Apologies, I really did not mean to XD But yes, my vacation is still going to happen. I will most likely leave by the end of this week, though I should be able to occasionally post a new part, maybe once or twice a week, whenever I'm at a camping site that has wi-fi (which, as I have been told, happens a lot in Scandinavia). Perhaps however, my father needs to fix his car first, in which case I will leave about two days later, in the early next week.
Ah,U scared the ell out of me!!!
By the way It is happy to know that they are well.And you told that you will be on a vocation this August....
is the vocation cancelled or anything else happened?
Ah, this was a wonderful part! It has been a long time since I last got to enjoy your writing, so it was a particularly nice occasion here. The Harrington brother relationship is a very complex, one of my favourite dynamics in the entire story. And seeing them here, so many years ago when things have been so vastly different honestly makes me hyped to show both in Book 2. It won't be too long for Samuel and the way his view on Ryder might evolve in the coming chapters is going to be sweet to write. And well, you certainly gave a good introduction to this situation. I also hope to see more of Samuel's siblings in future parts. Given that they obviously cannot appear in the story proper, seeing them in your side story would be a treat. Anyways, a wonderful part and a good beginning of what is hopefully going to be a series of nice parts. Thank you very much for writing this
Thank you Liquid for the announcement! I'm excited about this and I hope that you guys like this mini series until the confrontation of the … moretwo brothers. Please be honest about what you think of the part, because it helps me improve the new parts in the future.
Samuel:- 20 years ago
It was another bitter day for young Samuel, once again he was lying on the cold ground of the Wolfswood. Taking heavy breaths and grasping for his wooden sword, he sat up and gazed at his brother Ryder.
“What’s the matter, dear brother? Lost your footing again?” Ryder laughed as he stretched his arm downwards to pick his brother up. Samuel found this gesture infuriating, as he brushed off his brother’s attempt to lift him up from the ground. “This isn’t fair Ryder! You’re too good of a fighter to spare with.” He dully remarked. Only five years separated the brothers, but Samuel could swear that Ryder fights on par with any knight from the Seven Kingdom… [view original content]
With a groan of effort, Richard brought the axe down onto the wooden log, splitting it in half. It had been a chilly morning, but now, close to noon, the sun and the hard work were causing him to sigh under the heat. Still, it was necessary, as the cold nights of the past month have proven. Winter was coming at last.
He wiped over his forehead, sending droplets of sweat flying, as he raised the axe once more, bringing it down onto another latch. Now breathing heavily, he staggered backwards, to look at the work he had done. Enough firewood for a week, maybe more if they'd use it carefully.
The past two months had been stressful. It would have been odd with Kersea alone, but Jenna's guest made things all the more complicated. Richard did not regret telling him about her past, figuring it would be for the best if they'd ever want to work together, but still, he couldn't say it made things any easier. Given how close the knight seemed to be to outright kill her on the spot back when he first told him, things had settled down remarkably, but still, there were miles to go before they could even think about making a move against Maron Mullendore.
The farmer sighed as he thought about the man that ruled the city by now. Mern Gardener had visited them earlier, but of course, he brought his own guards, his own servants even and there was no chance for Jenna or her ally to inform him about the true nature of the men he gave the city to. One pretty much a kinslayer, the other so much worse, though to what end, they could not say. Even Kersea, who had worked closely with Butterfly for all he knew, could not say them anything about his actual plans.
Was it mere power? If that was the case, why Raylansfair? A near bankrupt city, one that had to be saved from Ironborn raiders in the first place and one that cost him and Petyr Vyrwel quite a lot of effort to take over. And Vyrwel... he already was a lord. What would he get out of this? Anytime Richard thought about this, it felt as if he grew closer to an actual answer, but it was still evading him.
His thoughts were interrupted as the back door to his house got pushed open and as Richard looked over his shoulder, he noticed Leonard approaching him. The knight had a tired look on his face. Of course, they all had these days, having trouble sleeping with the constant worry of what would happen if the new lords of Raylansfair would find them. Though Leonard was the one that had taken news from the trial by combat the worst and he looked the part. Still an impressive sight, the lines beneath his eyes and the short beard gave him a more rugged appearance than back when Richard first met him.
“You should take a break”, Leonard offered and Richard sighed. “And you shouldn't be out here”, he replied. “What if anyone sees you?” To this, the weary knight shrugged. “No one's coming here”, he replied. “It's been two months and I have only seen the same faces every single day. You. Jenna. Alan” He paused for a moment. “Kersea”
Richard sighed, as he stepped out of the sun and into the shadow closer to his house, leaning against the wooden wall. “What's she doing?”, he asked and Leonard shrugged. “She's quiet, even more than usual. Not the talking type, that one”, he replied. “Not that I'm unhappy about it”
“You're getting along with her?”, Richard asked and Leonard clenched his fists. “Have to”, he answered. “Listen, I know she's on our ide. And trust me, I wouldn't want it any other way. Saw her fighting and well, she's got a talent” With a fierce look, he narrowed his eyes. “She's the enemy of my enemy. And if it's revenge she's after, she'll have an ally in me. I can work with her against Mullendore, but that does not mean we have to be friends”
To this, Richard gave him a nod. “I'm glad to hear this”, he said. “We're few as it is. Last thing we need is struggle among us” Leonard smirked grimly. “You don't have to be afraid about that”, he assured him quietly. “Flowers has been my friend. Avenging him, that's all that matters” He raised an eyebrow. “But you are working too hard on this. It's not your fight”
Richard reciprocated the smirk, but whereas Leonard's was cold and tired, his own was more genuine. “It became mine the moment I took you in”, he spoke. “After what you and Kersea told me about that man... Jenna's working in the castle. He's a danger to her and that means I can't just stand aside” His smirk faded, replaced by a stern look. “Promise me, you'll kill this man”
“Without hesitating”, Leonard promised. Richard glanced past him, into the building. Putting a hand onto his stomach, he grimaced. “I should probably grab something to eat”, he said and patted Leonard's shoulder as he walked past him. “And you should head inside, lest anyone sees you”
Before he turned to the main room of his house, he caught Leonard rolling his eyes. “As I said, it's not as if you have many visitors here”, he stated. Though he did follow his wish, walking inside as well and closing the door, thankfully.
Kersea was lying on the bench near the fireplace and in the light of the flames, she looked tired and pale. Though it was by no means cold in the room, she even slightly shivered, despite being close to the fire. “He's right though”, she mumbled with a weak voice. “If just one person sees you and draws the connection, we're all dead”
Leonard rolled his eyes. “Great, now I'm getting a lecture”, he sighed. After it became clear that he wanted to remain standing, Richard took the seat on the opposite side of her bench, while Kersea sullenly looked into the flames. Pretty as she was, she looked weak and almost sick and it was quite a concern.
“I'm not lecturing you”, she explained. “But I believe you should take this a bit more seriously” All of a sudden, Leonard's glare turned from bored to outright angry. “Serious?”, he growled. “You think I'm not taking this seriously? After what Maron Mullendore did, you think I'm taking him not seriously?”
Kersea sighed. “That came out wrong”, she admitted. “And I'm sorry. But you should be more careful, that's what I meant” Leonard raised an eyebrow. “What's it to you?”, he snarled, crossing his arms. Kersea gave him a tired look. “I saved your life before”, she said. “It got me into this position in the first place, blowing my cover to Clayton. I don't want it to be in vain”
Leonard paused for a moment, before he gave her a nod. “It won't be”, he said. “I will put my sword into that man and if it is the last thing I do in live” He and Kersea exchanged a look, without any warmth in it, but there was some understanding. Not much, but it was a start.
Richard looked around. “So... where's Alan?”, he asked and Kersea shrugged, an action that caused her eyes to widen slightly. “In the city again. What for, I don't know” Though she seemed concerned, the farmer smiled. “Probably in for another brutal rejection”, he said.
However, Kersea was quick to shake her head. “I don't think it's this”, she said. “Something's... not right with him. He's more silent than usual. Hasn't tried to hit on me in a fortnight and from what I saw of him, that's strange. He barely even complains about our presence here anymore”
She seemed dead serious about her worries, so Richard narrowed his eyes. “You believe Alan could be in trouble?”, he asked and Kersea bit onto her lower lip. “I'm afraid he could be trouble”, she clarified. “I trust you. I trust Jenna. Hells, I even trust Leonard. But him?”
“He wanted both of us to be gone the moment he saw us”, Leonard agreed. “Seriously, why are you keeping up with him?” To this, Richard sighed. Yes, why did he? Alan did worse to him than to anyone else. He cheated him out of his inheritance. Lied, betrayed... his Erna could still be alive if not for his brother being greedy.
At the same time, there have been times where things were different. In moments like this, when Richard felt anger rising inside of him, where he clenched his fists at the mere thought of his brother, he tried to remember them. How they used to be as children. How Alan had taken the beating when their father had drunken too much again. His brother had been a different man once, but the thought of gold had poisoned his mind. Perhaps losing it all was a good experience for him. Perhaps in time, things could be back to where they have been.
“He is my brother”, Richard said. “You cannot choose your family” He sighed. “I know, Alan hasn't given you much reason to like him. Or any, to be honest. But he is my brother. I keep you around because it is the right thing to do, but him, I keep because he's family”
Carefully, Leonard gave him a nod, noticing his slight and growing anger at the discussion. “So, what are the plans?”, he asked and Richard gulped. He knew what Leonard was all about here, he could feel his growing restlessness. However, they were not yet ready. Far from it, actually. Through Jenna's new friend, they had learned about others with a grudge towards Mullendore, some of which would meet up with them soon. But even then, their resources were minuscule. Even with Kersea's knowledge, their understanding of their enemy was barely existent. Sure, she knew a lot about Butterfly, but the man behind was a stranger to her, as was Vyrwel. And until this was settled, until they knew exactly whom they were up against and what they could do to stop them, he would not risk any lives on foolishness.
“Well, Jenna should head home soon”, he said with a smile, trying to push the discussion into a direction that would not lead to any rash actions. “She'll want something to eat, so I'm going to prepare a stew. If you want to help, you can skin a rabbit for me, give her some good meat for dinner. If Alan won't join us, there should be enough for the four of us”
With frustration oozing from every move he made, Leonard slammed his fist down at the table, loud and sudden enough to make Richard frown. “What are you going to do next?”, the knight asked. “I don't want to sit around anymore, while the men that murdered him walk around freely. They disgrace his memory a we speak!”
Richard sighed. “Patience, my friend”, he replied and Leonard rolled his eyes. “That's easy, coming from you”, he growled and he glared at Kersea, who was staring at the floor in front of her. “After all, you're not locked up here all day, together with her! Hells, they murdered my best friend!” Now, Kersea briefly looked up. “They did the same to mine”, she sighed weakly, a look of pain flashing across her face as she reached for the bandages around her waist.
The pain in her voice was not a physical one though. Leonard's eyes widened slightly, though he remained silent, lost in painful thoughts of his own. As was Richard. Losing Urid had done more damage than he had thought. His most loyal friend was gone. He was still on speaking terms with Philip, completely unlike his relationship with Carma, but it was different than before and he hadn't seen him in nearly a month now. Few things were crueller than losing a good friend.
Leonard glanced at the young woman's body and though Richard was slightly surprised by this, he quickly noticed that admiration was not what the knight had in mind. Not right now and not with her. “Are you okay?”, he asked all of a sudden, a question that caught not only Kersea completely off guard.
“I... I think so, yes”, she stuttered. “What's it to you?” There was surprise in her words and the usual distrust. It was a general problem with her and even Richard, after saving her life, had needed quite some time to make her warm up to him. Not that he could hold it against her. Both of them, to be honest and they trusted none less than each other.
The knight did not reply to her question. “Stand up”, he ordered her and surprised by his stern command, she followed. “What are you doing?”, she asked, as Leonard walked to the table in the centre of the room. Lifting up the heavy, iron cooking pot, he walked back towards her. “Hold that for a moment”, he said, now less sternly, but still with authority in his voice.
While it was heavy iron, it was nothing she should not be able to lift. Even Jenna could do it, if not for all too long. Kersea reached for the cooking pot and put her hands onto it. “Got it?”, Leonard asked and she gave him a nod. As a result, he let go of it.
It took Kersea only a second, before she let out a loud groan of agony. She would have dropped the pot if not for Leonard quickly catching it. And she herself would have fallen as well, if not for him putting a hand onto her back, gently helping her to sit down on the bench once again.
“Knew it”, he said, as he walked back to the table, putting the pot back where it belonged, just as Richard, his gaze filled with concern, leaned closer to her. Kersea was breathing heavily now, having gotten paler than before due to the sudden pain and pressing a hand onto her waist, breathing heavily and quickly. “Your wound reopened?”, he asked, though Kersea did not reply. She gave him a wide-eyed, pained and almost fearful look, the same a wounded doe would give to the hunter meant to kill her.
“May I?”, he asked, moving a hand to her waist. Instantly, Kersea raised her arm to push him away, though she did not do it. Instead, she gave him a wordless nod, lowering her hand again and Richard grabbed her shirt. As he pulled the fabric upwards, she tensed up and he felt her skin, warmer than it should be. He narrowed his eyes. That was not a good thing.
He did not have to lift her shirt for much until he spotted what he was looking for. The wound she had suffered at the lighthouse had reopened and this time, it hadn't been treated properly. She had tried to change the bandages herself, not an easy task while in pain, but clearly lacked any herbs or ointments to prevent an infection. As he touched them, the bandages almost fell off, while she clenched her teeth. By now, the flesh around the wound itself was highly irritated, slightly swollen and bruised.
“When did that happen?”, he asked and Kersea gulped. “Four days ago”, she admitted. “When I was helping you with the shed” Richard gave her a stern look. “Why did you keep it a secret?”, he asked. “This could have killed you if you would have waited for longer!”
To this, the fearful look in her eyes grew stronger. “I didn't want to bother you”, she said. “You did so much and in return... what have I brought you but pain, effort and misery?” She sighed. “If you wish to send me away now, I will leave”
Richard raised an eyebrow, but it was Leonard who spoke. “Bullshit”, he snarled, to which the woman gave him a surprised look. “I won't let you go that easily. You have done plenty a bad thing and for that you won't get the easy way out” He pointed at the reopened wound. “If that was what you were aiming for in the first place, it was cowardly!”
Kersea shook her head. “I thought I could push through it on my own”, she explained. “Didn't want to be more of a burden. I do not want to die from this” Leonard's mouth tightened. “Good”, he spoke. “Because this wound won't kill you. At least not now, after I noticed it” For a brief second, his old, cocky grin appeared. “I believe you want to say 'Thank you, Leonard'”
The woman rolled her eyes. “Really?”, she said. “You want to go there?” Leonard chuckled, very briefly. “Not really”, he admitted. “But as I said, this infection won't kill you” He sat down at last, onto the bench Richard had sat on just moments ago. “If you die at all, it will be with a weapon in your hand”, he growled. “Fighting the man that killed your friend and mine. The man that stole so much from you and from me. If death is what you yearn for, that is the only one I'd accept”
He gave her a stern look. “Though even then, I'd rather have you alive. A long live, which you can dedicate on becoming less shitty”, he continued. “You have a lot to atone for and you have only just begun” Behind his look though, there was something else. It was only a hint, but Richard noticed that Leonard was not fully sure what to make of her. It was not the near-hatred he had shown in the very beginning, where Richard had been afraid for Kersea's life, but it was distrust still. “At least you'll be given a chance”, he growled. “Don't make me regret this”
Kersea smiled, an expression of pain instead of joy and Richard clenched his fists, disappointed at himself for not seeing it before. Four days already, he should have noticed something. Or she should have said something. Not that she said much, it was a general problem with her. But this, though he slightly understood her reasons, it was a foolishness.
“Well, what are we going to do then?”, she asked, while Richard and Leonard exchanged a look. “The flesh is already infected, or maybe close to it”, the knight said. “Saw such a wound before. Has killed people way better than you, stronger as well. No way around it, you need a proper healer”
“Lady Mathea could help”, Richard brought up and Leonard gave him a nod. “That she could”, he agreed. “Go and get her then. I'll keep an eye on our... ally while you're gone” Kersea sighed. “You really have to put that much emphasis on it, do you?”, she muttered. “Just say right away that you don't trust me and we got that settled”
Leonard shook his head. “It's not that I don't trust you”, he answered. “But I have a hard time working with someone who has lied to me, who has killed people I knew. Can't say I liked Halla or Corbin, or, gods behold, that two-faced bastard Harris, but if you want me to believe you and your change of heart, then you better prove it” He pointed at her wound. “After that is settled, of course”
“Go and find the healer then”, Kersea said, towards Richard, before she looked at Leonard. “But you should find somewhere to hide. We wouldn't want her to see you” The knight narrowed his eyes, before he gave her a nod. “I see why you're saying that, but I don't think it's a good idea”, he answered.
Kersea rolled her eyes. “Because it's coming from me?”, she asked and Leonard shook his head. “Because I don't think it's good to hide from this woman”, he replied and looked at Richard. “She's a good person, you say?”
“Philip speaks highly of her”, Richard confirmed. “And from what I have seen of her, she's dedicated to her work. Not out for coin, but to help those in need” A smile formed on Leonard's face. “Well, I'd surely like to meet this person”, he said. “But more than that, consider what happens if she finds me. I know I'd be pissed in her case”
“No shit”, Kersea interjected. “And frankly, if you want to risk it, go ahead. It's your life and I don't have to save you every single time. I just don't think you should take the risk. Me, we can play off as some vagrant Richard took in. They are not even looking for me”
Now, she narrowed her eyes. “But everyone knows you”, she continued. “They even got these little portraits of you hanging around on the central square, so that woman knows who you are the moment she spots you. I doubt she's stupid. You're a wanted man, by law. If she's such a good person, shouldn't she obey the law? Not saying she would rat you out, but can you really dare to risk it?” A bit softer, she leant forwards, giving him a mild look. “Hide. Do it right and she won't find you and it'll be to your own good”
Leonard raised an eyebrow. “Telling me about my own good...”, he sighed, before he looked at Richard, who had kept quiet, watching the two arguing. “But this is not my house. You're the one keeping us here, putting yourself and your family in danger every single day, for my sake and hers. This should be your decision”
Making my way through chapter 2, gotta say, the submitted characters are blended in to the narrative/universe rather seamlessly.
Are all of the named characters submitted? The only one so far that slightly took me out of it was Two Face. Nothing wrong with the character or the writing. I just can't stop thinking of Batman, so it's more a personal issue rather than an actual one.
re edit: seen the message after posting this so I'm glad you like Gill
[Tell Leonard to hide] I'm only going for this out of pragmatism, sure, Mathea is a nice person, but there's no guarantee she will not mention Leonard's presence, even by accident, so is better if she doesn't see him and if they meet, pretend this is their first meeting
Richard
With a groan of effort, Richard brought the axe down onto the wooden log, splitting it in half. It had been a chilly morning, but… more now, close to noon, the sun and the hard work were causing him to sigh under the heat. Still, it was necessary, as the cold nights of the past month have proven. Winter was coming at last.
He wiped over his forehead, sending droplets of sweat flying, as he raised the axe once more, bringing it down onto another latch. Now breathing heavily, he staggered backwards, to look at the work he had done. Enough firewood for a week, maybe more if they'd use it carefully.
The past two months had been stressful. It would have been odd with Kersea alone, but Jenna's guest made things all the more complicated. Richard did not regret telling him about her past, figuring it would be for the best if they'd ever want to work together, but still, he couldn't say it made things any easier. Given how close the knight … [view original content]
Making my way through chapter 2, gotta say, the submitted characters are blended in to the narrative/universe rather seamlessly.
Ah, awesome There is an issue about smallfolk with last names, which is something I myself should have probably prevented in the early days of the story, but as long as it does not lessen the way people enjoy the story, it's nothing I am particularly keen in changing. After all, it would be a lot harder to memorize the characters if they'd only have one name.
Are all of the named characters submitted? The only one so far that slightly took me out of it was Two Face. Nothing wrong with the character or the writing. I just can't stop thinking of Batman, so it's more a personal issue rather than an actual one.
Most of them are indeed submitted. The massive list of characters waiting to be introduced allows me to have a submitted character for any role I wish to fill, so I'd say in the current list, there are about 90% submitted by a reader. At your point, in Chapter 2, there are only a handful of characters that are not submitted. There are Harren Hoare, Loren Lannister and Edmyn Tully, who are characters from the Ice and Fire canon (the same applies to every king in the story, some of their family members and the occasional lord), whereas the characters of Lord Raylan, Maester Eaton, Dairon and Harris have been created by me for the prologue, back when I had no submitted characters at all. Other characters I have created in the early days of the story to fill certain roles I otherwise had no submitted character for are the Burned Man, Harpy, Septon Corbin and Lady Halla, as well as the Rock lords Quentyn Crakehall and Stevron Marbrand and Orson Royce from the Vale. Later on, there will be others I have created myself (such as the sons of Harren Hoare), but they are generally very few in number as I am given a lot of submitted characters to work with for these roles.
re edit: seen the message after posting this so I'm glad you like Gill
Hehe, I certainly like him. A great character and one I am happy to have. And this has been strange, you wrote this comment, a minute later I sent my message, I wrote my reply to this and just before posting, I saw you have edited this part of it XD
Making my way through chapter 2, gotta say, the submitted characters are blended in to the narrative/universe rather seamlessly.
Are all … moreof the named characters submitted? The only one so far that slightly took me out of it was Two Face. Nothing wrong with the character or the writing. I just can't stop thinking of Batman, so it's more a personal issue rather than an actual one.
re edit: seen the message after posting this so I'm glad you like Gill
[Tell Leonard to hide] I cannot think of a reason why to let Leonard meet Mathea. Maybe if it goes well they have another ally? But if it doesn't, that's REALLY not good. Maybe Mathea would become less trusting of Richard if he hid.
The past two months had been stressful. It would have been odd with Kersea alone, but Jenna's guest made things all the more complicated. Richard did not regret telling him about her past, figuring it would be for the best if they'd ever want to work together, but still, he couldn't say it made things any easier. Given how close the knight seemed to be to outright kill her on the spot back when he first told him, things had settled down remarkably, but still, there were miles to go before they could even think about making a move against Maron Mullendore.
Good, no regrets. Man, I wish we got to see Leonard's mood whiplash from when he was sitting, chatting with her and then WHAM! He's getting dangerously aggressive, preparing to rain fire and fury on her like she's North Korea.
“Without hesitating”, Leonard promised.
A promise is a promise. But we'll see who has the most right to doing that, I'm not sure if Leonard does. Samantha has a strong case.
Kersea was lying on the bench near the fireplace and in the light of the flames, she looked tired and pale. Though it was by no means cold in the room, she even slightly shivered, despite being close to the fire. “He's right though”, she mumbled with a weak voice. “If just one person sees you and draws the connection, we're all dead”
Leonard rolled his eyes. “Great, now I'm getting a lecture”, he sighed. After it became clear that he wanted to remain standing, Richard took the seat on the opposite side of her bench, while Kersea sullenly looked into the flames. Pretty as she was, she looked weak and almost sick and it was quite a concern.
“I'm not lecturing you”, she explained. “But I believe you should take this a bit more seriously” All of a sudden, Leonard's glare turned from bored to outright angry. “Serious?”, he growled. “You think I'm not taking this seriously? After what Maron Mullendore did, you think I'm taking him not seriously?”
Kersea sighed. “That came out wrong”, she admitted. “And I'm sorry. But you should be more careful, that's what I meant” Leonard raised an eyebrow. “What's it to you?”, he snarled, crossing his arms. Kersea gave him a tired look. “I saved your life before”, she said. “It got me into this position in the first place, blowing my cover to Clayton. I don't want it to be in vain”
Leonard paused for a moment, before he gave her a nod. “It won't be”, he said. “I will put my sword into that man and if it is the last thing I do in live” He and Kersea exchanged a look, without any warmth in it, but there was some understanding. Not much, but it was a start.
Heheheh. Love the arguing. Such hostility. It's totally like a sitcom only with a lot darker material. Imagine it was about Leonard hiding from a pesky neighbor, who wronged the family, and Kersea starts lecturing (to use Leonard's obviously correct terminology) him about it.
Richard looked around. “So... where's Alan?”, he asked and Kersea shrugged, an action that caused her eyes to widen slightly. “In the city again. What for, I don't know” Though she seemed concerned, the farmer smiled. “Probably in for another brutal rejection”, he said.
However, Kersea was quick to shake her head. “I don't think it's this”, she said. “Something's... not right with him. He's more silent than usual. Hasn't tried to hit on me in a fortnight and from what I saw of him, that's strange. He barely even complains about our presence here anymore”
Sleazy Alan, the Irving Todd of Raylansfair. If he could be trouble, he might be thinking about turning in Leonard to Vyrwel. But at the same time, I'm not sure Alan would want to be associated with Butterfly at all.
Leonard glanced at the young woman's body and though Richard was slightly surprised by this, he quickly noticed that admiration was not what the knight had in mind. Not right now and not with her. “Are you okay?”, he asked all of a sudden, a question that caught not only Kersea completely off guard.
Admiration? Hell to the nah. I'm pretty sure regardless of how Kersea may look, she's very down on Leonard's list. Damn, chivalry is not dead.
Richard raised an eyebrow, but it was Leonard who spoke. “Bullshit”, he snarled, to which the woman gave him a surprised look. “I won't let you go that easily. You have done plenty a bad thing and for that you won't get the easy way out” He pointed at the reopened wound. “If that was what you were aiming for in the first place, it was cowardly!”
Kersea shook her head. “I thought I could push through it on my own”, she explained. “Didn't want to be more of a burden. I do not want to die from this” Leonard's mouth tightened. “Good”, he spoke. “Because this wound won't kill you. At least not now, after I noticed it” For a brief second, his old, cocky grin appeared. “I believe you want to say 'Thank you, Leonard'”
The woman rolled her eyes. “Really?”, she said. “You want to go there?” Leonard chuckled, very briefly. “Not really”, he admitted. “But as I said, this infection won't kill you” He sat down at last, onto the bench Richard had sat on just moments ago. “If you die at all, it will be with a weapon in your hand”, he growled. “Fighting the man that killed your friend and mine. The man that stole so much from you and from me. If death is what you yearn for, that is the only one I'd accept”
He gave her a stern look. “Though even then, I'd rather have you alive. A long live, which you can dedicate on becoming less shitty”, he continued. “You have a lot to atone for and you have only just begun” Behind his look though, there was something else. It was only a hint, but Richard noticed that Leonard was not fully sure what to make of her. It was not the near-hatred he had shown in the very beginning, where Richard had been afraid for Kersea's life, but it was distrust still. “At least you'll be given a chance”, he growled. “Don't make me regret this”
Classic Leonard. Very amusing. If Kersea betrayed them though, I'm pretty sure he'd kill her dead. Leonard is not the kind of person to let go of grudges without much effort. I'd kind of be surprised if Kersea fully redeemed herself. I'm sure we'll have some choices both as her and other characters that will affect her, but I am sure that we'll screw it up, or a knife to the heart will.
Now, she narrowed her eyes. “But everyone knows you”, she continued. “They even got these little portraits of you hanging around on the central square, so that woman knows who you are the moment she spots you. I doubt she's stupid. You're a wanted man, by law. If she's such a good person, shouldn't she obey the law? Not saying she would rat you out, but can you really dare to risk it?”
Little portraits the women will take for their Leonard shrine, obviously. Reminds me of a scene in the Disney movie Tangled, where the male lead, Flynn, admires his wanted poster (but criticizes the nose, I think).
The meeting they talk of, it sounds interesting. I wonder who will attend. I also wonder if they will try to get support from any noble houses. That's what they really need, influence in politics to work. I know the fashionable Lord Lowther would be itching to get revenge, but no characters would really know that? I mean, as far as these characters know, there's like nobody. They don't know that Cregan doesn't like his cousin, they don't know about that Oakhearts are in on the deal (right? I forget which characters do. Maybe just Lucas). Leonard's family probably think he's a bad guy and interacting with them is very dangerous. Maybe other storylines have the key to this, but this one, it's more of a fight to be unnoticed and actually think of a plan.
Richard
With a groan of effort, Richard brought the axe down onto the wooden log, splitting it in half. It had been a chilly morning, but… more now, close to noon, the sun and the hard work were causing him to sigh under the heat. Still, it was necessary, as the cold nights of the past month have proven. Winter was coming at last.
He wiped over his forehead, sending droplets of sweat flying, as he raised the axe once more, bringing it down onto another latch. Now breathing heavily, he staggered backwards, to look at the work he had done. Enough firewood for a week, maybe more if they'd use it carefully.
The past two months had been stressful. It would have been odd with Kersea alone, but Jenna's guest made things all the more complicated. Richard did not regret telling him about her past, figuring it would be for the best if they'd ever want to work together, but still, he couldn't say it made things any easier. Given how close the knight … [view original content]
[Tell Leonard not to hide] We might win ourselves a new ally in Mathea. We need all the people we can get because Mullendore and Petyr will not be easy to take out. Gotta be straight with her and tell her the truth, she does help out the people after all.
Richard
With a groan of effort, Richard brought the axe down onto the wooden log, splitting it in half. It had been a chilly morning, but… more now, close to noon, the sun and the hard work were causing him to sigh under the heat. Still, it was necessary, as the cold nights of the past month have proven. Winter was coming at last.
He wiped over his forehead, sending droplets of sweat flying, as he raised the axe once more, bringing it down onto another latch. Now breathing heavily, he staggered backwards, to look at the work he had done. Enough firewood for a week, maybe more if they'd use it carefully.
The past two months had been stressful. It would have been odd with Kersea alone, but Jenna's guest made things all the more complicated. Richard did not regret telling him about her past, figuring it would be for the best if they'd ever want to work together, but still, he couldn't say it made things any easier. Given how close the knight … [view original content]
Richard
With a groan of effort, Richard brought the axe down onto the wooden log, splitting it in half. It had been a chilly morning, but… more now, close to noon, the sun and the hard work were causing him to sigh under the heat. Still, it was necessary, as the cold nights of the past month have proven. Winter was coming at last.
He wiped over his forehead, sending droplets of sweat flying, as he raised the axe once more, bringing it down onto another latch. Now breathing heavily, he staggered backwards, to look at the work he had done. Enough firewood for a week, maybe more if they'd use it carefully.
The past two months had been stressful. It would have been odd with Kersea alone, but Jenna's guest made things all the more complicated. Richard did not regret telling him about her past, figuring it would be for the best if they'd ever want to work together, but still, he couldn't say it made things any easier. Given how close the knight … [view original content]
Richard
With a groan of effort, Richard brought the axe down onto the wooden log, splitting it in half. It had been a chilly morning, but… more now, close to noon, the sun and the hard work were causing him to sigh under the heat. Still, it was necessary, as the cold nights of the past month have proven. Winter was coming at last.
He wiped over his forehead, sending droplets of sweat flying, as he raised the axe once more, bringing it down onto another latch. Now breathing heavily, he staggered backwards, to look at the work he had done. Enough firewood for a week, maybe more if they'd use it carefully.
The past two months had been stressful. It would have been odd with Kersea alone, but Jenna's guest made things all the more complicated. Richard did not regret telling him about her past, figuring it would be for the best if they'd ever want to work together, but still, he couldn't say it made things any easier. Given how close the knight … [view original content]
Richard
With a groan of effort, Richard brought the axe down onto the wooden log, splitting it in half. It had been a chilly morning, but… more now, close to noon, the sun and the hard work were causing him to sigh under the heat. Still, it was necessary, as the cold nights of the past month have proven. Winter was coming at last.
He wiped over his forehead, sending droplets of sweat flying, as he raised the axe once more, bringing it down onto another latch. Now breathing heavily, he staggered backwards, to look at the work he had done. Enough firewood for a week, maybe more if they'd use it carefully.
The past two months had been stressful. It would have been odd with Kersea alone, but Jenna's guest made things all the more complicated. Richard did not regret telling him about her past, figuring it would be for the best if they'd ever want to work together, but still, he couldn't say it made things any easier. Given how close the knight … [view original content]
[Tell Leonard to hide] I'd say Mathea is pretty trustworthy, but still, better safe than sorry.
It'll certainly be interesting to see what will this group of characters be up to in this chapter, and the ones to come. I mean, obviously their objective is clear as day - kill Mullendore. However, that is not an easy task, and I'm not being too hopeful about Richard, Leonard and Kersea being up to it. Unless they gain a bit more allies, then maybe it could work out...
Anyway, Kersea and Leonard bickering was fun, looking forward to how their relationship will develop as the story progresses. Oh, and Alan is definitely snitching, I'm calling it now.
Richard
With a groan of effort, Richard brought the axe down onto the wooden log, splitting it in half. It had been a chilly morning, but… more now, close to noon, the sun and the hard work were causing him to sigh under the heat. Still, it was necessary, as the cold nights of the past month have proven. Winter was coming at last.
He wiped over his forehead, sending droplets of sweat flying, as he raised the axe once more, bringing it down onto another latch. Now breathing heavily, he staggered backwards, to look at the work he had done. Enough firewood for a week, maybe more if they'd use it carefully.
The past two months had been stressful. It would have been odd with Kersea alone, but Jenna's guest made things all the more complicated. Richard did not regret telling him about her past, figuring it would be for the best if they'd ever want to work together, but still, he couldn't say it made things any easier. Given how close the knight … [view original content]
[Tell Leonard to hide] I just like the idea of Leonard brooding in the closet whilst Mathea is healing Kersea. If I remember correctly, Mathea is still healing all the victims of the attack inside the City Guard HQ. If she saw Leonard, I don't know if she would go out of her way to protect him unless he made a really good first impression, which I doubt he could in his current state of mind.
Richard
With a groan of effort, Richard brought the axe down onto the wooden log, splitting it in half. It had been a chilly morning, but… more now, close to noon, the sun and the hard work were causing him to sigh under the heat. Still, it was necessary, as the cold nights of the past month have proven. Winter was coming at last.
He wiped over his forehead, sending droplets of sweat flying, as he raised the axe once more, bringing it down onto another latch. Now breathing heavily, he staggered backwards, to look at the work he had done. Enough firewood for a week, maybe more if they'd use it carefully.
The past two months had been stressful. It would have been odd with Kersea alone, but Jenna's guest made things all the more complicated. Richard did not regret telling him about her past, figuring it would be for the best if they'd ever want to work together, but still, he couldn't say it made things any easier. Given how close the knight … [view original content]
[Tell Leonard to hide] Hey, I love Mathea as much as anyone but officially Leonard is a criminal and I'd wager most people believe it. Who knows how Mathea would react and I'd rather keep her out of this mess.
EDIT: Leonard kind of annoyed me this part. While I kinda understand why he's being like this, at the same time I don't like how he's treating Kersea. I love that woman, she doesn't deserve that. Of course Leonard doesn't know this but Kersea tried so hard to retain her humanity. Logic and self preservation would dictate that she just tough it out and try to get these vile acts over with or suffer Clayton's wrath. For her sake and her sisters. And yet she defied him every time. I still remember that moment when he forcibly kissed her. Ugh... So him describing her as a shitty person really gets on my nerves.
As a side note I got a vibe that I didn't really like this part so let me get this quickly out of the way. I really hope you're not setting up a romance between Leonard and Kersea. I really don't like the idea of it. If that's the direction you want to go, then that's your decision. Just voicing my personal dislike of the idea.
Richard
With a groan of effort, Richard brought the axe down onto the wooden log, splitting it in half. It had been a chilly morning, but… more now, close to noon, the sun and the hard work were causing him to sigh under the heat. Still, it was necessary, as the cold nights of the past month have proven. Winter was coming at last.
He wiped over his forehead, sending droplets of sweat flying, as he raised the axe once more, bringing it down onto another latch. Now breathing heavily, he staggered backwards, to look at the work he had done. Enough firewood for a week, maybe more if they'd use it carefully.
The past two months had been stressful. It would have been odd with Kersea alone, but Jenna's guest made things all the more complicated. Richard did not regret telling him about her past, figuring it would be for the best if they'd ever want to work together, but still, he couldn't say it made things any easier. Given how close the knight … [view original content]
I cannot think of a reason why to let Leonard meet Mathea. Maybe if it goes well they have another ally? But if it doesn't, that's REALLY not good. Maybe Mathea would become less trusting of Richard if he hid.
Well, Leonard mostly argues from his own standpoint there. We know he has trust issues and someone lying to them and hiding someone on their first meeting, that is one safe way of ruining a first impression with him. So, he wants to gain Mathea's trust and he knows, if she finds out he is hiding from her, that will hardly be possible, at least if she would react like him. So, he at least hopes that being completely honest to her will give them better chances of gaining a new ally.
A promise is a promise. But we'll see who has the most right to doing that, I'm not sure if Leonard does. Samantha has a strong case.
Oh, she certainly does. If we go by that, I'd say Kersea's case is equally strong and Davith, Aylard and Harpy have strong reasons as well. However, I guess with Mullendore it's not a thing of who has the strongest case, but who gets the chance. If Leonard gets this chance, he won't think about who has the most right to kill that man, he's just going to do the deed. Same goes for anyone else with reason to hate Mullendore. The moment he's at someone's mercy, he's doomed and he knows it.
Sleazy Alan, the Irving Todd of Raylansfair. If he could be trouble, he might be thinking about turning in Leonard to Vyrwel. But at the same time, I'm not sure Alan would want to be associated with Butterfly at all.
Aye, that is very much a thing. Alan had trouble with Butterfly's men in Oldtown, forcing him to leave everything behind and moving in with Richard. It's his luck that he happened to hide in the same city the real Butterfly had his eyes on for all this time. That being said, Mullendore's secret is not known to the public, although Alan, being a resident of Oldtown, certainly has reason to avoid that man.
Classic Leonard. Very amusing. If Kersea betrayed them though, I'm pretty sure he'd kill her dead. Leonard is not the kind of person to let go of grudges without much effort. I'd kind of be surprised if Kersea fully redeemed herself. I'm sure we'll have some choices both as her and other characters that will affect her, but I am sure that we'll screw it up, or a knife to the heart will.
Yes, I can confirm that Leonard would not hesitate to kill her if she betrays them. For saving his life in Chapter 8, he is willing to give her a chance and Kersea is pretty dedicated to take it. But both know that she won't get another. It will indeed come down to your choices how far she actually comes with her goal. Screwing up is a legit possibility, though not only for her.
Little portraits the women will take for their Leonard shrine, obviously. Reminds me of a scene in the Disney movie Tangled, where the male lead, Flynn, admires his wanted poster (but criticizes the nose, I think).
Hehe, though not a conscious reference, I actually had thought about Kersea mentioning they didn't got his nose right. Leonard, of course, hasn't seen the posters yet, but they have drawn a good liking of him, so people are able to recognize him if he shows his face anywhere in the city.
The meeting they talk of, it sounds interesting. I wonder who will attend. I also wonder if they will try to get support from any noble houses. That's what they really need, influence in politics to work. I know the fashionable Lord Lowther would be itching to get revenge, but no characters would really know that? I mean, as far as these characters know, there's like nobody. They don't know that Cregan doesn't like his cousin, they don't know about that Oakhearts are in on the deal (right? I forget which characters do. Maybe just Lucas). Leonard's family probably think he's a bad guy and interacting with them is very dangerous. Maybe other storylines have the key to this, but this one, it's more of a fight to be unnoticed and actually think of a plan.
Well, getting support from any noble houses would be a nice thing for sure. At the moment though, they are far from it. It is possible someone thinks about Hobert having a legit reason to make a move against the new lords of Raylansfair, but it will be quite a task to motivate him to join this little conspiracy they are doing there. Other than that, they don't know anything about Cregan (Leonard has never even met the man) and the only one knowing about Oakheart's true nature is Arthur, who has kept it a secret so far. Leonard has not contacted his family in the last two months, so they only know Mullendore's official version, which paints him in a very negative light.
[Tell Leonard to hide] I cannot think of a reason why to let Leonard meet Mathea. Maybe if it goes well they have another ally? But if it do… moreesn't, that's REALLY not good. Maybe Mathea would become less trusting of Richard if he hid.
The past two months had been stressful. It would have been odd with Kersea alone, but Jenna's guest made things all the more complicated. Richard did not regret telling him about her past, figuring it would be for the best if they'd ever want to work together, but still, he couldn't say it made things any easier. Given how close the knight seemed to be to outright kill her on the spot back when he first told him, things had settled down remarkably, but still, there were miles to go before they could even think about making a move against Maron Mullendore.
Good, no regrets. Man, I wish we got to see Leonard's mood whiplash from when he was sitting, chatting with her and then WHAM! He's getting dangero… [view original content]
It'll certainly be interesting to see what will this group of characters be up to in this chapter, and the ones to come. I mean, obviously their objective is clear as day - kill Mullendore. However, that is not an easy task, and I'm not being too hopeful about Richard, Leonard and Kersea being up to it. Unless they gain a bit more allies, then maybe it could work out...
Well, there has been a mention of more allies. Obviously, there's Jenna and through her, Saerya. With Saerya comes a certain amount of intel, which might lead to other allies. There are certainly many who have an interest in taking Mullendore down. However, right now they are far from having a chance with that goal. Mullendore is in a position stronger than ever, whereas Leonard and Kersea can barely leave Richard's farm without putting themselves in danger.
Anyway, Kersea and Leonard bickering was fun, looking forward to how their relationship will develop as the story progresses. Oh, and Alan is definitely snitching, I'm calling it now.
That certainly will be an interesting part of Book 2. These two have a rather complicated relationship. Kersea doesn't have much of a problem with Leonard, though she is annoyed by him being quite antagonistic. Leonard meanwhile knows he needs her help, but has valid reasons to dislike her at the same time. And well, when it comes to Alan, we will get to see him eventually. He has some stuff of his own going on right now, but if it means he is outright snitching, that remains to be seen.
[Tell Leonard to hide] I'd say Mathea is pretty trustworthy, but still, better safe than sorry.
It'll certainly be interesting to see wha… moret will this group of characters be up to in this chapter, and the ones to come. I mean, obviously their objective is clear as day - kill Mullendore. However, that is not an easy task, and I'm not being too hopeful about Richard, Leonard and Kersea being up to it. Unless they gain a bit more allies, then maybe it could work out...
Anyway, Kersea and Leonard bickering was fun, looking forward to how their relationship will develop as the story progresses. Oh, and Alan is definitely snitching, I'm calling it now.
If I remember correctly, Mathea is still healing all the victims of the attack inside the City Guard HQ.
Hm, keep in mind, that was two months ago. In the meantime, Mathea did what she could for those people, but she has since gotten a lot of help thanks to the men that came with Mullendore and Petyr. Ironically, it is the Sphynx of all people that actually does pull his weight around there, but others have come to help as well. So, at the moment, Mathea's situation has improved and she is not constantly overworked anymore. She has a new house, after refusing to use the old one anymore, considering what happened in there and could definitely be contacted and told to come to Richard's farm without anyone noticing.
[Tell Leonard to hide] I just like the idea of Leonard brooding in the closet whilst Mathea is healing Kersea. If I remember correctly, Math… moreea is still healing all the victims of the attack inside the City Guard HQ. If she saw Leonard, I don't know if she would go out of her way to protect him unless he made a really good first impression, which I doubt he could in his current state of mind.
Hey, I love Mathea as much as anyone but officially Leonard is a criminal and I'd wager most people believe it. Who knows how Mathea would react and I'd rather keep her out of this mess.
This is the main reason for Kersea's advice here, aye. Mathea surely is not a bad person, quite the opposite actually, but she has never even met Leonard. Neither does she know about Mullendore's true nature, so from her position, there are few reasons to doubt his word. Maybe she can be convinced, but right now, she shares the general opinion of the people of Raylansfair, which means she considers Leonard a criminal on the run.
Edit: I saw your own edits too late XD
Leonard kind of annoyed me this part. While I kinda understand why he's being like this, at the same time I don't like how he's treating Kersea. I love that woman, she doesn't deserve that. Of course Leonard doesn't know this but Kersea tried so hard to retain her humanity. Logic and self preservation would dictate that she just tough it out and try to get these vile acts over with or suffer Clayton's wrath. For her sake and her sisters. And yet she defied him every time. I still remember that moment when he forcibly kissed her. Ugh... So him describing her as a shitty person really gets on my nerves.
Well, you have said it yourself, Leonard doesn't know about any of this. He might learn about it in time and find some shred of sympathy for Kersea, but at the moment, she is someone who killed people he cared for, who worked with peopl way worse than her and who has tried to hide this from him and weasel away from her responsibility. Kersea certainly had her reasons, but Leonard has a point as well, she needs more than just the will to make up for her misdeeds, she actually needs to work for that. That being said, him treating her so badly is kind of his thing. You might remember how badly he and Lucas got along in the very beginning and he had pretty much no reason for his behaviour back then. With Kersea, he does have some legit reasons, so he's obviously treating her even worse, but as said, there are many things he has not bothered with learning more about and as his more subdued reaction about hearing her grief for Alysanne (back when she mentioned Butterfly's schemes causing the death of her best friend) showed, he is not unwilling to actually try and see things her way in some capacity.
As a side note I got a vibe that I didn't really like this part so let me get this quickly out of the way. I really hope you're not setting up a romance between Leonard and Kersea. I really don't like the idea of it. If that's the direction you want to go, then that's your decision. Just voicing my personal dislike of the idea.
Ah, rest assured, this was not setting up such a thing at all. As InGen rightfully pointed out, Kersea is pretty close to the bottom of Leonard's list and I may add that Kersea herself is really not interested in anything right now, especially not with someone who treats her like crap. At this point, I can confirm it, there is zero attraction between them, aside from the fact that they can probably both admit that the other is a reasonably good-looking person, on account of not being blind. Maybe their relationship will improve over time, but they are far from any sort of positive interaction and even farther from any romance, especially with each other. But I believe two members of the opposite sex can work together and improve their negative relationship without necessarily falling for each other. So, if anything develops out of this, it would be quite some effort for me to make it happen in a non-cliche way and I am really not sure I'd even want to take the effort
[Tell Leonard to hide] Hey, I love Mathea as much as anyone but officially Leonard is a criminal and I'd wager most people believe it. Who k… morenows how Mathea would react and I'd rather keep her out of this mess.
EDIT: Leonard kind of annoyed me this part. While I kinda understand why he's being like this, at the same time I don't like how he's treating Kersea. I love that woman, she doesn't deserve that. Of course Leonard doesn't know this but Kersea tried so hard to retain her humanity. Logic and self preservation would dictate that she just tough it out and try to get these vile acts over with or suffer Clayton's wrath. For her sake and her sisters. And yet she defied him every time. I still remember that moment when he forcibly kissed her. Ugh... So him describing her as a shitty person really gets on my nerves.
As a side note I got a vibe that I didn't really like this part so let me get this quickly out of the way. I really hope you'… [view original content]
Hey, I love Mathea as much as anyone but officially Leonard is a criminal and I'd wager most people believe it. Who knows how Mathea would r… moreeact and I'd rather keep her out of this mess.
This is the main reason for Kersea's advice here, aye. Mathea surely is not a bad person, quite the opposite actually, but she has never even met Leonard. Neither does she know about Mullendore's true nature, so from her position, there are few reasons to doubt his word. Maybe she can be convinced, but right now, she shares the general opinion of the people of Raylansfair, which means she considers Leonard a criminal on the run.
Edit: I saw your own edits too late XD
Leonard kind of annoyed me this part. While I kinda understand why he's being like this, at the same time I don't like how he's treating Kersea. I love that woman, she doesn't deserve that. Of course Leonard doesn't know this but Kersea tried so hard to retain her humanity. Logic… [view original content]
EDIT: Leonard kind of annoyed me this part. While I kinda understand why he's being like this, at the same time I don't like how he's treating Kersea. I love that woman, she doesn't deserve that. Of course Leonard doesn't know this but Kersea tried so hard to retain her humanity. Logic and self preservation would dictate that she just tough it out and try to get these vile acts over with or suffer Clayton's wrath. For her sake and her sisters. And yet she defied him every time. I still remember that moment when he forcibly kissed her. Ugh... So him describing her as a shitty person really gets on my nerves.
Perhaps Kersea has not shared any of that, preferring to keep it to herself and handle it herself, metaphorically like the wound she had in this part. But note Leonard cared about the wound, and I am sure he would care if she bothered to tell him. And from Leonard's perspective she's a murderer (which is well, true) who he's only giving a chance because she saved him. For someone as paranoid and distrusting as him, combined with that sarcasm and stuff, it doesn't make for a good combination.
As a side note I got a vibe that I didn't really like this part so let me get this quickly out of the way. I really hope you're not setting up a romance between Leonard and Kersea. I really don't like the idea of it. If that's the direction you want to go, then that's your decision. Just voicing my personal dislike of the idea.
Amen to that brother. I don't think it's ever gonna happen though, or well, in this book. She sees him as a jerk, and the really cares about her family more. He sees her as a murderer and a liar. It isn't going to happen. He's way too paranoid to let someone like that share a bed with him.
I believe they will quickly part ways once this fiasco is over - if they both survive - Kersea to her sister, Leonard to, well, I don't really know. I'm not sure how he can prove his innocence and become a household knight again.
But if you want more insurance, just submit a million more characters to Liquid. Surely you can find a way to ensure a romantic relationship will not form with this band of misfits. Crazy septons, serial killers, disease carrying vagrants, Drowned men, deaf and mute women, wildlings, Ibbenese whalers, ghosts, bat people, velociraptors, amputatees of all kinds, so many choices.
[Tell Leonard to hide] Hey, I love Mathea as much as anyone but officially Leonard is a criminal and I'd wager most people believe it. Who k… morenows how Mathea would react and I'd rather keep her out of this mess.
EDIT: Leonard kind of annoyed me this part. While I kinda understand why he's being like this, at the same time I don't like how he's treating Kersea. I love that woman, she doesn't deserve that. Of course Leonard doesn't know this but Kersea tried so hard to retain her humanity. Logic and self preservation would dictate that she just tough it out and try to get these vile acts over with or suffer Clayton's wrath. For her sake and her sisters. And yet she defied him every time. I still remember that moment when he forcibly kissed her. Ugh... So him describing her as a shitty person really gets on my nerves.
As a side note I got a vibe that I didn't really like this part so let me get this quickly out of the way. I really hope you'… [view original content]
Amen to that brother. I don't think it's ever gonna happen though, or well, in this book. She sees him as a jerk, and the really cares about her family more. He sees her as a murderer and a liar. It isn't going to happen. He's way too paranoid to let someone like that share a bed with him.
That is true. I mean, if I ever feel like any sort of romantic attraction between them is a logical conclusion of their interactions, something that just feels right, I might decide in favour of it, but it is nothing I am actively writing towards. The story is, in a certain way, writing itself though, so I cannot debunk such speculation either. I guess we all, me included, just have to see where the characters will end up at. But as said, rest assured, I have no active plans into this direction, though I myself am not yet sure where the road is going to take them in Book 3.
I believe they will quickly part ways once this fiasco is over - if they both survive - Kersea to her sister, Leonard to, well, I don't really know. I'm not sure how he can prove his innocence and become a household knight again.
Well, it might not be over all that quickly. If abandoning them would be all that easy, Leonard would have left the farmhouse long ago. The one thing that holds him there is that he wants the same thing Kersea wants: vengeance, justice, fire and blood. As long as Raylansfair is in the clutches of Petyr Vyrwel and Maron Mullendore, as long as his reputation is not restored, he will not just leave. Same goes for Kersea.
But if you want more insurance, just submit a million more characters to Liquid. Surely you can find a way to ensure a romantic relationship will not form with this band of misfits. Crazy septons, serial killers, disease carrying vagrants, Drowned men, deaf and mute women, wildlings, Ibbenese whalers, ghosts, bat people, velociraptors, amputatees of all kinds, so many choices.
Oh damn it, it seems you just guessed one of the major twists of the story. One of the central and most essential questions I wanted to raise in the narrative is, as a matter of fact, whom Leonard is going to end up with. Will it be the ghost of Maester Eaton, or will it be the charming velociraptor lady, who is also a very clever girl? Find it out... in Book 3
EDIT: Leonard kind of annoyed me this part. While I kinda understand why he's being like this, at the same time I don't like how he's treati… moreng Kersea. I love that woman, she doesn't deserve that. Of course Leonard doesn't know this but Kersea tried so hard to retain her humanity. Logic and self preservation would dictate that she just tough it out and try to get these vile acts over with or suffer Clayton's wrath. For her sake and her sisters. And yet she defied him every time. I still remember that moment when he forcibly kissed her. Ugh... So him describing her as a shitty person really gets on my nerves.
Perhaps Kersea has not shared any of that, preferring to keep it to herself and handle it herself, metaphorically like the wound she had in this part. But note Leonard cared about the wound, and I am sure he would care if she bothered to tell him. And from Leonard's perspective she's a murderer (which is well, true) who he's only g… [view original content]
Richard
With a groan of effort, Richard brought the axe down onto the wooden log, splitting it in half. It had been a chilly morning, but… more now, close to noon, the sun and the hard work were causing him to sigh under the heat. Still, it was necessary, as the cold nights of the past month have proven. Winter was coming at last.
He wiped over his forehead, sending droplets of sweat flying, as he raised the axe once more, bringing it down onto another latch. Now breathing heavily, he staggered backwards, to look at the work he had done. Enough firewood for a week, maybe more if they'd use it carefully.
The past two months had been stressful. It would have been odd with Kersea alone, but Jenna's guest made things all the more complicated. Richard did not regret telling him about her past, figuring it would be for the best if they'd ever want to work together, but still, he couldn't say it made things any easier. Given how close the knight … [view original content]
Richard
With a groan of effort, Richard brought the axe down onto the wooden log, splitting it in half. It had been a chilly morning, but… more now, close to noon, the sun and the hard work were causing him to sigh under the heat. Still, it was necessary, as the cold nights of the past month have proven. Winter was coming at last.
He wiped over his forehead, sending droplets of sweat flying, as he raised the axe once more, bringing it down onto another latch. Now breathing heavily, he staggered backwards, to look at the work he had done. Enough firewood for a week, maybe more if they'd use it carefully.
The past two months had been stressful. It would have been odd with Kersea alone, but Jenna's guest made things all the more complicated. Richard did not regret telling him about her past, figuring it would be for the best if they'd ever want to work together, but still, he couldn't say it made things any easier. Given how close the knight … [view original content]
Well, better safe than sorry, right? I could kind of see this coming, considering that being cautious is more often a good thing than not. Obviously, Mathea is not the kind of person to blow Leonard's cover for no reason, but then again, there has been a two-months timeskip and we cannot be sure how close she is working with the current rulers of Raylansfair. More will be shown in Richard's next part and then, you will probably get a hint if you just dodged a bullet or missed a chance. In any way, Richard's next part should not take me too long, even if I wish to start most of the other storylines first.
The next part is going to start a new storyline. A completly new one, actually, as it will show us another glimpse of Dorne, this time from our first real PoV in that region. I cannot tell you too much about it for now, but the storyline will start in Sunspear. You remember from Meria's PoV that the entire principality of Dorne has severe problems at the time, being troubled with a group of insurgents known as 'The Sandstorm', who yearn to end the rule of House Martell. They have been responsible for a series of armed attacks, the last of them happening during Meria's council meeting, when a patrol of guards has been ambushed in the Planky Town, not too far away from Sunspear itself. As a result, the princess ordered the city to be put under strict surveillance and the castle to be put under lockdown, although she allowed Ysilla Sand, bastard daughter of Lord Allyrion, to leave the castle first, so that she may search for her half-brother, Theodan. As you can probably guess, we're going to meet her in this chapter as well, among others. And well, I aim to release it today, albeit a bit later.
I am also afraid there are bad news. Well, good news for you actually, but bad news for me. Remember that accident I mentioned last time? Well, turns out my father's car is badly damaged actually, so much that he does not dare to take on the 7000+ kilometre trip around the Baltic Sea we had planned. The vacation cannot be pushed back any further either, on account of him having work on his house done in September, so that means, it actually has to be cancelled. To say that I am dismayed would put it mildly, as I was very much looking forward for this. However, it means, on a positive note, that I'll remain fully able to write stuff during the coming weeks, without the need to rely on potentially shaky wi-fi. This also means that my plans for the order in which I want to write the parts has changed. I decided to move Garthon's and potentially Jaron's parts a bit forwards, whereas the beginning of Kyra's storyline has been pushed back at least until I wrote Garthon's first part. It's not much, but for me it's quite the change. Ah well, at least my vacation is not actually outright cancelled, but postponed to the next year, so expect me to be gone for three weeks in 2018
On another note, I totally forgot to mention it, but according to my count, this Richard part has been part #300. So... milestone? Milestone
Ah, what a shame that you missed your vacation, especially since pretty good weathers have been promised for this month here in the Nordic countries Well, hopefully it'll work out next year
That said, on a positive note I am happy there won't be a break from FoT now
The Voting is closed!
Richard is going to tell Leonard to hide
Well, better safe than sorry, right? I could kind of see this coming, c… moreonsidering that being cautious is more often a good thing than not. Obviously, Mathea is not the kind of person to blow Leonard's cover for no reason, but then again, there has been a two-months timeskip and we cannot be sure how close she is working with the current rulers of Raylansfair. More will be shown in Richard's next part and then, you will probably get a hint if you just dodged a bullet or missed a chance. In any way, Richard's next part should not take me too long, even if I wish to start most of the other storylines first.
The next part is going to start a new storyline. A completly new one, actually, as it will show us another glimpse of Dorne, this time from our first real PoV in that region. I cannot tell you too much about it for now, but the storyline will start in Sunspear. You rememb… [view original content]
The Voting is closed!
Richard is going to tell Leonard to hide
Well, better safe than sorry, right? I could kind of see this coming, c… moreonsidering that being cautious is more often a good thing than not. Obviously, Mathea is not the kind of person to blow Leonard's cover for no reason, but then again, there has been a two-months timeskip and we cannot be sure how close she is working with the current rulers of Raylansfair. More will be shown in Richard's next part and then, you will probably get a hint if you just dodged a bullet or missed a chance. In any way, Richard's next part should not take me too long, even if I wish to start most of the other storylines first.
The next part is going to start a new storyline. A completly new one, actually, as it will show us another glimpse of Dorne, this time from our first real PoV in that region. I cannot tell you too much about it for now, but the storyline will start in Sunspear. You rememb… [view original content]
I don't know what my mood is? It feels a severe pain on heart when u Eagerly waits for something and It also comes near u but one step far It is gone.
Also I was afraid that how much further I can read of this story because 27th August I will change my house that means one or two or Month with no wifi.
And I am glad I can read more of this story beside I am also sad for your vocation.U have told me of this vocation on late June if I remember currectly and It is gone now
The Voting is closed!
Richard is going to tell Leonard to hide
Well, better safe than sorry, right? I could kind of see this coming, c… moreonsidering that being cautious is more often a good thing than not. Obviously, Mathea is not the kind of person to blow Leonard's cover for no reason, but then again, there has been a two-months timeskip and we cannot be sure how close she is working with the current rulers of Raylansfair. More will be shown in Richard's next part and then, you will probably get a hint if you just dodged a bullet or missed a chance. In any way, Richard's next part should not take me too long, even if I wish to start most of the other storylines first.
The next part is going to start a new storyline. A completly new one, actually, as it will show us another glimpse of Dorne, this time from our first real PoV in that region. I cannot tell you too much about it for now, but the storyline will start in Sunspear. You rememb… [view original content]
I don't know what my mood is? It feels a severe pain on heart when u Eagerly waits for something and It also comes near u but one step far It is gone.
Also I was afraid that how much further I can read of this story because 27th August I will change my house that means one or two or Month with no wifi.
And I am glad I can read more of this story beside I am also sad for your vocation.U have told me of this vocation on late June if I remember currectly and It is gone now
The Voting is closed!
Richard is going to tell Leonard to hide
Well, better safe than sorry, right? I could kind of see this coming, c… moreonsidering that being cautious is more often a good thing than not. Obviously, Mathea is not the kind of person to blow Leonard's cover for no reason, but then again, there has been a two-months timeskip and we cannot be sure how close she is working with the current rulers of Raylansfair. More will be shown in Richard's next part and then, you will probably get a hint if you just dodged a bullet or missed a chance. In any way, Richard's next part should not take me too long, even if I wish to start most of the other storylines first.
The next part is going to start a new storyline. A completly new one, actually, as it will show us another glimpse of Dorne, this time from our first real PoV in that region. I cannot tell you too much about it for now, but the storyline will start in Sunspear. You rememb… [view original content]
I don't know what my mood is? It feels a severe pain on heart when u Eagerly waits for something and It also comes near u but one step far I… moret is gone.
Also I was afraid that how much further I can read of this story because 27th August I will change my house that means one or two or Month with no wifi.
And I am glad I can read more of this story beside I am also sad for your vocation.U have told me of this vocation on late June if I remember currectly and It is gone now
Ah, and just right now, it's been raining for nearly a week here in Germany, give or take a few hours of brief sunshine. Damn it But well, more time spend inside means more time writing, so there's always a silver lining.
Ah, what a shame that you missed your vacation, especially since pretty good weathers have been promised for this month here in the Nordic c… moreountries Well, hopefully it'll work out next year
That said, on a positive note I am happy there won't be a break from FoT now
Aye, it is not cancelled. Though due to my vacation times being tied to my semester break and me not seeing much reason in travelling to Scandinavia in February, I have to wait until my next summer semester break in August 2018. So, a year from now, that is a long time to look forward for it
Aye, I feel quite conflicted as well. I mean, obviously it sucks that my vacation has to be cancelled. That being said, there is the unambiguously positive side of me still being able to visit my mother while she recovers and my grandmother, who lives with us, not having to be along while I am gone. So, it's not all bad and I have positive and negative feelings about this
And I see, I wish you best of luck at your new house and may you settle in as quickly as possible! I can assure you, the story is still going to be here when you return, no matter if it takes you one month, or two, or even longer. You will have to catch up again of course, but given how quickly you caught up with the entire story in the first place, that should be easy for you.
I don't know what my mood is? It feels a severe pain on heart when u Eagerly waits for something and It also comes near u but one step far I… moret is gone.
Also I was afraid that how much further I can read of this story because 27th August I will change my house that means one or two or Month with no wifi.
And I am glad I can read more of this story beside I am also sad for your vocation.U have told me of this vocation on late June if I remember currectly and It is gone now
Aye, it is not cancelled. Though due to my vacation times being tied to my semester break and me not seeing much reason in travelling to Sca… morendinavia in February, I have to wait until my next summer semester break in August 2018. So, a year from now, that is a long time to look forward for it
In stark contrast to the turmoil the castle of Sunspear was in, the Shadow City at its feet was almost tranquil in the burning midday sun. It did little to ease Ysilla Sand's concerns for her brother, as she stepped out of the castle gates, rushing down the large staircase that led to the city below.
Two of Captain Razek's guards were following her, a fact that came as an annoyance for her. At best, they would merely slow her down. At worst, they might even outright hinder her. It was not that she was not grateful that Princess Meria cared enough for her brother's well-being to give her some help. It was just that Ysilla felt more than capable of doing it on her own. After all, she had a suspicion where her brother could be found.
Hurrying down the steps, she quickly found herself in the Shadow City itself. And the name was not the slightest bit misleading. Located on the west side of the castle, it was a dusty, crowded maze, constantly lying in the shadow of Sunspear. The largest town in all Dorne, the only of them that didn't have to hide next to the likes of Gulltown or White Harbour.
Razek had done good work though. Even before Ysilla herself was ready for the potentially dangerous trip to the city, guards had left the castle in dozens, swarming across the Winding Walls and the labyrinthine alleyways below. And yet, the presence of such a significant amount of guardsmen to support Sunspear's city guard, the Sun Cloaks, barely slowed the people of the Shadow City down, as the streets were still radiating with life.
Pushing a strand of her short, blonde hair behind the ear, she glanced around, raising an eyebrow at one of the looks she received. Ysilla knew, she was an unusual sight there. Covered in fine, thin silk, she was so clearly not a part of any official guard and yet she was accompanied by two of Razek's best, strong and broad-shouldered men. On better days, she would have cracked a joke at their serious expressions, but as it was, there was little time for this.
At the least, she hadn't had to leave the castle unarmed. There had been time to retrieve her spear from her quarters and holding it tightly gave her some sense of security in these crowded, dusty streets. The Shadow City was nothing like Godsgrace, one of Dorne's most beautiful cities and the place Ysilla was able to call her home. Perhaps spending time abroad, first in the violent streets of Braavos to drag Theodan's ass back to Dorne, then here, in this dusty and dim sprawl, were necessary to actually make her yearn for this home, at least in some capacity. At the same time, she couldn't deny that she had the time of her life, in a certain way.
Ysilla's gaze wandered down the spear, a double-edged weapon, forged by Godsgrace's most talented blacksmith. Light metal formed the hilt, whereas the golden crossguards on each side were formed in the shape of the Seven, two of them at least. The Warrior and the Maiden a symbolism so obvious that it still caused her to roll her eyes. Yet subtlety was not her father's forte and the fact that he had given her a weapon at all, so many months ago when he sent her to retrieve her brother, his son and heir, it meant the world to her. More importantly, it was the finest weapon she had ever felt in her hands and one that would serve its purpose quite well.
Wandering through the streets of the Shadow City, a numbing mixture of smells reached her nose. No matter how often she spent on bazaars at home, nothing could have prepared her for this, the sheer amount of spices, both local and foreign, sharp and sweet, the alluring scent of roasted meat, the cacophony of hundreds of voices talking at once. Godsgrace was her home, but as undeniably ugly as the Shadow City was, it was nothing if not thrilling.
The young woman rushed through the streets, the two guards always by her side. Her own speed greatly reduced due to the masses of people on the streets, she was forced to slow down, which in turn allowed them to keep up with her. One of them, a handsome man, perhaps a decade older than her, with tanned, leathery skin and short, dark curls, gave her a stern look, to which she raised an eyebrow. “What?”, she asked.
“Mylady, please slow down for a bit”, he urged her. “We don't know if the Sandstorm is already in the city” Ysilla smirked in return. “I do not fear them”, she boasted, to which the other guard, an older man with a short beard, sighed. “The Sandstorm does not care for your bravery”, he said. “They are fanatics, reckless and brutal. Desperate, I'd say”
His warning was stern and something in his tone made Ysilla think of her father whenever he told her not to do something. Most of the time, she did so in either way, but this time, something actually caused her to stop and look at him for once. “Are they really that bad?”, she asked, to which the older guard smiled. “Do they not have the Sandstorm in Godsgrace?”, he asked.
Ysilla shook her head. “Can't say so”, she spoke, though a sudden worry caused her to clench her fists. “I have been gone for several months though”, she added. “I suppose you are familiar with my brother's... incident?” To this, the slightly younger guard gave her a nod, followed by a slight grin, which caused her to roll her eyes. “Trust me, the whole story was a lot less amusing for my family”, she told him. “But after a couple years, my father decided it was time to allow Theodan to return. Took me a while to find him, but last time I've been in Godsgrace, the Sandstorm has been an oddity on the outskirts of Dorne. Some small group of bandits from the Red Mountains”
“Aye, and that's what they have been for the longest time. But recently, they grew stronger, dramatically so”, the older guard explained. “I believe Master Jordayne and Captain Razek both believe in someone to fund them, a person of power and wealth. Their equipment is too good to be their own. I mean, not too long ago, they have been little more than a tribe of bandits, but now? Now they are more than a menace, a constant threat for every good man in Dorne”
“Well, then I should be save”, Ysilla jested, though the guard nearly frowned. “Girl, the Sandstorm is nothing to joke about”, he reminded her. “They ambushed one of Ser Emilian's patrols this morning. A dozen Sun Cloaks, dead without having a fighting chance” He sighed. “A piss-poor way to go out”
By now, Ysilla felt quite an uneasy feeling. “I knew they took out a patrol at the Planky Town”, she spoke. “But... how are they doing it?” The older guardsman gulped. “Wildfire”, he revealed. “Whomever funds them supplies them with small vials of Wildfire. Some of these cowards throw it at our men, others blow themselves up with them”
Ysilla narrowed her eyes. “They blow themselves up?”, she asked and he nodded. “When they stand in the centre of a crowd, or surrounded by guards, or as they lie mortally wounded”, he answered. “Taking out a dozen men in their moment of dying, that might seem glorious to them” He shrugged, in a defeated manner. “The Sandstorm recruits the desperate. Fanatics whose families have fallen upon hard times when Nymeria landed on these shores”
“Someone's funding them then”, Ysilla stated, repeating what she had been told earlier. “And nobody has lost more than House Yronwood” To this, the guard gave him a nod. “I don't know much about this”, he spoke. “But Yronwood has not been the only house that lost to Nymeria Martell, has it?”
To this, Ysilla gave him a nod. “There have been six kings in Dorne at that time. Some say seven, but Toland doesn't count for me. Yronwood, Dayne, Blackmont, Manwoody, Fowler and Dryland. All but the last still have their descendants ruling over their old lands, now as vassals of House Martell and none lost more than Yronwood, the High Kings of Dorne”, she explained. “Nymeria united these lands, but not all grudges have been resolved”
The younger guard raised an eyebrow. “You know a lot for a bastard, mylady”, he said. His tone made it clear he meant no insult and Ysilla merely smiled at him. It was Dorne, were people could say such a thing without insult. “My father put a lot of importance onto that”, she explained. “A proper education, as he called it, maybe to get me a noble husband despite my name. Law, history, the finer arts” She shrugged. “Not my kind of excitement”
She noticed the younger guard's gaze wandering down the thin layers of silk that covered her body, to which her smile turned into a smirk. If he'd be a decade younger, she might have felt flattered by his attention. If he'd be a she, it might not have mattered. “And what is your kind of excitement, mylady?”, he asked.
To this, Ysilla slightly lifted her spear. “My definition of a proper education”, she explained with a cheeky grin. “Riding. Archery. And the spear, of course. Theodan taught me, later I continued by myself” The guard chuckled, while the older man remained silent. “A warrior woman”, he sighed. “Seven behold, an Allyrion warrior woman is the last thing I expected”
He shook his head, glancing at his companion. “I believe you were going to say something about the Sandstorm”, he urged him. “Go on, I didn't want to interrupt you” To this, the older man gave him a nod. “We were talking about Yronwood”, he said. “It's not a bad lead, y'know. The first incidents happened on their lands, or on Manwoody's, so for all I know, Master Jordayne is looking into this”
“Hasn't found anything so far though”, the younger guard spoke. “Lord Yronwood and his guards are very cooperative. Almost suspiciously so, if you ask me. No man is that helpful if he doesn't have to hide something” He shrugged as well. “But whom am I to question Jordayne's approach to this? If he wants to cooperate with Yronwood, so be it”
“I say it should be over once they find their leader, not the one that backs them, but the one that actually inspires them”, the older guard growled. “Some scheming nobleman is not the danger here, it's the mad bastards that rain fire on innocent people. I leave Princess Meria to deal with Yronwood, or Wyl or Manwoody or whomever gives them their weaponry. Jordayne's job is to find Cage Bridger”
The name meant something to Ysilla. A phantom, a rumour, just coming up by the time she had left Dorne to bring Theodan back home. Bridger was a madman, broken by war and filled with hatred to all the noble houses in Dorne. Or so they said on the streets. “He's still leading them?”, she asked.
The younger man narrowed his eyes and shook his head, as the older guard gave her a nod. “Master Jordayne himself brought his head back to Sunspear a month ago”, he explained. “He thinks him dead, but I know better. The Sandstorm has not been slowed down by the supposed death of their leader, so I think Jordayne got the wrong man. A fall guy, meant to trick him and us”
“Or maybe he's not the leader after all”, the younger man brought up. “Bridger is dead, but if a new leader took place right away, or if he has never been as important as we were lead to believe, then that won't really slow them down at all” He shrugged. “But we'll find the bastard behind this in the end”
Ysilla and the guards stopped, as a group of Sun Cloaks approached them. Their bright uniforms, the red sun and spear of House Martell on their yellow cloaks made them stick out of the crowd, instinctively causing them to make a path wherever they walked, in a way Razek's darker guardsmen were unable to do.
“Sergeant”, the younger man said, as both he and his companion saluted. The Sun Cloaks did the same as they stopped. Their leader was a handsome man, maybe in his mid-twenties at most, with bright, blue eyes and a dark beard covering his chin.
“Greetings”, he said, as he gave Ysilla something that came close to a bow. “Mylady. What leads you to this part of the city?” Ysilla straightened her back, noticing the glances some guards threw onto her double-edged spear. They were tensed up, nervous even, so much that even her harmless stance caused them to worry. Could the Sandstorm truly be this terrifying, that hardened men saw a threat in every armed person they met?
“My brother”, she explained. “Theodan Allyrion, Lord Alester's firstborn” She put a hand onto her chest. “I am Ysilla Sand, pleasure to meet you” The sergeant nodded in return, without introducing himself, though some nervousness fell off him. In return, others behind him took a deep breath as they heard her last name. “We're on our way to Watermont's”, she said.
At this, the sergeant raised an eyebrow. “Your brother is at the brothel?”, he growled, to which she gave him a good-spirited nod. He sighed, pointing down an alleyway, an empty, narrow and dark path. “This is the fastest way”, he spoke. “But we have not secured this part of the city yet. Between the attack on the Planky Town and now, we must assume that several members of the Sandstorm rebels have found their way into the city since then and they might hide somewhere there”
Ysilla smiled. “Let that be our concern”, she said. “Thank you, Sergeant” The guard saluted, before he and his men wordlessly continued down the larger main street. Without missing a beat, the young woman turned to the alleyway, though one of the guards, the younger man, was quick to grab her by the shoulders. “Mylady, what are you doing?”, he hissed. “You heard his words”
“Aye”, she confirmed. “Fastest way to Watermont's” He sternly looked at her, in a way that reminded her of her father and not in a positive way. “Lady Ysilla, there might be Sandstorm members in that part of the city”, he warned her, to which she gave him another nod. “I know”, she said and indeed, she felt not the slightest bit nervous. “If they are there, Theodan could be in danger. Trust me, I don't want to put you in danger, but I want to find my brother” Mildly, she pushed his hand off her shoulder. “Just go back to the castle and let me do this on my own. I'm thankful for the conversation, but when it comes to this, I'm faster alone” She glanced down the alleyway. “Or come with me and stop complaining”
Ysilla began to walk down the alleyway, slightly hoping these men would indeed not follow her. She wanted to do this on her own, without putting anyone else in danger. For Theodan's sake, she had to take the fast way and she sighed, as she heard footsteps behind her.
“Captain Razek is going to flog us if we leave you alone”, the older man spoke. “For a guy without a cock, he can be quite mean” Ysilla smiled, even though she felt uneasy at their persistence. This was something she would have wanted to do on her own from the very beginning.
Going through the alleyway, Ysilla spotted a small square at the other end of it. A dark-skinned woman was there, scantily clad, kissing the neck of a man, while tying up his shirt. Even for the standards of Dorne, this was quite a bit too open-hearted, which clued Ysilla in on the fact that Watermont's brothel could not be too far anymore.
They had almost reached the square when another man entered it from the other side. He was young, younger than Ysilla's brother Yandry and probably barely a man. Smooth cheeks, a body that was more lanky than truly muscular, clad in a long, dark coat, in the same fashion some of the desert tribes or their descendants were still sporting. A brief flash of brown eyes, filled with fear, confusion and hatred. A blood-stained sword in his hands.
“The Sandstorm rises!”, he yelled, as the two guards instantly stopped, out of his sight and frozen in sudden fear. Ysilla wanted to rush down the alleyway, but both men stopped her at once. “We're all dead if he sees us”, the younger guard hissed, firmly holding her by the shoulders.
Just a moment later, the woman screamed, a noise that turned into a gurgle, followed by a second one, then silence. “Fuck...”, the older guard growled, keeping his voice as low as possible. “You two stay there. I got this!”
With these words, he rushed down the alleyway, a hand on his sword. “Hold it right there!”, he yelled as he reached the end of it. “Boy, put that down!” The young man spoke in a hushed whisper now, his words agitated, angry, yet Ysilla also spotted a hint of shock. He truly was younger than Yandry, who had his seventeenth nameday just a month ago. This was a child and still already a fighter for the Sandstorm.
“We can fix this, boy”, the guard said. “Just give up. Come with me and we fix this. Nobody has to die” He let out a muffled curse, followed by him drawing his sword. “I don't want to hurt you”, he urged him, but the young man was not listening. “Bridger promised”, he said. “Sacrifice for the greater good. Martell and their pawns will never rule us again!”
“We have to help him!”, Ysilla hissed, still keeping her voice down, as the younger guard still clung onto her, pushing both of them against the wall of the alleyway, making it impossible for them to see what was happening, but also for the young man to learn of their presence. “If he spots us, we're dead”, he growled. “You remember what we just told you about the wildfire. One against one, the only way you can take them out without risking everything ten feet around them”
Two swords clashed against each other, while Ysilla felt dread rising in her. This fool, this old fool. She told them she wanted to do this alone. She never wanted their help and she surely didn't want this! And his opponent, the one that just killed two innocents, he was almost a child still, so young. It was in this moment that she truly understood how much they had all underestimated the Sandstorm for so long. Even her sister used to belittle them and here they were now, manipulating barely grown men to kill.
Once again, the steel clashed against each other, followed by a grunt. “Son, just give up!”, the old man urged his opponent. “You're bleeding, but I'll help you if you...” The rest of his sentence was drowned out as the young man let out a blood-curdling scream, the kind that made Ysilla freeze in primal fear. There was so much hatred in this voice and sure enough, the steel clashed against each other for the final time, until a gasp followed.
“I don't believe you!”, the young man screamed. “These lands will be ours, he promised” He let out a groan himself as Ysilla tensed up. Behind her, she noticed that the younger guard was sobbing quietly. “We have to get out of here”, he spoke, though she gave him a glare. “Your friend is wounded”, she hissed. “Maybe dead. You want to leave him?”
The guard gave her a nod. “That's not a common thug”, he warned her. “That is Sandstorm. They are insane!” Ysilla freed herself from his grip. “Then stay where you are and don't get in my way”, she replied, as she quickly sneaked out of his reach. By now, she noticed how distraught he was, but she couldn't care less. All that mattered right now were the guard on the square, at least heavily wounded and the young man that killed him. And her brother, who had to be close.
The young man sighed in pain. “Fuck...”, he mumbled. “No, no no... Your promised, Bridger. You promised!” She heard the pain in his voice, the distress. He did not want to die today, just like most young men his age. Glancing around the corner, she spotted him leaning against the wall. Next to him, the corpses of the two lovers. In front of him, the guard, lying in a pool of his own blood. The killer was pressing a hand onto his bleeding side.
From beneath the slashed coat, Ysilla saw a green shimmer and she tensed up. She knew, she had to be quick. Jumping around the corner and throwing her spear, he'd be dead in an instant. But he was so young, in fear and in pain. It would be self defence, but that didn't make it any less bitter for her. Maybe no one else had to die...
WAIT, WHAT!? Ysilla is the Dorne PoV!? Now that's an amazing surprise, from what you had been saying I would never imagine that she'd be the one Man, I already said during Meria's Interlude that you had portrayed Ysilla perfectly and seeing more of her, I can be totally sure, that you indeed made her everything I imagined Having her as a PoV will definitely be a joy, and from this part I can already say that's she's off to a great start
Now things are already pretty bad if some of the Sandstorm are already in the shadow city, they definitely are going to be a big threat. To make things worse, the bulk of the ones inside the city seems to be around the place where Theodan is... boy, things really did begin on a blazing (heh) pace. I can hardly wait for when Ysilla finds Theodan, I'm just hoping nothing bad happens to any of them in the meantime. Fingers crossed*
[Throw your spear at him] Even if he's just a kid, he's a pretty dangerous person. I don't think there's any way to reason with someone like that, besides, talking with him could just give him time to throw his wildfire vial at Ysilla... no way I'm having that, better safe than sorry.
Ysilla
In stark contrast to the turmoil the castle of Sunspear was in, the Shadow City at its feet was almost tranquil in the burning mid… moreday sun. It did little to ease Ysilla Sand's concerns for her brother, as she stepped out of the castle gates, rushing down the large staircase that led to the city below.
Two of Captain Razek's guards were following her, a fact that came as an annoyance for her. At best, they would merely slow her down. At worst, they might even outright hinder her. It was not that she was not grateful that Princess Meria cared enough for her brother's well-being to give her some help. It was just that Ysilla felt more than capable of doing it on her own. After all, she had a suspicion where her brother could be found.
Hurrying down the steps, she quickly found herself in the Shadow City itself. And the name was not the slightest bit misleading. Located on the west side of the castle, it was a dusty, crowded maze, … [view original content]
Edit: Seeing as the Sandstorm has wildfire and is seeking to overthrow the Martells, I suspect they might be funded by the Targaryens, who do have an interest to destabilize Dorne so they may invade more easily.
Ysilla
In stark contrast to the turmoil the castle of Sunspear was in, the Shadow City at its feet was almost tranquil in the burning mid… moreday sun. It did little to ease Ysilla Sand's concerns for her brother, as she stepped out of the castle gates, rushing down the large staircase that led to the city below.
Two of Captain Razek's guards were following her, a fact that came as an annoyance for her. At best, they would merely slow her down. At worst, they might even outright hinder her. It was not that she was not grateful that Princess Meria cared enough for her brother's well-being to give her some help. It was just that Ysilla felt more than capable of doing it on her own. After all, she had a suspicion where her brother could be found.
Hurrying down the steps, she quickly found herself in the Shadow City itself. And the name was not the slightest bit misleading. Located on the west side of the castle, it was a dusty, crowded maze, … [view original content]
Gotta be safe here and I think Ysilla has it in her to still throw that spear if she needs to but if she does she is weaponless more or less and there could be more of the Sandstorm around to cause trouble! Hopefully a females touch will get through to the boy and convince him that he's being manipulated into being a martyr.
Very good part Liquid! I like how you captured the partisan tactics and wrote them into how someone fighting against that might be feeling. Never knowing what's going to happen next and even afraid to confront one for fear of blowing up.
Ysilla
In stark contrast to the turmoil the castle of Sunspear was in, the Shadow City at its feet was almost tranquil in the burning mid… moreday sun. It did little to ease Ysilla Sand's concerns for her brother, as she stepped out of the castle gates, rushing down the large staircase that led to the city below.
Two of Captain Razek's guards were following her, a fact that came as an annoyance for her. At best, they would merely slow her down. At worst, they might even outright hinder her. It was not that she was not grateful that Princess Meria cared enough for her brother's well-being to give her some help. It was just that Ysilla felt more than capable of doing it on her own. After all, she had a suspicion where her brother could be found.
Hurrying down the steps, she quickly found herself in the Shadow City itself. And the name was not the slightest bit misleading. Located on the west side of the castle, it was a dusty, crowded maze, … [view original content]
[Throw your spear at him] Let's make Ysilla a violent, cold character, so I can like her. All these conflicted warriors, they must be ridden of, one way or another. This will be a good example of "the tip of the spear" for Dorne.
“Aye, and that's what they have been for the longest time. But recently, they grew stronger, dramatically so”, the older guard explained. “I believe Master Jordayne and Captain Razek both believe in someone to fund them, a person of power and wealth. Their equipment is too good to be their own. I mean, not too long ago, they have been little more than a tribe of bandits, but now? Now they are more than a menace, a constant threat for every good man in Dorne”
By now, Ysilla felt quite an uneasy feeling. “I knew they took out a patrol at the Planky Town”, she spoke. “But... how are they doing it?” The older guardsman gulped. “Wildfire”, he revealed. “Whomever funds them supplies them with small vials of Wildfire. Some of these cowards throw it at our men, others blow themselves up with them”
Ysilla narrowed her eyes. “They blow themselves up?”, she asked and he nodded. “When they stand in the centre of a crowd, or surrounded by guards, or as they lie mortally wounded”, he answered. “Taking out a dozen men in their moment of dying, that might seem glorious to them” He shrugged, in a defeated manner. “The Sandstorm recruits the desperate. Fanatics whose families have fallen upon hard times when Nymeria landed on these shores”
So the Taliban here has a funder eh? Saudi Arabia? Bin Laden? Seriously though, it sounds like it's Iraq or Afghanistan in Dorne. Suicide bombers in a desert city. Also kind of like Rogue One.
You see, I'd assume that some like Mullendore, Vyrwel, or Oakheart would be funding them. After all, Reach lords are at least moderately wealthy (with some super-rich like the Redwynes and of course Selwyns). Those three would have some motivation, supporting expanding their influence, get some Dornish lords on their side. The wildfire detail though. That is very interesting. If Mullendore and co. had wildfire, they wouldn't have needed what was in the lighthouse.
To this, Ysilla gave him a nod. “There have been six kings in Dorne at that time. Some say seven, but Toland doesn't count for me. Yronwood, Dayne, Blackmont, Manwoody, Fowler and Dryland. All but the last still have their ancestors ruling over their old lands, now as vassals of House Martell and none lost more than Yronwood, the High Kings of Dorne”, she explained. “Nymeria united these lands, but not all grudges have been resolved”
Ah yes, Dryland. Good ol' King Lucifer Dryland. Heheheheh.
Ysilla
In stark contrast to the turmoil the castle of Sunspear was in, the Shadow City at its feet was almost tranquil in the burning mid… moreday sun. It did little to ease Ysilla Sand's concerns for her brother, as she stepped out of the castle gates, rushing down the large staircase that led to the city below.
Two of Captain Razek's guards were following her, a fact that came as an annoyance for her. At best, they would merely slow her down. At worst, they might even outright hinder her. It was not that she was not grateful that Princess Meria cared enough for her brother's well-being to give her some help. It was just that Ysilla felt more than capable of doing it on her own. After all, she had a suspicion where her brother could be found.
Hurrying down the steps, she quickly found herself in the Shadow City itself. And the name was not the slightest bit misleading. Located on the west side of the castle, it was a dusty, crowded maze, … [view original content]
The Voting is closed!
Richard is going to tell Leonard to hide
Well, better safe than sorry, right? I could kind of see this coming, c… moreonsidering that being cautious is more often a good thing than not. Obviously, Mathea is not the kind of person to blow Leonard's cover for no reason, but then again, there has been a two-months timeskip and we cannot be sure how close she is working with the current rulers of Raylansfair. More will be shown in Richard's next part and then, you will probably get a hint if you just dodged a bullet or missed a chance. In any way, Richard's next part should not take me too long, even if I wish to start most of the other storylines first.
The next part is going to start a new storyline. A completly new one, actually, as it will show us another glimpse of Dorne, this time from our first real PoV in that region. I cannot tell you too much about it for now, but the storyline will start in Sunspear. You rememb… [view original content]
Comments
Apologies, I really did not mean to XD But yes, my vacation is still going to happen. I will most likely leave by the end of this week, though I should be able to occasionally post a new part, maybe once or twice a week, whenever I'm at a camping site that has wi-fi (which, as I have been told, happens a lot in Scandinavia). Perhaps however, my father needs to fix his car first, in which case I will leave about two days later, in the early next week.
Ah, this was a wonderful part! It has been a long time since I last got to enjoy your writing, so it was a particularly nice occasion here. The Harrington brother relationship is a very complex, one of my favourite dynamics in the entire story. And seeing them here, so many years ago when things have been so vastly different honestly makes me hyped to show both in Book 2. It won't be too long for Samuel and the way his view on Ryder might evolve in the coming chapters is going to be sweet to write. And well, you certainly gave a good introduction to this situation. I also hope to see more of Samuel's siblings in future parts. Given that they obviously cannot appear in the story proper, seeing them in your side story would be a treat. Anyways, a wonderful part and a good beginning of what is hopefully going to be a series of nice parts. Thank you very much for writing this
Richard
With a groan of effort, Richard brought the axe down onto the wooden log, splitting it in half. It had been a chilly morning, but now, close to noon, the sun and the hard work were causing him to sigh under the heat. Still, it was necessary, as the cold nights of the past month have proven. Winter was coming at last.
He wiped over his forehead, sending droplets of sweat flying, as he raised the axe once more, bringing it down onto another latch. Now breathing heavily, he staggered backwards, to look at the work he had done. Enough firewood for a week, maybe more if they'd use it carefully.
The past two months had been stressful. It would have been odd with Kersea alone, but Jenna's guest made things all the more complicated. Richard did not regret telling him about her past, figuring it would be for the best if they'd ever want to work together, but still, he couldn't say it made things any easier. Given how close the knight seemed to be to outright kill her on the spot back when he first told him, things had settled down remarkably, but still, there were miles to go before they could even think about making a move against Maron Mullendore.
The farmer sighed as he thought about the man that ruled the city by now. Mern Gardener had visited them earlier, but of course, he brought his own guards, his own servants even and there was no chance for Jenna or her ally to inform him about the true nature of the men he gave the city to. One pretty much a kinslayer, the other so much worse, though to what end, they could not say. Even Kersea, who had worked closely with Butterfly for all he knew, could not say them anything about his actual plans.
Was it mere power? If that was the case, why Raylansfair? A near bankrupt city, one that had to be saved from Ironborn raiders in the first place and one that cost him and Petyr Vyrwel quite a lot of effort to take over. And Vyrwel... he already was a lord. What would he get out of this? Anytime Richard thought about this, it felt as if he grew closer to an actual answer, but it was still evading him.
His thoughts were interrupted as the back door to his house got pushed open and as Richard looked over his shoulder, he noticed Leonard approaching him. The knight had a tired look on his face. Of course, they all had these days, having trouble sleeping with the constant worry of what would happen if the new lords of Raylansfair would find them. Though Leonard was the one that had taken news from the trial by combat the worst and he looked the part. Still an impressive sight, the lines beneath his eyes and the short beard gave him a more rugged appearance than back when Richard first met him.
“You should take a break”, Leonard offered and Richard sighed. “And you shouldn't be out here”, he replied. “What if anyone sees you?” To this, the weary knight shrugged. “No one's coming here”, he replied. “It's been two months and I have only seen the same faces every single day. You. Jenna. Alan” He paused for a moment. “Kersea”
Richard sighed, as he stepped out of the sun and into the shadow closer to his house, leaning against the wooden wall. “What's she doing?”, he asked and Leonard shrugged. “She's quiet, even more than usual. Not the talking type, that one”, he replied. “Not that I'm unhappy about it”
“You're getting along with her?”, Richard asked and Leonard clenched his fists. “Have to”, he answered. “Listen, I know she's on our ide. And trust me, I wouldn't want it any other way. Saw her fighting and well, she's got a talent” With a fierce look, he narrowed his eyes. “She's the enemy of my enemy. And if it's revenge she's after, she'll have an ally in me. I can work with her against Mullendore, but that does not mean we have to be friends”
To this, Richard gave him a nod. “I'm glad to hear this”, he said. “We're few as it is. Last thing we need is struggle among us” Leonard smirked grimly. “You don't have to be afraid about that”, he assured him quietly. “Flowers has been my friend. Avenging him, that's all that matters” He raised an eyebrow. “But you are working too hard on this. It's not your fight”
Richard reciprocated the smirk, but whereas Leonard's was cold and tired, his own was more genuine. “It became mine the moment I took you in”, he spoke. “After what you and Kersea told me about that man... Jenna's working in the castle. He's a danger to her and that means I can't just stand aside” His smirk faded, replaced by a stern look. “Promise me, you'll kill this man”
“Without hesitating”, Leonard promised. Richard glanced past him, into the building. Putting a hand onto his stomach, he grimaced. “I should probably grab something to eat”, he said and patted Leonard's shoulder as he walked past him. “And you should head inside, lest anyone sees you”
Before he turned to the main room of his house, he caught Leonard rolling his eyes. “As I said, it's not as if you have many visitors here”, he stated. Though he did follow his wish, walking inside as well and closing the door, thankfully.
Kersea was lying on the bench near the fireplace and in the light of the flames, she looked tired and pale. Though it was by no means cold in the room, she even slightly shivered, despite being close to the fire. “He's right though”, she mumbled with a weak voice. “If just one person sees you and draws the connection, we're all dead”
Leonard rolled his eyes. “Great, now I'm getting a lecture”, he sighed. After it became clear that he wanted to remain standing, Richard took the seat on the opposite side of her bench, while Kersea sullenly looked into the flames. Pretty as she was, she looked weak and almost sick and it was quite a concern.
“I'm not lecturing you”, she explained. “But I believe you should take this a bit more seriously” All of a sudden, Leonard's glare turned from bored to outright angry. “Serious?”, he growled. “You think I'm not taking this seriously? After what Maron Mullendore did, you think I'm taking him not seriously?”
Kersea sighed. “That came out wrong”, she admitted. “And I'm sorry. But you should be more careful, that's what I meant” Leonard raised an eyebrow. “What's it to you?”, he snarled, crossing his arms. Kersea gave him a tired look. “I saved your life before”, she said. “It got me into this position in the first place, blowing my cover to Clayton. I don't want it to be in vain”
Leonard paused for a moment, before he gave her a nod. “It won't be”, he said. “I will put my sword into that man and if it is the last thing I do in live” He and Kersea exchanged a look, without any warmth in it, but there was some understanding. Not much, but it was a start.
Richard looked around. “So... where's Alan?”, he asked and Kersea shrugged, an action that caused her eyes to widen slightly. “In the city again. What for, I don't know” Though she seemed concerned, the farmer smiled. “Probably in for another brutal rejection”, he said.
However, Kersea was quick to shake her head. “I don't think it's this”, she said. “Something's... not right with him. He's more silent than usual. Hasn't tried to hit on me in a fortnight and from what I saw of him, that's strange. He barely even complains about our presence here anymore”
She seemed dead serious about her worries, so Richard narrowed his eyes. “You believe Alan could be in trouble?”, he asked and Kersea bit onto her lower lip. “I'm afraid he could be trouble”, she clarified. “I trust you. I trust Jenna. Hells, I even trust Leonard. But him?”
“He wanted both of us to be gone the moment he saw us”, Leonard agreed. “Seriously, why are you keeping up with him?” To this, Richard sighed. Yes, why did he? Alan did worse to him than to anyone else. He cheated him out of his inheritance. Lied, betrayed... his Erna could still be alive if not for his brother being greedy.
At the same time, there have been times where things were different. In moments like this, when Richard felt anger rising inside of him, where he clenched his fists at the mere thought of his brother, he tried to remember them. How they used to be as children. How Alan had taken the beating when their father had drunken too much again. His brother had been a different man once, but the thought of gold had poisoned his mind. Perhaps losing it all was a good experience for him. Perhaps in time, things could be back to where they have been.
“He is my brother”, Richard said. “You cannot choose your family” He sighed. “I know, Alan hasn't given you much reason to like him. Or any, to be honest. But he is my brother. I keep you around because it is the right thing to do, but him, I keep because he's family”
Carefully, Leonard gave him a nod, noticing his slight and growing anger at the discussion. “So, what are the plans?”, he asked and Richard gulped. He knew what Leonard was all about here, he could feel his growing restlessness. However, they were not yet ready. Far from it, actually. Through Jenna's new friend, they had learned about others with a grudge towards Mullendore, some of which would meet up with them soon. But even then, their resources were minuscule. Even with Kersea's knowledge, their understanding of their enemy was barely existent. Sure, she knew a lot about Butterfly, but the man behind was a stranger to her, as was Vyrwel. And until this was settled, until they knew exactly whom they were up against and what they could do to stop them, he would not risk any lives on foolishness.
“Well, Jenna should head home soon”, he said with a smile, trying to push the discussion into a direction that would not lead to any rash actions. “She'll want something to eat, so I'm going to prepare a stew. If you want to help, you can skin a rabbit for me, give her some good meat for dinner. If Alan won't join us, there should be enough for the four of us”
With frustration oozing from every move he made, Leonard slammed his fist down at the table, loud and sudden enough to make Richard frown. “What are you going to do next?”, the knight asked. “I don't want to sit around anymore, while the men that murdered him walk around freely. They disgrace his memory a we speak!”
Richard sighed. “Patience, my friend”, he replied and Leonard rolled his eyes. “That's easy, coming from you”, he growled and he glared at Kersea, who was staring at the floor in front of her. “After all, you're not locked up here all day, together with her! Hells, they murdered my best friend!” Now, Kersea briefly looked up. “They did the same to mine”, she sighed weakly, a look of pain flashing across her face as she reached for the bandages around her waist.
The pain in her voice was not a physical one though. Leonard's eyes widened slightly, though he remained silent, lost in painful thoughts of his own. As was Richard. Losing Urid had done more damage than he had thought. His most loyal friend was gone. He was still on speaking terms with Philip, completely unlike his relationship with Carma, but it was different than before and he hadn't seen him in nearly a month now. Few things were crueller than losing a good friend.
Leonard glanced at the young woman's body and though Richard was slightly surprised by this, he quickly noticed that admiration was not what the knight had in mind. Not right now and not with her. “Are you okay?”, he asked all of a sudden, a question that caught not only Kersea completely off guard.
“I... I think so, yes”, she stuttered. “What's it to you?” There was surprise in her words and the usual distrust. It was a general problem with her and even Richard, after saving her life, had needed quite some time to make her warm up to him. Not that he could hold it against her. Both of them, to be honest and they trusted none less than each other.
The knight did not reply to her question. “Stand up”, he ordered her and surprised by his stern command, she followed. “What are you doing?”, she asked, as Leonard walked to the table in the centre of the room. Lifting up the heavy, iron cooking pot, he walked back towards her. “Hold that for a moment”, he said, now less sternly, but still with authority in his voice.
While it was heavy iron, it was nothing she should not be able to lift. Even Jenna could do it, if not for all too long. Kersea reached for the cooking pot and put her hands onto it. “Got it?”, Leonard asked and she gave him a nod. As a result, he let go of it.
It took Kersea only a second, before she let out a loud groan of agony. She would have dropped the pot if not for Leonard quickly catching it. And she herself would have fallen as well, if not for him putting a hand onto her back, gently helping her to sit down on the bench once again.
“Knew it”, he said, as he walked back to the table, putting the pot back where it belonged, just as Richard, his gaze filled with concern, leaned closer to her. Kersea was breathing heavily now, having gotten paler than before due to the sudden pain and pressing a hand onto her waist, breathing heavily and quickly. “Your wound reopened?”, he asked, though Kersea did not reply. She gave him a wide-eyed, pained and almost fearful look, the same a wounded doe would give to the hunter meant to kill her.
“May I?”, he asked, moving a hand to her waist. Instantly, Kersea raised her arm to push him away, though she did not do it. Instead, she gave him a wordless nod, lowering her hand again and Richard grabbed her shirt. As he pulled the fabric upwards, she tensed up and he felt her skin, warmer than it should be. He narrowed his eyes. That was not a good thing.
He did not have to lift her shirt for much until he spotted what he was looking for. The wound she had suffered at the lighthouse had reopened and this time, it hadn't been treated properly. She had tried to change the bandages herself, not an easy task while in pain, but clearly lacked any herbs or ointments to prevent an infection. As he touched them, the bandages almost fell off, while she clenched her teeth. By now, the flesh around the wound itself was highly irritated, slightly swollen and bruised.
“When did that happen?”, he asked and Kersea gulped. “Four days ago”, she admitted. “When I was helping you with the shed” Richard gave her a stern look. “Why did you keep it a secret?”, he asked. “This could have killed you if you would have waited for longer!”
To this, the fearful look in her eyes grew stronger. “I didn't want to bother you”, she said. “You did so much and in return... what have I brought you but pain, effort and misery?” She sighed. “If you wish to send me away now, I will leave”
Richard raised an eyebrow, but it was Leonard who spoke. “Bullshit”, he snarled, to which the woman gave him a surprised look. “I won't let you go that easily. You have done plenty a bad thing and for that you won't get the easy way out” He pointed at the reopened wound. “If that was what you were aiming for in the first place, it was cowardly!”
Kersea shook her head. “I thought I could push through it on my own”, she explained. “Didn't want to be more of a burden. I do not want to die from this” Leonard's mouth tightened. “Good”, he spoke. “Because this wound won't kill you. At least not now, after I noticed it” For a brief second, his old, cocky grin appeared. “I believe you want to say 'Thank you, Leonard'”
The woman rolled her eyes. “Really?”, she said. “You want to go there?” Leonard chuckled, very briefly. “Not really”, he admitted. “But as I said, this infection won't kill you” He sat down at last, onto the bench Richard had sat on just moments ago. “If you die at all, it will be with a weapon in your hand”, he growled. “Fighting the man that killed your friend and mine. The man that stole so much from you and from me. If death is what you yearn for, that is the only one I'd accept”
He gave her a stern look. “Though even then, I'd rather have you alive. A long live, which you can dedicate on becoming less shitty”, he continued. “You have a lot to atone for and you have only just begun” Behind his look though, there was something else. It was only a hint, but Richard noticed that Leonard was not fully sure what to make of her. It was not the near-hatred he had shown in the very beginning, where Richard had been afraid for Kersea's life, but it was distrust still. “At least you'll be given a chance”, he growled. “Don't make me regret this”
Kersea smiled, an expression of pain instead of joy and Richard clenched his fists, disappointed at himself for not seeing it before. Four days already, he should have noticed something. Or she should have said something. Not that she said much, it was a general problem with her. But this, though he slightly understood her reasons, it was a foolishness.
“Well, what are we going to do then?”, she asked, while Richard and Leonard exchanged a look. “The flesh is already infected, or maybe close to it”, the knight said. “Saw such a wound before. Has killed people way better than you, stronger as well. No way around it, you need a proper healer”
“Lady Mathea could help”, Richard brought up and Leonard gave him a nod. “That she could”, he agreed. “Go and get her then. I'll keep an eye on our... ally while you're gone” Kersea sighed. “You really have to put that much emphasis on it, do you?”, she muttered. “Just say right away that you don't trust me and we got that settled”
Leonard shook his head. “It's not that I don't trust you”, he answered. “But I have a hard time working with someone who has lied to me, who has killed people I knew. Can't say I liked Halla or Corbin, or, gods behold, that two-faced bastard Harris, but if you want me to believe you and your change of heart, then you better prove it” He pointed at her wound. “After that is settled, of course”
“Go and find the healer then”, Kersea said, towards Richard, before she looked at Leonard. “But you should find somewhere to hide. We wouldn't want her to see you” The knight narrowed his eyes, before he gave her a nod. “I see why you're saying that, but I don't think it's a good idea”, he answered.
Kersea rolled her eyes. “Because it's coming from me?”, she asked and Leonard shook his head. “Because I don't think it's good to hide from this woman”, he replied and looked at Richard. “She's a good person, you say?”
“Philip speaks highly of her”, Richard confirmed. “And from what I have seen of her, she's dedicated to her work. Not out for coin, but to help those in need” A smile formed on Leonard's face. “Well, I'd surely like to meet this person”, he said. “But more than that, consider what happens if she finds me. I know I'd be pissed in her case”
“No shit”, Kersea interjected. “And frankly, if you want to risk it, go ahead. It's your life and I don't have to save you every single time. I just don't think you should take the risk. Me, we can play off as some vagrant Richard took in. They are not even looking for me”
Now, she narrowed her eyes. “But everyone knows you”, she continued. “They even got these little portraits of you hanging around on the central square, so that woman knows who you are the moment she spots you. I doubt she's stupid. You're a wanted man, by law. If she's such a good person, shouldn't she obey the law? Not saying she would rat you out, but can you really dare to risk it?” A bit softer, she leant forwards, giving him a mild look. “Hide. Do it right and she won't find you and it'll be to your own good”
Leonard raised an eyebrow. “Telling me about my own good...”, he sighed, before he looked at Richard, who had kept quiet, watching the two arguing. “But this is not my house. You're the one keeping us here, putting yourself and your family in danger every single day, for my sake and hers. This should be your decision”
[Tell Leonard to hide] [Tell Leonard not to hide]
Making my way through chapter 2, gotta say, the submitted characters are blended in to the narrative/universe rather seamlessly.
Are all of the named characters submitted? The only one so far that slightly took me out of it was Two Face. Nothing wrong with the character or the writing. I just can't stop thinking of Batman, so it's more a personal issue rather than an actual one.
re edit: seen the message after posting this so I'm glad you like Gill
[Tell Leonard to hide] I'm only going for this out of pragmatism, sure, Mathea is a nice person, but there's no guarantee she will not mention Leonard's presence, even by accident, so is better if she doesn't see him and if they meet, pretend this is their first meeting
Ah, awesome
There is an issue about smallfolk with last names, which is something I myself should have probably prevented in the early days of the story, but as long as it does not lessen the way people enjoy the story, it's nothing I am particularly keen in changing. After all, it would be a lot harder to memorize the characters if they'd only have one name.
Most of them are indeed submitted. The massive list of characters waiting to be introduced allows me to have a submitted character for any role I wish to fill, so I'd say in the current list, there are about 90% submitted by a reader. At your point, in Chapter 2, there are only a handful of characters that are not submitted. There are Harren Hoare, Loren Lannister and Edmyn Tully, who are characters from the Ice and Fire canon (the same applies to every king in the story, some of their family members and the occasional lord), whereas the characters of Lord Raylan, Maester Eaton, Dairon and Harris have been created by me for the prologue, back when I had no submitted characters at all. Other characters I have created in the early days of the story to fill certain roles I otherwise had no submitted character for are the Burned Man, Harpy, Septon Corbin and Lady Halla, as well as the Rock lords Quentyn Crakehall and Stevron Marbrand and Orson Royce from the Vale. Later on, there will be others I have created myself (such as the sons of Harren Hoare), but they are generally very few in number as I am given a lot of submitted characters to work with for these roles.
Hehe, I certainly like him. A great character and one I am happy to have. And this has been strange, you wrote this comment, a minute later I sent my message, I wrote my reply to this and just before posting, I saw you have edited this part of it XD
[Tell Leonard to hide] I cannot think of a reason why to let Leonard meet Mathea. Maybe if it goes well they have another ally? But if it doesn't, that's REALLY not good. Maybe Mathea would become less trusting of Richard if he hid.
Good, no regrets. Man, I wish we got to see Leonard's mood whiplash from when he was sitting, chatting with her and then WHAM! He's getting dangerously aggressive, preparing to rain fire and fury on her like she's North Korea.
A promise is a promise. But we'll see who has the most right to doing that, I'm not sure if Leonard does. Samantha has a strong case.
Heheheh. Love the arguing. Such hostility. It's totally like a sitcom only with a lot darker material. Imagine it was about Leonard hiding from a pesky neighbor, who wronged the family, and Kersea starts lecturing (to use Leonard's obviously correct terminology) him about it.
Sleazy Alan, the Irving Todd of Raylansfair. If he could be trouble, he might be thinking about turning in Leonard to Vyrwel. But at the same time, I'm not sure Alan would want to be associated with Butterfly at all.
Admiration? Hell to the nah. I'm pretty sure regardless of how Kersea may look, she's very down on Leonard's list. Damn, chivalry is not dead.
Classic Leonard. Very amusing. If Kersea betrayed them though, I'm pretty sure he'd kill her dead. Leonard is not the kind of person to let go of grudges without much effort. I'd kind of be surprised if Kersea fully redeemed herself. I'm sure we'll have some choices both as her and other characters that will affect her, but I am sure that we'll screw it up, or a knife to the heart will.
Little portraits the women will take for their Leonard shrine, obviously. Reminds me of a scene in the Disney movie Tangled, where the male lead, Flynn, admires his wanted poster (but criticizes the nose, I think).
The meeting they talk of, it sounds interesting. I wonder who will attend. I also wonder if they will try to get support from any noble houses. That's what they really need, influence in politics to work. I know the fashionable Lord Lowther would be itching to get revenge, but no characters would really know that? I mean, as far as these characters know, there's like nobody. They don't know that Cregan doesn't like his cousin, they don't know about that Oakhearts are in on the deal (right? I forget which characters do. Maybe just Lucas). Leonard's family probably think he's a bad guy and interacting with them is very dangerous. Maybe other storylines have the key to this, but this one, it's more of a fight to be unnoticed and actually think of a plan.
[Tell Leonard not to hide] We might win ourselves a new ally in Mathea. We need all the people we can get because Mullendore and Petyr will not be easy to take out. Gotta be straight with her and tell her the truth, she does help out the people after all.
[Tell Leonard not to hide]
[Tell Leonard to not to hide]
Mathea will be a great ally.So I think telling the truth will be better
[Tell Leonard not to hide]
[Tell Leonard to hide] I'd say Mathea is pretty trustworthy, but still, better safe than sorry.
It'll certainly be interesting to see what will this group of characters be up to in this chapter, and the ones to come. I mean, obviously their objective is clear as day - kill Mullendore. However, that is not an easy task, and I'm not being too hopeful about Richard, Leonard and Kersea being up to it. Unless they gain a bit more allies, then maybe it could work out...
Anyway, Kersea and Leonard bickering was fun, looking forward to how their relationship will develop as the story progresses. Oh, and Alan is definitely snitching, I'm calling it now.
[Tell Leonard to hide] I just like the idea of Leonard brooding in the closet whilst Mathea is healing Kersea. If I remember correctly, Mathea is still healing all the victims of the attack inside the City Guard HQ. If she saw Leonard, I don't know if she would go out of her way to protect him unless he made a really good first impression, which I doubt he could in his current state of mind.
[Tell Leonard to hide] Hey, I love Mathea as much as anyone but officially Leonard is a criminal and I'd wager most people believe it. Who knows how Mathea would react and I'd rather keep her out of this mess.
EDIT: Leonard kind of annoyed me this part. While I kinda understand why he's being like this, at the same time I don't like how he's treating Kersea. I love that woman, she doesn't deserve that. Of course Leonard doesn't know this but Kersea tried so hard to retain her humanity. Logic and self preservation would dictate that she just tough it out and try to get these vile acts over with or suffer Clayton's wrath. For her sake and her sisters. And yet she defied him every time. I still remember that moment when he forcibly kissed her. Ugh... So him describing her as a shitty person really gets on my nerves.
As a side note I got a vibe that I didn't really like this part so let me get this quickly out of the way. I really hope you're not setting up a romance between Leonard and Kersea. I really don't like the idea of it. If that's the direction you want to go, then that's your decision. Just voicing my personal dislike of the idea.
Well, Leonard mostly argues from his own standpoint there. We know he has trust issues and someone lying to them and hiding someone on their first meeting, that is one safe way of ruining a first impression with him. So, he wants to gain Mathea's trust and he knows, if she finds out he is hiding from her, that will hardly be possible, at least if she would react like him. So, he at least hopes that being completely honest to her will give them better chances of gaining a new ally.
Oh, she certainly does. If we go by that, I'd say Kersea's case is equally strong and Davith, Aylard and Harpy have strong reasons as well. However, I guess with Mullendore it's not a thing of who has the strongest case, but who gets the chance. If Leonard gets this chance, he won't think about who has the most right to kill that man, he's just going to do the deed. Same goes for anyone else with reason to hate Mullendore. The moment he's at someone's mercy, he's doomed and he knows it.
Aye, that is very much a thing. Alan had trouble with Butterfly's men in Oldtown, forcing him to leave everything behind and moving in with Richard. It's his luck that he happened to hide in the same city the real Butterfly had his eyes on for all this time. That being said, Mullendore's secret is not known to the public, although Alan, being a resident of Oldtown, certainly has reason to avoid that man.
Yes, I can confirm that Leonard would not hesitate to kill her if she betrays them. For saving his life in Chapter 8, he is willing to give her a chance and Kersea is pretty dedicated to take it. But both know that she won't get another. It will indeed come down to your choices how far she actually comes with her goal. Screwing up is a legit possibility, though not only for her.
Hehe, though not a conscious reference, I actually had thought about Kersea mentioning they didn't got his nose right. Leonard, of course, hasn't seen the posters yet, but they have drawn a good liking of him, so people are able to recognize him if he shows his face anywhere in the city.
Well, getting support from any noble houses would be a nice thing for sure. At the moment though, they are far from it. It is possible someone thinks about Hobert having a legit reason to make a move against the new lords of Raylansfair, but it will be quite a task to motivate him to join this little conspiracy they are doing there. Other than that, they don't know anything about Cregan (Leonard has never even met the man) and the only one knowing about Oakheart's true nature is Arthur, who has kept it a secret so far. Leonard has not contacted his family in the last two months, so they only know Mullendore's official version, which paints him in a very negative light.
Well, there has been a mention of more allies. Obviously, there's Jenna and through her, Saerya. With Saerya comes a certain amount of intel, which might lead to other allies. There are certainly many who have an interest in taking Mullendore down. However, right now they are far from having a chance with that goal. Mullendore is in a position stronger than ever, whereas Leonard and Kersea can barely leave Richard's farm without putting themselves in danger.
That certainly will be an interesting part of Book 2. These two have a rather complicated relationship. Kersea doesn't have much of a problem with Leonard, though she is annoyed by him being quite antagonistic. Leonard meanwhile knows he needs her help, but has valid reasons to dislike her at the same time. And well, when it comes to Alan, we will get to see him eventually. He has some stuff of his own going on right now, but if it means he is outright snitching, that remains to be seen.
Hm, keep in mind, that was two months ago. In the meantime, Mathea did what she could for those people, but she has since gotten a lot of help thanks to the men that came with Mullendore and Petyr. Ironically, it is the Sphynx of all people that actually does pull his weight around there, but others have come to help as well. So, at the moment, Mathea's situation has improved and she is not constantly overworked anymore. She has a new house, after refusing to use the old one anymore, considering what happened in there and could definitely be contacted and told to come to Richard's farm without anyone noticing.
This is the main reason for Kersea's advice here, aye. Mathea surely is not a bad person, quite the opposite actually, but she has never even met Leonard. Neither does she know about Mullendore's true nature, so from her position, there are few reasons to doubt his word. Maybe she can be convinced, but right now, she shares the general opinion of the people of Raylansfair, which means she considers Leonard a criminal on the run.
Edit: I saw your own edits too late XD
Well, you have said it yourself, Leonard doesn't know about any of this. He might learn about it in time and find some shred of sympathy for Kersea, but at the moment, she is someone who killed people he cared for, who worked with peopl way worse than her and who has tried to hide this from him and weasel away from her responsibility. Kersea certainly had her reasons, but Leonard has a point as well, she needs more than just the will to make up for her misdeeds, she actually needs to work for that. That being said, him treating her so badly is kind of his thing. You might remember how badly he and Lucas got along in the very beginning and he had pretty much no reason for his behaviour back then. With Kersea, he does have some legit reasons, so he's obviously treating her even worse, but as said, there are many things he has not bothered with learning more about and as his more subdued reaction about hearing her grief for Alysanne (back when she mentioned Butterfly's schemes causing the death of her best friend) showed, he is not unwilling to actually try and see things her way in some capacity.
Ah, rest assured, this was not setting up such a thing at all. As InGen rightfully pointed out, Kersea is pretty close to the bottom of Leonard's list and I may add that Kersea herself is really not interested in anything right now, especially not with someone who treats her like crap. At this point, I can confirm it, there is zero attraction between them, aside from the fact that they can probably both admit that the other is a reasonably good-looking person, on account of not being blind. Maybe their relationship will improve over time, but they are far from any sort of positive interaction and even farther from any romance, especially with each other. But I believe two members of the opposite sex can work together and improve their negative relationship without necessarily falling for each other. So, if anything develops out of this, it would be quite some effort for me to make it happen in a non-cliche way and I am really not sure I'd even want to take the effort
Well I'm glad you've got no romance planned between those two! XD
You can blame my constant paranoia and overthinking for having that fear.
Perhaps Kersea has not shared any of that, preferring to keep it to herself and handle it herself, metaphorically like the wound she had in this part. But note Leonard cared about the wound, and I am sure he would care if she bothered to tell him. And from Leonard's perspective she's a murderer (which is well, true) who he's only giving a chance because she saved him. For someone as paranoid and distrusting as him, combined with that sarcasm and stuff, it doesn't make for a good combination.
Amen to that brother. I don't think it's ever gonna happen though, or well, in this book. She sees him as a jerk, and the really cares about her family more. He sees her as a murderer and a liar. It isn't going to happen. He's way too paranoid to let someone like that share a bed with him.
I believe they will quickly part ways once this fiasco is over - if they both survive - Kersea to her sister, Leonard to, well, I don't really know. I'm not sure how he can prove his innocence and become a household knight again.
But if you want more insurance, just submit a million more characters to Liquid. Surely you can find a way to ensure a romantic relationship will not form with this band of misfits. Crazy septons, serial killers, disease carrying vagrants, Drowned men, deaf and mute women, wildlings, Ibbenese whalers, ghosts, bat people, velociraptors, amputatees of all kinds, so many choices.
That is true. I mean, if I ever feel like any sort of romantic attraction between them is a logical conclusion of their interactions, something that just feels right, I might decide in favour of it, but it is nothing I am actively writing towards. The story is, in a certain way, writing itself though, so I cannot debunk such speculation either. I guess we all, me included, just have to see where the characters will end up at. But as said, rest assured, I have no active plans into this direction, though I myself am not yet sure where the road is going to take them in Book 3.
Well, it might not be over all that quickly. If abandoning them would be all that easy, Leonard would have left the farmhouse long ago. The one thing that holds him there is that he wants the same thing Kersea wants: vengeance, justice, fire and blood. As long as Raylansfair is in the clutches of Petyr Vyrwel and Maron Mullendore, as long as his reputation is not restored, he will not just leave. Same goes for Kersea.
Oh damn it, it seems you just guessed one of the major twists of the story. One of the central and most essential questions I wanted to raise in the narrative is, as a matter of fact, whom Leonard is going to end up with. Will it be the ghost of Maester Eaton, or will it be the charming velociraptor lady, who is also a very clever girl? Find it out... in Book 3
[Tell Leonard to hide]
[Tell Leonard not to hide]
[Tell Leonard to hide]
The Voting is closed!
Richard is going to tell Leonard to hide
Well, better safe than sorry, right? I could kind of see this coming, considering that being cautious is more often a good thing than not. Obviously, Mathea is not the kind of person to blow Leonard's cover for no reason, but then again, there has been a two-months timeskip and we cannot be sure how close she is working with the current rulers of Raylansfair. More will be shown in Richard's next part and then, you will probably get a hint if you just dodged a bullet or missed a chance. In any way, Richard's next part should not take me too long, even if I wish to start most of the other storylines first.
The next part is going to start a new storyline. A completly new one, actually, as it will show us another glimpse of Dorne, this time from our first real PoV in that region. I cannot tell you too much about it for now, but the storyline will start in Sunspear. You remember from Meria's PoV that the entire principality of Dorne has severe problems at the time, being troubled with a group of insurgents known as 'The Sandstorm', who yearn to end the rule of House Martell. They have been responsible for a series of armed attacks, the last of them happening during Meria's council meeting, when a patrol of guards has been ambushed in the Planky Town, not too far away from Sunspear itself. As a result, the princess ordered the city to be put under strict surveillance and the castle to be put under lockdown, although she allowed Ysilla Sand, bastard daughter of Lord Allyrion, to leave the castle first, so that she may search for her half-brother, Theodan. As you can probably guess, we're going to meet her in this chapter as well, among others. And well, I aim to release it today, albeit a bit later.
I am also afraid there are bad news. Well, good news for you actually, but bad news for me. Remember that accident I mentioned last time? Well, turns out my father's car is badly damaged actually, so much that he does not dare to take on the 7000+ kilometre trip around the Baltic Sea we had planned. The vacation cannot be pushed back any further either, on account of him having work on his house done in September, so that means, it actually has to be cancelled. To say that I am dismayed would put it mildly, as I was very much looking forward for this. However, it means, on a positive note, that I'll remain fully able to write stuff during the coming weeks, without the need to rely on potentially shaky wi-fi. This also means that my plans for the order in which I want to write the parts has changed. I decided to move Garthon's and potentially Jaron's parts a bit forwards, whereas the beginning of Kyra's storyline has been pushed back at least until I wrote Garthon's first part. It's not much, but for me it's quite the change. Ah well, at least my vacation is not actually outright cancelled, but postponed to the next year, so expect me to be gone for three weeks in 2018
On another note, I totally forgot to mention it, but according to my count, this Richard part has been part #300. So... milestone? Milestone
Ah, what a shame that you missed your vacation, especially since pretty good weathers have been promised for this month here in the Nordic countries
Well, hopefully it'll work out next year 
That said, on a positive note I am happy there won't be a break from FoT now
Shame that you have to miss out on a vacation. On the bright side it's not outright canceled so there's still something to look forward to.
I don't know what my mood is? It feels a severe pain on heart when u Eagerly waits for something and It also comes near u but one step far It is gone.
Also I was afraid that how much further I can read of this story because 27th August I will change my house that means one or two or Month with no wifi.
And I am glad I can read more of this story beside I am also sad for your vocation.U have told me of this vocation on late June if I remember currectly and It is gone now
I don't know what my mood is? It feels a severe pain on heart when u Eagerly waits for something and It also comes near u but one step far It is gone.
Also I was afraid that how much further I can read of this story because 27th August I will change my house that means one or two or Month with no wifi.
And I am glad I can read more of this story beside I am also sad for your vocation.U have told me of this vocation on late June if I remember currectly and It is gone now
Sorry for the double post, Thanks to my Internet
Ah, and just right now, it's been raining for nearly a week here in Germany, give or take a few hours of brief sunshine. Damn it
But well, more time spend inside means more time writing, so there's always a silver lining.
Aye, it is not cancelled. Though due to my vacation times being tied to my semester break and me not seeing much reason in travelling to Scandinavia in February, I have to wait until my next summer semester break in August 2018. So, a year from now, that is a long time to look forward for it
Aye, I feel quite conflicted as well. I mean, obviously it sucks that my vacation has to be cancelled. That being said, there is the unambiguously positive side of me still being able to visit my mother while she recovers and my grandmother, who lives with us, not having to be along while I am gone. So, it's not all bad and I have positive and negative feelings about this
And I see, I wish you best of luck at your new house and may you settle in as quickly as possible! I can assure you, the story is still going to be here when you return, no matter if it takes you one month, or two, or even longer. You will have to catch up again of course, but given how quickly you caught up with the entire story in the first place, that should be easy for you.
Just trying to be positive
Ysilla
In stark contrast to the turmoil the castle of Sunspear was in, the Shadow City at its feet was almost tranquil in the burning midday sun. It did little to ease Ysilla Sand's concerns for her brother, as she stepped out of the castle gates, rushing down the large staircase that led to the city below.
Two of Captain Razek's guards were following her, a fact that came as an annoyance for her. At best, they would merely slow her down. At worst, they might even outright hinder her. It was not that she was not grateful that Princess Meria cared enough for her brother's well-being to give her some help. It was just that Ysilla felt more than capable of doing it on her own. After all, she had a suspicion where her brother could be found.
Hurrying down the steps, she quickly found herself in the Shadow City itself. And the name was not the slightest bit misleading. Located on the west side of the castle, it was a dusty, crowded maze, constantly lying in the shadow of Sunspear. The largest town in all Dorne, the only of them that didn't have to hide next to the likes of Gulltown or White Harbour.
Razek had done good work though. Even before Ysilla herself was ready for the potentially dangerous trip to the city, guards had left the castle in dozens, swarming across the Winding Walls and the labyrinthine alleyways below. And yet, the presence of such a significant amount of guardsmen to support Sunspear's city guard, the Sun Cloaks, barely slowed the people of the Shadow City down, as the streets were still radiating with life.
Pushing a strand of her short, blonde hair behind the ear, she glanced around, raising an eyebrow at one of the looks she received. Ysilla knew, she was an unusual sight there. Covered in fine, thin silk, she was so clearly not a part of any official guard and yet she was accompanied by two of Razek's best, strong and broad-shouldered men. On better days, she would have cracked a joke at their serious expressions, but as it was, there was little time for this.
At the least, she hadn't had to leave the castle unarmed. There had been time to retrieve her spear from her quarters and holding it tightly gave her some sense of security in these crowded, dusty streets. The Shadow City was nothing like Godsgrace, one of Dorne's most beautiful cities and the place Ysilla was able to call her home. Perhaps spending time abroad, first in the violent streets of Braavos to drag Theodan's ass back to Dorne, then here, in this dusty and dim sprawl, were necessary to actually make her yearn for this home, at least in some capacity. At the same time, she couldn't deny that she had the time of her life, in a certain way.
Ysilla's gaze wandered down the spear, a double-edged weapon, forged by Godsgrace's most talented blacksmith. Light metal formed the hilt, whereas the golden crossguards on each side were formed in the shape of the Seven, two of them at least. The Warrior and the Maiden a symbolism so obvious that it still caused her to roll her eyes. Yet subtlety was not her father's forte and the fact that he had given her a weapon at all, so many months ago when he sent her to retrieve her brother, his son and heir, it meant the world to her. More importantly, it was the finest weapon she had ever felt in her hands and one that would serve its purpose quite well.
Wandering through the streets of the Shadow City, a numbing mixture of smells reached her nose. No matter how often she spent on bazaars at home, nothing could have prepared her for this, the sheer amount of spices, both local and foreign, sharp and sweet, the alluring scent of roasted meat, the cacophony of hundreds of voices talking at once. Godsgrace was her home, but as undeniably ugly as the Shadow City was, it was nothing if not thrilling.
The young woman rushed through the streets, the two guards always by her side. Her own speed greatly reduced due to the masses of people on the streets, she was forced to slow down, which in turn allowed them to keep up with her. One of them, a handsome man, perhaps a decade older than her, with tanned, leathery skin and short, dark curls, gave her a stern look, to which she raised an eyebrow. “What?”, she asked.
“Mylady, please slow down for a bit”, he urged her. “We don't know if the Sandstorm is already in the city” Ysilla smirked in return. “I do not fear them”, she boasted, to which the other guard, an older man with a short beard, sighed. “The Sandstorm does not care for your bravery”, he said. “They are fanatics, reckless and brutal. Desperate, I'd say”
His warning was stern and something in his tone made Ysilla think of her father whenever he told her not to do something. Most of the time, she did so in either way, but this time, something actually caused her to stop and look at him for once. “Are they really that bad?”, she asked, to which the older guard smiled. “Do they not have the Sandstorm in Godsgrace?”, he asked.
Ysilla shook her head. “Can't say so”, she spoke, though a sudden worry caused her to clench her fists. “I have been gone for several months though”, she added. “I suppose you are familiar with my brother's... incident?” To this, the slightly younger guard gave her a nod, followed by a slight grin, which caused her to roll her eyes. “Trust me, the whole story was a lot less amusing for my family”, she told him. “But after a couple years, my father decided it was time to allow Theodan to return. Took me a while to find him, but last time I've been in Godsgrace, the Sandstorm has been an oddity on the outskirts of Dorne. Some small group of bandits from the Red Mountains”
“Aye, and that's what they have been for the longest time. But recently, they grew stronger, dramatically so”, the older guard explained. “I believe Master Jordayne and Captain Razek both believe in someone to fund them, a person of power and wealth. Their equipment is too good to be their own. I mean, not too long ago, they have been little more than a tribe of bandits, but now? Now they are more than a menace, a constant threat for every good man in Dorne”
“Well, then I should be save”, Ysilla jested, though the guard nearly frowned. “Girl, the Sandstorm is nothing to joke about”, he reminded her. “They ambushed one of Ser Emilian's patrols this morning. A dozen Sun Cloaks, dead without having a fighting chance” He sighed. “A piss-poor way to go out”
By now, Ysilla felt quite an uneasy feeling. “I knew they took out a patrol at the Planky Town”, she spoke. “But... how are they doing it?” The older guardsman gulped. “Wildfire”, he revealed. “Whomever funds them supplies them with small vials of Wildfire. Some of these cowards throw it at our men, others blow themselves up with them”
Ysilla narrowed her eyes. “They blow themselves up?”, she asked and he nodded. “When they stand in the centre of a crowd, or surrounded by guards, or as they lie mortally wounded”, he answered. “Taking out a dozen men in their moment of dying, that might seem glorious to them” He shrugged, in a defeated manner. “The Sandstorm recruits the desperate. Fanatics whose families have fallen upon hard times when Nymeria landed on these shores”
“Someone's funding them then”, Ysilla stated, repeating what she had been told earlier. “And nobody has lost more than House Yronwood” To this, the guard gave him a nod. “I don't know much about this”, he spoke. “But Yronwood has not been the only house that lost to Nymeria Martell, has it?”
To this, Ysilla gave him a nod. “There have been six kings in Dorne at that time. Some say seven, but Toland doesn't count for me. Yronwood, Dayne, Blackmont, Manwoody, Fowler and Dryland. All but the last still have their descendants ruling over their old lands, now as vassals of House Martell and none lost more than Yronwood, the High Kings of Dorne”, she explained. “Nymeria united these lands, but not all grudges have been resolved”
The younger guard raised an eyebrow. “You know a lot for a bastard, mylady”, he said. His tone made it clear he meant no insult and Ysilla merely smiled at him. It was Dorne, were people could say such a thing without insult. “My father put a lot of importance onto that”, she explained. “A proper education, as he called it, maybe to get me a noble husband despite my name. Law, history, the finer arts” She shrugged. “Not my kind of excitement”
She noticed the younger guard's gaze wandering down the thin layers of silk that covered her body, to which her smile turned into a smirk. If he'd be a decade younger, she might have felt flattered by his attention. If he'd be a she, it might not have mattered. “And what is your kind of excitement, mylady?”, he asked.
To this, Ysilla slightly lifted her spear. “My definition of a proper education”, she explained with a cheeky grin. “Riding. Archery. And the spear, of course. Theodan taught me, later I continued by myself” The guard chuckled, while the older man remained silent. “A warrior woman”, he sighed. “Seven behold, an Allyrion warrior woman is the last thing I expected”
He shook his head, glancing at his companion. “I believe you were going to say something about the Sandstorm”, he urged him. “Go on, I didn't want to interrupt you” To this, the older man gave him a nod. “We were talking about Yronwood”, he said. “It's not a bad lead, y'know. The first incidents happened on their lands, or on Manwoody's, so for all I know, Master Jordayne is looking into this”
“Hasn't found anything so far though”, the younger guard spoke. “Lord Yronwood and his guards are very cooperative. Almost suspiciously so, if you ask me. No man is that helpful if he doesn't have to hide something” He shrugged as well. “But whom am I to question Jordayne's approach to this? If he wants to cooperate with Yronwood, so be it”
“I say it should be over once they find their leader, not the one that backs them, but the one that actually inspires them”, the older guard growled. “Some scheming nobleman is not the danger here, it's the mad bastards that rain fire on innocent people. I leave Princess Meria to deal with Yronwood, or Wyl or Manwoody or whomever gives them their weaponry. Jordayne's job is to find Cage Bridger”
The name meant something to Ysilla. A phantom, a rumour, just coming up by the time she had left Dorne to bring Theodan back home. Bridger was a madman, broken by war and filled with hatred to all the noble houses in Dorne. Or so they said on the streets. “He's still leading them?”, she asked.
The younger man narrowed his eyes and shook his head, as the older guard gave her a nod. “Master Jordayne himself brought his head back to Sunspear a month ago”, he explained. “He thinks him dead, but I know better. The Sandstorm has not been slowed down by the supposed death of their leader, so I think Jordayne got the wrong man. A fall guy, meant to trick him and us”
“Or maybe he's not the leader after all”, the younger man brought up. “Bridger is dead, but if a new leader took place right away, or if he has never been as important as we were lead to believe, then that won't really slow them down at all” He shrugged. “But we'll find the bastard behind this in the end”
Ysilla and the guards stopped, as a group of Sun Cloaks approached them. Their bright uniforms, the red sun and spear of House Martell on their yellow cloaks made them stick out of the crowd, instinctively causing them to make a path wherever they walked, in a way Razek's darker guardsmen were unable to do.
“Sergeant”, the younger man said, as both he and his companion saluted. The Sun Cloaks did the same as they stopped. Their leader was a handsome man, maybe in his mid-twenties at most, with bright, blue eyes and a dark beard covering his chin.
“Greetings”, he said, as he gave Ysilla something that came close to a bow. “Mylady. What leads you to this part of the city?” Ysilla straightened her back, noticing the glances some guards threw onto her double-edged spear. They were tensed up, nervous even, so much that even her harmless stance caused them to worry. Could the Sandstorm truly be this terrifying, that hardened men saw a threat in every armed person they met?
“My brother”, she explained. “Theodan Allyrion, Lord Alester's firstborn” She put a hand onto her chest. “I am Ysilla Sand, pleasure to meet you” The sergeant nodded in return, without introducing himself, though some nervousness fell off him. In return, others behind him took a deep breath as they heard her last name. “We're on our way to Watermont's”, she said.
At this, the sergeant raised an eyebrow. “Your brother is at the brothel?”, he growled, to which she gave him a good-spirited nod. He sighed, pointing down an alleyway, an empty, narrow and dark path. “This is the fastest way”, he spoke. “But we have not secured this part of the city yet. Between the attack on the Planky Town and now, we must assume that several members of the Sandstorm rebels have found their way into the city since then and they might hide somewhere there”
Ysilla smiled. “Let that be our concern”, she said. “Thank you, Sergeant” The guard saluted, before he and his men wordlessly continued down the larger main street. Without missing a beat, the young woman turned to the alleyway, though one of the guards, the younger man, was quick to grab her by the shoulders. “Mylady, what are you doing?”, he hissed. “You heard his words”
“Aye”, she confirmed. “Fastest way to Watermont's” He sternly looked at her, in a way that reminded her of her father and not in a positive way. “Lady Ysilla, there might be Sandstorm members in that part of the city”, he warned her, to which she gave him another nod. “I know”, she said and indeed, she felt not the slightest bit nervous. “If they are there, Theodan could be in danger. Trust me, I don't want to put you in danger, but I want to find my brother” Mildly, she pushed his hand off her shoulder. “Just go back to the castle and let me do this on my own. I'm thankful for the conversation, but when it comes to this, I'm faster alone” She glanced down the alleyway. “Or come with me and stop complaining”
Ysilla began to walk down the alleyway, slightly hoping these men would indeed not follow her. She wanted to do this on her own, without putting anyone else in danger. For Theodan's sake, she had to take the fast way and she sighed, as she heard footsteps behind her.
“Captain Razek is going to flog us if we leave you alone”, the older man spoke. “For a guy without a cock, he can be quite mean” Ysilla smiled, even though she felt uneasy at their persistence. This was something she would have wanted to do on her own from the very beginning.
Going through the alleyway, Ysilla spotted a small square at the other end of it. A dark-skinned woman was there, scantily clad, kissing the neck of a man, while tying up his shirt. Even for the standards of Dorne, this was quite a bit too open-hearted, which clued Ysilla in on the fact that Watermont's brothel could not be too far anymore.
They had almost reached the square when another man entered it from the other side. He was young, younger than Ysilla's brother Yandry and probably barely a man. Smooth cheeks, a body that was more lanky than truly muscular, clad in a long, dark coat, in the same fashion some of the desert tribes or their descendants were still sporting. A brief flash of brown eyes, filled with fear, confusion and hatred. A blood-stained sword in his hands.
“The Sandstorm rises!”, he yelled, as the two guards instantly stopped, out of his sight and frozen in sudden fear. Ysilla wanted to rush down the alleyway, but both men stopped her at once. “We're all dead if he sees us”, the younger guard hissed, firmly holding her by the shoulders.
Just a moment later, the woman screamed, a noise that turned into a gurgle, followed by a second one, then silence. “Fuck...”, the older guard growled, keeping his voice as low as possible. “You two stay there. I got this!”
With these words, he rushed down the alleyway, a hand on his sword. “Hold it right there!”, he yelled as he reached the end of it. “Boy, put that down!” The young man spoke in a hushed whisper now, his words agitated, angry, yet Ysilla also spotted a hint of shock. He truly was younger than Yandry, who had his seventeenth nameday just a month ago. This was a child and still already a fighter for the Sandstorm.
“We can fix this, boy”, the guard said. “Just give up. Come with me and we fix this. Nobody has to die” He let out a muffled curse, followed by him drawing his sword. “I don't want to hurt you”, he urged him, but the young man was not listening. “Bridger promised”, he said. “Sacrifice for the greater good. Martell and their pawns will never rule us again!”
“We have to help him!”, Ysilla hissed, still keeping her voice down, as the younger guard still clung onto her, pushing both of them against the wall of the alleyway, making it impossible for them to see what was happening, but also for the young man to learn of their presence. “If he spots us, we're dead”, he growled. “You remember what we just told you about the wildfire. One against one, the only way you can take them out without risking everything ten feet around them”
Two swords clashed against each other, while Ysilla felt dread rising in her. This fool, this old fool. She told them she wanted to do this alone. She never wanted their help and she surely didn't want this! And his opponent, the one that just killed two innocents, he was almost a child still, so young. It was in this moment that she truly understood how much they had all underestimated the Sandstorm for so long. Even her sister used to belittle them and here they were now, manipulating barely grown men to kill.
Once again, the steel clashed against each other, followed by a grunt. “Son, just give up!”, the old man urged his opponent. “You're bleeding, but I'll help you if you...” The rest of his sentence was drowned out as the young man let out a blood-curdling scream, the kind that made Ysilla freeze in primal fear. There was so much hatred in this voice and sure enough, the steel clashed against each other for the final time, until a gasp followed.
“I don't believe you!”, the young man screamed. “These lands will be ours, he promised” He let out a groan himself as Ysilla tensed up. Behind her, she noticed that the younger guard was sobbing quietly. “We have to get out of here”, he spoke, though she gave him a glare. “Your friend is wounded”, she hissed. “Maybe dead. You want to leave him?”
The guard gave her a nod. “That's not a common thug”, he warned her. “That is Sandstorm. They are insane!” Ysilla freed herself from his grip. “Then stay where you are and don't get in my way”, she replied, as she quickly sneaked out of his reach. By now, she noticed how distraught he was, but she couldn't care less. All that mattered right now were the guard on the square, at least heavily wounded and the young man that killed him. And her brother, who had to be close.
The young man sighed in pain. “Fuck...”, he mumbled. “No, no no... Your promised, Bridger. You promised!” She heard the pain in his voice, the distress. He did not want to die today, just like most young men his age. Glancing around the corner, she spotted him leaning against the wall. Next to him, the corpses of the two lovers. In front of him, the guard, lying in a pool of his own blood. The killer was pressing a hand onto his bleeding side.
From beneath the slashed coat, Ysilla saw a green shimmer and she tensed up. She knew, she had to be quick. Jumping around the corner and throwing her spear, he'd be dead in an instant. But he was so young, in fear and in pain. It would be self defence, but that didn't make it any less bitter for her. Maybe no one else had to die...
[Throw your spear at him] [Try to talk him down]
WAIT, WHAT!? Ysilla is the Dorne PoV!? Now that's an amazing surprise, from what you had been saying I would never imagine that she'd be the one
Man, I already said during Meria's Interlude that you had portrayed Ysilla perfectly and seeing more of her, I can be totally sure, that you indeed made her everything I imagined 
Having her as a PoV will definitely be a joy, and from this part I can already say that's she's off to a great start 
Now things are already pretty bad if some of the Sandstorm are already in the shadow city, they definitely are going to be a big threat. To make things worse, the bulk of the ones inside the city seems to be around the place where Theodan is... boy, things really did begin on a blazing (heh) pace. I can hardly wait for when Ysilla finds Theodan, I'm just hoping nothing bad happens to any of them in the meantime. Fingers crossed*
[Throw your spear at him] Even if he's just a kid, he's a pretty dangerous person. I don't think there's any way to reason with someone like that, besides, talking with him could just give him time to throw his wildfire vial at Ysilla... no way I'm having that, better safe than sorry.
[Throw your spear at him]
Edit: Seeing as the Sandstorm has wildfire and is seeking to overthrow the Martells, I suspect they might be funded by the Targaryens, who do have an interest to destabilize Dorne so they may invade more easily.
[Try and talk him down]
Gotta be safe here and I think Ysilla has it in her to still throw that spear if she needs to but if she does she is weaponless more or less and there could be more of the Sandstorm around to cause trouble! Hopefully a females touch will get through to the boy and convince him that he's being manipulated into being a martyr.
Very good part Liquid! I like how you captured the partisan tactics and wrote them into how someone fighting against that might be feeling. Never knowing what's going to happen next and even afraid to confront one for fear of blowing up.
[Throw your spear at him] Let's make Ysilla a violent, cold character, so I can like her. All these conflicted warriors, they must be ridden of, one way or another. This will be a good example of "the tip of the spear" for Dorne.
So the Taliban here has a funder eh? Saudi Arabia? Bin Laden? Seriously though, it sounds like it's Iraq or Afghanistan in Dorne. Suicide bombers in a desert city. Also kind of like Rogue One.
You see, I'd assume that some like Mullendore, Vyrwel, or Oakheart would be funding them. After all, Reach lords are at least moderately wealthy (with some super-rich like the Redwynes and of course Selwyns). Those three would have some motivation, supporting expanding their influence, get some Dornish lords on their side. The wildfire detail though. That is very interesting. If Mullendore and co. had wildfire, they wouldn't have needed what was in the lighthouse.
Ah yes, Dryland. Good ol' King Lucifer Dryland. Heheheheh.
300 parts, woohoo!
Heheh, your vacation is ruined, and now you must write! Muahahahah.
Seriously that stinks. 7000+ kilometers? Jeez. I thought my vacation was long.
Oh yeah, uh, Garthon. Hm. Wonder how he's doing. Kinda forgot about him.