a mirror at midnight, you scream it in the middle of the city. Jokes aside, Drent actually made sure to get back to the spot where he had last seen Ian, remembering that it was close to the spot he wanted to defend. He had the idea that maybe the knight wouldn't have left this spot, which turned out to be correct.

LiquidChicagoTed

After a good week of reading, I was finally able to caught up to recent events... I gotta say, this left me with mixed feelings. In one hand I'm glad to finally be able to vote and read the story as it comes out, on the other hand I'm kinda sad that I won't be able to read this amazing story nonstop like I had been doing this past week.

Ah, you have caught up very quickly then, this is amazing! It's great that you're up to date and I feel honoured that you enjoyed it so much that you read it so quickly until now. I'm always trying to push out new parts as quickly as possible and while I am gone for half of the next week (I'll tell you more on that next time I close the voting), I should be able to put out two more parts until then. This chapter is going to be over very soon and well, I cannot until I get started with the next book.

I wish I had been a little bit quicker at reading though, just so I could've tried to influence Lucas' choice, I feel like after everything he's been through, giving in to Mullendore's plan now will crush everything he fought for.

Aye, Lucas' choice has been a very close one, as well as a very important one. This undoubtedly gave Mullendore and Petyr what they wanted, but potentially it could have been a good decision for Lucas as well. Or, maybe it will horrible backfire, that is surely another possibility. You will see some consequences of this in the near future, as Lucas will have two more parts in this chapter. And well, it surely won't be the last important choice in the story

I'm also very curious about Alys story, I'm kind of hoping she'll cross ways with a certain dornishman at some point... that is, if Anturion is actually telling her the truth.

This is an interesting thought. Indeed, Alys is heading towards Dorne for now, though her way will lead her to the Stepstone Islands first, if Anturion is telling her the truth. After that... well, this is very much up to her and to your choices. I'd say such a meeting is not among the least likely meetings that could happen in the story, but it is something that won't happen in the near future.

LiquidChicagoTed

I am a bit uncertain here whether this guy is a traitorous murderer who is more dangerous than you'd expect, or rather a sort of misunderstood hero.

Both could be a possibility. What he did was treason and murder, there is no way around, even if it might happened for reasons that weren't entirely villainous. Over the time of the story, he did more noble things though. He saved the lives of Lucas and Leonard, he spared Drent and he tried to save the people that helped him when he first arrived in Raylansfair. All of this together probably paints a more grey picture of him, though it all comes down to wether or not his intentions are genuine.

Nonetheless, I feel like together Drent and Garin can take this guy, and hopefully bring him to Argella, which I would see as a better option than just letting him go. After all, Drent's just here to do his job, Argella can be the one to judge what should be done with "Ian".

For that to work, they definitely have to beat him in a fight though. If possible, Drent certainly intends to bring him to Argella, though Ian has good reason to try and avoid that at all cost. It's also questionable if Argella would show mercy here. After all, he murdered a knight of her father's court and got sentenced already, with an exceptionally merciful sentence on top. This time, she'd likely make an example of him, one of the reasons why Ian is definitely not just going to give in without a serious fight.

TheAPlegends

Ah, this part has finaly came. I waited for this for so long and it did not disappoint, especially with backstory polishing you did which made it even more awesome. Even though I knew the details of Ian's/Derek's backstory (Except for the fact that I embarasingly forgot his real name, we'll skip over that), I was still taken aback from the realisation of how big things he did actually were, which is awesome

Now, for the choice itself, there are two factors that make this really difficult for me. First is that Drent and Ian are my two favourite characters in the story, which is pretty huge deal. If not for the other factor, I would just choose to let Ian go and both of them would be happy(probably) and well. Now, the presence of Garen is the other factor which makes things considerably more difficult. We just learned that he would sell Tariel for a nice amount of money, I would assume he would sell Drent for much less. So letting Ian go may create some problems for Drent later on, or even for Ian if Princess hears about this sooner rather then later.

I'm still going to [Let him go], as there seems to be a bigger chance of characters I like not being hurt. I would like to see Garen getting hurt, but I'm not willing to trade Drent and Ian getting hurt for that.

Bounden

[Fight Ian Shortwood] Its always good to disrupt the Stormlanders. Either Ian gets caught and one less villain in Raylainsfair, or Drent gets beat up and Stormlanders become even more weak. It would even better if someone from Team Targ came in and saved the day again. Either way, win win.

LiquidChicagoTed

Ah, this part has finaly came. I waited for this for so long and it did not disappoint, especially with backstory polishing you did which made it even more awesome. Even though I knew the details of Ian's/Derek's backstory (Except for the fact that I embarasingly forgot his real name, we'll skip over that), I was still taken aback from the realisation of how big things he did actually were, which is awesome

I am so glad to hear this! Naturally, your opinion on this part was something I was particularly curious about, given that it is the most important part for Ian so far. I was hoping that you'd enjoy the way I decided to reveal his backstory. After I decided that he and Emphryus knew each other (which felt pretty logical, given that they are of the same age and have served at the same court), I did some work to expand on the details surrounding his murder of Tenard Torrick and it's great to hear that I succeeded at making this part so enjoyable to you. Now that his backstory is known and the big secret is revealed, there are many possibilities for me to work with Ian that have previously not been there. Be assured, this is only the beginning of his development

Now, for the choice itself, there are two factors that make this really difficult for me. First is that Drent and Ian are my two favourite characters in the story, which is pretty huge deal. If not for the other factor, I would just choose to let Ian go and both of them would be happy(probably) and well. Now, the presence of Garen is the other factor which makes things considerably more difficult. We just learned that he would sell Tariel for a nice amount of money, I would assume he would sell Drent for much less. So letting Ian go may create some problems for Drent later on, or even for Ian if Princess hears about this sooner rather then later.

You bring up a good thought there. Garen is certainly willing to turn on Drent if it gives him an advantage and considering his current standing at court, he'd likely need such an opportunity to make sure that he can keep his comfortable job. Without him here, a fight would be easier to avoid, though if a fight will happen, his absence would surely make things considerably harder for Drent, considering how easily Ian beat him in their first encounter. So, letting Ian go can certainly turn out bad for Drent, but it's also not impossible that it will turn out bad for Ian as well, even if that is a bit less likely. It depends a bit wether or not Garen is willing to accept this and Drent would likely need to do some persuading, to give him something that'll convince him that this course of action is better for him as well.

InGen_Nate_Kenny

[Remain calm]

Continuing catching up it is my man Two-Face. We should be hugging him to be honest.

LiquidChicagoTed

Hugging him? Well, Willfred might just do such a thing, should the two ever get reunited. Two-Face is a bit like a honourary uncle to him and as you probably remember from his first parts, the two get along very well. Sadie however... eh, I doubt such a thing will happen from her side anytime soon Though she ultimately remained calm as a result of this choice, her opinion on Two-Face is utterly negative and won't get any better in her next part.

InGen_Nate_Kenny

[Tell him he has to earn it first]

Irving is a loser and only becomes not a loser when he wins, and he must.

[Tell him to go all out]

Violence is all cool, and this Mormont will probably attack if we don't.

InGen_Nate_Kenny

[Don't go with Noelle]

Let's not because Noelle is crazy and her theory is crazy Lord Donnel Selwyn will rule all. Seriously just leaving her everybody is crazy.

InGen_Nate_Kenny

[Refuse Petyr's deal]

Nope. Nope. Petyr is a sleazy man and I am not going to help him.

Shiera meanwhile... well, I'm sure I'll find her a good husband as well. Maron had his filthy eye on her, but I put an end to that. Given her... tongue, I doubt she'd survive a fortnight as his wife. No, I'll find a good husband for her, not Maron”

Why not a member of the luxurious and powerful Selwyn family?

InGen_Nate_Kenny

[Try to convince him to avoid a fight]

Samuel is angry and that's not cool. Don't interrupt a man in the middle of debauchery.

[Talk to Davith]

He actually wants to talk with Samantha while Nymeria is just a figment of her mind.

InGen_Nate_Kenny

Yay! Finally catching up and hearing it's all good is great.

InGen_Nate_Kenny

[Let him go]

Not worth getting screwed over for. If he isn't going to no bad, might as well save the effort.

And Shortwood jeez man you are a special snowflake aren't you. Man, bad stuff.

LiquidChicagoTed

The Voting is... not closed? Eh, another vote tie, woohoo!

Usually, I'd either count the first vote twice, or I'd use TheAPlegends' vote, considering that he is the reader who has the highest stake in this choice, with his character being involved in it. To make thing easier for me, both of these routes would lead to the same choice being chosen However, so far I count eight votes, which I think might not be entirely representative, given that a number of active readers has not yet given their votes. So, if anyone wishes to break the tie, that'd be amazing. If not, well, in that case I'll just use the method I described above. Thing is, I cannot leave the voting open for another day and originally wanted to close it yesterday even, for reasons I'll explain below.

First of all, the next part will be out today. It will be a Richard part and to my surprise, it won't even be his only part in this chapter. While writing, I realized I might have to end up giving him a second part, which will likely happen towards the end of this chapter. Of course, the end of this chapter is getting closer pretty rapidly and I am sure we will reach it somewhere in June. Anyways, last time we saw Richard was still during the raid. After the valiant sacrifice of Jarow, Richard and Hal managed to escape the bandits, though were considerably slowed down by Hal's wounded leg. As a result, they only arrived at the outskirts of Raylansfair towards the end of the chapter, just after Kersea's fight with Clayton caused the wildfire explosion that destroyed the lighthouse. A wounded Kersea stumbled right upon Richard, begging for his help just before falling unconscious. The next part will now show what Richard has been up to since we last saw him, how he reacted to this unexpected encounter and how he is coping with the changes the raid has brought for his own life.

Now, there is a tiny announcement to be made. I actually won't be home for most of the next week, which is also why I am not going to keep this voting open for a day longer in hopes of solving the vote tie naturally. From early Thursday to late Sunday (or probably early Monday), I will be at Rock am Ring, a super huge music festival here in Germany, centered about metal, punk and rock music. A large number of my favourite bands is going to play, including System of a Down, Sum 41 and Die Toten Hosen (who are basically the most influential german punk band of all time. Compare them to Greenday, if Greenday wouldn't have turned into a bunch of sellouts). Over two dozen of my friends are going to accompany me, so this is going to be some pretty big stuff. I will have my phone with me, but I highly doubt I will be able to be all that active over this long weekend, I'm already going to be glad if I can read new parts for my followed stories while I'm there. Naturally, I am excited and I think this will be a much-needed break from the shit that has been going on in the last month However, it will mean that at earliest, I will be able to close the voting of the part after the next one (likely an Arthur part) on Monday next week. Now, I will try to push out the next part today, so that I can close the next voting on late Wednesday. Voting for this Drent part is going to remain open until I close the next voting, in the hopes that someone is going to break the tie

Partition

I see I am the deciding vote once again. I really liked this part and I had to think it through for a bit but I chose [Let him go].

I'm not gonna do the complete opposite of what Emphryus just said right before Drent left. If he is correct, I don't trust Garen enough to assist Drent and fight without one of the two getting wounded. Besides, I don't think leaving him in Raylansfair will do much damage. I kind of believe that he truly wants to become a better person, or else he wouldn't have even asked Drent to help save those people, let alone spare him when he could have killed him much earlier. The real question is, will Drent actually tell Emphryus/Argella that he left? I don't know if this may lead to the final choice of Drent's storyline this chapter, which makes me believe that it is a pretty major choice. I just really hope Shortwood isn't some murderous psycho in reality, resulting in letting him go be a very wrong choice.

LiquidChicagoTed

You are indeed the deciding vote, just three minutes after I declared a vote tie, concerned that it won't be broken Ah, much appreciated! Now, it's not the first tie you have resolved with your vote and as far as I remember, they have always been difficult choices. This one is surely no difference, because it is indeed a very important choice for Drent. Considering that his choices haven't been all that huge in the past, it is probably even his largest choice to date. I can also reveal that he will get a choice about what he is going to tell Argella and Emphryus, which is probably also not going to be all that minor. Now, Garen is another factor in this and so is Ian, whose true morals are still not entirely clear. You'll see if it is going to be a good thing or not to trust him here

NightShroud18

Have no fear, NightShroud is here! (to ruin your day) If I may vote since I haven't seen the voting officially closed, I would like to choose [Fight Ian Shortwood] I know this sounds like a huge dick move (and potentially putting the choice in another tie) but I seriously have not planned for this xD

It doesn't seem in character for Drent to just walk away and let Ian go. He might not even give any explanations, but if we weaken him enough, perhaps we can capture him? If letting him go wins, that's fine.

LiquidChicagoTed

Richard

The moment he stepped into the infirmary, Richard had to hold his breath for a second, though a disgusted gasp still left his throat. He had seen dead people before, more than he was comfortable with and more than a man should, but this was something else. Seeing so many people, men and women he knew in some cases, whom he cared for, either dead or close to it, it was enough to bring tears to his eyes.

Of course, there was yet another reason for his tears. Philip had visited him earlier this day, had told him the terrible news. Right now, Richard was here to say farewell to a man that had been his dearest friend for half a decade. And he wasn't the only loss he had to mourn after this night of horrors.

The first familiar face he saw was actually still living. Not Urid's, but Hal's. He had brought the young man to the large room that once had been the city guard headquarters earlier this day, before he had run into Philip, even before he had checked up on Jenna, making sure that she was still holding on. Right now, Hal was looking even worse than before, deathly pale and visibly sick. However, he was alive and a weak grin formed on his face as he recognized his saviour.

“Richard...”, he gasped, as the man walked over to him. “How are you feeling, Hal?”, he asked in return and the young farmer managed to chuckle weakly. “Right now?”, he sighed. “Right now I'm feeling like shit. But the healer has been here before, she looked at my leg. Told me that I'm going to be fully well again. I might not be walking for a couple of weeks though”

“Mathea is here?”, Richard asked, immediately noticing how unnecessary this question has been. Of course she was here, somewhere in this large room at least, where she could help the most. No doubt working herself to near-death again.

Hal gave him a nod, just as unnecessary as the question. “She should be somewhere over there”, he said, pointing across the room. “Though I doubt she has much time for a chat. The healers from Darkdell are assisting her, but she's still the most dedicated among them”

Richard glanced into the direction Hal pointed to. Indeed, he saw someone that might be Mathea in the distance, amid the wounded, though he had to get closer to make sure. “I still got some questions”, he mumbled and Hal shrugged. “Well, you can try your luck”, he said, to which Richard gave him a nod. “I'll do just that”, he answered, before he forced himself to smile at Hal. “I'm glad you're still alive”, he said, as he turned to leave.

Hal's hand reached for his forearm, stopping him dead in his tracks. “Richard...”, the younger man gasped. “I just wanted to say, I am grateful for what you did. You risked your life to safe mine and that is more than anyone else ever did for me”

“I'd do it again if I have to”, Richard promised instantly. “I don't turn my back on those in need” Hal smirked. “I know”, he confirmed. “And that's why I'm going to make this up to you, somehow. I'll tell Nora. Sure thing, she will find a way to repay you. If you or your family are in need, you can count on us!”

Richard's hand grabbed Hal's and the two men exchanged a firm handshake, followed by a nod, a wordless understanding. He hadn't known Hal Recton all that well in the past, but there was no doubt that they were friends now. And Richard would always look out for his friends. Gods, he couldn't suffer another Lyria, another Urid and he prayed it would never come to this again.

The person he was approaching indeed turned out to be Mathea. Her simple brown robe and black hair, tied into a loose bun in a decidedly unspectacular way did nothing to set her apart from the other women in Raylansfair, there was something about her posture that clued him in that this was the healer even before she turned around and mustered him with those strange eyes of hers. The level of attention she clearly paid to her surroundings came close to that of a predator, but instead of prey, she was looking for someone to help.

Even now, she noticed him long before he expected it and it only took her a moment to recognize him, even though he was clearly just one of many faces she had encountered in the past week. “Richard”, she greeted him quietly, though the familiar tone in her voice made him feel like an old friend of hers. There was a clear distance between them, but he felt comfortable in her presence.

“Lady Mathea”, he greeted her in return and she gave him a quick smile, a forced one, as she heard the honourary title. After all, she was nothing if not a lady, a blessing to this dying city. Instantly however, both grew serious again, as she quickly deduced the reason for his arrival. “His body is over there”, she said, pointing towards the far end of the room. “They brought him here, hoping they could do something for him, even though he was already dead by then”

Richard sighed, though he gave Mathea a thankful nod. Still, Urid was not the only person he wanted to ask about. “I have heard about Lyria”, he said and for a second, he saw what might be pain in Mathea's stoic look. She averted her eyes, not quick enough for him to see the haunted look in them. “What about her?”, she asked, her voice shivering slightly. Compared to how in control she was usually, this came close to a breakdown and he didn't even want to imagine how she had to feel behind this calm facade.

“Nothing about her”, Richard replied, unable to say anything about Lyria right now. He still had a long way home and it was already hard enough not to despair right now, he couldn't speak much about the dead. He would mourn Lyria, but in silence and on his own. Anything else would have been too painful. “It's about Rosalie”

He immediately noticed that this topic was even more sensitive than the one of Lyria. Mathea's eyes widened and even her calm hands began to shiver. “She is sleeping”, she said, her voice almost silenced by the tears she so desperately tried to hold back. “I… I couldn't do more for her”

“And when she wakes up?”, Richard asked, though Mathea sighed bitterly. “I don't know”, she admitted in a defeated tone. “She lost her mother, the last family she had in life. A septon might be able to help her, but the one you had here did a… terrible job at that, as far as I know. Helping a grieving daughter… This is nothing I am skilled in, nothing I have talent for”

“She'd need a place to stay”, Richard mumbled and Mathea nodded. “I would offer her to stay with me”, she said. “But I doubt she'd want this, not after all that happened. The house… I am not sure if I can stay there myself. They have been my patients, they trusted me and I was responsible for them...” She cut herself off, as finally, tears welled up in her eyes. “I… I am sorry”, she gasped, shocked at her own display of emotion. “Please, we can talk about them another time. I… have wounded to take care of”

Richard nodded in an understanding way. “Of course, mylady”, he said politely. “Please, if there is anything I can help you with, don't hesitate to approach me. This city needs you” He took a step away from her, turning around to give her the solitude she needed right now. She was much like him in these regards. Even after his wife died, he had refused to mourn in public. Even if the only public was his ten-years old daughter, constantly asking him when her mother would wake up again.

He didn't get far until he saw another familiar face, one he had been afraid to see here. Carma was standing over a makeshift bed, the body lying on it covered with a linen sheet. She still wore the same dress she had worn the day before and the look on her beautiful face was one so full of despair that he barely dared to approach her.

Though he did so regardless, he quickly came to regret it when her distraught, helpless glare hit him. Quickly, these empty, blue eyes got filled with something that was easily the most shocking thing he had seen in a long while. It was anger. It was hatred. And coming from a person like Carma Strad, beautiful inside and out, lacking even an ounce of cruelty, it was more shocking than even the vile nature of Wolfius Woodbark.

“You...”, she growled and she kept her voice down as she said this, in a cold whisper, cutting through him like a knife. “Carma...”, he replied, his attention only barely drawn to the corpse of his friend. Urid's grieving widow forced his attention in a way that terrified him. She clenched her fists as she approached him. “How can you dare to come?”, she asked.

Richard gulped, terrified by this sudden, unexpected change in Carma's character. It was the grief speaking, yes, but up until now, he hadn't even been sure that she was capable of such anger, or anger at all. “I wanted to offer my condolences”, he said, barely able to look her in the eyes.

“I don't need your condolences”, Carma replied strictly. “I need my husband. My three children need their father. A father that would still be alive if not for your actions” Her accusation caused Richard's eyes to widen, something she took as a sign to continue without mercy. “Don't look at me like that”, she growled. “You know it's true”

Weakly, Richard shook his head. “He was my friend”, he gasped and she narrowed her eyes. “And yet you still dragged him from one danger to the next”, she barked, now a bit louder than before. “Wolfius, these… assassins, they would have never targeted him if not for you. He would still be with me if not for you”

Now, Richard looked at the ground. “I never wanted him to get hurt”, he whispered. Carma took yet another step towards him, now close enough for him to feel her rapid breath. “No, you only wanted to be a hero”, she hissed. “The man who stopped Wolfius, the man who stopped these killers. Heroes suffer, Richard. You just got lucky enough that others paid the price for you”

“I am sorry”, Richard replied weakly, unable to say anything else to this woman he had wronged so heavily. Urid, oh gods… it was his fault, wasn't it? Urid never wanted to be a part of this. All he wanted to do was to help his friends and keep his family safe. “I don't need your apologies”, Carma growled. “Leave me. Leave me alone!” She pointed at the door and instinctively, Richard began to stagger towards it, knowing fully well that he couldn't say or do anything to lessen her pain. “I don't want to see you ever again!”

These words, they echoed through his mind, as Richard stepped out of the doors and onto the streets, feeling numb and hollow. He began to stagger home, a familiar way, feeling longer than ever before. And thoughts, they kept flooding his mind, crushing him in ways he never even thought to be possible. Even when his Erna was taken from him, he didn't feel this pressing guilt that threatened to overwhelm him right now.

Richard barely even noticed that he had arrived home, until he opened the small gate that led up the path to his house. Quickly, he snapped out of this mindless, numb hole he had put himself in, though this did not cause the guilt to disappear. It lingered at the edges of his mind and the only thing that momentarily got him to focus on something else was the most pressing matter at hand. The killer he had brought to his own house.

Even before he reached the door, it got opened, by the second-last person he wanted to see right now. Alan stood in the doorway, typically smug and Richard couldn't even bring it onto himself to feel relieved at his brother's survival. “As I live and breathe”, Alan said with a smirk. “My brother, the hero”

His words, while likely not an intentional insult, caused Richard to tense up, after what Carma just said to him. “You're still alive, I see”, he mumbled and he was only half-surprised to see Alan here right now. He hadn't been here a few hours ago, before he left for the city again, but he should have guessed that much. Alan was like a Roach in these regards.

“Don't be disappointed”, Alan chuckled and Richard shot him a glare. “You left me and Hal to die”, he growled and his brother raised an eyebrow. “But, Richard...”, he sighed, in the same tone one would use to talk to a child. “I helped you before. You wanted to save the crippled man, that was your thing”

“Whereas you merely looked out for yourself”, Richard barked. “Hiding like a coward, no doubt” Alan's smile faded. “Hiding like a survivor. I survived”, he said and Richard tried to push past him and into his own house. Alan stopped him, putting a hand onto his shoulder. “There's another thing we have to talk about”

As Richard glared at him, Alan removed his hand, though his obnoxious smirk returned. “A fair maiden in my bed. Usually, I'd feel flattered, but well, she has bled onto my sheets and that's quite turning me off”, he explained. “Besides, I exchanged a few words with her and I can't make any sense of what she's saying there”

Richard's eyes widened. “She's awake?”, he asked and just as Alan gave him a nod, he already rushed towards his brothers room. “You're welcome, by the way!”, the younger man yelled after him, before he closed the front door.

Indeed, there she was. The young woman was awake. Grey eyes stared at him, cautious, fearful and in pain. They were the saddest eyes he had ever seen, yet there was determination in them at the same time, only barely weaker than her confusion. There was no doubt that she recognized him as he recognized her.

As he walked closer, the woman tensed up, trying to crawl away from him, towards the wall next to her bed. Her wound prevented her from doing so and a pained gasp escaped her throat, as her eyes widened. Clutching the bandage Richard had wrapped around her waist, her breath got faster and through her fingers, he saw blood.

Now, there was obvious fear in her eyes, as Richard walked up next to her. She glanced around, undoubtedly looking for her weapons. Having expected such a reaction, he had locked them away, safely hidden in his own room. As little trust as there was between them, he managed to give her a nod, not entirely unfriendly and this reaction caught her off guard. “Hello”, he greeted her.

Slowly, her breaths became calmer again, as she glanced down upon her bandaged waist. As she looked up into Richard's eyes, he saw that she remembered. “You saved my life”, she mumbled, they were the first words she had spoken since he had brought her to his house.

“I did”, Richard confirmed. “But let's not...” She cut him off. “Why?”, she asked and there was distrust in her tone, hostility even. Richard narrowed her eyes and she gulped, as she avoided his glare. “Apologies”, she mumbled. “I asked you to save me, I know that. It's just... where I come from, everything has a price. Why have you helped me?”

Richard sighed. “As I was going to say”, he continued. “Let's not get too far ahead there. I'd like to start with your name. Want to know whom I am dealing with here” She nodded. “I'm Kersea”, she introduced herself. “Kersea Catelins”

“Richard Harking”, Richard replied. “Though you probably know that already” A look of pure guilt formed on her face and for a moment, he felt pity for this woman. Whatever it was, there was terrible pain on her face and after the recent events, he could understand it quite well. “I'm sorry”, she mumbled, a weak apology, but an honest one.

“You spared my life”, he told her. “Sure, you gave me a beating. But if you really wanted me dead as that man ordered you to, I wouldn't be alive anymore. So, now I want to know why you did it” Feeling the pain in his aching leg, he walked over to the small desk, to lean against it, while Kersea followed his moves carefully.

“I don't even know”, she sighed. “Clayton, he... the man you have seen with me, he wanted you dead. And I... I think I just wanted to stop being Clayton's weapon for a while” The way she said these words, Richard felt uncomfortable. Slowly, he began to put the pieces together.

“He forced you to do this?”, he asked. “Serving him, I mean?” With a grim expression, she nodded. “One of his... thugs murdered my parents. They took my sister...”, she explained and suddenly her eyes widened. “Briar... my sister is still in the city!” Almost instantly, she tried to push herself up, though her severe wound instantly caused her to let out a short, high scream of pain, as she sank down onto the bed again.

Richard rushed to her side, his own leg aching as he knelt down. “You won't go anywhere right now”, he spoke as he inspected the wound. It was still bleeding, something that concerned him. He was no healer and he knew she needed one right now. At the same time, though he couldn't hope to understand everything that was going on here, he was pretty sure that keeping her hidden at his farm was the smarter move for the time being. She had been deeply involved with these killers, the ones that almot killed him, the ones that worked with Wolfius. Surely there was someone out there looking for her, to make sure that she wouldn't reveal any secrets.

Tears welled up in Kersea's eyes and they weren't entirely coming from the physical pain. “Please...”, she gasped. “My little sister is still in the city. She's so young, she won't survive on her own” She blinked, as she removed her gaze from him. “She's the reason I followed their orders. My little sister. My responsibility”, she explained in a weak tone. “I couldn't lose her as well”

Once again, she tried to rise from the bed, but Richard gently pushed her down again. If anything, he was able to sympathize with her struggle. Her worry, it reminded him of his own concerns regarding Jenna. “We will talk about this later”, he promised her. “You are badly wounded and I doubt you should be seen in the city right now. But if your sister is still there, then I might be willing to try and find her”

Kersea raised an eyebrow. “You'd do that?”, she asked. “Why... why are you helping me? You saved my life, you want to help me finding Briar... what is it that you want in return?” Richard shrugged. “You helped me as well”, he said. “In an odd way. You saved my life. Later in the castle, you allowed me to save Jenna. I don't know how much of your story I can believe, but you have done enough to earn my help”

This clearly surprised her and he could see the distrust in her eyes. At the same time, she managed to give him a nod. “You want nothing in return?”, she asked, to which Richard shook his head. “Information”, he replied. “All I know is that this Clayton you mentioned had a plan for Raylansfair. You have been close to him and you're bound to know his secrets. I will help you as good as I can, but in return I want answers”

Finally, something that resembled understanding appeared in Kersea's eyes. “And you will get them”, she promised. “I don't claim to know it all, but it should still be of use to you” She tilted her head sideways. “So, what would you like to know first?”

Before Richard was able to answer, the door to the room got pushed open. Inside the doorframe, he saw Alan, who grinned slightly as he saw Kersea. “My dear brother, whatever you are trying to do, use your own bed for it, not mine”, he chuckled, something that confused Kersea an was enough for Richard to send him a vicious glare.

Quickly, Alan raised his hands. “Alright, alright!”, he was quick to calm him down, as he looked at Kersea. “I have heard some of the basics. You know something, frost flower?” Finally, his attitude caused Kersea to narrow her eyes, while Richard spoke up. “You eavesdropped?”, he growled.

Unapologetically, Alan nodded. “To a conversation taking place in my room”, he replied. “Whatever it is you're talking about, I am sure it will concern me as well, as your brother and housemate. So, what do you say, shall we continue this talk as a trio?”

[Allow Alan to listen to your conversation] [Send Alan away]

LiquidChicagoTed

Hm, indeed I haven't officially closed the voting after Partition's vote, even though I wanted to. Ah, that's what I get for being so slow XD Now I am not sure what to do, as I feel it would be unfair not to count your vote, yet at the same time, a lot of possible options, the first vote, TheAPlegends' vote, Partition's tie-breaker, they all point towards the other option. Ah, we'll see. Not every voter has given their vote so far, so maybe more will come. If not, I will probably just go with the other option, given that it more or less won already, but we'll see. I will leave it to the others, if they wish to vote on this, if not, then I will make a clear choice.

Edinosaur23

Um, tough decision, on one hand if you tell him to leave, he will probably insist on staying or eavesdrop regardless, and on the other hand if you allow him to stay, there's no guarantee he will not use that information for his own benefit.
[Allow Alan to listen to your conversation] Simply because there's less risk of eavesdropping, although we will have to deal with the consequences later.

Javier Raviolli

I'm going with [Send Alan away] I wouldn't really trust Alan with this kind of information. Sure, there's still the possibility that he might eavesdrop anyway, but I'd rather take my chances here.

Mathea

[Send Alan away]

The_not_chosen_one

[Send Alan away] I don't trust the guy that leave me in the moment of need and don't even feel a little guilt about it

RT:

• It was quite a while from the last Richard part!
• It is good for Richard to reinforce his friendship with the Recton siblings
• I admit that I'm curious to know your future plans for Rosalie
• I can understand Carma anger against Richard (and probably not only against him),she had lose her husband and now had to mantain her children alone;I won't be surprised if she will start to be a different person in the next book
• Someone should give a lesson to Alan,Richard is some sort of saint to still endure his brother!
• The interaction between Richard and Kersea,two very different PoV's,will be interesting to read

AgentZ46

If it isn't too late I'd like to pick [Fight Ian Shortwood] I really don't trust him and Emphryus believes him to be a talented liar. His new beginning talk could be a clever ruse.

AgentZ46

[Allow Alan to listen to your conversation] It's debateable if it's even possible at this point but I want to try and get the brothers to become closer and reconnect.

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Alan stab Kersea with a pitchfork once? That could be awkward if one of them remember. XD

Oh Kersea how I've missed you!

LiquidChicagoTed

Ah, I indeed haven't closed the voting. I probably should have done so after Partition's vote broke the tie, because now I feel bad for the ones who voted for the other option. But at the same time, if it wouldn't be for my limited time this week, I would have left the voting open until today in general, so I guess this is not too bad and I will certainly count your vote. It will make for an action-packed part for Drent next time and will have quite the consequence. Now, it can go either way and I guess the next part will show you if you chose correctly or not. I hope to write Drent's next part in the very near future, somewhere in the next two weeks, because well, I really want to finish that chapter

LiquidChicagoTed

Um, tough decision, on one hand if you tell him to leave, he will probably insist on staying or eavesdrop regardless, and on the other hand if you allow him to stay, there's no guarantee he will not use that information for his own benefit.

Hm, I can confirm that if Richard sends Alan away here, he would make sure that he won't eavesdrop, which will probably mean that he has to throw him out of the house for the duration of his conversation with Kersea. Naturally, Alan would be displeased about this, but Richard knows his brother well enough to be certain that there is no other way to prevnt him from eavesdropping.

By the way, I have just sent you a private message about two of your characters

LiquidChicagoTed

It was quite a while from the last Richard part!

Yes it was! I think he is the PoV who had the longest wait between the two parts here. His storyline was finished in the middle of Chapter 8 and only now, towards the end of Chapter 9, did he reappear. Since the middle of Chapter 8 was written in December, this makes almost half a year without a Richard part. Huh, this feels weird...

It is good for Richard to reinforce his friendship with the Recton siblings

It is. Saving Hal came at a considerable personal risk for him and neither of the siblings will forget this. In that way, he even gained a valuable ally during this raid. While Nora's future as the captain of the castle guard is not quite sure, with her being wounded and Petyr taking control of the castle, she will remain an important figure in Raylansfair in the events to come and a useful friend to have.

I admit that I'm curious to know your future plans for Rosalie

There are plans for her, that is all I can say for now. She is among the ones that have suffered the most during this raid and her future is very uncertain right now, but in the early Book 2, you might get some glimpses of the direction I intend to lead her to. As long as she is still alive, I have plans for her and she might even increase in importance in the future.

I can understand Carma anger against Richard (and probably not only against him),she had lose her husband and now had to mantain her children alone;I won't be surprised if she will start to be a different person in the next book

It's true, Carma's anger is understandable and not without reason. Urid was caught in the middle, basically just killed because he was at the wrong place at the wrong time and the only reason he even was at Mathea's house was because he got wounded in his attempt to help Richard. Without this, he would have never gotten involved. Though Carma knows that Wolfius murdered her husband, she still lashes out at Richard because he is not entirely blameless either. And things will get very bad for her now, as a single mother of three children, one of whom is merely an infant. This will have a heavy effect on her and will turn her into a different person than the one you got to know in Book 1.

Someone should give a lesson to Alan,Richard is some sort of saint to still endure his brother!

He is, isn't he? That has always been Richard's problem, he is far too patient and generous, especially when it comes to his family. The fact that he shows visible anger at Alan is already pretty heavy for him. It gets even worse when you consider that Alan basically cheated him out of his inheritance, money that would have allowed him to live a far better life than the one he has right now and probably would have saved his wife even. Come to think of it, he himself probably doesn't even know why he still keeps Alan around, but it is a bit of a misguided sense of family.

The interaction between Richard and Kersea,two very different PoV's,will be interesting to read

That much is for sure! Richard and Kersea will have some very interesting scenes in the next chapter, though they will likely be shown mostly from his perspective. Kersea herself will return as a PoV as well, but for the time being, she can't do much on her own, with that wound, so the action will be left for her saviour. That said, as different as they are, there are some similarities they can surely connect about, most importantly their strong sense of family. So, they are not entirely different characters and they might even get along quite well in time. The fact that Richard decided to save her life was a good step into the right direction for them.

InGen_Nate_Kenny

[Allow Alan to listen to your conversation]

He'll probably spill the beans but hey it don't matter.

Yuck. Someone attracted to Kersea. Yuck.

WildlingKing

[Send Alan away] Simply enough, I don't trust the guy. I could easily see Alan betray his brother if there was a profit in it, so let's just keep him away from the important conversations.

LiquidChicagoTed

It's debateable if it's even possible at this point but I want to try and get the brothers to become closer and reconnect.

I can confirm that it is possible. Things are not hopeless with them, mostly because Richard is still willing to keep Alan around after all he did. And for all his smug arrogance, Alan was still a bit of a help during the raid and he also rushed to Jenna's defense in Chapter 3. However, for them to truly reconnect with each other, Alan would have to change massively. Right now, Richard is arguably already doing a lot to please his brother, whereas Alan is the one that isn't working on their relationship.

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Alan stab Kersea with a pitchfork once? That could be awkward if one of them remember. XD

He at least tried to tab her with a pitchfork, that is true. Of course, he's a coward with a farming tool and she is a trained killer, so that attempt ended with him getting punched in the throat, or else Kersea probably wouldn't be alive right now. And he definitely doesn't remember her or else he probably wouldn't make lewd comments about the girl in his bed. She might remember him if actively thinking about him, but they have only met once in a situation that was extremely stressful for her, so she is not remembering him at this very moment.

Oh Kersea how I've missed you!

This is good to hear! Ever since I decided to spare Kersea at the end of the last chapter, my plans for her have evolved into what might just be one of my favourite storylines for Book 2. She will develop quite massively as a character and I hope you will continue to enjoy her

Bounden

[Allow Alan to listen to your conversation] Good ol' Alan. If you are going to be apart of Richard's life, you might as well know what kind of shit he has gotten himself into. I really like Richard's part here. Glad that Hal isn't dead yet and that Mathea is still some how keeping it all together. My dislike of Carma has grown to a sort of full blown hatred now. Richard never forced Urid to go along with them. And they had good reasons behind their actions. If no one went after the assassins, they would be able to go and murder as they pleased. They could've even ended up murdering Carma or one of her kids. Throwing you frustrations at Richard and now putting himself into a state of guilt doesn't help anyone.

LiquidChicagoTed

Yuck. Someone attracted to Kersea. Yuck.

Alan, you mean? Well, he's this kind of guy that tries to flirt sleazily with every reasonably pretty girl he meets. That said, your personal feelings on Kersea aside, try to see the positive side of it: If he makes a move with his typical, charming Alan attitude, it is very likely that she is going to hurt him badly And undeniably, he is an improvement from the last guy who was attracted to her. Not that this means much though...

LiquidChicagoTed

My dislike of Carma has grown to a sort of full blown hatred now. Richard never forced Urid to go along with them. And they had good reasons behind their actions. If no one went after the assassins, they would be able to go and murder as they pleased. They could've even ended up murdering Carma or one of her kids. Throwing you frustrations at Richard and now putting himself into a state of guilt doesn't help anyone.

Well, you are right that Richard never forced Urid to go with him, at least not directly, so Carma's anger is not entirely rational, just like she is in a situation where she is far from rational. However, he knew that Urid was loyal to a fault and so dedicated to his friends that he never would have refused to help. Without Richard's desire to stop the assassins, Urid would have never gotten involved however, so from Carma's perspective, Richard is to blame for getting him into this danger. She thinks that he should have known better before putting her husband in harm's way. On top of that, there is the thing that Richard is a farmer, Urid was a tailor and they tried to do work even the somewhat trained fighters from the city guard were unable to do. They were in over their head and achieved ultimately nothing. The assassins got stopped, but it took a fight from the inside and one seriously experienced knight to do so, so Carma has reason to be angry at Richard. Ultimately, he tried to be a hero and he willingly risked his own life, but also his friends in the process. Sure, his intentions were good, but it is questionable if the results have been worth it. If they would have at least succeeded at doing anything useful at all, Carma would have at least been able to find some peace in this, but the situation right now means that her husband died for nothing while trying to help Richard and that thought is something she can hardly even bear.

TheAPlegends

[Send Alan away]

DiverseGnu

[Allow Alan to listen to your conversation]

Let's rebuild Richard's relationship with his brother.

LiquidChicagoTed

The Voting is closed!

Richard is going to allow Alan to listen to the conversation

Technically we have another vote tie. Practically though, I am not going to keep the voting open for longer, because I absolutely have to get this next part out today. So, I will just count the first vote twice, meaning that Richard is not going to keep Alan around for his conversation with Kersea. Well, on the one hand, this is at least leaving the tiny chance for Richard and Alan to reconcile, as the other option would have undoubtedly made things only worse between them. At the same time, this will mean that Alan, probably not the most reliable person ever, is now going to learn about some pretty sensitive information. It remains to be seen if this has truly been worth it.

Now, the next part will be out today, hopefully. As said before, I will be gone for the rest of the week starting with tomorrow, meaning this voting will be left open until Monday. Considering that I won't be able to get any writing done for the remainder of the week, the next part might not be out until Tuesday though. On top of that, I might not be active in the forums until my return, as I don't know how well my mobile internet is going to work or how much time I will have. I'll try to remain at least somewhat active, but don't expect to hear much from me until Monday. Anyways, the next part will be an Arthur part, most likely the penultimate part for him in this chapter. Last time we saw him, Arthur was still grieving for his father, when he made the realization that Aditha's earlier statement, about Hackor admitting to her that he cared for Arthur, has been a lie, her attempt to make him feel better. While Hackor's true feelings on Arthur remain a mystery, this realization disillusioned Arthur when it comes to his father, whom he previously thought highly of. He left, to meet up with the person that asked to see him. As it turned out, this person is Edonia Bernile, who told him that Argella wishes to speak to him. Technically, she wanted to speak to his father, having been unaware about the man's death during the raid. With Hackor gone though, Arthur had to suffice, so Argella explained to him the situation surrounding Montclair's death in the final stage of the raid. Due to the nature of Montclair's death, being shot with a poisoned arrow while shielding his princess, Argella has come to the conclusion that this was an attempt on her life, so she naturally wishes to find the one that shot. For this, she enlisted Arthur's help, considering that he, as a member of the city guard, has good knowledge of Raylansfair and might be a valuable asset. She also ordered Edonia to assist him. Before leaving, Arthur was told that Nora Recton, who has been wounded in the battle, might hold some information. Edonia was doubtful if this was a valuable lead or merely a waste of time, but Arthur decided to check out what Nora knows before heading to the site where Montclair was shot.

LiquidChicagoTed

Arthur

Perhaps out of respect for her position, Nora had been given a room of her own, instead of being confined to the large hall that was used to contain all those that had been wounded during the raid. It wasn't a very large room, though it came with a window for fresh air and a bed that seemed to offer at least some comfort.

Nora was lying on it, her shoulder heavily bandaged and from the look on her face, it was clear that she was in pain. Weakly, she opened her eyes as Arthur and Edonia entered the room and she seemed to recognize him quickly. Though she remained mostly quiet, a short groan was uttered, a greeting of sorts.

“Captain Nora”, Arthur said, giving her a nod as he approached the bed. She managed a slight smile. “Nathamer”, she greeted him. “Glad you're still alive. Did your father sent you?” Instantly, Arthur's relaxed expression turned into a frown, a look that was enough for her to know what was going on. The smile on her face dropped, as she sighed, averting her eyes for a moment. “Damn...”, she mumbled. “He was a fine man. I'm sorry for your loss”

Arthur gulped, already feeling a lump in his throat again and he forced himself to smile at her. “I'm sure he was a fine man”, he replied quietly and he noticed that in the corner of his eyes, Edonia gave him a slightly surprised look. “How about your family? Is Hal doing okay?”

Nora closed her eyes, before she slightly nodded. “He got wounded during the fight, but Harking saved him”, she explained, allowing herself a slight smile of relief. As she opened her eyes again, there was a calmness in them, despite her generally sorry condition. “What can I do for you?” As she said this, her eyes wandered to Edonia, widening subtly as she noticed the uniform. “Wait... this is about Sherryl, isn't it?”

Arthur and Edonia exchanged a quick look, before he turned his attention back towards Nora, narrowing his eyes in the process. “Sherryl?”, he asked. “What does she have to do with this?” Edonia merely clenched her fists and tilted her head, silently urging the woman to continue.

“A whole lot, I'm afraid”, Nora replied. “I heard that one of the Stormlanders got murdered by an archer and well... that fits with something I noticed just before the castle got attacked” Arthur knelt down, so that they could talk eye to eye, without her having to rise her head in a painful way. “Was Sherryl the one that killed the Stormlander?”, he asked.

Nora pressed her lips together. “I don't know”, she admitted. “But just before the battle began, she was seen leaving the castle with a bow and a quiver full of arrows. It was a fine weapon, Summer Islander craftsmanship. Nothing she could have afforded on her own” She sighed and shivered due to her wound. “I don't know if she was the one that took the shot, but I know she is capable of such a thing”, she explained and her expression grew deadly serious. “One of the servants is accusing her of having sabotaged the castle gates and I have reason to believe that”

This final revelation caught Arthur off guard. The castle gates... they hadn't been lowered during the raid and he had already asked himself how that could have happened. He knew that Sherryl was trouble, but that? That was shocking, even for her standards. If Nora's accusation is true, then the woman he had known for most of his childhood has been responsible for the deaths of dozens.

“My father died to defend the courtyard”, he gasped, his voice just barely keeping a neutral tone. “Are you sure it has been her?” Nora shook her head. “I'd have to speak to her to be sure”, she replied. “But I trust the girl that accused her, Jenna Harking. She's a gentle one, too soft to lie. With others, I might have my doubts, but considering whom she is accusing... that Sherryl is up to no good, I knew that from the moment I first met her”

Horrified at this revelation, Arthur only managed to nod slightly. “If this is true...”, he gasped. “Seven, she has so much to answer for” He looked up again. “I assume she hasn't been seen since the raid?” Nora shook her head. “It's not as if I hear a lot of news at the moment”, she admitted. “But I still have eyes out there. If Sherryl would have shown her face in the castle, I would have been informed. I doubt she's that stupid though”

“Yeah”, Arthur agreed. “That brings up the question where she is right now” Nora raised an eyebrow. “That's kind of your thing to find out, guardsman”, she replied, before a tired sigh came out of her throat. Arthur took this as a hint to step away from the bed. “Right...”, he mumbled. “I'll get to it. Thank you for your help, captain”

To this, Nora gave him a sad smile. “Am I still a captain?”, she asked. “Harris is the one that put me into that position and he's probably dead” She shook her head with a weary sigh. “Ah, don't mind me”, she muttered. “Go and find Sherryl. Make her pay for what she did”

These grim words rang through Arthur's mind, as he and Edonia left the room again. With clenched fists, he marched down the hallway and Edonia actually had to fasten her pace to keep up with him. Initially silent, curiosity finally seemed to get the better of her, as she cleared her throat to speak. “So... Sherryl...”, she said.

Arthur sighed, as he nodded wordlessly. Edonia raised an eyebrow at the look on his face. “How do you know her?”, she asked, as they left the building and entered the courtyard. Arthur, still with a pained expression, only bit down onto his lower lip. “Not well, it seems”, he replied darkly. “Though I thought I did”

As he spoke, the two walked through the gates of the castle, the very same gates Sherryl supposedly sabotaged. Even now, a part of Arthur wished that this monstrous accusation would turn out to be false. “She had been friends with my sister. She, Tariel and Aditha, they've been inseparable for most of their childhood and teenage years”

“What happened then?”, Edonia asked, as they now walked a bit slower, down the path that led to the city. There was genuine interest in her voice. “Tariel made a mistake”, Arthur replied. “Fell in love with the wrong man. I suppose you know the story?”

Edonia gave him a nod. “The basics”, she confirmed. “A merchant with business here in the city. His death ruined a lot, didn't it?” Arthur nodded softly. “I don't think Tariel is to blame for that”, he admitted. “But many thought differently. She was suddenly a very dangerous person to know. Her friends got it almost as badly as she did”

By now, they had almost reached the city, so Arthur allowed Edonia to take the lead, as the two travelled to the spot where the Stormlander got shot. “My sister was not willing to risk her own future for Tariel' sake. She abandoned her, turned on her quite vocally and in doing so, she became highly respected”, Arthur continued. “Sherryl was different though. No matter how many accusations she herself had to suffer, she remained at Tariel's side”

Edonia raised an eyebrow. “It almost seems as if you admire her”, she said. Arthur sighed. “She had a strong character”, he answered. “I respected that. Admired... yes, I admired that about her. It was years ago, but gods, he has been so fiercely loyal back then”

A strained smile formed on Edonia's face, more a showing of teeth than an expression of joy. “Her loyalties have changed”, she said, as she led him through the streets of Raylansfair. The aftermath of the raid was clearly visible here, doors were kicked in, windows smashed and though the corpses had been removed, there was still blood. “She ditched Tariel in favour of her new boss”

Arthur threw a surprised glance at her and she smirked thinly at the fact that she knew something he didn't. “Mullendore”, she stated. “That's all I know, but apparently she lured us to this city. Even if she didn't take the shot, that makes her responsible for Montclair's death”

Her final words were spoken with a grim sadness and Arthur looked at her while he walked. “Montclair... what can you tell me about him?”, he asked and at least tried to show some of the genuine interest he had noticed with her before. “Have you been... close?”

Edonia glanced at him with surprise, before she raised her eyebrows. “Close?”, she gasped. “You mean... close?” Firmly, she shook her head. “He was my commanding officer. Brave, loyal, but also a bit distant. Truth be told, I don't know much about the man behind the rank. He had two sons”, she continued, as her expression grew soft and mournful again. “Seven, those poor kids don't even know yet”

She averted her gaze and continued to walk silently, while Arthur clenched his fists. If Sherryl was truly behind it... no, there was no 'if' in this situation. More than before did Arthur feel anger at a woman he once respected. Half a decade had passed since she had left Raylansfair and it became clear to him that not much was left of how she used to be. Or perhaps she had always been like this and it was the separation from her friends and home that caused her to act out on it. Whatever it was, Arthur was convinced by now that she either took the shot or ordered someone to do it.

“We have to find her”, he growled and Edonia glanced at him again. “No shit”, she mumbled. “Though I don't know what we're going to find. If she was the archer, then I doubt we'll get much out of her” Arthur raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you killed her?”, he asked and Edonia nodded firmly. “I killed the archer”, she answered. “If that was her... well, all I know is that I haven't missed”

“You couldn't see the archer?”, Arthur inquired and Edonia shook her head. “Didn't pay attention to the details”, she explained. “It was dark and I didn't have much time. Only saw a figure. Not a tall one, rather slim. Might have been her, but it's hard to say”

Arthur narrowed his eyes as he listened, before he slowly shook his head. “I hope she is still alive”, he stated. “She needs to be brought to justice. She has to answer for her crimes and maybe we can even get something out of her that'll help bringing some light to this case”

“Well spoken”, Edonia complimented him. “I agree. Her death will achieve nothing” Arthur felt a slight smile forming on his face. That said, there was another worry that bothered him, a thought that had only slowly came up. “If we capture her alive, what shall we do with her?”, he asked.

Edonia was silent at first, as she thought about his question. “That's a tough question”, she admitted. “The princess wants her to be brought to Storm's End, to answer for the murder of Sergeant Montclair. Though I assume you want to judge her here, so that she may answer for the death of your people”

Arthur glanced back at her. “If I would insist on that, would you let me?”, he asked. Instinctively, he looked at the woman's quiver, though Edonia made no move that could even suggest she'd take Sherryl by force. It came only as a slight surprise that she shook her head. “I won't”, she admitted. “Montclair was not her only victim. Most of them came from here. The people here, they deserve closure as well” She stopped for a moment, looking around, before her face lit up as she recognized the way. Pointing down a small alleyway, she continued to lead. “However, there is one other thing I won't approve of”, she said, as Arthur followed her. “Whatever happens, we mustn't turn her in, not publicly, or else Mullendore might learn about her. She cannot stand trial here”

“Turning her in would be a lawful thing to do”, Arthur said. “My father thought that way. He would have turned her in, even if it would have put him at a disadvantage. He would have rather lost her knowledge than to compromise his morals” With a bitter sigh, he shook his head. “My father was a neglectful, overzealous man, who never loved me, never cared for me”, he muttered, staring at the ground below him and only barely noticing Edonia's concerned look. “I tried to do everything as he would have done, my entire life. It was never enough. My sister told me that his last words where that he loved me”

Helpless to stop it, Arthur felt tears forming in his eyes. “My sister had to lie to me, my own sister, as she herself was grieving”, he gasped. “That's the kind of man my father has been. I say fuck him! Fuck his way!” He looked at Edonia, who was looking at him quietly. “We're doing things your way”, he assured her. “I want to know what Sherryl is up to, want to hear her story. Then you can have her”

With an odd look in her eyes, Edonia sighed. “I'm sorry”, she mumbled. “No one should have such thoughts about their father. Though it seems the commander did a lot to earn it” Arthur only managed to give her a nod, while he focussed on holding back the tears.

“I never knew my parents”, she said, probably in an attempt to steer the conversation away from Hackor. “Or... I knew them, but not for long. I was barely a child when they died. My brother was even younger. I have forgotten so much about them. There is the hint of a smile. My father's voice. One day, I fear I will forget even that” She shook her head. “Still, it seems kinder than your fate. Having to live with these memories for a lifetime”

By now, the conversation had taken such a thoroughly unpleasant turn that Arthur couldn't do anything but be quiet. Edonia obviously felt the same, as she seemed relieved in his silence. As he glanced at her, he felt a sympathy for this woman, something he hadn't quite felt before. It was not something he was able to explain all that well, but he felt... understood.

Covertly, she glanced at him, before she pointed at one of the houses towards the centre of the alleyway. “There it is”, she stated and Arthur scanned his surrounding. The alleyway got a bit broader to the centre. The house on the left had a tiny wall surrounding it, just enough to keep stray animals away from the property. Clearly, it was this wall that had saved the princess' life, just as much as her loyal soldier had done. A small puddle of blood showed the spot where Jax Montclair had been shot, though most of the traces of this tragedy had been washed away already.

The two stopped in front of the house Edonia had pointed at. It had three floors, including the main floor and Arthur noticed that every window in the top floor had been opened. Clearly, this was where the archer had taken aim. A wicked trap, the kind that was meant to kill.

He threw a look at Edonia, who was straightening her back and momentarily, he got distracted by her beauty. She caught him looking, raising both of her eyebrows, while Arthur blushed vividly. “Shall... shall we?”, he asked and she chuckled dryly, rolling her eyes at him, which was enough of an answer.

Naturally, the door was locked. He hadn't expected anything else. With a sigh, he took a step back. “Any ideas?”, he asked and Edonia shook her head, still smirking thinly. “Don't look at me”, she replied. “You won't see me breaking down that door. That's what I need you for, after all”

There was a subtle mockery in her words and as aggravating as this was, Arthur was somewhat glad that the conversation didn't revolve around their parents anymore. After what he had learned about Hackor today, the last thing he wanted to do was to have a talk about the man. Still, the thought filled him with anger and right now, anger was just what he needed.

With a growl, Arthur threw himself at the door, feeling it creaking slightly as he slammed against it. Despite that, it didn't gave in, not even a little bit and all it did was to throw Arthur into the mud. With a groan, he jumped up again and slammed into the wooden door again. This time, it cracked, though still not giving in. Instead, Arthur felt a sharp pain in his shoulder, as he stumbled to the door again. With a grimace, his hand reached for the aching spot, as the pain only slowly faded.

Raising an eyebrow, Edonia rushed towards him, though instead of helping him up, she approached door. “Did quite a number on it...”, she mumbled. “I think I got it... hold on a second” She leaned against the door and due to the damage Arthur already did to it, it indeed gave in a tiny bit, allowing her to reach inside with her hand. A smile formed on her face and a second later, the door swung open fully.

“What do I have you for again?”, she teased him and Arthur rolled his eyes, as the pain finally died down. “That's easy to say”, he complained. “After I wore it down” He remained lying on the ground and Edonia flashed him a smile. “What?”, she asked. “Are you waiting for me to help you up?”

Sighing, Arthur pushed himself up into a standing position again, though a pained expression flashed over his face as he staggered towards the door. Now, Edonia's smile faded, replaced by a look of concern. “Is everything alright?”, she asked and Arthur forced himself to give her a nod. “I just... need a moment”

He got more than just a moment, as Edonia quietly watched him recovering from the pain. Whatever just happened, it was unlikely that his shoulder was broken or damaged in any other way, which was good enough for him. Finally, he gave her a nod and Edonia smiled with relief. Together, they walked into the building.

The first thing Arthur noticed was the backdoor. It was pushed open, revealing an even tinier alleyway, barely deserving to be called a path, a narrow gap between the two rows of houses. The second thing he noticed was the blood. It wasn't a lot of it, but somebody had left a bloody handprint on the railing and another one on the wall next to the stairs, the one that led to the upper floors.

“I'll go upstairs”, Edonia was quick to say and Arthur nodded, as he rushed towards the backdoor without wasting any time. He followed a weak, thin trail of blood and he had no doubts that Edonia was able to follow a similar one upstairs.

The path between the two rows of houses was lying in a gloomy twilight, though there was enough light for Arthur to spot the blood. It let down the way to his left, toward one of the adjacent alleyways. Though still only a thin trail, it became clear to him that this must have come from a serious wound, or else there wouldn't have been that much of it.

However, before he was about to follow the trail, another detail caught his attention. There were bootprints in the mud, clearly visible and relatively fresh. At least two people had walked into the other direction. While not a particularly surprising detail in any other situation, Arthur knew that these narrow paths were barely used, especially in the current situation. The fact that at least two people had been walking down here recently was suspicious. On top of that, there was the blood.

Edonia arrived at his position shortly afterwards. She was carrying something in her hand and Arthur identified it as a second bow, on top of the one she was already carrying with her. Though not an expert on archery, he recognized masterful craftsmanship when he saw it. The wood was white and golden, unlike anything he had ever seen in his life. Certainly, this weapon has not been crafted in Westeros. “What have you found?”, he asked.

“My arrow”, Edonia replied, pointing at the object, which she had tied to her belt. “Bloody. I told you I didn't miss. There's a lot of blood up there, but not enough to kill a person. The archer could still be alive, though he or she left his bow”

“Why would they do that?”, Arthur said and Edonia shrugged, as as she admired the weapon. “Maybe they were too wounded to carry it”, she brought up. “Only one way to find out” She followed Arthur's gaze and quickly spotted the bootprints. This sight was concerning enough for her to narrow her eyes. Quietly, she looked Arthur in the eyes. “What do you say?”, she asked. “Which way shall we go?”

[Follow the bootprints] [Follow the blood]