[Go with Vali] Let's give the green hand member some space in the story
[Agree to work with Rodrik] Obviously this doesn't mean that Arthur now love the Alley Cat member or some dumb stuff like that but I believe that he has to be pragmatic and obtain information even from the shadiest side of the city if he want to catch Wolfius (and maybe even discover more about the triumvirate)
RT: 1) The second part of the conservation between Jenna and Petyr was really interesting 2) It seems that a Lord and his entourage is going to be soon introduced in the story...this is really the chapter of introductions! (Not that I complain since usually the introduction of a large part of new characters is at the first chapters of a book) 3) Arthur 0 - petite girls 2 4) Surprise of the surprises The Sphynx is Ryler uncle! While the girl is his sister! That ambush has become a family reunion! 5) I'm curious to see if we will ever see this Lord Bloodroar outside Ryler backstory since no one mentioned him by at the North 6) It seems strange to me that The Sphynx doesn't know how Lupin use his nephew if he really was one of the funding members of the Alley Cats 7) Poor Wolfius is demoted to henchmen status (even if he should be at least have some autonomy since he worked as an assasin for Butterfly and collaborate with Clayton group during the first part of Book 1) 8) It was nice learn more about The Sphynx,he is still an evil guy that love torture people but it is nice know more about the villains of the story
Jenna
Was she afraid? Hells yeah she was. Even just looking at this man caused her to tense up in fear, even if the look on his handsome … moreface was not hostile in any way. He smiled, in a friendly way. Lords weren't supposed to be friendly though. This man wasn't supposed to be friendly. He murdered his father. He murdered his brother. He tolerated the man who...
Tears shot into her eyes, as she shook her head. “I'm not afraid”, she said, her voice shivering and clearly proving her wrong. Petyr raised an eyebrow. “You know it is a crime to lie to your lord”, he told her and instantly, she clenched her fists. “I...”, she stuttered, though stopped herself as Petyr chuckled.
“Relax, girl”, he told her. “I know this isn't easy, given the situation, but try to see me as a friend, not an enemy” She took a deep breath and to her own surprise and dread, she shot him a glare. “You're in league with the man who murdered my father”, she spat and … [view original content]
[Search for Saerya] Vali is not very friendly). Saerya is more of my kind of diva (that almost rhymes? damnit)
[Agree to work with Rodrik] Just to get rid of these jokers.
“Is he on our side?”, Jenna asked, to which Vali shook his head. “No, I don't think so, at least not at this point”, he replied. “Don't really know him, but they say he can be difficult to deal with” He shrugged. “I know his sister, quite well actually. Lady Arianna Hewett, she's the wife of my father”, he revealed. “And I can tell you, she is not a nice woman. Don't know if it's a family thing”
Heheheheh.
He placed a hand on Jenna's back. “Are you going to remain in my service now?”, he asked and Jenna tilted her head. “I wasn't sure I had a choice”, she spoke and Petyr smirked. “You are not my slave”, he explained. “You always have a choice”
Creepy. So creepy.
House Selwyn get hyped.
Also Lucia is going on the hate-list. The new Alysanne.
Jenna
Was she afraid? Hells yeah she was. Even just looking at this man caused her to tense up in fear, even if the look on his handsome … moreface was not hostile in any way. He smiled, in a friendly way. Lords weren't supposed to be friendly though. This man wasn't supposed to be friendly. He murdered his father. He murdered his brother. He tolerated the man who...
Tears shot into her eyes, as she shook her head. “I'm not afraid”, she said, her voice shivering and clearly proving her wrong. Petyr raised an eyebrow. “You know it is a crime to lie to your lord”, he told her and instantly, she clenched her fists. “I...”, she stuttered, though stopped herself as Petyr chuckled.
“Relax, girl”, he told her. “I know this isn't easy, given the situation, but try to see me as a friend, not an enemy” She took a deep breath and to her own surprise and dread, she shot him a glare. “You're in league with the man who murdered my father”, she spat and … [view original content]
The less Jenna relies on Saerya the better, time to switch over to Team Gardener, screw the Targs.
[Agree to work with Rodrik]
Now, this is a twist I personally did not see coming. But this just got me extra hyped for Arthur's storyline, teaming up with the alley cats to find lupin and wolfius sounds so awesome. Especially because so far, the Alley Cats have mainly been one-dimensional villains.
1) The second part of the conservation between Jenna and Petyr was really interesting
Ah, glad to hear you think so I really enjoyed writing it, having these characters interact with each other is a blast, mostly because they couldn't really be more different, having the slightly naive, idealistic and emotional Jenna next to the calculating, ruthless Petyr.
2) It seems that a Lord and his entourage is going to be soon introduced in the story...this is really the chapter of introductions! (Not that I complain since usually the introduction of a large part of new characters is at the first chapters of a book)
Yeah, I think this chapter will introduce more than any other chapter so far and likely more than any still to come. It wasn't exactly planned that way, but I am glad the list of characters to be introduced will finally shrink quite a bit. The Selwyn household won't even be the last to be introduced in this chapter.
3) Arthur 0 - petite girls 2
Oh no, it's petite girls, his only weakness! That being said, it really narrows down to the fact that Arthur is not a super skilled fighter, he naturally dislikes violence, whereas Lucia might be at a physical disadvantage, but she is trained and utterly fearless.
4) Surprise of the surprises The Sphynx is Ryler uncle! While the girl is his sister! That ambush has become a family reunion!
Aye, a lovely unexpected family reunion. At least it was lovely for Rodrik, whereas Lucia and Ryler are understandably a bit freaked out by this.
5) I'm curious to see if we will ever see this Lord Bloodroar outside Ryler backstory since no one mentioned him by at the North
Actually, he has been mentioned, namely in Chapter 7, when Edrick was a guest of House Frostborn. Seems like they have a justified fear of the man and this will be explored in future parts of Book 2. However, House Bloodboar is a relatively small house, not of the same importance as Umber or Karstark.
6) It seems strange to me that The Sphynx doesn't know how Lupin use his nephew if he really was one of the funding members of the Alley Cats
He indeed knew nothing of this. See, back when Lupin was the Sphynx, he had plenty of subjects to experiment on, with the goal to make them like his eventual masterpiece, the Moggy, means super strong and super obedient soldiers. Most of these were random kids they abducted and neither the Tom nor Rodrik ever really cared for whom Lupin had in his dungeon. They never visited them, so Rodrik never saw Ryler and Lupin definitely did not go out of his way and say that he had Ryler Grimthorn in his dungeon. Chances are he didn't even know himself.
7) Poor Wolfius is demoted to henchmen status (even if he should be at least have some autonomy since he worked as an assasin for Butterfly and collaborate with Clayton group during the first part of Book 1)
Yeah, it is likely he has some degree of independence from Lupin. After all, it doesn't really seem as if he was in contact with anyone else during his time in Raylansfair and he was part of Clayton's group in the beginning, with no mention of Lupin. Back in the day when they both were with the Alley Cats, he was sort of Lupin's sidekick, but no one can say for sure how their relationship has changed since then.
8) It was nice learn more about The Sphynx,he is still an evil guy that love torture people but it is nice know more about the villains of the story
That was one of my goals, to show that there is more to some of the villains here. The Sphynx is not just an evil torturer, he has other aspects to his character, just like the Tom, Mullendore, Petyr, there's even more to Wolfius than what you have seen so far.
[Go with Vali] Let's give the green hand member some space in the story
[Agree to work with Rodrik] Obviously this doesn't mean that Arth… moreur now love the Alley Cat member or some dumb stuff like that but I believe that he has to be pragmatic and obtain information even from the shadiest side of the city if he want to catch Wolfius (and maybe even discover more about the triumvirate)
RT:
1) The second part of the conservation between Jenna and Petyr was really interesting
2) It seems that a Lord and his entourage is going to be soon introduced in the story...this is really the chapter of introductions! (Not that I complain since usually the introduction of a large part of new characters is at the first chapters of a book)
3) Arthur 0 - petite girls 2
4) Surprise of the surprises The Sphynx is Ryler uncle! While the girl is his sister! That ambush has become a family reunion!
5) I'm curious to see if we will ever see this Lord Blood… [view original content]
Soon, very, very soon. I'd say expect them to first appear around the halfway point of the chapter, which should leave some with plenty time to make an impression before the chapter is over
Also Lucia is going on the hate-list. The new Alysanne.
Alysanne? That surprises me a bit, because knowing both, I'd say they couldn't be more different. Of course, both are a bit messed up, but not only is Alysanne's case notably worse, her main problem has actually been a lack of genuine emotion, genuine relationships and the like. With Lucia, this is not the case, because she actually grew up in a decent family until the day her house was destroyed. Her issue is a bit of a trauma and this particular situation, it leaves her the complete opposite of Alysanne, it leaves her way too emotional, probably understandable given she just learned her dead brother is not actually dead. Give her some time to calm down and the similarities between her and Alysanne are likely not quite there anymore.
[Search for Saerya] Vali is not very friendly). Saerya is more of my kind of diva (that almost rhymes? damnit)
[Agree to work with Rodrik… more] Just to get rid of these jokers.
“Is he on our side?”, Jenna asked, to which Vali shook his head. “No, I don't think so, at least not at this point”, he replied. “Don't really know him, but they say he can be difficult to deal with” He shrugged. “I know his sister, quite well actually. Lady Arianna Hewett, she's the wife of my father”, he revealed. “And I can tell you, she is not a nice woman. Don't know if it's a family thing”
Heheheheh.
He placed a hand on Jenna's back. “Are you going to remain in my service now?”, he asked and Jenna tilted her head. “I wasn't sure I had a choice”, she spoke and Petyr smirked. “You are not my slave”, he explained. “You always have a choice”
Creepy. So creepy.
House Selwyn get hyped.
Also Lucia is going on the hate-list. The new Alysanne.
Now, this is a twist I personally did not see coming. But this just got me extra hyped for Arthur's storyline, teaming up with the alley cats to find lupin and wolfius sounds so awesome. Especially because so far, the Alley Cats have mainly been one-dimensional villains.
Ah, glad to hear this Indeed, this should give me the chance to show there is more to the Alley Cats. Well, some of them at least. The Moggy won't show much depth, his whole thing is being an obedient killing machine, but he can't really be called a character of his own because of that. The Tom can be a more complex character, with his weird code of honour and love for a good fight. The Sphynx meanwhile, he never got the chance to show more than his evil side so far, but I can reveal that he isn't just one-dimensional either and Arthur's storyline should show different aspects to him in time.
[Go with Vali]
The less Jenna relies on Saerya the better, time to switch over to Team Gardener, screw the Targs.
[Agree to work with … moreRodrik]
Now, this is a twist I personally did not see coming. But this just got me extra hyped for Arthur's storyline, teaming up with the alley cats to find lupin and wolfius sounds so awesome. Especially because so far, the Alley Cats have mainly been one-dimensional villains.
Jenna
Was she afraid? Hells yeah she was. Even just looking at this man caused her to tense up in fear, even if the look on his handsome … moreface was not hostile in any way. He smiled, in a friendly way. Lords weren't supposed to be friendly though. This man wasn't supposed to be friendly. He murdered his father. He murdered his brother. He tolerated the man who...
Tears shot into her eyes, as she shook her head. “I'm not afraid”, she said, her voice shivering and clearly proving her wrong. Petyr raised an eyebrow. “You know it is a crime to lie to your lord”, he told her and instantly, she clenched her fists. “I...”, she stuttered, though stopped herself as Petyr chuckled.
“Relax, girl”, he told her. “I know this isn't easy, given the situation, but try to see me as a friend, not an enemy” She took a deep breath and to her own surprise and dread, she shot him a glare. “You're in league with the man who murdered my father”, she spat and … [view original content]
[Go with Vali] We can hold off on her right now, Jenna can gain something from Vali and know these characters better
[Agree to work with Rodrik] Alright remember when I said The Sphynx wouldn’t surprise me? I take it back, I did not expect him to be related to Ryler and having a caring side for his family.
On a side note we have a lot of characters with similar names. You got Ryler, Raiden, Ryden, Ryder. Such a huge cluster of names.
Jenna
Was she afraid? Hells yeah she was. Even just looking at this man caused her to tense up in fear, even if the look on his handsome … moreface was not hostile in any way. He smiled, in a friendly way. Lords weren't supposed to be friendly though. This man wasn't supposed to be friendly. He murdered his father. He murdered his brother. He tolerated the man who...
Tears shot into her eyes, as she shook her head. “I'm not afraid”, she said, her voice shivering and clearly proving her wrong. Petyr raised an eyebrow. “You know it is a crime to lie to your lord”, he told her and instantly, she clenched her fists. “I...”, she stuttered, though stopped herself as Petyr chuckled.
“Relax, girl”, he told her. “I know this isn't easy, given the situation, but try to see me as a friend, not an enemy” She took a deep breath and to her own surprise and dread, she shot him a glare. “You're in league with the man who murdered my father”, she spat and … [view original content]
Jenna
Was she afraid? Hells yeah she was. Even just looking at this man caused her to tense up in fear, even if the look on his handsome … moreface was not hostile in any way. He smiled, in a friendly way. Lords weren't supposed to be friendly though. This man wasn't supposed to be friendly. He murdered his father. He murdered his brother. He tolerated the man who...
Tears shot into her eyes, as she shook her head. “I'm not afraid”, she said, her voice shivering and clearly proving her wrong. Petyr raised an eyebrow. “You know it is a crime to lie to your lord”, he told her and instantly, she clenched her fists. “I...”, she stuttered, though stopped herself as Petyr chuckled.
“Relax, girl”, he told her. “I know this isn't easy, given the situation, but try to see me as a friend, not an enemy” She took a deep breath and to her own surprise and dread, she shot him a glare. “You're in league with the man who murdered my father”, she spat and … [view original content]
On a side note we have a lot of characters with similar names. You got Ryler, Raiden, Ryden, Ryder. Such a huge cluster of names.
Hehe, the inevitable consequence of the number of characters I received. It isn't quite as severe as the ones I tend to call the "characters who sound like Jaron" after the one who has the honour of being the first submitted. There are, next to Jaron of course, Joran, Juran, Jorid, Jaro, Jarow, Jarek, Jared, Jarrod and Jaylon, as well as Jorn, Jors and Jorario. I have a bit of an overview of all of the characters I received, but I know the similar names can be confusing, so I try my best not to put two characters with a too similar-sounding name into the same storyline. For example, I can promise that Jaron is never going to meet Joran or Jaro. There was the one unfortunate time where Samuel and Samuel were part of the same storyline, but I learned from my mistakes back then.
[Go with Vali] We can hold off on her right now, Jenna can gain something from Vali and know these characters better
[Agree to work with … moreRodrik] Alright remember when I said The Sphynx wouldn’t surprise me? I take it back, I did not expect him to be related to Ryler and having a caring side for his family.
On a side note we have a lot of characters with similar names. You got Ryler, Raiden, Ryden, Ryder. Such a huge cluster of names.
Arthur is going to agree to work with Rodrik Grimthorn
Obviously, especially the second one has been a very important choice and will likely be among the major choices of this chapter. The true identity of the Sphynx and the fact that by now, even some of the technically bad guys are out to kill Wolfius are pretty important revelations, as you can expect and they'll shape Arthur's storyline for the foreseeable future. Jenna meanwhile definitely hasn't exactly chosen whom to support in the slowly building Vali/Saerya conflict, but going with Vali will offer some opportunities she wouldn't have received otherwise.
The next part should be out later today. Currently, I am writing a John part, but it is likely I will add a second PoV, mostly because this chapter needs progress badly. We are still at a point where, almost two months in, not every PoV had their first part (looking at Edrick, Willfred and Sadie here) and that is despite the fact that I'd prefer to be done with this chapter sooner rather than later. The solution is clear, more parts with two PoV's, less parts with one unless it is inevitable, even if this will probably mean slightly longer parts in general. Can't imagine anyone would object to that one But yeah, John will be one of these PoV's and I think Edrick will be the other. I should comfortably wrap up the writing some time later today.
[Search for Saerya] Vali is not very friendly). Saerya is more of my kind of diva (that almost rhymes? damnit)
[Agree to work with Rodrik… more] Just to get rid of these jokers.
“Is he on our side?”, Jenna asked, to which Vali shook his head. “No, I don't think so, at least not at this point”, he replied. “Don't really know him, but they say he can be difficult to deal with” He shrugged. “I know his sister, quite well actually. Lady Arianna Hewett, she's the wife of my father”, he revealed. “And I can tell you, she is not a nice woman. Don't know if it's a family thing”
Heheheheh.
He placed a hand on Jenna's back. “Are you going to remain in my service now?”, he asked and Jenna tilted her head. “I wasn't sure I had a choice”, she spoke and Petyr smirked. “You are not my slave”, he explained. “You always have a choice”
Creepy. So creepy.
House Selwyn get hyped.
Also Lucia is going on the hate-list. The new Alysanne.
Lys once again. It had been years since John had last been here and the city had changed less than he himself, by far so. A decaying beauty, the remnant of an empire, perhaps one of the few places in the world where Valyria was slightly less dead than anywhere else. A city knocked down more than just a few levels and for the better, as he thought.
John was the first to head down the Pale Princess and onto the docks. Nothing against the ship, he just had never been a fan of travelling by sea. He wasn't exactly getting sick by it, considering where he came from it was quite the opposite. But a ship, any ship, was just hitting a bit too close to home, reminding him of the Iron Islands he had left behind so long ago.
As such, he was glad about feeling solid ground beneath him again, even if he knew his time aboard a ship was far from over. That's what he had to do after all, finding a new captain. He smirked, as he glanced at Temari right behind him. Out of all his companions, Tem was perhaps the only one he was truly willing to trust. Jaron seemed alright, more than that perhaps, but they hadn't been through the same. And Harrington? A valuable ally, a living legend, but someone only a fool would trust in. To be honest, he was kinda glad the broody sellsword was going with Jaron, though he'd never admit to it, not to anyone's face.
“So... this is Lys”, Jaron stated, looking around the place with wonder in his eyes. John had to chuckle, because that has likely been his exact reaction back when he saw it first. “Eh, try not to get too excited”, he advised him. “The Lysene are cunning folk, they'll lure you in with kind words, next thing you know is you got a poisoned knife to your guts and some lowlife runs off with your purse”
Jaron shook his head, unable to contain a small smile at the high towers that once were palaces for the Lords of Valyria. “Nah, I'll be fine”, he claimed. “I know Oldtown pretty well, this can't be much different. It's just all so... beautiful”
In a way, he was right. The Dragonlords knew how to build something beautiful, he had to give them that, these silver-haired sons of bitches. Yet John was never one to marvel at a building, no matter how tall or old it was. That being said, he remembered what he knew about Jaron, the Stormlander boy who had never gotten out of his kingdom save for the few months he had spent in Oldtown.
John glanced at two of the highborn ladies of Lys promenading down the docks and his smirk turned into a grin. “Also, try not to get too distracted by the beauty of Lys”, he chuckled. “Though I could totally go for one of those right now. All a bit on the frail side, but the eyes make up for it”
Jaron raised an eyebrow. “I was actually talking about the city”, he claimed. “Never saw something like that before” John grinned, as he preferred to look after the two ladies. It was at least nice to know that the bastard knight had kept a sense of wonder, if only because he was about half as old as John. He'd lose it sooner or later of course, but he should enjoy as long as it'd last.
From behind them, Samuel Harrington walked up. “Been here before”, he mumbled. “Never liked it” He shrugged, as he followed John's gaze. “Albeit I gotta admit, the view is spectacular” John's grin grew smaller. “Never took you for one to appreciate the view, Fang”, he spoke. “No offence of course” Though as Harrington was gazing after the Lysene ladies, there was something else in his eyes. There was no physical attraction, or almost none. Instead, John thought he spotted a hint of melancholia.
“We should go”, the Fang of Shadows mumbled. “Reminds me too much of what could have been” This caused a supportive nod from Temari. “I don't want to stay here longer than necessary”, he growled. “I fucking hate this city. Fake to the core”
Harrington already began walking down the docks, albeit at a slow pace, to allow Jaron to easily catch up. Jaron sighed. “Can't disagree with that”, he spoke. “Maybe once this is all over I'll come back. Harpy might like it”
Temari rolled his eye, though a quick glare from John caused him to remain silent. “Yeah, that could be nice”, he spoke, before he briefly patted Jaron on the shoulder. “Boy, you look out there, will ya? I'd hate having to tell your lady love that some Lysene thug gutted you because you spent too much time marvelling at the city”
“You'd die with quite a view”, Temari growled in a mocking tone and Jaron chuckled. “Don't worry for me, I got good company”, he claimed and John looked past him at Harrington in the distance. “Just don't count on your company for too much”, he spoke. “You've gotten through all this because you're a survivor and a survivor trusts in himself first and foremost. Never change that and you might make it to my ripe old age”
Temari raised an eyebrow. “You're not even forty”, he interjected and John flashed him a grin. “And I feel a good thirty years older”, he spoke. “It is a ripe old age for men like us” He shrugged. “We rarely fade to grey, so we gotta take as much as we can get, as long as we can”, he stated, before he gave Jaron a nod. “All I'm saying is, look out for yourself. Never assume you're safe just because you got a legend like him by your side”
“He is right with that”, Talea interjected. The captain's daughter and two sailors had followed them down to the docks, her hand resting on the dagger which was dangling right next to her heavy purse. “One moment you think he's got your back, next thing you know he puts a knife in it”
To this, Jaron shook his head. “Maybe that's how he used to be”, he admitted. “But I think he has changed” Talea rolled her eyes. “What is it with you knights believing even in men like him?”, she asked. “He's a lost cause” After this, she shrugged. “But hey, if you want to, try and redeem him. My father has been very certain about not having him around anymore, so at least he won't be our problem”
As she walked past him, she stopped for a brief moment, giving him the slightest of smiles. “Doesn't mean I want him to kill you, Ser Bastard”, she stated. “I'll head out to buy supplies for our journey, but when you're done with finding that man you're looking for, come say goodbye, will ya?” Jaron smiled and nodded, before she moved on.
And like this, the rest separated as well, Jaron following after Harrington and John going with Temari down the other side. They didn't have it particularly far, for John knew, the best way to find a ship to bring them to Volantis would be to ask the captains themselves.
“You don't think he'll make it?”, John asked, after a short while of him and Temari walking silently down the harbour. Temari hesitated for a moment, before he shook his head. “It's not even him I'm concerned for”, he spoke. “He's a knight. Means he can fight, means he knows how to kill people. That'll help. His girl though? That could destroy him, doing all this and finding nothing but her grave, if even that much. She ain't no Janae and yet he's so hopeful she somehow pulls through”
John frowned, before he gave Temari a long look. “Behara is the same”, he brought up carefully and Temari sighed, looking at the ground, his hands clenched to fists. “I know”, he admitted. “And I'm... preparing myself” His voice was toneless, stern and there was genuine anger in it, as he looked up. “Promise me just one thing”, he growled. “When we find that bastard, no matter what, you give him to me. You give him to me and I'll make him regret the day he was born”
Once more, there was silence between them, as John thought about the implications of what Temari had said. Did he truly believe Behara dead already? John would never call himself an optimist, but he wasn't so sure when it came to that. The girl had always been stronger than her brother would give her credit for. She was no Janae, aye, but not a pushover either. Or perhaps that was just what he wanted to believe, for the alternative was too horrible to imagine.
It was Temari who broke the silence again. “So, how are we going to do that?”, he asked, looking at one of the houses seaming the harbour with a frown on his face. This one was a building John actually distantly remembered, a place where he had gotten so drunk that he ended up getting into a fight with a man twice his weight, over a whore that looked barely acceptable even after the amount of booze he had. He smiled at the good memories.
“Eh, perhaps we should try our luck in there”, he spoke and Temari tilted his head. “Last time you've been in there, you nearly lost your other eye and I'lian was outright stabbed” John gave him a nod. “I also got a headache all the way back to Merman's Rest”, he confirmed. “But I remember that is the kind of place frequented by sailors and captains, some of them probably daring enough to bring us to Volantis”
Temari looked visibly unhappy about this. “I really don't know...”, he began, but John gave him a pat onto the shoulder. “Ah, come on, it'll be fun! Just like Qohor!”, he tried to convince him, but Temari shook his head. “Qohor wasn't fun”, he claimed. “You remember the hole we had to blow into the prison wall?”
John grinned. “I remember it clearly”, he spoke and Temari narrowed his single eye. “And remember who had to give all of his savings to buy the wildfire for it?”, he asked sharply, to which John shrugged. “Hey, you saved my hide back then”, he replied. “That has to be worth something”
“Yeah, and you're trying to throw it away by going into the most stinking place in the city of Piss”, Temari growled, to which John's grin widened. “Lys”, he corrected him. “And you know this is a good idea, or what would you suggest?”
Temari shrugged. “Literally going anywhere else”, he stated, before he pointed at the ships that were anchoring all over the harbour basin. “Like going directly there” John shook his head. “Eh, their captains are probably all drinking in the tavern”, he brought up, but Temari sighed. “Only the drunkards”, he argued. “And we don't want the drunkards”
[Go into the harbour tavern][Approach the ships]
Edrick
It was a cold morning and Edrick knew, from here on, it'd only get colder. Winds howled from the north, a familiar chill and if anything, he was almost glad he got to spend these days inside a castle. Almost being a key word here. After sleeping a night over the whole thing, he wasn't sure if he should be glad to find probably the only reasonable Ironborn in the entire Riverlands, or if he should yearn to strangle Viveka until she'd expire. It was probably a mixture of both, as Edrick and Darreth stepped out into the courtyard.
Convincing Dante's squire had been a piece of work, taking the better part of the night, especially as neither Alphyn nor Jorid were particularly helpful. The former eventually opted to stay out of this, but Edrick shivered at the anger in Jorid's face when it was decided that they would work with the Ironborn. In his case, Edrick would probably react similarly though, considering the man's brother had been slain by Ironborn. Not necessarily Viveka's Ironborn though, that was the point.
Eventually, Darreth had given in, begrudgingly and solely out of loyalty for Dante, who seemed convinced of Viveka's honesty. That left Jorid as a source of trouble here. However, Edrick wouldn't just abandon him. After all, he was the one to get him into this mess. Instead of leaving him behind, he had ordered Reymond and Alphyn to keep an eye on the man. In the end, he'd just claim that Jorid contributed, hoping for Viveka's willingness to let him go as well.
Their target was currently working at the stables already. Not known for their fearsome cavalry, the Ironborn had no need for extensive stables and the ones at Faronhall were relatively small as a result, yet still too large for a single stableboy to work in. The ruse was a good one, the two prisoners forced to work alongside the man they should keep an eye on. Perhaps too good, but Edrick was not one to question plans.
Right now, Normund Tavorch was carrying hay for the horses and he was walking towards the door as the two men entered. He paused only for a moment, before finishing his delivery to one of the horses. “You are the prisoners”, he simply stated and Edrick greeted him with a nod. “I'm Edrick, this is Darreth”, he spoke. “We were, well, ordered to come here”
Normund raised an eyebrow, moving a lanky arm through his dark hair. For a moment, this gesture revealed strange marks on his arm, where the pale skin was slightly swollen. “Thrall work, huh?”, he asked. “No offence, but I was never comfortable with having slave workers around here” He took a step back, carefully mustering the two men. “Though you look quite strong. I can see why she chose to keep you”
“You're not a slave?”, Darreth asked and Normund shook his head. “My father worked for the old Lord Faron”, he spoke. “Died a few months after they were driven out. I kinda took over his duties and Lady Viveka let me” He shrugged. “She's not too bad, if you get used to the men she commands over”
“Yeah, we've already met some of them”, Edrick brought up. “That Gawayne is a piece of shit” Suddenly alarmed, Normund looked past the two men, before calming down again and nodding in silence. “He is very dangerous as well”, he spoke. “If you think he's not absolutely capable of doing the stuff he threatens you with, you're utterly wrong” With this, he moved a finger to his lips. “Not a word about him during my shift. Already got enough trouble with that man”, he warned them. “You came here to work?”
Edrick gave him a nod. “That is what she wants us to do”, he confirmed and Normund raised an eyebrow. “But?”, he spoke and the hedge knight chuckled. “Suppose there is no but”, he admitted. “It's not exactly as if we're having a choice”
Normund sighed, as he moved through the stables, grabbing a pitchfork and handing it to Edrick. “Tell me more about it”, he said unenthusiastically and Darreth raised an eyebrow. “You just said you're not a slave”, he brought up, something to which Normund only chuckled sadly. “Just because I'm not a slave doesn't mean I'm free to go”, he revealed. “And where would I? No matter where you look, these iron bastards have our entire land in their grasp”
“The North maybe”, Edrick stated and Normund chuckled. “I'd freeze my balls off”, he spoke, before he tilted his head. “You want to work now? Got any experiences with horses?” Both, Darreth and Edrick nodded. “I am a knight, well, technically”, Edrick explained and pointed at one of the animals. “That one's mine. Not my first, not the best, but I suppose I cared well for it. And Darreth has been the squire to Ser Dante Karstark”
For a moment, Normund seemed almost impressed. “Didn't think a Ser would ever waste time to talk to me”, he spoke, his expression growing a bit more friendly. “M'lord” Edrick quickly raised a hand. “It's Edrick”, he told him. “I'm a hedge knight. Was probably born with less than you, will probably die with less. I might be a knight, but I am not your lord”
Normund nodded, seeming happy with this arrangement. “My lord was killed”, he told them. “The old Lord Faron had his flaws, but he cared for his men. Harmund the Hunter killed him last when he took Faronhall and the man he put in his place spends more time at Harrenhal than this very castle” He sighed, before he handed Darreth a wooden bucket. “Clean their hooves. I'll focus on feeding”, he spoke, before he flashed Edrick a grin. “And I hope you don't mind, but you got shit duty”
Edrick chuckled. “I've been on shit duty my entire life”, he said. “Been knighted knee-deep in shit and guts. Made the whole kneeling part very uncomfortable” He shrugged. “At least this is just horseshit, I can live with that” As he moved through the stable, he glanced at the lanky Normund again, raising an eyebrow. “What's that on your arm, if you don't mind me asking?”
To this, the stableboy frowned. “I don't mind”, he was quick to say. “Just not a subject I like speaking about. See, the others here, they treat me like a bit of an outcast, because of markings like that one. Got more on my lower legs and some on the other arm” He sighed. “It's a disease. Don't ask me which one, the healer in the village had no idea either. Some nasty stuff from the south, I'd say. My Pa used to say the south is full of such things”, he explained. “Was a boy back then and they were at their wits end. Gave up on me, all of them, but I pulled through”
“That's actually impressive”, Darreth admitted and Normund grinned sadly. “It would have been, but the villagers they didn't see things that way. It was alright while my Pa was still around, they had respect for him”, he replied. “But once he was gone, it was clear how they thought. My sickness, a curse from the gods. These marks, the scars, a bad omen. Bad company, that's what I was called” He shrugged. “I work hard to prove them wrong, no luck so far”
Edrick shook his head. “You want to prove them wrong? Then you have to impress them”, he advised him. “You have to do something they really can't help but be impressed about. Something that changes their lives even more than it changes your own”
For a moment, he seemed hopeful Normund would react to the bait. As much as the young man made a solid impression on him, he would not forget his assignment. This one knew more about the Riverborn, maybe he even was the man himself. However, if anything, Normund proved to be smarter than that, by just shrugging. “Suppose my options are limited, unless I impress them with my skills in mucking out”, he stated grimly. “And not much I can change about that as long as the Codd's are in charge”
“So, if the Ironborn would be gone, you'd be free to do something else?” Darreth asked and Normund nodded. He hesitated for a moment, before he finally opened up. “To be honest, it is terrible working here”, he spoke, his voice not as low as it should be. “The Ironborn are savages”
Darreth chuckled audibly. “As I said, we had our fair share already”, he spoke. “Gawayne for example, man, I don't know what his problem is” Normund shrugged, suddenly growing more quiet. “Too much power can twist anyone”, he stated. Darreth was excited to nod. “He is a right proper piece of shit”, the squire claimed.
And it was one of these moments where the universe, without any doubt, took a chance to prove that it hated Edrick. For no other than Gawayne Schaffrot took this moment to glance into the stable from around the corner, a gleeful smile on his face. Normund grew pale instantly, as the Ironborn entered the stable in full.
“Think I heard my name”, he spoke and gave the three men a nod. “Were you talking about me?” Quickly, Normund shook his head. “No Ser”, he replied and Gawayne raised an eyebrow. “No, I really think I heard my name”, he replied. “And I think one of you guys called me a piece of shit” He chuckled. “A nice coincidence, wouldn't you say?”
“Yeah”, Edrick growled. “Lovely coincidence. You don't happen to have listened to us for a while now, eh?” Gawayne raised an eyebrow, but Normund was quick to intervene. “You heard right”, he stated and the Ironborn's smile had something cold to it. “There's no need to pry it out of the thralls” He gulped and clenched his fists. “I overstepped my position”
“Damn right you did”, Gawayne spoke. “So, what did you say?” Normund sighed. “I called you a piece of shit”, he mumbled. “A right proper piece of shit” The Ironborn shook his head. “Oh Normund”, he chuckled. “Silly boy, I thought you had learned by now. That makes... how many lashes?”
“Three”, the stableboy mumbled and Gawayne nodded. “Three”, he confirmed coldly, before looking at Edrick. “Come on, hedge fucker, you can learn something. Normund here, he has been a bad boy and not for the first time. So, this is how it'll go, I'll bring him out there and I'll whip him good, three times. Maybe one day it'll teach him” He gave him a wink. “Do you have anything to add to that?”, he asked. “Or can you only confirm Normund's version?”
Edrick took a quick glance at Darreth. The squire had his fists clenched, a look of silent anger on his face. However, he remained silent, he said not a word in sheer, cold fury. Normund meanwhile was looking afraid and almost frail. The hedge knight sighed, knowing he had to decide about what'd be the better course of action here.
[Go into the harbour tavern] Who knows what they could hear at the tavern, after all, drunks are far more honest than sober people.
[Take the blame for Normund] While both ideas aren't good, helping him despite the possibility of being injured is a good way to see if he knows about the Riverlander.
John
Lys once again. It had been years since John had last been here and the city had changed less than he himself, by far so. A decaying… more beauty, the remnant of an empire, perhaps one of the few places in the world where Valyria was slightly less dead than anywhere else. A city knocked down more than just a few levels and for the better, as he thought.
John was the first to head down the Pale Princess and onto the docks. Nothing against the ship, he just had never been a fan of travelling by sea. He wasn't exactly getting sick by it, considering where he came from it was quite the opposite. But a ship, any ship, was just hitting a bit too close to home, reminding him of the Iron Islands he had left behind so long ago.
As such, he was glad about feeling solid ground beneath him again, even if he knew his time aboard a ship was far from over. That's what he had to do after all, finding a new captain. He smirked, as he glanced at Temari… [view original content]
Wait a second, wasn't Jaron going off with Temari last time we saw him? Is this some error, or did that happen outside of the chapter? I'm so confused right now. I'll hold off on voting for now.
[Remain silent] Let him have it, I don't really care about him. It's like he is begging for it.
John
Lys once again. It had been years since John had last been here and the city had changed less than he himself, by far so. A decaying… more beauty, the remnant of an empire, perhaps one of the few places in the world where Valyria was slightly less dead than anywhere else. A city knocked down more than just a few levels and for the better, as he thought.
John was the first to head down the Pale Princess and onto the docks. Nothing against the ship, he just had never been a fan of travelling by sea. He wasn't exactly getting sick by it, considering where he came from it was quite the opposite. But a ship, any ship, was just hitting a bit too close to home, reminding him of the Iron Islands he had left behind so long ago.
As such, he was glad about feeling solid ground beneath him again, even if he knew his time aboard a ship was far from over. That's what he had to do after all, finding a new captain. He smirked, as he glanced at Temari… [view original content]
Wait a second, wasn't Jaron going off with Temari last time we saw him? Is this some error, or did that happen outside of the chapter? I'm so confused right now. I'll hold off on voting for now.
Wha... oh shit. Oh shit, this is embarassing and since it is super late here and I am way too tired for anything else, I can only own up to it. You are right and I am officially not a smart man. See, I was writing this part for hours and during this entire time, I was convinced that Temari was going to go with John. It did not occur to me even once that I should check the winning choice again, which I usually always do. First time this happened in three years and hopefully the last. Given that some of you probably looked forward for Jaron/Temari and John/Samuel interaction, I can only wholeheartedly apologize, I feel actually bad about it. An honest mistake, but one I cannot fix anymore. I will, however, make certain to correct this in future parts, where Jaron will get plenty interaction with Temari and John with Samuel. I hope you can arrange yourselves with this unexpected, accidental and probably unpopular retcon, it's probably the single most embarassing thing that ever happened to me while writing
Let him have it, I don't really care about him. It's like he is begging for it.
Well, here I might have to explain, Normund is indeed very quick to admit to this, but solely because he is not actually the one who stepped out of line here. Darreth was the one (kinda foolishly) calling Gawayne a piece of shit, so what Normund is doing is not randomly asking to be punished, but he's essentially begging for Darreth to be spared in his stead. It's kind of decent and really the only reason why Edrick even considers to intervene, he wouldn't even think about doing so for a complete stranger.
Wait a second, wasn't Jaron going off with Temari last time we saw him? Is this some error, or did that happen outside of the chapter? I'm s… moreo confused right now. I'll hold off on voting for now.
[Remain silent] Let him have it, I don't really care about him. It's like he is begging for it.
John
Lys once again. It had been years since John had last been here and the city had changed less than he himself, by far so. A decaying… more beauty, the remnant of an empire, perhaps one of the few places in the world where Valyria was slightly less dead than anywhere else. A city knocked down more than just a few levels and for the better, as he thought.
John was the first to head down the Pale Princess and onto the docks. Nothing against the ship, he just had never been a fan of travelling by sea. He wasn't exactly getting sick by it, considering where he came from it was quite the opposite. But a ship, any ship, was just hitting a bit too close to home, reminding him of the Iron Islands he had left behind so long ago.
As such, he was glad about feeling solid ground beneath him again, even if he knew his time aboard a ship was far from over. That's what he had to do after all, finding a new captain. He smirked, as he glanced at Temari… [view original content]
[Go into the harbour tavern] Just sounds like the more exciting option here Anyway, the interactions between John, Jaron, Samuel and Temari continue to be great, and I liked reading their different opinions and impressions on Lys, which was a great way of showing that Jaron is really inexperienced compared to the rest of this team up And well, I was kind of looking forward to more John and Samuel interaction, but it's not a big deal, I'm sure we'll get that in the future.
[Take the blame for Normund] Could be a good way to win Normund's trust, and I'm sure Edrick can they a few lashes. Normund seems like a decent guy, which already makes me feel kinda bad that we chose to work against the Riverborn
John
Lys once again. It had been years since John had last been here and the city had changed less than he himself, by far so. A decaying… more beauty, the remnant of an empire, perhaps one of the few places in the world where Valyria was slightly less dead than anywhere else. A city knocked down more than just a few levels and for the better, as he thought.
John was the first to head down the Pale Princess and onto the docks. Nothing against the ship, he just had never been a fan of travelling by sea. He wasn't exactly getting sick by it, considering where he came from it was quite the opposite. But a ship, any ship, was just hitting a bit too close to home, reminding him of the Iron Islands he had left behind so long ago.
As such, he was glad about feeling solid ground beneath him again, even if he knew his time aboard a ship was far from over. That's what he had to do after all, finding a new captain. He smirked, as he glanced at Temari… [view original content]
Anyway, the interactions between John, Jaron, Samuel and Temari continue to be great, and I liked reading their different opinions and impressions on Lys, which was a great way of showing that Jaron is really inexperienced compared to the rest of this team up
Ah, glad to hear you liked it! I definitely have a lot of fun with their interactions, even if things were supposed to be a bit different here, in terms of whom would interact with whom But yeah, you are right, Jaron is the one with the least experience out of this group. Temari, being in his mid twenties, comes next, but even he has more than half a decade on Jaron, Samuel has more than one full decade and with John it's close to two. As a result, they have experienced a lot more and where Jaron will be excited, surprised and/or shocked, they will be more jaded. Doesn't always have to be a bad thing though, as he is definitely enjoying the time in Lys more than any of his companions, at least so far
And well, I was kind of looking forward to more John and Samuel interaction, but it's not a big deal, I'm sure we'll get that in the future.
Yeah, I really have no idea how that one happened and I am truly sorry for it. Really, what are the chances that the one part I don't give a recap on and don't check which choice has won is also the one part where I mess up. Just my luck XD But well, I'll find a way to make up for it
Could be a good way to win Normund's trust, and I'm sure Edrick can they a few lashes. Normund seems like a decent guy, which already makes me feel kinda bad that we chose to work against the Riverborn
Normund is indeed a pretty decent guy and the storyline would have changed quite a lot if you would have decided to work with him instead of with Viveka. As far as I got it from the comments, the goal has been primarily to do what is best for Edrick and his companions, so with that in mind, it remains to be seen if working against the Riverborn is something to regret.
[Go into the harbour tavern] Just sounds like the more exciting option here Anyway, the interactions between John, Jaron, Samuel and Temari… more continue to be great, and I liked reading their different opinions and impressions on Lys, which was a great way of showing that Jaron is really inexperienced compared to the rest of this team up And well, I was kind of looking forward to more John and Samuel interaction, but it's not a big deal, I'm sure we'll get that in the future.
[Take the blame for Normund] Could be a good way to win Normund's trust, and I'm sure Edrick can they a few lashes. Normund seems like a decent guy, which already makes me feel kinda bad that we chose to work against the Riverborn
[Go into the harbour tavern] It's for sure the most enjoyable way to continue this storyline
[Take the blame for Normund] It is about time that Edrick act as a chilvarous person (and it is the best way to obtain Normund trust)
RT:
1) Today we are back at Lys with the first John PoV of the book! 2) I'm quite surprised that you chose the boring pairing (J-T and J-S) since I think (but maybe I'm wrong) that last time it was the other choice that won..oh well,I suppose that there is enough time for shake the dynamic of the rescue team during the quest 3) It is nice read the different opinion that the members of the team have of the new location (and I really like finally read about Jaron from a different PoV) 4) Temari is for sure an optimistic guy (not that I blame him) 5) Meanwhile Edrick has started his nice job as Vivieka spy/slave together with Darreth and we learn something about Normund,it is a nice read but Edrick PoV is still one of the least exciting storyline of this story for me 6) Jorid show us in this part that he hate Ironborn AND Character Development (expecially the latter)
BQD:
Ser Edrick “I'm a hedge knight. Was probably born with less than you, will probably die with less. I might be a knight, but I am not your lord”
John
Lys once again. It had been years since John had last been here and the city had changed less than he himself, by far so. A decaying… more beauty, the remnant of an empire, perhaps one of the few places in the world where Valyria was slightly less dead than anywhere else. A city knocked down more than just a few levels and for the better, as he thought.
John was the first to head down the Pale Princess and onto the docks. Nothing against the ship, he just had never been a fan of travelling by sea. He wasn't exactly getting sick by it, considering where he came from it was quite the opposite. But a ship, any ship, was just hitting a bit too close to home, reminding him of the Iron Islands he had left behind so long ago.
As such, he was glad about feeling solid ground beneath him again, even if he knew his time aboard a ship was far from over. That's what he had to do after all, finding a new captain. He smirked, as he glanced at Temari… [view original content]
[Go into the harbour tavern] Oh yes we want drunkards. Preferably the choreographed singing and dancing kind.
[Remain silent] He’ll just whip both of us if we do the other thing.
Temari raised an eyebrow. “You're not even forty”, he interjected and John flashed him a grin. “And I feel a good thirty years older”, he spoke. “It is a ripe old age for men like us” He shrugged. “We rarely fade to grey, so we gotta take as much as we can get, as long as we can”, he stated, before he gave Jaron a nod. “All I'm saying is, look out for yourself. Never assume you're safe just because you got a legend like him by your side”
Good advice.
The guys should just say they sneezed when Gawayne heard his name. He’d probably buy it.
John
Lys once again. It had been years since John had last been here and the city had changed less than he himself, by far so. A decaying… more beauty, the remnant of an empire, perhaps one of the few places in the world where Valyria was slightly less dead than anywhere else. A city knocked down more than just a few levels and for the better, as he thought.
John was the first to head down the Pale Princess and onto the docks. Nothing against the ship, he just had never been a fan of travelling by sea. He wasn't exactly getting sick by it, considering where he came from it was quite the opposite. But a ship, any ship, was just hitting a bit too close to home, reminding him of the Iron Islands he had left behind so long ago.
As such, he was glad about feeling solid ground beneath him again, even if he knew his time aboard a ship was far from over. That's what he had to do after all, finding a new captain. He smirked, as he glanced at Temari… [view original content]
John
Lys once again. It had been years since John had last been here and the city had changed less than he himself, by far so. A decaying… more beauty, the remnant of an empire, perhaps one of the few places in the world where Valyria was slightly less dead than anywhere else. A city knocked down more than just a few levels and for the better, as he thought.
John was the first to head down the Pale Princess and onto the docks. Nothing against the ship, he just had never been a fan of travelling by sea. He wasn't exactly getting sick by it, considering where he came from it was quite the opposite. But a ship, any ship, was just hitting a bit too close to home, reminding him of the Iron Islands he had left behind so long ago.
As such, he was glad about feeling solid ground beneath him again, even if he knew his time aboard a ship was far from over. That's what he had to do after all, finding a new captain. He smirked, as he glanced at Temari… [view original content]
Just kidding. When I say that, I mean to say that on my personal and very long and detailed hate-list, the gap left by Alysanne will be filled by Lucia, who I see some similarities with. By saying what I said, comparing Lucia to Alysanne, a character all know I detest, I am communicating my pure-hatred spot for her, which Alysanne shared.
Now that I think about it, this answer seems confusing. Basically, I really hated Alysanne, and well Lucia, I hate her a lot too and she's kind of similar.
1) Today we are back at Lys with the first John PoV of the book!
Also the first John PoV in a long time. It should give you a bit of an idea on how I plan to keep things with this John/Jaron storyline, as it is the only storyline where we'll constantly see two PoV's in the exact same spot. Jaron, being the younger and less jaded of the two will get the bulk of the parts most likely, because I am certain I can show the more hardened reactions from John just fine outside of his own perspective, but there are some events Jaron's internal thoughts are likely going to be important. That being said, whenever they don't have to stick together, they'll both get storylines of their own.
2) I'm quite surprised that you chose the boring pairing (J-T and J-S) since I think (but maybe I'm wrong) that last time it was the other choice that won..oh well,I suppose that there is enough time for shake the dynamic of the rescue team during the quest
You are right, I got into this a few comments above this one. Thing is, I legitimately screwed up here. The one time I forgot to give a recap also happens to be the one time I was so certain the other choice won that I didn't even bother with checking. It didn't even occur to me to check, that's how sure I was that I was writing about the choice that won. I only realized what happened when NightShroud18 pointed it out and by then, it was too late to change it. As such, since this is not the most critical choice of them all, I decided to leave it as it is. A mistake, but one I can correct later on.
3) It is nice read the different opinion that the members of the team have of the new location (and I really like finally read about Jaron from a different PoV)
Yeah, something I wam always excited for, showing a PoV character through the eyes of another. That gave, for example, these highly clashing views on Marak in Book 1, where he seemed decent in his parts, but terrifying from Ellena's point of view. While it won't be that dramatic in case of John and Jaron, I still look forward to show more of each from the viewpoint of the other.
4) Temari is for sure an optimistic guy (not that I blame him)
Ah, Temari, the ray of sunshine among the Gutters, the always positive, kind-hearted and fun guy whom everyone gets along with. Jokes aside, he probably cannot be blamed for his outlook on life, he has quite some reason to see things this negatively.
5) Meanwhile Edrick has started his nice job as Vivieka spy/slave together with Darreth and we learn something about Normund,it is a nice read but Edrick PoV is still one of the least exciting storyline of this story for me
Hm, fair enough. I suppose everyone needs a least favourite storyline, sounds only natural to me. Hopefully, some future events in Edrick's storyline will manage to win you over, I can say some of my favourite scenes in Book 2 will likely come out of that one and the build-up I take care of currently will directly lead to them.
6) Jorid show us in this part that he hate Ironborn AND Character Development (expecially the latter)
Well, I wouldn't say he hates character development, I'd simply say there has been no reason for him so far to change his views about hating Ironborn. See it from his perspective, he has good reason to believe his brother was murdered by Ironborn, possibly those working for Viveka (because Faronhall is one of the northernmost castles in the Riverlands), they have taken him prisoner for arbitrary reasons and he faces a life as a thrall, that isn't exactly the sort of stuff that causes a man to rethink his hatred for Ironborn.
BQD:
Ser Edrick
“I'm a hedge knight. Was probably born with less than you, will probably die with less. I might be a knight, but I am not your lord”
A lord he is not and he is right, the life of a hedge knight is a hard one and not the kind anyone gets rich with. Normund at least has a stable income, so if he makes smart choices in how to spend it, it can likely happen that he will get both, older and richer than Edrick.
[Go into the harbour tavern] It's for sure the most enjoyable way to continue this storyline
[Take the blame for Normund] It is about ti… moreme that Edrick act as a chilvarous person (and it is the best way to obtain Normund trust)
RT:
1) Today we are back at Lys with the first John PoV of the book!
2) I'm quite surprised that you chose the boring pairing (J-T and J-S) since I think (but maybe I'm wrong) that last time it was the other choice that won..oh well,I suppose that there is enough time for shake the dynamic of the rescue team during the quest
3) It is nice read the different opinion that the members of the team have of the new location (and I really like finally read about Jaron from a different PoV)
4) Temari is for sure an optimistic guy (not that I blame him)
5) Meanwhile Edrick has started his nice job as Vivieka spy/slave together with Darreth and we learn something about Normund,it is a nice read but Edrick PoV is sti… [view original content]
Oh yes we want drunkards. Preferably the choreographed singing and dancing kind.
Well, there will be drunkards, there might be singing people and once in a while someone rythmically moves their feet. Doesn't mean there'll be singing and dancing drunkards, actually most of them are probably the other kind of drunkard, but it might be worth a look.
The guys should just say they sneezed when Gawayne heard his name. He’d probably buy it.
I originally was even going to give an option to try and talk things out, convince Gawayne that no one said anything about him, but the problem is, that would have amounted to nothing. Gawayne is the kind to deal punishment for mere suspicion, he doesn't need a confession or hard evidence.
[Go into the harbour tavern] Oh yes we want drunkards. Preferably the choreographed singing and dancing kind.
[Remain silent] He’ll just … morewhip both of us if we do the other thing.
Temari raised an eyebrow. “You're not even forty”, he interjected and John flashed him a grin. “And I feel a good thirty years older”, he spoke. “It is a ripe old age for men like us” He shrugged. “We rarely fade to grey, so we gotta take as much as we can get, as long as we can”, he stated, before he gave Jaron a nod. “All I'm saying is, look out for yourself. Never assume you're safe just because you got a legend like him by your side”
Good advice.
The guys should just say they sneezed when Gawayne heard his name. He’d probably buy it.
John
Lys once again. It had been years since John had last been here and the city had changed less than he himself, by far so. A decaying… more beauty, the remnant of an empire, perhaps one of the few places in the world where Valyria was slightly less dead than anywhere else. A city knocked down more than just a few levels and for the better, as he thought.
John was the first to head down the Pale Princess and onto the docks. Nothing against the ship, he just had never been a fan of travelling by sea. He wasn't exactly getting sick by it, considering where he came from it was quite the opposite. But a ship, any ship, was just hitting a bit too close to home, reminding him of the Iron Islands he had left behind so long ago.
As such, he was glad about feeling solid ground beneath him again, even if he knew his time aboard a ship was far from over. That's what he had to do after all, finding a new captain. He smirked, as he glanced at Temari… [view original content]
[Approach the ships] Temari's reasoning makes sense.
[Remain silent] As much as Normund might appreciate this in the short term, in the long term we'd end up on one of Vivika's people's shit list and I'm not sure if she'd appreciate it.
I finally caught up! And just in time to vote on an Edrick part too!
John
Lys once again. It had been years since John had last been here and the city had changed less than he himself, by far so. A decaying… more beauty, the remnant of an empire, perhaps one of the few places in the world where Valyria was slightly less dead than anywhere else. A city knocked down more than just a few levels and for the better, as he thought.
John was the first to head down the Pale Princess and onto the docks. Nothing against the ship, he just had never been a fan of travelling by sea. He wasn't exactly getting sick by it, considering where he came from it was quite the opposite. But a ship, any ship, was just hitting a bit too close to home, reminding him of the Iron Islands he had left behind so long ago.
As such, he was glad about feeling solid ground beneath him again, even if he knew his time aboard a ship was far from over. That's what he had to do after all, finding a new captain. He smirked, as he glanced at Temari… [view original content]
Also read the Jenna/Arthur earlier. I’m anticipating the meeting of the Selwyn family greatly so.
Ah, glad to hear it. Truth be told, I am not yet sure from which PoV I'd like to show this meeting, the possible candidates at this point are either Jenna or Willfred. But I hope to deliver with this meeting, especially hearing that there are quite some who look forward for it
[Go into the harbour tavern]
Tavern fight sounds like fun. Bring it!
[Take the blame for Normund]
Maybe we’ll earn Normund’s gratitude for this.
Also read the Jenna/Arthur earlier. I’m anticipating the meeting of the Selwyn family greatly so.
As much as Normund might appreciate this in the short term, in the long term we'd end up on one of Vivika's people's shit list and I'm not sure if she'd appreciate it.
Ah, technically Edrick might already be on Gawayne's shit list, not because he did anything to piss him off in particular, but because he is a bit of a bully by nature. Of course, it can be argued that giving him a legitimate reason will make him pick on Edrick more than he already does and you are right, Viveka would definitely not be thrilled by her prisoner having some sort of rivalry with one of her top guards.
I finally caught up! And just in time to vote on an Edrick part too!
And welcome back, Agent! Really happy you managed to catch up and even in time for Edrick's first part in this chapter. Actually, your timing couldn't have been more perfect, because I mean to close the voting in my very next post
[Approach the ships] Temari's reasoning makes sense.
[Remain silent] As much as Normund might appreciate this in the short term, in the l… moreong term we'd end up on one of Vivika's people's shit list and I'm not sure if she'd appreciate it.
I finally caught up! And just in time to vote on an Edrick part too!
Both of these votings were rather close and I will make absolutely certain that this time, I'll follow up on them instead of accidentally picking the wrong option. Seriously, I have no idea how that happened and I am quite a bit embarrassed at myself right there. My sincerest apologies to those of you who were looking forward for the other outcome. There should be enough time to correct my mistake later on, because I'm going right ahead and confirm, next time John and Jaron have to split, there won't be a choice whom to take. Meanwhile, Edrick's choice will be quite painful. Normund might appreciate it though and given that the entire point of their interaction is about winning his trust, I'd say this might be worth it.
The next part should be out later today. It will be a Drent part, but most likely not just that. After all, I intend to write more parts with two PoV's, as a means to get through the chapter at a better pace. I cannot imagine anyone actually liking the fact that you currently have to wait for the better part of a month or even more to see your favourite characters. Double the amount of PoV's per part, double the speed, that's the best I can do. Because I cannot stress it enough, every PoV is necessary for the story itself, even if some might seem inconsequential right now. As such, while PoV deaths will happen quite often in Book 2 (and more evenly spread than in Book 1, as you've noticed with Richard's death in the first chapter), the total number of PoV's won't exactly decrease dramatically. So, onwards to the Drent recap, last time we saw him, the day of the tournament had come at last. As you know, Argella convinced him to be her champion during the melee, where he is supposed to take out Warrick Fell, one of the three young men who have been sent to court her, to her extreme annoyance. Unfortunately for Drent, he also got into a talk with Bernard Buckler, another of the suitors, one who previously gave quite a bad impression, alongside with his acquaintance Malcolm Mertyns. To Drent's surprise, it turned out that Bernard wasn't even all that bad and he genuinely expressed interest in talking to this soldier who stood up for his princess in Chapter 1. Ultimately, he decided to accept Bernard's invitation. I also intend to include a second PoV if I have the room, but I am not certain whom to pick. Might be Kyra (though she usually works best with full-length parts), might be Keat, might be Ilish. Latter two are more likely, I mainly just include Kyra here so you know that she'll have a part upcoming pretty soon.
One thing I would further like to talk about is something I imagine is probably going to be a bit unpopular with some here. I have noticed a problem with this chapter, namely the fact that quite some parts seem repetitive to me. PoV X goes to castle Y, meets Lord Y and his family and so on. This was the case with Garthon, with Ellena, with Raenna, with Lachlan and it will be the case with Samantha and Sadie. These last two haven't been seen in this chapter yet and I have, after putting a huge amount of thought into this, decided to remove Samantha's parts from this chapter entirely and instead have her reappear in Chapter 3. I know some of you are looking forward for seeing her Shield Island storyline and I am terribly sorry to disappoint here, but between her and Sadie, I think she can take it better to miss out on a chapter, because Sadie needs some additional work, whereas I feel like Samantha is already enough of an established character. In contrast, I have a solid idea on where to take Sadie's storyline, a lot will happen, it'll be exciting, whereas I really feel like I need more time to make Samantha's storyline meet the standards I hold my writing to. I don't want to give you something half-assed for the sake of showing Samantha and the characters she interacts with, you deserve better than that and as such, I simply require more time. I also feel like moving one of these castle introduction parts to the next chapter will prevent things from becoming too repetitive, so that's an additional bonus. Hopefully, you understand my reasons here and won't be too disappointed. She'll be back in no time and in the long run, it will be for the better, but the wait until you see her again has definitely increased due to my unfortunate decision. I am sorry, but in the end, it has to be this way.
Drent sighed, probably at his own reluctance, before accepting the seat offered to him. Bernard Buckler smiled slightly, if not in an overly friendly way, while Malcolm Mertyns leant back, his hands resting on the scabbard in his lap, not smiling, but clearly not bothered by Drent's presence either.
“This is good, glad to have you with us”, Bernard spoke. “So, are you going to fight in the tourney?” To this, Drent gave him a nod. “The melee”, he told him and Bernard chuckled. “Warrick's discipline”, he revealed. “I always saw myself more as a jouster. Jonathan and Warrick, they know they can't beat me there, so they wisely chose not to participate. Jonathan picked archery, you know”
Drent raised an eyebrow. “Is he a good archer?”, he asked and Bernard shook his head. “I'm better”, he claimed with confidence. “But not interested. You can't win glory with archery” To this, Drent actually had to smirk, for he remembered the exact same argument Torrence brought up every time he complained about Edonia.
“What do you want to win glory for?”, Drent asked and now, a brief smirk flashed over Malcolm's face. “Because what else could he ever win?”, he asked. “Surely not the heart of the Storm Princess” His mockery was sharp and though it was stated in a jovial tone, Bernard frowned. “I'd rather take the glory”, he admitted.
He let out a sigh, crossing his arms, as he looked back at Drent. “Are you in love, soldier? Ever have been?”, he asked and Drent had to think about it for a moment. He clenched his fists. “It's a bit complicated”, he admitted and Bernard nodded. “I know how you feel”, he claimed. “Complicated, that describes it best”
As he heard this, Drent raised an eyebrow. “You are supposed to marry the Storm Princess”, he said and Bernard shook his head. “I am supposed to court her”, he corrected him. “Alongside two men I consider friends and yet we find ourselves forced into rivalry” He shrugged. “And all for a woman who'd rather throw me into the sea than even attempt to feign interest”
“You can't deny her beauty”, Malcolm brought up. “Wouldn't that help you over it?” Bernard rolled his eyes, before shaking his head. “Of course she is beautiful”, he admitted. “I always had a thing for dark hair, those eyes and don't get me started on that bosom of hers...”
Drent narrowed his eyes slightly, trying to keep himself from frowning, though Malcolm apparently noticed it, raising an eyebrow. Bernard did not, as he mostly stared at the table, before shaking his head again. “She might as well be the most beautiful woman in the world, but what does it matter?”, he brought up. “There's a lot of beauty in the world and I gladly settle for less if it means a more comfortable life”
“She means the Stormlands”, Drent reminded him, his voice only a little bit cold. Bernard shrugged. “I know how it must seem for you”, he told him. “You don't have titles of your own. But trust me, being in charge of Bronzegate is always better than being in charge of a kingdom a hundred times its size” He sighed. “I was born to rule over Bronzegate, like my father before me, his father before me and my entire line for thousands of years”, he told him. “But marrying a princess, beautiful beyond words, but one who'd rather kill me in my sleep than share the bed with me? All for a kingdom I love to serve, but would never love to rule?” He shook his head. “That is not me and I can't see how anyone in their right mind could want that”
In a way, Drent could even understand him. It was almost disappointing, in a way. There was this man who could have what so many men would do anything in the world to have. Drent was among them. But Bernard, so close to this, to her, he did not want to. And Drent understood, all but one thing in this. “Then why are you still here?”, he asked and there was the hint of bitterness in his voice.
Bernard did not smile as he replied, though his tone sounded as if he was trying to force himself to be amused. “Why are you here, soldier?”, he asked in return and Drent had to pause for a moment. He exchanged a look with Malcolm Mertyns, who was calmly, quietly looking at him out of smart, amber eyes. “I am sworn to House Durrandon and to the princess”, he spoke. “I have my duties”
“You and me both”, Bernard admitted. “I have never been interested in marrying. Girls, aye, there's plenty I'm interested in, but marriage? Years ago, after they found me with a girl from the kitchens, I told my father exactly that. I will marry whom he deems fitting for me, I won't resist, I won't complain, because I simply don't care. Sure I want a beauty, but I settle for any beauty, it doesn't have to be the fair maiden of Storm's End” He frowned. “This is not what I want in life, but I owe it to my father and the Buckler name to try my utmost to succeed regardless”
Drent raised an eyebrow. “So... glory?”, he asked and Bernard grinned briefly. “I don't know the princess very well”, he admitted. “To me, she's got a heart of ice and she proves it every time she refuses just to look at me. But a glorious knight? I'd like to imagine she'd at least acknowledge such a man. After that, I'll be charming”
Malcolm chuckled quietly. “You claim you can do that, but I'm not so sure”, he stated dryly and Bernard narrowed his eyes. “That is why you're, what thirty and still unmarried?”, he brought up and Malcolm sighed with playful annoyance. “Twenty and six”, he corrected him. “And maybe I just have higher standards” A smirk formed on his face. “Though I'd fuck the princess”
Bernard rolled his eyes. “So would I, so would anyone in their right mind”, he stated and Malcolm nodded, raising an eyebrow at Drent's frown. “So would you, would you not, soldier?”, he chuckled, to which Bernard put a hand onto the Mertyns knight's forearm. “Eh, don't mock him”, he spoke. “We sit together, after all” He looked at Drent. “And I am certain you know something about her I don't, some hidden heart of gold I just fail to see. Why else would you crush so hard on her?”
Instantly, Drent tensed up. “I don't...”, he tried to claim, but Bernard simply raised an eyebrow. “I had my suspicions back in the Great Hall”, he admitted. “What you did for her, that goes way beyond simple duty. That was true courage and I thought to myself, it's either the courage of a hero or a man in love”
“Both perhaps”, Malcolm brought up and Bernard nodded. “Don't know you well enough for that, Drent Golton”, he admitted. “But you love her, do you not?” Drent gulped, looking from Malcolm to Bernard. Should he not hate this man, this rival? He silently cursed himself for understanding how Buckler felt. Then, he nodded.
Bernard's smile died down. “Well, you will be happy to learn that her love is not what I'm after”, he spoke. “I have no illusions about that one. I bet she takes her shits in a room larger than the entire castle of Bronzegate. I'm not a prince, not a major lord. I love my kingdom, but that is not important enough for her love”
“I don't think you know her all that well in these regards”, Drent brought up and Bernard raised an eyebrow. “But you do”, he replied and what could have been a question instead was merely a statement, one to which Drent knew no reply but to nod, probably not so humbly. “You expect me to help you out?”, he asked, to which a brief, audacious grin flashed over Bernard's face. “All we know about her are presumptions, but you, you know more”, he said.
“What do you presume?”, Drent asked and Malcolm raised a finger. “I presume”, he clarified. “Bernard's just not good at that stuff” He shrugged, as Bernard glared at him. “What I presume is that she grew up very lonely. I mean, how can anyone be friends with a princess who can trace her line back to a literal goddess? A bit too intimidating for any girl her age”, he stated, quite correctly. “And that she is a perfectionist, because how else can one survive as a crown princess”
Drent hesitated to answer, but only for a moment. “You might be right with both”, he admitted and Bernard sighed. “You really don't have to consider us rivals”, he spoke. “As I said, I am unhappy with settling down in general. I believe Jonathan has something for a commoner from his father's lands and Warrick... eh, he's more in love with his books than with any maiden” For a moment, the look in his gaze was almost encouraging. “You don't have to decide now, but I would appreciate some help. If I don't succeed, at least don't let me leave in shame”
He rose from his chair, as Drent gave him a nod. “I... will think about it”, he replied, not quite certain what to do here. Bernard patted him on the shoulder, if briefly. “And with that, good men, I shall leave this round”, he declared. “I have a fight coming up today, a joust against Ser Emphryus Dresfel” He gave both men a nod. “We shall meet again”, he said, before leaving the tent
Drent remained with Malcolm Mertyns. The knight looked at him calmly, but there was something in his eyes that caused the soldier to tense up. “Poor Bernard”, he finally broke the silence. “He's a good guy, if a bit on the rash side. And his father asked something impossible of him” Drent shrugged. “It might not be impossible”, he tried to argue.
The look Malcolm gave him was decidedly not convinced. “Sure”, he replied. “So, you plan to take down Warrick during the melee, am I right?” The bluntness with which he stated this caused Drent to gasp, as he tensed up. “What?”, he asked and Malcolm raised an eyebrow. “I'm sorry, did I stutter?”, he remarked. “I stated that your goal in the melee is not to win, but simply to defeat Warrick of House Fell”
“What... what makes you think so?”, Drent asked and Malcolm smirked briefly. “It would make sense to me. Emphryus Dresfel jousts against Bernard, despite the injuries he suffered in Raylansfair. I saw the archer lady that belongs to Argella's entourage enlisting in the archery contest, making me believe she was told to beat Jonathan Errol”, he explained. “And there you are, a man who has risked a lot for his princess, a man who admits to serve her, who likely harbours feelings for her. I am just not certain if she outright asked you or if you do this on your own”
“I...”, Drent stuttered, unsure how to proceed. He could just admit how close Malcolm had come to the truth, but he was not sure how the knight would react. He was Bernard's friend, after all, or an acquaintance at least. But the only lie that was running through his mind in this moment was that he could claim that he indeed is out to win this, as unlikely as it was.
[Claim that you will try to win][Admit that you will attempt to defeat Warrick Fell]
Ilish
“I got this”, Ilish hissed towards Lawsen. As suspicious as this situation was, he saved her life and she owed him that much without asking questions, at least for now. There were quite several questions she had, but they had to wait for another time. For now, it was important that this man, this Wandering Crow wouldn't get him.
Lawsen sighed in relief, giving her a nod, before she turned around and began to approach the man that was apparently looking for him. He was short for a man, probably not taller than Ilish herself, with a slim, wiry build. His hair was short and black, showing sides of early greying, as well as a long, unkempt beard, wet from the ale he had been drinking the whole night.
“Another round, Ser?”, Ilish asked in a jovial tone as she reached him and the Night's Watchman looked up with a happy expression on his face. “Ah, you know just what I want, fair wench!”, he exclaimed and Ilish chuckled as she put a hand onto the dark fur on his black cloak. “At least if you got the coin”, she stated, subtly glancing to the door far behind the man, where Lawsen was just about to leave.
“Coin?”, he exclaimed. “Girl, I am Wildor Goodbrook, recruiter of the Night's Watch! I can assure you, the Lord Commander has outfitted me with more than enough to keep me supplied during my journey” She raised an eyebrow and he sighed, before he put a silver coin onto the table. “Keep the rest”, he growled. “Just make it quick”
It was in this moment that Lawsen manage to slip out the back door, with Wildor clearly not noticing. A brief smile flashed over Ilish's face, as she grabbed the coin, turning around and approaching the counter again. “Megur, another round for our friend in black!”, she told her.
Megur rolled her eyes, but she followed the task without complaining, or at least without much complaining. “He had enough”, she stated and Ilish shook his head. “His purse disagrees”, she told her. “So be a darling and fill another mug for him”
“If he starts a fight...”, the heavy-weight barmaid growled and Ilish shook her head. “He might start a fight if we refuse him the drink, but he seems quite happy to me right now”, she replied, as Megur begrudgingly filled another mug and slowly handing it over to her. “Anything he breaks I'll take off your pay”
To this, Ilish raised a finger, followed by a brief smile. “Your mother might, you mean”, she reminded her, before he turned around with the fresh mug of ale, approaching the man in black again. Wildor Goodbrook gave her a happy smile as he saw the ale. “Ah, wonderful!”, he exclaimed and as she put it down onto the table, she took seat on the chair in front of him, placing her elbows on the table itself and giving him a deep look.
Wildor raised an eyebrow. “Anything else?”, he asked. “You know we're supposed to take no woman” To this, Ilish's confident smile did not flicker. She was used to such comments in her line of work after all. “Nah, we are not that kind of a tavern”, she said, noticing how Wildor's smile grew smaller. “Shame”, he growled and quickly glanced at Daisy, who was working in the far ends of the tavern. “I'd make an exception for you, or that redhead over there. What is it then?”
“I was just curious”, Ilish admitted, even if she was secretly hoping to give Lawsen more time than he already had. “It's not as if your kind is a common sight around here. I think the last Night's Watchman who visited our tavern came... three years ago? Four? An older man, hard of hearing and with a big, red nose”
The recruiter gave her a nod. “Aye, must have been Tomlin”, he replied. “His last tour. He broke his ankle on the way back to the Nightfort and it never really healed, something that took a serious toll on him. He's with the stewards now, which is a nice way of saying that we feed his useless ass while he does nothing but spouting nonsense and shitting himself”
Ilish gulped and Wildor chuckled, as he raised the mug. “To Tomlin, that crusty old bastard!”, he exclaimed and took a deep gulp. “Anyone ever told you that the ale is terrible?” She nodded. “Anyone ever told you that you know how to kill a moment?”, she replied and he grinned. “I wasn't sure we were having a moment”, he spoke. “Though I assume I did not answer your question”
“Damn right”, Ilish confirmed and he sighed. “The recruiters don't like this route”, he admitted. “We got a quota to fulfil and Raylansfair... eh, you never had many potential recruits. It is a detour from the usual route from Highgarden to Oldtown, costing us about two weeks with rarely being worth it” He glanced at the mug in his hand. “The ale is terrible and you lack a proper whorehouse”
“I'll make sure to pass your suggestions on to Lord Petyr”, she stated in a mocking tone and the recruiter laughed loudly. “Much obliged”, he spoke, though she gave him a deep look. “You still did not answer the question”, she reminded him. “It's okay if you don't want to answer, but you'd leave a young woman terribly curious”
Wildor grinned. “Can't have that”, he told her. “See, every once in a while we have to take this route. I was hoping to get a knight or two, to be honest. Word on the street has it you had a change of leadership and there's many older knights who'd rather take the black than serve another lord”
Ilish thought back at what had happened in the past two months. The official announcements and the gaps she was able to fill herself. “The one who might have been willing too perished during the raid”, she told him. “Lord Harris Flowers... I mean, Ser Harris Flowers, suppose he was never much of a lord”
The recruiter shrugged. “Names don't really mean much to me”, he spoke. “But a proper knight, that would have been something. I joined the Watch about twenty years ago and back then, most were people like me, highborn with no chance to inherit, or at least volunteers with honour and dignity and the will to defend the realms of man”
“Times have changed”, Ilish deduced and Wildor frowned. “Don't mention it”, he growled. “We're slowly dying out, men like me. The honourable kind that considers the Watch an honour instead of a punishment” He shook his head, mild frustration on his face. “Back when Lord Commander Hoare took the black, the garrison at the Nightfort was home to five thousand men and even back then, half of its quarters were empty. Three thousand remain, a third of what the castle was built for”, he explained in a gruff tone. “It's not better in the other castles. Maester Coracinus tells of a time in which a hundred thousand men manned the Wall. By now, I doubt a fifth of that number remains”
The barmaid raised an eyebrow. “Almost twenty thousand is still impressive”, she tried to argue, but Wildor shook his head. “It is not enough against the hundreds of thousands that threaten the kingdoms of Westeros”, he told her. “With every passing year, it becomes more obvious. Their raids become more frequent, more bold, more... desperate, I say. The Lord Commander says something wicked stirs beyond the Wall and he fears the day another king unites the tribes, for we wouldn't be able to stop him”
“So you came to Raylansfair to find a solution for all your problems”, Ilish said and the recruiter rolled his eyes. “No, of course not”, he spat. “Girl, you got too much of a mouth on you. Not a good thing to have in some parts of the world” He shook his head. “No, I am here because I am looking not for a recruit, but for a deserter”
“You got a problem with deserters?”, Ilish asked and Wildor nodded grimly. “Quite a serious one, actually. Not too long ago, the First Ranger, Arron Estermont, and half a dozen men left the Nightfort to settle beyond the wall and we haven't found them yet. With a Watch consisting mostly of criminals, many take the first chance they can get to escape” He narrowed his eyes. “One of them is hiding in this part of the Reach”
Ilish tilted her head. “In Raylansfair?”, she asked and Wildor nodded. “And I have reason to believe you folk might know him” He leant forwards. “The man I am looking for is young, bit younger than you perhaps. A scrawny guy, blonde hair, has a stubble. Went by the name of Lawsen during his time with us, but he might have told you a different one”
“There's tons of scrawny blondes around here”, Ilish was quick to say. “I can't remember anyone by the name of Lawsen though” Wildor raised an eyebrow. “You sure?”, he asked. “Because your friend, the fat one, she told me that he's a regular”
Ilish shrugged. “Yeah, I'm sure”, she lied. “Megur might be mistaken, or maybe I just never met him. Why are you looking for him?” Below the table, she clenched her hands, knowing that Lawsen had some explaining to do for sure. Wildor leant forwards, looking her deep in the eye. “Does it matter?”, he asked in return. “He is a deserter. That alone is reason enough. But if it helps you, he is dangerous. Finding him can only be in your best interest”
“Then I wish you good luck with that”, she replied. “I haven't seen him, so I can't help you” She was just about to rise from the chair, not willing to risk him catching up on something, but the recruiter was faster, quickly grabbing her arm and narrowing her eyes. “Are you certain about that?”, he growled. “Your friend also told me you're the one closest to him”
As she glared at him, he was quick to let go of her, raising his hands in an apologetic manner. “I'm just saying, he is a dangerous deserter. No matter what he might have told you, I doubt that was part of his story”, he argued. “I am not demanding anything, but I am asking for your help to bring him to justice”
Ilish tensed up at his request. Lawsen saved her life, she owed him and he trusted her. But he also lied to her and if Wildor was right, then he wasn't even nearly as innocent as he had made himself seem to be. A deserter... was that the kind she'd want to help? Did she want to be the kind to turn on her friends? She could agree, or maybe she could make things very clear by openly refusing him... or she could be tricky, making sure he'd never find Lawsen by leading him into the wrong direction...
[Agree to help Wildor][Refuse to help him][Mislead him]
[Claim that you will try to win] Is not that much of a lie, but an attempt to gain prestige. The dragons will arrive eventually, and they'll need their finest warriors. [Refuse to help him] The Night's Watch has already started their gradual but certain decline. The King's Peace simply accelerated the process by 300 years.
Is better if she politely declines, that way it won't be her fault if Goodbrook finds him, at least not directly.
John
Lys once again. It had been years since John had last been here and the city had changed less than he himself, by far so. A decaying… more beauty, the remnant of an empire, perhaps one of the few places in the world where Valyria was slightly less dead than anywhere else. A city knocked down more than just a few levels and for the better, as he thought.
John was the first to head down the Pale Princess and onto the docks. Nothing against the ship, he just had never been a fan of travelling by sea. He wasn't exactly getting sick by it, considering where he came from it was quite the opposite. But a ship, any ship, was just hitting a bit too close to home, reminding him of the Iron Islands he had left behind so long ago.
As such, he was glad about feeling solid ground beneath him again, even if he knew his time aboard a ship was far from over. That's what he had to do after all, finding a new captain. He smirked, as he glanced at Temari… [view original content]
[Admit that you will attempt to defeat Warrick Fell]
I don't think there's great harm in admitting the truth, the Mertyns seems to have everything figured out already anyway. Besides, everyone in their right minds know Drent has no shot of winning.
[Mislead him]
I'm afraid outright refusing him will lead to a fight.
[Claim that you will try to win] I doubt he'll believe it but better safe than sorry. I don't like the idea of revealing any of Drent's intentions.
[Refuse to help him] Betraying Lawsen is just an intolerable idea to me. Plus Wildor isn't going to fall for anymore of Illish's lies.
I really liked this part! Especially Drent reluctantly admitting that he loves Argella. man I ship it so hard! No matter how unlikely it is, I will continue to ship it!
Drent
Drent sighed, probably at his own reluctance, before accepting the seat offered to him. Bernard Buckler smiled slightly, if not in … morean overly friendly way, while Malcolm Mertyns leant back, his hands resting on the scabbard in his lap, not smiling, but clearly not bothered by Drent's presence either.
“This is good, glad to have you with us”, Bernard spoke. “So, are you going to fight in the tourney?” To this, Drent gave him a nod. “The melee”, he told him and Bernard chuckled. “Warrick's discipline”, he revealed. “I always saw myself more as a jouster. Jonathan and Warrick, they know they can't beat me there, so they wisely chose not to participate. Jonathan picked archery, you know”
Drent raised an eyebrow. “Is he a good archer?”, he asked and Bernard shook his head. “I'm better”, he claimed with confidence. “But not interested. You can't win glory with archery” To this, Drent actually had to smirk, for he remembered the exact … [view original content]
[Claim that you will try to win] Eh, I doubt Malcolm will buy it, but I still don't think we should admit anything to him, because chances are he'll go straight to Warrick after this. And if Warrick knows from the get go that Drent's sole mission is to defeat him, it'll make that task much harder.
Anyway, I really liked the conversation between Drent, Bernard and Malcolm. Bernard seems like a decent guy, certainly not someone I'd see as Drent's enemy or even rival. It was also pretty funny how easily he and Malcolm saw through Drent Man, our brave soldier is way over his head with this crush to Argella, but what can you do
[Refuse to help him] I see this as the neutral choice here. Lawsen did save Ilish, so it would be pretty ungrateful of her to sell him out, but misleading Wildor would be equally dishonorable thing to do. So, let's just tell him that he isn't going to get anything from us, and hope he leaves it at that.
Drent
Drent sighed, probably at his own reluctance, before accepting the seat offered to him. Bernard Buckler smiled slightly, if not in … morean overly friendly way, while Malcolm Mertyns leant back, his hands resting on the scabbard in his lap, not smiling, but clearly not bothered by Drent's presence either.
“This is good, glad to have you with us”, Bernard spoke. “So, are you going to fight in the tourney?” To this, Drent gave him a nod. “The melee”, he told him and Bernard chuckled. “Warrick's discipline”, he revealed. “I always saw myself more as a jouster. Jonathan and Warrick, they know they can't beat me there, so they wisely chose not to participate. Jonathan picked archery, you know”
Drent raised an eyebrow. “Is he a good archer?”, he asked and Bernard shook his head. “I'm better”, he claimed with confidence. “But not interested. You can't win glory with archery” To this, Drent actually had to smirk, for he remembered the exact … [view original content]
[Admit that you will attempt to defeat Warrick Fell] I'm a man of truth.
[Agree to help Wilbor] I'm a northerner, you desert you deserves the punishment. Lawsen helped us, but that doesn't necessarily mean shit. A deserter is still a deserter.
Comments
[Go with Vali] Let's give the green hand member some space in the story
[Agree to work with Rodrik] Obviously this doesn't mean that Arthur now love the Alley Cat member or some dumb stuff like that but I believe that he has to be pragmatic and obtain information even from the shadiest side of the city if he want to catch Wolfius (and maybe even discover more about the triumvirate)
RT:
1) The second part of the conservation between Jenna and Petyr was really interesting
2) It seems that a Lord and his entourage is going to be soon introduced in the story...this is really the chapter of introductions! (Not that I complain since usually the introduction of a large part of new characters is at the first chapters of a book)
3) Arthur 0 - petite girls 2
4) Surprise of the surprises The Sphynx is Ryler uncle! While the girl is his sister! That ambush has become a family reunion!
5) I'm curious to see if we will ever see this Lord Bloodroar outside Ryler backstory since no one mentioned him by at the North
6) It seems strange to me that The Sphynx doesn't know how Lupin use his nephew if he really was one of the funding members of the Alley Cats
7) Poor Wolfius is demoted to henchmen status (even if he should be at least have some autonomy since he worked as an assasin for Butterfly and collaborate with Clayton group during the first part of Book 1)
8) It was nice learn more about The Sphynx,he is still an evil guy that love torture people but it is nice know more about the villains of the story
[Search for Saerya] Vali is not very friendly). Saerya is more of my kind of diva (that almost rhymes? damnit)
[Agree to work with Rodrik] Just to get rid of these jokers.
Heheheheh.
Creepy. So creepy.
House Selwyn get hyped.
Also Lucia is going on the hate-list. The new Alysanne.
[Go with Vali]
The less Jenna relies on Saerya the better, time to switch over to Team Gardener, screw the Targs.
[Agree to work with Rodrik]
Now, this is a twist I personally did not see coming. But this just got me extra hyped for Arthur's storyline, teaming up with the alley cats to find lupin and wolfius sounds so awesome. Especially because so far, the Alley Cats have mainly been one-dimensional villains.
Ah, glad to hear you think so
I really enjoyed writing it, having these characters interact with each other is a blast, mostly because they couldn't really be more different, having the slightly naive, idealistic and emotional Jenna next to the calculating, ruthless Petyr.
Yeah, I think this chapter will introduce more than any other chapter so far and likely more than any still to come. It wasn't exactly planned that way, but I am glad the list of characters to be introduced will finally shrink quite a bit. The Selwyn household won't even be the last to be introduced in this chapter.
Oh no, it's petite girls, his only weakness! That being said, it really narrows down to the fact that Arthur is not a super skilled fighter, he naturally dislikes violence, whereas Lucia might be at a physical disadvantage, but she is trained and utterly fearless.
Aye, a lovely unexpected family reunion. At least it was lovely for Rodrik, whereas Lucia and Ryler are understandably a bit freaked out by this.
Actually, he has been mentioned, namely in Chapter 7, when Edrick was a guest of House Frostborn. Seems like they have a justified fear of the man and this will be explored in future parts of Book 2. However, House Bloodboar is a relatively small house, not of the same importance as Umber or Karstark.
He indeed knew nothing of this. See, back when Lupin was the Sphynx, he had plenty of subjects to experiment on, with the goal to make them like his eventual masterpiece, the Moggy, means super strong and super obedient soldiers. Most of these were random kids they abducted and neither the Tom nor Rodrik ever really cared for whom Lupin had in his dungeon. They never visited them, so Rodrik never saw Ryler and Lupin definitely did not go out of his way and say that he had Ryler Grimthorn in his dungeon. Chances are he didn't even know himself.
Yeah, it is likely he has some degree of independence from Lupin. After all, it doesn't really seem as if he was in contact with anyone else during his time in Raylansfair and he was part of Clayton's group in the beginning, with no mention of Lupin. Back in the day when they both were with the Alley Cats, he was sort of Lupin's sidekick, but no one can say for sure how their relationship has changed since then.
That was one of my goals, to show that there is more to some of the villains here. The Sphynx is not just an evil torturer, he has other aspects to his character, just like the Tom, Mullendore, Petyr, there's even more to Wolfius than what you have seen so far.
Soon, very, very soon. I'd say expect them to first appear around the halfway point of the chapter, which should leave some with plenty time to make an impression before the chapter is over
Alysanne? That surprises me a bit, because knowing both, I'd say they couldn't be more different. Of course, both are a bit messed up, but not only is Alysanne's case notably worse, her main problem has actually been a lack of genuine emotion, genuine relationships and the like. With Lucia, this is not the case, because she actually grew up in a decent family until the day her house was destroyed. Her issue is a bit of a trauma and this particular situation, it leaves her the complete opposite of Alysanne, it leaves her way too emotional, probably understandable given she just learned her dead brother is not actually dead. Give her some time to calm down and the similarities between her and Alysanne are likely not quite there anymore.
Ah, glad to hear this
Indeed, this should give me the chance to show there is more to the Alley Cats. Well, some of them at least. The Moggy won't show much depth, his whole thing is being an obedient killing machine, but he can't really be called a character of his own because of that. The Tom can be a more complex character, with his weird code of honour and love for a good fight. The Sphynx meanwhile, he never got the chance to show more than his evil side so far, but I can reveal that he isn't just one-dimensional either and Arthur's storyline should show different aspects to him in time.
[Go with Vali]
[Agree to work with Rodrik]
[Go with Vali] We can hold off on her right now, Jenna can gain something from Vali and know these characters better
[Agree to work with Rodrik] Alright remember when I said The Sphynx wouldn’t surprise me? I take it back, I did not expect him to be related to Ryler and having a caring side for his family.
On a side note we have a lot of characters with similar names. You got Ryler, Raiden, Ryden, Ryder. Such a huge cluster of names.
[Go with Vali]
[Agree to work with Rodrik]
[Go with Vali]
[Agree to work with Rodrik]
Hehe, the inevitable consequence of the number of characters I received. It isn't quite as severe as the ones I tend to call the "characters who sound like Jaron" after the one who has the honour of being the first submitted. There are, next to Jaron of course, Joran, Juran, Jorid, Jaro, Jarow, Jarek, Jared, Jarrod and Jaylon, as well as Jorn, Jors and Jorario. I have a bit of an overview of all of the characters I received, but I know the similar names can be confusing, so I try my best not to put two characters with a too similar-sounding name into the same storyline. For example, I can promise that Jaron is never going to meet Joran or Jaro. There was the one unfortunate time where Samuel and Samuel were part of the same storyline, but I learned from my mistakes back then.
The Voting is closed!
Jenna is going to go with Vali
Arthur is going to agree to work with Rodrik Grimthorn
Obviously, especially the second one has been a very important choice and will likely be among the major choices of this chapter. The true identity of the Sphynx and the fact that by now, even some of the technically bad guys are out to kill Wolfius are pretty important revelations, as you can expect and they'll shape Arthur's storyline for the foreseeable future. Jenna meanwhile definitely hasn't exactly chosen whom to support in the slowly building Vali/Saerya conflict, but going with Vali will offer some opportunities she wouldn't have received otherwise.
The next part should be out later today. Currently, I am writing a John part, but it is likely I will add a second PoV, mostly because this chapter needs progress badly. We are still at a point where, almost two months in, not every PoV had their first part (looking at Edrick, Willfred and Sadie here) and that is despite the fact that I'd prefer to be done with this chapter sooner rather than later. The solution is clear, more parts with two PoV's, less parts with one unless it is inevitable, even if this will probably mean slightly longer parts in general. Can't imagine anyone would object to that one
But yeah, John will be one of these PoV's and I think Edrick will be the other. I should comfortably wrap up the writing some time later today.
Do you think you could elaborate on this?
John
Lys once again. It had been years since John had last been here and the city had changed less than he himself, by far so. A decaying beauty, the remnant of an empire, perhaps one of the few places in the world where Valyria was slightly less dead than anywhere else. A city knocked down more than just a few levels and for the better, as he thought.
John was the first to head down the Pale Princess and onto the docks. Nothing against the ship, he just had never been a fan of travelling by sea. He wasn't exactly getting sick by it, considering where he came from it was quite the opposite. But a ship, any ship, was just hitting a bit too close to home, reminding him of the Iron Islands he had left behind so long ago.
As such, he was glad about feeling solid ground beneath him again, even if he knew his time aboard a ship was far from over. That's what he had to do after all, finding a new captain. He smirked, as he glanced at Temari right behind him. Out of all his companions, Tem was perhaps the only one he was truly willing to trust. Jaron seemed alright, more than that perhaps, but they hadn't been through the same. And Harrington? A valuable ally, a living legend, but someone only a fool would trust in. To be honest, he was kinda glad the broody sellsword was going with Jaron, though he'd never admit to it, not to anyone's face.
“So... this is Lys”, Jaron stated, looking around the place with wonder in his eyes. John had to chuckle, because that has likely been his exact reaction back when he saw it first. “Eh, try not to get too excited”, he advised him. “The Lysene are cunning folk, they'll lure you in with kind words, next thing you know is you got a poisoned knife to your guts and some lowlife runs off with your purse”
Jaron shook his head, unable to contain a small smile at the high towers that once were palaces for the Lords of Valyria. “Nah, I'll be fine”, he claimed. “I know Oldtown pretty well, this can't be much different. It's just all so... beautiful”
In a way, he was right. The Dragonlords knew how to build something beautiful, he had to give them that, these silver-haired sons of bitches. Yet John was never one to marvel at a building, no matter how tall or old it was. That being said, he remembered what he knew about Jaron, the Stormlander boy who had never gotten out of his kingdom save for the few months he had spent in Oldtown.
John glanced at two of the highborn ladies of Lys promenading down the docks and his smirk turned into a grin. “Also, try not to get too distracted by the beauty of Lys”, he chuckled. “Though I could totally go for one of those right now. All a bit on the frail side, but the eyes make up for it”
Jaron raised an eyebrow. “I was actually talking about the city”, he claimed. “Never saw something like that before” John grinned, as he preferred to look after the two ladies. It was at least nice to know that the bastard knight had kept a sense of wonder, if only because he was about half as old as John. He'd lose it sooner or later of course, but he should enjoy as long as it'd last.
From behind them, Samuel Harrington walked up. “Been here before”, he mumbled. “Never liked it” He shrugged, as he followed John's gaze. “Albeit I gotta admit, the view is spectacular” John's grin grew smaller. “Never took you for one to appreciate the view, Fang”, he spoke. “No offence of course” Though as Harrington was gazing after the Lysene ladies, there was something else in his eyes. There was no physical attraction, or almost none. Instead, John thought he spotted a hint of melancholia.
“We should go”, the Fang of Shadows mumbled. “Reminds me too much of what could have been” This caused a supportive nod from Temari. “I don't want to stay here longer than necessary”, he growled. “I fucking hate this city. Fake to the core”
Harrington already began walking down the docks, albeit at a slow pace, to allow Jaron to easily catch up. Jaron sighed. “Can't disagree with that”, he spoke. “Maybe once this is all over I'll come back. Harpy might like it”
Temari rolled his eye, though a quick glare from John caused him to remain silent. “Yeah, that could be nice”, he spoke, before he briefly patted Jaron on the shoulder. “Boy, you look out there, will ya? I'd hate having to tell your lady love that some Lysene thug gutted you because you spent too much time marvelling at the city”
“You'd die with quite a view”, Temari growled in a mocking tone and Jaron chuckled. “Don't worry for me, I got good company”, he claimed and John looked past him at Harrington in the distance. “Just don't count on your company for too much”, he spoke. “You've gotten through all this because you're a survivor and a survivor trusts in himself first and foremost. Never change that and you might make it to my ripe old age”
Temari raised an eyebrow. “You're not even forty”, he interjected and John flashed him a grin. “And I feel a good thirty years older”, he spoke. “It is a ripe old age for men like us” He shrugged. “We rarely fade to grey, so we gotta take as much as we can get, as long as we can”, he stated, before he gave Jaron a nod. “All I'm saying is, look out for yourself. Never assume you're safe just because you got a legend like him by your side”
“He is right with that”, Talea interjected. The captain's daughter and two sailors had followed them down to the docks, her hand resting on the dagger which was dangling right next to her heavy purse. “One moment you think he's got your back, next thing you know he puts a knife in it”
To this, Jaron shook his head. “Maybe that's how he used to be”, he admitted. “But I think he has changed” Talea rolled her eyes. “What is it with you knights believing even in men like him?”, she asked. “He's a lost cause” After this, she shrugged. “But hey, if you want to, try and redeem him. My father has been very certain about not having him around anymore, so at least he won't be our problem”
As she walked past him, she stopped for a brief moment, giving him the slightest of smiles. “Doesn't mean I want him to kill you, Ser Bastard”, she stated. “I'll head out to buy supplies for our journey, but when you're done with finding that man you're looking for, come say goodbye, will ya?” Jaron smiled and nodded, before she moved on.
And like this, the rest separated as well, Jaron following after Harrington and John going with Temari down the other side. They didn't have it particularly far, for John knew, the best way to find a ship to bring them to Volantis would be to ask the captains themselves.
“You don't think he'll make it?”, John asked, after a short while of him and Temari walking silently down the harbour. Temari hesitated for a moment, before he shook his head. “It's not even him I'm concerned for”, he spoke. “He's a knight. Means he can fight, means he knows how to kill people. That'll help. His girl though? That could destroy him, doing all this and finding nothing but her grave, if even that much. She ain't no Janae and yet he's so hopeful she somehow pulls through”
John frowned, before he gave Temari a long look. “Behara is the same”, he brought up carefully and Temari sighed, looking at the ground, his hands clenched to fists. “I know”, he admitted. “And I'm... preparing myself” His voice was toneless, stern and there was genuine anger in it, as he looked up. “Promise me just one thing”, he growled. “When we find that bastard, no matter what, you give him to me. You give him to me and I'll make him regret the day he was born”
Once more, there was silence between them, as John thought about the implications of what Temari had said. Did he truly believe Behara dead already? John would never call himself an optimist, but he wasn't so sure when it came to that. The girl had always been stronger than her brother would give her credit for. She was no Janae, aye, but not a pushover either. Or perhaps that was just what he wanted to believe, for the alternative was too horrible to imagine.
It was Temari who broke the silence again. “So, how are we going to do that?”, he asked, looking at one of the houses seaming the harbour with a frown on his face. This one was a building John actually distantly remembered, a place where he had gotten so drunk that he ended up getting into a fight with a man twice his weight, over a whore that looked barely acceptable even after the amount of booze he had. He smiled at the good memories.
“Eh, perhaps we should try our luck in there”, he spoke and Temari tilted his head. “Last time you've been in there, you nearly lost your other eye and I'lian was outright stabbed” John gave him a nod. “I also got a headache all the way back to Merman's Rest”, he confirmed. “But I remember that is the kind of place frequented by sailors and captains, some of them probably daring enough to bring us to Volantis”
Temari looked visibly unhappy about this. “I really don't know...”, he began, but John gave him a pat onto the shoulder. “Ah, come on, it'll be fun! Just like Qohor!”, he tried to convince him, but Temari shook his head. “Qohor wasn't fun”, he claimed. “You remember the hole we had to blow into the prison wall?”
John grinned. “I remember it clearly”, he spoke and Temari narrowed his single eye. “And remember who had to give all of his savings to buy the wildfire for it?”, he asked sharply, to which John shrugged. “Hey, you saved my hide back then”, he replied. “That has to be worth something”
“Yeah, and you're trying to throw it away by going into the most stinking place in the city of Piss”, Temari growled, to which John's grin widened. “Lys”, he corrected him. “And you know this is a good idea, or what would you suggest?”
Temari shrugged. “Literally going anywhere else”, he stated, before he pointed at the ships that were anchoring all over the harbour basin. “Like going directly there” John shook his head. “Eh, their captains are probably all drinking in the tavern”, he brought up, but Temari sighed. “Only the drunkards”, he argued. “And we don't want the drunkards”
[Go into the harbour tavern] [Approach the ships]
Edrick
It was a cold morning and Edrick knew, from here on, it'd only get colder. Winds howled from the north, a familiar chill and if anything, he was almost glad he got to spend these days inside a castle. Almost being a key word here. After sleeping a night over the whole thing, he wasn't sure if he should be glad to find probably the only reasonable Ironborn in the entire Riverlands, or if he should yearn to strangle Viveka until she'd expire. It was probably a mixture of both, as Edrick and Darreth stepped out into the courtyard.
Convincing Dante's squire had been a piece of work, taking the better part of the night, especially as neither Alphyn nor Jorid were particularly helpful. The former eventually opted to stay out of this, but Edrick shivered at the anger in Jorid's face when it was decided that they would work with the Ironborn. In his case, Edrick would probably react similarly though, considering the man's brother had been slain by Ironborn. Not necessarily Viveka's Ironborn though, that was the point.
Eventually, Darreth had given in, begrudgingly and solely out of loyalty for Dante, who seemed convinced of Viveka's honesty. That left Jorid as a source of trouble here. However, Edrick wouldn't just abandon him. After all, he was the one to get him into this mess. Instead of leaving him behind, he had ordered Reymond and Alphyn to keep an eye on the man. In the end, he'd just claim that Jorid contributed, hoping for Viveka's willingness to let him go as well.
Their target was currently working at the stables already. Not known for their fearsome cavalry, the Ironborn had no need for extensive stables and the ones at Faronhall were relatively small as a result, yet still too large for a single stableboy to work in. The ruse was a good one, the two prisoners forced to work alongside the man they should keep an eye on. Perhaps too good, but Edrick was not one to question plans.
Right now, Normund Tavorch was carrying hay for the horses and he was walking towards the door as the two men entered. He paused only for a moment, before finishing his delivery to one of the horses. “You are the prisoners”, he simply stated and Edrick greeted him with a nod. “I'm Edrick, this is Darreth”, he spoke. “We were, well, ordered to come here”
Normund raised an eyebrow, moving a lanky arm through his dark hair. For a moment, this gesture revealed strange marks on his arm, where the pale skin was slightly swollen. “Thrall work, huh?”, he asked. “No offence, but I was never comfortable with having slave workers around here” He took a step back, carefully mustering the two men. “Though you look quite strong. I can see why she chose to keep you”
“You're not a slave?”, Darreth asked and Normund shook his head. “My father worked for the old Lord Faron”, he spoke. “Died a few months after they were driven out. I kinda took over his duties and Lady Viveka let me” He shrugged. “She's not too bad, if you get used to the men she commands over”
“Yeah, we've already met some of them”, Edrick brought up. “That Gawayne is a piece of shit” Suddenly alarmed, Normund looked past the two men, before calming down again and nodding in silence. “He is very dangerous as well”, he spoke. “If you think he's not absolutely capable of doing the stuff he threatens you with, you're utterly wrong” With this, he moved a finger to his lips. “Not a word about him during my shift. Already got enough trouble with that man”, he warned them. “You came here to work?”
Edrick gave him a nod. “That is what she wants us to do”, he confirmed and Normund raised an eyebrow. “But?”, he spoke and the hedge knight chuckled. “Suppose there is no but”, he admitted. “It's not exactly as if we're having a choice”
Normund sighed, as he moved through the stables, grabbing a pitchfork and handing it to Edrick. “Tell me more about it”, he said unenthusiastically and Darreth raised an eyebrow. “You just said you're not a slave”, he brought up, something to which Normund only chuckled sadly. “Just because I'm not a slave doesn't mean I'm free to go”, he revealed. “And where would I? No matter where you look, these iron bastards have our entire land in their grasp”
“The North maybe”, Edrick stated and Normund chuckled. “I'd freeze my balls off”, he spoke, before he tilted his head. “You want to work now? Got any experiences with horses?” Both, Darreth and Edrick nodded. “I am a knight, well, technically”, Edrick explained and pointed at one of the animals. “That one's mine. Not my first, not the best, but I suppose I cared well for it. And Darreth has been the squire to Ser Dante Karstark”
For a moment, Normund seemed almost impressed. “Didn't think a Ser would ever waste time to talk to me”, he spoke, his expression growing a bit more friendly. “M'lord” Edrick quickly raised a hand. “It's Edrick”, he told him. “I'm a hedge knight. Was probably born with less than you, will probably die with less. I might be a knight, but I am not your lord”
Normund nodded, seeming happy with this arrangement. “My lord was killed”, he told them. “The old Lord Faron had his flaws, but he cared for his men. Harmund the Hunter killed him last when he took Faronhall and the man he put in his place spends more time at Harrenhal than this very castle” He sighed, before he handed Darreth a wooden bucket. “Clean their hooves. I'll focus on feeding”, he spoke, before he flashed Edrick a grin. “And I hope you don't mind, but you got shit duty”
Edrick chuckled. “I've been on shit duty my entire life”, he said. “Been knighted knee-deep in shit and guts. Made the whole kneeling part very uncomfortable” He shrugged. “At least this is just horseshit, I can live with that” As he moved through the stable, he glanced at the lanky Normund again, raising an eyebrow. “What's that on your arm, if you don't mind me asking?”
To this, the stableboy frowned. “I don't mind”, he was quick to say. “Just not a subject I like speaking about. See, the others here, they treat me like a bit of an outcast, because of markings like that one. Got more on my lower legs and some on the other arm” He sighed. “It's a disease. Don't ask me which one, the healer in the village had no idea either. Some nasty stuff from the south, I'd say. My Pa used to say the south is full of such things”, he explained. “Was a boy back then and they were at their wits end. Gave up on me, all of them, but I pulled through”
“That's actually impressive”, Darreth admitted and Normund grinned sadly. “It would have been, but the villagers they didn't see things that way. It was alright while my Pa was still around, they had respect for him”, he replied. “But once he was gone, it was clear how they thought. My sickness, a curse from the gods. These marks, the scars, a bad omen. Bad company, that's what I was called” He shrugged. “I work hard to prove them wrong, no luck so far”
Edrick shook his head. “You want to prove them wrong? Then you have to impress them”, he advised him. “You have to do something they really can't help but be impressed about. Something that changes their lives even more than it changes your own”
For a moment, he seemed hopeful Normund would react to the bait. As much as the young man made a solid impression on him, he would not forget his assignment. This one knew more about the Riverborn, maybe he even was the man himself. However, if anything, Normund proved to be smarter than that, by just shrugging. “Suppose my options are limited, unless I impress them with my skills in mucking out”, he stated grimly. “And not much I can change about that as long as the Codd's are in charge”
“So, if the Ironborn would be gone, you'd be free to do something else?” Darreth asked and Normund nodded. He hesitated for a moment, before he finally opened up. “To be honest, it is terrible working here”, he spoke, his voice not as low as it should be. “The Ironborn are savages”
Darreth chuckled audibly. “As I said, we had our fair share already”, he spoke. “Gawayne for example, man, I don't know what his problem is” Normund shrugged, suddenly growing more quiet. “Too much power can twist anyone”, he stated. Darreth was excited to nod. “He is a right proper piece of shit”, the squire claimed.
And it was one of these moments where the universe, without any doubt, took a chance to prove that it hated Edrick. For no other than Gawayne Schaffrot took this moment to glance into the stable from around the corner, a gleeful smile on his face. Normund grew pale instantly, as the Ironborn entered the stable in full.
“Think I heard my name”, he spoke and gave the three men a nod. “Were you talking about me?” Quickly, Normund shook his head. “No Ser”, he replied and Gawayne raised an eyebrow. “No, I really think I heard my name”, he replied. “And I think one of you guys called me a piece of shit” He chuckled. “A nice coincidence, wouldn't you say?”
“Yeah”, Edrick growled. “Lovely coincidence. You don't happen to have listened to us for a while now, eh?” Gawayne raised an eyebrow, but Normund was quick to intervene. “You heard right”, he stated and the Ironborn's smile had something cold to it. “There's no need to pry it out of the thralls” He gulped and clenched his fists. “I overstepped my position”
“Damn right you did”, Gawayne spoke. “So, what did you say?” Normund sighed. “I called you a piece of shit”, he mumbled. “A right proper piece of shit” The Ironborn shook his head. “Oh Normund”, he chuckled. “Silly boy, I thought you had learned by now. That makes... how many lashes?”
“Three”, the stableboy mumbled and Gawayne nodded. “Three”, he confirmed coldly, before looking at Edrick. “Come on, hedge fucker, you can learn something. Normund here, he has been a bad boy and not for the first time. So, this is how it'll go, I'll bring him out there and I'll whip him good, three times. Maybe one day it'll teach him” He gave him a wink. “Do you have anything to add to that?”, he asked. “Or can you only confirm Normund's version?”
Edrick took a quick glance at Darreth. The squire had his fists clenched, a look of silent anger on his face. However, he remained silent, he said not a word in sheer, cold fury. Normund meanwhile was looking afraid and almost frail. The hedge knight sighed, knowing he had to decide about what'd be the better course of action here.
[Take the blame for Normund] [Remain silent]
[Go into the harbour tavern] Who knows what they could hear at the tavern, after all, drunks are far more honest than sober people.
[Take the blame for Normund] While both ideas aren't good, helping him despite the possibility of being injured is a good way to see if he knows about the Riverlander.
Wait a second, wasn't Jaron going off with Temari last time we saw him? Is this some error, or did that happen outside of the chapter? I'm so confused right now. I'll hold off on voting for now.
[Remain silent] Let him have it, I don't really care about him. It's like he is begging for it.
Wha... oh shit. Oh shit, this is embarassing and since it is super late here and I am way too tired for anything else, I can only own up to it. You are right and I am officially not a smart man. See, I was writing this part for hours and during this entire time, I was convinced that Temari was going to go with John. It did not occur to me even once that I should check the winning choice again, which I usually always do. First time this happened in three years and hopefully the last. Given that some of you probably looked forward for Jaron/Temari and John/Samuel interaction, I can only wholeheartedly apologize, I feel actually bad about it. An honest mistake, but one I cannot fix anymore. I will, however, make certain to correct this in future parts, where Jaron will get plenty interaction with Temari and John with Samuel. I hope you can arrange yourselves with this unexpected, accidental and probably unpopular retcon, it's probably the single most embarassing thing that ever happened to me while writing
Well, here I might have to explain, Normund is indeed very quick to admit to this, but solely because he is not actually the one who stepped out of line here. Darreth was the one (kinda foolishly) calling Gawayne a piece of shit, so what Normund is doing is not randomly asking to be punished, but he's essentially begging for Darreth to be spared in his stead. It's kind of decent and really the only reason why Edrick even considers to intervene, he wouldn't even think about doing so for a complete stranger.
[Approach the ships]
Let's not get into bar fights and stuff, better to find ourselves a ship and continue on with the mission.
[Remain silent]
Why is Normund trying so hard to save Darreth's ass? He barely knows him.
Making terrible choices is my hobby sooo....
[Go into the harbour tavern] **
**[Take the blame for Normund]
[Approach the ships]
[Take the blame for Normund]
[Go into the harbour tavern] Just sounds like the more exciting option here
Anyway, the interactions between John, Jaron, Samuel and Temari continue to be great, and I liked reading their different opinions and impressions on Lys, which was a great way of showing that Jaron is really inexperienced compared to the rest of this team up 
And well, I was kind of looking forward to more John and Samuel interaction, but it's not a big deal, I'm sure we'll get that in the future.
[Take the blame for Normund] Could be a good way to win Normund's trust, and I'm sure Edrick can they a few lashes. Normund seems like a decent guy, which already makes me feel kinda bad that we chose to work against the Riverborn
Ah, glad to hear you liked it! I definitely have a lot of fun with their interactions, even if things were supposed to be a bit different here, in terms of whom would interact with whom
But yeah, you are right, Jaron is the one with the least experience out of this group. Temari, being in his mid twenties, comes next, but even he has more than half a decade on Jaron, Samuel has more than one full decade and with John it's close to two. As a result, they have experienced a lot more and where Jaron will be excited, surprised and/or shocked, they will be more jaded. Doesn't always have to be a bad thing though, as he is definitely enjoying the time in Lys more than any of his companions, at least so far 
Yeah, I really have no idea how that one happened and I am truly sorry for it. Really, what are the chances that the one part I don't give a recap on and don't check which choice has won is also the one part where I mess up. Just my luck XD But well, I'll find a way to make up for it
Normund is indeed a pretty decent guy and the storyline would have changed quite a lot if you would have decided to work with him instead of with Viveka. As far as I got it from the comments, the goal has been primarily to do what is best for Edrick and his companions, so with that in mind, it remains to be seen if working against the Riverborn is something to regret.
[Go into the harbour tavern] It's for sure the most enjoyable way to continue this storyline
[Take the blame for Normund] It is about time that Edrick act as a chilvarous person (and it is the best way to obtain Normund trust)
RT:
1) Today we are back at Lys with the first John PoV of the book!
2) I'm quite surprised that you chose the boring pairing (J-T and J-S) since I think (but maybe I'm wrong) that last time it was the other choice that won..oh well,I suppose that there is enough time for shake the dynamic of the rescue team during the quest
3) It is nice read the different opinion that the members of the team have of the new location (and I really like finally read about Jaron from a different PoV)
4) Temari is for sure an optimistic guy (not that I blame him)
5) Meanwhile Edrick has started his nice job as Vivieka spy/slave together with Darreth and we learn something about Normund,it is a nice read but Edrick PoV is still one of the least exciting storyline of this story for me
6) Jorid show us in this part that he hate Ironborn AND Character Development (expecially the latter)
BQD:
Ser Edrick
“I'm a hedge knight. Was probably born with less than you, will probably die with less. I might be a knight, but I am not your lord”
[Go into the harbour tavern] Oh yes we want drunkards. Preferably the choreographed singing and dancing kind.
[Remain silent] He’ll just whip both of us if we do the other thing.
Good advice.
The guys should just say they sneezed when Gawayne heard his name. He’d probably buy it.
[Approach the ships]
[Remain silent]
No.
Just kidding. When I say that, I mean to say that on my personal and very long and detailed hate-list, the gap left by Alysanne will be filled by Lucia, who I see some similarities with. By saying what I said, comparing Lucia to Alysanne, a character all know I detest, I am communicating my pure-hatred spot for her, which Alysanne shared.
Now that I think about it, this answer seems confusing. Basically, I really hated Alysanne, and well Lucia, I hate her a lot too and she's kind of similar.
Also the first John PoV in a long time. It should give you a bit of an idea on how I plan to keep things with this John/Jaron storyline, as it is the only storyline where we'll constantly see two PoV's in the exact same spot. Jaron, being the younger and less jaded of the two will get the bulk of the parts most likely, because I am certain I can show the more hardened reactions from John just fine outside of his own perspective, but there are some events Jaron's internal thoughts are likely going to be important. That being said, whenever they don't have to stick together, they'll both get storylines of their own.
You are right, I got into this a few comments above this one. Thing is, I legitimately screwed up here. The one time I forgot to give a recap also happens to be the one time I was so certain the other choice won that I didn't even bother with checking. It didn't even occur to me to check, that's how sure I was that I was writing about the choice that won. I only realized what happened when NightShroud18 pointed it out and by then, it was too late to change it. As such, since this is not the most critical choice of them all, I decided to leave it as it is. A mistake, but one I can correct later on.
Yeah, something I wam always excited for, showing a PoV character through the eyes of another. That gave, for example, these highly clashing views on Marak in Book 1, where he seemed decent in his parts, but terrifying from Ellena's point of view. While it won't be that dramatic in case of John and Jaron, I still look forward to show more of each from the viewpoint of the other.
Ah, Temari, the ray of sunshine among the Gutters, the always positive, kind-hearted and fun guy whom everyone gets along with. Jokes aside, he probably cannot be blamed for his outlook on life, he has quite some reason to see things this negatively.
Hm, fair enough. I suppose everyone needs a least favourite storyline, sounds only natural to me. Hopefully, some future events in Edrick's storyline will manage to win you over, I can say some of my favourite scenes in Book 2 will likely come out of that one and the build-up I take care of currently will directly lead to them.
Well, I wouldn't say he hates character development, I'd simply say there has been no reason for him so far to change his views about hating Ironborn. See it from his perspective, he has good reason to believe his brother was murdered by Ironborn, possibly those working for Viveka (because Faronhall is one of the northernmost castles in the Riverlands), they have taken him prisoner for arbitrary reasons and he faces a life as a thrall, that isn't exactly the sort of stuff that causes a man to rethink his hatred for Ironborn.
A lord he is not and he is right, the life of a hedge knight is a hard one and not the kind anyone gets rich with. Normund at least has a stable income, so if he makes smart choices in how to spend it, it can likely happen that he will get both, older and richer than Edrick.
Well, there will be drunkards, there might be singing people and once in a while someone rythmically moves their feet. Doesn't mean there'll be singing and dancing drunkards, actually most of them are probably the other kind of drunkard, but it might be worth a look.
I originally was even going to give an option to try and talk things out, convince Gawayne that no one said anything about him, but the problem is, that would have amounted to nothing. Gawayne is the kind to deal punishment for mere suspicion, he doesn't need a confession or hard evidence.
[Go into the harbour tavern]
Tavern fight sounds like fun. Bring it!
[Take the blame for Normund]
Maybe we’ll earn Normund’s gratitude for this.
Also read the Jenna/Arthur earlier. I’m anticipating the meeting of the Selwyn family greatly so.
[Approach the ships] Temari's reasoning makes sense.
[Remain silent] As much as Normund might appreciate this in the short term, in the long term we'd end up on one of Vivika's people's shit list and I'm not sure if she'd appreciate it.
I finally caught up! And just in time to vote on an Edrick part too!
Ah, glad to hear it. Truth be told, I am not yet sure from which PoV I'd like to show this meeting, the possible candidates at this point are either Jenna or Willfred. But I hope to deliver with this meeting, especially hearing that there are quite some who look forward for it
Ah, technically Edrick might already be on Gawayne's shit list, not because he did anything to piss him off in particular, but because he is a bit of a bully by nature. Of course, it can be argued that giving him a legitimate reason will make him pick on Edrick more than he already does and you are right, Viveka would definitely not be thrilled by her prisoner having some sort of rivalry with one of her top guards.
And welcome back, Agent! Really happy you managed to catch up and even in time for Edrick's first part in this chapter. Actually, your timing couldn't have been more perfect, because I mean to close the voting in my very next post
The Voting is closed!
John is going to approach the harbour tavern
Edrick is going to take the blame for Normund
Both of these votings were rather close and I will make absolutely certain that this time, I'll follow up on them instead of accidentally picking the wrong option. Seriously, I have no idea how that happened and I am quite a bit embarrassed at myself right there. My sincerest apologies to those of you who were looking forward for the other outcome. There should be enough time to correct my mistake later on, because I'm going right ahead and confirm, next time John and Jaron have to split, there won't be a choice whom to take. Meanwhile, Edrick's choice will be quite painful. Normund might appreciate it though and given that the entire point of their interaction is about winning his trust, I'd say this might be worth it.
The next part should be out later today. It will be a Drent part, but most likely not just that. After all, I intend to write more parts with two PoV's, as a means to get through the chapter at a better pace. I cannot imagine anyone actually liking the fact that you currently have to wait for the better part of a month or even more to see your favourite characters. Double the amount of PoV's per part, double the speed, that's the best I can do. Because I cannot stress it enough, every PoV is necessary for the story itself, even if some might seem inconsequential right now. As such, while PoV deaths will happen quite often in Book 2 (and more evenly spread than in Book 1, as you've noticed with Richard's death in the first chapter), the total number of PoV's won't exactly decrease dramatically. So, onwards to the Drent recap, last time we saw him, the day of the tournament had come at last. As you know, Argella convinced him to be her champion during the melee, where he is supposed to take out Warrick Fell, one of the three young men who have been sent to court her, to her extreme annoyance. Unfortunately for Drent, he also got into a talk with Bernard Buckler, another of the suitors, one who previously gave quite a bad impression, alongside with his acquaintance Malcolm Mertyns. To Drent's surprise, it turned out that Bernard wasn't even all that bad and he genuinely expressed interest in talking to this soldier who stood up for his princess in Chapter 1. Ultimately, he decided to accept Bernard's invitation. I also intend to include a second PoV if I have the room, but I am not certain whom to pick. Might be Kyra (though she usually works best with full-length parts), might be Keat, might be Ilish. Latter two are more likely, I mainly just include Kyra here so you know that she'll have a part upcoming pretty soon.
One thing I would further like to talk about is something I imagine is probably going to be a bit unpopular with some here. I have noticed a problem with this chapter, namely the fact that quite some parts seem repetitive to me. PoV X goes to castle Y, meets Lord Y and his family and so on. This was the case with Garthon, with Ellena, with Raenna, with Lachlan and it will be the case with Samantha and Sadie. These last two haven't been seen in this chapter yet and I have, after putting a huge amount of thought into this, decided to remove Samantha's parts from this chapter entirely and instead have her reappear in Chapter 3. I know some of you are looking forward for seeing her Shield Island storyline and I am terribly sorry to disappoint here, but between her and Sadie, I think she can take it better to miss out on a chapter, because Sadie needs some additional work, whereas I feel like Samantha is already enough of an established character. In contrast, I have a solid idea on where to take Sadie's storyline, a lot will happen, it'll be exciting, whereas I really feel like I need more time to make Samantha's storyline meet the standards I hold my writing to. I don't want to give you something half-assed for the sake of showing Samantha and the characters she interacts with, you deserve better than that and as such, I simply require more time. I also feel like moving one of these castle introduction parts to the next chapter will prevent things from becoming too repetitive, so that's an additional bonus. Hopefully, you understand my reasons here and won't be too disappointed. She'll be back in no time and in the long run, it will be for the better, but the wait until you see her again has definitely increased due to my unfortunate decision. I am sorry, but in the end, it has to be this way.
Drent
Drent sighed, probably at his own reluctance, before accepting the seat offered to him. Bernard Buckler smiled slightly, if not in an overly friendly way, while Malcolm Mertyns leant back, his hands resting on the scabbard in his lap, not smiling, but clearly not bothered by Drent's presence either.
“This is good, glad to have you with us”, Bernard spoke. “So, are you going to fight in the tourney?” To this, Drent gave him a nod. “The melee”, he told him and Bernard chuckled. “Warrick's discipline”, he revealed. “I always saw myself more as a jouster. Jonathan and Warrick, they know they can't beat me there, so they wisely chose not to participate. Jonathan picked archery, you know”
Drent raised an eyebrow. “Is he a good archer?”, he asked and Bernard shook his head. “I'm better”, he claimed with confidence. “But not interested. You can't win glory with archery” To this, Drent actually had to smirk, for he remembered the exact same argument Torrence brought up every time he complained about Edonia.
“What do you want to win glory for?”, Drent asked and now, a brief smirk flashed over Malcolm's face. “Because what else could he ever win?”, he asked. “Surely not the heart of the Storm Princess” His mockery was sharp and though it was stated in a jovial tone, Bernard frowned. “I'd rather take the glory”, he admitted.
He let out a sigh, crossing his arms, as he looked back at Drent. “Are you in love, soldier? Ever have been?”, he asked and Drent had to think about it for a moment. He clenched his fists. “It's a bit complicated”, he admitted and Bernard nodded. “I know how you feel”, he claimed. “Complicated, that describes it best”
As he heard this, Drent raised an eyebrow. “You are supposed to marry the Storm Princess”, he said and Bernard shook his head. “I am supposed to court her”, he corrected him. “Alongside two men I consider friends and yet we find ourselves forced into rivalry” He shrugged. “And all for a woman who'd rather throw me into the sea than even attempt to feign interest”
“You can't deny her beauty”, Malcolm brought up. “Wouldn't that help you over it?” Bernard rolled his eyes, before shaking his head. “Of course she is beautiful”, he admitted. “I always had a thing for dark hair, those eyes and don't get me started on that bosom of hers...”
Drent narrowed his eyes slightly, trying to keep himself from frowning, though Malcolm apparently noticed it, raising an eyebrow. Bernard did not, as he mostly stared at the table, before shaking his head again. “She might as well be the most beautiful woman in the world, but what does it matter?”, he brought up. “There's a lot of beauty in the world and I gladly settle for less if it means a more comfortable life”
“She means the Stormlands”, Drent reminded him, his voice only a little bit cold. Bernard shrugged. “I know how it must seem for you”, he told him. “You don't have titles of your own. But trust me, being in charge of Bronzegate is always better than being in charge of a kingdom a hundred times its size” He sighed. “I was born to rule over Bronzegate, like my father before me, his father before me and my entire line for thousands of years”, he told him. “But marrying a princess, beautiful beyond words, but one who'd rather kill me in my sleep than share the bed with me? All for a kingdom I love to serve, but would never love to rule?” He shook his head. “That is not me and I can't see how anyone in their right mind could want that”
In a way, Drent could even understand him. It was almost disappointing, in a way. There was this man who could have what so many men would do anything in the world to have. Drent was among them. But Bernard, so close to this, to her, he did not want to. And Drent understood, all but one thing in this. “Then why are you still here?”, he asked and there was the hint of bitterness in his voice.
Bernard did not smile as he replied, though his tone sounded as if he was trying to force himself to be amused. “Why are you here, soldier?”, he asked in return and Drent had to pause for a moment. He exchanged a look with Malcolm Mertyns, who was calmly, quietly looking at him out of smart, amber eyes. “I am sworn to House Durrandon and to the princess”, he spoke. “I have my duties”
“You and me both”, Bernard admitted. “I have never been interested in marrying. Girls, aye, there's plenty I'm interested in, but marriage? Years ago, after they found me with a girl from the kitchens, I told my father exactly that. I will marry whom he deems fitting for me, I won't resist, I won't complain, because I simply don't care. Sure I want a beauty, but I settle for any beauty, it doesn't have to be the fair maiden of Storm's End” He frowned. “This is not what I want in life, but I owe it to my father and the Buckler name to try my utmost to succeed regardless”
Drent raised an eyebrow. “So... glory?”, he asked and Bernard grinned briefly. “I don't know the princess very well”, he admitted. “To me, she's got a heart of ice and she proves it every time she refuses just to look at me. But a glorious knight? I'd like to imagine she'd at least acknowledge such a man. After that, I'll be charming”
Malcolm chuckled quietly. “You claim you can do that, but I'm not so sure”, he stated dryly and Bernard narrowed his eyes. “That is why you're, what thirty and still unmarried?”, he brought up and Malcolm sighed with playful annoyance. “Twenty and six”, he corrected him. “And maybe I just have higher standards” A smirk formed on his face. “Though I'd fuck the princess”
Bernard rolled his eyes. “So would I, so would anyone in their right mind”, he stated and Malcolm nodded, raising an eyebrow at Drent's frown. “So would you, would you not, soldier?”, he chuckled, to which Bernard put a hand onto the Mertyns knight's forearm. “Eh, don't mock him”, he spoke. “We sit together, after all” He looked at Drent. “And I am certain you know something about her I don't, some hidden heart of gold I just fail to see. Why else would you crush so hard on her?”
Instantly, Drent tensed up. “I don't...”, he tried to claim, but Bernard simply raised an eyebrow. “I had my suspicions back in the Great Hall”, he admitted. “What you did for her, that goes way beyond simple duty. That was true courage and I thought to myself, it's either the courage of a hero or a man in love”
“Both perhaps”, Malcolm brought up and Bernard nodded. “Don't know you well enough for that, Drent Golton”, he admitted. “But you love her, do you not?” Drent gulped, looking from Malcolm to Bernard. Should he not hate this man, this rival? He silently cursed himself for understanding how Buckler felt. Then, he nodded.
Bernard's smile died down. “Well, you will be happy to learn that her love is not what I'm after”, he spoke. “I have no illusions about that one. I bet she takes her shits in a room larger than the entire castle of Bronzegate. I'm not a prince, not a major lord. I love my kingdom, but that is not important enough for her love”
“I don't think you know her all that well in these regards”, Drent brought up and Bernard raised an eyebrow. “But you do”, he replied and what could have been a question instead was merely a statement, one to which Drent knew no reply but to nod, probably not so humbly. “You expect me to help you out?”, he asked, to which a brief, audacious grin flashed over Bernard's face. “All we know about her are presumptions, but you, you know more”, he said.
“What do you presume?”, Drent asked and Malcolm raised a finger. “I presume”, he clarified. “Bernard's just not good at that stuff” He shrugged, as Bernard glared at him. “What I presume is that she grew up very lonely. I mean, how can anyone be friends with a princess who can trace her line back to a literal goddess? A bit too intimidating for any girl her age”, he stated, quite correctly. “And that she is a perfectionist, because how else can one survive as a crown princess”
Drent hesitated to answer, but only for a moment. “You might be right with both”, he admitted and Bernard sighed. “You really don't have to consider us rivals”, he spoke. “As I said, I am unhappy with settling down in general. I believe Jonathan has something for a commoner from his father's lands and Warrick... eh, he's more in love with his books than with any maiden” For a moment, the look in his gaze was almost encouraging. “You don't have to decide now, but I would appreciate some help. If I don't succeed, at least don't let me leave in shame”
He rose from his chair, as Drent gave him a nod. “I... will think about it”, he replied, not quite certain what to do here. Bernard patted him on the shoulder, if briefly. “And with that, good men, I shall leave this round”, he declared. “I have a fight coming up today, a joust against Ser Emphryus Dresfel” He gave both men a nod. “We shall meet again”, he said, before leaving the tent
Drent remained with Malcolm Mertyns. The knight looked at him calmly, but there was something in his eyes that caused the soldier to tense up. “Poor Bernard”, he finally broke the silence. “He's a good guy, if a bit on the rash side. And his father asked something impossible of him” Drent shrugged. “It might not be impossible”, he tried to argue.
The look Malcolm gave him was decidedly not convinced. “Sure”, he replied. “So, you plan to take down Warrick during the melee, am I right?” The bluntness with which he stated this caused Drent to gasp, as he tensed up. “What?”, he asked and Malcolm raised an eyebrow. “I'm sorry, did I stutter?”, he remarked. “I stated that your goal in the melee is not to win, but simply to defeat Warrick of House Fell”
“What... what makes you think so?”, Drent asked and Malcolm smirked briefly. “It would make sense to me. Emphryus Dresfel jousts against Bernard, despite the injuries he suffered in Raylansfair. I saw the archer lady that belongs to Argella's entourage enlisting in the archery contest, making me believe she was told to beat Jonathan Errol”, he explained. “And there you are, a man who has risked a lot for his princess, a man who admits to serve her, who likely harbours feelings for her. I am just not certain if she outright asked you or if you do this on your own”
“I...”, Drent stuttered, unsure how to proceed. He could just admit how close Malcolm had come to the truth, but he was not sure how the knight would react. He was Bernard's friend, after all, or an acquaintance at least. But the only lie that was running through his mind in this moment was that he could claim that he indeed is out to win this, as unlikely as it was.
[Claim that you will try to win] [Admit that you will attempt to defeat Warrick Fell]
Ilish
“I got this”, Ilish hissed towards Lawsen. As suspicious as this situation was, he saved her life and she owed him that much without asking questions, at least for now. There were quite several questions she had, but they had to wait for another time. For now, it was important that this man, this Wandering Crow wouldn't get him.
Lawsen sighed in relief, giving her a nod, before she turned around and began to approach the man that was apparently looking for him. He was short for a man, probably not taller than Ilish herself, with a slim, wiry build. His hair was short and black, showing sides of early greying, as well as a long, unkempt beard, wet from the ale he had been drinking the whole night.
“Another round, Ser?”, Ilish asked in a jovial tone as she reached him and the Night's Watchman looked up with a happy expression on his face. “Ah, you know just what I want, fair wench!”, he exclaimed and Ilish chuckled as she put a hand onto the dark fur on his black cloak. “At least if you got the coin”, she stated, subtly glancing to the door far behind the man, where Lawsen was just about to leave.
“Coin?”, he exclaimed. “Girl, I am Wildor Goodbrook, recruiter of the Night's Watch! I can assure you, the Lord Commander has outfitted me with more than enough to keep me supplied during my journey” She raised an eyebrow and he sighed, before he put a silver coin onto the table. “Keep the rest”, he growled. “Just make it quick”
It was in this moment that Lawsen manage to slip out the back door, with Wildor clearly not noticing. A brief smile flashed over Ilish's face, as she grabbed the coin, turning around and approaching the counter again. “Megur, another round for our friend in black!”, she told her.
Megur rolled her eyes, but she followed the task without complaining, or at least without much complaining. “He had enough”, she stated and Ilish shook his head. “His purse disagrees”, she told her. “So be a darling and fill another mug for him”
“If he starts a fight...”, the heavy-weight barmaid growled and Ilish shook her head. “He might start a fight if we refuse him the drink, but he seems quite happy to me right now”, she replied, as Megur begrudgingly filled another mug and slowly handing it over to her. “Anything he breaks I'll take off your pay”
To this, Ilish raised a finger, followed by a brief smile. “Your mother might, you mean”, she reminded her, before he turned around with the fresh mug of ale, approaching the man in black again. Wildor Goodbrook gave her a happy smile as he saw the ale. “Ah, wonderful!”, he exclaimed and as she put it down onto the table, she took seat on the chair in front of him, placing her elbows on the table itself and giving him a deep look.
Wildor raised an eyebrow. “Anything else?”, he asked. “You know we're supposed to take no woman” To this, Ilish's confident smile did not flicker. She was used to such comments in her line of work after all. “Nah, we are not that kind of a tavern”, she said, noticing how Wildor's smile grew smaller. “Shame”, he growled and quickly glanced at Daisy, who was working in the far ends of the tavern. “I'd make an exception for you, or that redhead over there. What is it then?”
“I was just curious”, Ilish admitted, even if she was secretly hoping to give Lawsen more time than he already had. “It's not as if your kind is a common sight around here. I think the last Night's Watchman who visited our tavern came... three years ago? Four? An older man, hard of hearing and with a big, red nose”
The recruiter gave her a nod. “Aye, must have been Tomlin”, he replied. “His last tour. He broke his ankle on the way back to the Nightfort and it never really healed, something that took a serious toll on him. He's with the stewards now, which is a nice way of saying that we feed his useless ass while he does nothing but spouting nonsense and shitting himself”
Ilish gulped and Wildor chuckled, as he raised the mug. “To Tomlin, that crusty old bastard!”, he exclaimed and took a deep gulp. “Anyone ever told you that the ale is terrible?” She nodded. “Anyone ever told you that you know how to kill a moment?”, she replied and he grinned. “I wasn't sure we were having a moment”, he spoke. “Though I assume I did not answer your question”
“Damn right”, Ilish confirmed and he sighed. “The recruiters don't like this route”, he admitted. “We got a quota to fulfil and Raylansfair... eh, you never had many potential recruits. It is a detour from the usual route from Highgarden to Oldtown, costing us about two weeks with rarely being worth it” He glanced at the mug in his hand. “The ale is terrible and you lack a proper whorehouse”
“I'll make sure to pass your suggestions on to Lord Petyr”, she stated in a mocking tone and the recruiter laughed loudly. “Much obliged”, he spoke, though she gave him a deep look. “You still did not answer the question”, she reminded him. “It's okay if you don't want to answer, but you'd leave a young woman terribly curious”
Wildor grinned. “Can't have that”, he told her. “See, every once in a while we have to take this route. I was hoping to get a knight or two, to be honest. Word on the street has it you had a change of leadership and there's many older knights who'd rather take the black than serve another lord”
Ilish thought back at what had happened in the past two months. The official announcements and the gaps she was able to fill herself. “The one who might have been willing too perished during the raid”, she told him. “Lord Harris Flowers... I mean, Ser Harris Flowers, suppose he was never much of a lord”
The recruiter shrugged. “Names don't really mean much to me”, he spoke. “But a proper knight, that would have been something. I joined the Watch about twenty years ago and back then, most were people like me, highborn with no chance to inherit, or at least volunteers with honour and dignity and the will to defend the realms of man”
“Times have changed”, Ilish deduced and Wildor frowned. “Don't mention it”, he growled. “We're slowly dying out, men like me. The honourable kind that considers the Watch an honour instead of a punishment” He shook his head, mild frustration on his face. “Back when Lord Commander Hoare took the black, the garrison at the Nightfort was home to five thousand men and even back then, half of its quarters were empty. Three thousand remain, a third of what the castle was built for”, he explained in a gruff tone. “It's not better in the other castles. Maester Coracinus tells of a time in which a hundred thousand men manned the Wall. By now, I doubt a fifth of that number remains”
The barmaid raised an eyebrow. “Almost twenty thousand is still impressive”, she tried to argue, but Wildor shook his head. “It is not enough against the hundreds of thousands that threaten the kingdoms of Westeros”, he told her. “With every passing year, it becomes more obvious. Their raids become more frequent, more bold, more... desperate, I say. The Lord Commander says something wicked stirs beyond the Wall and he fears the day another king unites the tribes, for we wouldn't be able to stop him”
“So you came to Raylansfair to find a solution for all your problems”, Ilish said and the recruiter rolled his eyes. “No, of course not”, he spat. “Girl, you got too much of a mouth on you. Not a good thing to have in some parts of the world” He shook his head. “No, I am here because I am looking not for a recruit, but for a deserter”
“You got a problem with deserters?”, Ilish asked and Wildor nodded grimly. “Quite a serious one, actually. Not too long ago, the First Ranger, Arron Estermont, and half a dozen men left the Nightfort to settle beyond the wall and we haven't found them yet. With a Watch consisting mostly of criminals, many take the first chance they can get to escape” He narrowed his eyes. “One of them is hiding in this part of the Reach”
Ilish tilted her head. “In Raylansfair?”, she asked and Wildor nodded. “And I have reason to believe you folk might know him” He leant forwards. “The man I am looking for is young, bit younger than you perhaps. A scrawny guy, blonde hair, has a stubble. Went by the name of Lawsen during his time with us, but he might have told you a different one”
“There's tons of scrawny blondes around here”, Ilish was quick to say. “I can't remember anyone by the name of Lawsen though” Wildor raised an eyebrow. “You sure?”, he asked. “Because your friend, the fat one, she told me that he's a regular”
Ilish shrugged. “Yeah, I'm sure”, she lied. “Megur might be mistaken, or maybe I just never met him. Why are you looking for him?” Below the table, she clenched her hands, knowing that Lawsen had some explaining to do for sure. Wildor leant forwards, looking her deep in the eye. “Does it matter?”, he asked in return. “He is a deserter. That alone is reason enough. But if it helps you, he is dangerous. Finding him can only be in your best interest”
“Then I wish you good luck with that”, she replied. “I haven't seen him, so I can't help you” She was just about to rise from the chair, not willing to risk him catching up on something, but the recruiter was faster, quickly grabbing her arm and narrowing her eyes. “Are you certain about that?”, he growled. “Your friend also told me you're the one closest to him”
As she glared at him, he was quick to let go of her, raising his hands in an apologetic manner. “I'm just saying, he is a dangerous deserter. No matter what he might have told you, I doubt that was part of his story”, he argued. “I am not demanding anything, but I am asking for your help to bring him to justice”
Ilish tensed up at his request. Lawsen saved her life, she owed him and he trusted her. But he also lied to her and if Wildor was right, then he wasn't even nearly as innocent as he had made himself seem to be. A deserter... was that the kind she'd want to help? Did she want to be the kind to turn on her friends? She could agree, or maybe she could make things very clear by openly refusing him... or she could be tricky, making sure he'd never find Lawsen by leading him into the wrong direction...
[Agree to help Wildor] [Refuse to help him] [Mislead him]
[Claim that you will try to win] Is not that much of a lie, but an attempt to gain prestige. The dragons will arrive eventually, and they'll need their finest warriors.
[Refuse to help him] The Night's Watch has already started their gradual but certain decline. The King's Peace simply accelerated the process by 300 years.
Is better if she politely declines, that way it won't be her fault if Goodbrook finds him, at least not directly.
Sorry voted at the wrong time.I don't know but Your voting is closed announced didn't appeared,But Now I can see it.I've voted late.Sorry for that
[Admit that you will attempt to defeat Warrick Fell]
I don't think there's great harm in admitting the truth, the Mertyns seems to have everything figured out already anyway. Besides, everyone in their right minds know Drent has no shot of winning.
[Mislead him]
I'm afraid outright refusing him will lead to a fight.
[Claim that you will try to win] I doubt he'll believe it but better safe than sorry. I don't like the idea of revealing any of Drent's intentions.
[Refuse to help him] Betraying Lawsen is just an intolerable idea to me. Plus Wildor isn't going to fall for anymore of Illish's lies.
I really liked this part! Especially Drent reluctantly admitting that he loves Argella.
man I ship it so hard! No matter how unlikely it is, I will continue to ship it!
[Claim that you will try to win] Eh, I doubt Malcolm will buy it, but I still don't think we should admit anything to him, because chances are he'll go straight to Warrick after this. And if Warrick knows from the get go that Drent's sole mission is to defeat him, it'll make that task much harder.
Anyway, I really liked the conversation between Drent, Bernard and Malcolm. Bernard seems like a decent guy, certainly not someone I'd see as Drent's enemy or even rival. It was also pretty funny how easily he and Malcolm saw through Drent
Man, our brave soldier is way over his head with this crush to Argella, but what can you do 
[Refuse to help him] I see this as the neutral choice here. Lawsen did save Ilish, so it would be pretty ungrateful of her to sell him out, but misleading Wildor would be equally dishonorable thing to do. So, let's just tell him that he isn't going to get anything from us, and hope he leaves it at that.
[Admit that you will attempt to defeat Warrick Fell] I'm a man of truth.
[Agree to help Wilbor] I'm a northerner, you desert you deserves the punishment. Lawsen helped us, but that doesn't necessarily mean shit. A deserter is still a deserter.