[Share your knowledge with Gravven] Friend. Good trusting friend.
[Leave her out of it] Malien is obviously a spy and honey trap. Don’t trust her whatsoever.
Throughout all this, Gravven was barely containing a wide grin and he even allowed himself a brief chuckle as Arrec staggered back to his feet. Frowning with pain the Lord of Seagard stumbled against a wall, closing his eyes, then opening them widely. When he removed the hand from his cheek, Kyra spotted a red mark that would turn into a well-deserved bruise in time.
This is my kind of guy. Love the Drumm.
Ryler. Wolf bite. Very interesting. Clearly he wouldn’t have survived if it was a direwolf. I now wonder if Wolfius wargs into another beast or maybe it really was just a regular wolf. Or maybe Lupin, who I suspect is that enemy of Noelle’s. Wolfius’s location surely will be interesting. If he were around I would have thought he would stop by the Harking home already. Leonard is there but Wolfius and Leonard have never met, although they would have fought in that one alternate choice path. Curious to see if he does show up.
Kyra
With a frown, Kyra shook her head. “That's none of our business”, she stated, though feeling a hint of pity for the Mallister girl. … moreShe sighed, cursing the time she had spent in these lands. Such was the Greenlander fate and Elaena wouldn't be the first, nor the last to suffer this. Dreading the thought she could grow soft, Kyra tensed up, forcing herself to look away from the sobbing girl and her beast of a father.
Gravven gave her a nod. “My thought exactly”, he mumbled. “Glad we're on the same page here, captain” Yet even he looked away as the lord grabbed his daughter harshly by the wrist. With him, it was disgust for Arrec though, not pity for Elaena. “That's for the king to decide and I'd be a fool to mess with his affairs”
“We know how that ends”, Kyra said darkly and Gravven sighed, as they both ignored the argument breaking out between Arrec Mallister and his daughter. Though, that wasn't quite right. It wasn't an argum… [view original content]
Kyra
With a frown, Kyra shook her head. “That's none of our business”, she stated, though feeling a hint of pity for the Mallister girl. … moreShe sighed, cursing the time she had spent in these lands. Such was the Greenlander fate and Elaena wouldn't be the first, nor the last to suffer this. Dreading the thought she could grow soft, Kyra tensed up, forcing herself to look away from the sobbing girl and her beast of a father.
Gravven gave her a nod. “My thought exactly”, he mumbled. “Glad we're on the same page here, captain” Yet even he looked away as the lord grabbed his daughter harshly by the wrist. With him, it was disgust for Arrec though, not pity for Elaena. “That's for the king to decide and I'd be a fool to mess with his affairs”
“We know how that ends”, Kyra said darkly and Gravven sighed, as they both ignored the argument breaking out between Arrec Mallister and his daughter. Though, that wasn't quite right. It wasn't an argum… [view original content]
Malien is obviously a spy and honey trap. Don’t trust her whatsoever.
Malien? Well, she did kinda come out of nowhere, apparently, and she's kinda friendly with Arthur, though a Sherryl she's not... probably. She might have a couple secrets though, can't blame you for choosing distrust by default here. We'll see if it is justified and that much I can say, there will be several instances in Book 2 where distrust actually is a very advisable reaction.
Ryler. Wolf bite. Very interesting. Clearly he wouldn’t have survived if it was a direwolf. I now wonder if Wolfius wargs into another beast or maybe it really was just a regular wolf. Or maybe Lupin, who I suspect is that enemy of Noelle’s.
All interesting theories. I can confirm that now that Arthur has continued to work with Ryler, we are going to get a definite answer to the first thing you bring up here. It definitely wasn't a direwolf who bit him, or else his leg would have been clean off, but it's still questionable if the wolf that bit him has been Wolfius, or one of his pack. As you might remember, the presence of Wolfius in Raylansfair causes the wolves to go crazy. They sense that there is this presence haunting their woods, occasionally possessing them and that is driving them into a mad frenzy, to the point where they behave not very typical for wolves anymore, such as outright attacking several strangers at once despite not being starving. So, it is possible that the wolf that attacked Ryler was actually just that, a wolf driven to a near-rabid state of mind.
Wolfius’s location surely will be interesting. If he were around I would have thought he would stop by the Harking home already. Leonard is there but Wolfius and Leonard have never met, although they would have fought in that one alternate choice path. Curious to see if he does show up.
I can confirm that Leonard is not on Wolfius' list. In fact, they don't know each other. It is very likely that Leonard has heard of him by listening to Jenna's and Richard's tales, but Wolfius does not know whom Leonard is. Probably a good thing, because this means he is not on the list. After all, while Wolfius is capable of killing randomly when in a foul mood, the ones he outright seeks to kill are those he has at least some sort of a connection with. If they would have fought in the alternative storyline, Leonard would have been on the list for sure and likely even on top of it, or nearly at least. In this particular storyline, Wolfius would have been the villain of his arc, instead of Mullendore and he would have, in fact, remained in service of Raylansfair and therefore House Vyrwel. Depending on choices made by Jenna (who knows the truth after all), he could have broken ties with Petyr and Maron later on, but would have never openly stood against them as long as Wolfius has to be dealt with, as that guy would have been his priority target.
[Share your knowledge with Gravven] Friend. Good trusting friend.
[Leave her out of it] Malien is obviously a spy and honey trap. Don’t t… morerust her whatsoever.
Throughout all this, Gravven was barely containing a wide grin and he even allowed himself a brief chuckle as Arrec staggered back to his feet. Frowning with pain the Lord of Seagard stumbled against a wall, closing his eyes, then opening them widely. When he removed the hand from his cheek, Kyra spotted a red mark that would turn into a well-deserved bruise in time.
This is my kind of guy. Love the Drumm.
Ryler. Wolf bite. Very interesting. Clearly he wouldn’t have survived if it was a direwolf. I now wonder if Wolfius wargs into another beast or maybe it really was just a regular wolf. Or maybe Lupin, who I suspect is that enemy of Noelle’s. Wolfius’s location surely will be interesting. If he were around I would have thought he would stop by the Harking home alread… [view original content]
[Keep it a secret] Don't want to screw over our chances of possibly swapping Kyra over to Team Trident. [Leave her out of it] Here we go! Arthur back on the Wolfius case. Buddy Cops Ryler and Arthur about to get into a chase scene as they flee the hospital while being pursued by two bad mofos in some weird masks.
Kyra
With a frown, Kyra shook her head. “That's none of our business”, she stated, though feeling a hint of pity for the Mallister girl. … moreShe sighed, cursing the time she had spent in these lands. Such was the Greenlander fate and Elaena wouldn't be the first, nor the last to suffer this. Dreading the thought she could grow soft, Kyra tensed up, forcing herself to look away from the sobbing girl and her beast of a father.
Gravven gave her a nod. “My thought exactly”, he mumbled. “Glad we're on the same page here, captain” Yet even he looked away as the lord grabbed his daughter harshly by the wrist. With him, it was disgust for Arrec though, not pity for Elaena. “That's for the king to decide and I'd be a fool to mess with his affairs”
“We know how that ends”, Kyra said darkly and Gravven sighed, as they both ignored the argument breaking out between Arrec Mallister and his daughter. Though, that wasn't quite right. It wasn't an argum… [view original content]
Well, it hasn't been the most active voting, but neither have I been the most active on here in the past couple days, because I was quite busy. That is over now and I have the time to write again, so that is a good thing I can't say I am particularly surprised by your choices here. Gravven seems to be a fairly well-liked character, so involving him more closely in this seems like a logical choice, though it remains to be what outcome it will lead to. Furthermore, I was pretty certain you would not risk getting someone else dragged into the current affairs in Raylansfair, as the Sphynx certainly wouldn't have been pleased with Malien if she would have ended up helping Ryler.
The next part should be out later today, though a lot of writing is still left to do, after the busy past two days. It will mark the return of a PoV that hasn't been seen in this chapter at all so far, namely Samantha. As it has been hinted at earlier in this chapter, there will be a meeting between most of the major characters involved with the resistance against Petyr and Maron and it will be seen through Samantha's eyes. The whole thing is set about two days after we have last seen Richard and Jenna and will hopefully have some pretty exciting interaction between the characters, most of whom you probably expect, though there should be one surprising attendant during this meeting as well
And well, it is time for my all-time favourites, the links. Ah, it can't take them too long to fix the main post, right? I feel like I'm getting more and more cynical every time I give you these links, but one of these days, they just have to listen, right?
If you are a new reader, allow me to welcome you! Check out the first post on Page 1 to learn more about this!
And for readers new and old, here is a collection of important links you might be interested in:
It was already noon when Samantha spotted Harking's farm in the distance. A weary smile formed on her face, as the march through the cold was over at last. Hailing from the North, it hadn't left much of a mark on her, but Davith and especially Sasha were outright suffering and Samantha was glad for their sake.
It had been a harsh night and she knew, the first snow wouldn't need much longer to arrive in these lands. Right now, the sky was a plain grey and the air was chilly, the ground already beginning to freeze. They had passed the bridge earlier, Jarow's bridge as the locals called it and the waters below had been frozen over the night.
Though wearing a coat of brown fur, Samantha was still notably less protected against the cold than her companions, neither was she particularly bothered by it. It almost felt like home, if home wouldn't be but a string of painful memories, one worse than the other.
Davith had his hood up, protecting his head from the winds, his hands hidden beneath his coat, as he was clenching his teeth, trying not to make her see how heavily he disliked the current weather. Sasha meanwhile had no hood, but the thick fur still looked strange on her, compared to her usual wardrobe. Used to the mild winters of the east, she was openly and unashamedly shivering. A second shawl covered her upper chest and neck, partially to protect it from the cold and partially to hide the gruesome scar Rodrik Stone had left her with when he nearly cut her throat.
Stone was dead, even if the consequences of his actions continued to haunt Samantha and those close to her. Sasha had taken weeks to recover and even now she wasn't fully back to her former strength. And that was nothing compared to Nymeria and Jaro, both of whom had left the city since in the last two months.
Jaro had been the first to leave, just weeks after John and Tem had started their journey. Though he had the decency to say his goodbyes, he never told her his destination. He was going after Akjen, that was all she knew, but not where he was hoping to find his last living brother. All she knew was that he had left through Raylansfair's eastern gate, without looking back.
As much as Jaro's absence pained her, it was Nymeria's withdrawal she truly regretted. Unlike Jaro, the woman had left in the middle of the night, not saying anything, her absence not noticed until hours later. Samantha had even less of an idea about her destination, but couldn't help but feel guilty for it. For leaving her alone after the loss she had suffered, even if she, of all people, should have known better.
But there would be a time to dwell on these mistakes. Right now, they had to deal with the threat on hand and it was for this that Samantha had made her way to the Harking farm today, for the first time. Only Davith had been here before, back when Jenna introduced him to one of Richard Harking's guests.
Speaking of Jenna, she saw the coming. Opening the door from afar, she hesitated for a moment, before sheepishly waving them over. Davith sported a friendly grin, while Sasha rolled her eyes, as they both fastened their pace. Samantha needed a moment longer, but eventually caught up to them, as they reached the house.
“I'm glad you made it”, Jenna said as Samantha put a hand onto her upper arm, confidently smiling at her. “Sorry for being so late”, she stated and Jenna shrugged. “The rest is already here”, she replied and her eyes widened, as she remembered something. “But the stew shouldn't be all cold yet, I can get you some if you're hungry!”
Quickly, they hurried inside and Samantha was greeted by the sight of three faces, only one of which was familiar. A wide smile appeared on her face as she spotted Leonard Constantine. He looked changed, almost humbled, wearing the plain clothes of a commoner, the sullen look on his face cracking up by a tiny amount as he saw them.
“You son of a bitch”, Sasha mumbled, her smile even wider than Samantha's, as she stepped up first, to give Leonard a pat on the shoulder. To her surprise, Leonard turned the gesture into a hug, which she accepted after briefly tensing up. His smile was thin, thinner than she remembered, but it was genuine. As Samantha walked up to him, no words needed to be exchanged. They embraced silently and Leonard gave her a nod.
The other two in the room were women and Samantha knew neither. Both were young, pale-skinned and with dark hair. Good-looking for sure, though the one to Leonard's right had a haunted, sickly look on her face, her grey eyes nonetheless widening as she spotted Davith. Briefly, a smile flashed over her face, genuinely sweet, yet with even more hesitation than any look of joy on Jenna's face. Samantha was quick to notice such things and she knew, this woman had been through too much. Dressed in simple leather, one of her hands rested on her side and she was leaning uncomfortably in her chair, indicating pain originating from somewhere near her ribs.
“Hey”, Davith greeted her and she gave him a nod. “Uh, Sammy, Sasha, this is Kersea Catelins. She's the one Brandon asked me to contact” Kersea gulped, her smile remaining for a little longer. “And I'm glad you did”, she admitted. “My sister is safe. That's reason enough to do this. Reason to stay. To... atone”
Samantha raised an eyebrow, though she did not ask any further. She knew Davith's tale, how he had gotten out of Oldtown and how he had made a promise to one of the men that had escaped with him. And given how clearly uncomfortable Kersea was with their presence, she considered it wise not to pry too much.
Instead, she glanced at the other woman. Stunningly beautiful, she was quietly looking at them, the look in her blue eyes unsettlingly inquisitive, as she calmly studied each of the newcomers, while playing with a strand of her long, dark hair. “Well, isn't that heartwarming?”, she asked, putting a hand onto her chest. “My name is Saerya, I'm working at the castle”
The look Jenna gave her was not the only proof that there was more to this woman and this time, Samantha couldn't contain her curiosity. “You're a servant?”, she asked, not even hiding her disbelief. The way she looked, the way she spoke, that was impeccable. There was knowledge behind these eyes, more than a common woman could ever hope to get at such an age.
Saerya smirked coldly. “For the moment”, she admitted. “I have contacts that can help and a common enemy in Mullendore and Vyrwel. That is all you need to know for the time being” Jenna gulped. “I trust her”, she assured everyone and to Samantha's surprise, Leonard nodded at this. “I can confirm she's an ally”, he added and it was this detail that made Samantha's distrust grow a bit weaker. If even Leonard Constantine was willing to trust this woman, then surely she had done something to prove herself.
In this moment, the back door got pushed open and Richard Harking himself walked in. Samantha hadn't had much contact with the man before, though as he stood there, tall, muscled and with a sword on his belt, he did not seem like a farmer, but like a warrior, perhaps just the kind they needed in days like this. In fact, he seemed more a hero than even Leonard, the knight among them. A leader, who brought them all together, united against one common enemy.
His bearded face was stern, serious, yet not unfriendly, as he nodded. “Good afternoon”, he greeted them. “Welcome at my farm. Grab a seat, we shall start at once” Jenna looked up, while Samantha gladly took the offer, sitting down close to the window and opposing Leonard and Kersea. Sasha took a seat next to her, while Davith sat down to her other side and next to Saerya, whom he smiled at in a friendly way. She rolled her eyes, a gesture Samantha only reciprocated.
“Isn't Uncle Alan going to join us?”, Jenna asked and Richard sighed, clenching his fists. “He won't”, he told her. “Not today, or ever again” To this, Jenna nodded, looking down at her feet. “Okay”, she mumbled, glancing around the group, not comfortable with the number of newcomers. “Does... does anyone like some stew? It's not a very good one, I'm sorry, but there's rabbit in it and carrots and...”
“I'll take one”, Davith proclaimed. “I'm sure it's great!” He gave her a friendly smile and for a second, Jenna showed him the same expression in return, before she hurried to the other side of the large room, where a pot was standing. Samantha raised her hand. “I'll take one as well, if you don't mind”, she called and Jenna nodded without turning around.
“So, you threw Alan out at last, huh?”, Leonard said, before he shrugged. “Can't say I'm sorry for him. The man had it coming. At least now he can't sabotage our plans anymore” Richard sighed, as he sat down, next to Jenna's empty chair. “I wouldn't be so sure about that one”, he admitted. “I'm afraid we haven't seen the last of Alan yet. He has never been one to give up so easily. His pride is wounded and he's angry”
“Well, if you need someone to kill him, I'm sure Kersea here is just the one you need”, Leonard chuckled and Kersea threw him a brief, dark glare. “I told you”, she pressed through her teeth, pain slightly distorting her voice. “If there is anyone I have to kill, it's Maron Mullendore” Richard raised an eyebrow, glancing at her side. “Are you feeling alright?”, he asked and Kersea gave him a tired nod.
“Though perhaps we don't even have to kill him”, Saerya brought up, to which Samantha smirked, as she shook her head in silence. The other woman noticed it, raising an eyebrow. “Don't get me wrong, I would not go out of my way to spare him, but our goal is to dispose of him. To neutralize him. In the long run, I have no doubt he will die, if we make his crimes public, but perhaps there is a more elegant solution than to do the deed ourselves”
“What if I want to do the deed?”, Samantha asked, her fists clenched and her smirk turning into a warped expression of anger and bitterness. “What if I want to cut his head off his shoulders?” Saerya shrugged. “Then don't expect me to stop you. Though I believe our focus shouldn't be simple revenge and rest assured, I acknowledge that half the members of this group have a legitimate grudge against him, Lady Ducard”
Samantha's eyes widened as she was addressed by her last name. “How did you...?”, she started, but Saerya cut her off instantly, her smile now showing the tiniest amount of smugness. “By being the best”, she stated. “The game I play does not require the death of Maron Mullendore and Petyr Vyrwel, it requires to bring their plans to a full stop, to neutralize everyone involved with them and to make sure we put an end to things greater than each of them”
“I agree with this”, Richard said. “If it's revenge we want, we'd just have to wait until Kersea has recovered and she can put an end to this man” Kersea frowned and Richard instantly put a hand onto her shoulder. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...”, he started, though she sighed. “That is very much why I'm here”, she assured him. “But I doubt it'll be all that easy. Butterfly sees an enemy behind every corner. He expects his enemies to try and kill him, so he has the best guards in the entire Reach”
“The man with the mask”, Jenna mumbled, as she approached them, holding two bowls, one of which she handed to Davith, the other to Samantha. The stew in it was smelling wonderfully and Samantha smiled at the girl, who did not smile back. Instead, she looked almost scared. “The one that is leading them. He's terrifying”
“He's the one that murdered Lucas”, Leonard growled deeply and Samantha sighed, as she reached for the spoon. Tasting the stew, she had to admit it was actually quite good, or perhaps it was just that she was very hungry. “Yet another reason to approach things with a bigger picture in mind”, Saerya explained. “See, things won't remain the way they are here in the Reach. Big changes are coming and we have to act swiftly if we don't want Petyr Vyrwel to disturb these changes. At the least, we have to prevent him from gaining anything good out of them”
“What are you suggesting then?”, Davith asked, not looking away from the beautiful woman. She only briefly glanced at him. “I suggest we expose him. Once he's down in the gutter, an outcast, a wanted man, then you can each take your revenge, I don't care. But first, we have to make sure that the names Petyr Vyrwel and Maron Mullendore are worth nothing, that every lord in this kingdom knows of what they did”
“Evidence, huh?”, Samantha stated. “That shouldn't be too hard. We all know what happened” Saerya rolled her eyes. “Yeah, so we just walk up to the king and tell him all about it”, she replied in a mocking voice. “We have one highborn knight among us, from a minor family of courtiers” She glanced at Leonard. “Wanted as a traitor. Petyr Vyrwel is among the most powerful lords in the Reach and Mullendore is a personal friend of Manfred Hightower of Oldtown”
“Yeah... that might be a bit of a problem”, Samantha admitted, though Saerya was not done yet. “And they are seeking to enhance their influence. There's something going on with Devrin Oakheart. Petyr's youngest sister is to marry his son and heir. I'm not sure how Oakheart is involved with this, but I shall find out”, she explained. “And more. Petyr himself is unmarried. A young, powerful lord, his only child a bastard. He could have every woman in the Reach if he so desires and the lords have taken notice of this. Two of them are on their way to Raylansfair already, Camberlyng and Selwyn”
Leonard gulped and Saerya raised an eyebrow. “I... uh, do know Selwyn”, he admitted. “Word of warning, it might be wise if I leave the city while he's here. Me and Lord Donnel haven't parted on the best of terms” Saerya's smile widened. “I agree”, she replied. “You are a wanted man here. Might be a good idea to get you somewhere else, where you can help us without Richard here having to hide you”
As she said this, she looked at Richard. “And without you having to hide Leonard and Kersea, we might be able to focus on how to better utilize you”, she told him. “You are a man people look up to. The smallfolk trusts you, they respect you. The ones I spoke to even admired you. Men like Hal Recton or Philip Loren”
“You did your research, alright”, Leonard stated. “But where are we supposed to go?” He threw a quick glance at Kersea. “And do I have to drag her along?” Kersea narrowed her eyes, but said nothing. Instead, Saerya shook her head, chuckling softly. “You have to do nothing, Ser. You are a grown man and not my subordinate. But I assume you have a genuine interest in stopping these men”
As Leonard nodded firmly, Samantha noticed Sasha tensing up. Her eyes narrowed, as they exchanged a quick glance. “Richard, uh...”, Sasha started, looking uncomfortable in her chair. The farmer raised an eyebrow, while behind him, Saerya and Leonard continued their argument. “Do you... well, do you have, you know, a privy?”
Samantha grinned as Richard's eyes widened and next to him, Jenna was blushing vividly. “Uh, sure, it's behind the house. Through the back door, you can't miss it” Sasha jumped up. “Thank the gods”, she sighed. “I'll be back in a minute!” And with this, she rushed out of the door.
Richard looked after her, then at his daughter, who was only barely holding back a sweet, innocent smile, an expression that caused his gaze to soften with fatherly love. Saerya shrugged, before she continued. “There is one player in this game whom I know too little about so far”, she revealed. “Maybe you can find out more. His name is Quent and he is...”
“Fuck...”, Leonard instantly mumbled. “Archmaester Quent? Yeah, I met the guy. We haven't parted on the best of terms either” In a rare moment of sarcasm, Kersea rolled her eyes. “What a surprise”, she stated, her tone completely deadpan and Leonard seemed outright surprised instead of angered. “Excuse me, do you have to add anything of value to this discussion?”, he snapped at her and for a second, they glared openly.
This time, it was a noise from the outside that caused them to focus on the window behind Samantha. She herself spun around, just in time to hear Sasha's angry growl. “Got you!”, the woman barked, over the pained, scared, yet muffled screams of a man. A second later, the door got pushed open and she threw someone inside. “That weasel has been listening to our talk!”, Sasha growled, as she stepped in after him.
The man groaned, putting a hand onto his head and looking up. He was lanky, younger than Samantha would have expected from a spy and with strange hair, dyed blue, yet the blonde roots clearly showed. His simple clothes were covered in dirt and leaves, implying he had followed them through the underbrush for quite some time.
Jenna gasped audibly. “Saltmouth?”, she asked, to which Samantha raised an eyebrow. “Saltwhat?”, she replied, while the young man looked up, a forced grin on his face. “Oh, uh, hey Jenna”, he greeted her. “Your, uh, your place is nice. And that must be Old Man Harking! Pleasure to meet you, Ser, a great honour...”
He was going to say something else, but Sasha kicked him in the ribs just then, with a ferocity that caused Kersea to wince and the young man to shut up instantly. “What are you doing here?”, she spat, while Richard looked at his daughter. “You know this boy?”, he asked sternly and Jenna's cheeks turned a bright red. “I... yeah...”, she began to stutter. “That is... his name is... Salt... Vali...”
“Vali Flowers”, Saerya interjected impatiently. “Assistant to Maester Eddard” Leonard narrowed his eyes as he rose from his chair. “Eddard”, he growled. “Another one of Vyrwel's creatures” He approached the downed Vali, while Sasha pulled him up and together, they pressed him against the wall, while he seemed visibly terrified now.
“How much have you heard?”, Leonard barked and Sasha answered to that. “Almost since the beginning”, she explained. “I wasn't too sure though, so I went outside to look and well, there he is” Vali smiled at her, though her glare wiped the expression off his face. “So, you are spying for Vyrwel?”, Leonard spat at him. “Does he know we are here?”
To this, Vali shook his head, fervently so. “What? No, no, no”, he assured them. “I'm not working for any Vyrwel! I was just in the area, when I saw some interesting folk gathering around here, so I... well, I was a bit curious” His grin was audacious and by now, Samantha had risen from her chair as well. Davith meanwhile remained sitting next to Saerya, whispering something, to which she gave him an almost angry glare. “Not. Now”, she hissed.
“You do know him?”, Richard asked, concern oozing from his voice as Jenna gulped, trying to hide in her own dress, the collar of which she had pulled up to her lower lip. “It's really not like that”, she whispered towards him, while Samantha approached Sasha and Leonard, still holding Vali against the wall.
“So, that's how you want to play, huh?”, Sasha asked. “I'll give you one last chance. What were you doing here? More yet, for whom were you spying on us? Is it Vyrwel, or Mullendore?” Vali raised an eyebrow. “Oh, not that Butterfly cunt”, he assured her, before gulping. “I mean, none of them. Really, I can't tell you. Come on, just let go of me, no harm done”
Sasha rolled her eyes, while Leonard narrowed his. “You mentioned Butterfly”, he growled, his voice quickly growing louder. “How do you know that. HOW?” Vali tensed up in his grip. “Did I say Butterfly?”, he asked. “Who is that supposed to be? I'm not working for any butterfly” He spotted Leonard clenched fist, realizing what was about to happen. “Oh, fuck...”, he mumbled. “Listen, I'm not going to tell anyone what I heard today, alright?”
“Samantha...”, Richard mumbled, still mostly focussing on his daughter, while she stood closest to Leonard and Sasha. The other woman shook her head. “Do you want to punch the truth out of him, or shall I?” Leonard smirked coldly. “You know me too well”, he replied, as he raised his fist and Samantha knew, if she wanted to, she had to act now.
[Do not intervene] Oh you just happened to be in the area eh? Vali, you made the wrong choice buddy. He obviously knows something, something that needs to be pressed out of him. God knows we need everything we can get to take down Mullendore.
Samantha
It was already noon when Samantha spotted Harking's farm in the distance. A weary smile formed on her face, as the march through… more the cold was over at last. Hailing from the North, it hadn't left much of a mark on her, but Davith and especially Sasha were outright suffering and Samantha was glad for their sake.
It had been a harsh night and she knew, the first snow wouldn't need much longer to arrive in these lands. Right now, the sky was a plain grey and the air was chilly, the ground already beginning to freeze. They had passed the bridge earlier, Jarow's bridge as the locals called it and the waters below had been frozen over the night.
Though wearing a coat of brown fur, Samantha was still notably less protected against the cold than her companions, neither was she particularly bothered by it. It almost felt like home, if home wouldn't be but a string of painful memories, one worse than the other.
Davith had his hood u… [view original content]
[Do not intervene] Saltmouth need to take things a little more serious
RT:
1)In this Samantha Pov we discover something important...that winter is coming!
2)While I expected that Jaro had already left the city to find his brother I'm surprised that even Nymeria left the party...I'm curious to see where we will see her again
3)It seems ages from the last time that we see Samantha,Sasha and Davith and I'm happy to see them again
4)I like read of the meeting from Samantha Pov and read her opinion about the other members of it (I'm curious to read her reaction when she will learn Kersea's previous profession or Saerya real role in the city)
5)Speaking of the meeting I admit that I kinda expect the presence of a certain tavern owner (since the man was a little obsessed to obtain revenge the last time we see him) and I found Aylard absence is a little strange
6)Oh oh two Lords are going to try to make their daughters marry Petyr! I expect that the city is going to be even more crowded
7)Saltmouth is REALLY not a smart kid eh?Say that you know Mullendore real identity from nowhere wasn't a smart move
8)Speaking of Vali,I expect that the kid and the maester work for Quent (since he is the man that send them to Raylainsfair) or the Tavner guy (because the brother of the maester work for him)
Samantha
It was already noon when Samantha spotted Harking's farm in the distance. A weary smile formed on her face, as the march through… more the cold was over at last. Hailing from the North, it hadn't left much of a mark on her, but Davith and especially Sasha were outright suffering and Samantha was glad for their sake.
It had been a harsh night and she knew, the first snow wouldn't need much longer to arrive in these lands. Right now, the sky was a plain grey and the air was chilly, the ground already beginning to freeze. They had passed the bridge earlier, Jarow's bridge as the locals called it and the waters below had been frozen over the night.
Though wearing a coat of brown fur, Samantha was still notably less protected against the cold than her companions, neither was she particularly bothered by it. It almost felt like home, if home wouldn't be but a string of painful memories, one worse than the other.
Davith had his hood u… [view original content]
Samantha
It was already noon when Samantha spotted Harking's farm in the distance. A weary smile formed on her face, as the march through… more the cold was over at last. Hailing from the North, it hadn't left much of a mark on her, but Davith and especially Sasha were outright suffering and Samantha was glad for their sake.
It had been a harsh night and she knew, the first snow wouldn't need much longer to arrive in these lands. Right now, the sky was a plain grey and the air was chilly, the ground already beginning to freeze. They had passed the bridge earlier, Jarow's bridge as the locals called it and the waters below had been frozen over the night.
Though wearing a coat of brown fur, Samantha was still notably less protected against the cold than her companions, neither was she particularly bothered by it. It almost felt like home, if home wouldn't be but a string of painful memories, one worse than the other.
Davith had his hood u… [view original content]
Samantha
It was already noon when Samantha spotted Harking's farm in the distance. A weary smile formed on her face, as the march through… more the cold was over at last. Hailing from the North, it hadn't left much of a mark on her, but Davith and especially Sasha were outright suffering and Samantha was glad for their sake.
It had been a harsh night and she knew, the first snow wouldn't need much longer to arrive in these lands. Right now, the sky was a plain grey and the air was chilly, the ground already beginning to freeze. They had passed the bridge earlier, Jarow's bridge as the locals called it and the waters below had been frozen over the night.
Though wearing a coat of brown fur, Samantha was still notably less protected against the cold than her companions, neither was she particularly bothered by it. It almost felt like home, if home wouldn't be but a string of painful memories, one worse than the other.
Davith had his hood u… [view original content]
Well, he is hiding something, that much is clear Samantha knows it, Leonard knows it, the only question is if beating him up is going to do anything to loosen his lips. After all, there's still a lot of things up in the air when it comes to him, how much he truly knows and how he could best be of assistance.
[Do not intervene] Oh you just happened to be in the area eh? Vali, you made the wrong choice buddy. He obviously knows something, something that needs to be pressed out of him. God knows we need everything we can get to take down Mullendore.
1)In this Samantha Pov we discover something important...that winter is coming!
Well, it is autumn for now and it will remain that way for one or two years at least, but the coming winter won't be the kindest, even down in the Reach and it can be felt already. Poor Sasha is suffering already under these temperatures, that is bound to get worse, whereas Samantha is going to feel at home soon enough.
2)While I expected that Jaro had already left the city to find his brother I'm surprised that even Nymeria left the party...I'm curious to see where we will see her again
Yeah, Nymeria leaving is a direct consequence of your choice in Chapter 9 of Book 1, where Samantha decided not to spend time with her. If she would have decided otherwise, Nymeria would have stayed and she would have also been part of this meeting. While respectfully giving her the room she needs, she also missed an opportunity to become closer to Nymeria, to eventually convince her that there's still something left for her in Raylansfair after Lenrianda's death. In the end, Nymeria remained mostly distant and one night, she decided to simply leave. However, we will see her again in this book, this much I can confirm, just in a different location and storyline.
3)It seems ages from the last time that we see Samantha,Sasha and Davith and I'm happy to see them again
It was ages! Neither has been seen in months and I am glad they are finally back in full. Samantha in particular should have an interesting storyline in this book, the beginnings of which are going to be revealed in her next part
4)I like read of the meeting from Samantha Pov and read her opinion about the other members of it (I'm curious to read her reaction when she will learn Kersea's previous profession or Saerya real role in the city)
Ah, glad to hear it! There is a lot Samantha does not yet know, though it can be assumed she won't have all that much of a negative reaction to Kersea's previous work. Being a sellsword, she is pretty much a killer for hire already, if the situation demands it and though she hates Mullendore like almost no one else, she can sympathize with the desire to keep a loved one safe at all costs. There is also the fact that Samantha could have easily gotten into Kersea's position. Remember, they were both victims of Mullendore's sick test for his new killers, where his men were sent to some remote northern farm to butcher a whole family, proving they can kill without remorse. Kersea survived thanks to her mother, but she and Briar were captured by Clayton in the process. Samantha survived by not being in the house at the time. If she would have been there, she would have died, or worse, she would have been taken like Kersea and as such, should she find out, there is most likely going to be a deep understanding between them, as they have been through the same horrifying situation. Saerya meanwhile, Samantha is likely going to have less of an understanding towards her, probably even some levels of distrust, because she is not particularly fond of the Targaryens and doesn't trust spies by default.
5)Speaking of the meeting I admit that I kinda expect the presence of a certain tavern owner (since the man was a little obsessed to obtain revenge the last time we see him) and I found Aylard absence is a little strange
Here I can confirm, Aylard was approached by Samantha, who carefully asked him if he would like to join. However, Aylard himself has changed as well over the last months. Still grieving, he is not ready to work with others, particularly men such as Leonard, whom he still has a grudge against. That being said, while he declined, he assured her that he will work against Mullendore on his own and that he won't stop them, nor get in their way, if they stay out of his business at least.
6)Oh oh two Lords are going to try to make their daughters marry Petyr! I expect that the city is going to be even more crowded
Well, Raylansfair will become more crowded for sure, but at the same time, I have the feeling that the location as a whole in Book 2 will become more manageable. Thing is, many characters will leave as well over the course of the next two chapters and as a whole, it should be mostly balanced out. For now though, the first lords will arrive at Raylansfair, to try and gain Petyr's favour when it comes to marrying their daughter.
7)Saltmouth is REALLY not a smart kid eh?Say that you know Mullendore real identity from nowhere wasn't a smart move
A slip of the tongue, it can probably be justified by Vali being actually still young and not quite as experienced as he'd like to appear, but also by the surprise and slight shock of being caught in the act by Sasha (definitely the scariest person in the room), restrained and yelled at. He did reveal, if by accident, that he knows a lot more than he let through at first, but by now, he is just stuttering, because he has never been in a situation quite like this.
8)Speaking of Vali,I expect that the kid and the maester work for Quent (since he is the man that send them to Raylainsfair) or the Tavner guy (because the brother of the maester work for him)
Hm, interesting theories! With Tavner at least, keep in mind that it was Vali who revealed Eddard's connection to the new crimelord in town. It might just have been another act of carelessness, but it makes Vali working for Tavner not quite as likely. Quent though, he remains an enigma, even to someone as well-informed as Saerya and then there are definitely other players in the shadows who haven't yet revealed their presence. Whom Vali does actually work for will be revealed in Samantha's next part
[Do not intervene] Saltmouth need to take things a little more serious
RT:
1)In this Samantha Pov we discover something important...that… more winter is coming!
2)While I expected that Jaro had already left the city to find his brother I'm surprised that even Nymeria left the party...I'm curious to see where we will see her again
3)It seems ages from the last time that we see Samantha,Sasha and Davith and I'm happy to see them again
4)I like read of the meeting from Samantha Pov and read her opinion about the other members of it (I'm curious to read her reaction when she will learn Kersea's previous profession or Saerya real role in the city)
5)Speaking of the meeting I admit that I kinda expect the presence of a certain tavern owner (since the man was a little obsessed to obtain revenge the last time we see him) and I found Aylard absence is a little strange
6)Oh oh two Lords are going to try to make their daughters marry Petyr! I expect … [view original content]
[Do not intervene] Leonard is sure not gonna go easy, but Vali literally opened his foot to insert the foot, so while I don't think he's directly involved with Mullendore or Vyrwel, he certainly knows something.
While Selwyn we already know about, Chamberlyng is a complete mystery, besides he's from an original House, so, we'll wait and see if he's as bad as both.
Samantha
It was already noon when Samantha spotted Harking's farm in the distance. A weary smile formed on her face, as the march through… more the cold was over at last. Hailing from the North, it hadn't left much of a mark on her, but Davith and especially Sasha were outright suffering and Samantha was glad for their sake.
It had been a harsh night and she knew, the first snow wouldn't need much longer to arrive in these lands. Right now, the sky was a plain grey and the air was chilly, the ground already beginning to freeze. They had passed the bridge earlier, Jarow's bridge as the locals called it and the waters below had been frozen over the night.
Though wearing a coat of brown fur, Samantha was still notably less protected against the cold than her companions, neither was she particularly bothered by it. It almost felt like home, if home wouldn't be but a string of painful memories, one worse than the other.
Davith had his hood u… [view original content]
[Hold Leonard back] Let's not jump into violence so easily. There must be better ways of getting the info out of him than beating him senseless. Plus, if he is someone we want on our good side, it'd probably be better to not have his first impression being a broken nose. Glad to see Sam back in the fray. Sasha seems to be back in her usual demeanor. I wonder what Davith whispered to Saerya. I think we found out what Davith's secret was, that he knew that Kersea's sister is still alive. I loved the awkward moment between Richard and Jenna when Saltmouth came in. Richard thinking his daughter was up to no good with this odd blue hair child. Vali is just as rambunctious as I imagined him as. Getting caught snooping on the old farmer's girl and her friends while they are planning a revolution. Then getting the snot beaten out of him by the grumpy uncle who's also a knight with PTSD. And the mean aunt with a strong right hook. What else could go wrong?
Samantha
It was already noon when Samantha spotted Harking's farm in the distance. A weary smile formed on her face, as the march through… more the cold was over at last. Hailing from the North, it hadn't left much of a mark on her, but Davith and especially Sasha were outright suffering and Samantha was glad for their sake.
It had been a harsh night and she knew, the first snow wouldn't need much longer to arrive in these lands. Right now, the sky was a plain grey and the air was chilly, the ground already beginning to freeze. They had passed the bridge earlier, Jarow's bridge as the locals called it and the waters below had been frozen over the night.
Though wearing a coat of brown fur, Samantha was still notably less protected against the cold than her companions, neither was she particularly bothered by it. It almost felt like home, if home wouldn't be but a string of painful memories, one worse than the other.
Davith had his hood u… [view original content]
[Do not intervene] Perhaps this will make Vali take the situation seriously and tell us something useful. That said, I think he is working for Tavner, who might be an enemy of Mullendore. So, in other words I suspect Saltmouth could potentially become an ally against Petyr and Maron.
It was nice seeing all these characters that hate Mullendore meet They are definitely underdogs in this fight, but at least they are working together. And man, Saerya's presence really makes a difference, she seems to be immediately taking the role of the brains of this operation. That said, I could see her motives clashing with other members of this group in the future. Anyway, I feel like we have a really interesting storyline ahead of us here
Samantha
It was already noon when Samantha spotted Harking's farm in the distance. A weary smile formed on her face, as the march through… more the cold was over at last. Hailing from the North, it hadn't left much of a mark on her, but Davith and especially Sasha were outright suffering and Samantha was glad for their sake.
It had been a harsh night and she knew, the first snow wouldn't need much longer to arrive in these lands. Right now, the sky was a plain grey and the air was chilly, the ground already beginning to freeze. They had passed the bridge earlier, Jarow's bridge as the locals called it and the waters below had been frozen over the night.
Though wearing a coat of brown fur, Samantha was still notably less protected against the cold than her companions, neither was she particularly bothered by it. It almost felt like home, if home wouldn't be but a string of painful memories, one worse than the other.
Davith had his hood u… [view original content]
[Do not intervene] In what world do I side against Leonard?
This part is among my favorites. Real clash of personalities. Very enjoyable. I have a few notes. Nymeria and Jaro gone, but not forgotten.
A wide smile appeared on her face as she spotted Leonard Constantine. He looked changed, almost humbled, wearing the plain clothes of a commoner, the sullen look on his face cracking up by a tiny amount as he saw them.
Hey, "almost humbled", hehe. Commoner garb.
“You son of a bitch”, Sasha mumbled, her smile even wider than Samantha's, as she stepped up first, to give Leonard a pat on the shoulder. To her surprise, Leonard turned the gesture into a hug, which she accepted after briefly tensing up. His smile was thin, thinner than she remembered, but it was genuine. As Samantha walked up to him, no words needed to be exchanged. They embraced silently and Leonard gave her a nod.
Kind of reminded me of the reunion of Rhys and Sasha in Episode 5 of the Tales From the Borderlands.
“Evidence, huh?”, Samantha stated. “That shouldn't be too hard. We all know what happened” Saerya rolled her eyes. “Yeah, so we just walk up to the king and tell him all about it”, she replied in a mocking voice. “We have one highborn knight among us, from a minor family of courtiers” She glanced at Leonard. “Wanted as a traitor. Petyr Vyrwel is among the most powerful lords in the Reach and Mullendore is a personal friend of Manfred Hightower of Oldtown”
A deviously handsome highborn knight from a minor family of courtiers is enough.
Leonard gulped and Saerya raised an eyebrow. “I... uh, do know Selwyn”, he admitted. “Word of warning, it might be wise if I leave the city while he's here. Me and Lord Donnel haven't parted on the best of terms” Saerya's smile widened. “I agree”, she replied. “You are a wanted man here. Might be a good idea to get you somewhere else, where you can help us without Richard here having to hide you”
Hehehhehehehehe. Oh, oh oh boy. The Donnel. Saerya that spying slime. Knowing everything. I am very curious to see how Lord Selwyn and company interact with some of these characters. Should be quite funny. Seems like Leonard wouldn't get to interact with any of them, but I'm sure some of those escapades will be mentioned. Hopefully dirty Petyr doesn't get Vanesha. And let's not forget Maester Lucifer...
Fuck...”, Leonard instantly mumbled. “Archmaester Quent? Yeah, I met the guy. We haven't parted on the best of terms either” In a rare moment of sarcasm, Kersea rolled her eyes. “What a surprise”, she stated, her tone completely deadpan and Leonard seemed outright surprised instead of angered. “Excuse me, do you have to add anything of value to this discussion?”, he snapped at her and for a second, they glared openly.
Heheheheh. I always love when there's this sort of dialogue. Quent not to be confused with Kent Brockman, wonder what's he's up too.
I thought Vali was Alan until I saw the blue-hair note. I don't trust this little rascal.
Samantha
It was already noon when Samantha spotted Harking's farm in the distance. A weary smile formed on her face, as the march through… more the cold was over at last. Hailing from the North, it hadn't left much of a mark on her, but Davith and especially Sasha were outright suffering and Samantha was glad for their sake.
It had been a harsh night and she knew, the first snow wouldn't need much longer to arrive in these lands. Right now, the sky was a plain grey and the air was chilly, the ground already beginning to freeze. They had passed the bridge earlier, Jarow's bridge as the locals called it and the waters below had been frozen over the night.
Though wearing a coat of brown fur, Samantha was still notably less protected against the cold than her companions, neither was she particularly bothered by it. It almost felt like home, if home wouldn't be but a string of painful memories, one worse than the other.
Davith had his hood u… [view original content]
Samantha
It was already noon when Samantha spotted Harking's farm in the distance. A weary smile formed on her face, as the march through… more the cold was over at last. Hailing from the North, it hadn't left much of a mark on her, but Davith and especially Sasha were outright suffering and Samantha was glad for their sake.
It had been a harsh night and she knew, the first snow wouldn't need much longer to arrive in these lands. Right now, the sky was a plain grey and the air was chilly, the ground already beginning to freeze. They had passed the bridge earlier, Jarow's bridge as the locals called it and the waters below had been frozen over the night.
Though wearing a coat of brown fur, Samantha was still notably less protected against the cold than her companions, neither was she particularly bothered by it. It almost felt like home, if home wouldn't be but a string of painful memories, one worse than the other.
Davith had his hood u… [view original content]
Leonard is sure not gonna go easy, but Vali literally opened his foot to insert the foot, so while I don't think he's directly involved with Mullendore or Vyrwel, he certainly knows something.
Hm, here I can confirm, Vali does know something. Not too little actually, he proved that much when revealing Mullendore's secret identity, but the big question is, does he know more than you already do (or at least more than Richard and co. know, considering they have no idea about Devrin Oakheart's true role in this conspiracy) and how willing is he going to be to part with this knowledge if he is beaten?
While Selwyn we already know about, Chamberlyng is a complete mystery, besides he's from an original House, so, we'll wait and see if he's as bad as both.
Both are original houses, though the big difference is that while House Selwyn has been submitted in its entirety, including members of the Selwyn household, House Camberlyng only has one submitted member, the daughter of Lord Camberlyng, leaving the rest to me. Both houses should be quite interesting at least and I look forward to introduce some of their members in the next chapter
[Do not intervene] Leonard is sure not gonna go easy, but Vali literally opened his foot to insert the foot, so while I don't think he's dir… moreectly involved with Mullendore or Vyrwel, he certainly knows something.
While Selwyn we already know about, Chamberlyng is a complete mystery, besides he's from an original House, so, we'll wait and see if he's as bad as both.
Glad to see Sam back in the fray. Sasha seems to be back in her usual demeanor. I wonder what Davith whispered to Saerya. I think we found out what Davith's secret was, that he knew that Kersea's sister is still alive.
Aye, I am glad to have her and the others back However, Sasha is not quite back to her prime and she actually has mellowed a bit, as seen in her more friendly gesture towards Leonard. She's just a natural at being scary and angry, especially towards people such as Vali, who definitely wouldn't be a match for her in a fight. And well, with Davith and Saerya, you can probably expect it to be something she found equal parts annoying and embarrassing He hasn't quite caught up to Samantha really not being into him, but starting to get the hints, so he's slowly shifting his attention to the other ladies around. When it comes to his his secret, it is indeed that Brandon has told him to look out for Kersea and tell her about Briar. When Jenna made contact with him through Samantha, he quickly found out the Harkings are, in fact, housing the woman he was sent to look for. That is the reason Kersea has been relatively calm these last couple parts, she knows Briar is alive and safe with Brandon and House Stark, probably the safest place she could be at the moment. As such, she has made plans to eventually reunite with Briar, but only after she feels like she deserves it, means after she atoned for her role in the Vyrwel-Mullendore takeover. If she'd just leave to get to Briar, she likely couldn't even look her sister in the eye, so she needs to do this first, for herself the most.
Vali is just as rambunctious as I imagined him as. Getting caught snooping on the old farmer's girl and her friends while they are planning a revolution. Then getting the snot beaten out of him by the grumpy uncle who's also a knight with PTSD. And the mean aunt with a strong right hook. What else could go wrong?
Hehe, I am very happy he is acting in a way you imagined him to act. That's him, I'd say, this fast-talking, probably slightly reckless guy who really knows how to make a bad first impression. This time, he might bit off more than he could chew, in the way he was caught in the act by Sasha and right during a time where Leonard is anything but willing to take his chances with a guy like him.
[Hold Leonard back] Let's not jump into violence so easily. There must be better ways of getting the info out of him than beating him sensel… moreess. Plus, if he is someone we want on our good side, it'd probably be better to not have his first impression being a broken nose. Glad to see Sam back in the fray. Sasha seems to be back in her usual demeanor. I wonder what Davith whispered to Saerya. I think we found out what Davith's secret was, that he knew that Kersea's sister is still alive. I loved the awkward moment between Richard and Jenna when Saltmouth came in. Richard thinking his daughter was up to no good with this odd blue hair child. Vali is just as rambunctious as I imagined him as. Getting caught snooping on the old farmer's girl and her friends while they are planning a revolution. Then getting the snot beaten out of him by the grumpy uncle who's also a knight with PTSD. And the mean aunt with a strong right hook. What else could go wrong?
Perhaps this will make Vali take the situation seriously and tell us something useful. That said, I think he is working for Tavner, who might be an enemy of Mullendore. So, in other words I suspect Saltmouth could potentially become an ally against Petyr and Maron.
Tavner is an interesting theory. We know he already has one spy in the city, through Maester Eddard, at least if Vali is right with his assumption. This would also be a possible reason for why he revealed Eddard's ties to Jenna, if he, or Tavner himself, seek to ally with the Raylansfair resistance.
It was nice seeing all these characters that hate Mullendore meet They are definitely underdogs in this fight, but at least they are working together. And man, Saerya's presence really makes a difference, she seems to be immediately taking the role of the brains of this operation. That said, I could see her motives clashing with other members of this group in the future. Anyway, I feel like we have a really interesting storyline ahead of us here
Ah, this was what I intended, yes. Of course, it's not everyone with a grudge against Mullendore. Aylard outright declined to join them, there's Argella, who would be very willing to help if it wouldn't be for the more urgent Stormland business she has to focus on and naturally, Mullendore has left a mess of enemies in Oldtown, most prominently Jaron and Harpy, who are unfortunately also preoccupied. That being said, the group that has gathered here profits immensely from Saerya, who is pretty much the only one who truly knows what she'd doing in the current situation and she has indeed taken over a bit of a leadership role. However, she is also the only one with no personal grudge against Mullendore, or any sort of personal stake. Richard and Jenna wish to keep their home safe, Leonard, Samantha and Davith want vengeane, Sasha helps out of loyalty and Kersea's only true urge is to redeem herself, meaning they act by emotion, whereas Saerya follows a very cold logic with her plan. For now, they align well, but the time might come in which there could be tensions, things the group has to work out and Saerya herself has a good chance of being in the middle of such conflict.
[Do not intervene] Perhaps this will make Vali take the situation seriously and tell us something useful. That said, I think he is working f… moreor Tavner, who might be an enemy of Mullendore. So, in other words I suspect Saltmouth could potentially become an ally against Petyr and Maron.
It was nice seeing all these characters that hate Mullendore meet They are definitely underdogs in this fight, but at least they are working together. And man, Saerya's presence really makes a difference, she seems to be immediately taking the role of the brains of this operation. That said, I could see her motives clashing with other members of this group in the future. Anyway, I feel like we have a really interesting storyline ahead of us here
This part is among my favorites. Real clash of personalities. Very enjoyable. I have a few notes. Nymeria and Jaro gone, but not forgotten.
Ah, that is big, given the amount of parts. Can't say I expected it, but this makes me happy all the more. I'm really glad you enjoyed this part so much
Hey, "almost humbled", hehe. Commoner garb.
Yeah, there is still some of the early Book 1 Leonard left (and it shines through when talking to someone he really doesn't like too much, such as Kersea), so I really wouldn't say he's all that humbled, but at the same time, the stuff he has been through has left its mark on him and Samantha hasn't seen him in a while, so she definitely takes notice. It can be argued that the change is for the better, at least in her eyes.
Kind of reminded me of the reunion of Rhys and Sasha in Episode 5 of the Tales From the Borderlands.
Hehe, I can't say I had that particular scene in mind (mostly because a Leonard/Sasha ship is never going to happen for obvious reasons) while writing, but I can see the similarities now that you mention it. Their relationship in general is a bit more distant though, but they can be considered almost friends by now.
A deviously handsome highborn knight from a minor family of courtiers is enough.
You mean a deviously handsome traitor to the kingdom, right? I'm afraid Mern Gardener might not be too open for Leonard's charms, so with him, better arguments will be necessary.
Hehehhehehehehe. Oh, oh oh boy. The Donnel. Saerya that spying slime. Knowing everything. I am very curious to see how Lord Selwyn and company interact with some of these characters. Should be quite funny. Seems like Leonard wouldn't get to interact with any of them, but I'm sure some of those escapades will be mentioned. Hopefully dirty Petyr doesn't get Vanesha. And let's not forget Maester Lucifer...
Ah, she doesn't quite know everything, she's just very good at coming to the right conclusions and winging the rest, such as her reaction here. Up until Leonard mentioned it, she had no idea he ever had contact with House Selwyn, but she instantly seemed to have prepared something for this aspect. And I can confirm, Leonard won't meet up with the Donnel and the others right away (though never say never) and instead, I hope to show some elements of their shared history through accounts by the Selwyn family members and the household, once they in return learn about his former work here at Raylansfair. There should be some room to establish their connection a bit further in the chapters to come.
Heheheheh. I always love when there's this sort of dialogue. Quent not to be confused with Kent Brockman, wonder what's he's up too.
I definitely share your love for such dialogue, which is pretty much why I put Leonard and Kersea into the same storyline. They really don't get along, but kinda have to work together, so they vent their frustrations in the sort of interaction you see here, to my utmost delight and hopefully to your approval. It's kinda similar to the Lucas/Leonard situation in the early Book 1, where they still had their rivalry going on, but in case of Leonard and Kersea, it's even more open disdain and it gives me a chance to show aspects to Leonard's character I haven't gotten the chance to show much in the later half of Book 2. And Quent, we will see him a bit more often in Book 2, instead of him only appearing briefly in two chapters.
I thought Vali was Alan until I saw the blue-hair note. I don't trust this little rascal.
Well, no surprise here, Vali doesn't make the most trustworthy first impression. Or second impression, really, he's just not a very trustworthy person. And well, who says that Vali is not Alan? They have never been seen in the same room so far, keep that in mind
[Do not intervene] In what world do I side against Leonard?
This part is among my favorites. Real clash of personalities. Very enjoyable.… more I have a few notes. Nymeria and Jaro gone, but not forgotten.
A wide smile appeared on her face as she spotted Leonard Constantine. He looked changed, almost humbled, wearing the plain clothes of a commoner, the sullen look on his face cracking up by a tiny amount as he saw them.
Hey, "almost humbled", hehe. Commoner garb.
“You son of a bitch”, Sasha mumbled, her smile even wider than Samantha's, as she stepped up first, to give Leonard a pat on the shoulder. To her surprise, Leonard turned the gesture into a hug, which she accepted after briefly tensing up. His smile was thin, thinner than she remembered, but it was genuine. As Samantha walked up to him, no words needed to be exchanged. They embraced silently and Leonard gave her a nod.
Kind of reminded me of the reunion of R… [view original content]
Ah, a more active voting again, very good, very good The outcome has been very decisive though, with a majority voting for the winning option. As such, Samantha will now stand aside while Leonard does what he sees necessary to get Vali to talk. What either expects as a reply remains up in the air, as Vali's true loyalties are yet to be revealed. If he is a potential ally, let's just say this did not increase the chance to get on his good side, but he wouldn't have come if not for a reason.
The next part, well, I hope to release it today. Thing is, I had university for most of the day, it is quite late and I am a bit tired, so I can't promise to actually finish it before heading to sleep. However, I am excited for this new part and I hope you will enjoy it as well, because it will lead us back to Merman's Rest and to Alys' storyline. Last time we saw her, she, together with Edward, Alisa and Carvin, entered the pirate court, where the captains under Aeron Blacksails have gathered. Previously, Edward had a brief encounter with one of them, a certain Gregor Harlaw, who did not quite get along with him. As it turned out, they really don't like him over there, because he owes them a lot of coin and hasn't quite delivered on his promises yet. As such, there were some who were very unwilling to even listen to him, though the king himself, Aeron Blacksails, was of a different kind and quite interested in what Edward had to say. However, noticing Alys, he first asked for her name. Remembering an earlier warning by Alisa and Wilbur, Alys ended up hiding her true identity, instead introducing herself as Alys Snow, a mere bastard and not the highborn lady she truly is.
Also, insert obligatory main post return plea. Telltale, pls
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It took her a lot of willpower to look into these intimidating, blue eyes and the unmoving face of Aeron Blacksails. “It's Alys”, she spoke and he raised a pale eyebrow. “Alys Snow” To this, the pirate king slowly nodded, his face not betraying if he believed her or not. “A bastard girl”, he mumbled. “A northern bastard girl. I'm sure there's quite a story for how someone like you joined... someone like him”
Alys gulped, exchanging a look with Edward, whose facial expression she was similarly unable to interpret. Was he pleased? Did it matter? She quickly realized that yes, it did, at least right now, in this very place, because if anything, she trusted Edward at least marginally more than any of Aeron's captains. He hadn't harmed her yet and that made him the better option for the time being.
“He... he saved my life”, she explained and Aeron smirked. “Did he now?”, he asked, surprise in his otherwise calm voice, as he glanced at Edward. Behind her, Edward gulped uncomfortably, before he replied. “She was important for part of my plan”, he claimed, though Alys knew, this wasn't the full truth and in fact, she herself wasn't too sure about it, after all, he didn't know about her identity when first helping her.
“Ah”, Aeron replied, still smirking. “There is the Anturion in you” He gave him a nod, stepping away from Alys, who let out a sigh of relief. “Speaking of, how is the family? Any word from Nain? Your sister?” Edward shook his head. “She's still in Oldtown”, he replied. “Looking for part of the artifact. And Nain... well, who knows what Nain is up to these days? Ruling his kingdom, I suppose”
“You mention the artifact”, Aeron spoke, as he walked up to his throne again. Picking up the odd smoking stick, he held it in his hands, before sitting down. Crossing his legs, he moved one end of the stick to his mouth, his eyes gleaming in the dim light of the torches and the purple smoke that surrounded him. “But what would truly be of interest to me and, as I am led to believe, every other person in this room, is...”, he mumbled and leant forwards, as his voice grew stronger. “Where is our gold?”
Edward sighed and took a moment before he replied. In this moment, Alys glanced around, gulping as she noticed that the only captain still having a somewhat affable look on his face was the young man with the brown hair and the seemingly blind eyes. His constant smirk however had something unsettling in its own. Slowly, Alys started to consider if she had made a mistake. A bastard girl they'd cut down, they'd do worse with. But a highborn? A hostage? Perhaps that was preferable over being dead.
“You know I always paid my coin before”, he began and the man with the wide-brimmed hat to Aeron's right chuckled dryly at this. “That'll be golden”, he mumbled, wiggling his eyebrows at the pirate king. Aeron's expression was unmoving, a look of stoic calmness on it. “That's not the word I'd use, Melvan”, the young man next to him replied, playing with the thick braid of his hair.
“I never failed you and neither will I do now”, Edward promised. “Raylansfair has not been a complete disaster, neither has our partnership with King Harren. The box I was looking for has been uncovered from the archive and though I lost it, it is now in the hands of another, a young man from the Kingdom of the Rock. Taking it from him should be easy”
“Yes, yes, that is particularly fascinating”, Aeron spoke. “Though I wouldn't count that as anything even close to a success. You Anturions have promised each of us a great amount of coin for our help and yet, what is it you actually achieved with it? Your brother is not here. Your sister is not here. Instead they sent you to clean up their mess”
“Ah, fucking stop talking to that rat!”, the ugly woman barked, as she jumped up. “He's always been a waste of time” The man to Aeron's right raised his head, looking sternly from below his hat. “Careful, Jadith”, he warned her calmly, the joy his words had shown just seconds ago all but gone. “You're still talking to a king”
In return, Jadith spat onto the ground, groaning something, before she shook her head. Reaching for her belt, she pulled a long knife from it. “Well, now I'm talking to the rat that owes us gold!”, she barked, pointing it at Edward. “Stop squirming and give me one good reason why I shouldn't cut you open!”
“He doesn't have to”, Aeron hissed. “In my court, captain's blood is only spilled when I demand it” His calm words cut like a blade, silencing Jadith in her anger and instantly causing her to glance over her shoulder. How easily he controlled this massive woman, it surprised Alys, how meek she became next to him, even if she only lowered her blade reluctantly, with anger still remaining. “I paid that fuck once!”, she clarified. “Now he returns and doesn't stick to his side of the deal. Give the order, my king and I'll teach the whole damn fleet about keeping their word”
To this, Aeron simply shook his head. “Before I even consider this, I would like to hear what Captain Anturion has in mind”, he explained. “He wouldn't have come for no reason” He narrowed his eyes, exhaling the smoke from his mouth, before giving Edward a nod. “Convince me not to give in to Captain Linster's demand”
As Alys looked over her shoulder, she noticed that Edward's expression was surprisingly calm, whereas Alisa and Carvin seemed notably more afraid. She herself felt anxiety. If there was one thing she trusted Edward with, it was talking his way out of such a situation, but even then, she was not sure if she had made a terrible mistake. To be fair, she made the mistake the moment she came with him to Harrenhal. She should have left, should have just left the moment he saved her from Harlan, but she didn't know better, she couldn't have known.
“First of all, I want to assure you that I never forgot your payment”, Edward promised. “However, there seems to have been a misunderstanding. Never have I promised to repay you at this particular moment. I came to report, not to deliver” He put a hand onto his chest. “My king, my fellow captains, me and my siblings are confident that we should be able to repay you tenfold a year from now. Once we have the pieces all together, there won't be a treasure in this world we won't be able to give you”, he explained. “However, I have also returned to further explain my next moves and why this would possibly require more... ahem, funding”
The captains began to mumble something to each other, with Aeron being the only one still silent. From behind them, a man chuckled and as Alys glanced over her shoulder, she noticed Gregor Harlaw, who had raised from his chair. Blacksails raised an eyebrow, but he gave the Ironborn a nod to speak. Gregor had a wide smirk on his face, as he walked up to Edward. “Sorry, but I'm with Jadith here”, he said. “Your plan is stupid, Anturion. Face it, you're a cunt”
Edward narrowed his eyes, as Gregor stood in front of him. “In fact, I'd go as far as to say that her course of action would be the best. Killing you would put an end to this waste of coin you are”, he said and to his direct threat, Carvin put a hand onto his blade. “You can bloody well try”, he growled and Gregor raised both of his eyebrows. “Careful, Gonzo”, he hissed. “King Aeron objects to a captain's blood being spilled here, but a lowly sellsword? Doubt he'd care”
“What do you want to bring up, Captain Harlaw?”, Aeron asked at this, just as Alisa put a hand onto Carvin's forearm, calming him down ever so slightly. Gregor bowed in front of his king. “The reason why I am here, my king. Now seems as good a time to mention it as any, just so you know that Anturion here is not the only option you have”, he replied and put a hand onto his chest. “See, last time I've been in Braavos, I learned a fancy word, you'll like it. It's called 'investment'” He pointed at Edward. “That guy here is a bad investment and I consider every coin I put into him to be lost. Should have known better, we all should have, but what's done is done. I've lost more for less, so I'll move on, but you really shouldn't trust a word he says”
“Agreed”, the seemingly blind man confirmed, looking at Gregor out of his strange eyes. The Ironborn continued. “But there could be another way, a better chance. See, on my way down the Narrow Sea, I stopped at Claw Isle. You wanna know what I heard there?”, he spoke, his voice louder now, filling the entire room with ease. “There's a war coming. Probably the greatest in thousands of years” He stared just at Aeron now. “Targaryen has declared war on Westeros, naming himself as its king. I thought it was a bad joke, but they told me about him. He has a plan and he has the power to go through with it”
Blacksails tilted his head, pressing his lips together. Lowering the smoking stick, he put both hands onto the armrests of his throne. “There is just one thing he's lacking and its manpower. Means, those that join him now can come a long way in his army. He'll appreciate such loyalty when he goes to plunder the kingdoms. Think about it, all the treasure in Westeros and it's ours for the taking!” In this very moment, his smirk became sly and he put both hands onto his belly. “Of course, I have a particular gem in mind, but that shouldn't concern you. Fighting for the Dragon King means riches, freedom, probably titles for each of us” He glanced at the man with the hat. “I for one would like one castle, but how about you, Melvan? Two castles maybe?”
The man, Melvan, looked up, showing his stained teeth. “Tempting”, he admitted, though next to him, the young man with the braid shook his head. “Two ruins, more like”, he spoke. “And this... gem you mentioned, is it worth it? Targaryen is not a man to fuck with”
Gregor grinned at him. “Aye, sure you know everything about men to fuck with, Lord Manderly”, he chuckled. “But trust me, the gem I have in mind is surely worth it. She's silver... argent, as you fancy folk would call it” Manderly narrowed his eyes, before widening them again. “You're talking about a woman?”, he spat in disbelief.
To Alys' surprise, Gregor gave him a nod. “Aye, but not any woman. See, this king, he has two wives. Two! Me, I have always been a man of principles and I believe it goes against each of them that he gets to have two! That is... unfair to the rest of us. The one I have an eye on, they say she's the most beautiful woman in the world”
“You'd fight a war for Targaryen just to fuck his wife?”, Sargasso Saan interjected and Gregor shook his head this time. “You make it seem as if that's the only thing I'm out for”, he stated. “But I truly believe in fighting for Targaryen. If he is truly that powerful, then Westeros will be his in the long run. He'll remember his friends then and if we ally with him, he might overlook this tiny island in the Narrow Sea. He might allow us to live our lives. And if we help him enough, as I said, there'll be a lot of empty castles when he's done with his war” He winked, at no one in particular. “Rhaenys Targaryen is just the... well, the cherry on the cake”
Manderly scoffed at that. “Sure, I bet she just yearns for an Ironborn brute”, he stated. “Do you have anything else to offer to her than your cock?” He had stood up now, standing in front of Gregor and the two looked at each other, Manderly with impatience, Gregor with amusement. “You often think about my cock, Manderly?”, he asked. “But nah, that's not what I have in mind. I trust my abilities to court the silver queen, especially if her husband is away for years, fighting the great war. Surely, it'll get lonely in that bed of hers”
He turned around, spreading his arms. “But what I truly offer is my experience! On Claw Isle, they told me a bit about his army. Once I join him, I'll be the best captain sailing under his banner!”, he claimed and his grin widened into a smile of genuine amusement. “You know whom he named his grand admiral? It's Daemon fucking Velaryon!”
At the mention of this name, the captains began to chuckle. The seemingly blind man laughed openly, as did the hat-wearing Melvan. The brutish Jadith moved her mouth into a crooked grin, while even Aeron Blacksails himself showed the briefest hint of a smirk. “That's right, Daemon Velaryon leads his fleet. That pompous twat will lead them to defeat on his own and that is where I come into play”, Gregor explained. “I'm better than him. Any of us is better than him! So, I'll sail to Dragonstone, I'll meet with Aegon, or maybe with that sister-wife of his if I'm lucky and I'll make my claim. I... invest into them. Swearing loyalty, helping them by sea, proving my worth, getting rich, getting a piece of that she-dragon” Now, he pointed around, at each captain. “And I need you, my friends, my comrades! Your grace, working for Targaryen is the future!”
From the looks on their face, Alys saw how they thought about it. Manderly silently glared at Gregor, but Sargasso Saan seemed intrigued, as did Melvan. Blacksails himself could not be read, as per usual, but the first to answer was the man with the blind eyes. “Now, that's been a fascinating speech, mate”, he admitted, standing up from his chair.
“Ah, Aidan!”, Gregor greeted him and the two shared a hug. “Glad you see things my way!” To this, Aidan shook his head and in the way he looked at Gregor, Alys could see that he was anything but blind, that his eyes were simply the oddest she had ever seen. Something was not right with them, but the way he looked at the man in front of him made it clear he saw him just fine. “Wouldn't go that far, at least not with everything”, he admitted. “I really don't think we should work with Anturion any longer, totally agree with you on that”
Edward frowned at his words and Aidan gave him a wink. “See, times are clearly changing. I've been to Volantis, I know what the dragon did to their armies. He's got three of these beasts and I would never bet against him”, he spoke. “But, thing is...” He blinked slightly, which, paired with his odd eyes, gave him an almost confused appearance. “I'm not one to follow any king, no offence, your grace”
Gracefully, Aeron nodded and Aidan continued. “This here is fine. But what you suggest would be becoming a privateer”, he said. “That's a word. Privateer. It means we're tolerated pirates in service of the crown. Tolerated!” He shook his head. “That is not good enough for me, no matter what he offers. What I'd have to leave behind...”, he explained and shook his head again. “Never. But I don't judge you, mate. You do yours and those that want to follow, fine. Each to their own”
“So, what are you going to do then, Aidan?”, Gregor asked and the pirate grinned widely. “I'll get the hell out of here, if you allow”, he replied. “Today even. Any day I can get miles between me and this continent at war is a good one. So, I'll leave Westeros. Maybe I'll return in a couple years, but for the time being, Essos seems a whole lot safer” He shrugged. “I'll set sail to Lys first. Might find some slavers to hunt, those degenerates have grown too comfortable lately”
Gregor nodded slowly. “Good luck with that then, my friend. But what about the rest of you?”, he roared, looking from one captain to the next. The first to shake his head was Aeron Blacksails himself. “You have my blessing to fuck the dragon queen”, he stated dryly. “But don't expect my support in this war. We are free here. Free to choose whom to follow and whom not. I won't throw that away”
“I agree with the king”, Sargasso stated firmly. “At least as long as Targaryen's victory is not assured. Let us plunder the ruins of his war. Let us descend on the shores of Dorne and the Stormlands once their armies are needed elsewhere. But fighting for him? Too big a risk”
“Looks like you won't find any allies here, Harlaw”, Warmond Manderly said, not without glee in his smooth voice and Melvan shook his head. “I'd like to, I really would”, he admitted. “But the king is right. Our path is freedom and I won't yield to any man Aeron Blacksails won't follow”
After Jadith shook her head with a silent glare, Gregor sighed. “I feared that much”, he spoke. “Figured it might be worth a try though, maybe couple of you change their minds in the things to come. Arriving with a whole fleet would have made a better impression than a single ship, but then again, it's my Nagga we're talking about, so I'm going to be good” He glanced at Edward. “Just keep in mind, there's better investments than that guy”
With these words, he took a final bow. “I'll get ready to leave then, if you don't have anything else to add”, he stated and Aeron shook his head. “You may leave”, he offered. “But remember, I'll get my share of any spoils you make in my domain. The rest if of no concern to me” Gregor nodded but as he already turned around, Aeron called out again, a bit louder this time. “And Captain Harlaw!”, he barked, and as quick as he had raised his voice, it had gotten calmer again. “Never betray my trust. Serve your dragon king, but remember who rules the seas”
Gregor grinned, a surprisingly honest expression. “You do, Blacksails”, he stated, before patting Aidan onto the back. “You coming, Storm?”, he asked and Aidan chuckled. “Aye, for an ale or two maybe, mate”, he agreed. He put two fingers against his head, before pointing at Aeron. “See ya, King!”
With two of the captains gone, Edwards chances seemed at a new low. Alys felt it, though she noticed that he did not show even the shadow of doubt, despite the mixture of expressions he received ranging from unimpressed to angry. “Your grace, if my plan succeeds, you won't have to fear any dragon”, he promised and Aeron frowned.
“I do not fear them”, he replied sharply. “But that doesn't mean I will do their bidding, not today or ever” He leant forwards again, taking a deep breath from his smoking stick. “Regardless of that, Gregor brought up one point I agree with”, he revealed. “You had your chance and the investment I made in you was a failure so far. You promised results by now and as it seems, you have nothing to show”
“I have a lead”, Edward argued. “And this is important. This is big, your grace, and think about it, would an Anturion ever break his word to you?” A grin flashed over Melvan's face, but it was Jadith Linster who replied in his stead. “Every time you open your stupid mouth”, she spat. “Harlaw is right, you are a cunt”
“Manners, Jadith”, Aeron said calmly. “You are not wrong though, I feel lied to. I feel cheated to” He narrowed his eyes, his tone becoming colder. “Edward Anturion, when will I get what I was promised? When will we be repaid?” Edward gulped. “Once Nain has arrived in Westeros”, he revealed and Aeron raised an eyebrow. “The god-king leaves his domain?”, he asked, sounding only mildly surprised.
“And he brings riches with him!”, Edward claimed. “Enough to repay you and once we succeed, there's more to come. We remember our friends, my king and trust me, in the things to come, you want to be our friend” Aeron smirked, not without smugness. “I take that not as a threat”, he offered. “But your offer intrigues me. I should know better than to make deals with a madman, but Nain has always kept his word”
And then, Alys' heart skipped a beat as that stony face looked at her. “Bastard girl”, he growled and she gasped as his crystal blue eyes glared at her. “Alys Snow, wasn't it?” She hesitated, before giving him a nod. Alisa walked up next to her, putting a hand onto her back to support her.
“There is a lot that speaks against Edward's trustworthiness. Harlaw mentioned what I know already. A cunt, as he put it ever so eloquently, though I'd use a term less flattering”, Aeron growled. “So, he comes here and asks for more coin to find some little Rock boy and the trinket he sought to find the first time me and my council paid him” He shook his head. “I should know better than to make any further deal with him, but you mention something about Edward saving your life? The man I know would never do that, so perhaps there is more to him than I gave him credit for. Being in my shoes, would you give him another chance?”
Alys gulped, clenching her fists. She knew Edward. She knew he couldn't be trusted, right? He promised to bring her to Dorne, but that had been a lie. It had all been a lie and perhaps this was her chance to get back at him. But was that wise? Could she trust this pirate king more than the man that saved her from Harlan Hoare? If she'd lose Edward's favour, what would become of her? She looked at the man himself, noticing that he stared at her, an expression she was not able to interpret. He gave her a slight nod and she took a deep breath, before she gave Aeron Blacksails her answer.
[Urge him to give Edward another chance][Tell him how you truly think about Edward]
[Urge him to give Edward another chance] While I would love to give Anturion a piece of Alys mind, her best chances to leave are if he's given another chance to prove himself, as unlikely as it is. I doubt Aeron or the other pirates will believe her but, eh, better than nothing.
I also find amusing Gregor's intentions towards Rhaenys, after all, the woman might be famous for her playfulness and grace, but she's still a Targaryen, and owns a fire-breathing monster, so going straight to Aegonfort and offer his cock while her husband is away is not a good idea.
[Urge him to give Edward another chance] It seems the best choice to make Alys leave the place unscathed (and this choice will for sure make Edward indebted to her)
RT:
1)Today we comeback to Merman's Rest!What a nice reunion and conversation was between Edward and the other captains!
2)Edward try to weasel out! It's not very effective!
3)Oh oh another part of the artifact is at Oldtown eh?I bet that it is somewhere at the Citadel!
4)While I'm sure that that we will see the sister at Oldtown I'm curious to discover if really Nain is going to visit Westeros or it is only another lie by Edward (part of me hope for the latter since I really want to see Vaes Khadokh in the story)
5)I must admit that when Gregor start his speech pro targaryen I fear that you will make the Pirate King an Aegon ally but I'm glad to be proven wrong! I enjoy much more Blacksails as an indipendent faction and not as a lackey for a ruler (like Gregor "I want to fuck Aegon wife" Harlaw want to be)
6)No love for Daemion Velaryon
7)Another captain that sadly leave the council is Aidan and what he say make me no doubt in which one of the many storyline we will see him again
8)I'm curious to read what will happen in the future of this storyline and what role you have in mind inside the story for Aeron Blacksails and his fleet!
Alys
It took her a lot of willpower to look into these intimidating, blue eyes and the unmoving face of Aeron Blacksails. “It's Alys”, sh… moree spoke and he raised a pale eyebrow. “Alys Snow” To this, the pirate king slowly nodded, his face not betraying if he believed her or not. “A bastard girl”, he mumbled. “A northern bastard girl. I'm sure there's quite a story for how someone like you joined... someone like him”
Alys gulped, exchanging a look with Edward, whose facial expression she was similarly unable to interpret. Was he pleased? Did it matter? She quickly realized that yes, it did, at least right now, in this very place, because if anything, she trusted Edward at least marginally more than any of Aeron's captains. He hadn't harmed her yet and that made him the better option for the time being.
“He... he saved my life”, she explained and Aeron smirked. “Did he now?”, he asked, surprise in his otherwise calm voice, as he glanced a… [view original content]
Alys
It took her a lot of willpower to look into these intimidating, blue eyes and the unmoving face of Aeron Blacksails. “It's Alys”, sh… moree spoke and he raised a pale eyebrow. “Alys Snow” To this, the pirate king slowly nodded, his face not betraying if he believed her or not. “A bastard girl”, he mumbled. “A northern bastard girl. I'm sure there's quite a story for how someone like you joined... someone like him”
Alys gulped, exchanging a look with Edward, whose facial expression she was similarly unable to interpret. Was he pleased? Did it matter? She quickly realized that yes, it did, at least right now, in this very place, because if anything, she trusted Edward at least marginally more than any of Aeron's captains. He hadn't harmed her yet and that made him the better option for the time being.
“He... he saved my life”, she explained and Aeron smirked. “Did he now?”, he asked, surprise in his otherwise calm voice, as he glanced a… [view original content]
[Urge him to give Edward another chance] Unfortunately I feel like in this situation Alys is still very much dependant on Edward. If we piss him off too much, there is no one (aside from perhaps Alisa and Carvin) who has interest to protect her. I seriously doubt any of these other pirates give two shits about Alys, especially now that she introduced herself as bastard. So, perhaps there will be another time and opportunity to break free from Edward, but right now I feel like we should help him out. Maybe he'll even be grateful
Anyway, it was nice to get a glimpse at the personalities and motives of all these pirates. I like Gregor, but I feel like he'll be disappointed in the end, probably not getting quite as grand reward for his service to the Targs as he is hoping for That said, I'm looking forward to whatever is in store for him. Aidan on the other hand I suspect to pop up in the Essos storyline at some point, which should be interesting as well.
Alys
It took her a lot of willpower to look into these intimidating, blue eyes and the unmoving face of Aeron Blacksails. “It's Alys”, sh… moree spoke and he raised a pale eyebrow. “Alys Snow” To this, the pirate king slowly nodded, his face not betraying if he believed her or not. “A bastard girl”, he mumbled. “A northern bastard girl. I'm sure there's quite a story for how someone like you joined... someone like him”
Alys gulped, exchanging a look with Edward, whose facial expression she was similarly unable to interpret. Was he pleased? Did it matter? She quickly realized that yes, it did, at least right now, in this very place, because if anything, she trusted Edward at least marginally more than any of Aeron's captains. He hadn't harmed her yet and that made him the better option for the time being.
“He... he saved my life”, she explained and Aeron smirked. “Did he now?”, he asked, surprise in his otherwise calm voice, as he glanced a… [view original content]
Alys
It took her a lot of willpower to look into these intimidating, blue eyes and the unmoving face of Aeron Blacksails. “It's Alys”, sh… moree spoke and he raised a pale eyebrow. “Alys Snow” To this, the pirate king slowly nodded, his face not betraying if he believed her or not. “A bastard girl”, he mumbled. “A northern bastard girl. I'm sure there's quite a story for how someone like you joined... someone like him”
Alys gulped, exchanging a look with Edward, whose facial expression she was similarly unable to interpret. Was he pleased? Did it matter? She quickly realized that yes, it did, at least right now, in this very place, because if anything, she trusted Edward at least marginally more than any of Aeron's captains. He hadn't harmed her yet and that made him the better option for the time being.
“He... he saved my life”, she explained and Aeron smirked. “Did he now?”, he asked, surprise in his otherwise calm voice, as he glanced a… [view original content]
While I would love to give Anturion a piece of Alys mind, her best chances to leave are if he's given another chance to prove himself, as unlikely as it is. I doubt Aeron or the other pirates will believe her but, eh, better than nothing.
Well, Aeron did ask for her opinion. He's someone that usually quickly sees through a lie, especially when told by an obviously scared little girl, so he is at least open to believing her. It all depends on what Alys tells him, there are definitely arguments speaking in Edward's favour, but she has to manage leaving out all the stuff that would speak against trusting him in any further business deal (you know, like the blood magic and serial backstabbing)
I also find amusing Gregor's intentions towards Rhaenys, after all, the woman might be famous for her playfulness and grace, but she's still a Targaryen, and owns a fire-breathing monster, so going straight to Aegonfort and offer his cock while her husband is away is not a good idea.
Ah, Gregor has taken that into account, yes. He's definitely not going to be all that straightforward about his intentions when meeting Rhaenys, which is why I found it important to establish what he is truly out for in this particular part. He might not look the part, but he can be actually subtle and charming. He also knows how dangerous this is, but he's the kind of guy that loves the thrill.
[Urge him to give Edward another chance] While I would love to give Anturion a piece of Alys mind, her best chances to leave are if he's giv… moreen another chance to prove himself, as unlikely as it is. I doubt Aeron or the other pirates will believe her but, eh, better than nothing.
I also find amusing Gregor's intentions towards Rhaenys, after all, the woman might be famous for her playfulness and grace, but she's still a Targaryen, and owns a fire-breathing monster, so going straight to Aegonfort and offer his cock while her husband is away is not a good idea.
1)Today we comeback to Merman's Rest!What a nice reunion and conversation was between Edward and the other captains!
A sweet, wonderful reunion between friends... who would murder each other if given the chance and whom he has sort-of conned out of a lot of coin. He's lucky Aeron is the king, because a man like Sargasso would have likely killed him by now.
2)Edward try to weasel out! It's not very effective!
Blacksails uses Glare. A critical hit! It's super effective! Edward fainted... even though Glare is a non-damaging move, I know that, but Aeron is really just that good.
3)Oh oh another part of the artifact is at Oldtown eh?I bet that it is somewhere at the Citadel!
Quite a good guess. Oldtown is a large and very old city, there's lots of places such a thing could be hidden, but the Citadel would obviously be very interested in getting their hands on it. So, you'll learn about it in time, as finding this artifact is kind of a big deal in Book 2.
4)While I'm sure that that we will see the sister at Oldtown I'm curious to discover if really Nain is going to visit Westeros or it is only another lie by Edward (part of me hope for the latter since I really want to see Vaes Khadokh in the story)
Well, seeing Vaes Khadokh does not require having Nain there. It's a city-kingdom in its own right, albeit Nain gives it a bit of flair. Since you and me both really want to explore this place, I can confirm there might be a chance for it, even if Edward told the truth about Nain preparing to travel to Westeros.
5)I must admit that when Gregor start his speech pro targaryen I fear that you will make the Pirate King an Aegon ally but I'm glad to be proven wrong! I enjoy much more Blacksails as an indipendent faction and not as a lackey for a ruler (like Gregor "I want to fuck Aegon wife" Harlaw want to be)
Yeah, it definitely requires more than one speech for Aeron to throw his lot in with anyone. Gregor, he actually plans to join Aegon not only because he's got the hots for Rhaenys, but because he sympathizes with the underdog, which Aegon, at this point, definitely is. He also wants to prove a point to a couple people he has a grudge on, but more about that later on. For now, Aeron will remain independent and neutral, because that makes him the most interesting as a character instead of having him just as someones ally. Gregor remains the only pirate to join forces with Aegon and doing the same trick several times, I guess that might take away from the novelty such a man should have at the Targaryen court.
6)No love for Daemion Velaryon
Haha, at least not from these people. Daemon is a capable sailor and captain, but that is his problem, there are better men and he does not acknowledge this. He knows of his skill, but tends to overestimate himself, sticking to outdated plans when the pirates, working more independently, are not afraid to change tactics quickly. As such, he is not a bad choice for Aegon (particularly given that he is his most powerful bannerman at the time), but Gregor is not wrong when he considers himself to be better.
7)Another captain that sadly leave the council is Aidan and what he say make me no doubt in which one of the many storyline we will see him again
Yeah, Aidan and Gregor were both planned to be more like cameo appearances in this chapter, to establish their characters and respective goals, before having them appear in other storylines again. The remaining pirates will stick together, but Aidan will appear in a different storyline and you might already have an idea where. Same goes for Gregor, but with him it's probably even more obvious.
8)I'm curious to read what will happen in the future of this storyline and what role you have in mind inside the story for Aeron Blacksails and his fleet!
I do plan for the long haul with these pirates. Narrative will eventually move away from them, but I plan to return eventually and I have an important role for them to play in the later stages. They are interesting characters, so I look forward for exploring them a bit more thoroughly
[Urge him to give Edward another chance] It seems the best choice to make Alys leave the place unscathed (and this choice will for sure make… more Edward indebted to her)
RT:
1)Today we comeback to Merman's Rest!What a nice reunion and conversation was between Edward and the other captains!
2)Edward try to weasel out! It's not very effective!
3)Oh oh another part of the artifact is at Oldtown eh?I bet that it is somewhere at the Citadel!
4)While I'm sure that that we will see the sister at Oldtown I'm curious to discover if really Nain is going to visit Westeros or it is only another lie by Edward (part of me hope for the latter since I really want to see Vaes Khadokh in the story)
5)I must admit that when Gregor start his speech pro targaryen I fear that you will make the Pirate King an Aegon ally but I'm glad to be proven wrong! I enjoy much more Blacksails as an indipendent faction and not as a lackey for a ruler (like Gregor "I want to … [view original content]
Unfortunately I feel like in this situation Alys is still very much dependant on Edward. If we piss him off too much, there is no one (aside from perhaps Alisa and Carvin) who has interest to protect her. I seriously doubt any of these other pirates give two shits about Alys, especially now that she introduced herself as bastard. So, perhaps there will be another time and opportunity to break free from Edward, but right now I feel like we should help him out. Maybe he'll even be grateful
Yeah, I can confirm that none of the pirates care about her at all, which of course isn't necessarily a bad thing. The other option could have been incredibly dangerous, albeit I can confirm here, if Edward would have been given a chance to answer, he would have introduced her by her real name no matter the danger, as that obviously would have impressed Aeron somewhat. Alisa and probably Carvin as well do have an interest in getting her through this, but they are just two and can't do much if things go south. Edward being grateful though... hm, maybe. He's not devoid of such feelings, he has shown that in the past, it's just that the gratitude of an opportunist isn't always the most valuable thing to have.
Anyway, it was nice to get a glimpse at the personalities and motives of all these pirates. I like Gregor, but I feel like he'll be disappointed in the end, probably not getting quite as grand reward for his service to the Targs as he is hoping for That said, I'm looking forward to whatever is in store for him. Aidan on the other hand I suspect to pop up in the Essos storyline at some point, which should be interesting as well.
Well, Gregor hopes at least for some reward. Preferably Rhaenys, but he takes what he can get, really. It should also be noted, he is Lord Harlaw's firstborn son, but the people currently in charge would leave him no chance to inherit (for reasons that will be explored), so that offers some very real possibilities for what kind of riches he is out for. Aidan meanwhile, I can confirm he is going to appear in Essos down the line, just as he said. This was a little cameo appearance for him and Gregor, before they will appear later again (but both will be seen more frequently before Act 1 ends).
[Urge him to give Edward another chance] Unfortunately I feel like in this situation Alys is still very much dependant on Edward. If we piss… more him off too much, there is no one (aside from perhaps Alisa and Carvin) who has interest to protect her. I seriously doubt any of these other pirates give two shits about Alys, especially now that she introduced herself as bastard. So, perhaps there will be another time and opportunity to break free from Edward, but right now I feel like we should help him out. Maybe he'll even be grateful
Anyway, it was nice to get a glimpse at the personalities and motives of all these pirates. I like Gregor, but I feel like he'll be disappointed in the end, probably not getting quite as grand reward for his service to the Targs as he is hoping for That said, I'm looking forward to whatever is in store for him. Aidan on the other hand I suspect to pop up in the Essos storyline at some point, which should be interesting as well.
What an amazing part, truly great! This part was everything I hoped for, actually it was even more in a lot of ways. Man I simply love Gregor, in his first appearence I already knew you were spot on with him, but this here took things to a whole other level. He was acting just like I imagined with everything he did and said, truly, it was a great joy to read. Man, that speech! Oh, that speech was glorious! Gregor has such an amazing way with words and he delivered it here. I was getting kinda anxious there though, he was doing such an amazing job that I "feared" he'd get some of the captains to go with him but I'm glad they didn't in the end. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely like all of them (especially Storm and Jadith, man, she's such a joy to be around ) but having multiple captains in the Targ side would be a bit overwhelming, whereas having only Gregor, especially knowing how he is, will give the Targs the perfect dosage of piracy.... it might actually be even more than they can handle in some ways XD. What was almost as great as his speech was the motive behind it. I don't think he even cared that much about having the other captains join him, what he wanted was probably only their ships, so he could arrive in Dragonstone with a whole fleet just to impress Rhaenys in a grandiose fashion and I love it! Still, he has his Nagga, so it will still be a grandiose arrival (just not as grandiose as he wanted). I gotta admit though, after such an amazing speech it would take all my willpower not to leave everything behind and go sailing with Gregor
Gregor's personal interactions with some of the captains were so damn good too, especially when he and Manderly went at each other. Gregor's remarks towards Manderly were such golden and entertaining that I'm still laughing at them... that was just awesome. Gregor and Aidan seem to be in pretty good terms, its a shame that they probably won't meet each other for a long time, if ever again at all. And what to say about Gonzo? XD Their interaction was brief, but great nonetheless. I really like that with their interaction you showed a little bit of Gregor's dangerous side when Gonzo reached for his blade, after all, Gregor is still a pirate. You really shouldn't try to mess with him my dear Gonzo, especially when he's about to deliver a speech like that.
Now, I wasn't expecting Gregor to reveal his intentions towards Rhaenys here, but it was definitely amazing that he did. Manderly and Saan's reactions to this reveal were priceless, especially how Saan seemed to be in disbelief that Gregor would fight a war for Aegon in order to get close to Rhaenys Manderly on the other side wasn't giving Gregor much credit... that's never a good thing to do. Who knows? Gregor might just surprise everybody once we get to see him and Rhaenys together One thing I know is that their interactions will be great regardless.
I think I've already went on way too long with this, so I'll just stop here Still, I gotta say again how amazing this part was for me to read. It leaves me with a bittersweet feeling though, since its going to be quite a while until we get to see Gregor again in his full entertaining glory, but just being able to get a glimpse of him this early was absolutely glorious. Man, I can't wait for the things to come!
Now, finally, for the voting itself: [Urge him to give Edward another chance] While I'd love for Alys to give a piece of her mind to Edward, now is hardly the time to do it. As bad as he is, Edward is still the only one with the power to protect her in this particular place, and I think it would be really bad to screw over our "only ally" (since I doubt Alisa or Gonzo would be able to do much by themselves) just for the satisfaction of seeing him in tight shoes. We would be screwing ourselves over just as bad.
[Tell him how you truly think about Edward] The other choice is probably going to win, and frankly I don't really want to work against Anturion so I'd vote it, but when you think about it, Blacksails seems like the kind of person who respects brutal honesty. Of course, Alys has already lied, so that's not good. Regardless, I feel this choice may have positive outcomes for our girl.
“Speaking of, how is the family? Any word from Nain? Your sister?” Edward shook his head. “She's still in Oldtown”, he replied. “Looking for part of the artifact. And Nain... well, who knows what Nain is up to these days? Ruling his kingdom, I suppose”
The plot thickens. Hm. Hm. Who could she be now? Do we even know her? What part of the artifact could be there? Very interesting.
You know, I bet Blacksails secretly has General Grievous hidden somewhere. I just know it.
Alys
It took her a lot of willpower to look into these intimidating, blue eyes and the unmoving face of Aeron Blacksails. “It's Alys”, sh… moree spoke and he raised a pale eyebrow. “Alys Snow” To this, the pirate king slowly nodded, his face not betraying if he believed her or not. “A bastard girl”, he mumbled. “A northern bastard girl. I'm sure there's quite a story for how someone like you joined... someone like him”
Alys gulped, exchanging a look with Edward, whose facial expression she was similarly unable to interpret. Was he pleased? Did it matter? She quickly realized that yes, it did, at least right now, in this very place, because if anything, she trusted Edward at least marginally more than any of Aeron's captains. He hadn't harmed her yet and that made him the better option for the time being.
“He... he saved my life”, she explained and Aeron smirked. “Did he now?”, he asked, surprise in his otherwise calm voice, as he glanced a… [view original content]
Truth has never been a forte when the Anturion's concern themselves. Glad to see Alys is realizing how important it is to be nice to those that are nice.....isn't that nice. I'm very interested to see how creative she gets with her praises.
Also glad to see this is a family venture. Things do normally work best when everyone is there to play their part, no?
Alys
It took her a lot of willpower to look into these intimidating, blue eyes and the unmoving face of Aeron Blacksails. “It's Alys”, sh… moree spoke and he raised a pale eyebrow. “Alys Snow” To this, the pirate king slowly nodded, his face not betraying if he believed her or not. “A bastard girl”, he mumbled. “A northern bastard girl. I'm sure there's quite a story for how someone like you joined... someone like him”
Alys gulped, exchanging a look with Edward, whose facial expression she was similarly unable to interpret. Was he pleased? Did it matter? She quickly realized that yes, it did, at least right now, in this very place, because if anything, she trusted Edward at least marginally more than any of Aeron's captains. He hadn't harmed her yet and that made him the better option for the time being.
“He... he saved my life”, she explained and Aeron smirked. “Did he now?”, he asked, surprise in his otherwise calm voice, as he glanced a… [view original content]
Alys
It took her a lot of willpower to look into these intimidating, blue eyes and the unmoving face of Aeron Blacksails. “It's Alys”, sh… moree spoke and he raised a pale eyebrow. “Alys Snow” To this, the pirate king slowly nodded, his face not betraying if he believed her or not. “A bastard girl”, he mumbled. “A northern bastard girl. I'm sure there's quite a story for how someone like you joined... someone like him”
Alys gulped, exchanging a look with Edward, whose facial expression she was similarly unable to interpret. Was he pleased? Did it matter? She quickly realized that yes, it did, at least right now, in this very place, because if anything, she trusted Edward at least marginally more than any of Aeron's captains. He hadn't harmed her yet and that made him the better option for the time being.
“He... he saved my life”, she explained and Aeron smirked. “Did he now?”, he asked, surprise in his otherwise calm voice, as he glanced a… [view original content]
Comments
[Share your knowledge with Gravven] Friend. Good trusting friend.
[Leave her out of it] Malien is obviously a spy and honey trap. Don’t trust her whatsoever.
This is my kind of guy. Love the Drumm.
Ryler. Wolf bite. Very interesting. Clearly he wouldn’t have survived if it was a direwolf. I now wonder if Wolfius wargs into another beast or maybe it really was just a regular wolf. Or maybe Lupin, who I suspect is that enemy of Noelle’s. Wolfius’s location surely will be interesting. If he were around I would have thought he would stop by the Harking home already. Leonard is there but Wolfius and Leonard have never met, although they would have fought in that one alternate choice path. Curious to see if he does show up.
[Share your knowledge with Gravven]
[Ask Malien for help]
Malien? Well, she did kinda come out of nowhere, apparently, and she's kinda friendly with Arthur, though a Sherryl she's not... probably. She might have a couple secrets though, can't blame you for choosing distrust by default here. We'll see if it is justified and that much I can say, there will be several instances in Book 2 where distrust actually is a very advisable reaction.
All interesting theories. I can confirm that now that Arthur has continued to work with Ryler, we are going to get a definite answer to the first thing you bring up here. It definitely wasn't a direwolf who bit him, or else his leg would have been clean off, but it's still questionable if the wolf that bit him has been Wolfius, or one of his pack. As you might remember, the presence of Wolfius in Raylansfair causes the wolves to go crazy. They sense that there is this presence haunting their woods, occasionally possessing them and that is driving them into a mad frenzy, to the point where they behave not very typical for wolves anymore, such as outright attacking several strangers at once despite not being starving. So, it is possible that the wolf that attacked Ryler was actually just that, a wolf driven to a near-rabid state of mind.
I can confirm that Leonard is not on Wolfius' list. In fact, they don't know each other. It is very likely that Leonard has heard of him by listening to Jenna's and Richard's tales, but Wolfius does not know whom Leonard is. Probably a good thing, because this means he is not on the list. After all, while Wolfius is capable of killing randomly when in a foul mood, the ones he outright seeks to kill are those he has at least some sort of a connection with. If they would have fought in the alternative storyline, Leonard would have been on the list for sure and likely even on top of it, or nearly at least. In this particular storyline, Wolfius would have been the villain of his arc, instead of Mullendore and he would have, in fact, remained in service of Raylansfair and therefore House Vyrwel. Depending on choices made by Jenna (who knows the truth after all), he could have broken ties with Petyr and Maron later on, but would have never openly stood against them as long as Wolfius has to be dealt with, as that guy would have been his priority target.
[Keep it a secret] Don't want to screw over our chances of possibly swapping Kyra over to Team Trident.
[Leave her out of it] Here we go! Arthur back on the Wolfius case. Buddy Cops Ryler and Arthur about to get into a chase scene as they flee the hospital while being pursued by two bad mofos in some weird masks.
The Voting is closed!
Kyra is going to share her knowledge with Gravven
Arthur is going to leave Malien out of this
Well, it hasn't been the most active voting, but neither have I been the most active on here in the past couple days, because I was quite busy. That is over now and I have the time to write again, so that is a good thing
I can't say I am particularly surprised by your choices here. Gravven seems to be a fairly well-liked character, so involving him more closely in this seems like a logical choice, though it remains to be what outcome it will lead to. Furthermore, I was pretty certain you would not risk getting someone else dragged into the current affairs in Raylansfair, as the Sphynx certainly wouldn't have been pleased with Malien if she would have ended up helping Ryler.
The next part should be out later today, though a lot of writing is still left to do, after the busy past two days. It will mark the return of a PoV that hasn't been seen in this chapter at all so far, namely Samantha. As it has been hinted at earlier in this chapter, there will be a meeting between most of the major characters involved with the resistance against Petyr and Maron and it will be seen through Samantha's eyes. The whole thing is set about two days after we have last seen Richard and Jenna and will hopefully have some pretty exciting interaction between the characters, most of whom you probably expect, though there should be one surprising attendant during this meeting as well
And well, it is time for my all-time favourites, the links. Ah, it can't take them too long to fix the main post, right? I feel like I'm getting more and more cynical every time I give you these links, but one of these days, they just have to listen, right?
If you are a new reader, allow me to welcome you! Check out the first post on Page 1 to learn more about this!
And for readers new and old, here is a collection of important links you might be interested in:
Samantha
It was already noon when Samantha spotted Harking's farm in the distance. A weary smile formed on her face, as the march through the cold was over at last. Hailing from the North, it hadn't left much of a mark on her, but Davith and especially Sasha were outright suffering and Samantha was glad for their sake.
It had been a harsh night and she knew, the first snow wouldn't need much longer to arrive in these lands. Right now, the sky was a plain grey and the air was chilly, the ground already beginning to freeze. They had passed the bridge earlier, Jarow's bridge as the locals called it and the waters below had been frozen over the night.
Though wearing a coat of brown fur, Samantha was still notably less protected against the cold than her companions, neither was she particularly bothered by it. It almost felt like home, if home wouldn't be but a string of painful memories, one worse than the other.
Davith had his hood up, protecting his head from the winds, his hands hidden beneath his coat, as he was clenching his teeth, trying not to make her see how heavily he disliked the current weather. Sasha meanwhile had no hood, but the thick fur still looked strange on her, compared to her usual wardrobe. Used to the mild winters of the east, she was openly and unashamedly shivering. A second shawl covered her upper chest and neck, partially to protect it from the cold and partially to hide the gruesome scar Rodrik Stone had left her with when he nearly cut her throat.
Stone was dead, even if the consequences of his actions continued to haunt Samantha and those close to her. Sasha had taken weeks to recover and even now she wasn't fully back to her former strength. And that was nothing compared to Nymeria and Jaro, both of whom had left the city since in the last two months.
Jaro had been the first to leave, just weeks after John and Tem had started their journey. Though he had the decency to say his goodbyes, he never told her his destination. He was going after Akjen, that was all she knew, but not where he was hoping to find his last living brother. All she knew was that he had left through Raylansfair's eastern gate, without looking back.
As much as Jaro's absence pained her, it was Nymeria's withdrawal she truly regretted. Unlike Jaro, the woman had left in the middle of the night, not saying anything, her absence not noticed until hours later. Samantha had even less of an idea about her destination, but couldn't help but feel guilty for it. For leaving her alone after the loss she had suffered, even if she, of all people, should have known better.
But there would be a time to dwell on these mistakes. Right now, they had to deal with the threat on hand and it was for this that Samantha had made her way to the Harking farm today, for the first time. Only Davith had been here before, back when Jenna introduced him to one of Richard Harking's guests.
Speaking of Jenna, she saw the coming. Opening the door from afar, she hesitated for a moment, before sheepishly waving them over. Davith sported a friendly grin, while Sasha rolled her eyes, as they both fastened their pace. Samantha needed a moment longer, but eventually caught up to them, as they reached the house.
“I'm glad you made it”, Jenna said as Samantha put a hand onto her upper arm, confidently smiling at her. “Sorry for being so late”, she stated and Jenna shrugged. “The rest is already here”, she replied and her eyes widened, as she remembered something. “But the stew shouldn't be all cold yet, I can get you some if you're hungry!”
Quickly, they hurried inside and Samantha was greeted by the sight of three faces, only one of which was familiar. A wide smile appeared on her face as she spotted Leonard Constantine. He looked changed, almost humbled, wearing the plain clothes of a commoner, the sullen look on his face cracking up by a tiny amount as he saw them.
“You son of a bitch”, Sasha mumbled, her smile even wider than Samantha's, as she stepped up first, to give Leonard a pat on the shoulder. To her surprise, Leonard turned the gesture into a hug, which she accepted after briefly tensing up. His smile was thin, thinner than she remembered, but it was genuine. As Samantha walked up to him, no words needed to be exchanged. They embraced silently and Leonard gave her a nod.
The other two in the room were women and Samantha knew neither. Both were young, pale-skinned and with dark hair. Good-looking for sure, though the one to Leonard's right had a haunted, sickly look on her face, her grey eyes nonetheless widening as she spotted Davith. Briefly, a smile flashed over her face, genuinely sweet, yet with even more hesitation than any look of joy on Jenna's face. Samantha was quick to notice such things and she knew, this woman had been through too much. Dressed in simple leather, one of her hands rested on her side and she was leaning uncomfortably in her chair, indicating pain originating from somewhere near her ribs.
“Hey”, Davith greeted her and she gave him a nod. “Uh, Sammy, Sasha, this is Kersea Catelins. She's the one Brandon asked me to contact” Kersea gulped, her smile remaining for a little longer. “And I'm glad you did”, she admitted. “My sister is safe. That's reason enough to do this. Reason to stay. To... atone”
Samantha raised an eyebrow, though she did not ask any further. She knew Davith's tale, how he had gotten out of Oldtown and how he had made a promise to one of the men that had escaped with him. And given how clearly uncomfortable Kersea was with their presence, she considered it wise not to pry too much.
Instead, she glanced at the other woman. Stunningly beautiful, she was quietly looking at them, the look in her blue eyes unsettlingly inquisitive, as she calmly studied each of the newcomers, while playing with a strand of her long, dark hair. “Well, isn't that heartwarming?”, she asked, putting a hand onto her chest. “My name is Saerya, I'm working at the castle”
The look Jenna gave her was not the only proof that there was more to this woman and this time, Samantha couldn't contain her curiosity. “You're a servant?”, she asked, not even hiding her disbelief. The way she looked, the way she spoke, that was impeccable. There was knowledge behind these eyes, more than a common woman could ever hope to get at such an age.
Saerya smirked coldly. “For the moment”, she admitted. “I have contacts that can help and a common enemy in Mullendore and Vyrwel. That is all you need to know for the time being” Jenna gulped. “I trust her”, she assured everyone and to Samantha's surprise, Leonard nodded at this. “I can confirm she's an ally”, he added and it was this detail that made Samantha's distrust grow a bit weaker. If even Leonard Constantine was willing to trust this woman, then surely she had done something to prove herself.
In this moment, the back door got pushed open and Richard Harking himself walked in. Samantha hadn't had much contact with the man before, though as he stood there, tall, muscled and with a sword on his belt, he did not seem like a farmer, but like a warrior, perhaps just the kind they needed in days like this. In fact, he seemed more a hero than even Leonard, the knight among them. A leader, who brought them all together, united against one common enemy.
His bearded face was stern, serious, yet not unfriendly, as he nodded. “Good afternoon”, he greeted them. “Welcome at my farm. Grab a seat, we shall start at once” Jenna looked up, while Samantha gladly took the offer, sitting down close to the window and opposing Leonard and Kersea. Sasha took a seat next to her, while Davith sat down to her other side and next to Saerya, whom he smiled at in a friendly way. She rolled her eyes, a gesture Samantha only reciprocated.
“Isn't Uncle Alan going to join us?”, Jenna asked and Richard sighed, clenching his fists. “He won't”, he told her. “Not today, or ever again” To this, Jenna nodded, looking down at her feet. “Okay”, she mumbled, glancing around the group, not comfortable with the number of newcomers. “Does... does anyone like some stew? It's not a very good one, I'm sorry, but there's rabbit in it and carrots and...”
“I'll take one”, Davith proclaimed. “I'm sure it's great!” He gave her a friendly smile and for a second, Jenna showed him the same expression in return, before she hurried to the other side of the large room, where a pot was standing. Samantha raised her hand. “I'll take one as well, if you don't mind”, she called and Jenna nodded without turning around.
“So, you threw Alan out at last, huh?”, Leonard said, before he shrugged. “Can't say I'm sorry for him. The man had it coming. At least now he can't sabotage our plans anymore” Richard sighed, as he sat down, next to Jenna's empty chair. “I wouldn't be so sure about that one”, he admitted. “I'm afraid we haven't seen the last of Alan yet. He has never been one to give up so easily. His pride is wounded and he's angry”
“Well, if you need someone to kill him, I'm sure Kersea here is just the one you need”, Leonard chuckled and Kersea threw him a brief, dark glare. “I told you”, she pressed through her teeth, pain slightly distorting her voice. “If there is anyone I have to kill, it's Maron Mullendore” Richard raised an eyebrow, glancing at her side. “Are you feeling alright?”, he asked and Kersea gave him a tired nod.
“Though perhaps we don't even have to kill him”, Saerya brought up, to which Samantha smirked, as she shook her head in silence. The other woman noticed it, raising an eyebrow. “Don't get me wrong, I would not go out of my way to spare him, but our goal is to dispose of him. To neutralize him. In the long run, I have no doubt he will die, if we make his crimes public, but perhaps there is a more elegant solution than to do the deed ourselves”
“What if I want to do the deed?”, Samantha asked, her fists clenched and her smirk turning into a warped expression of anger and bitterness. “What if I want to cut his head off his shoulders?” Saerya shrugged. “Then don't expect me to stop you. Though I believe our focus shouldn't be simple revenge and rest assured, I acknowledge that half the members of this group have a legitimate grudge against him, Lady Ducard”
Samantha's eyes widened as she was addressed by her last name. “How did you...?”, she started, but Saerya cut her off instantly, her smile now showing the tiniest amount of smugness. “By being the best”, she stated. “The game I play does not require the death of Maron Mullendore and Petyr Vyrwel, it requires to bring their plans to a full stop, to neutralize everyone involved with them and to make sure we put an end to things greater than each of them”
“I agree with this”, Richard said. “If it's revenge we want, we'd just have to wait until Kersea has recovered and she can put an end to this man” Kersea frowned and Richard instantly put a hand onto her shoulder. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...”, he started, though she sighed. “That is very much why I'm here”, she assured him. “But I doubt it'll be all that easy. Butterfly sees an enemy behind every corner. He expects his enemies to try and kill him, so he has the best guards in the entire Reach”
“The man with the mask”, Jenna mumbled, as she approached them, holding two bowls, one of which she handed to Davith, the other to Samantha. The stew in it was smelling wonderfully and Samantha smiled at the girl, who did not smile back. Instead, she looked almost scared. “The one that is leading them. He's terrifying”
“He's the one that murdered Lucas”, Leonard growled deeply and Samantha sighed, as she reached for the spoon. Tasting the stew, she had to admit it was actually quite good, or perhaps it was just that she was very hungry. “Yet another reason to approach things with a bigger picture in mind”, Saerya explained. “See, things won't remain the way they are here in the Reach. Big changes are coming and we have to act swiftly if we don't want Petyr Vyrwel to disturb these changes. At the least, we have to prevent him from gaining anything good out of them”
“What are you suggesting then?”, Davith asked, not looking away from the beautiful woman. She only briefly glanced at him. “I suggest we expose him. Once he's down in the gutter, an outcast, a wanted man, then you can each take your revenge, I don't care. But first, we have to make sure that the names Petyr Vyrwel and Maron Mullendore are worth nothing, that every lord in this kingdom knows of what they did”
“Evidence, huh?”, Samantha stated. “That shouldn't be too hard. We all know what happened” Saerya rolled her eyes. “Yeah, so we just walk up to the king and tell him all about it”, she replied in a mocking voice. “We have one highborn knight among us, from a minor family of courtiers” She glanced at Leonard. “Wanted as a traitor. Petyr Vyrwel is among the most powerful lords in the Reach and Mullendore is a personal friend of Manfred Hightower of Oldtown”
“Yeah... that might be a bit of a problem”, Samantha admitted, though Saerya was not done yet. “And they are seeking to enhance their influence. There's something going on with Devrin Oakheart. Petyr's youngest sister is to marry his son and heir. I'm not sure how Oakheart is involved with this, but I shall find out”, she explained. “And more. Petyr himself is unmarried. A young, powerful lord, his only child a bastard. He could have every woman in the Reach if he so desires and the lords have taken notice of this. Two of them are on their way to Raylansfair already, Camberlyng and Selwyn”
Leonard gulped and Saerya raised an eyebrow. “I... uh, do know Selwyn”, he admitted. “Word of warning, it might be wise if I leave the city while he's here. Me and Lord Donnel haven't parted on the best of terms” Saerya's smile widened. “I agree”, she replied. “You are a wanted man here. Might be a good idea to get you somewhere else, where you can help us without Richard here having to hide you”
As she said this, she looked at Richard. “And without you having to hide Leonard and Kersea, we might be able to focus on how to better utilize you”, she told him. “You are a man people look up to. The smallfolk trusts you, they respect you. The ones I spoke to even admired you. Men like Hal Recton or Philip Loren”
“You did your research, alright”, Leonard stated. “But where are we supposed to go?” He threw a quick glance at Kersea. “And do I have to drag her along?” Kersea narrowed her eyes, but said nothing. Instead, Saerya shook her head, chuckling softly. “You have to do nothing, Ser. You are a grown man and not my subordinate. But I assume you have a genuine interest in stopping these men”
As Leonard nodded firmly, Samantha noticed Sasha tensing up. Her eyes narrowed, as they exchanged a quick glance. “Richard, uh...”, Sasha started, looking uncomfortable in her chair. The farmer raised an eyebrow, while behind him, Saerya and Leonard continued their argument. “Do you... well, do you have, you know, a privy?”
Samantha grinned as Richard's eyes widened and next to him, Jenna was blushing vividly. “Uh, sure, it's behind the house. Through the back door, you can't miss it” Sasha jumped up. “Thank the gods”, she sighed. “I'll be back in a minute!” And with this, she rushed out of the door.
Richard looked after her, then at his daughter, who was only barely holding back a sweet, innocent smile, an expression that caused his gaze to soften with fatherly love. Saerya shrugged, before she continued. “There is one player in this game whom I know too little about so far”, she revealed. “Maybe you can find out more. His name is Quent and he is...”
“Fuck...”, Leonard instantly mumbled. “Archmaester Quent? Yeah, I met the guy. We haven't parted on the best of terms either” In a rare moment of sarcasm, Kersea rolled her eyes. “What a surprise”, she stated, her tone completely deadpan and Leonard seemed outright surprised instead of angered. “Excuse me, do you have to add anything of value to this discussion?”, he snapped at her and for a second, they glared openly.
This time, it was a noise from the outside that caused them to focus on the window behind Samantha. She herself spun around, just in time to hear Sasha's angry growl. “Got you!”, the woman barked, over the pained, scared, yet muffled screams of a man. A second later, the door got pushed open and she threw someone inside. “That weasel has been listening to our talk!”, Sasha growled, as she stepped in after him.
The man groaned, putting a hand onto his head and looking up. He was lanky, younger than Samantha would have expected from a spy and with strange hair, dyed blue, yet the blonde roots clearly showed. His simple clothes were covered in dirt and leaves, implying he had followed them through the underbrush for quite some time.
Jenna gasped audibly. “Saltmouth?”, she asked, to which Samantha raised an eyebrow. “Saltwhat?”, she replied, while the young man looked up, a forced grin on his face. “Oh, uh, hey Jenna”, he greeted her. “Your, uh, your place is nice. And that must be Old Man Harking! Pleasure to meet you, Ser, a great honour...”
He was going to say something else, but Sasha kicked him in the ribs just then, with a ferocity that caused Kersea to wince and the young man to shut up instantly. “What are you doing here?”, she spat, while Richard looked at his daughter. “You know this boy?”, he asked sternly and Jenna's cheeks turned a bright red. “I... yeah...”, she began to stutter. “That is... his name is... Salt... Vali...”
“Vali Flowers”, Saerya interjected impatiently. “Assistant to Maester Eddard” Leonard narrowed his eyes as he rose from his chair. “Eddard”, he growled. “Another one of Vyrwel's creatures” He approached the downed Vali, while Sasha pulled him up and together, they pressed him against the wall, while he seemed visibly terrified now.
“How much have you heard?”, Leonard barked and Sasha answered to that. “Almost since the beginning”, she explained. “I wasn't too sure though, so I went outside to look and well, there he is” Vali smiled at her, though her glare wiped the expression off his face. “So, you are spying for Vyrwel?”, Leonard spat at him. “Does he know we are here?”
To this, Vali shook his head, fervently so. “What? No, no, no”, he assured them. “I'm not working for any Vyrwel! I was just in the area, when I saw some interesting folk gathering around here, so I... well, I was a bit curious” His grin was audacious and by now, Samantha had risen from her chair as well. Davith meanwhile remained sitting next to Saerya, whispering something, to which she gave him an almost angry glare. “Not. Now”, she hissed.
“You do know him?”, Richard asked, concern oozing from his voice as Jenna gulped, trying to hide in her own dress, the collar of which she had pulled up to her lower lip. “It's really not like that”, she whispered towards him, while Samantha approached Sasha and Leonard, still holding Vali against the wall.
“So, that's how you want to play, huh?”, Sasha asked. “I'll give you one last chance. What were you doing here? More yet, for whom were you spying on us? Is it Vyrwel, or Mullendore?” Vali raised an eyebrow. “Oh, not that Butterfly cunt”, he assured her, before gulping. “I mean, none of them. Really, I can't tell you. Come on, just let go of me, no harm done”
Sasha rolled her eyes, while Leonard narrowed his. “You mentioned Butterfly”, he growled, his voice quickly growing louder. “How do you know that. HOW?” Vali tensed up in his grip. “Did I say Butterfly?”, he asked. “Who is that supposed to be? I'm not working for any butterfly” He spotted Leonard clenched fist, realizing what was about to happen. “Oh, fuck...”, he mumbled. “Listen, I'm not going to tell anyone what I heard today, alright?”
“Samantha...”, Richard mumbled, still mostly focussing on his daughter, while she stood closest to Leonard and Sasha. The other woman shook her head. “Do you want to punch the truth out of him, or shall I?” Leonard smirked coldly. “You know me too well”, he replied, as he raised his fist and Samantha knew, if she wanted to, she had to act now.
[Hold Leonard back] [Do not intervene]
[Do not intervene] Oh you just happened to be in the area eh? Vali, you made the wrong choice buddy. He obviously knows something, something that needs to be pressed out of him. God knows we need everything we can get to take down Mullendore.
[Do not intervene] Saltmouth need to take things a little more serious
RT:
1)In this Samantha Pov we discover something important...that winter is coming!
2)While I expected that Jaro had already left the city to find his brother I'm surprised that even Nymeria left the party...I'm curious to see where we will see her again
3)It seems ages from the last time that we see Samantha,Sasha and Davith and I'm happy to see them again
4)I like read of the meeting from Samantha Pov and read her opinion about the other members of it (I'm curious to read her reaction when she will learn Kersea's previous profession or Saerya real role in the city)
5)Speaking of the meeting I admit that I kinda expect the presence of a certain tavern owner (since the man was a little obsessed to obtain revenge the last time we see him) and I found Aylard absence is a little strange
6)Oh oh two Lords are going to try to make their daughters marry Petyr! I expect that the city is going to be even more crowded
7)Saltmouth is REALLY not a smart kid eh?Say that you know Mullendore real identity from nowhere wasn't a smart move
8)Speaking of Vali,I expect that the kid and the maester work for Quent (since he is the man that send them to Raylainsfair) or the Tavner guy (because the brother of the maester work for him)
[Do not intervene]
[Do not intervene]
Well, he is hiding something, that much is clear
Samantha knows it, Leonard knows it, the only question is if beating him up is going to do anything to loosen his lips. After all, there's still a lot of things up in the air when it comes to him, how much he truly knows and how he could best be of assistance.
Well, it is autumn for now and it will remain that way for one or two years at least, but the coming winter won't be the kindest, even down in the Reach and it can be felt already. Poor Sasha is suffering already under these temperatures, that is bound to get worse, whereas Samantha is going to feel at home soon enough.
Yeah, Nymeria leaving is a direct consequence of your choice in Chapter 9 of Book 1, where Samantha decided not to spend time with her. If she would have decided otherwise, Nymeria would have stayed and she would have also been part of this meeting. While respectfully giving her the room she needs, she also missed an opportunity to become closer to Nymeria, to eventually convince her that there's still something left for her in Raylansfair after Lenrianda's death. In the end, Nymeria remained mostly distant and one night, she decided to simply leave. However, we will see her again in this book, this much I can confirm, just in a different location and storyline.
It was ages! Neither has been seen in months and I am glad they are finally back in full. Samantha in particular should have an interesting storyline in this book, the beginnings of which are going to be revealed in her next part
Ah, glad to hear it! There is a lot Samantha does not yet know, though it can be assumed she won't have all that much of a negative reaction to Kersea's previous work. Being a sellsword, she is pretty much a killer for hire already, if the situation demands it and though she hates Mullendore like almost no one else, she can sympathize with the desire to keep a loved one safe at all costs. There is also the fact that Samantha could have easily gotten into Kersea's position. Remember, they were both victims of Mullendore's sick test for his new killers, where his men were sent to some remote northern farm to butcher a whole family, proving they can kill without remorse. Kersea survived thanks to her mother, but she and Briar were captured by Clayton in the process. Samantha survived by not being in the house at the time. If she would have been there, she would have died, or worse, she would have been taken like Kersea and as such, should she find out, there is most likely going to be a deep understanding between them, as they have been through the same horrifying situation. Saerya meanwhile, Samantha is likely going to have less of an understanding towards her, probably even some levels of distrust, because she is not particularly fond of the Targaryens and doesn't trust spies by default.
Here I can confirm, Aylard was approached by Samantha, who carefully asked him if he would like to join. However, Aylard himself has changed as well over the last months. Still grieving, he is not ready to work with others, particularly men such as Leonard, whom he still has a grudge against. That being said, while he declined, he assured her that he will work against Mullendore on his own and that he won't stop them, nor get in their way, if they stay out of his business at least.
Well, Raylansfair will become more crowded for sure, but at the same time, I have the feeling that the location as a whole in Book 2 will become more manageable. Thing is, many characters will leave as well over the course of the next two chapters and as a whole, it should be mostly balanced out. For now though, the first lords will arrive at Raylansfair, to try and gain Petyr's favour when it comes to marrying their daughter.
A slip of the tongue, it can probably be justified by Vali being actually still young and not quite as experienced as he'd like to appear, but also by the surprise and slight shock of being caught in the act by Sasha (definitely the scariest person in the room), restrained and yelled at. He did reveal, if by accident, that he knows a lot more than he let through at first, but by now, he is just stuttering, because he has never been in a situation quite like this.
Hm, interesting theories! With Tavner at least, keep in mind that it was Vali who revealed Eddard's connection to the new crimelord in town. It might just have been another act of carelessness, but it makes Vali working for Tavner not quite as likely. Quent though, he remains an enigma, even to someone as well-informed as Saerya and then there are definitely other players in the shadows who haven't yet revealed their presence. Whom Vali does actually work for will be revealed in Samantha's next part
[Do not intervene] Leonard is sure not gonna go easy, but Vali literally opened his foot to insert the foot, so while I don't think he's directly involved with Mullendore or Vyrwel, he certainly knows something.
While Selwyn we already know about, Chamberlyng is a complete mystery, besides he's from an original House, so, we'll wait and see if he's as bad as both.
[Hold Leonard back] Let's not jump into violence so easily. There must be better ways of getting the info out of him than beating him senseless. Plus, if he is someone we want on our good side, it'd probably be better to not have his first impression being a broken nose. Glad to see Sam back in the fray. Sasha seems to be back in her usual demeanor. I wonder what Davith whispered to Saerya. I think we found out what Davith's secret was, that he knew that Kersea's sister is still alive. I loved the awkward moment between Richard and Jenna when Saltmouth came in. Richard thinking his daughter was up to no good with this odd blue hair child. Vali is just as rambunctious as I imagined him as. Getting caught snooping on the old farmer's girl and her friends while they are planning a revolution. Then getting the snot beaten out of him by the grumpy uncle who's also a knight with PTSD. And the mean aunt with a strong right hook. What else could go wrong?
[Do not intervene] Perhaps this will make Vali take the situation seriously and tell us something useful. That said, I think he is working for Tavner, who might be an enemy of Mullendore. So, in other words I suspect Saltmouth could potentially become an ally against Petyr and Maron.
It was nice seeing all these characters that hate Mullendore meet
They are definitely underdogs in this fight, but at least they are working together. And man, Saerya's presence really makes a difference, she seems to be immediately taking the role of the brains of this operation. That said, I could see her motives clashing with other members of this group in the future. Anyway, I feel like we have a really interesting storyline ahead of us here 
[Do not intervene] In what world do I side against Leonard?
This part is among my favorites. Real clash of personalities. Very enjoyable. I have a few notes. Nymeria and Jaro gone, but not forgotten.
Hey, "almost humbled", hehe. Commoner garb.
Kind of reminded me of the reunion of Rhys and Sasha in Episode 5 of the Tales From the Borderlands.
A deviously handsome highborn knight from a minor family of courtiers is enough.
Hehehhehehehehe. Oh, oh oh boy. The Donnel. Saerya that spying slime. Knowing everything. I am very curious to see how Lord Selwyn and company interact with some of these characters. Should be quite funny. Seems like Leonard wouldn't get to interact with any of them, but I'm sure some of those escapades will be mentioned. Hopefully dirty Petyr doesn't get Vanesha. And let's not forget Maester Lucifer...
Heheheheh. I always love when there's this sort of dialogue. Quent not to be confused with Kent Brockman, wonder what's he's up too.
I thought Vali was Alan until I saw the blue-hair note. I don't trust this little rascal.
[Do not intervene]
Hm, here I can confirm, Vali does know something. Not too little actually, he proved that much when revealing Mullendore's secret identity, but the big question is, does he know more than you already do (or at least more than Richard and co. know, considering they have no idea about Devrin Oakheart's true role in this conspiracy) and how willing is he going to be to part with this knowledge if he is beaten?
Both are original houses, though the big difference is that while House Selwyn has been submitted in its entirety, including members of the Selwyn household, House Camberlyng only has one submitted member, the daughter of Lord Camberlyng, leaving the rest to me. Both houses should be quite interesting at least and I look forward to introduce some of their members in the next chapter
Aye, I am glad to have her and the others back
However, Sasha is not quite back to her prime and she actually has mellowed a bit, as seen in her more friendly gesture towards Leonard. She's just a natural at being scary and angry, especially towards people such as Vali, who definitely wouldn't be a match for her in a fight. And well, with Davith and Saerya, you can probably expect it to be something she found equal parts annoying and embarrassing 
He hasn't quite caught up to Samantha really not being into him, but starting to get the hints, so he's slowly shifting his attention to the other ladies around. When it comes to his his secret, it is indeed that Brandon has told him to look out for Kersea and tell her about Briar. When Jenna made contact with him through Samantha, he quickly found out the Harkings are, in fact, housing the woman he was sent to look for. That is the reason Kersea has been relatively calm these last couple parts, she knows Briar is alive and safe with Brandon and House Stark, probably the safest place she could be at the moment. As such, she has made plans to eventually reunite with Briar, but only after she feels like she deserves it, means after she atoned for her role in the Vyrwel-Mullendore takeover. If she'd just leave to get to Briar, she likely couldn't even look her sister in the eye, so she needs to do this first, for herself the most.
Hehe, I am very happy he is acting in a way you imagined him to act. That's him, I'd say, this fast-talking, probably slightly reckless guy who really knows how to make a bad first impression. This time, he might bit off more than he could chew, in the way he was caught in the act by Sasha and right during a time where Leonard is anything but willing to take his chances with a guy like him.
Tavner is an interesting theory. We know he already has one spy in the city, through Maester Eddard, at least if Vali is right with his assumption. This would also be a possible reason for why he revealed Eddard's ties to Jenna, if he, or Tavner himself, seek to ally with the Raylansfair resistance.
Ah, this was what I intended, yes. Of course, it's not everyone with a grudge against Mullendore. Aylard outright declined to join them, there's Argella, who would be very willing to help if it wouldn't be for the more urgent Stormland business she has to focus on and naturally, Mullendore has left a mess of enemies in Oldtown, most prominently Jaron and Harpy, who are unfortunately also preoccupied. That being said, the group that has gathered here profits immensely from Saerya, who is pretty much the only one who truly knows what she'd doing in the current situation and she has indeed taken over a bit of a leadership role. However, she is also the only one with no personal grudge against Mullendore, or any sort of personal stake. Richard and Jenna wish to keep their home safe, Leonard, Samantha and Davith want vengeane, Sasha helps out of loyalty and Kersea's only true urge is to redeem herself, meaning they act by emotion, whereas Saerya follows a very cold logic with her plan. For now, they align well, but the time might come in which there could be tensions, things the group has to work out and Saerya herself has a good chance of being in the middle of such conflict.
Ah, that is big, given the amount of parts. Can't say I expected it, but this makes me happy all the more. I'm really glad you enjoyed this part so much
Yeah, there is still some of the early Book 1 Leonard left (and it shines through when talking to someone he really doesn't like too much, such as Kersea), so I really wouldn't say he's all that humbled, but at the same time, the stuff he has been through has left its mark on him and Samantha hasn't seen him in a while, so she definitely takes notice. It can be argued that the change is for the better, at least in her eyes.
Hehe, I can't say I had that particular scene in mind (mostly because a Leonard/Sasha ship is never going to happen for obvious reasons) while writing, but I can see the similarities now that you mention it. Their relationship in general is a bit more distant though, but they can be considered almost friends by now.
You mean a deviously handsome traitor to the kingdom, right? I'm afraid Mern Gardener might not be too open for Leonard's charms, so with him, better arguments will be necessary.
Ah, she doesn't quite know everything, she's just very good at coming to the right conclusions and winging the rest, such as her reaction here. Up until Leonard mentioned it, she had no idea he ever had contact with House Selwyn, but she instantly seemed to have prepared something for this aspect. And I can confirm, Leonard won't meet up with the Donnel and the others right away (though never say never) and instead, I hope to show some elements of their shared history through accounts by the Selwyn family members and the household, once they in return learn about his former work here at Raylansfair. There should be some room to establish their connection a bit further in the chapters to come.
I definitely share your love for such dialogue, which is pretty much why I put Leonard and Kersea into the same storyline. They really don't get along, but kinda have to work together, so they vent their frustrations in the sort of interaction you see here, to my utmost delight and hopefully to your approval. It's kinda similar to the Lucas/Leonard situation in the early Book 1, where they still had their rivalry going on, but in case of Leonard and Kersea, it's even more open disdain and it gives me a chance to show aspects to Leonard's character I haven't gotten the chance to show much in the later half of Book 2. And Quent, we will see him a bit more often in Book 2, instead of him only appearing briefly in two chapters.
Well, no surprise here, Vali doesn't make the most trustworthy first impression. Or second impression, really, he's just not a very trustworthy person. And well, who says that Vali is not Alan? They have never been seen in the same room so far, keep that in mind
[Do not intervene]
[Do not intervene]
The Voting is closed!
Samantha is not going to intervene
Ah, a more active voting again, very good, very good
The outcome has been very decisive though, with a majority voting for the winning option. As such, Samantha will now stand aside while Leonard does what he sees necessary to get Vali to talk. What either expects as a reply remains up in the air, as Vali's true loyalties are yet to be revealed. If he is a potential ally, let's just say this did not increase the chance to get on his good side, but he wouldn't have come if not for a reason.
The next part, well, I hope to release it today. Thing is, I had university for most of the day, it is quite late and I am a bit tired, so I can't promise to actually finish it before heading to sleep. However, I am excited for this new part and I hope you will enjoy it as well, because it will lead us back to Merman's Rest and to Alys' storyline. Last time we saw her, she, together with Edward, Alisa and Carvin, entered the pirate court, where the captains under Aeron Blacksails have gathered. Previously, Edward had a brief encounter with one of them, a certain Gregor Harlaw, who did not quite get along with him. As it turned out, they really don't like him over there, because he owes them a lot of coin and hasn't quite delivered on his promises yet. As such, there were some who were very unwilling to even listen to him, though the king himself, Aeron Blacksails, was of a different kind and quite interested in what Edward had to say. However, noticing Alys, he first asked for her name. Remembering an earlier warning by Alisa and Wilbur, Alys ended up hiding her true identity, instead introducing herself as Alys Snow, a mere bastard and not the highborn lady she truly is.
Also, insert obligatory main post return plea. Telltale, pls
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Alys
It took her a lot of willpower to look into these intimidating, blue eyes and the unmoving face of Aeron Blacksails. “It's Alys”, she spoke and he raised a pale eyebrow. “Alys Snow” To this, the pirate king slowly nodded, his face not betraying if he believed her or not. “A bastard girl”, he mumbled. “A northern bastard girl. I'm sure there's quite a story for how someone like you joined... someone like him”
Alys gulped, exchanging a look with Edward, whose facial expression she was similarly unable to interpret. Was he pleased? Did it matter? She quickly realized that yes, it did, at least right now, in this very place, because if anything, she trusted Edward at least marginally more than any of Aeron's captains. He hadn't harmed her yet and that made him the better option for the time being.
“He... he saved my life”, she explained and Aeron smirked. “Did he now?”, he asked, surprise in his otherwise calm voice, as he glanced at Edward. Behind her, Edward gulped uncomfortably, before he replied. “She was important for part of my plan”, he claimed, though Alys knew, this wasn't the full truth and in fact, she herself wasn't too sure about it, after all, he didn't know about her identity when first helping her.
“Ah”, Aeron replied, still smirking. “There is the Anturion in you” He gave him a nod, stepping away from Alys, who let out a sigh of relief. “Speaking of, how is the family? Any word from Nain? Your sister?” Edward shook his head. “She's still in Oldtown”, he replied. “Looking for part of the artifact. And Nain... well, who knows what Nain is up to these days? Ruling his kingdom, I suppose”
“You mention the artifact”, Aeron spoke, as he walked up to his throne again. Picking up the odd smoking stick, he held it in his hands, before sitting down. Crossing his legs, he moved one end of the stick to his mouth, his eyes gleaming in the dim light of the torches and the purple smoke that surrounded him. “But what would truly be of interest to me and, as I am led to believe, every other person in this room, is...”, he mumbled and leant forwards, as his voice grew stronger. “Where is our gold?”
Edward sighed and took a moment before he replied. In this moment, Alys glanced around, gulping as she noticed that the only captain still having a somewhat affable look on his face was the young man with the brown hair and the seemingly blind eyes. His constant smirk however had something unsettling in its own. Slowly, Alys started to consider if she had made a mistake. A bastard girl they'd cut down, they'd do worse with. But a highborn? A hostage? Perhaps that was preferable over being dead.
“You know I always paid my coin before”, he began and the man with the wide-brimmed hat to Aeron's right chuckled dryly at this. “That'll be golden”, he mumbled, wiggling his eyebrows at the pirate king. Aeron's expression was unmoving, a look of stoic calmness on it. “That's not the word I'd use, Melvan”, the young man next to him replied, playing with the thick braid of his hair.
“I never failed you and neither will I do now”, Edward promised. “Raylansfair has not been a complete disaster, neither has our partnership with King Harren. The box I was looking for has been uncovered from the archive and though I lost it, it is now in the hands of another, a young man from the Kingdom of the Rock. Taking it from him should be easy”
“Yes, yes, that is particularly fascinating”, Aeron spoke. “Though I wouldn't count that as anything even close to a success. You Anturions have promised each of us a great amount of coin for our help and yet, what is it you actually achieved with it? Your brother is not here. Your sister is not here. Instead they sent you to clean up their mess”
“Ah, fucking stop talking to that rat!”, the ugly woman barked, as she jumped up. “He's always been a waste of time” The man to Aeron's right raised his head, looking sternly from below his hat. “Careful, Jadith”, he warned her calmly, the joy his words had shown just seconds ago all but gone. “You're still talking to a king”
In return, Jadith spat onto the ground, groaning something, before she shook her head. Reaching for her belt, she pulled a long knife from it. “Well, now I'm talking to the rat that owes us gold!”, she barked, pointing it at Edward. “Stop squirming and give me one good reason why I shouldn't cut you open!”
“He doesn't have to”, Aeron hissed. “In my court, captain's blood is only spilled when I demand it” His calm words cut like a blade, silencing Jadith in her anger and instantly causing her to glance over her shoulder. How easily he controlled this massive woman, it surprised Alys, how meek she became next to him, even if she only lowered her blade reluctantly, with anger still remaining. “I paid that fuck once!”, she clarified. “Now he returns and doesn't stick to his side of the deal. Give the order, my king and I'll teach the whole damn fleet about keeping their word”
To this, Aeron simply shook his head. “Before I even consider this, I would like to hear what Captain Anturion has in mind”, he explained. “He wouldn't have come for no reason” He narrowed his eyes, exhaling the smoke from his mouth, before giving Edward a nod. “Convince me not to give in to Captain Linster's demand”
As Alys looked over her shoulder, she noticed that Edward's expression was surprisingly calm, whereas Alisa and Carvin seemed notably more afraid. She herself felt anxiety. If there was one thing she trusted Edward with, it was talking his way out of such a situation, but even then, she was not sure if she had made a terrible mistake. To be fair, she made the mistake the moment she came with him to Harrenhal. She should have left, should have just left the moment he saved her from Harlan, but she didn't know better, she couldn't have known.
“First of all, I want to assure you that I never forgot your payment”, Edward promised. “However, there seems to have been a misunderstanding. Never have I promised to repay you at this particular moment. I came to report, not to deliver” He put a hand onto his chest. “My king, my fellow captains, me and my siblings are confident that we should be able to repay you tenfold a year from now. Once we have the pieces all together, there won't be a treasure in this world we won't be able to give you”, he explained. “However, I have also returned to further explain my next moves and why this would possibly require more... ahem, funding”
The captains began to mumble something to each other, with Aeron being the only one still silent. From behind them, a man chuckled and as Alys glanced over her shoulder, she noticed Gregor Harlaw, who had raised from his chair. Blacksails raised an eyebrow, but he gave the Ironborn a nod to speak. Gregor had a wide smirk on his face, as he walked up to Edward. “Sorry, but I'm with Jadith here”, he said. “Your plan is stupid, Anturion. Face it, you're a cunt”
Edward narrowed his eyes, as Gregor stood in front of him. “In fact, I'd go as far as to say that her course of action would be the best. Killing you would put an end to this waste of coin you are”, he said and to his direct threat, Carvin put a hand onto his blade. “You can bloody well try”, he growled and Gregor raised both of his eyebrows. “Careful, Gonzo”, he hissed. “King Aeron objects to a captain's blood being spilled here, but a lowly sellsword? Doubt he'd care”
“What do you want to bring up, Captain Harlaw?”, Aeron asked at this, just as Alisa put a hand onto Carvin's forearm, calming him down ever so slightly. Gregor bowed in front of his king. “The reason why I am here, my king. Now seems as good a time to mention it as any, just so you know that Anturion here is not the only option you have”, he replied and put a hand onto his chest. “See, last time I've been in Braavos, I learned a fancy word, you'll like it. It's called 'investment'” He pointed at Edward. “That guy here is a bad investment and I consider every coin I put into him to be lost. Should have known better, we all should have, but what's done is done. I've lost more for less, so I'll move on, but you really shouldn't trust a word he says”
“Agreed”, the seemingly blind man confirmed, looking at Gregor out of his strange eyes. The Ironborn continued. “But there could be another way, a better chance. See, on my way down the Narrow Sea, I stopped at Claw Isle. You wanna know what I heard there?”, he spoke, his voice louder now, filling the entire room with ease. “There's a war coming. Probably the greatest in thousands of years” He stared just at Aeron now. “Targaryen has declared war on Westeros, naming himself as its king. I thought it was a bad joke, but they told me about him. He has a plan and he has the power to go through with it”
Blacksails tilted his head, pressing his lips together. Lowering the smoking stick, he put both hands onto the armrests of his throne. “There is just one thing he's lacking and its manpower. Means, those that join him now can come a long way in his army. He'll appreciate such loyalty when he goes to plunder the kingdoms. Think about it, all the treasure in Westeros and it's ours for the taking!” In this very moment, his smirk became sly and he put both hands onto his belly. “Of course, I have a particular gem in mind, but that shouldn't concern you. Fighting for the Dragon King means riches, freedom, probably titles for each of us” He glanced at the man with the hat. “I for one would like one castle, but how about you, Melvan? Two castles maybe?”
The man, Melvan, looked up, showing his stained teeth. “Tempting”, he admitted, though next to him, the young man with the braid shook his head. “Two ruins, more like”, he spoke. “And this... gem you mentioned, is it worth it? Targaryen is not a man to fuck with”
Gregor grinned at him. “Aye, sure you know everything about men to fuck with, Lord Manderly”, he chuckled. “But trust me, the gem I have in mind is surely worth it. She's silver... argent, as you fancy folk would call it” Manderly narrowed his eyes, before widening them again. “You're talking about a woman?”, he spat in disbelief.
To Alys' surprise, Gregor gave him a nod. “Aye, but not any woman. See, this king, he has two wives. Two! Me, I have always been a man of principles and I believe it goes against each of them that he gets to have two! That is... unfair to the rest of us. The one I have an eye on, they say she's the most beautiful woman in the world”
“You'd fight a war for Targaryen just to fuck his wife?”, Sargasso Saan interjected and Gregor shook his head this time. “You make it seem as if that's the only thing I'm out for”, he stated. “But I truly believe in fighting for Targaryen. If he is truly that powerful, then Westeros will be his in the long run. He'll remember his friends then and if we ally with him, he might overlook this tiny island in the Narrow Sea. He might allow us to live our lives. And if we help him enough, as I said, there'll be a lot of empty castles when he's done with his war” He winked, at no one in particular. “Rhaenys Targaryen is just the... well, the cherry on the cake”
Manderly scoffed at that. “Sure, I bet she just yearns for an Ironborn brute”, he stated. “Do you have anything else to offer to her than your cock?” He had stood up now, standing in front of Gregor and the two looked at each other, Manderly with impatience, Gregor with amusement. “You often think about my cock, Manderly?”, he asked. “But nah, that's not what I have in mind. I trust my abilities to court the silver queen, especially if her husband is away for years, fighting the great war. Surely, it'll get lonely in that bed of hers”
He turned around, spreading his arms. “But what I truly offer is my experience! On Claw Isle, they told me a bit about his army. Once I join him, I'll be the best captain sailing under his banner!”, he claimed and his grin widened into a smile of genuine amusement. “You know whom he named his grand admiral? It's Daemon fucking Velaryon!”
At the mention of this name, the captains began to chuckle. The seemingly blind man laughed openly, as did the hat-wearing Melvan. The brutish Jadith moved her mouth into a crooked grin, while even Aeron Blacksails himself showed the briefest hint of a smirk. “That's right, Daemon Velaryon leads his fleet. That pompous twat will lead them to defeat on his own and that is where I come into play”, Gregor explained. “I'm better than him. Any of us is better than him! So, I'll sail to Dragonstone, I'll meet with Aegon, or maybe with that sister-wife of his if I'm lucky and I'll make my claim. I... invest into them. Swearing loyalty, helping them by sea, proving my worth, getting rich, getting a piece of that she-dragon” Now, he pointed around, at each captain. “And I need you, my friends, my comrades! Your grace, working for Targaryen is the future!”
From the looks on their face, Alys saw how they thought about it. Manderly silently glared at Gregor, but Sargasso Saan seemed intrigued, as did Melvan. Blacksails himself could not be read, as per usual, but the first to answer was the man with the blind eyes. “Now, that's been a fascinating speech, mate”, he admitted, standing up from his chair.
“Ah, Aidan!”, Gregor greeted him and the two shared a hug. “Glad you see things my way!” To this, Aidan shook his head and in the way he looked at Gregor, Alys could see that he was anything but blind, that his eyes were simply the oddest she had ever seen. Something was not right with them, but the way he looked at the man in front of him made it clear he saw him just fine. “Wouldn't go that far, at least not with everything”, he admitted. “I really don't think we should work with Anturion any longer, totally agree with you on that”
Edward frowned at his words and Aidan gave him a wink. “See, times are clearly changing. I've been to Volantis, I know what the dragon did to their armies. He's got three of these beasts and I would never bet against him”, he spoke. “But, thing is...” He blinked slightly, which, paired with his odd eyes, gave him an almost confused appearance. “I'm not one to follow any king, no offence, your grace”
Gracefully, Aeron nodded and Aidan continued. “This here is fine. But what you suggest would be becoming a privateer”, he said. “That's a word. Privateer. It means we're tolerated pirates in service of the crown. Tolerated!” He shook his head. “That is not good enough for me, no matter what he offers. What I'd have to leave behind...”, he explained and shook his head again. “Never. But I don't judge you, mate. You do yours and those that want to follow, fine. Each to their own”
“So, what are you going to do then, Aidan?”, Gregor asked and the pirate grinned widely. “I'll get the hell out of here, if you allow”, he replied. “Today even. Any day I can get miles between me and this continent at war is a good one. So, I'll leave Westeros. Maybe I'll return in a couple years, but for the time being, Essos seems a whole lot safer” He shrugged. “I'll set sail to Lys first. Might find some slavers to hunt, those degenerates have grown too comfortable lately”
Gregor nodded slowly. “Good luck with that then, my friend. But what about the rest of you?”, he roared, looking from one captain to the next. The first to shake his head was Aeron Blacksails himself. “You have my blessing to fuck the dragon queen”, he stated dryly. “But don't expect my support in this war. We are free here. Free to choose whom to follow and whom not. I won't throw that away”
“I agree with the king”, Sargasso stated firmly. “At least as long as Targaryen's victory is not assured. Let us plunder the ruins of his war. Let us descend on the shores of Dorne and the Stormlands once their armies are needed elsewhere. But fighting for him? Too big a risk”
“Looks like you won't find any allies here, Harlaw”, Warmond Manderly said, not without glee in his smooth voice and Melvan shook his head. “I'd like to, I really would”, he admitted. “But the king is right. Our path is freedom and I won't yield to any man Aeron Blacksails won't follow”
After Jadith shook her head with a silent glare, Gregor sighed. “I feared that much”, he spoke. “Figured it might be worth a try though, maybe couple of you change their minds in the things to come. Arriving with a whole fleet would have made a better impression than a single ship, but then again, it's my Nagga we're talking about, so I'm going to be good” He glanced at Edward. “Just keep in mind, there's better investments than that guy”
With these words, he took a final bow. “I'll get ready to leave then, if you don't have anything else to add”, he stated and Aeron shook his head. “You may leave”, he offered. “But remember, I'll get my share of any spoils you make in my domain. The rest if of no concern to me” Gregor nodded but as he already turned around, Aeron called out again, a bit louder this time. “And Captain Harlaw!”, he barked, and as quick as he had raised his voice, it had gotten calmer again. “Never betray my trust. Serve your dragon king, but remember who rules the seas”
Gregor grinned, a surprisingly honest expression. “You do, Blacksails”, he stated, before patting Aidan onto the back. “You coming, Storm?”, he asked and Aidan chuckled. “Aye, for an ale or two maybe, mate”, he agreed. He put two fingers against his head, before pointing at Aeron. “See ya, King!”
With two of the captains gone, Edwards chances seemed at a new low. Alys felt it, though she noticed that he did not show even the shadow of doubt, despite the mixture of expressions he received ranging from unimpressed to angry. “Your grace, if my plan succeeds, you won't have to fear any dragon”, he promised and Aeron frowned.
“I do not fear them”, he replied sharply. “But that doesn't mean I will do their bidding, not today or ever” He leant forwards again, taking a deep breath from his smoking stick. “Regardless of that, Gregor brought up one point I agree with”, he revealed. “You had your chance and the investment I made in you was a failure so far. You promised results by now and as it seems, you have nothing to show”
“I have a lead”, Edward argued. “And this is important. This is big, your grace, and think about it, would an Anturion ever break his word to you?” A grin flashed over Melvan's face, but it was Jadith Linster who replied in his stead. “Every time you open your stupid mouth”, she spat. “Harlaw is right, you are a cunt”
“Manners, Jadith”, Aeron said calmly. “You are not wrong though, I feel lied to. I feel cheated to” He narrowed his eyes, his tone becoming colder. “Edward Anturion, when will I get what I was promised? When will we be repaid?” Edward gulped. “Once Nain has arrived in Westeros”, he revealed and Aeron raised an eyebrow. “The god-king leaves his domain?”, he asked, sounding only mildly surprised.
“And he brings riches with him!”, Edward claimed. “Enough to repay you and once we succeed, there's more to come. We remember our friends, my king and trust me, in the things to come, you want to be our friend” Aeron smirked, not without smugness. “I take that not as a threat”, he offered. “But your offer intrigues me. I should know better than to make deals with a madman, but Nain has always kept his word”
And then, Alys' heart skipped a beat as that stony face looked at her. “Bastard girl”, he growled and she gasped as his crystal blue eyes glared at her. “Alys Snow, wasn't it?” She hesitated, before giving him a nod. Alisa walked up next to her, putting a hand onto her back to support her.
“There is a lot that speaks against Edward's trustworthiness. Harlaw mentioned what I know already. A cunt, as he put it ever so eloquently, though I'd use a term less flattering”, Aeron growled. “So, he comes here and asks for more coin to find some little Rock boy and the trinket he sought to find the first time me and my council paid him” He shook his head. “I should know better than to make any further deal with him, but you mention something about Edward saving your life? The man I know would never do that, so perhaps there is more to him than I gave him credit for. Being in my shoes, would you give him another chance?”
Alys gulped, clenching her fists. She knew Edward. She knew he couldn't be trusted, right? He promised to bring her to Dorne, but that had been a lie. It had all been a lie and perhaps this was her chance to get back at him. But was that wise? Could she trust this pirate king more than the man that saved her from Harlan Hoare? If she'd lose Edward's favour, what would become of her? She looked at the man himself, noticing that he stared at her, an expression she was not able to interpret. He gave her a slight nod and she took a deep breath, before she gave Aeron Blacksails her answer.
[Urge him to give Edward another chance] [Tell him how you truly think about Edward]
[Urge him to give Edward another chance] While I would love to give Anturion a piece of Alys mind, her best chances to leave are if he's given another chance to prove himself, as unlikely as it is. I doubt Aeron or the other pirates will believe her but, eh, better than nothing.
I also find amusing Gregor's intentions towards Rhaenys, after all, the woman might be famous for her playfulness and grace, but she's still a Targaryen, and owns a fire-breathing monster, so going straight to Aegonfort and offer his cock while her husband is away is not a good idea.
[Urge him to give Edward another chance] It seems the best choice to make Alys leave the place unscathed (and this choice will for sure make Edward indebted to her)
RT:
1)Today we comeback to Merman's Rest!What a nice reunion and conversation was between Edward and the other captains!
2)Edward try to weasel out! It's not very effective!
3)Oh oh another part of the artifact is at Oldtown eh?I bet that it is somewhere at the Citadel!
4)While I'm sure that that we will see the sister at Oldtown I'm curious to discover if really Nain is going to visit Westeros or it is only another lie by Edward (part of me hope for the latter since I really want to see Vaes Khadokh in the story)
5)I must admit that when Gregor start his speech pro targaryen I fear that you will make the Pirate King an Aegon ally but I'm glad to be proven wrong! I enjoy much more Blacksails as an indipendent faction and not as a lackey for a ruler (like Gregor "I want to fuck Aegon wife" Harlaw want to be)
6)No love for Daemion Velaryon
7)Another captain that sadly leave the council is Aidan and what he say make me no doubt in which one of the many storyline we will see him again
8)I'm curious to read what will happen in the future of this storyline and what role you have in mind inside the story for Aeron Blacksails and his fleet!
[Urge him to give Edward another chance]
[Urge him to give Edward another chance] Unfortunately I feel like in this situation Alys is still very much dependant on Edward. If we piss him off too much, there is no one (aside from perhaps Alisa and Carvin) who has interest to protect her. I seriously doubt any of these other pirates give two shits about Alys, especially now that she introduced herself as bastard. So, perhaps there will be another time and opportunity to break free from Edward, but right now I feel like we should help him out. Maybe he'll even be grateful
Anyway, it was nice to get a glimpse at the personalities and motives of all these pirates. I like Gregor, but I feel like he'll be disappointed in the end, probably not getting quite as grand reward for his service to the Targs as he is hoping for
That said, I'm looking forward to whatever is in store for him. Aidan on the other hand I suspect to pop up in the Essos storyline at some point, which should be interesting as well.
[Urge him to give Edward another chance]
Well, Aeron did ask for her opinion. He's someone that usually quickly sees through a lie, especially when told by an obviously scared little girl, so he is at least open to believing her. It all depends on what Alys tells him, there are definitely arguments speaking in Edward's favour, but she has to manage leaving out all the stuff that would speak against trusting him in any further business deal (you know, like the blood magic and serial backstabbing)
Ah, Gregor has taken that into account, yes. He's definitely not going to be all that straightforward about his intentions when meeting Rhaenys, which is why I found it important to establish what he is truly out for in this particular part. He might not look the part, but he can be actually subtle and charming. He also knows how dangerous this is, but he's the kind of guy that loves the thrill.
A sweet, wonderful reunion between friends... who would murder each other if given the chance and whom he has sort-of conned out of a lot of coin. He's lucky Aeron is the king, because a man like Sargasso would have likely killed him by now.
Blacksails uses Glare. A critical hit! It's super effective! Edward fainted... even though Glare is a non-damaging move, I know that, but Aeron is really just that good.
Quite a good guess. Oldtown is a large and very old city, there's lots of places such a thing could be hidden, but the Citadel would obviously be very interested in getting their hands on it. So, you'll learn about it in time, as finding this artifact is kind of a big deal in Book 2.
Well, seeing Vaes Khadokh does not require having Nain there. It's a city-kingdom in its own right, albeit Nain gives it a bit of flair. Since you and me both really want to explore this place, I can confirm there might be a chance for it, even if Edward told the truth about Nain preparing to travel to Westeros.
Yeah, it definitely requires more than one speech for Aeron to throw his lot in with anyone. Gregor, he actually plans to join Aegon not only because he's got the hots for Rhaenys, but because he sympathizes with the underdog, which Aegon, at this point, definitely is. He also wants to prove a point to a couple people he has a grudge on, but more about that later on. For now, Aeron will remain independent and neutral, because that makes him the most interesting as a character instead of having him just as someones ally. Gregor remains the only pirate to join forces with Aegon and doing the same trick several times, I guess that might take away from the novelty such a man should have at the Targaryen court.
Haha, at least not from these people. Daemon is a capable sailor and captain, but that is his problem, there are better men and he does not acknowledge this. He knows of his skill, but tends to overestimate himself, sticking to outdated plans when the pirates, working more independently, are not afraid to change tactics quickly. As such, he is not a bad choice for Aegon (particularly given that he is his most powerful bannerman at the time), but Gregor is not wrong when he considers himself to be better.
Yeah, Aidan and Gregor were both planned to be more like cameo appearances in this chapter, to establish their characters and respective goals, before having them appear in other storylines again. The remaining pirates will stick together, but Aidan will appear in a different storyline and you might already have an idea where. Same goes for Gregor, but with him it's probably even more obvious.
I do plan for the long haul with these pirates. Narrative will eventually move away from them, but I plan to return eventually and I have an important role for them to play in the later stages. They are interesting characters, so I look forward for exploring them a bit more thoroughly
Yeah, I can confirm that none of the pirates care about her at all, which of course isn't necessarily a bad thing. The other option could have been incredibly dangerous, albeit I can confirm here, if Edward would have been given a chance to answer, he would have introduced her by her real name no matter the danger, as that obviously would have impressed Aeron somewhat. Alisa and probably Carvin as well do have an interest in getting her through this, but they are just two and can't do much if things go south. Edward being grateful though... hm, maybe. He's not devoid of such feelings, he has shown that in the past, it's just that the gratitude of an opportunist isn't always the most valuable thing to have.
Well, Gregor hopes at least for some reward. Preferably Rhaenys, but he takes what he can get, really. It should also be noted, he is Lord Harlaw's firstborn son, but the people currently in charge would leave him no chance to inherit (for reasons that will be explored), so that offers some very real possibilities for what kind of riches he is out for. Aidan meanwhile, I can confirm he is going to appear in Essos down the line, just as he said. This was a little cameo appearance for him and Gregor, before they will appear later again (but both will be seen more frequently before Act 1 ends).
[Urge him to give Edward another chance]
What an amazing part, truly great! This part was everything I hoped for, actually it was even more in a lot of ways. Man I simply love Gregor, in his first appearence I already knew you were spot on with him, but this here took things to a whole other level. He was acting just like I imagined with everything he did and said, truly, it was a great joy to read. Man, that speech! Oh, that speech was glorious! Gregor has such an amazing way with words and he delivered it here. I was getting kinda anxious there though, he was doing such an amazing job that I "feared" he'd get some of the captains to go with him but I'm glad they didn't in the end. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely like all of them (especially Storm and Jadith, man, she's such a joy to be around
) but having multiple captains in the Targ side would be a bit overwhelming, whereas having only Gregor, especially knowing how he is, will give the Targs the perfect dosage of piracy.... it might actually be even more than they can handle in some ways XD. What was almost as great as his speech was the motive behind it. I don't think he even cared that much about having the other captains join him, what he wanted was probably only their ships, so he could arrive in Dragonstone with a whole fleet just to impress Rhaenys in a grandiose fashion and I love it! Still, he has his Nagga, so it will still be a grandiose arrival (just not as grandiose as he wanted). I gotta admit though, after such an amazing speech it would take all my willpower not to leave everything behind and go sailing with Gregor 
Gregor's personal interactions with some of the captains were so damn good too, especially when he and Manderly went at each other. Gregor's remarks towards Manderly were such golden and entertaining that I'm still laughing at them... that was just awesome. Gregor and Aidan seem to be in pretty good terms, its a shame that they probably won't meet each other for a long time, if ever again at all. And what to say about Gonzo? XD Their interaction was brief, but great nonetheless. I really like that with their interaction you showed a little bit of Gregor's dangerous side when Gonzo reached for his blade, after all, Gregor is still a pirate. You really shouldn't try to mess with him my dear Gonzo, especially when he's about to deliver a speech like that.
Now, I wasn't expecting Gregor to reveal his intentions towards Rhaenys here, but it was definitely amazing that he did. Manderly and Saan's reactions to this reveal were priceless, especially how Saan seemed to be in disbelief that Gregor would fight a war for Aegon in order to get close to Rhaenys
Manderly on the other side wasn't giving Gregor much credit... that's never a good thing to do. Who knows? Gregor might just surprise everybody once we get to see him and Rhaenys together 
One thing I know is that their interactions will be great regardless.
I think I've already went on way too long with this, so I'll just stop here
Still, I gotta say again how amazing this part was for me to read. It leaves me with a bittersweet feeling though, since its going to be quite a while until we get to see Gregor again in his full entertaining glory, but just being able to get a glimpse of him this early was absolutely glorious. Man, I can't wait for the things to come! 
Now, finally, for the voting itself: [Urge him to give Edward another chance] While I'd love for Alys to give a piece of her mind to Edward, now is hardly the time to do it. As bad as he is, Edward is still the only one with the power to protect her in this particular place, and I think it would be really bad to screw over our "only ally" (since I doubt Alisa or Gonzo would be able to do much by themselves) just for the satisfaction of seeing him in tight shoes. We would be screwing ourselves over just as bad.
[Tell him how you truly think about Edward] The other choice is probably going to win, and frankly I don't really want to work against Anturion so I'd vote it, but when you think about it, Blacksails seems like the kind of person who respects brutal honesty. Of course, Alys has already lied, so that's not good. Regardless, I feel this choice may have positive outcomes for our girl.
The plot thickens. Hm. Hm. Who could she be now? Do we even know her? What part of the artifact could be there? Very interesting.
You know, I bet Blacksails secretly has General Grievous hidden somewhere. I just know it.
[Tell him how you truly think about Edward]
[Tell him how you truly think about Ed
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA.....no
[Urge him to give Edward another chance]
Truth has never been a forte when the Anturion's concern themselves. Glad to see Alys is realizing how important it is to be nice to those that are nice.....isn't that nice. I'm very interested to see how creative she gets with her praises.
Also glad to see this is a family venture. Things do normally work best when everyone is there to play their part, no?
[Tell him how you truly think about Edward]
[Urge him to give Edward another chance]