“Garthon, wake up!”, someone hissed, as Garthon felt a hand grabbing his shoulder, shaking him impatiently. He opened his eyes and was met by darkness. It was still night and it was cold, the fire having all but burned down, the mere glimmer of light remaining in the cold ashes.
He only recognized Hjalgar because the young man was kneeling above him, though he saw enough of his face to spot the concern. With a groan, he wiped the sleep from his eyes, taking a deep breath of cold, nightly air. He was shivering, but it was not as bad as it could be, wrapped in the furs Mullendore had given him for the journey.
“What is happening?”, he mumbled, still weak from the deep, dreamless sleep. Hjalgar sighed in return. “Bullister and Vessels are gone”, he spoke. “So are most of our supplies and the letter” This was enough for Garthon to instantly snap fully awake. His eyes widened, as he looked at Hjalgar.
Slowly adjusting to the darkness, he noticed that they were indeed alone. Tedyn and Rell had left, their belongings gone. A third, empty bedroll was still there. “Christian?”, he asked and Hjalgar glanced at the forest. “He went out, trying to find a trace of them”, he replied. “Hasn't been gone for long, but I hope he returns soon”
Garthon blinked again, feeling tired. It couldn't have been more than two hours since he woke Rell to take over his shift. Two hours of sleep, ten hours of marching on the previous day and he felt it. He had never marched this much before. On a boat, yes, he was used to that. But Mullendore had refused to let them go by boat. After their three longships had slipped through the Shield Island defenses to attack Raylansfair, the lords Serry and Chester had increased their defences. Slipping through them unnoticed was hardly possible now.
And so, it had been a gruelling march. Three weeks to recover from the battle, five weeks of marching, first through the Reach, then through the Riverlands. Mullendore had given them a guide, named Christian, but the more time passed, the more Garthon was sure that all the knight wanted to achieve with this was getting the young scout out of the city for a while.
He had no idea about the contents of the letter, of Mullendore's alliance with Harren Hoare and though tempted, Garthon had kept silent about this. His goal was not to harm this alliance, to bring down Mullendore, the man who spared his life after all, or to put Harren the Black at a disadvantage. There was vengeance on his mind, but not against these men. They had not killed Torvin, after all.
“Fuckers...”, he mumbled bitterly, the memory of his brother tarnishing his already foul mood further. Sluggishly, he rose from the bedroll, placed on uncomfortably hard ground, to look around. Rell had been in charge of the fire, but with him gone, it had obviously burned down. While the trees around them were protecting them from the cold winds, it was nonetheless a chilly night, as well as dark even after his eyes adjusted to it.
Would it truly be that bad for them to leave? Garthon was not too keen on returning to Harrenhal, he had to admit it. However, who knew what they'd tell Harren Hoare. The last thing he wanted to do was to be chased down by bounty hunters because Rell and Tedyn were trying to put the raid's failure on his shoulders. No, as much as he hated it, he had to chase after them.
Wordlessly, he put on some basic armour, the light leather that had done him good service during the raid as well. Hjalgar looked at him, sitting down on a tree trunk, his bow resting on his lap, a quiver filled with arrows leaning next to him. “What do we do if we can't find them anymore?”, he asked and Garthon noticed uncertainty in his voice.
“I leave the Riverlands”, Garthon answered calmly. “This place is fucked either way. Maybe I'll go somewhere warm. Dorne should be nice in the winter” He tried to smile, but couldn't find it in him, as so often in these past weeks. Hjalgar though gave him an unhappy look. “And what am I supposed to do?”, he asked. “I fought for you and your brother. I gave up my old life because I believed in Torvin and I saved you from Cleaver Clint” He bit down onto his lower lip. “If you leave me, what am I supposed to do?”
Garthon sighed. “You go back to your life”, he advised him. “It's not you they are after. To be honest, I'd be surprised if Vessels even knows your name. Black Harren certainly doesn't” Hjalgar shook his head. “Harmund does”, he reminded him and Garthon tensed up. That was indeed a problem, but nothing he could not solve. “We can leave together”, he offered and Hjalgar smiled at this.
“If you could do what you want, where would you go?”, he asked and now, Garthon smiled as well. “Home”, he replied. “Back to Pyke. Maybe I'd stop by Harrenhal, to say goodbye to Kyra, but then, I'll leave these lands for good” His smile faded. “But that won't be possible. My ship is gone, my brother is dead and for all I know, Hoare burned my childhood home to the ground while I was away out of sheer spite”
Hjalgar gave him a nod. “I'm afraid he did the same to mine”, he mumbled. “I've never been close to my father, but still, he's the only family I have” Garthon gulped, leaning forwards. “Your father...”, he said. “You're the son of Holgar the Red, right?”
A brief, grim smirk formed on Hjalgar's face. “I don't have much of him, I know”, he spoke. “Never been a great warrior. Actually, I've never been good at holding a sword at all. Archery, yeah, but that's girl stuff in Father's eyes. He hated me for doing it”
“My father was a useless drunkard”, Garthon brought up. “At least yours is a respected man” Hjalgar flashed him a smile. “You know, this is not a contest”, he answered. “The most horrible father, I mean. If we go by that, Harren's sons have lost by default”
Garthon chuckled. “Or maybe Harmund's bastards”, he answered. “A man like him has to have plenty” Hjalgar shook his head, now not smiling anymore. “I doubt many women get a chance at carrying Harmund's bastard”, he reminded him.
This cooled the atmosphere down quite notably and uncomfortably, Garthon got into his boots. He just barely finished as noise from the surrounding forest caused Hjalgar to jump up. Holding his bow, he quickly lowered the weapon and Garthon recognized the man stepping out of the dark. Fair skin, but notably dark hair and eyes, an unsettling combination for Garthon, were they not embedded in a kind, bearded face.
“Christian”, he greeted him with a nod and the young scout saluted. “I found tracks”, he said quickly, trying to regain his breath. “I believe they split up. One of them snuck deeper into the forest, but the other left better tracks”
“A trap maybe?”, Hjalgar brought up and Christian shook his head. “I know what I'm doing”, he replied. “It was hard to spot the tracks I found, meaning it'd be damn near impossible to find those the other man left. Neither of them wanted to be found, so I suggest we chase after the one we can find first. Maybe he is cooperative”
Garthon gave him a nod. “Doubt he'll be, especially if it's Bullister. He's not a chatty guy”, he brought up. “But let's do this. Finding one of them is better than finding none” He reached for his sword, though hesitated, something Hjalgar noticed.
“I believe you should take this”, he said and Garthon felt a strange unwillingness to follow the advice. “I don't want to fight”, he replied. “If they wanted us dead, they would have cut our throats in our sleep” He shook his head, finally reaching for the weapon. “Better safe than sorry”, he muttered. “But keep in mind, we fight only if they leave us no choice”
“You don't have to tell me”, Hjalgar reminded him, as he approached the forest. Christian was quick to catch up to him, as did Garthon. “Be quiet beneath these trees”, the scout reminded him. “Use your ears, not your mouth. We have to be prepared for the worst, can't let them hear us. Lure us into a trap at worst” He glanced over his shoulder. “Try to remain close”
With these words, he began to lead, at quite a speed. Garthon had to pay special attention not only to his dark surroundings, never trying to let the scout get out of his sight, but also to the task of moving slowly. It was a tricky path, filled with dead tree branches, roots, rocks and other perils and the fact that he saw only half of them came as a source of discomfort for him. He was not a man of the woods, never has been.
Hjalgar was a different kind altogether. Unusually for an Ironborn, he moved through these forest with grace. Quiet, swift, he could have been a born killer, if not for his gentle nature. But deadly he was, as Cleaver Clint Volmark had found out. Dozens of men had tried their luck with that brute and in the end, it was an arrow that fell him, shot by the most unlikely of saviours.
And Christian... Garthon couldn't say he knew much of the man. He was a kind fellow, undeniably, but still mysterious. Confident, perhaps even cocky, it was not hard for Garthon to get along with him. But the man was unwilling to talk about his past. He was a ranger in service of Raylansfair, first to House Raylan, then to House Vyrwel that was about the extent of his knowledge about Christian Thomas. And no matter his motives, he took his task seriously.
More than once Garthon messed up during their walk through the forest. Be it snapping a branch beneath his boots, stepping into dry leaves or hitting a rock, he knew he made more noise than Christian was comfortable with. In the darkness, he merely saw the ranger's head turning towards him, but he felt the glare more than he saw it.
At several times, their guide outright stopped, kneeling down to check a trail only he was able to see. Garthon barely saw the ground, much less whatever Christian was chasing after, but he saw light in the distance, moonlight illuminating a small glade. Christian rose from the ground again, looking at them. Silently, he put a finger onto his lips, before he began to walk down the rest of the track, towards this glade.
He did not make it very far when something large snapped through the trees. A muffled scream was all that came from him, as a shadow hit his head, heavily, causing him to sink to the ground. With the tiny ray of light from the glade, Garthon was able to see a shadow, man-sized, wearing a large weapon and a peculiar helmet he'd recognize anywhere.
Of course Tedyn Bullister was a silent man by nature. Even then though, the way he moved in his armour was surprisingly quiet, even if most of the surprise moment on them came from him having stood still behind a tree, only making his move when Christian tried to pass him.
Not able to see the look in the executioner's usually cold eyes, Garthon was quick to take a step back. “Tedyn, stop!”, he said loudly, but the Axeman did not listen. He swung his weapon, now at Hjalgar, who, instead of shooting an arrow, had to duck, as the massive axe missed his head only slightly. He did not manage to dodge the backhanded strike that followed though, as the hilt of the axe hit him in the face.
With Christian and Hjalgar down, Garthon raised his sword, to parry Tedyn's strike. The silent executioner had a terrifying strength and he nearly knocked Garthon back a bit with his attack, making him realize that this was not a fight he could win all that easily. Not without dodging, manoeuvring and actually seeing his opponent, not just his shadow.
“Tedyn, I don't want to fight!”, he urged him and instead of attacking, he let himself fall into the forest to his left. He knew, he made noise, but that was not the problem. The problem was the cold-blooded killer that was about to tear him apart. But he was fast. Running past Tedyn through the woods, he made his way to the glade with ease, pointing his sword at the trees. “Put that down! There's no need for a fight!”
Silently and menacingly, the armoured man stepped through the trees, the moonlight illuminating the sigil on his breastplate. It was not the sigil of his house, of family, the one that was taken from him, but of his masters, those that butchered House Bullister and did worse to him.
And finally, Garthon was able to see the look in these cold, dead eyes. There was no anger in them, no hatred, but also no pity. Just a man doing his duty. And despite his opponent's quietness, Garthon understood. He gulped, knowing that a fight was inevitable. “He ordered you to do this, did he not?”, he asked. “Harren cannot have me alive, so he ordered you to kill me” After a moment, Tedyn gave him a nod, stopping his march towards him.
Garthon clenched his fist around his sword. “And Torvin?”, he spat. “Did he order you to kill him as well?” This time, there was no reaction from Tedyn. The executioner grabbed his greataxe with both hands now, raising it above his head, as he began to charge. Even now, he did not say a word, not even a battlecry.
The first strike came from the top and would have split Garthon's skull, if he wouldn't have jumped aside. The axe hit the ground, digging into the dirt, though the strong Tedyn had no problem pulling it out again, in time to parry Garthon's strike. By now, they were too close to each other for the greataxe to be fully effective, though Tedyn still showered him with quick strikes of the hilt, forcing Garthon into the defensive.
Finally, they locked weapons and gazes. Garthon's eyes were widely opened, filled with fury, but not towards Tedyn. Hoare... the man was responsible for Torvin's death after all! Tedyn meanwhile was looking calm, almost detached from this scene. With massive strength, he pushed his opponent back, causing Garthon to stagger, to stumble to the ground.
Before Tedyn was able to do anything with this, he was hit by an arrow. Garthon spotted Hjalgar, having just left the forest to get a better aim. His first shot was botched, hitting Tedyn, but being deflected by the helmet. Instantly, the Axeman let go off his intended victim, turning to Hjalgar.
“No!”, Garthon yelled. “Run!” Hjalgar did not run. He took a second shot instead, as Tedyn began to charge. This time, he found a weak spot in the armour, the arrow digging between the pauldrons and the breastplate, though a combination of chainmail and leather likely prevented any damage, even if he clearly felt it.
Hjalgar blocked the first strike with the bow, unable to draw the sword in time. The simple wood splintered, causing him to stagger back, though he nonetheless managed to grab his sword, parrying the next attack, even if it threw him off balance even more. Now, Tedyn was quick to place the hilt of his axe behind Hjalgar's leg, pulling him to the ground in full. Towering above him, he raised his axe, while Garthon jumped up. “NO!”, he yelled at the top of his lungs, as the executioner brought his axe down upon Hjalgar.
In the last moment, the young man managed to roll to the side, as Tedyn glared over his shoulder, spotting Garthon once again. The eyes narrowed, as he firmly grabbed his axe, ignoring the downed hunter next to him. Garthon gave him a nod. “You and me, bastard!”, he spat. “Let us end this!”
Tedyn gave him a nod, as he slowly approached him. Garthon's heart began to beat in his chest, furiously, as he knew he stood no chance against this enemy. Christian was taken out, so was Hjalgar and the executioner had made short work of him before. Readying himself to go out fighting, something happened he did not expect. An arrow flew past him, shot somewhere behind him, missing him only slightly and stopping Tedyn dead in his tracks, as it pierced his throat.
Gasping, the Axeman sank to his knees and dropped his weapon, as Garthon spun around. He saw the last person he would have expected, as Rell Vessels stepped into the light of the moon, lowering his bow. Vessels gave him a cold smirk as he approached him, putting a hand onto his sword. Instinctively, Garthon pointed his blade at him.
“Ah, drop it”, Vessels spat. “I just saved your life. You think I want you dead now? Or maybe stealing Tedyn's kill?” He shook his head as Garthon, dumbfounded, indeed lowered his weapon. Rell flashed him a violent grin. “Figured that much”, he chuckled, as he walked past him, towards Tedyn.
Bullister was not quiet now. Unable to form clear words due to his lack of a tongue and his damaged throat, he gasped, groaned, his mouth opening and closing. What little Garthon could see of his cheeks was wet and Rell chuckled. “What?”, he asked. “What, you mute fuck? Are you crying now?” He sighed. “Hells, I didn't think you even could”
He placed the blade at Tedyn's neck. “I told you to come with me”, he reminded him. “But you had to stay. You just couldn't fail our king, could you?” Desperately, Tedyn shook his head, as Rell smiled at him cruelly. “Guess what, you did. You failed him, like your entire family failed him” He shrugged. “But don't cry. You should thank me”, he continued. “He will not punish you, never again. I'm going to send you back to your family” Tedyn's eyes widened and just like that, Rell had pushed the blade down, through the throat and upper chest of Harrenhal's executioner.
Once his grisly deed was done, Rell turned to Garthon, who looked at him, speechless that this man had just saved him. “What?”, Vessels asked. “You can thank me, you know” Garthon gulped, looking at the dead Tedyn Bullister. Rell followed his gaze and knelt down, removing something form Tedyn's belt, a scroll Garthon quickly recognized as Maron Mullendore's letter.
“You... you saved my life”, he stuttered. “Why?” Rell flashed him a grin. “Don't think too much of it”, he said. “You did the same for me. I'm repaying my debt” He raised the letter. “Arguably, I'm going to do more than that even”, he explained. “See, it's really a shame, but Tedyn did not fail. He killed you, he killed Christian and Whatshisname over there. Unfortunately, he was wounded so badly, he died shortly afterwards, leaving me as the sole survivor”
Garthon narrowed his eyes, as Rell smiled at him. “I'm faking your death, asshole”, he spelled it out, even though Garthon had figured it already. “Why?”, he growled in return and Rell approached him. Behind him, Hjalgar struggled back to his feet and Christian came stumbling out of the forest. “Because you saved mine”, he said. “Because our king wants you dead. He gets his will, in a way. I give him this letter and get back into his favour. You start a new life without being hunted by him, somewhere far away from here”
Finally, Garthon gave him a nod. “Thank you, Rell”, he spoke, truthfully. Vessels rolled his eyes. “Don't get wet now”, he snarled. “We're not friends, you and I, but I know what gratitude is” He placed a hand on Garthon's shoulder. “Better use the chance I gave you”, he urged him. “Next time we meet, it will be as enemies”
With these words, he turned to leave, but Garthon stopped him. “Wait!”, he said. “Tedyn... he tried to kill me on Harren's orders. Does that... does that mean the king gave Anturion order to kill Torvin? Had he a hand in this after all?”
Rell hesitated for a moment, before he shrugged. “I don't know”, he admitted. “I don't fucking know. Ask him yourself if you dare, but you better don't” He smiled, as he turned away again. “What is dead may never die, Breaker”, he said his farewell. “I wish you good luck in your new life”
And with this, he was gone, leaving Garthon with two wounded allies and a corpse. Tedyn Bullister, last of his line. Born high, deeply fallen, a broken, desperate man, who was finally at rest now. As Garthon looked at him, he saw no enemy, just another victim of Harren the Black. Yet still, he had to ask himself what to do with the corpse. Did Tedyn deserve a final rest?
Very interesting that their throats weren't just slit when they were asleep.
But the man was unwilling to talk about his past. He was a ranger in service of Raylansfair, first to House Raylan, then to House Vyrwel that was about the extent of his knowledge about Christian Thomas. And no matter his motives, he took his task seriously.
House Vyrwel. Yuck. Hopefully Petyr isn't successfully pawning off his sisters for alliances.
Now Garthon, oh where oh where could Garthon go. Where did you come from, where did you go, where did you come from, Garthon-jo.
Garthon
“Garthon, wake up!”, someone hissed, as Garthon felt a hand grabbing his shoulder, shaking him impatiently. He opened his eyes an… mored was met by darkness. It was still night and it was cold, the fire having all but burned down, the mere glimmer of light remaining in the cold ashes.
He only recognized Hjalgar because the young man was kneeling above him, though he saw enough of his face to spot the concern. With a groan, he wiped the sleep from his eyes, taking a deep breath of cold, nightly air. He was shivering, but it was not as bad as it could be, wrapped in the furs Mullendore had given him for the journey.
“What is happening?”, he mumbled, still weak from the deep, dreamless sleep. Hjalgar sighed in return. “Bullister and Vessels are gone”, he spoke. “So are most of our supplies and the letter” This was enough for Garthon to instantly snap fully awake. His eyes widened, as he looked at Hjalgar.
Slowly adjusting to the da… [view original content]
[Bury Tedyn Bullister] Good guy Garthon is going to bury his silent buddy Tedyn, or else he wouldn't be the nice guy we all love. Plus there is a chance of finding cool gear on Boss Bullister. If we hadn't had helped Rell, he would've been dead right? Would Garthon still have won his battle without Rell's help? If Garthon had refused Mullendore's offer, what would he be doing now? Is Christian now supposed to fake his own death too? I have so many questions after this part.
Garthon
“Garthon, wake up!”, someone hissed, as Garthon felt a hand grabbing his shoulder, shaking him impatiently. He opened his eyes an… mored was met by darkness. It was still night and it was cold, the fire having all but burned down, the mere glimmer of light remaining in the cold ashes.
He only recognized Hjalgar because the young man was kneeling above him, though he saw enough of his face to spot the concern. With a groan, he wiped the sleep from his eyes, taking a deep breath of cold, nightly air. He was shivering, but it was not as bad as it could be, wrapped in the furs Mullendore had given him for the journey.
“What is happening?”, he mumbled, still weak from the deep, dreamless sleep. Hjalgar sighed in return. “Bullister and Vessels are gone”, he spoke. “So are most of our supplies and the letter” This was enough for Garthon to instantly snap fully awake. His eyes widened, as he looked at Hjalgar.
Slowly adjusting to the da… [view original content]
Garthon
“Garthon, wake up!”, someone hissed, as Garthon felt a hand grabbing his shoulder, shaking him impatiently. He opened his eyes an… mored was met by darkness. It was still night and it was cold, the fire having all but burned down, the mere glimmer of light remaining in the cold ashes.
He only recognized Hjalgar because the young man was kneeling above him, though he saw enough of his face to spot the concern. With a groan, he wiped the sleep from his eyes, taking a deep breath of cold, nightly air. He was shivering, but it was not as bad as it could be, wrapped in the furs Mullendore had given him for the journey.
“What is happening?”, he mumbled, still weak from the deep, dreamless sleep. Hjalgar sighed in return. “Bullister and Vessels are gone”, he spoke. “So are most of our supplies and the letter” This was enough for Garthon to instantly snap fully awake. His eyes widened, as he looked at Hjalgar.
Slowly adjusting to the da… [view original content]
“My father was a useless drunkard”, Garthon brought up. “At least yours is a respected man” Hjalgar flashed him a smile. “You know, this is not a contest”, he answered. “The most horrible father, I mean. If we go by that, Harren's sons have lost by default”
Hmmm, I don't know about that Hjalgar... I have a feeling that there's at least one Ironborn who has a father as shitty as, or even maybe worse than, Harren
Garthon
“Garthon, wake up!”, someone hissed, as Garthon felt a hand grabbing his shoulder, shaking him impatiently. He opened his eyes an… mored was met by darkness. It was still night and it was cold, the fire having all but burned down, the mere glimmer of light remaining in the cold ashes.
He only recognized Hjalgar because the young man was kneeling above him, though he saw enough of his face to spot the concern. With a groan, he wiped the sleep from his eyes, taking a deep breath of cold, nightly air. He was shivering, but it was not as bad as it could be, wrapped in the furs Mullendore had given him for the journey.
“What is happening?”, he mumbled, still weak from the deep, dreamless sleep. Hjalgar sighed in return. “Bullister and Vessels are gone”, he spoke. “So are most of our supplies and the letter” This was enough for Garthon to instantly snap fully awake. His eyes widened, as he looked at Hjalgar.
Slowly adjusting to the da… [view original content]
Garthon
“Garthon, wake up!”, someone hissed, as Garthon felt a hand grabbing his shoulder, shaking him impatiently. He opened his eyes an… mored was met by darkness. It was still night and it was cold, the fire having all but burned down, the mere glimmer of light remaining in the cold ashes.
He only recognized Hjalgar because the young man was kneeling above him, though he saw enough of his face to spot the concern. With a groan, he wiped the sleep from his eyes, taking a deep breath of cold, nightly air. He was shivering, but it was not as bad as it could be, wrapped in the furs Mullendore had given him for the journey.
“What is happening?”, he mumbled, still weak from the deep, dreamless sleep. Hjalgar sighed in return. “Bullister and Vessels are gone”, he spoke. “So are most of our supplies and the letter” This was enough for Garthon to instantly snap fully awake. His eyes widened, as he looked at Hjalgar.
Slowly adjusting to the da… [view original content]
Garthon
“Garthon, wake up!”, someone hissed, as Garthon felt a hand grabbing his shoulder, shaking him impatiently. He opened his eyes an… mored was met by darkness. It was still night and it was cold, the fire having all but burned down, the mere glimmer of light remaining in the cold ashes.
He only recognized Hjalgar because the young man was kneeling above him, though he saw enough of his face to spot the concern. With a groan, he wiped the sleep from his eyes, taking a deep breath of cold, nightly air. He was shivering, but it was not as bad as it could be, wrapped in the furs Mullendore had given him for the journey.
“What is happening?”, he mumbled, still weak from the deep, dreamless sleep. Hjalgar sighed in return. “Bullister and Vessels are gone”, he spoke. “So are most of our supplies and the letter” This was enough for Garthon to instantly snap fully awake. His eyes widened, as he looked at Hjalgar.
Slowly adjusting to the da… [view original content]
[Bury Tedyn Bullister] Like Garthon himself thought here, Tedyn is just another victim of the Hoare's. So yes, he deserves a final rest, and I can't see any bad consequences coming from this either.
Ah, I was fully expecting Garthon's Book 2 storyline being in Harrenhal, but I suppose I should've seen this coming. I mean, it's clear Harren has no love for the Breaker's and we are even getting a new PoV there in form of Kyra, so the signs were there. Now I'm just curious where exactly will he go. I mean, he mentioned Dorne, but I kinda doubt that's where he'll go. We already have Ysilla there, and Alys seems to be going to Dorne as well. Then again, it would make sense for Garthon to go where Alys is going, considering he wants to avenge his brother, meaning he wants to find and kill Edward. Hm, I'll wait and see what happens.
Oh man, I was so concerned for Hjalgar during that fight with Tedyn I'm glad he survived though, I really grew to like him in Chapter 8, and he has a nice chemistry with Garthon. And finally Christian is getting some screentime as well He seems okay. Oh, and I don't hate Rell anymore, he's okay too... for now. I have feeling my hate might return when he makes it back to Harrenhal and is under the influence of Harmund again.
Garthon
“Garthon, wake up!”, someone hissed, as Garthon felt a hand grabbing his shoulder, shaking him impatiently. He opened his eyes an… mored was met by darkness. It was still night and it was cold, the fire having all but burned down, the mere glimmer of light remaining in the cold ashes.
He only recognized Hjalgar because the young man was kneeling above him, though he saw enough of his face to spot the concern. With a groan, he wiped the sleep from his eyes, taking a deep breath of cold, nightly air. He was shivering, but it was not as bad as it could be, wrapped in the furs Mullendore had given him for the journey.
“What is happening?”, he mumbled, still weak from the deep, dreamless sleep. Hjalgar sighed in return. “Bullister and Vessels are gone”, he spoke. “So are most of our supplies and the letter” This was enough for Garthon to instantly snap fully awake. His eyes widened, as he looked at Hjalgar.
Slowly adjusting to the da… [view original content]
Garthon
“Garthon, wake up!”, someone hissed, as Garthon felt a hand grabbing his shoulder, shaking him impatiently. He opened his eyes an… mored was met by darkness. It was still night and it was cold, the fire having all but burned down, the mere glimmer of light remaining in the cold ashes.
He only recognized Hjalgar because the young man was kneeling above him, though he saw enough of his face to spot the concern. With a groan, he wiped the sleep from his eyes, taking a deep breath of cold, nightly air. He was shivering, but it was not as bad as it could be, wrapped in the furs Mullendore had given him for the journey.
“What is happening?”, he mumbled, still weak from the deep, dreamless sleep. Hjalgar sighed in return. “Bullister and Vessels are gone”, he spoke. “So are most of our supplies and the letter” This was enough for Garthon to instantly snap fully awake. His eyes widened, as he looked at Hjalgar.
Slowly adjusting to the da… [view original content]
Garthon
“Garthon, wake up!”, someone hissed, as Garthon felt a hand grabbing his shoulder, shaking him impatiently. He opened his eyes an… mored was met by darkness. It was still night and it was cold, the fire having all but burned down, the mere glimmer of light remaining in the cold ashes.
He only recognized Hjalgar because the young man was kneeling above him, though he saw enough of his face to spot the concern. With a groan, he wiped the sleep from his eyes, taking a deep breath of cold, nightly air. He was shivering, but it was not as bad as it could be, wrapped in the furs Mullendore had given him for the journey.
“What is happening?”, he mumbled, still weak from the deep, dreamless sleep. Hjalgar sighed in return. “Bullister and Vessels are gone”, he spoke. “So are most of our supplies and the letter” This was enough for Garthon to instantly snap fully awake. His eyes widened, as he looked at Hjalgar.
Slowly adjusting to the da… [view original content]
Garthon
“Garthon, wake up!”, someone hissed, as Garthon felt a hand grabbing his shoulder, shaking him impatiently. He opened his eyes an… mored was met by darkness. It was still night and it was cold, the fire having all but burned down, the mere glimmer of light remaining in the cold ashes.
He only recognized Hjalgar because the young man was kneeling above him, though he saw enough of his face to spot the concern. With a groan, he wiped the sleep from his eyes, taking a deep breath of cold, nightly air. He was shivering, but it was not as bad as it could be, wrapped in the furs Mullendore had given him for the journey.
“What is happening?”, he mumbled, still weak from the deep, dreamless sleep. Hjalgar sighed in return. “Bullister and Vessels are gone”, he spoke. “So are most of our supplies and the letter” This was enough for Garthon to instantly snap fully awake. His eyes widened, as he looked at Hjalgar.
Slowly adjusting to the da… [view original content]
Garthon
“Garthon, wake up!”, someone hissed, as Garthon felt a hand grabbing his shoulder, shaking him impatiently. He opened his eyes an… mored was met by darkness. It was still night and it was cold, the fire having all but burned down, the mere glimmer of light remaining in the cold ashes.
He only recognized Hjalgar because the young man was kneeling above him, though he saw enough of his face to spot the concern. With a groan, he wiped the sleep from his eyes, taking a deep breath of cold, nightly air. He was shivering, but it was not as bad as it could be, wrapped in the furs Mullendore had given him for the journey.
“What is happening?”, he mumbled, still weak from the deep, dreamless sleep. Hjalgar sighed in return. “Bullister and Vessels are gone”, he spoke. “So are most of our supplies and the letter” This was enough for Garthon to instantly snap fully awake. His eyes widened, as he looked at Hjalgar.
Slowly adjusting to the da… [view original content]
Very interesting that their throats weren't just slit when they were asleep.
Well, Rell has little reason to do it, whereas Tedyn... a Hoare dog he might be, but he's an executioner, not a murderer. He wanted to take Garthon on in a relatively fair fight instead of butchering him like an animal in his sleep. It was his undoing, yes, but doing things in such a cowardly way, that hasn't been him.
House Vyrwel. Yuck. Hopefully Petyr isn't successfully pawning off his sisters for alliances.
Well, he arranged a betrothal between his youngest sister and Devrin Oakheart's son, likely to bind the powerful lord closer to the conspiracy. Then there is his other sister and dozens of suitable bachelors in the entire Reach. He has an unmarried brother and he is unmarried himself. Marriage alliances do play a big role in his plans, as he wishes to gain a lot of support from powerful houses.
[Leave him to rot] Birds got to eat too.
Very interesting that their throats weren't just slit when they were asleep.
But the man w… moreas unwilling to talk about his past. He was a ranger in service of Raylansfair, first to House Raylan, then to House Vyrwel that was about the extent of his knowledge about Christian Thomas. And no matter his motives, he took his task seriously.
House Vyrwel. Yuck. Hopefully Petyr isn't successfully pawning off his sisters for alliances.
Now Garthon, oh where oh where could Garthon go. Where did you come from, where did you go, where did you come from, Garthon-jo.
If we hadn't had helped Rell, he would've been dead right? Would Garthon still have won his battle without Rell's help?
Indeed, he would have been dead without Garthon's help, as he would have been killed by a guard patrol in the final stages of the battle, offscreen though. In this case, Garthon would not have won this battle. Tedyn would have been stopped by Hjalgar, who would have held him off long enough for Garthon to escape, though he would have died in the process. Tedyn would have then chased after Garthon, a bit like the Terminator, completely unfazed by any attempt to hold him off, though he would have met his maker by the end of the chapter, where Garthon would have gained unexpected help.
If Garthon had refused Mullendore's offer, what would he be doing now?
Well, in this case, Rell would have accepted the offer instead. Out of respect for the man that saved his life, he would have allowed Hjalgar to stay in Raylansfair and help Garthon ecape though, before leaving with Tedyn and Christian. In this case, Tedyn would have survived for longer, on account of believing Garthon to have died in Raylansfair, whereas Garthon would have escaped with Hjalgar's help and he would have travelled to the Riverlands. His chapter would have ended the same way it will end now.
Is Christian now supposed to fake his own death too?
Well, Rell couldn't care less. That is Garthon's problem now. He just assumes that neither Harren, nor Mullendore really care for that detail, so what happens to Christian now is not exactly clear. It will be brought up in the next Garthon part
[Bury Tedyn Bullister] Good guy Garthon is going to bury his silent buddy Tedyn, or else he wouldn't be the nice guy we all love. Plus there… more is a chance of finding cool gear on Boss Bullister. If we hadn't had helped Rell, he would've been dead right? Would Garthon still have won his battle without Rell's help? If Garthon had refused Mullendore's offer, what would he be doing now? Is Christian now supposed to fake his own death too? I have so many questions after this part.
This conspiracy is getting deeper, but once the dragons advance, nothing will escape their flames, especially not Harren.
Aye, if not for Aegon being really an unexpected factor, the conspiracy would be in a tremendously good position right now. Mullendore's schemes might not be fool proof, but they are very carefully planned regardless and would likely lead to success if not for three living, fire-breathing nukes that have landed in Westeros.
Seems like Kyra won't be able to meet Garthon in the near future, hope they meet one last time.
It indeed seems to be unlikely to happen in the near future. Kyra herself will be getting a storyline of her own in Harrenhal, whereas Garthon's next path is going to lead him into another direction. I would not rule out a meeting at a later point, but don't expect it to be anytime soon.
[Bury Tedyn Bullister] The man never asked for this, and he deserves at least one final kindness.
This conspiracy is getting deeper, but … moreonce the dragons advance, nothing will escape their flames, especially not Harren.
Seems like Kyra won't be able to meet Garthon in the near future, hope they meet one last time.
Aye, Hjalgar's father is truly not as bad as some others, neither was Garthon's, but both still suffered under them. Harren might be a contender for the worst, though you have a point that there are some Ironborn who have it even worse. Ironically, I noticed that some thing would be much different if Harren and your Harrion would have switched personalities. Harren being neglectful towards his sons wouldn't have been likely to affect Gregor as much as Harrion's abuse did. Meanwhile, Harrion might be a brutal piece of shit, but that is precisely what Harmund would have needed. Part of his monstrous attitude comes from the knowledge that he can indeed do whatever he likes. This has arguably supported and enforced his psychopathy from an early age, as he knew that the only person with enough influence to stop him is not getting involved with most of the things he does. If Harren would have actually beaten him as a child, he probably would have learned his lesson and would have grown up at least somewhat different, which in turn would have had a good effect on Harlan and Harndon.
[Leave him to rot]
“My father was a useless drunkard”, Garthon brought up. “At least yours is a respected man” Hjalgar flashed him a s… moremile. “You know, this is not a contest”, he answered. “The most horrible father, I mean. If we go by that, Harren's sons have lost by default”
Hmmm, I don't know about that Hjalgar... I have a feeling that there's at least one Ironborn who has a father as shitty as, or even maybe worse than, Harren
Ah, I was fully expecting Garthon's Book 2 storyline being in Harrenhal, but I suppose I should've seen this coming. I mean, it's clear Harren has no love for the Breaker's and we are even getting a new PoV there in form of Kyra, so the signs were there. Now I'm just curious where exactly will he go. I mean, he mentioned Dorne, but I kinda doubt that's where he'll go. We already have Ysilla there, and Alys seems to be going to Dorne as well. Then again, it would make sense for Garthon to go where Alys is going, considering he wants to avenge his brother, meaning he wants to find and kill Edward. Hm, I'll wait and see what happens.
Hehe, it is true, Kyra being a PoV in Harrenhal was sort of my hint that Garthon will not return there anytime soon. For now, he himself is not really sure where to go. He wants to find out who is responsible for Torvin's death. Anturion might be his best bet there, but he has no idea the man escaped to Dorne. For all he knew, Edward could just as well sail back to Seagard, to return to the court of Harrenhal even, albeit he knows that his base of operations is somewhere near the Stepstones. I can only confirm that his next part, or the one after that, will give you a better idea what themes he is going to deal with in Book 2
Oh man, I was so concerned for Hjalgar during that fight with Tedyn I'm glad he survived though, I really grew to like him in Chapter 8, and he has a nice chemistry with Garthon. And finally Christian is getting some screentime as well He seems okay. Oh, and I don't hate Rell anymore, he's okay too... for now. I have feeling my hate might return when he makes it back to Harrenhal and is under the influence of Harmund again.
Ah, Hjalgar's survival was directly tied with Rell's here. If Rell would have been dead by now, Hjalgar would have sacrificed himself to hold Tedyn off long enough. So, you saved that guy Rell indeed showed a slightly better side of his here, even if he is still quite a jerk and worse, with how he taunted the dying Tedyn, who is technically his ally. I guess we'll see how your opinion on him will develop in the chapters to come. Meanwhile, I believe it is finally time I show Christian again! He is definitely not going to become a major character anytime soon, but he's a plot thread I have left open for too long. Expect him to remain at least something of a presence in Garthon's storyline from now on
[Bury Tedyn Bullister] Like Garthon himself thought here, Tedyn is just another victim of the Hoare's. So yes, he deserves a final rest, and… more I can't see any bad consequences coming from this either.
Ah, I was fully expecting Garthon's Book 2 storyline being in Harrenhal, but I suppose I should've seen this coming. I mean, it's clear Harren has no love for the Breaker's and we are even getting a new PoV there in form of Kyra, so the signs were there. Now I'm just curious where exactly will he go. I mean, he mentioned Dorne, but I kinda doubt that's where he'll go. We already have Ysilla there, and Alys seems to be going to Dorne as well. Then again, it would make sense for Garthon to go where Alys is going, considering he wants to avenge his brother, meaning he wants to find and kill Edward. Hm, I'll wait and see what happens.
Oh man, I was so concerned for Hjalgar during that fight with Tedyn I'm glad he survived though, I really grew … [view original content]
I can confirm, saving him was almost definitely a good thing, if only so that he made things a lot easier for Garthon in this chapter. Things would have been a lot more bloody and dangerous if not for him killing Tedyn so quickly. Maybe there have been downsides to this as well, but at least for now, there have only been positive effects that came from saving him.
[Bury Tedyn Bullister]
Ah yes, and my favorite Ironbro is back!! Rell really came through for us in this part, guess it's definitely a good thing we saved him last book.
Garthon
“Garthon, wake up!”, someone hissed, as Garthon felt a hand grabbing his shoulder, shaking him impatiently. He opened his eyes an… mored was met by darkness. It was still night and it was cold, the fire having all but burned down, the mere glimmer of light remaining in the cold ashes.
He only recognized Hjalgar because the young man was kneeling above him, though he saw enough of his face to spot the concern. With a groan, he wiped the sleep from his eyes, taking a deep breath of cold, nightly air. He was shivering, but it was not as bad as it could be, wrapped in the furs Mullendore had given him for the journey.
“What is happening?”, he mumbled, still weak from the deep, dreamless sleep. Hjalgar sighed in return. “Bullister and Vessels are gone”, he spoke. “So are most of our supplies and the letter” This was enough for Garthon to instantly snap fully awake. His eyes widened, as he looked at Hjalgar.
Slowly adjusting to the da… [view original content]
I'm back (from my holidays)!!!! And it seems that during my absence we had some interesting parts!
RT:
It was funny read in the Richard part the situation inside his farm and his guests (btw Alan is very suspicious)
Congratulations to the Sand girl to be the new real PoV of the second book and the first Dorne PoV!I'm curious to read what will happen in her storyline (btw the Darude Sandstorm members are terrorists)
In the first Garthon part of this Book I must give instead my congratulations to Tedyn!He is the first character created by an user killed during this book!
While I agree of the fact that Tedyn try to kill Garthon I'm surprised that he wait two months before try the deed.
It seems right for me say that even if Rell save Garthon he is very far to be a nice guy or a friend,he is still the vicious rapist friend of Harmund and how he kill the executioner show it.
Now that I think about it if Harren will see Rell in a good light after he receive the letter there is a high chance that his father will betray the Greyjoy
Will we ever see Hjalgar father?
I'm curious to see what you have in mind for the Garthon storyline
If I must be honest I found weird that the ranger work with 0% problems with people of the same country that attack his city;btw I'm curious to see what do you plan for him now that his work is "over"
No choice from me today,I will wait the first Jaron part for that
Garthon
“Garthon, wake up!”, someone hissed, as Garthon felt a hand grabbing his shoulder, shaking him impatiently. He opened his eyes an… mored was met by darkness. It was still night and it was cold, the fire having all but burned down, the mere glimmer of light remaining in the cold ashes.
He only recognized Hjalgar because the young man was kneeling above him, though he saw enough of his face to spot the concern. With a groan, he wiped the sleep from his eyes, taking a deep breath of cold, nightly air. He was shivering, but it was not as bad as it could be, wrapped in the furs Mullendore had given him for the journey.
“What is happening?”, he mumbled, still weak from the deep, dreamless sleep. Hjalgar sighed in return. “Bullister and Vessels are gone”, he spoke. “So are most of our supplies and the letter” This was enough for Garthon to instantly snap fully awake. His eyes widened, as he looked at Hjalgar.
Slowly adjusting to the da… [view original content]
I'm back (from my holidays)!!!! And it seems that during my absence we had some interesting parts!
Ah, welcome back! Glad you've returned well, I hope your holidays have been fun
It was funny read in the Richard part the situation inside his farm and his guests (btw Alan is very suspicious)
Funny, yeah... I guess that is the last thing Richard, Leonard and Kersea think right now But it should be a very interesting situation, as more guests will arrive, even if they are of a more temporary nature. Alan meanwhile, well, he has some stuff of his own going on right now, but we'll get an update on him as well in due time.
Congratulations to the Sand girl to be the new real PoV of the second book and the first Dorne PoV!I'm curious to read what will happen in her storyline (btw the Darude Sandstorm members are terrorists)
And congratulations are in order, because she actually won me over at the last possible moment, during the Dorne Interlude. That happens rarely, but her storyline should be a nice one. She can, without any problem, fit into the storyline of the previous Dorne PoV, though she'll actually add something to it, which has also been my reason to move her storyline into Chapter 1. An additional moment in her storyline warrants an additional chapter. And well, like every terrorist organization, the Sandstorm considers themselves as freedom fighters, be assured of that
In the first Garthon part of this Book I must give instead my congratulations to Tedyn!He is the first character created by an user killed during this book!
Splending, a great honour! I have spoken to Tedyn and he is thrilled to be Book 2's first casualty outside of the prologue. Or at least, he is thrilled now that I told him who is going to join him soon. I have made a count and out of the introduced characters alone, Book 2 will already hold a more severe harvest than Book 1. That does not even begin to include the one-book wonders, characters that are yet to be introduced but who won't make it out of Book 2 either.
While I agree of the fact that Tedyn try to kill Garthon I'm surprised that he wait two months before try the deed.
Well, we're never going to know for sure, on account of him not being the most talkative guy. However, it seems that he himself has been a bit conflicted about this. Though tortured into submission by Harren, he remained from a family whose most notable deed was defiance of the king's orders. Maybe a little bit of this remained. Or maybe he was just trying to wait for the right moment, when Garthon would trust him and Rell enough to let them stand guard on their own, so that he could lure them into a trap.
It seems right for me say that even if Rell save Garthon he is very far to be a nice guy or a friend,he is still the vicious rapist friend of Harmund and how he kill the executioner show it.
Yes, yes, this must not be forgotten. Rell is not all of a sudden one of the good guys and I doubt he fully redeemed himself. He is still the guy who assisted Harmund in countless unspeakable acts. That be said, this has shown a more respectable side of his, the fact that he is capable of gratitude, that he wishes to repay those that were good to him. Just like Tedyn, Rell is a bit a product of his surroundings and though far from anything good, he is also not completely evil.
Now that I think about it if Harren will see Rell in a good light after he receive the letter there is a high chance that his father will betray the Greyjoy
Hm, this is not unthinkable. Simon's anger at Harren Hoare came from Rell being put in danger. Now that he might have a shot at returing to the court, Simon might choose a different path for himself and his son. However, Damon Greyjoy is surely going to come to the same conclusion, so who knows how he will protect his own interests in the things to come.
Will we ever see Hjalgar father?
Maybe, eh. I won't outright say no, but I can confirm that I have no plans to do so at the moment. His father is a respected raider though and unlike Garthon's father, he is still alive, so I would say it is not impossible.
I'm curious to see what you have in mind for the Garthon storyline
Well, at least no return to Harrenhal anytime soon. I do believe it should be interesting though, so look forward for some big stuff. The next part should likely give you a better idea of the direction I wish to take his storyline into.
If I must be honest I found weird that the ranger work with 0% problems with people of the same country that attack his city;btw I'm curious to see what do you plan for him now that his work is "over"
Christian is sworn to Raylansfair, so he is technically following his lord's order. If this means that he is happy about it has not been clarified yet. However, he has been chosen by Mullendore himself, so there might be a good reason for it and who knows what he has been told. I hope to make him more of a character this time though, one who actually does memorable things instead of never appearing.
No choice from me today,I will wait the first Jaron part for that
Alright, that's fine! Voting will be closed tomorrow, so I hope to put the part out by then as well
I'm back (from my holidays)!!!! And it seems that during my absence we had some interesting parts!
RT:
* It was funny read in the Ri… morechard part the situation inside his farm and his guests (btw Alan is very suspicious)
* Congratulations to the Sand girl to be the new real PoV of the second book and the first Dorne PoV!I'm curious to read what will happen in her storyline (btw the Darude Sandstorm members are terrorists)
* In the first Garthon part of this Book I must give instead my congratulations to Tedyn!He is the first character created by an user killed during this book!
* While I agree of the fact that Tedyn try to kill Garthon I'm surprised that he wait two months before try the deed.
* It seems right for me say that even if Rell save Garthon he is very far to be a nice guy or a friend,he is still the vicious rapist friend of Harmund and how he kill the executioner show it.
* Now that I think about it if Harren will see Rel… [view original content]
An expected choice and the one that got a notable majority, even if not quite the majority I thought Tedyn has the questionable honour of being the first recurring character to die in Book 2, but I am afraid he will not remain alone for long. War is here at last and while I am not quite one to butcher characters left and right, I am afraid there will be some occasions where it is inevitable. As for Garthon, this choice was a personal one. Is he able to forgive a man that tried to kill him, is he able to give him a dignified rest? You decided in favour of this, so that' what he'll do.
Now, I was not sure if I should close the voting today, on account of not being sure if I would be able to finish the part today. I am still not, but reasons beyond that have given me hope that I'll do. Thing is, I was not home for most of today, visiting my mother at the rehab centre today. And let me tell you, the road there is a nightmare. German efficiency at its finest, in the most poorly planned, road-work infested backwater highway to have ever been constructed by mankind. As a result, I barely got anything done today and spent at least four hours driving. But well, I hope that'll change in the hours to come. If not, tomorrow is another day This next part will mark the beginning of Jaron's Book 2 storyline. I don't want to say too much about it aside from a few things. He is still in Oldtown, two months have passed since Chapter 9 and as you might imagine, he's not exactly in a happy position right now.
Now, coming to the occasion I wanted to deal with today! It has originally been planned to be my second anniversary gift to you, but well, I've never been good at sticking to certain deadlines. Months ago, I announced it and boy, have I been premature. I am, of course, talking about the Tv Tropes page. One thing I severely underestimated is that finding and detailing an acceptable number of tropes for three hundred characters (and a few that have only been mentioned) is literally what hell is made of for a clinical perfectionist such as yours truly. The characters sub-page had to be cut into over a dozen sub-sub-pages, sometimes including several dozen characters themselves. I even had the idea of coming up with custom house words for those that have none mentioned in the canon and even though I never thought I could do that, I actually think I found rather fitting ones. But the result is something I am quite proud of. Massively so, to say the least. The tropes page has been a work of love and effort and I am incredibly happy to finally present it to you. Of course, it has to be said, I had some help in form of edinosaur23, who included some great additions for a couple of the character tropes, so many thanks to him as well! Now, does that mean the tropes page is done? Not quite, I am afraid, but it is done enough that I feel confident in sharing it with you. No doubt some of you have seen it already, but well, nothing I can do about that What is still missing is a recap subpage. Having quite a strong aversion to writing recaps, even if they are fun, informal, tropey recaps, I have shied away from that so far, even if it is arguably one of the most important features of the page. Then, another thing I will work on, is including FoT in examples for certain tropes, to make it more widely known on Tv Tropes itself. But neither is important for you to enjoy it. And I hope you do indeed enjoy it. What I need now is people who read it. It might be that some sentences cut off in the middle, when I moved on to the next trope while writing and forgot about it, or that you feel that there's a trope missing that you'd like to see included. In that case, well, it's an open project, you can all edit it as it pleases you, considering you have a Tv Tropes account. I will continue to work on it as well, to keep it up-to-date with the things still about to happen, adding characters and tropes whenever necessary. So then, let me know what you think
I have to admit, I had no clue what Tv Tropes were when you first announced it and kinda thought it was something like a alternative wiki. Looking at it now and I see how it is so much more. This is super cool seeing all these tropes, and there are so many! Great job! This thing is really awesome!
The Voting is closed!
Garthon is going to bury Tedyn Bullister
An expected choice and the one that got a notable majority, even if not… more quite the majority I thought Tedyn has the questionable honour of being the first recurring character to die in Book 2, but I am afraid he will not remain alone for long. War is here at last and while I am not quite one to butcher characters left and right, I am afraid there will be some occasions where it is inevitable. As for Garthon, this choice was a personal one. Is he able to forgive a man that tried to kill him, is he able to give him a dignified rest? You decided in favour of this, so that' what he'll do.
Now, I was not sure if I should close the voting today, on account of not being sure if I would be able to finish the part today. I am still not, but reasons beyond that have given me hope that I'll do. Thing is, I was not home for most of today, visiting my mother at the rehab centre today.… [view original content]
I don't in any way want to steal Liquid's thunder in announcing the Tv Tropes page for FoT, so before I continue I'll just say, remember to check Liquid's post above this if you haven't yet!
With that out of the way, I just wanted to say I have a new, very interesting, set of character illustrations for you! This time it's the rulers of Westeros, particularly the five who I haven't drawn already. And then as a bonus, I have a portrait of the man opposing all these leaders, Aegon Targaryen himself. Anyway, here they are:
Whoa, you did it again XD One day for five amazing drawings. And this time, I even have to say, this has to be my favourite set so far. I really have no idea how you have managed to draw five characters who are so wonderfully distinctive in a single day. Less than a day actually! One thing I always love about your drawings is the attire, so having five rulers here was heaven for me, because there's no one wearing more unique attire than them. And surely, this has been amazing to see, each of them with their own, unique style. Let's start with Mern, perhaps the most classical king of them all. I like his crown the most, that is probably the most lavish crown in Westeros at the time. But not only that, his clothes in general look gorgeous! I think he has the best clothes you have ever drawn, a unique style and very well-done. He'd even by my favourite, if the rest wouldn't be so great as well Loren, that guy, he's incredible in his own right. The least physically remarkable king, you nonetheless gave him something unique and while I already thought so from my mental image, it is nice to see that this sort of roman look I was going for when describing his crown actually works without looking bad. The opposite, it makes him a hot contender for my favourite drawing of this set! Next we got Sharra, who has the least remarkable costume. That is something I consider very fitting. I mean, we're talking rulers here and she's not the ruler, she's the regent. It makes sense for her to have a more common, modest dress though. Instead, she convinces through looks alone, because her's is a gorgeous drawing! Less gorgeous, more badass is Torrhen, dakingindanorf. You see, when I gave you the description, the white wolf fur was something I came up with randomly, thinking it might look cool. I had no idea, because you made his fur cloak the most badass piece of clothing out of the entire drawings you made. I told you before, one thing I love about Brandon is how similar he looks to a Stark, something that is remarkable because you had no idea of his true lineage back then. And with Torrhen, I believe these similarities are very clear, though I must say, I prefer Torrhen's drawing. He's my favourite of this set for sure! Finally, Meria. She's, well someone whom I guess has been quite a challenge, being such an ancient character. She does not shine physically, but that is perfect for her. A very fitting drawing, I love your interpretation of the Yellow Toad of Dorne. I also see, you took my suggestion with the crown
Then, standing by itself as always, the portrait. I wonder, have you done that on this day as well? Because that'd be insanely fast This was a nice surprise and a very fitting addition to this set of kings (and queen regents and ruling princesses)! Your earlier drawing of Aegon has already been a special favourite of mine, but this portrait manages to make things even better. Aegon the Conqueror is perhaps the one character I put myself under the most pressure of actually bringing to live, considering that I believe him to be the one you have the highest expectations for. Your portrait managed something I am not sure if I did it already, because you perfectly encaptured him there. That is Aegon the First and that makes me so damn hyped to write future scenes for him!
On another note, I am afraid I won't manage to release the part today But it should be out earlier tomorrow
I don't in any way want to steal Liquid's thunder in announcing the Tv Tropes page for FoT, so before I continue I'll just say, remember to … morecheck Liquid's post above this if you haven't yet!
With that out of the way, I just wanted to say I have a new, very interesting, set of character illustrations for you! This time it's the rulers of Westeros, particularly the five who I haven't drawn already. And then as a bonus, I have a portrait of the man opposing all these leaders, Aegon Targaryen himself. Anyway, here they are:
So, there they are, hope you like 'em!
Oh yes, it is indeed more than a wiki, even if I consider a wiki to still be the best description for it. It should suit a similar purpose until I finally manage to work more on the wiki. And given that I now have the tropes page out of the way, expect some real progress on that from now on But the tropes page stands on its own, I'm proud and happy you enjoy it so far! I'll probably have nightmares of the character tropes for a while to come, but I think it has been worth the effort, considering that it has also been sort of fun
I have to admit, I had no clue what Tv Tropes were when you first announced it and kinda thought it was something like a alternative wiki. L… moreooking at it now and I see how it is so much more. This is super cool seeing all these tropes, and there are so many! Great job! This thing is really awesome!
I don't in any way want to steal Liquid's thunder in announcing the Tv Tropes page for FoT, so before I continue I'll just say, remember to … morecheck Liquid's post above this if you haven't yet!
With that out of the way, I just wanted to say I have a new, very interesting, set of character illustrations for you! This time it's the rulers of Westeros, particularly the five who I haven't drawn already. And then as a bonus, I have a portrait of the man opposing all these leaders, Aegon Targaryen himself. Anyway, here they are:
So, there they are, hope you like 'em!
I don't in any way want to steal Liquid's thunder in announcing the Tv Tropes page for FoT, so before I continue I'll just say, remember to … morecheck Liquid's post above this if you haven't yet!
With that out of the way, I just wanted to say I have a new, very interesting, set of character illustrations for you! This time it's the rulers of Westeros, particularly the five who I haven't drawn already. And then as a bonus, I have a portrait of the man opposing all these leaders, Aegon Targaryen himself. Anyway, here they are:
So, there they are, hope you like 'em!
Hehe, these FoT illustrations have become such a rare treat that whenever I get new descriptions I just burn through them in a day And of course, at this point I have so much experience with this style that it's easier and thus faster to make these drawings. Anyway, I'm glad youre enjoying these. And I have to agree, getting to draw rulers gave me the opportunity to draw some great attires, which only made me more hyped for this set It's always nice to draw FoT characters, but this (and the earlier Targ set) was admittedly a nice change of pace from the more simple attires. Mern especially has such a fabulous attire And I always love to draw fur cloaks, so Torrhen was definitely a treat. Meria on the other hand was one I was a bit nervous about beforehand, since outright hideous characters is something I have done less with this style, or any style really. I'm satisfied with the outcome though, and I'm glad to hear you are too
What comes to Aegon's portrait, nah, didn't make that one in a day I've been working on it a while now, but I did make the finishing touches on it yesterday. I understand the pressure you have for bringing him to life in the story, as I had a little taste of it doing this portrait, trying to encapture his character in a drawn form. Happy to hear you think I succeeded in that, and hyped to see more of him in the story
Whoa, you did it again XD One day for five amazing drawings. And this time, I even have to say, this has to be my favourite set so far. I re… moreally have no idea how you have managed to draw five characters who are so wonderfully distinctive in a single day. Less than a day actually! One thing I always love about your drawings is the attire, so having five rulers here was heaven for me, because there's no one wearing more unique attire than them. And surely, this has been amazing to see, each of them with their own, unique style. Let's start with Mern, perhaps the most classical king of them all. I like his crown the most, that is probably the most lavish crown in Westeros at the time. But not only that, his clothes in general look gorgeous! I think he has the best clothes you have ever drawn, a unique style and very well-done. He'd even by my favourite, if the rest wouldn't be so great as well Loren, that guy, he's incredible in his own right. … [view original content]
The Voting is closed!
Garthon is going to bury Tedyn Bullister
An expected choice and the one that got a notable majority, even if not… more quite the majority I thought Tedyn has the questionable honour of being the first recurring character to die in Book 2, but I am afraid he will not remain alone for long. War is here at last and while I am not quite one to butcher characters left and right, I am afraid there will be some occasions where it is inevitable. As for Garthon, this choice was a personal one. Is he able to forgive a man that tried to kill him, is he able to give him a dignified rest? You decided in favour of this, so that' what he'll do.
Now, I was not sure if I should close the voting today, on account of not being sure if I would be able to finish the part today. I am still not, but reasons beyond that have given me hope that I'll do. Thing is, I was not home for most of today, visiting my mother at the rehab centre today.… [view original content]
I like how you made an effort to include the colors of the houses in the outfits. Made it feel more real. Also, love the eyes on Aegon. Very nicely done.
I don't in any way want to steal Liquid's thunder in announcing the Tv Tropes page for FoT, so before I continue I'll just say, remember to … morecheck Liquid's post above this if you haven't yet!
With that out of the way, I just wanted to say I have a new, very interesting, set of character illustrations for you! This time it's the rulers of Westeros, particularly the five who I haven't drawn already. And then as a bonus, I have a portrait of the man opposing all these leaders, Aegon Targaryen himself. Anyway, here they are:
So, there they are, hope you like 'em!
Just in time, Jaron managed to push his arms up, blocking the punch, though the force behind it was still tremendous. Pain flared up in his forearms and he cursed himself for taking on an opponent such as the one he faced right now. Perhaps twice his size, the man was a mountain of meat, with thick arms, dealing furious strikes. He was a bald, tanned man, his Common Tongue broken, likely from the Free Cities, perhaps even from Volantis.
Both had drunken. Jaron a bit, the other man a lot. Yet after a few blows, his head hurt as much as a whole night worth of cheap booze did. He was bleeding, but it kept his spirits up that the other man did as well. The brute was taller and stronger, but he was faster and perhaps there was a chance for him to come out on top. And the crowd was cheering. For whom, he did not know. Perhaps only for blood.
This time, he dodged the punch, jumping around the burly man with swift movements. What seemed easy has been just one of several brutal lessons he learned in the last weeks. Just the thought of this time filled him with rage, caused him to let out a ferocious roar as he threw a punch at his opponent, hitting the man in the ribs.
A mere groan was all the reaction he got and to Jaron's surprise, he immediately retaliated. He dodged the man's first punch, though was too slow to evade the second one, as the other hand grabbed him by the throat. For a moment, Jaron's eyes widened, as he tried to break free, showering his opponent's outstretched arm with punches.
The man merely glared at him for a moment, triumphantly, and everything around them faded, the cheers of the crowd, the smells of blood, beer and sweat, the dim light of the torches that illuminated the small inn at the docks of Oldtown. Then, his closed fist hit Jaron in the stomach, pressing the air out of his lungs.
Letting go of the hedge knight, he gave him a moment to recover, knowing he'd win. By now, the thoughts were racing through Jaron's mind, but most importantly was the pain in his belly, where the fist hit him. The gold he bet on this fight... Seven, the gold. If he would have won, he could have finally left the city, could have finally followed her...
But he didn't. Still dizzy from the punch, he tried to block another, his fist easily pushed aside, as the man landed a hit on his forehead. It was the sort of punch that would have knocked him out not too long ago, but in the last few weeks, he had taken enough of them to remain at least conscious, even if his legs gave in beneath him.
It was not enough for his opponent to see him down. The man continued with a savage kick to the ribs, causing Jaron to groan in pain, as he was hurled to the side. The crowd, frenzied with the promise of blood, cheered on the massive man, as he knelt down. There was a wicked grin on his face. “Sorry, lad”, he growled. “Ain't nothing personal” He shrugged, as Jaron opened his mouth to plea. “I'll try to leave you alive”, he said, before delivering a punch into the knight's face.
This time, everything became a blur, as Jaron's head was pushed back onto the wooden floor. He gasped, as his vision flickered, seeing the man raising his arm again, while the crowd called for his blood, for more of his blood...
“Enough!”, a voice cut through their cheers. “He has enough!” Jaron's opponent glared to the side, at the one who called, though Jaron himself was too stunned to move his head. As such, he merely heard the sound of steel being drawn, the tip of a sword appearing in his field of view. “I said he has enough”, the voice growled again and this time, Jaron recognized the man who spoke.
With a sigh, the large man rose from the ground. “Fine”, he spat. “I win” He turned around, not giving Jaron another look, as he pushed through the crowd to get his prize, his own purse and Jaron's. The rest of the crowd remained a little longer, before they decided it wouldn't be worth getting into any more trouble, which led to them subsequently dispersing.
Finally, Jaron got a good look at his saviour and despite the pain and excruciating headache, he managed a sad smile, as Ayden Blackwell looked down at him. The sellsword however gave him a grim glare, slightly shaking his head, as he reached down. “Get up”, he ordered, though he helped him.
The two men made their way through the taproom and Jaron threw a disgruntled look at the coin his opponent was now counting. It was a lot. He had lost quite a sum, but the reward would have been worth the risk. But now...
With a sigh, Ayden sat down at a free table in the corner, pointing at the bench on the other side of it and Jaron gladly took the opportunity to rest, leaning his head against the wooden wall behind him. It was still thumping with pain, but he noticed the curious look Ayden gave him.
“What?”, he growled, raising an eyebrow. Ayden crossed his arms, being silent at first, before he finally spoke. “What are you doing here, my friend?”, he asked. “Getting into a bar brawl? Ain't that a bit below your status, Ser?”
Jaron gulped, not smiling. He shook his head. “It wasn't a brawl”, he said. “I bet money. He bet money. We fought. Winner takes all” To this, Ayden raised an eyebrow. “Some sort of a fighting pit then?”, he stated. “Jaron, you're risking more than just your honour here. That guy nearly killed you. Your arm might be fine again, but what happens if you get wounded or worse?”
They were interrupted by one of the barmaids, delivering a bottle to the table. Ayden grinned at her, reaching into his pocket so give her a copper coin. Briefly, she glanced at Jaron, bloody and bruised, before winking at Ayden and leaving the table again. “Nice establishment you got here”, the sellsword spoke, in a mocking tone.
Jaron did not reply, at least not to this. Instead, he sighed. “I know it's a risk”, he said. “But what else can I do? I need the coin if I want to get a passage to Lys” Ayden gave him a nod. “They do cost a pretty penny these days”, he agreed. “Especially for the likes of us. But what are you going to do then? They won't be in Lys, not anymore. The same game again until you reach Volantis?”
“Until I reach Yunkai”, Jaron growled. “Until I put my steel into that slaving fuck's throat!” His voice had gotten louder at these last words and he forced himself to take a deep breath, which only strengthened the pain in his head. Ayden looked at him, his eyes showing concern.
“You don't look good, my friend”, he said. “Haven't slept in a while, huh?” Jaron gave him a weary look. He reached for the bottle, but the sellsword was quick to grab it, pulling it closer to himself. Jaron clenched his hand to a fist and sighed, half in pain, half in sorrow. “Can you blame me?”, he asked. “It's been two months and... nothing. She's gone. Taken and I can't do anything to help her. How would you react if they would have taken Taria from you?”
To this, Ayden was silent at first. His lips tightened. “I hope it'll never come to that”, he admitted. “Because I don't know. Cut down the whole world, men and god until they return her to me” He sighed. “I understand you, I really do. But you're not helping anyone right now, not Harpy and certainly not yourself. You need a plan”
“I have a plan”, Jaron claimed, though it was not entirely true and he knew it. “I need coin, to pay a smuggler to Lys, or maybe directly to Volantis if I'm lucky. From there, I'll join a caravan to Yunkai and there I will find Abbas” His eyes narrowed, as an anger that still frightened him found its way into his thoughts. “He will tell me what happened to her. If she's still alive, he'll help me free her, or I'm going to kill him. If... if not, I'll make him pay”
“Like she did?”, Ayden asked, a cutting question that caused Jaron to flinch. “My own way”, he said, in a defeated tone. “I don't want vengeance. I am tired of this, Ayden. Violence breeding violence, claiming everything any of us ever loved until there's nothing left but hatred, misery and death”
His eyes narrowed. “Harpy is out there somewhere. Finding her, saving her, that is all I want”, he said and the thought of her, it caused him an uncomfortable mixture of emotions. He loved her, but it was this love that made her absence all the worse. What was left was loss, sorrow, but also anger. Abbas and Bakr... he had trusted them and this was how they repaid him.
“If you need the coin, why don't you sell your sword?”, Ayden asked. “Or the armour. You still got it, right? Could give you what you need” Jaron instantly shook his head. “What good is a knight without his armour?”, he asked. “It's been a gift and I still need it. It'll be a dangerous journey”
Ayden gave him a nod. “Undoubtedly”, he agreed. “And you haven't even started it so far” Jaron looked up, as a sudden thought flashed through his mind. “Why have you come?”, he asked. “This ain't your corner. Just a coincidence?” Ayden raised an eyebrow. “You got lucky, you know”, he replied. “I was not going to come here. That guy would have beaten you half dead then”
He leant forwards, lowering his voice and Jaron realized that something had happened, some development in a case that went stale weeks ago. His heart began to beat feaster, as he came closer, to listen to Ayden's sentence. “I had to seek you out. That wasn't too hard, luckily, so if we hurry, we might still get them”, the sellsword said. “I did what you asked me for”
Ayden had trouble actually keeping up with Jaron, who nearly ran through the streets. He was armed, but unarmoured, merely having the time to grab his sword. They had wasted enough time already and after what Ayden just told him, this was big. Possibly a game changer for him. Maybe even a chance to catch up to Abbas and Bakr.
“It was a coincidence”, Ayden said, as both rushed through the streets, approaching the finer parts of the city. “I didn't want to keep an eye on it anymore. Have wasted a lot of time doing that, but I did it for you and for Harpy” He smiled thinly. “Also because Taria asked me to and she can be quite persuasive”
“I'm glad you did it”, Jaron said, allowing himself to feel a ray of hope. “Thank you” Ayden shrugged. “Eh, you're welcome”, he replied. “But you should know what you're heading into. These two looked business. Dangerous men, killers”
“Solvers?”, Jaron asked and Ayden shook his head. “Leftovers at best”, he replied. “The worst left with the Alley Cats. The rest found new work, for the dozens that fight for control over Oldtown now” His tone was serious as he spoke. “Don't underestimate these people. There are only two of them, but you're alone and if I were you, I wouldn't pick a fight with either”
“You don't come with me?”, Jaron asked and Ayden shook his head. “Don't ask me”, he pleaded. “I won't put myself in danger anymore, not so close to Taria giving birth” Jaron smiled, though the thought of a happy family caused a new sting to flash through his chest. “That child is changing you”, he replied and Ayden gave him a nod. “For the better though”, he confirmed.
With these, they stopped in front of the building. The Burned Man's mansion was still empty, no lord trying to buy it, no one even trying to loot it, a final gesture of respect for a man who actually cared for those that had no other. Not that there was much left to loot. Those that deserved it, the children of Oldtown, the Burned Man's surviving followers, even Erik Inchfield, they had been paid in full. Jaron had watched over this, had paid them and while it would have been easy, taking the Burned Man's gold to pay for his own cause, that wasn't him. A knight was no thief, no matter how low he had sunken in the past months.
“How long has it been that they went in there?”, he asked, spotting the sign of a torch, someone illuminating a room in the mansion. He knew the outline of the building, knew it had to be the Burned Man's office, one of the few rooms that still held valuables.
“Two hours, give or take”, Ayden said. “Are you sure you want to go in there? We could call for the city guard” Jaron narrowed his eyes. “No guard”, he growled. “Those corrupt bastards are the last I need right now” Ayden shook his head. “The new commander is more capable than the old one”, he said. “A bastard like you”
“I've met him”, Jaron replied. “We didn't get along. Doubt he'd be happy to see me” He looked at the sellsword, perhaps the closest he still had for a friend in these days. Ayden was not Martin though and as close as they had grown, there was an air of professionalism between them still. “Thank you. Please wait for me” Ayden gave him a nod. “I'll stay right here”, he promised.
And so, he went into the mansion. It was dark inside, darker than on the outside where the setting sun was still bathing Oldtown in a red light. Jaron had a hand on his sword, though he wasn't going to draw it. After all, he could not be sure who would be in there. But they were the first in two months who entered the mansion without his knowing, ever since Harpy was taken. He doubted Abbas and Bakr came back, but there had to be a reason for two men entering the mansion now. And in a city where everything was connected, he doubted this would not have anything to do with this all.
“You got anything?”, a deep voice growled. “Nope”, a second one spoke, audibly moving through some documents. “There's so much shit here. That guy wrote down everything. Who cares for trade deals with some Tyroshi fuck?”
“That cripple”, the first voice replied. “Well, you gotta hurry. I don't want to be here when the sun sets. I don't trust that place and I don't like it” Jaron got closer to the voices, who in turn got louder the more he approached their position. They left the door open and their careless talk was echoing through the building, drowning out any noise Jaron was afraid of making.
He slowly approached the door, carefully staying in the shadows, while watching the light of a torch. He saw the man holding it from behind, a tall, broad-shouldered guy with short, brown hair. He was wearing dark clothes, a mere vest covering his chest, exposing scarred arms. A bastard sword was leaning against the table next to him as he studied a couple of papers, his back turned on Jaron.
The knight tensed up, as he did not manage to spot the other man. Slowly, he moved closer, trying to get a better glance into the room before deciding on a course of action. Were these men mere looters? Surely the respect the underworld of Oldtown had for the Burned Man would eventually fade, especially with how rapidly the city was changing.
All of a sudden, as Jaron was almost able to glance through the doorway, a man, clad in dark armour, jumped into his field of view, grabbing him by the throat and pushing him back into the hallway before he was able to draw his sword. A second later, he was thankful he drew no steel of his own, as he noticed the dagger in the man's hand, pressed on his throat.
“Who are you?”, the stranger growled. He was only marginally shorter than the other man, with tanned skin and short hair of a darker colour. A short beard stubble covered his face, a handsome face, though one eye was missing, crude scar tissue disfiguring the spot where it used to be. The other eye was green and piercing, filled with rage. “Who the fuck are you?”
The dagger nearly pierced Jaron's throat, who did not dare to draw his sword in return. Just one tiny movement from this obviously angry man and he'd be dead. One tiny mistake. The other man turned around, notably calmer. He was fair-skinned, a bit older than the other man and also missing an eye. In his case, a dark eye patch was covering it. His upper lip was adorned by an impressive moustache.
“Easy, Tem”, he advised his companion. “We don't want things to get ugly just yet” His single eye glanced at Jaron's hand, still clenched around the hilt of his sword, before he looked at the young knight, who was uncomfortably in the other man's grasp. “I suppose you're not going to draw that?”, he asked.
Jaron gulped, which brought his flesh even closer to the knife. “Depends”, he managed to utter. “Are you going to kill me?” The man chuckled deeply, before he shrugged. “Depends”, he replied in kind. “We're no looters. What we're looking for holds value only to me and him. It's information. Do you belong to the Burned Man's organization?”
He gave his companion a nod and finally, the angry man removed the dagger from his neck. The first thing Jaron did was taking a deep, thankful breath, as momentary relief filled him. He let go of the hilt of his sword, which seemed like a good decision right now. “The Burned Man is dead”, he spoke.
To this, the man with the eyepatch gave him a nod. “Aye, so we've heard”, he growled. “But his men remain in the city, so I'm going to ask you again, are you part of them?” Jaron hesitated with his answer. They did not seem to be city guard material, but the angry one, he could be a textbook Solver with a temper like that. Being greeted like this, a dagger to his throat, it left a sour taste in him and he could not contain an angry glare at the man who nearly killed him. Still, he decided that honesty would be the best policy for the time being and he gave the other one a nod.
A grin appeared on the man's face, as he pointed into the office. “Splendid”, he snarled. “Take a seat then, I have a question for you” He himself walked around the desk, placing himself in the Burned Man's strong, oaken chair, his feet resting on the table itself. Jaron frowned at this, though remained silent. He took seat in front of the table, noticing the other man blocking the door behind him.
“My name is John Gutten”, the man with the eyepatch introduced himself. “My friend is Temari Keys” He gave Jaron a long look, until Jaron realized that this was his time for introductions. “Jaron”, he said briefly. “Ser Jaron... the Bastard”
Temari behind him chuckled, though John merely nodded. “A bastard knight”, he stated. “Not what I expected, but I'll take it. Knew a bastard knight in your age once and he was the finest man I've ever known” He crossed his arms. “We're searching for two men who have last been seen working for your former boss”, he spoke. “They are Ghiscari, the scum of Slaver's Bay”
Now, Jaron's eyes widened, his heart beginning to beat faster. “Abbas and Bakr”, he spat and John raised an eyebrow over his eyepatch. “You know them?”, he replied and Jaron gave him a quick nod. “Why are you looking for them?”, he asked, his fists clenched.
John exchanged a look with Temari, before he answered. “They took two women”, he spoke and Jaron recognized the anger in his voice. “Janae, my... friend. A sister might put it a bit better. And Tem's sister by blood, Behara” He looked around the room. “We hoped the Burned Man could give us answers, or at least his remaining supporters”, he spoke. “And here you are... from your tone, I take you have a quarrel of your own with them, huh?”
Jaron gulped, his breaths coming faster. “They took the woman I love”, he answered and John narrowed his eyes. Behind him, Temari took a sharp breath. “Bastards...”, he muttered. Finally, John smiled, sympathetically even. “And you know where to find them?”, he asked.
To this, Jaron gave him a nod. “I have an idea”, he confirmed. “But it won't be easy getting there” John's smile turned into a happy grin. “Fucking finally...”, he mumbled and rose from his chair. “Ser, it appears we have a common enemy and a common goal” Briefly glancing at Temari, he continued. “I am sorry for... that. Not the best way of getting introduced to a possible ally. I will hear more of your story, but I'd first like to ask forgiveness”, he said and extended his hand. “So, what do you say... Bygones?”
Well, now you can see where my free time went to in the last months I have tried to make it as large and content-filled as possible and will likely only expand it as the story grows larger. It actually grew quite a bit in the last months, as I finished the tropes for the independent characters and did some work on the newly added Dorne section. Anyways, I am very glad you like it!
Jaron
Just in time, Jaron managed to push his arms up, blocking the punch, though the force behind it was still tremendous. Pain flared u… morep in his forearms and he cursed himself for taking on an opponent such as the one he faced right now. Perhaps twice his size, the man was a mountain of meat, with thick arms, dealing furious strikes. He was a bald, tanned man, his Common Tongue broken, likely from the Free Cities, perhaps even from Volantis.
Both had drunken. Jaron a bit, the other man a lot. Yet after a few blows, his head hurt as much as a whole night worth of cheap booze did. He was bleeding, but it kept his spirits up that the other man did as well. The brute was taller and stronger, but he was faster and perhaps there was a chance for him to come out on top. And the crowd was cheering. For whom, he did not know. Perhaps only for blood.
This time, he dodged the punch, jumping around the burly man with swift movements. What seeme… [view original content]
Drinking and bar brawls in Oldtown, oh how low my bastard knight has sunken That said, I think his state is the reaction I'd expect from him after learning of Harpy's kidnapping. And I love the determination Jaron is showing here to find her. Then that ending, oh man, I should've seen this coming, but I totally did not, and now I'm so hyped!
[Shake his hand] Hell YES! This is the epic team up I did not know I needed before I got it! I really should've seen this coming because they have the exact same goal, but I guess two PoVs colliding is just something you never expect to happen. That said, I couldn't be happier for this! I've always liked John, but I haven't always been super invested in his storyline. However, now I couldn't be more invested, because he is teamed up with my very own bastard knight! This is going to be one awesome adventure.
It was nice seeing Ayden too, I wonder if he will be staying in Oldtown with Taria and their baby, or if they'll find a new place to live in. And Oldtown seems to be changing, with a bit of a power vacuum in the underworld now that Butterfly and the Alley Cats are gone. I wonder if the change will be for better or worse.
Jaron
Just in time, Jaron managed to push his arms up, blocking the punch, though the force behind it was still tremendous. Pain flared u… morep in his forearms and he cursed himself for taking on an opponent such as the one he faced right now. Perhaps twice his size, the man was a mountain of meat, with thick arms, dealing furious strikes. He was a bald, tanned man, his Common Tongue broken, likely from the Free Cities, perhaps even from Volantis.
Both had drunken. Jaron a bit, the other man a lot. Yet after a few blows, his head hurt as much as a whole night worth of cheap booze did. He was bleeding, but it kept his spirits up that the other man did as well. The brute was taller and stronger, but he was faster and perhaps there was a chance for him to come out on top. And the crowd was cheering. For whom, he did not know. Perhaps only for blood.
This time, he dodged the punch, jumping around the burly man with swift movements. What seeme… [view original content]
Drinking and bar brawls in Oldtown, oh how low my bastard knight has sunken That said, I think his state is the reaction I'd expect from him after learning of Harpy's kidnapping. And I love the determination Jaron is showing here to find her. Then that ending, oh man, I should've seen this coming, but I totally did not, and now I'm so hyped!
Indeed, Jaron is very determined to find Harpy again, arguably to an almost worrying degree, as he recklessly took on a much stronger opponent here, who could have hurt him really bad if not for Ayden's timely intervention. The problem is, he knows where she will be taken to most likely, but that is an incredibly costly journey and he doesn't have the coin for it. Getting it has proven to be a frustratingly slow task and in his frustration, Jaron has to vent somehow. The classical remedies here are alcohol and violence, so he tries the former to get ready for the latter, to gain coin for his end goal. Not the best combination, but there might be a way out now.
Hell YES! This is the epic team up I did not know I needed before I got it! I really should've seen this coming because they have the exact same goal, but I guess two PoVs colliding is just something you never expect to happen. That said, I couldn't be happier for this! I've always liked John, but I haven't always been super invested in his storyline. However, now I couldn't be more invested, because he is teamed up with my very own bastard knight! This is going to be one awesome adventure.
Hehe, I was very excited for a John/Jaron team-up for a long while now Ever since I decided that Abbas is going to capture Harpy and Janae, this was the only logical conclusion. Giving both of them their own journey completely unrelated to the other despite the similarity of their struggle felt like a bad move, so now you got a team-up to look forward for. I am not entirely sure about the technical aspects of this team-up, as both of them are going to remain PoV's, but are also going to spend a lot of time together. It is possible that each on their own will receive slightly less amount of individual parts, but both together will form one Super-PoV that will likely receive more spotlight than any single PoV on their own. It is also likely that Jaron will be the main PoV of this team-up, as I think his more inexperienced reaction to this whole situation and their journey in general could make for a more interesting viewpoint, though John definitely has a lot of parts coming up for him as well
It was nice seeing Ayden too, I wonder if he will be staying in Oldtown with Taria and their baby, or if they'll find a new place to live in. And Oldtown seems to be changing, with a bit of a power vacuum in the underworld now that Butterfly and the Alley Cats are gone. I wonder if the change will be for better or worse.
Ayden has some plans, though I had no room of showing them in this part. He and Taria will both appear together in this chapter and we will see what their plans for the future hold. Oldtown itself is quite a bad place right now, this much can be said. The Burned Man, for all his flaws, provided stability and regulation. Butterfly, for all his even more considerable flaws, provided subjugation through fear. With both of them and their entire respective inner circle gone at the same time, there is a huge vacuum in terms of power and many are trying to gain control over what is left. Jaron himself could have gained such power actually, having been so close to the Number Two of the Burned Man's organization, but he decided against it, since he still very much considers himself a knight and since his goals are way too important to him to spend the rest of his days in Oldtown. At least for the time being, the situation is for the worse, as always when a power vacuum explodes into violence, though who knows, something good might actually come out of it. We know that Oldtown is considered to be the most beautiful city in Westeros in the novels, so something big must have happened in the meantime.
Drinking and bar brawls in Oldtown, oh how low my bastard knight has sunken That said, I think his state is the reaction I'd expect from hi… morem after learning of Harpy's kidnapping. And I love the determination Jaron is showing here to find her. Then that ending, oh man, I should've seen this coming, but I totally did not, and now I'm so hyped!
[Shake his hand] Hell YES! This is the epic team up I did not know I needed before I got it! I really should've seen this coming because they have the exact same goal, but I guess two PoVs colliding is just something you never expect to happen. That said, I couldn't be happier for this! I've always liked John, but I haven't always been super invested in his storyline. However, now I couldn't be more invested, because he is teamed up with my very own bastard knight! This is going to be one awesome adventure.
It was nice seeing Ayden too, I wonder if he will be staying in Oldtown with Taria and th… [view original content]
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Garthon
“Garthon, wake up!”, someone hissed, as Garthon felt a hand grabbing his shoulder, shaking him impatiently. He opened his eyes and was met by darkness. It was still night and it was cold, the fire having all but burned down, the mere glimmer of light remaining in the cold ashes.
He only recognized Hjalgar because the young man was kneeling above him, though he saw enough of his face to spot the concern. With a groan, he wiped the sleep from his eyes, taking a deep breath of cold, nightly air. He was shivering, but it was not as bad as it could be, wrapped in the furs Mullendore had given him for the journey.
“What is happening?”, he mumbled, still weak from the deep, dreamless sleep. Hjalgar sighed in return. “Bullister and Vessels are gone”, he spoke. “So are most of our supplies and the letter” This was enough for Garthon to instantly snap fully awake. His eyes widened, as he looked at Hjalgar.
Slowly adjusting to the darkness, he noticed that they were indeed alone. Tedyn and Rell had left, their belongings gone. A third, empty bedroll was still there. “Christian?”, he asked and Hjalgar glanced at the forest. “He went out, trying to find a trace of them”, he replied. “Hasn't been gone for long, but I hope he returns soon”
Garthon blinked again, feeling tired. It couldn't have been more than two hours since he woke Rell to take over his shift. Two hours of sleep, ten hours of marching on the previous day and he felt it. He had never marched this much before. On a boat, yes, he was used to that. But Mullendore had refused to let them go by boat. After their three longships had slipped through the Shield Island defenses to attack Raylansfair, the lords Serry and Chester had increased their defences. Slipping through them unnoticed was hardly possible now.
And so, it had been a gruelling march. Three weeks to recover from the battle, five weeks of marching, first through the Reach, then through the Riverlands. Mullendore had given them a guide, named Christian, but the more time passed, the more Garthon was sure that all the knight wanted to achieve with this was getting the young scout out of the city for a while.
He had no idea about the contents of the letter, of Mullendore's alliance with Harren Hoare and though tempted, Garthon had kept silent about this. His goal was not to harm this alliance, to bring down Mullendore, the man who spared his life after all, or to put Harren the Black at a disadvantage. There was vengeance on his mind, but not against these men. They had not killed Torvin, after all.
“Fuckers...”, he mumbled bitterly, the memory of his brother tarnishing his already foul mood further. Sluggishly, he rose from the bedroll, placed on uncomfortably hard ground, to look around. Rell had been in charge of the fire, but with him gone, it had obviously burned down. While the trees around them were protecting them from the cold winds, it was nonetheless a chilly night, as well as dark even after his eyes adjusted to it.
Would it truly be that bad for them to leave? Garthon was not too keen on returning to Harrenhal, he had to admit it. However, who knew what they'd tell Harren Hoare. The last thing he wanted to do was to be chased down by bounty hunters because Rell and Tedyn were trying to put the raid's failure on his shoulders. No, as much as he hated it, he had to chase after them.
Wordlessly, he put on some basic armour, the light leather that had done him good service during the raid as well. Hjalgar looked at him, sitting down on a tree trunk, his bow resting on his lap, a quiver filled with arrows leaning next to him. “What do we do if we can't find them anymore?”, he asked and Garthon noticed uncertainty in his voice.
“I leave the Riverlands”, Garthon answered calmly. “This place is fucked either way. Maybe I'll go somewhere warm. Dorne should be nice in the winter” He tried to smile, but couldn't find it in him, as so often in these past weeks. Hjalgar though gave him an unhappy look. “And what am I supposed to do?”, he asked. “I fought for you and your brother. I gave up my old life because I believed in Torvin and I saved you from Cleaver Clint” He bit down onto his lower lip. “If you leave me, what am I supposed to do?”
Garthon sighed. “You go back to your life”, he advised him. “It's not you they are after. To be honest, I'd be surprised if Vessels even knows your name. Black Harren certainly doesn't” Hjalgar shook his head. “Harmund does”, he reminded him and Garthon tensed up. That was indeed a problem, but nothing he could not solve. “We can leave together”, he offered and Hjalgar smiled at this.
“If you could do what you want, where would you go?”, he asked and now, Garthon smiled as well. “Home”, he replied. “Back to Pyke. Maybe I'd stop by Harrenhal, to say goodbye to Kyra, but then, I'll leave these lands for good” His smile faded. “But that won't be possible. My ship is gone, my brother is dead and for all I know, Hoare burned my childhood home to the ground while I was away out of sheer spite”
Hjalgar gave him a nod. “I'm afraid he did the same to mine”, he mumbled. “I've never been close to my father, but still, he's the only family I have” Garthon gulped, leaning forwards. “Your father...”, he said. “You're the son of Holgar the Red, right?”
A brief, grim smirk formed on Hjalgar's face. “I don't have much of him, I know”, he spoke. “Never been a great warrior. Actually, I've never been good at holding a sword at all. Archery, yeah, but that's girl stuff in Father's eyes. He hated me for doing it”
“My father was a useless drunkard”, Garthon brought up. “At least yours is a respected man” Hjalgar flashed him a smile. “You know, this is not a contest”, he answered. “The most horrible father, I mean. If we go by that, Harren's sons have lost by default”
Garthon chuckled. “Or maybe Harmund's bastards”, he answered. “A man like him has to have plenty” Hjalgar shook his head, now not smiling anymore. “I doubt many women get a chance at carrying Harmund's bastard”, he reminded him.
This cooled the atmosphere down quite notably and uncomfortably, Garthon got into his boots. He just barely finished as noise from the surrounding forest caused Hjalgar to jump up. Holding his bow, he quickly lowered the weapon and Garthon recognized the man stepping out of the dark. Fair skin, but notably dark hair and eyes, an unsettling combination for Garthon, were they not embedded in a kind, bearded face.
“Christian”, he greeted him with a nod and the young scout saluted. “I found tracks”, he said quickly, trying to regain his breath. “I believe they split up. One of them snuck deeper into the forest, but the other left better tracks”
“A trap maybe?”, Hjalgar brought up and Christian shook his head. “I know what I'm doing”, he replied. “It was hard to spot the tracks I found, meaning it'd be damn near impossible to find those the other man left. Neither of them wanted to be found, so I suggest we chase after the one we can find first. Maybe he is cooperative”
Garthon gave him a nod. “Doubt he'll be, especially if it's Bullister. He's not a chatty guy”, he brought up. “But let's do this. Finding one of them is better than finding none” He reached for his sword, though hesitated, something Hjalgar noticed.
“I believe you should take this”, he said and Garthon felt a strange unwillingness to follow the advice. “I don't want to fight”, he replied. “If they wanted us dead, they would have cut our throats in our sleep” He shook his head, finally reaching for the weapon. “Better safe than sorry”, he muttered. “But keep in mind, we fight only if they leave us no choice”
“You don't have to tell me”, Hjalgar reminded him, as he approached the forest. Christian was quick to catch up to him, as did Garthon. “Be quiet beneath these trees”, the scout reminded him. “Use your ears, not your mouth. We have to be prepared for the worst, can't let them hear us. Lure us into a trap at worst” He glanced over his shoulder. “Try to remain close”
With these words, he began to lead, at quite a speed. Garthon had to pay special attention not only to his dark surroundings, never trying to let the scout get out of his sight, but also to the task of moving slowly. It was a tricky path, filled with dead tree branches, roots, rocks and other perils and the fact that he saw only half of them came as a source of discomfort for him. He was not a man of the woods, never has been.
Hjalgar was a different kind altogether. Unusually for an Ironborn, he moved through these forest with grace. Quiet, swift, he could have been a born killer, if not for his gentle nature. But deadly he was, as Cleaver Clint Volmark had found out. Dozens of men had tried their luck with that brute and in the end, it was an arrow that fell him, shot by the most unlikely of saviours.
And Christian... Garthon couldn't say he knew much of the man. He was a kind fellow, undeniably, but still mysterious. Confident, perhaps even cocky, it was not hard for Garthon to get along with him. But the man was unwilling to talk about his past. He was a ranger in service of Raylansfair, first to House Raylan, then to House Vyrwel that was about the extent of his knowledge about Christian Thomas. And no matter his motives, he took his task seriously.
More than once Garthon messed up during their walk through the forest. Be it snapping a branch beneath his boots, stepping into dry leaves or hitting a rock, he knew he made more noise than Christian was comfortable with. In the darkness, he merely saw the ranger's head turning towards him, but he felt the glare more than he saw it.
At several times, their guide outright stopped, kneeling down to check a trail only he was able to see. Garthon barely saw the ground, much less whatever Christian was chasing after, but he saw light in the distance, moonlight illuminating a small glade. Christian rose from the ground again, looking at them. Silently, he put a finger onto his lips, before he began to walk down the rest of the track, towards this glade.
He did not make it very far when something large snapped through the trees. A muffled scream was all that came from him, as a shadow hit his head, heavily, causing him to sink to the ground. With the tiny ray of light from the glade, Garthon was able to see a shadow, man-sized, wearing a large weapon and a peculiar helmet he'd recognize anywhere.
Of course Tedyn Bullister was a silent man by nature. Even then though, the way he moved in his armour was surprisingly quiet, even if most of the surprise moment on them came from him having stood still behind a tree, only making his move when Christian tried to pass him.
Not able to see the look in the executioner's usually cold eyes, Garthon was quick to take a step back. “Tedyn, stop!”, he said loudly, but the Axeman did not listen. He swung his weapon, now at Hjalgar, who, instead of shooting an arrow, had to duck, as the massive axe missed his head only slightly. He did not manage to dodge the backhanded strike that followed though, as the hilt of the axe hit him in the face.
With Christian and Hjalgar down, Garthon raised his sword, to parry Tedyn's strike. The silent executioner had a terrifying strength and he nearly knocked Garthon back a bit with his attack, making him realize that this was not a fight he could win all that easily. Not without dodging, manoeuvring and actually seeing his opponent, not just his shadow.
“Tedyn, I don't want to fight!”, he urged him and instead of attacking, he let himself fall into the forest to his left. He knew, he made noise, but that was not the problem. The problem was the cold-blooded killer that was about to tear him apart. But he was fast. Running past Tedyn through the woods, he made his way to the glade with ease, pointing his sword at the trees. “Put that down! There's no need for a fight!”
Silently and menacingly, the armoured man stepped through the trees, the moonlight illuminating the sigil on his breastplate. It was not the sigil of his house, of family, the one that was taken from him, but of his masters, those that butchered House Bullister and did worse to him.
And finally, Garthon was able to see the look in these cold, dead eyes. There was no anger in them, no hatred, but also no pity. Just a man doing his duty. And despite his opponent's quietness, Garthon understood. He gulped, knowing that a fight was inevitable. “He ordered you to do this, did he not?”, he asked. “Harren cannot have me alive, so he ordered you to kill me” After a moment, Tedyn gave him a nod, stopping his march towards him.
Garthon clenched his fist around his sword. “And Torvin?”, he spat. “Did he order you to kill him as well?” This time, there was no reaction from Tedyn. The executioner grabbed his greataxe with both hands now, raising it above his head, as he began to charge. Even now, he did not say a word, not even a battlecry.
The first strike came from the top and would have split Garthon's skull, if he wouldn't have jumped aside. The axe hit the ground, digging into the dirt, though the strong Tedyn had no problem pulling it out again, in time to parry Garthon's strike. By now, they were too close to each other for the greataxe to be fully effective, though Tedyn still showered him with quick strikes of the hilt, forcing Garthon into the defensive.
Finally, they locked weapons and gazes. Garthon's eyes were widely opened, filled with fury, but not towards Tedyn. Hoare... the man was responsible for Torvin's death after all! Tedyn meanwhile was looking calm, almost detached from this scene. With massive strength, he pushed his opponent back, causing Garthon to stagger, to stumble to the ground.
Before Tedyn was able to do anything with this, he was hit by an arrow. Garthon spotted Hjalgar, having just left the forest to get a better aim. His first shot was botched, hitting Tedyn, but being deflected by the helmet. Instantly, the Axeman let go off his intended victim, turning to Hjalgar.
“No!”, Garthon yelled. “Run!” Hjalgar did not run. He took a second shot instead, as Tedyn began to charge. This time, he found a weak spot in the armour, the arrow digging between the pauldrons and the breastplate, though a combination of chainmail and leather likely prevented any damage, even if he clearly felt it.
Hjalgar blocked the first strike with the bow, unable to draw the sword in time. The simple wood splintered, causing him to stagger back, though he nonetheless managed to grab his sword, parrying the next attack, even if it threw him off balance even more. Now, Tedyn was quick to place the hilt of his axe behind Hjalgar's leg, pulling him to the ground in full. Towering above him, he raised his axe, while Garthon jumped up. “NO!”, he yelled at the top of his lungs, as the executioner brought his axe down upon Hjalgar.
In the last moment, the young man managed to roll to the side, as Tedyn glared over his shoulder, spotting Garthon once again. The eyes narrowed, as he firmly grabbed his axe, ignoring the downed hunter next to him. Garthon gave him a nod. “You and me, bastard!”, he spat. “Let us end this!”
Tedyn gave him a nod, as he slowly approached him. Garthon's heart began to beat in his chest, furiously, as he knew he stood no chance against this enemy. Christian was taken out, so was Hjalgar and the executioner had made short work of him before. Readying himself to go out fighting, something happened he did not expect. An arrow flew past him, shot somewhere behind him, missing him only slightly and stopping Tedyn dead in his tracks, as it pierced his throat.
Gasping, the Axeman sank to his knees and dropped his weapon, as Garthon spun around. He saw the last person he would have expected, as Rell Vessels stepped into the light of the moon, lowering his bow. Vessels gave him a cold smirk as he approached him, putting a hand onto his sword. Instinctively, Garthon pointed his blade at him.
“Ah, drop it”, Vessels spat. “I just saved your life. You think I want you dead now? Or maybe stealing Tedyn's kill?” He shook his head as Garthon, dumbfounded, indeed lowered his weapon. Rell flashed him a violent grin. “Figured that much”, he chuckled, as he walked past him, towards Tedyn.
Bullister was not quiet now. Unable to form clear words due to his lack of a tongue and his damaged throat, he gasped, groaned, his mouth opening and closing. What little Garthon could see of his cheeks was wet and Rell chuckled. “What?”, he asked. “What, you mute fuck? Are you crying now?” He sighed. “Hells, I didn't think you even could”
He placed the blade at Tedyn's neck. “I told you to come with me”, he reminded him. “But you had to stay. You just couldn't fail our king, could you?” Desperately, Tedyn shook his head, as Rell smiled at him cruelly. “Guess what, you did. You failed him, like your entire family failed him” He shrugged. “But don't cry. You should thank me”, he continued. “He will not punish you, never again. I'm going to send you back to your family” Tedyn's eyes widened and just like that, Rell had pushed the blade down, through the throat and upper chest of Harrenhal's executioner.
Once his grisly deed was done, Rell turned to Garthon, who looked at him, speechless that this man had just saved him. “What?”, Vessels asked. “You can thank me, you know” Garthon gulped, looking at the dead Tedyn Bullister. Rell followed his gaze and knelt down, removing something form Tedyn's belt, a scroll Garthon quickly recognized as Maron Mullendore's letter.
“You... you saved my life”, he stuttered. “Why?” Rell flashed him a grin. “Don't think too much of it”, he said. “You did the same for me. I'm repaying my debt” He raised the letter. “Arguably, I'm going to do more than that even”, he explained. “See, it's really a shame, but Tedyn did not fail. He killed you, he killed Christian and Whatshisname over there. Unfortunately, he was wounded so badly, he died shortly afterwards, leaving me as the sole survivor”
Garthon narrowed his eyes, as Rell smiled at him. “I'm faking your death, asshole”, he spelled it out, even though Garthon had figured it already. “Why?”, he growled in return and Rell approached him. Behind him, Hjalgar struggled back to his feet and Christian came stumbling out of the forest. “Because you saved mine”, he said. “Because our king wants you dead. He gets his will, in a way. I give him this letter and get back into his favour. You start a new life without being hunted by him, somewhere far away from here”
Finally, Garthon gave him a nod. “Thank you, Rell”, he spoke, truthfully. Vessels rolled his eyes. “Don't get wet now”, he snarled. “We're not friends, you and I, but I know what gratitude is” He placed a hand on Garthon's shoulder. “Better use the chance I gave you”, he urged him. “Next time we meet, it will be as enemies”
With these words, he turned to leave, but Garthon stopped him. “Wait!”, he said. “Tedyn... he tried to kill me on Harren's orders. Does that... does that mean the king gave Anturion order to kill Torvin? Had he a hand in this after all?”
Rell hesitated for a moment, before he shrugged. “I don't know”, he admitted. “I don't fucking know. Ask him yourself if you dare, but you better don't” He smiled, as he turned away again. “What is dead may never die, Breaker”, he said his farewell. “I wish you good luck in your new life”
And with this, he was gone, leaving Garthon with two wounded allies and a corpse. Tedyn Bullister, last of his line. Born high, deeply fallen, a broken, desperate man, who was finally at rest now. As Garthon looked at him, he saw no enemy, just another victim of Harren the Black. Yet still, he had to ask himself what to do with the corpse. Did Tedyn deserve a final rest?
[Bury Tedyn Bullister] [Leave him to rot]
[Leave him to rot] Birds got to eat too.
Very interesting that their throats weren't just slit when they were asleep.
House Vyrwel. Yuck. Hopefully Petyr isn't successfully pawning off his sisters for alliances.
Now Garthon, oh where oh where could Garthon go. Where did you come from, where did you go, where did you come from, Garthon-jo.
[Bury Tedyn Bullister] Good guy Garthon is going to bury his silent buddy Tedyn, or else he wouldn't be the nice guy we all love. Plus there is a chance of finding cool gear on Boss Bullister. If we hadn't had helped Rell, he would've been dead right? Would Garthon still have won his battle without Rell's help? If Garthon had refused Mullendore's offer, what would he be doing now? Is Christian now supposed to fake his own death too? I have so many questions after this part.
[Bury Tedyn Bullister] The man never asked for this, and he deserves at least one final kindness.
This conspiracy is getting deeper, but once the dragons advance, nothing will escape their flames, especially not Harren.
Seems like Kyra won't be able to meet Garthon in the near future, hope they meet one last time.
[Leave him to rot]
Hmmm, I don't know about that Hjalgar... I have a feeling that there's at least one Ironborn who has a father as shitty as, or even maybe worse than, Harren
[Bury Tedyn Bullister]
[Leave him to rot]
[Bury Tedyn Bullister]
Ah yes, and my favorite Ironbro is back!! Rell really came through for us in this part, guess it's definitely a good thing we saved him last book.
[Bury Tedyn Bullister] Like Garthon himself thought here, Tedyn is just another victim of the Hoare's. So yes, he deserves a final rest, and I can't see any bad consequences coming from this either.
Ah, I was fully expecting Garthon's Book 2 storyline being in Harrenhal, but I suppose I should've seen this coming. I mean, it's clear Harren has no love for the Breaker's and we are even getting a new PoV there in form of Kyra, so the signs were there. Now I'm just curious where exactly will he go. I mean, he mentioned Dorne, but I kinda doubt that's where he'll go. We already have Ysilla there, and Alys seems to be going to Dorne as well. Then again, it would make sense for Garthon to go where Alys is going, considering he wants to avenge his brother, meaning he wants to find and kill Edward. Hm, I'll wait and see what happens.
Oh man, I was so concerned for Hjalgar during that fight with Tedyn
I'm glad he survived though, I really grew to like him in Chapter 8, and he has a nice chemistry with Garthon. And finally Christian is getting some screentime as well 
He seems okay. Oh, and I don't hate Rell anymore, he's okay too... for now. I have feeling my hate might return when he makes it back to Harrenhal and is under the influence of Harmund again.
[Bury Tedyn Bullister]
[Bury Tedyn Bullister]
Only reason is Garthon is a good guy
[Bury Tedyn Bullister]
...And when I think that Internet can no longer surprise me, it proves me wrong.
[Leave him to rot]
[Bury Tedyn Bullister]
Well, Rell has little reason to do it, whereas Tedyn... a Hoare dog he might be, but he's an executioner, not a murderer. He wanted to take Garthon on in a relatively fair fight instead of butchering him like an animal in his sleep. It was his undoing, yes, but doing things in such a cowardly way, that hasn't been him.
Well, he arranged a betrothal between his youngest sister and Devrin Oakheart's son, likely to bind the powerful lord closer to the conspiracy. Then there is his other sister and dozens of suitable bachelors in the entire Reach. He has an unmarried brother and he is unmarried himself. Marriage alliances do play a big role in his plans, as he wishes to gain a lot of support from powerful houses.
Indeed, he would have been dead without Garthon's help, as he would have been killed by a guard patrol in the final stages of the battle, offscreen though. In this case, Garthon would not have won this battle. Tedyn would have been stopped by Hjalgar, who would have held him off long enough for Garthon to escape, though he would have died in the process. Tedyn would have then chased after Garthon, a bit like the Terminator, completely unfazed by any attempt to hold him off, though he would have met his maker by the end of the chapter, where Garthon would have gained unexpected help.
Well, in this case, Rell would have accepted the offer instead. Out of respect for the man that saved his life, he would have allowed Hjalgar to stay in Raylansfair and help Garthon ecape though, before leaving with Tedyn and Christian. In this case, Tedyn would have survived for longer, on account of believing Garthon to have died in Raylansfair, whereas Garthon would have escaped with Hjalgar's help and he would have travelled to the Riverlands. His chapter would have ended the same way it will end now.
Well, Rell couldn't care less. That is Garthon's problem now. He just assumes that neither Harren, nor Mullendore really care for that detail, so what happens to Christian now is not exactly clear. It will be brought up in the next Garthon part
Aye, if not for Aegon being really an unexpected factor, the conspiracy would be in a tremendously good position right now. Mullendore's schemes might not be fool proof, but they are very carefully planned regardless and would likely lead to success if not for three living, fire-breathing nukes that have landed in Westeros.
It indeed seems to be unlikely to happen in the near future. Kyra herself will be getting a storyline of her own in Harrenhal, whereas Garthon's next path is going to lead him into another direction. I would not rule out a meeting at a later point, but don't expect it to be anytime soon.
Aye, Hjalgar's father is truly not as bad as some others, neither was Garthon's, but both still suffered under them. Harren might be a contender for the worst, though you have a point that there are some Ironborn who have it even worse. Ironically, I noticed that some thing would be much different if Harren and your Harrion would have switched personalities. Harren being neglectful towards his sons wouldn't have been likely to affect Gregor as much as Harrion's abuse did. Meanwhile, Harrion might be a brutal piece of shit, but that is precisely what Harmund would have needed. Part of his monstrous attitude comes from the knowledge that he can indeed do whatever he likes. This has arguably supported and enforced his psychopathy from an early age, as he knew that the only person with enough influence to stop him is not getting involved with most of the things he does. If Harren would have actually beaten him as a child, he probably would have learned his lesson and would have grown up at least somewhat different, which in turn would have had a good effect on Harlan and Harndon.
Hehe, it is true, Kyra being a PoV in Harrenhal was sort of my hint that Garthon will not return there anytime soon. For now, he himself is not really sure where to go. He wants to find out who is responsible for Torvin's death. Anturion might be his best bet there, but he has no idea the man escaped to Dorne. For all he knew, Edward could just as well sail back to Seagard, to return to the court of Harrenhal even, albeit he knows that his base of operations is somewhere near the Stepstones. I can only confirm that his next part, or the one after that, will give you a better idea what themes he is going to deal with in Book 2
Ah, Hjalgar's survival was directly tied with Rell's here. If Rell would have been dead by now, Hjalgar would have sacrificed himself to hold Tedyn off long enough. So, you saved that guy
Rell indeed showed a slightly better side of his here, even if he is still quite a jerk and worse, with how he taunted the dying Tedyn, who is technically his ally. I guess we'll see how your opinion on him will develop in the chapters to come. Meanwhile, I believe it is finally time I show Christian again! He is definitely not going to become a major character anytime soon, but he's a plot thread I have left open for too long. Expect him to remain at least something of a presence in Garthon's storyline from now on 
I can confirm, saving him was almost definitely a good thing, if only so that he made things a lot easier for Garthon in this chapter. Things would have been a lot more bloody and dangerous if not for him killing Tedyn so quickly. Maybe there have been downsides to this as well, but at least for now, there have only been positive effects that came from saving him.
[Bury Tedyn Bullister]
It's something at least since he's the last of his line.
Also, glad to see Rell again.
[Bury Tedyn Bullister]
I'm back (from my holidays)!!!! And it seems that during my absence we had some interesting parts!
RT:
No choice from me today,I will wait the first Jaron part for that
Ah, welcome back! Glad you've returned well, I hope your holidays have been fun
Funny, yeah... I guess that is the last thing Richard, Leonard and Kersea think right now
But it should be a very interesting situation, as more guests will arrive, even if they are of a more temporary nature. Alan meanwhile, well, he has some stuff of his own going on right now, but we'll get an update on him as well in due time.
And congratulations are in order, because she actually won me over at the last possible moment, during the Dorne Interlude. That happens rarely, but her storyline should be a nice one. She can, without any problem, fit into the storyline of the previous Dorne PoV, though she'll actually add something to it, which has also been my reason to move her storyline into Chapter 1. An additional moment in her storyline warrants an additional chapter. And well, like every terrorist organization, the Sandstorm considers themselves as freedom fighters, be assured of that
Splending, a great honour! I have spoken to Tedyn and he is thrilled to be Book 2's first casualty outside of the prologue. Or at least, he is thrilled now that I told him who is going to join him soon. I have made a count and out of the introduced characters alone, Book 2 will already hold a more severe harvest than Book 1. That does not even begin to include the one-book wonders, characters that are yet to be introduced but who won't make it out of Book 2 either.
Well, we're never going to know for sure, on account of him not being the most talkative guy. However, it seems that he himself has been a bit conflicted about this. Though tortured into submission by Harren, he remained from a family whose most notable deed was defiance of the king's orders. Maybe a little bit of this remained. Or maybe he was just trying to wait for the right moment, when Garthon would trust him and Rell enough to let them stand guard on their own, so that he could lure them into a trap.
Yes, yes, this must not be forgotten. Rell is not all of a sudden one of the good guys and I doubt he fully redeemed himself. He is still the guy who assisted Harmund in countless unspeakable acts. That be said, this has shown a more respectable side of his, the fact that he is capable of gratitude, that he wishes to repay those that were good to him. Just like Tedyn, Rell is a bit a product of his surroundings and though far from anything good, he is also not completely evil.
Hm, this is not unthinkable. Simon's anger at Harren Hoare came from Rell being put in danger. Now that he might have a shot at returing to the court, Simon might choose a different path for himself and his son. However, Damon Greyjoy is surely going to come to the same conclusion, so who knows how he will protect his own interests in the things to come.
Maybe, eh. I won't outright say no, but I can confirm that I have no plans to do so at the moment. His father is a respected raider though and unlike Garthon's father, he is still alive, so I would say it is not impossible.
Well, at least no return to Harrenhal anytime soon. I do believe it should be interesting though, so look forward for some big stuff. The next part should likely give you a better idea of the direction I wish to take his storyline into.
Christian is sworn to Raylansfair, so he is technically following his lord's order. If this means that he is happy about it has not been clarified yet. However, he has been chosen by Mullendore himself, so there might be a good reason for it and who knows what he has been told. I hope to make him more of a character this time though, one who actually does memorable things instead of never appearing.
Alright, that's fine! Voting will be closed tomorrow, so I hope to put the part out by then as well
The Voting is closed!
Garthon is going to bury Tedyn Bullister
An expected choice and the one that got a notable majority, even if not quite the majority I thought
Tedyn has the questionable honour of being the first recurring character to die in Book 2, but I am afraid he will not remain alone for long. War is here at last and while I am not quite one to butcher characters left and right, I am afraid there will be some occasions where it is inevitable. As for Garthon, this choice was a personal one. Is he able to forgive a man that tried to kill him, is he able to give him a dignified rest? You decided in favour of this, so that' what he'll do.
Now, I was not sure if I should close the voting today, on account of not being sure if I would be able to finish the part today. I am still not, but reasons beyond that have given me hope that I'll do. Thing is, I was not home for most of today, visiting my mother at the rehab centre today. And let me tell you, the road there is a nightmare. German efficiency at its finest, in the most poorly planned, road-work infested backwater highway to have ever been constructed by mankind. As a result, I barely got anything done today and spent at least four hours driving. But well, I hope that'll change in the hours to come. If not, tomorrow is another day
This next part will mark the beginning of Jaron's Book 2 storyline. I don't want to say too much about it aside from a few things. He is still in Oldtown, two months have passed since Chapter 9 and as you might imagine, he's not exactly in a happy position right now.
Now, coming to the occasion I wanted to deal with today! It has originally been planned to be my second anniversary gift to you, but well, I've never been good at sticking to certain deadlines. Months ago, I announced it and boy, have I been premature. I am, of course, talking about the Tv Tropes page. One thing I severely underestimated is that finding and detailing an acceptable number of tropes for three hundred characters (and a few that have only been mentioned) is literally what hell is made of for a clinical perfectionist such as yours truly. The characters sub-page had to be cut into over a dozen sub-sub-pages, sometimes including several dozen characters themselves. I even had the idea of coming up with custom house words for those that have none mentioned in the canon and even though I never thought I could do that, I actually think I found rather fitting ones. But the result is something I am quite proud of. Massively so, to say the least. The tropes page has been a work of love and effort and I am incredibly happy to finally present it to you. Of course, it has to be said, I had some help in form of edinosaur23, who included some great additions for a couple of the character tropes, so many thanks to him as well! Now, does that mean the tropes page is done? Not quite, I am afraid, but it is done enough that I feel confident in sharing it with you. No doubt some of you have seen it already, but well, nothing I can do about that
What is still missing is a recap subpage. Having quite a strong aversion to writing recaps, even if they are fun, informal, tropey recaps, I have shied away from that so far, even if it is arguably one of the most important features of the page. Then, another thing I will work on, is including FoT in examples for certain tropes, to make it more widely known on Tv Tropes itself. But neither is important for you to enjoy it. And I hope you do indeed enjoy it. What I need now is people who read it. It might be that some sentences cut off in the middle, when I moved on to the next trope while writing and forgot about it, or that you feel that there's a trope missing that you'd like to see included. In that case, well, it's an open project, you can all edit it as it pleases you, considering you have a Tv Tropes account. I will continue to work on it as well, to keep it up-to-date with the things still about to happen, adding characters and tropes whenever necessary. So then, let me know what you think 
Without further talk, here it is:
Forum of Thrones on TvTropes.org
I have to admit, I had no clue what Tv Tropes were when you first announced it and kinda thought it was something like a alternative wiki. Looking at it now and I see how it is so much more. This is super cool seeing all these tropes, and there are so many! Great job! This thing is really awesome!
I don't in any way want to steal Liquid's thunder in announcing the Tv Tropes page for FoT, so before I continue I'll just say, remember to check Liquid's post above this if you haven't yet!
With that out of the way, I just wanted to say I have a new, very interesting, set of character illustrations for you! This time it's the rulers of Westeros, particularly the five who I haven't drawn already. And then as a bonus, I have a portrait of the man opposing all these leaders, Aegon Targaryen himself. Anyway, here they are:
So, there they are, hope you like 'em!
Whoa, you did it again XD One day for five amazing drawings. And this time, I even have to say, this has to be my favourite set so far. I really have no idea how you have managed to draw five characters who are so wonderfully distinctive in a single day. Less than a day actually! One thing I always love about your drawings is the attire, so having five rulers here was heaven for me, because there's no one wearing more unique attire than them. And surely, this has been amazing to see, each of them with their own, unique style. Let's start with Mern, perhaps the most classical king of them all. I like his crown the most, that is probably the most lavish crown in Westeros at the time. But not only that, his clothes in general look gorgeous! I think he has the best clothes you have ever drawn, a unique style and very well-done. He'd even by my favourite, if the rest wouldn't be so great as well
Loren, that guy, he's incredible in his own right. The least physically remarkable king, you nonetheless gave him something unique and while I already thought so from my mental image, it is nice to see that this sort of roman look I was going for when describing his crown actually works without looking bad. The opposite, it makes him a hot contender for my favourite drawing of this set! Next we got Sharra, who has the least remarkable costume. That is something I consider very fitting. I mean, we're talking rulers here and she's not the ruler, she's the regent. It makes sense for her to have a more common, modest dress though. Instead, she convinces through looks alone, because her's is a gorgeous drawing! Less gorgeous, more badass is Torrhen, dakingindanorf. You see, when I gave you the description, the white wolf fur was something I came up with randomly, thinking it might look cool. I had no idea, because you made his fur cloak the most badass piece of clothing out of the entire drawings you made. I told you before, one thing I love about Brandon is how similar he looks to a Stark, something that is remarkable because you had no idea of his true lineage back then. And with Torrhen, I believe these similarities are very clear, though I must say, I prefer Torrhen's drawing. He's my favourite of this set for sure! Finally, Meria. She's, well someone whom I guess has been quite a challenge, being such an ancient character. She does not shine physically, but that is perfect for her. A very fitting drawing, I love your interpretation of the Yellow Toad of Dorne. I also see, you took my suggestion with the crown 
Then, standing by itself as always, the portrait. I wonder, have you done that on this day as well? Because that'd be insanely fast
This was a nice surprise and a very fitting addition to this set of kings (and queen regents and ruling princesses)! Your earlier drawing of Aegon has already been a special favourite of mine, but this portrait manages to make things even better. Aegon the Conqueror is perhaps the one character I put myself under the most pressure of actually bringing to live, considering that I believe him to be the one you have the highest expectations for. Your portrait managed something I am not sure if I did it already, because you perfectly encaptured him there. That is Aegon the First and that makes me so damn hyped to write future scenes for him!
On another note, I am afraid I won't manage to release the part today
But it should be out earlier tomorrow 
Oh yes, it is indeed more than a wiki, even if I consider a wiki to still be the best description for it. It should suit a similar purpose until I finally manage to work more on the wiki. And given that I now have the tropes page out of the way, expect some real progress on that from now on
But the tropes page stands on its own, I'm proud and happy you enjoy it so far! I'll probably have nightmares of the character tropes for a while to come, but I think it has been worth the effort, considering that it has also been sort of fun 
They are look very cool, my favorite of 'em is Aegon! Great work!
Meria is fucking fabulous. As usual, great work. Torrhen or Mern would probably be my favourite. Torrhen could kill with that crown of his.
And I hate to say it, but Aegon looks really good, despite my opinions on him.
Hehe, these FoT illustrations have become such a rare treat that whenever I get new descriptions I just burn through them in a day
And of course, at this point I have so much experience with this style that it's easier and thus faster to make these drawings. Anyway, I'm glad youre enjoying these. And I have to agree, getting to draw rulers gave me the opportunity to draw some great attires, which only made me more hyped for this set 
It's always nice to draw FoT characters, but this (and the earlier Targ set) was admittedly a nice change of pace from the more simple attires. Mern especially has such a fabulous attire 
And I always love to draw fur cloaks, so Torrhen was definitely a treat. Meria on the other hand was one I was a bit nervous about beforehand, since outright hideous characters is something I have done less with this style, or any style really. I'm satisfied with the outcome though, and I'm glad to hear you are too 
What comes to Aegon's portrait, nah, didn't make that one in a day
I've been working on it a while now, but I did make the finishing touches on it yesterday. I understand the pressure you have for bringing him to life in the story, as I had a little taste of it doing this portrait, trying to encapture his character in a drawn form. Happy to hear you think I succeeded in that, and hyped to see more of him in the story 
The Tv trope page is truly awesome. I checked it out randomly sometime last month and was amazed by how much content there actually is.
I like how you made an effort to include the colors of the houses in the outfits. Made it feel more real. Also, love the eyes on Aegon. Very nicely done.
Jaron
Just in time, Jaron managed to push his arms up, blocking the punch, though the force behind it was still tremendous. Pain flared up in his forearms and he cursed himself for taking on an opponent such as the one he faced right now. Perhaps twice his size, the man was a mountain of meat, with thick arms, dealing furious strikes. He was a bald, tanned man, his Common Tongue broken, likely from the Free Cities, perhaps even from Volantis.
Both had drunken. Jaron a bit, the other man a lot. Yet after a few blows, his head hurt as much as a whole night worth of cheap booze did. He was bleeding, but it kept his spirits up that the other man did as well. The brute was taller and stronger, but he was faster and perhaps there was a chance for him to come out on top. And the crowd was cheering. For whom, he did not know. Perhaps only for blood.
This time, he dodged the punch, jumping around the burly man with swift movements. What seemed easy has been just one of several brutal lessons he learned in the last weeks. Just the thought of this time filled him with rage, caused him to let out a ferocious roar as he threw a punch at his opponent, hitting the man in the ribs.
A mere groan was all the reaction he got and to Jaron's surprise, he immediately retaliated. He dodged the man's first punch, though was too slow to evade the second one, as the other hand grabbed him by the throat. For a moment, Jaron's eyes widened, as he tried to break free, showering his opponent's outstretched arm with punches.
The man merely glared at him for a moment, triumphantly, and everything around them faded, the cheers of the crowd, the smells of blood, beer and sweat, the dim light of the torches that illuminated the small inn at the docks of Oldtown. Then, his closed fist hit Jaron in the stomach, pressing the air out of his lungs.
Letting go of the hedge knight, he gave him a moment to recover, knowing he'd win. By now, the thoughts were racing through Jaron's mind, but most importantly was the pain in his belly, where the fist hit him. The gold he bet on this fight... Seven, the gold. If he would have won, he could have finally left the city, could have finally followed her...
But he didn't. Still dizzy from the punch, he tried to block another, his fist easily pushed aside, as the man landed a hit on his forehead. It was the sort of punch that would have knocked him out not too long ago, but in the last few weeks, he had taken enough of them to remain at least conscious, even if his legs gave in beneath him.
It was not enough for his opponent to see him down. The man continued with a savage kick to the ribs, causing Jaron to groan in pain, as he was hurled to the side. The crowd, frenzied with the promise of blood, cheered on the massive man, as he knelt down. There was a wicked grin on his face. “Sorry, lad”, he growled. “Ain't nothing personal” He shrugged, as Jaron opened his mouth to plea. “I'll try to leave you alive”, he said, before delivering a punch into the knight's face.
This time, everything became a blur, as Jaron's head was pushed back onto the wooden floor. He gasped, as his vision flickered, seeing the man raising his arm again, while the crowd called for his blood, for more of his blood...
“Enough!”, a voice cut through their cheers. “He has enough!” Jaron's opponent glared to the side, at the one who called, though Jaron himself was too stunned to move his head. As such, he merely heard the sound of steel being drawn, the tip of a sword appearing in his field of view. “I said he has enough”, the voice growled again and this time, Jaron recognized the man who spoke.
With a sigh, the large man rose from the ground. “Fine”, he spat. “I win” He turned around, not giving Jaron another look, as he pushed through the crowd to get his prize, his own purse and Jaron's. The rest of the crowd remained a little longer, before they decided it wouldn't be worth getting into any more trouble, which led to them subsequently dispersing.
Finally, Jaron got a good look at his saviour and despite the pain and excruciating headache, he managed a sad smile, as Ayden Blackwell looked down at him. The sellsword however gave him a grim glare, slightly shaking his head, as he reached down. “Get up”, he ordered, though he helped him.
The two men made their way through the taproom and Jaron threw a disgruntled look at the coin his opponent was now counting. It was a lot. He had lost quite a sum, but the reward would have been worth the risk. But now...
With a sigh, Ayden sat down at a free table in the corner, pointing at the bench on the other side of it and Jaron gladly took the opportunity to rest, leaning his head against the wooden wall behind him. It was still thumping with pain, but he noticed the curious look Ayden gave him.
“What?”, he growled, raising an eyebrow. Ayden crossed his arms, being silent at first, before he finally spoke. “What are you doing here, my friend?”, he asked. “Getting into a bar brawl? Ain't that a bit below your status, Ser?”
Jaron gulped, not smiling. He shook his head. “It wasn't a brawl”, he said. “I bet money. He bet money. We fought. Winner takes all” To this, Ayden raised an eyebrow. “Some sort of a fighting pit then?”, he stated. “Jaron, you're risking more than just your honour here. That guy nearly killed you. Your arm might be fine again, but what happens if you get wounded or worse?”
They were interrupted by one of the barmaids, delivering a bottle to the table. Ayden grinned at her, reaching into his pocket so give her a copper coin. Briefly, she glanced at Jaron, bloody and bruised, before winking at Ayden and leaving the table again. “Nice establishment you got here”, the sellsword spoke, in a mocking tone.
Jaron did not reply, at least not to this. Instead, he sighed. “I know it's a risk”, he said. “But what else can I do? I need the coin if I want to get a passage to Lys” Ayden gave him a nod. “They do cost a pretty penny these days”, he agreed. “Especially for the likes of us. But what are you going to do then? They won't be in Lys, not anymore. The same game again until you reach Volantis?”
“Until I reach Yunkai”, Jaron growled. “Until I put my steel into that slaving fuck's throat!” His voice had gotten louder at these last words and he forced himself to take a deep breath, which only strengthened the pain in his head. Ayden looked at him, his eyes showing concern.
“You don't look good, my friend”, he said. “Haven't slept in a while, huh?” Jaron gave him a weary look. He reached for the bottle, but the sellsword was quick to grab it, pulling it closer to himself. Jaron clenched his hand to a fist and sighed, half in pain, half in sorrow. “Can you blame me?”, he asked. “It's been two months and... nothing. She's gone. Taken and I can't do anything to help her. How would you react if they would have taken Taria from you?”
To this, Ayden was silent at first. His lips tightened. “I hope it'll never come to that”, he admitted. “Because I don't know. Cut down the whole world, men and god until they return her to me” He sighed. “I understand you, I really do. But you're not helping anyone right now, not Harpy and certainly not yourself. You need a plan”
“I have a plan”, Jaron claimed, though it was not entirely true and he knew it. “I need coin, to pay a smuggler to Lys, or maybe directly to Volantis if I'm lucky. From there, I'll join a caravan to Yunkai and there I will find Abbas” His eyes narrowed, as an anger that still frightened him found its way into his thoughts. “He will tell me what happened to her. If she's still alive, he'll help me free her, or I'm going to kill him. If... if not, I'll make him pay”
“Like she did?”, Ayden asked, a cutting question that caused Jaron to flinch. “My own way”, he said, in a defeated tone. “I don't want vengeance. I am tired of this, Ayden. Violence breeding violence, claiming everything any of us ever loved until there's nothing left but hatred, misery and death”
His eyes narrowed. “Harpy is out there somewhere. Finding her, saving her, that is all I want”, he said and the thought of her, it caused him an uncomfortable mixture of emotions. He loved her, but it was this love that made her absence all the worse. What was left was loss, sorrow, but also anger. Abbas and Bakr... he had trusted them and this was how they repaid him.
“If you need the coin, why don't you sell your sword?”, Ayden asked. “Or the armour. You still got it, right? Could give you what you need” Jaron instantly shook his head. “What good is a knight without his armour?”, he asked. “It's been a gift and I still need it. It'll be a dangerous journey”
Ayden gave him a nod. “Undoubtedly”, he agreed. “And you haven't even started it so far” Jaron looked up, as a sudden thought flashed through his mind. “Why have you come?”, he asked. “This ain't your corner. Just a coincidence?” Ayden raised an eyebrow. “You got lucky, you know”, he replied. “I was not going to come here. That guy would have beaten you half dead then”
He leant forwards, lowering his voice and Jaron realized that something had happened, some development in a case that went stale weeks ago. His heart began to beat feaster, as he came closer, to listen to Ayden's sentence. “I had to seek you out. That wasn't too hard, luckily, so if we hurry, we might still get them”, the sellsword said. “I did what you asked me for”
Ayden had trouble actually keeping up with Jaron, who nearly ran through the streets. He was armed, but unarmoured, merely having the time to grab his sword. They had wasted enough time already and after what Ayden just told him, this was big. Possibly a game changer for him. Maybe even a chance to catch up to Abbas and Bakr.
“It was a coincidence”, Ayden said, as both rushed through the streets, approaching the finer parts of the city. “I didn't want to keep an eye on it anymore. Have wasted a lot of time doing that, but I did it for you and for Harpy” He smiled thinly. “Also because Taria asked me to and she can be quite persuasive”
“I'm glad you did it”, Jaron said, allowing himself to feel a ray of hope. “Thank you” Ayden shrugged. “Eh, you're welcome”, he replied. “But you should know what you're heading into. These two looked business. Dangerous men, killers”
“Solvers?”, Jaron asked and Ayden shook his head. “Leftovers at best”, he replied. “The worst left with the Alley Cats. The rest found new work, for the dozens that fight for control over Oldtown now” His tone was serious as he spoke. “Don't underestimate these people. There are only two of them, but you're alone and if I were you, I wouldn't pick a fight with either”
“You don't come with me?”, Jaron asked and Ayden shook his head. “Don't ask me”, he pleaded. “I won't put myself in danger anymore, not so close to Taria giving birth” Jaron smiled, though the thought of a happy family caused a new sting to flash through his chest. “That child is changing you”, he replied and Ayden gave him a nod. “For the better though”, he confirmed.
With these, they stopped in front of the building. The Burned Man's mansion was still empty, no lord trying to buy it, no one even trying to loot it, a final gesture of respect for a man who actually cared for those that had no other. Not that there was much left to loot. Those that deserved it, the children of Oldtown, the Burned Man's surviving followers, even Erik Inchfield, they had been paid in full. Jaron had watched over this, had paid them and while it would have been easy, taking the Burned Man's gold to pay for his own cause, that wasn't him. A knight was no thief, no matter how low he had sunken in the past months.
“How long has it been that they went in there?”, he asked, spotting the sign of a torch, someone illuminating a room in the mansion. He knew the outline of the building, knew it had to be the Burned Man's office, one of the few rooms that still held valuables.
“Two hours, give or take”, Ayden said. “Are you sure you want to go in there? We could call for the city guard” Jaron narrowed his eyes. “No guard”, he growled. “Those corrupt bastards are the last I need right now” Ayden shook his head. “The new commander is more capable than the old one”, he said. “A bastard like you”
“I've met him”, Jaron replied. “We didn't get along. Doubt he'd be happy to see me” He looked at the sellsword, perhaps the closest he still had for a friend in these days. Ayden was not Martin though and as close as they had grown, there was an air of professionalism between them still. “Thank you. Please wait for me” Ayden gave him a nod. “I'll stay right here”, he promised.
And so, he went into the mansion. It was dark inside, darker than on the outside where the setting sun was still bathing Oldtown in a red light. Jaron had a hand on his sword, though he wasn't going to draw it. After all, he could not be sure who would be in there. But they were the first in two months who entered the mansion without his knowing, ever since Harpy was taken. He doubted Abbas and Bakr came back, but there had to be a reason for two men entering the mansion now. And in a city where everything was connected, he doubted this would not have anything to do with this all.
“You got anything?”, a deep voice growled. “Nope”, a second one spoke, audibly moving through some documents. “There's so much shit here. That guy wrote down everything. Who cares for trade deals with some Tyroshi fuck?”
“That cripple”, the first voice replied. “Well, you gotta hurry. I don't want to be here when the sun sets. I don't trust that place and I don't like it” Jaron got closer to the voices, who in turn got louder the more he approached their position. They left the door open and their careless talk was echoing through the building, drowning out any noise Jaron was afraid of making.
He slowly approached the door, carefully staying in the shadows, while watching the light of a torch. He saw the man holding it from behind, a tall, broad-shouldered guy with short, brown hair. He was wearing dark clothes, a mere vest covering his chest, exposing scarred arms. A bastard sword was leaning against the table next to him as he studied a couple of papers, his back turned on Jaron.
The knight tensed up, as he did not manage to spot the other man. Slowly, he moved closer, trying to get a better glance into the room before deciding on a course of action. Were these men mere looters? Surely the respect the underworld of Oldtown had for the Burned Man would eventually fade, especially with how rapidly the city was changing.
All of a sudden, as Jaron was almost able to glance through the doorway, a man, clad in dark armour, jumped into his field of view, grabbing him by the throat and pushing him back into the hallway before he was able to draw his sword. A second later, he was thankful he drew no steel of his own, as he noticed the dagger in the man's hand, pressed on his throat.
“Who are you?”, the stranger growled. He was only marginally shorter than the other man, with tanned skin and short hair of a darker colour. A short beard stubble covered his face, a handsome face, though one eye was missing, crude scar tissue disfiguring the spot where it used to be. The other eye was green and piercing, filled with rage. “Who the fuck are you?”
The dagger nearly pierced Jaron's throat, who did not dare to draw his sword in return. Just one tiny movement from this obviously angry man and he'd be dead. One tiny mistake. The other man turned around, notably calmer. He was fair-skinned, a bit older than the other man and also missing an eye. In his case, a dark eye patch was covering it. His upper lip was adorned by an impressive moustache.
“Easy, Tem”, he advised his companion. “We don't want things to get ugly just yet” His single eye glanced at Jaron's hand, still clenched around the hilt of his sword, before he looked at the young knight, who was uncomfortably in the other man's grasp. “I suppose you're not going to draw that?”, he asked.
Jaron gulped, which brought his flesh even closer to the knife. “Depends”, he managed to utter. “Are you going to kill me?” The man chuckled deeply, before he shrugged. “Depends”, he replied in kind. “We're no looters. What we're looking for holds value only to me and him. It's information. Do you belong to the Burned Man's organization?”
He gave his companion a nod and finally, the angry man removed the dagger from his neck. The first thing Jaron did was taking a deep, thankful breath, as momentary relief filled him. He let go of the hilt of his sword, which seemed like a good decision right now. “The Burned Man is dead”, he spoke.
To this, the man with the eyepatch gave him a nod. “Aye, so we've heard”, he growled. “But his men remain in the city, so I'm going to ask you again, are you part of them?” Jaron hesitated with his answer. They did not seem to be city guard material, but the angry one, he could be a textbook Solver with a temper like that. Being greeted like this, a dagger to his throat, it left a sour taste in him and he could not contain an angry glare at the man who nearly killed him. Still, he decided that honesty would be the best policy for the time being and he gave the other one a nod.
A grin appeared on the man's face, as he pointed into the office. “Splendid”, he snarled. “Take a seat then, I have a question for you” He himself walked around the desk, placing himself in the Burned Man's strong, oaken chair, his feet resting on the table itself. Jaron frowned at this, though remained silent. He took seat in front of the table, noticing the other man blocking the door behind him.
“My name is John Gutten”, the man with the eyepatch introduced himself. “My friend is Temari Keys” He gave Jaron a long look, until Jaron realized that this was his time for introductions. “Jaron”, he said briefly. “Ser Jaron... the Bastard”
Temari behind him chuckled, though John merely nodded. “A bastard knight”, he stated. “Not what I expected, but I'll take it. Knew a bastard knight in your age once and he was the finest man I've ever known” He crossed his arms. “We're searching for two men who have last been seen working for your former boss”, he spoke. “They are Ghiscari, the scum of Slaver's Bay”
Now, Jaron's eyes widened, his heart beginning to beat faster. “Abbas and Bakr”, he spat and John raised an eyebrow over his eyepatch. “You know them?”, he replied and Jaron gave him a quick nod. “Why are you looking for them?”, he asked, his fists clenched.
John exchanged a look with Temari, before he answered. “They took two women”, he spoke and Jaron recognized the anger in his voice. “Janae, my... friend. A sister might put it a bit better. And Tem's sister by blood, Behara” He looked around the room. “We hoped the Burned Man could give us answers, or at least his remaining supporters”, he spoke. “And here you are... from your tone, I take you have a quarrel of your own with them, huh?”
Jaron gulped, his breaths coming faster. “They took the woman I love”, he answered and John narrowed his eyes. Behind him, Temari took a sharp breath. “Bastards...”, he muttered. Finally, John smiled, sympathetically even. “And you know where to find them?”, he asked.
To this, Jaron gave him a nod. “I have an idea”, he confirmed. “But it won't be easy getting there” John's smile turned into a happy grin. “Fucking finally...”, he mumbled and rose from his chair. “Ser, it appears we have a common enemy and a common goal” Briefly glancing at Temari, he continued. “I am sorry for... that. Not the best way of getting introduced to a possible ally. I will hear more of your story, but I'd first like to ask forgiveness”, he said and extended his hand. “So, what do you say... Bygones?”
[Shake his hand] [Refuse the handshake]
Well, now you can see where my free time went to in the last months
I have tried to make it as large and content-filled as possible and will likely only expand it as the story grows larger. It actually grew quite a bit in the last months, as I finished the tropes for the independent characters and did some work on the newly added Dorne section. Anyways, I am very glad you like it!
[Shake his hand]
Drinking and bar brawls in Oldtown, oh how low my bastard knight has sunken
That said, I think his state is the reaction I'd expect from him after learning of Harpy's kidnapping. And I love the determination Jaron is showing here to find her. Then that ending, oh man, I should've seen this coming, but I totally did not, and now I'm so hyped! 
[Shake his hand] Hell YES! This is the epic team up I did not know I needed before I got it!
I really should've seen this coming because they have the exact same goal, but I guess two PoVs colliding is just something you never expect to happen. That said, I couldn't be happier for this! I've always liked John, but I haven't always been super invested in his storyline. However, now I couldn't be more invested, because he is teamed up with my very own bastard knight! 
This is going to be one awesome adventure.
It was nice seeing Ayden too, I wonder if he will be staying in Oldtown with Taria and their baby, or if they'll find a new place to live in. And Oldtown seems to be changing, with a bit of a power vacuum in the underworld now that Butterfly and the Alley Cats are gone. I wonder if the change will be for better or worse.
Indeed, Jaron is very determined to find Harpy again, arguably to an almost worrying degree, as he recklessly took on a much stronger opponent here, who could have hurt him really bad if not for Ayden's timely intervention. The problem is, he knows where she will be taken to most likely, but that is an incredibly costly journey and he doesn't have the coin for it. Getting it has proven to be a frustratingly slow task and in his frustration, Jaron has to vent somehow. The classical remedies here are alcohol and violence, so he tries the former to get ready for the latter, to gain coin for his end goal. Not the best combination, but there might be a way out now.
Hehe, I was very excited for a John/Jaron team-up for a long while now
Ever since I decided that Abbas is going to capture Harpy and Janae, this was the only logical conclusion. Giving both of them their own journey completely unrelated to the other despite the similarity of their struggle felt like a bad move, so now you got a team-up to look forward for. I am not entirely sure about the technical aspects of this team-up, as both of them are going to remain PoV's, but are also going to spend a lot of time together. It is possible that each on their own will receive slightly less amount of individual parts, but both together will form one Super-PoV that will likely receive more spotlight than any single PoV on their own. It is also likely that Jaron will be the main PoV of this team-up, as I think his more inexperienced reaction to this whole situation and their journey in general could make for a more interesting viewpoint, though John definitely has a lot of parts coming up for him as well 
Ayden has some plans, though I had no room of showing them in this part. He and Taria will both appear together in this chapter and we will see what their plans for the future hold. Oldtown itself is quite a bad place right now, this much can be said. The Burned Man, for all his flaws, provided stability and regulation. Butterfly, for all his even more considerable flaws, provided subjugation through fear. With both of them and their entire respective inner circle gone at the same time, there is a huge vacuum in terms of power and many are trying to gain control over what is left. Jaron himself could have gained such power actually, having been so close to the Number Two of the Burned Man's organization, but he decided against it, since he still very much considers himself a knight and since his goals are way too important to him to spend the rest of his days in Oldtown. At least for the time being, the situation is for the worse, as always when a power vacuum explodes into violence, though who knows, something good might actually come out of it. We know that Oldtown is considered to be the most beautiful city in Westeros in the novels, so something big must have happened in the meantime.