This choice somehow reminds me of Metal Gear... Anyone got the unintentional reference?
Anyway, the new part is almost completely written and should be up in the next 3-4 hours
On another note: I am currently thinking about making the question about your username in the character submission a required question. Reason behind this is, that I get tons of great characters, some of them without a name but some details I'd like to speak about with the person who submitted the character. One urgent example to why it is important to leave a username shall be adressed here, in the hope that the submitter contacts me:
Yesterday, somebody submitted the character of Sebastian Sand. While this character has, without any doubt, the best name of any character ever submitted and also has an interesting personality, his backstory is unfortunately heavily linked to Stannis Baratheon's Assault on King's Landing (directed by Michael Bay), aka roughly 300 years after this story takes place. As you can imagine, there are one or two points I'd like to change about his backstory. So, if the submitter could contact me, I would be quite happy.
Todays shout-out goes to a fanfiction with zombies in it... but again, a fanfiction that is worth a read: Monument, by @NoHopeLeft
Monument has started only a few days ago, so catching up shouldn't be a problem, but a pleasure instead. The writing is, well, outstanding. There is no other word for it, it is simply outstanding. Set in the world of The Walking Dead, the story follows a group of survivors in a gated community. Knowing Hope's stories, excellently detailed writing was expected, yet he somehow managed to exceed my high expectations. That means, if you are interested in a well-written story and enjoyed the other stories that received a shout-out so far (especially the comparable and similarly brilliant The Road Ahed and The Fallen World), you will surely enjoy this story too. You can check it out here
Hello there! It seems that the site glitched and unfollowed this thread for me! Well I fixed it now, and I'll start voting again as new parts come out.
The Voting is closed!
Gutten will try to be stealthy
This choice somehow reminds me of Metal Gear... Anyone got the unintentional refe… morerence?
Anyway, the new part is almost completely written and should be up in the next 3-4 hours
On another note: I am currently thinking about making the question about your username in the character submission a required question. Reason behind this is, that I get tons of great characters, some of them without a name but some details I'd like to speak about with the person who submitted the character. One urgent example to why it is important to leave a username shall be adressed here, in the hope that the submitter contacts me:
Yesterday, somebody submitted the character of Sebastian Sand. While this character has, without any doubt, the best name of any character ever submitted and also has an interesting personality, his backstory is unfortunately heavily linked to Stannis Baratheon's Assault… [view original content]
The Voting is closed!
Gutten will try to be stealthy
This choice somehow reminds me of Metal Gear... Anyone got the unintentional refe… morerence?
Anyway, the new part is almost completely written and should be up in the next 3-4 hours
On another note: I am currently thinking about making the question about your username in the character submission a required question. Reason behind this is, that I get tons of great characters, some of them without a name but some details I'd like to speak about with the person who submitted the character. One urgent example to why it is important to leave a username shall be adressed here, in the hope that the submitter contacts me:
Yesterday, somebody submitted the character of Sebastian Sand. While this character has, without any doubt, the best name of any character ever submitted and also has an interesting personality, his backstory is unfortunately heavily linked to Stannis Baratheon's Assault… [view original content]
With a very uneasy feeling, Ellena watched Jaron walking down the harbour. That was not right. He did nothing wrong, didn't he? Of course, she had asked him why these men attacked him and he had told her that he had no idea. Common street thugs. Ellena knew, people like these live in every larger city. Braavos, pretty as it was, was no exception. But in Braavos, even most of the thugs followed a certain code of honour, rarely challenging anyone without a sword, rarely attacking while outnumbering their enemy. The men who attacked Jaron had been different. Terroma had saved him, had saved her and now the captain intended to give him to the city guard. That was not right...
With shaky hands, Ellena knocked on Terroma's door. A few moments passed and she feared that her friend wasn't in his room, that he might be in the city, unaware of the danger that would await him on the ship. But then, she heard a lock turning and the door was opened. She looked into Terroma's kind face, while his mouth formed a smile. “Ellena. Can I help you?”, he asked. Ellena looked to her right, where the captain's quarters were located. The captain was still talking to Talea, she heard their muffled voices, but couldn't understand any words. “Can I come in?”, she asked. Terroma gave her a nod and stepped aside, letting her enter his room.
Terroma's room was almost terryfingly impersonal. A bed, a table with a chair, a simple chest. No personal belongings. Terroma closed the door behind her and made a handwave, offering her the chair. Ellena didn't react to the offer, instead she looked at him and sighed. In the few months she spent at the horrible orphanage, she had dreamt of a friend like Terroma. A kind man, a protector, one who wouldn't hesitate to threw himself in danger for her. But a friendship like this had to work both ways. And now it was her turn to protect Terroma.
“I've talked to the captain”, she said and noticed that Terroma's face dropped. He suspected it already... “The harbourmaster of Oldtown was here. He informed the captain that the city guard investigates the... incident. The captain wants to give you and Jaron to them for interrogation”, she managed to say. Still, Terroma looked calm, relaxed, as if all of this meant nothing to him. “Then they shall interrogate me. I have nothing to hide”, he explained and Ellena froze in shock. Why was he so calm? The city guard could do whatever they wanted to him. Beat him senseless. Torture him for fun. Hang him for murder...
“Terroma, I have a bad feeling about this. You have to run”, she urged him. Terroma gave her a bright smile, his rotten teeth contrasting his pale skin. “Ellena, why exactly are you so worried? The city guard has no evidence against me. I only defended myself”, he tried to calm her down. But Ellena was still worried. She knew a bit about things like that. In the end, someone powerful would rather execute Terroma than even attempting to solve the case. She wouldn't risk that.
“Please, Terroma... the harbourmaster said that they just want to talk to you, but I don't believe him. He said that a man named Mullendore investigates this case. What happens if he is a bad man?”, she begged and noticed a subtle shift in Terroma's face.
“Mullendore?”, he asked. “Maron Mullendore?” His tone changed, his stance, his gaze. Terroma looked seriously worried. Ellena gave him a nod, to which Terroma uttered a short curse. “Fuck... This is not good”, he said, while walking to his chest.
“I don't know the Burned Man. I don't know Butterfly or any other crimelord in this city. But I know that Maron Mullendore is the worst of them all, because technically he is not a criminal”, Terroma explained. “I have never met him, but heard of him. A knight, yes, but less knightly than a Dothraki horselord, they say. The stories I have heard of him make me shiver and , sweet Ellena, there is one thing you can believe me: I don't shiver easily”
With these words, Terroma took something out of the chest... his small knife... and turned around, his kind smile gone. “When Mullendore is in charge of this investigation, the Burned Man and Butterfly won't be around for long. He will get them. He will hang them. But for every associate of Butterfly or the Burned Man, he will hang two or three innocents. He is a man like that. When Mullendore is in charge of this investigation, I have to go”, he said decisively.
Ellena looked at him with a lump in her throat, trying not to tear up. “Will you come back?”, she asked. Terroma nodded. “Always, dear Ellena. I will hide for a few days, maybe a few weeks. You will travel to Raylansfair and when you come back here, I'll meet up with you. And then we travel back home”, he promised. Ellena couldn't help, she started to smile. She believed him, or at least wanted to believe him. Terroma gently hugged her. “Until then, stay safe, Ellena”, he whispered, before looking her sternly into the eyes. “The most important thing is, don't search for me. I am looking for a very dangerous man here in Oldtown” Ellena frowned as she heard this. “But what if I have to find you?”, she asked. “What if we're in danger?”
Terroma's smile faded. “I am not able to save people from danger, Ellena. All I ever do is bringing them deeper into it”, he said sullenly, before taking a deep breath. “But if you have to find me, there is a butcher's shop in Ragpycker's Wynd. The butcher owes me a favour and I will stay with him”, he explained, before giving her a last smile. “May the gods be with you. All of them”, he said, before moving past her, out of the chamber and out of her life.
As Ellena went out of the room, she heard lout voices from the upper deck. She recognized Moreo, he was talking to a man and seemed to be agitated. The voices came closer and Ellena backed away from them, closer towards the captain's room. The voices didn't sound friendly. She was used to it from Moreo, who had the foulest mouth on the ship, but was usually well-intentioned. But the other voice shouted and cursed, some of these curses were completely new to her. And then there was a third voice, calm, quiet, yet enough to interrupt both. Ellena heard footsteps coming down the stairs and was finally able to understand some of the things that were said.
“So, you're telling me that both men we're looking for just left the ship a few minutes ago?”, the angry voice said.
“Yes, I do”, Moreo answered. “They're gone and whoever sent you won't get them, is that clear?”
“We'll see”, the second voice, the calmer voice, answered. It sounded like a man belittling a child.
Finally, she saw them. Moreo, his green beard unkempt, giving her a worried look. “Ellena? What are you doing here? Go back to your room, now!”, he ordered her. Next to him walked an ugly man, with a pale and puffy face. He had a tired look in his eyes, but looked also quite angry. Ellena saw small red lines all over his face, like fading scars. He wore plated armour and a long coat made of black fur. And he looked at her with rage. “Oh no, girl, I don't think so”, he hissed, walking forwards and grabbing Ellena at the shoulder, quite hard. “You're coming with us when we talk to the captain”
Ellena suppressed the urge to scream and kick, mainly because she knew that it wouldn't help her. The ugly man looked her into the eyes. “No tricks, girl. We'll talk to the captain and if he behaves, we won't hurt you”, he said. Ellena looked over her shoulders to Moreo, who stared at the ugly man with anger, but did nothing. Behind him stood a plain man, a bit shorter than Moreo, with very dark hair and pale skin. He looked ordinary, but there was something in the way he moved that reminded Ellena of the Bravos at home, young swordsmen who roamed the streets of Braavos at night, in their random brutality even more dangerous than a Faceless Man. He looked back at her and Ellena couldn't stand his gaze. She was shivering in fear. If only Terroma would be here... he wouldn't allow anyone to hurt her. He would protect her. But she had sent him away...
The dangerous man walked past Moreo, towards the captain's door, opening it without knocking. His moves reminded her of a lion, ready to attack. She noticed that his right hand rested on the hilt of his sword. Before she was able to follow him, the ugly man dragged her with him, towards the captain's quarters. Moreo followed and Ellena saw that he was about to draw the small knife he was carrying with him. No... by the gods, no, she hoped Moreo wouldn't do anything stupid. He noticed her pleading stare and moved his hand away from the knife.
“Good evening, captain, mylady”, the dangerous man said, with a cold voice. “My name is Samuel Harrington. The charming man in my company is Jaylon Gordus. We're here for a so-called knight, who styles himself 'Ser Jaron the Bastard'. You don't happen to know anything about it, do you?” His voice was full of mockery and disdain. The second the ugly man, Jaylon, entered the room, dragging her with him, Ellena saw Talea gasping in shock. “Ellena!”, she exclaimed. “What is the meaning of this?”
Jaylon let out a sigh. “It means that you're in trouble. It took Butterfly days to find out who killed his men. Days he could have spent better. He is not happy”, he explained, his voice being a strange mix of anger and surliness. Samuel, the dangerous man, nodded. “What my companion said is true. He sent us to fetch the bastard. Both bastards actually...”, he hissed, taking a step towards the captain. Ellena noticed that Moreo had entered the room too, his hand now on the hilt of his knife again. “So, I'm asking you once. Where are the bastards?”, Harrington added. His voice was remarkably calm, but sent shivers down Ellena's spine.
She could tell the captain was afraid. He was unarmed. Talea was unarmed. Moreo had his small knife, but he was not Terroma, who would kill both men in an instant. And Ellena started to be afraid too. The ugly man, Jaylon, was armed with a longsword his grip around her shoulder was hard and painful. But the other man was worse. Harrington was calm, yet he reminded Ellena of a predator.
The captain walked closer and even though he was a bit taller than Harrington, the other man seemed to tower him. “You have five seconds to leave this room”, the captain hissed, but Ellena noticed that he seemed intimidated, he even had to put his hand on the table to his right to even stand without shivering. Considering her rapid heartbeat, she couldn't hold that against him. She felt something terrible looming.
Harrington looked at the captain. The captain met his gaze with furious anger.
One
Ellena looked over to Talea. She looked afraid, more than afraid, close to a panic
Two
She saw the fear in the captain's eyes.
Three
Behind her, Jaylon's hand began to tap on her shoulder, unintentionally, as if the man was nervous himself.
Four
The captain gave Harrington a helpless smile, full of fear.
Five
“I don't think so, captain”, Harrington finally said. The captain closed his eyes, gulping, while Ellena held her breath. In the same moment, Harrington pulled out his dagger and drove the edge right through the captain's hand, deep into the wooden table, all in a single, elegant and deadly movement. The captain went to his knees, his arm effectively nailed to the table, letting out a short scream of agony. Ellena saw Moreo approaching, his knife drawn. In a movement not less elegant, not less deadly, Harrington ripped his dagger out of the captain's hand and right through Moreo's throat, before the Tyroshi was even able to attempt a strike. Moreo let out a helpless gurgle, his knife falling on the floor, as he put his hands on the hole in his throat. Harrington looked over his shoulder, his cold stare met Ellena's shocked tear-dimmed eyes. Then he pulled the dager out of Moreo's throat and the Tyroshi went to his knees, gurgling, struggling, dying.
“I'm repeating my question”, Harrington hissed. “Where is the bastard who killed Butterfly's men? Where is the bastard knight that was supposed to die on this day?” He looked at Talea, who staggered back, tears flowing down her face. The captain was lying on the ground, clutching his bleeding hand. And Ellena herself shivered in fear. If only Terroma would be here...
“They are not going to tell us anything”, Jaylon said. “We should take the girls back to Butterfly. Give the captain a few days to think about it, while gradually sending them back to him” Ellena froze in shock as she thought about what he just implied. No... No... No!
The captain got up on his feets again, his hand still bleeding heavily. He was pale, frightened and looked like a man twice his age. “The man you're looking for is named Terroma”, he mumbled weakly. Talea looked at him in shock, trembling with fear. “Father, no...”, she whispered. The captain gave her a fond look and a helpless smile, before looking back at Harrington. “Third cabin to the left. Ser Jaron's cabin is the fourth on the right. Ser Jaron is likely sleeping and Terroma will be smart enough not to resist”, he said. “Please, don't hurt my daughter”
Harrington shrugged. “That depends on the cooperation of the two bastards”, he stated, before looking at Jaylon. “You're staying here. I'm checking the cabins out. If I am not back in five minutes, kill the little one. If I am not back in ten minutes, kill the captain's daughter. If I am not back in fifteen minutes, take the captain back to Butterfly”, he ordered and Jaylon gave him a stern nod. “With pleasure”, he said. Ellena's heart dropped as Harrington walked past her, not even bothering to look at her. He was going to check two empty cabins... and then what? What will they do to her? There has been only one time in which Ellena had been afraid like this. She shivered in fear, tears running down her face. She saw Jaylon giving her a cold look, his hands on the hilt of his sword. This was not how it was supposed to end...
She heard the steps approaching the captain's door and turned around, as much as Jaylon's strong grip around her shoulders allowed it. Harrington entered the room, his face frozen in displeasure. He didn't look angry, but the cold fury in his eyes was enough to tell Ellena that she was in problems. The sort of problems in which she couldn't count on others to help her. There would be no Terroma, there would be no Jaron. Talea couldn't help her, the captain wouldn't help her.
“The chambers were empty”, Harrington said and the captain's face dropped, just like the man himself dropped to his knees. “No... No, that is not possible. They have been there a few hours ago. I have checked on both of them. Please, don't hurt my daughter. Do what you want to me, but don't hurt...”, he stuttered, but was cut off as Harrington kicked him in the face with a heavy leather boot. The captain fell to the ground, bleeding and not moving, while Talea let out a scream of terror, running to her father. Harrington did nothing to stop her. He only looked down on her as she was weeping over her unconscious father's body. He looked up as Jaylon cleared his throat.
“Well then... we can't bring him the bastards, we can at least bring him two girls. I'm sure he will have a lot of fun with the older one. And... well, the younger one is surely good for something. Give him a knife and she will entertain him for days”, the ugly man said, his voice sounding completely bleak. Ellena had expected him to sound angry or gleeful. It wouldn't have been easier, but at least she would have known that she was dealing with a complete monster here. But despite his anger, Jaylon seemed to be someone who did this just because he was ordered too. For some reason, that made it even worse.
Harrington looked slightly irritated for a moment, looking down on Talea, then to Ellena. “Why should we do that?”, he simply asked, obviously a bit confused. “We will wait if one of the girls has something important to tell us”
Jaylon shrugged. “Because, no matter what happens today, Butterfly will be displeased. Bringing him a girl could help raising his mood a bit”, he explained in an annoyed voice, almost as if he was talking to a child. Ellena shivered as Harrington looked at her. No... Gods, please no...
Harrington looked back at Jaylon. “Pleasing Butterfly is not my job. That's what whores are made for. If one of the girls has something useful to say, that's it. I'm not bringing them to Butterfly without reason, just to give him a new plaything”, he growled.
Jaylon's grip around her shoulders tightened. “Eh, fuck you Harrington. We don't wait if any of this bitches has something useful to say. We take them to Butterfly, he will make them talk. Maybe he'll use knives. Maybe he'll use axes. Maybe he'll use...”, he began to shout, but was cut off by Harrington hitting him in the face with his closed fist. It was a strong blow, enough to make Jaylon stumble backwards. “Fuck!”, the ugly man shouted. “You fucking broke my fucking nose!”
Harrington gave him an indifferent face. “That's what you get for questioning my authority”, he simply stated. Jaylon mumbled something Ellena couldn't understand, but didn't even need to understand. She gulped. Maybe... maybe things were starting to look better again. Maybe Harrington wasn't that bad. Maybe he...
His fist hit her face without warning. The blow wasn't as hard as the one he gave to Jaylon, but enough to make her fall to the ground, making her face explode in unbearable pain. She barely heard Talea letting out a hysterical scream, barely saw Harrington kicking the captain's daughter in the face, barely clung to staying conscious. She would stay conscious. She had to stay conscious, even though she felt the warm blood running down her face. She had to think, had to concentrate, had to blend out the horrible pain.
Don't get unconscious. Stay awake. Stay strong. Don't fall asleep. These men will kill you if you fall asleep, or worse. Ignore the pain. Stay strong. Carry on. Don't be afraid. Fear cuts deeper than swords.
“Maybe now you see that I don't play any games!”, Harrington exclaimed. His voice was louder now, finally trembling with anger. “I will bring these two fuckers back to Butterfly. You are not part of my job. But if you don't tell me what I want to know now, I will take you all back to the man. And I will be honest to you, it will be the most terrible experience you ever had in all your life”
Ellena felt her senses coming back, in one horrible flash of pain. She did not scream, but she couldn't help and started to cry and shiver. From what she could tell, her teeth weren't damaged. Her nose... it didn't seem to be broken. The blow wasn't that hard, yet the pain was worse than any physical pain Ellena had ever experienced. But she wouldn't give him the pleasure of drifting into unconsciousness. She wouldn't give him the pleasure of being helpless. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jaylon, who stood next to her. The man was giggling. “That was nice, Harrington”, he chuckled. Harrington only gave him a cold glare.
“So, girl? Do you have anything to say about this... Terroma?”, she heard him saying. She could tell them where Terroma was, could tell them to stay safe... but could she live with herself after that?
And then she saw it. Moreo's knife, a valuable and exquisite thing, a silver blade, a golden hilt, a family heirloom, only an inch in front of her. She knew she was quick. She could grab it. Jaylon wouldn't expect it and he was all that stood between her and her freedom. A stab in the leg and she could run, she would be free...
[Try to stab Jaylon and run][Tell them about Terroma's whereabouts][Stay silent and do nothing]
Ellena
With a very uneasy feeling, Ellena watched Jaron walking down the harbour. That was not right. He did nothing wrong, didn't he? Of… more course, she had asked him why these men attacked him and he had told her that he had no idea. Common street thugs. Ellena knew, people like these live in every larger city. Braavos, pretty as it was, was no exception. But in Braavos, even most of the thugs followed a certain code of honour, rarely challenging anyone without a sword, rarely attacking while outnumbering their enemy. The men who attacked Jaron had been different. Terroma had saved him, had saved her and now the captain intended to give him to the city guard. That was not right...
With shaky hands, Ellena knocked on Terroma's door. A few moments passed and she feared that her friend wasn't in his room, that he might be in the city, unaware of the danger that would await him on the ship. But then, she heard a lock turning and the door was … [view original content]
[Stay silent and do nothing] i feel like trying to stab him won't work, and telling them the whereabouts of Terroma will make her... Worthless to them. I fear they might kill her once they have the information.
Ellena
With a very uneasy feeling, Ellena watched Jaron walking down the harbour. That was not right. He did nothing wrong, didn't he? Of… more course, she had asked him why these men attacked him and he had told her that he had no idea. Common street thugs. Ellena knew, people like these live in every larger city. Braavos, pretty as it was, was no exception. But in Braavos, even most of the thugs followed a certain code of honour, rarely challenging anyone without a sword, rarely attacking while outnumbering their enemy. The men who attacked Jaron had been different. Terroma had saved him, had saved her and now the captain intended to give him to the city guard. That was not right...
With shaky hands, Ellena knocked on Terroma's door. A few moments passed and she feared that her friend wasn't in his room, that he might be in the city, unaware of the danger that would await him on the ship. But then, she heard a lock turning and the door was … [view original content]
Hey Liquid I actually just started reading your story and I'm about half through it it by now- very good stuff I must say, great writing!
I
decided I'll submit a character hope you'll put him in good use
Ellena
With a very uneasy feeling, Ellena watched Jaron walking down the harbour. That was not right. He did nothing wrong, didn't he? Of… more course, she had asked him why these men attacked him and he had told her that he had no idea. Common street thugs. Ellena knew, people like these live in every larger city. Braavos, pretty as it was, was no exception. But in Braavos, even most of the thugs followed a certain code of honour, rarely challenging anyone without a sword, rarely attacking while outnumbering their enemy. The men who attacked Jaron had been different. Terroma had saved him, had saved her and now the captain intended to give him to the city guard. That was not right...
With shaky hands, Ellena knocked on Terroma's door. A few moments passed and she feared that her friend wasn't in his room, that he might be in the city, unaware of the danger that would await him on the ship. But then, she heard a lock turning and the door was … [view original content]
Ellena
With a very uneasy feeling, Ellena watched Jaron walking down the harbour. That was not right. He did nothing wrong, didn't he? Of… more course, she had asked him why these men attacked him and he had told her that he had no idea. Common street thugs. Ellena knew, people like these live in every larger city. Braavos, pretty as it was, was no exception. But in Braavos, even most of the thugs followed a certain code of honour, rarely challenging anyone without a sword, rarely attacking while outnumbering their enemy. The men who attacked Jaron had been different. Terroma had saved him, had saved her and now the captain intended to give him to the city guard. That was not right...
With shaky hands, Ellena knocked on Terroma's door. A few moments passed and she feared that her friend wasn't in his room, that he might be in the city, unaware of the danger that would await him on the ship. But then, she heard a lock turning and the door was … [view original content]
Ellena
With a very uneasy feeling, Ellena watched Jaron walking down the harbour. That was not right. He did nothing wrong, didn't he? Of… more course, she had asked him why these men attacked him and he had told her that he had no idea. Common street thugs. Ellena knew, people like these live in every larger city. Braavos, pretty as it was, was no exception. But in Braavos, even most of the thugs followed a certain code of honour, rarely challenging anyone without a sword, rarely attacking while outnumbering their enemy. The men who attacked Jaron had been different. Terroma had saved him, had saved her and now the captain intended to give him to the city guard. That was not right...
With shaky hands, Ellena knocked on Terroma's door. A few moments passed and she feared that her friend wasn't in his room, that he might be in the city, unaware of the danger that would await him on the ship. But then, she heard a lock turning and the door was … [view original content]
Ellena
With a very uneasy feeling, Ellena watched Jaron walking down the harbour. That was not right. He did nothing wrong, didn't he? Of… more course, she had asked him why these men attacked him and he had told her that he had no idea. Common street thugs. Ellena knew, people like these live in every larger city. Braavos, pretty as it was, was no exception. But in Braavos, even most of the thugs followed a certain code of honour, rarely challenging anyone without a sword, rarely attacking while outnumbering their enemy. The men who attacked Jaron had been different. Terroma had saved him, had saved her and now the captain intended to give him to the city guard. That was not right...
With shaky hands, Ellena knocked on Terroma's door. A few moments passed and she feared that her friend wasn't in his room, that he might be in the city, unaware of the danger that would await him on the ship. But then, she heard a lock turning and the door was … [view original content]
Ellena
With a very uneasy feeling, Ellena watched Jaron walking down the harbour. That was not right. He did nothing wrong, didn't he? Of… more course, she had asked him why these men attacked him and he had told her that he had no idea. Common street thugs. Ellena knew, people like these live in every larger city. Braavos, pretty as it was, was no exception. But in Braavos, even most of the thugs followed a certain code of honour, rarely challenging anyone without a sword, rarely attacking while outnumbering their enemy. The men who attacked Jaron had been different. Terroma had saved him, had saved her and now the captain intended to give him to the city guard. That was not right...
With shaky hands, Ellena knocked on Terroma's door. A few moments passed and she feared that her friend wasn't in his room, that he might be in the city, unaware of the danger that would await him on the ship. But then, she heard a lock turning and the door was … [view original content]
Ellena
With a very uneasy feeling, Ellena watched Jaron walking down the harbour. That was not right. He did nothing wrong, didn't he? Of… more course, she had asked him why these men attacked him and he had told her that he had no idea. Common street thugs. Ellena knew, people like these live in every larger city. Braavos, pretty as it was, was no exception. But in Braavos, even most of the thugs followed a certain code of honour, rarely challenging anyone without a sword, rarely attacking while outnumbering their enemy. The men who attacked Jaron had been different. Terroma had saved him, had saved her and now the captain intended to give him to the city guard. That was not right...
With shaky hands, Ellena knocked on Terroma's door. A few moments passed and she feared that her friend wasn't in his room, that he might be in the city, unaware of the danger that would await him on the ship. But then, she heard a lock turning and the door was … [view original content]
Ellena
With a very uneasy feeling, Ellena watched Jaron walking down the harbour. That was not right. He did nothing wrong, didn't he? Of… more course, she had asked him why these men attacked him and he had told her that he had no idea. Common street thugs. Ellena knew, people like these live in every larger city. Braavos, pretty as it was, was no exception. But in Braavos, even most of the thugs followed a certain code of honour, rarely challenging anyone without a sword, rarely attacking while outnumbering their enemy. The men who attacked Jaron had been different. Terroma had saved him, had saved her and now the captain intended to give him to the city guard. That was not right...
With shaky hands, Ellena knocked on Terroma's door. A few moments passed and she feared that her friend wasn't in his room, that he might be in the city, unaware of the danger that would await him on the ship. But then, she heard a lock turning and the door was … [view original content]
Ellena
With a very uneasy feeling, Ellena watched Jaron walking down the harbour. That was not right. He did nothing wrong, didn't he? Of… more course, she had asked him why these men attacked him and he had told her that he had no idea. Common street thugs. Ellena knew, people like these live in every larger city. Braavos, pretty as it was, was no exception. But in Braavos, even most of the thugs followed a certain code of honour, rarely challenging anyone without a sword, rarely attacking while outnumbering their enemy. The men who attacked Jaron had been different. Terroma had saved him, had saved her and now the captain intended to give him to the city guard. That was not right...
With shaky hands, Ellena knocked on Terroma's door. A few moments passed and she feared that her friend wasn't in his room, that he might be in the city, unaware of the danger that would await him on the ship. But then, she heard a lock turning and the door was … [view original content]
Ellena
With a very uneasy feeling, Ellena watched Jaron walking down the harbour. That was not right. He did nothing wrong, didn't he? Of… more course, she had asked him why these men attacked him and he had told her that he had no idea. Common street thugs. Ellena knew, people like these live in every larger city. Braavos, pretty as it was, was no exception. But in Braavos, even most of the thugs followed a certain code of honour, rarely challenging anyone without a sword, rarely attacking while outnumbering their enemy. The men who attacked Jaron had been different. Terroma had saved him, had saved her and now the captain intended to give him to the city guard. That was not right...
With shaky hands, Ellena knocked on Terroma's door. A few moments passed and she feared that her friend wasn't in his room, that he might be in the city, unaware of the danger that would await him on the ship. But then, she heard a lock turning and the door was … [view original content]
Ellena
With a very uneasy feeling, Ellena watched Jaron walking down the harbour. That was not right. He did nothing wrong, didn't he? Of… more course, she had asked him why these men attacked him and he had told her that he had no idea. Common street thugs. Ellena knew, people like these live in every larger city. Braavos, pretty as it was, was no exception. But in Braavos, even most of the thugs followed a certain code of honour, rarely challenging anyone without a sword, rarely attacking while outnumbering their enemy. The men who attacked Jaron had been different. Terroma had saved him, had saved her and now the captain intended to give him to the city guard. That was not right...
With shaky hands, Ellena knocked on Terroma's door. A few moments passed and she feared that her friend wasn't in his room, that he might be in the city, unaware of the danger that would await him on the ship. But then, she heard a lock turning and the door was … [view original content]
Ellena
With a very uneasy feeling, Ellena watched Jaron walking down the harbour. That was not right. He did nothing wrong, didn't he? Of… more course, she had asked him why these men attacked him and he had told her that he had no idea. Common street thugs. Ellena knew, people like these live in every larger city. Braavos, pretty as it was, was no exception. But in Braavos, even most of the thugs followed a certain code of honour, rarely challenging anyone without a sword, rarely attacking while outnumbering their enemy. The men who attacked Jaron had been different. Terroma had saved him, had saved her and now the captain intended to give him to the city guard. That was not right...
With shaky hands, Ellena knocked on Terroma's door. A few moments passed and she feared that her friend wasn't in his room, that he might be in the city, unaware of the danger that would await him on the ship. But then, she heard a lock turning and the door was … [view original content]
Ellena
With a very uneasy feeling, Ellena watched Jaron walking down the harbour. That was not right. He did nothing wrong, didn't he? Of… more course, she had asked him why these men attacked him and he had told her that he had no idea. Common street thugs. Ellena knew, people like these live in every larger city. Braavos, pretty as it was, was no exception. But in Braavos, even most of the thugs followed a certain code of honour, rarely challenging anyone without a sword, rarely attacking while outnumbering their enemy. The men who attacked Jaron had been different. Terroma had saved him, had saved her and now the captain intended to give him to the city guard. That was not right...
With shaky hands, Ellena knocked on Terroma's door. A few moments passed and she feared that her friend wasn't in his room, that he might be in the city, unaware of the danger that would await him on the ship. But then, she heard a lock turning and the door was … [view original content]
Ellena
With a very uneasy feeling, Ellena watched Jaron walking down the harbour. That was not right. He did nothing wrong, didn't he? Of… more course, she had asked him why these men attacked him and he had told her that he had no idea. Common street thugs. Ellena knew, people like these live in every larger city. Braavos, pretty as it was, was no exception. But in Braavos, even most of the thugs followed a certain code of honour, rarely challenging anyone without a sword, rarely attacking while outnumbering their enemy. The men who attacked Jaron had been different. Terroma had saved him, had saved her and now the captain intended to give him to the city guard. That was not right...
With shaky hands, Ellena knocked on Terroma's door. A few moments passed and she feared that her friend wasn't in his room, that he might be in the city, unaware of the danger that would await him on the ship. But then, she heard a lock turning and the door was … [view original content]
Ellena
With a very uneasy feeling, Ellena watched Jaron walking down the harbour. That was not right. He did nothing wrong, didn't he? Of… more course, she had asked him why these men attacked him and he had told her that he had no idea. Common street thugs. Ellena knew, people like these live in every larger city. Braavos, pretty as it was, was no exception. But in Braavos, even most of the thugs followed a certain code of honour, rarely challenging anyone without a sword, rarely attacking while outnumbering their enemy. The men who attacked Jaron had been different. Terroma had saved him, had saved her and now the captain intended to give him to the city guard. That was not right...
With shaky hands, Ellena knocked on Terroma's door. A few moments passed and she feared that her friend wasn't in his room, that he might be in the city, unaware of the danger that would await him on the ship. But then, she heard a lock turning and the door was … [view original content]
Ellena
With a very uneasy feeling, Ellena watched Jaron walking down the harbour. That was not right. He did nothing wrong, didn't he? Of… more course, she had asked him why these men attacked him and he had told her that he had no idea. Common street thugs. Ellena knew, people like these live in every larger city. Braavos, pretty as it was, was no exception. But in Braavos, even most of the thugs followed a certain code of honour, rarely challenging anyone without a sword, rarely attacking while outnumbering their enemy. The men who attacked Jaron had been different. Terroma had saved him, had saved her and now the captain intended to give him to the city guard. That was not right...
With shaky hands, Ellena knocked on Terroma's door. A few moments passed and she feared that her friend wasn't in his room, that he might be in the city, unaware of the danger that would await him on the ship. But then, she heard a lock turning and the door was … [view original content]
Ellena
With a very uneasy feeling, Ellena watched Jaron walking down the harbour. That was not right. He did nothing wrong, didn't he? Of… more course, she had asked him why these men attacked him and he had told her that he had no idea. Common street thugs. Ellena knew, people like these live in every larger city. Braavos, pretty as it was, was no exception. But in Braavos, even most of the thugs followed a certain code of honour, rarely challenging anyone without a sword, rarely attacking while outnumbering their enemy. The men who attacked Jaron had been different. Terroma had saved him, had saved her and now the captain intended to give him to the city guard. That was not right...
With shaky hands, Ellena knocked on Terroma's door. A few moments passed and she feared that her friend wasn't in his room, that he might be in the city, unaware of the danger that would await him on the ship. But then, she heard a lock turning and the door was … [view original content]
The Voting is kinda closed! Well... almost. It's a tie. But today, I'd like to make an announcement about ties.
Yes... yes, I know it is a tie. And I could leave it open a while longer to see if anyone still wants to vote. But it could take a while for the tie-breaking savior to appear. This is a perfect chance to introduce the way I'd like to handle ties. I'm pretty excited to see this choice so disputed (to be honest I haven't thought it could get so disputed. But more about this later) and would like to use this chance. After all, who knows when the next tie is going to happen?
I thought about just flipping a coin for a while. Unfortunately I can't flip a coin if my life depends on it. Trust me, I tried it and almost lost an eye because of it. That's when I thought of a different system, maybe a bit safer than a coin toss. I'd like to give the creator of the PoV-character a tie breaking vote. Yeah, you got that right. A second vote for the creator of the PoV, but only for people who already voted, in case of a tie and only when I actually announce it with one of these little posts. At least from my point, it's the fairest and most unbiased way if I let the creator of the character decide if they want to use their second vote to support their original decision, or if they want to use it to support the other decision. After all, they should know best how their character would behave in such a situation.
Also, the new chapter is halfway written and I will be able to post it tomorrow and don't want to leave you people waiting too long. In my opinion, this should be a good way to end the tie, but if you're not content with this approach, feel free to tell me.
That means, @TWD_25, as Ellena's creator you'll get the tie breaking vote this time. Want to stick with the stabbing stuff, or would you like to use your second vote to stay silent? Remember, silence is a valid option. And... well, I guess stabbing scumbags is also a valid option.
If you don't want to use the vote, I'm afraid I have to risk my life again and...sigh... toss a coin. The things I do for the story...
On another note, since the voting is technically not closed yet, there won't be a shout-out this time. But expect a new shout-out soon!
The Voting is kinda closed! Well... almost. It's a tie. But today, I'd like to make an announcement about ties.
Yes... yes, I know it is … morea tie. And I could leave it open a while longer to see if anyone still wants to vote. But it could take a while for the tie-breaking savior to appear. This is a perfect chance to introduce the way I'd like to handle ties. I'm pretty excited to see this choice so disputed (to be honest I haven't thought it could get so disputed. But more about this later) and would like to use this chance. After all, who knows when the next tie is going to happen?
I thought about just flipping a coin for a while. Unfortunately I can't flip a coin if my life depends on it. Trust me, I tried it and almost lost an eye because of it. That's when I thought of a different system, maybe a bit safer than a coin toss. I'd like to give the creator of the PoV-character a tie breaking vote. Yeah, you got that right. A second vote f… [view original content]
Oh snap, I'm pretty much deciding whether my character lives or dies. If I choose to stay silent Ellena will almost undoubtedly be raped, as well as Talea. But if I choose to stab Jaylon and run then Ellena could very well die, and I really don't want that.
These men will kill you if you fall asleep, or worse.
Ellena would rather die than be taken back to Butterfly, I feel as if this is what Ellena wants, and no matter how small her chances of survival are, I'm willing to risk it. They're not getting away with hitting Ellena! So my answer is still the same [Try to stab Jaylon and run]
The Voting is kinda closed! Well... almost. It's a tie. But today, I'd like to make an announcement about ties.
Yes... yes, I know it is … morea tie. And I could leave it open a while longer to see if anyone still wants to vote. But it could take a while for the tie-breaking savior to appear. This is a perfect chance to introduce the way I'd like to handle ties. I'm pretty excited to see this choice so disputed (to be honest I haven't thought it could get so disputed. But more about this later) and would like to use this chance. After all, who knows when the next tie is going to happen?
I thought about just flipping a coin for a while. Unfortunately I can't flip a coin if my life depends on it. Trust me, I tried it and almost lost an eye because of it. That's when I thought of a different system, maybe a bit safer than a coin toss. I'd like to give the creator of the PoV-character a tie breaking vote. Yeah, you got that right. A second vote f… [view original content]
Then it shall be! Thanks for breaking the tie. Let's hope that this was the right decision.
At least subjectively I was a bit surprised that the tie even happened. Butterfly is not exactly the person I'd like to meet, so fighting with all I have would have been my first choice. Though I can also guess the readers want to learn more about Butterfly. All I can say for now is, Butterfly is surprisingly not a nice person. Anyway, next Ellena part is going to be intense and I shall write it soon!
Oh snap, I'm pretty much deciding whether my character lives or dies. If I choose to stay silent Ellena will almost undoubtedly be raped, as… more well as Talea. But if I choose to stab Jaylon and run then Ellena could very well die, and I really don't want that.
These men will kill you if you fall asleep, or worse.
Ellena would rather die than be taken back to Butterfly, I feel as if this is what Ellena wants, and no matter how small her chances of survival are, I'm willing to risk it. They're not getting away with hitting Ellena! So my answer is still the same [Try to stab Jaylon and run]
As the creator of Samuel, I can tell you pretty much that running away is useless because Samuel has experience. Besides Jaylon has armour on, that can prove inffective against him (maybe). Good luck for Ellena to meet Butterfly
Oh snap, I'm pretty much deciding whether my character lives or dies. If I choose to stay silent Ellena will almost undoubtedly be raped, as… more well as Talea. But if I choose to stab Jaylon and run then Ellena could very well die, and I really don't want that.
These men will kill you if you fall asleep, or worse.
Ellena would rather die than be taken back to Butterfly, I feel as if this is what Ellena wants, and no matter how small her chances of survival are, I'm willing to risk it. They're not getting away with hitting Ellena! So my answer is still the same [Try to stab Jaylon and run]
The Voting is kinda closed! Well... almost. It's a tie. But today, I'd like to make an announcement about ties.
Yes... yes, I know it is … morea tie. And I could leave it open a while longer to see if anyone still wants to vote. But it could take a while for the tie-breaking savior to appear. This is a perfect chance to introduce the way I'd like to handle ties. I'm pretty excited to see this choice so disputed (to be honest I haven't thought it could get so disputed. But more about this later) and would like to use this chance. After all, who knows when the next tie is going to happen?
I thought about just flipping a coin for a while. Unfortunately I can't flip a coin if my life depends on it. Trust me, I tried it and almost lost an eye because of it. That's when I thought of a different system, maybe a bit safer than a coin toss. I'd like to give the creator of the PoV-character a tie breaking vote. Yeah, you got that right. A second vote f… [view original content]
As the creator of Samuel, I can tell you pretty much that running away is useless because Samuel has experience. Besides Jaylon has armour on, that can prove inffective against him (maybe). Good luck for Ellena to meet Butterfly
As she looked at Carma's gentle face, she noticed how tired she really was. During the past five days, her sleep has been restless. In her dreams, she saw Ser Ilhan die, again and again. Sometimes it was Harris who killed him. Sometimes it was herself who fatally stabbed him. Yes, she knew that she never held the knife, that she never stabbed him. But she also knew that he would have been still alive if only she would have been able to control her curiosity. And this knowledge was worse than anything else. Harris was the monster who killed Ilhan. But she gave him the opportunity to do so. Inside of this castle, she wouldn't be able to sleep safe and sound again until Harris was gone. Considering her luck, she wouldn't be surprised if he would outlive her. But Carma had a family! Could she really get her into danger? Her father would have refused this offer. Her father would have faced Harris. But her father wasn't here. And she wasn't as strong as he was. She wasn't even as strong as Ser Ilhan claimed she could be. She was weak and alone. And she needed a friend.
“Yes...”, she said weakly, trying not to tear up. “Yes, please” She looked at Carma who gave her a bright smile. “I am finished for the day anyway. The lord allowed me to spent the nights with my family now that Yack is born. Just get your things and let us go”, she said, approaching the door of Jenna's chambers. “I'll pack my things and meet you at the front gate in a few minutes”, she added, before leaving. Jenna couldn't help herself, she had to smile. Maybe she was safe at Carma's house. Maybe things would finally look up for her. And still... there was this dark place of her mind, telling her that things would never look up for her. It was bad already and it could only get worse.
Jenna had to pack her things in a sudden rush, mixed with a very bad feeling about... well about everything. She had a bad feeling about staying in the castle. But if she would endanger Carma, she could never forgive herself. The Strads were probably the only family in Raylansfair who hadn't lost someone to the Ironborn or to disease. All three of Carma's and Urid's children survived their birth. And the youngest one was only a few months old! The baby had a great start into life and Jenna would not ruin this. She would only stay a night at Carma's house and maybe by sunrise she would travel to her father's farm. Maybe her father was there. Maybe he was only sick, unable to contact her. Maybe... But if not, Jenna Harking wouldn't endanger her friends, she wouldn't!
She didn't pack everything. It would take too long. She made sure to take everything of personal value with her. Things she just couldn't leave behind in this castle, not with Harris. It didn't took her that long and she was actually faster than Carma. Of course, she knew she had only this one free day. She had no intentions of coming back here tomorrow. Maybe one day, when Harris was gone. When Septon Corbin wrote his letter to the High Septon. When Harris would hang for murder. And when a new Lord would be in Raylansfair, a good and just lord. As she thought about it, it sounded too easy. Things were never easy for her.
Carma took her time. Just as Jenna was about to get worried, her friend came down the stairs the lead to the servant's quarters. She smiled and waved at Jenna. “I'm so glad you're coming with me Jenna!”, Carma smiled. “It's going to be wonderful. You'll love the kids” Jenna managed to give her a happy smile. Insincere happiness yes, but still better than sadness. There was no need to worry Carma with her problems, after all she likely had problems of her own. Three children and from what Jenna knew, the Strads weren't exactly a rich family, but the fact that Carma had anything to spare proved to her that she was a true friend. Jenna felt horrible for accepting. And she knew, her father would be disappointed.
They moved down the small path to Raylansfair in silence. Carma had an easy way of walking and Jenna noticed once again that her friend had apparently no worries about anything. That was refreshing, but also a bit unsettling. Jenna grew up being worried and timid. Her whole life had been one large worry. It was far beyond her how someone could actually just... live without all these fears. Of course, there were a few moments in which Jenna was happy. The moments with her father. The short moment of strength she felt after Ser Ilhan spoke to her. But it took a special person to be as carefree as Carma. She knew, she would never be like that. She thought too much about the problems ahead.
Carma's house was located in the outer parts of the village, not too far away from the castle itself, residing near the coast. Jenna got a lovely view on the lighthouse from there, next to it the large archive. She had never entered it, but knew that it was mainly built underground, it's tunnels reaching far below Raylansfair. She knew that not even a third of the stories about it were close to be true, much to her relief. Carma's house was small, fitting to a tailor and a servicewoman, a single-story building located directly on the main street that lead to Raylansfairs centre. Even before they reached the door, it was opened and a man stepped out, not very tall but quite muscular, with fair skin and dark brown hair. He quickly walked up to Carma, hugging her tightly and gaving her a gentle kiss. “I'm glad you're back”, Jenna heard him whisper, before the man looked at her. His face dropped. “You... You're Jenna Harking, right?”, he asked. She had never met him before, but from what Carma and her father had told her she would have recognized Urid Strad immediately. Just as he obviously recognized her. She gave him a nod and he gave her a sad smile in return.
“This... this is probably not a good time to ask... but do you know anything about your father?”, he asked. “Because... well, we haven't seen him for a while. Phillip is currently talking to the city guard about this. But, well, maybe you know anything about it” He took a short and insecure step towards her and she shook her head. “I don't know more than you do”, she whispered. “Ser... Lord Harris promised me to look for him”
Carma gave Jenna a bright smile before looking at Urid. “And I'm sure they will find him. Anyway, you can see how shaken Jenna is. She will stay at our house for a while, at least for the night”, she explained. Urid raised his brows. “At least? But what is with your work? This Lady Carma is talking about, she won't be too thrilled when you stay away from your work”, he said. Lady Halla... Jenna hadn't thought about her reaction. Surely she would be angry. Oh yes, she would be very angry. Another good reason to stay away for a longer while. Maybe that wasn't all that bad.
Urid did not answer immediately, instead he gave Jenna a short hug first. “It's alright. Stay as long as you want. Your father is a good friend and I owe him to keep you safe as long as you want. Come in, you have to meet the kids”, he said. Jenna gave him a heartfelt smile and followed him and Carma into the house.
The Strad's house was nothing special. Her father's farm was larger, but it was also built for more people. Jenna could clearly tell that this house was built with only two people in mind. It was simple, small, but also quite pretty. The perfection Carma showed during her work apparently also caused her to keep her own house clean. Next to the main room, a small room with a central table and a fireplace, Jenna counted three rooms. Out of one of these rooms, a young boy entered the room, excitedly running towards Carma. “Mother! Mother!”, he shouted, jumping into her arms. “I missed you”, he giggled, as Carma hugged him tightly. A girl, looking not older than the boy, followed him into the room, and while she seemed to be far less wild, she seemed not less enthusiastic about seeing her mother back. She walked up to Carma and got a big hug of her own. The boy gave Jenna a shy smile. “Mother, who is this?”, he asked.
A blissful smile appeared on Carma's face as she answered. “Farrel, this is Jenna Harking, my friend from my work at the castle. Jenna, these are Farrel and Mickaela, my wonderful kids”, she explained. Farrel gave her a wink. “Hello...”, he said with a friendly, but certainly shy voice. Mickaela did not say anything at first, but also gave Jenna a friendly smile before walking up to her. “You work at the castle? Do they have dragons there? Mother always says no, but I don't believe her”, she said with a curious expression on her face. “And what is your job? Are you a soldier? Or do you do the stuff mother does? You know, the boring stuff”
Carma let out a loud laugh. “Mickaela!”, she said with feigned sternness. “Jenna just arrived. You can ask her later. First I will show her where she can sleep. And then, I'll look after my baby”
Urid gave his wife a loving smile. “Yack is asleep right now. You won't believe how exhausting he can be”, he chuckled, to which Carma gave him a short glare. “Well, I was the one who gave birth to him, my love”, she answered, before looking at Jenna. “Come on. We have a small bed in the storeroom. It's not much, but still... We made it for Urid's brother, but he hasn't visited us so far”
Carma entered one of the three rooms and Jenna followed her. The room was obviously a storeroom and surprisingly large. Jenna saw a small bed, indeed not much, but more than she even expected. She would have been content to sleep on the floor and felt a heartfelt wave of thankfulness. “Thank you Carma”, she said. “For everything”
Her friend did not answer at first and only gave her a warm smile. Jenna sat down on the bed, Carma next to her and started to unpack her few belongings. Just to be sure that she hadn't left anything of value at the castle. There was her small purse... her hairbrush... the small knife her father gave her so that she was able to protect herself... her mother's... oh no! One particular thing was missing from the bundle. She left her mother's valuable wedding ring! She was certain that she had put it into the bundle, but it wasn't there. Maybe it fell out, there was no other explanation. She gave Carma an alarmed look.
“I have to go back to the castle!”, she exclaimed. There was no way she would leave her mother's ring in there. Lady Halla would take it and sell it as a punishment for Jenna staying away from work, she knew it! Carma gave her an irritated look. “What? Jenna, don't be ridiculous. Why do you want to go back now?”, she asked. Jenna gulped and had to look away. “My mother's wedding ring. I can't leave it there Carma, I won't”, she explained. Other people would have laughed about her stupidity. Carma only gave her a bright smile. “Don't be ridiculous Jenna. You are shaken and you just arrived here. I will go for you. Let me just look after Yack for a moment, then I'll go back to the castle to get your ring. Not a problem for me and you are a guest after all. I insist”, she smiled.
Jenna gave her a thankful, but also slightly worried look. Carma was too kind to her. Could she really burden her with the long walk? This would take some time and Carma only had a few hours with her family before going back to work. On the other hand, Jenna was tired. But she couldn't leave the ring in the castle!
[Let Carma go][Go yourself]
Kersea
She closed her eyes. Wolfius knew. It was impossible, she had been careful. But still, the look in his eyes told her everything. He was harder to read than most people, but Kersea was quite talented when it came to reading them. Somehow, he had found out. Lying was pointless. She just hoped that Clayton wouldn't find out. Damn him. Damn her. Damn her soft heart. She spared the man in a fit of mercy. Her list was long enough already. She never wanted to take another life. But now her sister would pay the price for it. Kersea knew, after all these years she still had too much of her old self left to be strong enough, to do what had to be done and she hated herself for it. It was still too hard for her to kill, after all these years in which she had been barely more than Clayton's dog... Damn her soft heart! She should have killed Harking!
“I've never killed him”, she whispered, noticing that Alysanne's face dropped, while Wolfius stayed calm. Of course he stayed calm. “Seven Hells, Kersea?”, Alysanne muttered, raising an eyebrow. “You... spared him? What in the actual fuck is wrong with you? That was an order”
Kersea gulped. Not the whole truth. She would not tell Alysanne about the man in Braavos she spared. Or about the merchant from the Vale. Yes, she should know better. But just as Wolfius couldn't go against his nature and stop killing people, Kersea couldn't go against her nature. She tried. She tried it hard. Killing like it was nothing. But then again, she would never let break her spirit. She would never let them win. She would never be a killer.
“Technically, his orders were to leave Harking in the woods to the wolves. I have not defied against his will. But... but I thought why should I have the whole fun? The wolves would deserve their share of him too, I guess”, she lied through her teeth. She was always good at lying and Alysanne was always bad at reading people. Kersea saw it in her face. She believed her and seemed to be quite happy with it. “A little rabbit, eaten by wolves. May the Seven have mercy on his stupid soul. Still, you really need a taste for the kill. It's more personal this way. And way more fun, especially when you hear them begging not to put your blade into this special spot...”, she said and a blissful smile appeared on her face. It filled Kersea with sadness. Alysanne was broken, probably beyond repair. But seeing how far she was truly gone always came as a shock. It always showed Kersea how far she could come herself. How far she would come herself one day, if she continued to walk down this path. Yes, she would never allow Clayton or Butterfly to break her. But maybe that wasn't even necessary. Maybe she was on her way to break herself. Caring became harder with every kill.
Wolfius did not believe her, not one second and she had no illusions about that. But he hadn't told Alysanne or Clayton so far... was he planning something? So far, Wolfius had struck her as little more than an animal, barely able to suppress his nature long enough to live among them. Sure, he and Butterfly shared similar interests, but she doubted that they had some sort of friendship. Seeing someone like him obviously planning something worried her. She knew some of the sick plans Butterfly had planned out and suspected Wolfius to be capable of even worse. But she forced herself to give him a smile. “Is everything alright, Wolfius?”, she asked. He smiled back, a cold and emotionless mask of a smile. “Always, Kersea. Though that explains why I couldn't find him later, when I was hungry”, he hissed and Kersea's smile was gone in a second. Hungry? He did not just imply...
Before she could continue to think this truly horrifying thought, the sound of footsteps down the stairway drew her attention. For once, she was quite glad that Clayton was there. She did not want to think about it. Wolfius... No! Gods, No! That was sick, even for him!
Clayton gave her a stilted smile and waved with two small pieces of paper. “A raven from Oldtown. New orders from Butterfly. Two people will die tonight”, he said softly, almost casually. Two people. No big deal for him. And for her?
Clayton gave Wolfius a look. “You got the dagger from the blacksmith?”, he asked. Wolfius gave him a short nod and reached into the depths of his overcoat, pulling out a fine silver dagger, on the hilt the sigil of House Hoare. Kersea didn't knew why Butterfly wanted to frame the Ironborn, but knew she didn't care. She was surrounded by monsters, with monstrous reasons and on her best way to become a monster herself. She had to care about the important things. Two people were going to die tonight...
“Kersea, this will be your target. You will kill her with the dagger. And then you will leave the dagger, but make it look like an accident. Maybe in some poor guards throat, I don't really care how you do it. Just, don't fail me”, he explained, handing her one of the pieces. Kersea took a look on it and her face almost got sorrowul for a moment. Another name on her list... Whoever this Halla Peddle was, Kersea was sure she did nothing to deserve death. Very few people would deserve death. Butterfly. Clayton. Wolfius. Maybe herself, once all of this was done... Yes, maybe she would deserve death herself, maybe as soon as she stopped caring. But there would be nobody left who could give it to her. At least her sister would be safe, that was the only thing that really mattered. Two people were going to die tonight and Kersea wouldn't show mercy. Not this time. Harking was too much mercy and almost got her into trouble. Two people. Two more names on her list.
Clayton looked at her, his forced smile starting to get on her nerves. “You understood everything, Kersea?”, he asked. She gave him a nod.“Good. Don't fuck this up. Your target has to die and you have to use this special dagger”, he explained. Once again. Why did he always explain it twice to her? She wasn't stupid!
Clayton handed a second note to Wolfius. “This will be your target and her room in the castle. She has to die too, but do with her as you like”, he said. Wolfius looked at the note and let out a howling laugh. “Harking! Didn't knew he had a daughter! Trust me Clayton, I will enjoy this...” His smile seemed to be as genuine as possible for him. Yes, Kersea had no doubt that he would enjoy this. Harking's daughter... poor girl. Wolfius would likely forget her once he moved on to his next target. But Kersea would remember.
Alysanne seemed to be slightly aghast. “Wait... You send Kersea and Wolfius on a mission? What is with me? I'm here for two fucking weeks and haven't tasted a single kill yet. You got the Maester and the old lord, Wolfius got this random bitch in the streets and Kersea got the rabbit”, she protested and gave Clayton a furious look. The man sighed and put his right hand on her shoulder. “Alysanne, my dear, I need you to do something else. It does not involve killing, but it is very important. We will go on a short trip, you and I”, he explained. Alysanne shrugged. “Whatever you say, Clayton. But I want to get the next kill”, she moaned.
Clayton did not respond to her, instead he looked at Kersea and Wolfius. “I put my trust in you. Both of these targets need to die, Butterfly was very specific here. Screw this up and he will be displeased”, he explained. Wolfius gave him a smile. “Sure he will. But I don't do this for him. This will be for my pleasure alone. Jenna Harking... I wonder if there are any more of these Harkings to kill”, he hissed, before looking at Kersea.
“You don't want to screw up for your sweet sisters sake, isn't it?”, he asked. Kersea gave him a short nod. “Well then... two targets and we have the whole night to kill them... Why don't we work together? I'll help you killing your bitch. And you give me time to have my fun with little Jenna for hours”, he smiled. Kersea gave him a slightly disgusted look. Wolfius' definition of fun did not only imply rape... No, he was into far more depraved things. Still... working with him? He was capable. He could be a valuable ally to make sure the mission would succeed. For her sister...
Jenna Harking... another name for her list. Another name, another regret.
[Agree to work with Wolfius][Decline to work with Wolfius]
Jenna
As she looked at Carma's gentle face, she noticed how tired she really was. During the past five days, her sleep has been restless.… more In her dreams, she saw Ser Ilhan die, again and again. Sometimes it was Harris who killed him. Sometimes it was herself who fatally stabbed him. Yes, she knew that she never held the knife, that she never stabbed him. But she also knew that he would have been still alive if only she would have been able to control her curiosity. And this knowledge was worse than anything else. Harris was the monster who killed Ilhan. But she gave him the opportunity to do so. Inside of this castle, she wouldn't be able to sleep safe and sound again until Harris was gone. Considering her luck, she wouldn't be surprised if he would outlive her. But Carma had a family! Could she really get her into danger? Her father would have refused this offer. Her father would have faced Harris. But her father wasn't here. And she wasn'… [view original content]
Jenna
As she looked at Carma's gentle face, she noticed how tired she really was. During the past five days, her sleep has been restless.… more In her dreams, she saw Ser Ilhan die, again and again. Sometimes it was Harris who killed him. Sometimes it was herself who fatally stabbed him. Yes, she knew that she never held the knife, that she never stabbed him. But she also knew that he would have been still alive if only she would have been able to control her curiosity. And this knowledge was worse than anything else. Harris was the monster who killed Ilhan. But she gave him the opportunity to do so. Inside of this castle, she wouldn't be able to sleep safe and sound again until Harris was gone. Considering her luck, she wouldn't be surprised if he would outlive her. But Carma had a family! Could she really get her into danger? Her father would have refused this offer. Her father would have faced Harris. But her father wasn't here. And she wasn'… [view original content]
Jenna
As she looked at Carma's gentle face, she noticed how tired she really was. During the past five days, her sleep has been restless.… more In her dreams, she saw Ser Ilhan die, again and again. Sometimes it was Harris who killed him. Sometimes it was herself who fatally stabbed him. Yes, she knew that she never held the knife, that she never stabbed him. But she also knew that he would have been still alive if only she would have been able to control her curiosity. And this knowledge was worse than anything else. Harris was the monster who killed Ilhan. But she gave him the opportunity to do so. Inside of this castle, she wouldn't be able to sleep safe and sound again until Harris was gone. Considering her luck, she wouldn't be surprised if he would outlive her. But Carma had a family! Could she really get her into danger? Her father would have refused this offer. Her father would have faced Harris. But her father wasn't here. And she wasn'… [view original content]
Jenna
As she looked at Carma's gentle face, she noticed how tired she really was. During the past five days, her sleep has been restless.… more In her dreams, she saw Ser Ilhan die, again and again. Sometimes it was Harris who killed him. Sometimes it was herself who fatally stabbed him. Yes, she knew that she never held the knife, that she never stabbed him. But she also knew that he would have been still alive if only she would have been able to control her curiosity. And this knowledge was worse than anything else. Harris was the monster who killed Ilhan. But she gave him the opportunity to do so. Inside of this castle, she wouldn't be able to sleep safe and sound again until Harris was gone. Considering her luck, she wouldn't be surprised if he would outlive her. But Carma had a family! Could she really get her into danger? Her father would have refused this offer. Her father would have faced Harris. But her father wasn't here. And she wasn'… [view original content]
Jenna
As she looked at Carma's gentle face, she noticed how tired she really was. During the past five days, her sleep has been restless.… more In her dreams, she saw Ser Ilhan die, again and again. Sometimes it was Harris who killed him. Sometimes it was herself who fatally stabbed him. Yes, she knew that she never held the knife, that she never stabbed him. But she also knew that he would have been still alive if only she would have been able to control her curiosity. And this knowledge was worse than anything else. Harris was the monster who killed Ilhan. But she gave him the opportunity to do so. Inside of this castle, she wouldn't be able to sleep safe and sound again until Harris was gone. Considering her luck, she wouldn't be surprised if he would outlive her. But Carma had a family! Could she really get her into danger? Her father would have refused this offer. Her father would have faced Harris. But her father wasn't here. And she wasn'… [view original content]
Comments
[Try to be stealthy]
The Voting is closed!
Gutten will try to be stealthy
This choice somehow reminds me of Metal Gear... Anyone got the unintentional reference?
Anyway, the new part is almost completely written and should be up in the next 3-4 hours
On another note: I am currently thinking about making the question about your username in the character submission a required question. Reason behind this is, that I get tons of great characters, some of them without a name but some details I'd like to speak about with the person who submitted the character. One urgent example to why it is important to leave a username shall be adressed here, in the hope that the submitter contacts me:
Yesterday, somebody submitted the character of Sebastian Sand. While this character has, without any doubt, the best name of any character ever submitted and also has an interesting personality, his backstory is unfortunately heavily linked to Stannis Baratheon's Assault on King's Landing (directed by Michael Bay), aka roughly 300 years after this story takes place. As you can imagine, there are one or two points I'd like to change about his backstory. So, if the submitter could contact me, I would be quite happy.
Todays shout-out goes to a fanfiction with zombies in it... but again, a fanfiction that is worth a read: Monument, by @NoHopeLeft
Monument has started only a few days ago, so catching up shouldn't be a problem, but a pleasure instead. The writing is, well, outstanding. There is no other word for it, it is simply outstanding. Set in the world of The Walking Dead, the story follows a group of survivors in a gated community. Knowing Hope's stories, excellently detailed writing was expected, yet he somehow managed to exceed my high expectations. That means, if you are interested in a well-written story and enjoyed the other stories that received a shout-out so far (especially the comparable and similarly brilliant The Road Ahed and The Fallen World), you will surely enjoy this story too. You can check it out here
Hello there! It seems that the site glitched and unfollowed this thread for me! Well I fixed it now, and I'll start voting again as new parts come out.
Thank you, Liquid. It means lot.
Ellena
With a very uneasy feeling, Ellena watched Jaron walking down the harbour. That was not right. He did nothing wrong, didn't he? Of course, she had asked him why these men attacked him and he had told her that he had no idea. Common street thugs. Ellena knew, people like these live in every larger city. Braavos, pretty as it was, was no exception. But in Braavos, even most of the thugs followed a certain code of honour, rarely challenging anyone without a sword, rarely attacking while outnumbering their enemy. The men who attacked Jaron had been different. Terroma had saved him, had saved her and now the captain intended to give him to the city guard. That was not right...
With shaky hands, Ellena knocked on Terroma's door. A few moments passed and she feared that her friend wasn't in his room, that he might be in the city, unaware of the danger that would await him on the ship. But then, she heard a lock turning and the door was opened. She looked into Terroma's kind face, while his mouth formed a smile. “Ellena. Can I help you?”, he asked. Ellena looked to her right, where the captain's quarters were located. The captain was still talking to Talea, she heard their muffled voices, but couldn't understand any words. “Can I come in?”, she asked. Terroma gave her a nod and stepped aside, letting her enter his room.
Terroma's room was almost terryfingly impersonal. A bed, a table with a chair, a simple chest. No personal belongings. Terroma closed the door behind her and made a handwave, offering her the chair. Ellena didn't react to the offer, instead she looked at him and sighed. In the few months she spent at the horrible orphanage, she had dreamt of a friend like Terroma. A kind man, a protector, one who wouldn't hesitate to threw himself in danger for her. But a friendship like this had to work both ways. And now it was her turn to protect Terroma.
“I've talked to the captain”, she said and noticed that Terroma's face dropped. He suspected it already... “The harbourmaster of Oldtown was here. He informed the captain that the city guard investigates the... incident. The captain wants to give you and Jaron to them for interrogation”, she managed to say. Still, Terroma looked calm, relaxed, as if all of this meant nothing to him. “Then they shall interrogate me. I have nothing to hide”, he explained and Ellena froze in shock. Why was he so calm? The city guard could do whatever they wanted to him. Beat him senseless. Torture him for fun. Hang him for murder...
“Terroma, I have a bad feeling about this. You have to run”, she urged him. Terroma gave her a bright smile, his rotten teeth contrasting his pale skin. “Ellena, why exactly are you so worried? The city guard has no evidence against me. I only defended myself”, he tried to calm her down. But Ellena was still worried. She knew a bit about things like that. In the end, someone powerful would rather execute Terroma than even attempting to solve the case. She wouldn't risk that.
“Please, Terroma... the harbourmaster said that they just want to talk to you, but I don't believe him. He said that a man named Mullendore investigates this case. What happens if he is a bad man?”, she begged and noticed a subtle shift in Terroma's face.
“Mullendore?”, he asked. “Maron Mullendore?” His tone changed, his stance, his gaze. Terroma looked seriously worried. Ellena gave him a nod, to which Terroma uttered a short curse. “Fuck... This is not good”, he said, while walking to his chest.
“I don't know the Burned Man. I don't know Butterfly or any other crimelord in this city. But I know that Maron Mullendore is the worst of them all, because technically he is not a criminal”, Terroma explained. “I have never met him, but heard of him. A knight, yes, but less knightly than a Dothraki horselord, they say. The stories I have heard of him make me shiver and , sweet Ellena, there is one thing you can believe me: I don't shiver easily”
With these words, Terroma took something out of the chest... his small knife... and turned around, his kind smile gone. “When Mullendore is in charge of this investigation, the Burned Man and Butterfly won't be around for long. He will get them. He will hang them. But for every associate of Butterfly or the Burned Man, he will hang two or three innocents. He is a man like that. When Mullendore is in charge of this investigation, I have to go”, he said decisively.
Ellena looked at him with a lump in her throat, trying not to tear up. “Will you come back?”, she asked. Terroma nodded. “Always, dear Ellena. I will hide for a few days, maybe a few weeks. You will travel to Raylansfair and when you come back here, I'll meet up with you. And then we travel back home”, he promised. Ellena couldn't help, she started to smile. She believed him, or at least wanted to believe him. Terroma gently hugged her. “Until then, stay safe, Ellena”, he whispered, before looking her sternly into the eyes. “The most important thing is, don't search for me. I am looking for a very dangerous man here in Oldtown” Ellena frowned as she heard this. “But what if I have to find you?”, she asked. “What if we're in danger?”
Terroma's smile faded. “I am not able to save people from danger, Ellena. All I ever do is bringing them deeper into it”, he said sullenly, before taking a deep breath. “But if you have to find me, there is a butcher's shop in Ragpycker's Wynd. The butcher owes me a favour and I will stay with him”, he explained, before giving her a last smile. “May the gods be with you. All of them”, he said, before moving past her, out of the chamber and out of her life.
As Ellena went out of the room, she heard lout voices from the upper deck. She recognized Moreo, he was talking to a man and seemed to be agitated. The voices came closer and Ellena backed away from them, closer towards the captain's room. The voices didn't sound friendly. She was used to it from Moreo, who had the foulest mouth on the ship, but was usually well-intentioned. But the other voice shouted and cursed, some of these curses were completely new to her. And then there was a third voice, calm, quiet, yet enough to interrupt both. Ellena heard footsteps coming down the stairs and was finally able to understand some of the things that were said.
“So, you're telling me that both men we're looking for just left the ship a few minutes ago?”, the angry voice said.
“Yes, I do”, Moreo answered. “They're gone and whoever sent you won't get them, is that clear?”
“We'll see”, the second voice, the calmer voice, answered. It sounded like a man belittling a child.
Finally, she saw them. Moreo, his green beard unkempt, giving her a worried look. “Ellena? What are you doing here? Go back to your room, now!”, he ordered her. Next to him walked an ugly man, with a pale and puffy face. He had a tired look in his eyes, but looked also quite angry. Ellena saw small red lines all over his face, like fading scars. He wore plated armour and a long coat made of black fur. And he looked at her with rage. “Oh no, girl, I don't think so”, he hissed, walking forwards and grabbing Ellena at the shoulder, quite hard. “You're coming with us when we talk to the captain”
Ellena suppressed the urge to scream and kick, mainly because she knew that it wouldn't help her. The ugly man looked her into the eyes. “No tricks, girl. We'll talk to the captain and if he behaves, we won't hurt you”, he said. Ellena looked over her shoulders to Moreo, who stared at the ugly man with anger, but did nothing. Behind him stood a plain man, a bit shorter than Moreo, with very dark hair and pale skin. He looked ordinary, but there was something in the way he moved that reminded Ellena of the Bravos at home, young swordsmen who roamed the streets of Braavos at night, in their random brutality even more dangerous than a Faceless Man. He looked back at her and Ellena couldn't stand his gaze. She was shivering in fear. If only Terroma would be here... he wouldn't allow anyone to hurt her. He would protect her. But she had sent him away...
The dangerous man walked past Moreo, towards the captain's door, opening it without knocking. His moves reminded her of a lion, ready to attack. She noticed that his right hand rested on the hilt of his sword. Before she was able to follow him, the ugly man dragged her with him, towards the captain's quarters. Moreo followed and Ellena saw that he was about to draw the small knife he was carrying with him. No... by the gods, no, she hoped Moreo wouldn't do anything stupid. He noticed her pleading stare and moved his hand away from the knife.
“Good evening, captain, mylady”, the dangerous man said, with a cold voice. “My name is Samuel Harrington. The charming man in my company is Jaylon Gordus. We're here for a so-called knight, who styles himself 'Ser Jaron the Bastard'. You don't happen to know anything about it, do you?” His voice was full of mockery and disdain. The second the ugly man, Jaylon, entered the room, dragging her with him, Ellena saw Talea gasping in shock. “Ellena!”, she exclaimed. “What is the meaning of this?”
Jaylon let out a sigh. “It means that you're in trouble. It took Butterfly days to find out who killed his men. Days he could have spent better. He is not happy”, he explained, his voice being a strange mix of anger and surliness. Samuel, the dangerous man, nodded. “What my companion said is true. He sent us to fetch the bastard. Both bastards actually...”, he hissed, taking a step towards the captain. Ellena noticed that Moreo had entered the room too, his hand now on the hilt of his knife again. “So, I'm asking you once. Where are the bastards?”, Harrington added. His voice was remarkably calm, but sent shivers down Ellena's spine.
She could tell the captain was afraid. He was unarmed. Talea was unarmed. Moreo had his small knife, but he was not Terroma, who would kill both men in an instant. And Ellena started to be afraid too. The ugly man, Jaylon, was armed with a longsword his grip around her shoulder was hard and painful. But the other man was worse. Harrington was calm, yet he reminded Ellena of a predator.
The captain walked closer and even though he was a bit taller than Harrington, the other man seemed to tower him. “You have five seconds to leave this room”, the captain hissed, but Ellena noticed that he seemed intimidated, he even had to put his hand on the table to his right to even stand without shivering. Considering her rapid heartbeat, she couldn't hold that against him. She felt something terrible looming.
Harrington looked at the captain. The captain met his gaze with furious anger.
One
Ellena looked over to Talea. She looked afraid, more than afraid, close to a panic
Two
She saw the fear in the captain's eyes.
Three
Behind her, Jaylon's hand began to tap on her shoulder, unintentionally, as if the man was nervous himself.
Four
The captain gave Harrington a helpless smile, full of fear.
Five
“I don't think so, captain”, Harrington finally said. The captain closed his eyes, gulping, while Ellena held her breath. In the same moment, Harrington pulled out his dagger and drove the edge right through the captain's hand, deep into the wooden table, all in a single, elegant and deadly movement. The captain went to his knees, his arm effectively nailed to the table, letting out a short scream of agony. Ellena saw Moreo approaching, his knife drawn. In a movement not less elegant, not less deadly, Harrington ripped his dagger out of the captain's hand and right through Moreo's throat, before the Tyroshi was even able to attempt a strike. Moreo let out a helpless gurgle, his knife falling on the floor, as he put his hands on the hole in his throat. Harrington looked over his shoulder, his cold stare met Ellena's shocked tear-dimmed eyes. Then he pulled the dager out of Moreo's throat and the Tyroshi went to his knees, gurgling, struggling, dying.
“I'm repeating my question”, Harrington hissed. “Where is the bastard who killed Butterfly's men? Where is the bastard knight that was supposed to die on this day?” He looked at Talea, who staggered back, tears flowing down her face. The captain was lying on the ground, clutching his bleeding hand. And Ellena herself shivered in fear. If only Terroma would be here...
“They are not going to tell us anything”, Jaylon said. “We should take the girls back to Butterfly. Give the captain a few days to think about it, while gradually sending them back to him” Ellena froze in shock as she thought about what he just implied. No... No... No!
The captain got up on his feets again, his hand still bleeding heavily. He was pale, frightened and looked like a man twice his age. “The man you're looking for is named Terroma”, he mumbled weakly. Talea looked at him in shock, trembling with fear. “Father, no...”, she whispered. The captain gave her a fond look and a helpless smile, before looking back at Harrington. “Third cabin to the left. Ser Jaron's cabin is the fourth on the right. Ser Jaron is likely sleeping and Terroma will be smart enough not to resist”, he said. “Please, don't hurt my daughter”
Harrington shrugged. “That depends on the cooperation of the two bastards”, he stated, before looking at Jaylon. “You're staying here. I'm checking the cabins out. If I am not back in five minutes, kill the little one. If I am not back in ten minutes, kill the captain's daughter. If I am not back in fifteen minutes, take the captain back to Butterfly”, he ordered and Jaylon gave him a stern nod. “With pleasure”, he said. Ellena's heart dropped as Harrington walked past her, not even bothering to look at her. He was going to check two empty cabins... and then what? What will they do to her? There has been only one time in which Ellena had been afraid like this. She shivered in fear, tears running down her face. She saw Jaylon giving her a cold look, his hands on the hilt of his sword. This was not how it was supposed to end...
She heard the steps approaching the captain's door and turned around, as much as Jaylon's strong grip around her shoulders allowed it. Harrington entered the room, his face frozen in displeasure. He didn't look angry, but the cold fury in his eyes was enough to tell Ellena that she was in problems. The sort of problems in which she couldn't count on others to help her. There would be no Terroma, there would be no Jaron. Talea couldn't help her, the captain wouldn't help her.
“The chambers were empty”, Harrington said and the captain's face dropped, just like the man himself dropped to his knees. “No... No, that is not possible. They have been there a few hours ago. I have checked on both of them. Please, don't hurt my daughter. Do what you want to me, but don't hurt...”, he stuttered, but was cut off as Harrington kicked him in the face with a heavy leather boot. The captain fell to the ground, bleeding and not moving, while Talea let out a scream of terror, running to her father. Harrington did nothing to stop her. He only looked down on her as she was weeping over her unconscious father's body. He looked up as Jaylon cleared his throat.
“Well then... we can't bring him the bastards, we can at least bring him two girls. I'm sure he will have a lot of fun with the older one. And... well, the younger one is surely good for something. Give him a knife and she will entertain him for days”, the ugly man said, his voice sounding completely bleak. Ellena had expected him to sound angry or gleeful. It wouldn't have been easier, but at least she would have known that she was dealing with a complete monster here. But despite his anger, Jaylon seemed to be someone who did this just because he was ordered too. For some reason, that made it even worse.
Harrington looked slightly irritated for a moment, looking down on Talea, then to Ellena. “Why should we do that?”, he simply asked, obviously a bit confused. “We will wait if one of the girls has something important to tell us”
Jaylon shrugged. “Because, no matter what happens today, Butterfly will be displeased. Bringing him a girl could help raising his mood a bit”, he explained in an annoyed voice, almost as if he was talking to a child. Ellena shivered as Harrington looked at her. No... Gods, please no...
Harrington looked back at Jaylon. “Pleasing Butterfly is not my job. That's what whores are made for. If one of the girls has something useful to say, that's it. I'm not bringing them to Butterfly without reason, just to give him a new plaything”, he growled.
Jaylon's grip around her shoulders tightened. “Eh, fuck you Harrington. We don't wait if any of this bitches has something useful to say. We take them to Butterfly, he will make them talk. Maybe he'll use knives. Maybe he'll use axes. Maybe he'll use...”, he began to shout, but was cut off by Harrington hitting him in the face with his closed fist. It was a strong blow, enough to make Jaylon stumble backwards. “Fuck!”, the ugly man shouted. “You fucking broke my fucking nose!”
Harrington gave him an indifferent face. “That's what you get for questioning my authority”, he simply stated. Jaylon mumbled something Ellena couldn't understand, but didn't even need to understand. She gulped. Maybe... maybe things were starting to look better again. Maybe Harrington wasn't that bad. Maybe he...
His fist hit her face without warning. The blow wasn't as hard as the one he gave to Jaylon, but enough to make her fall to the ground, making her face explode in unbearable pain. She barely heard Talea letting out a hysterical scream, barely saw Harrington kicking the captain's daughter in the face, barely clung to staying conscious. She would stay conscious. She had to stay conscious, even though she felt the warm blood running down her face. She had to think, had to concentrate, had to blend out the horrible pain.
Don't get unconscious. Stay awake. Stay strong. Don't fall asleep. These men will kill you if you fall asleep, or worse. Ignore the pain. Stay strong. Carry on. Don't be afraid. Fear cuts deeper than swords.
“Maybe now you see that I don't play any games!”, Harrington exclaimed. His voice was louder now, finally trembling with anger. “I will bring these two fuckers back to Butterfly. You are not part of my job. But if you don't tell me what I want to know now, I will take you all back to the man. And I will be honest to you, it will be the most terrible experience you ever had in all your life”
Ellena felt her senses coming back, in one horrible flash of pain. She did not scream, but she couldn't help and started to cry and shiver. From what she could tell, her teeth weren't damaged. Her nose... it didn't seem to be broken. The blow wasn't that hard, yet the pain was worse than any physical pain Ellena had ever experienced. But she wouldn't give him the pleasure of drifting into unconsciousness. She wouldn't give him the pleasure of being helpless. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jaylon, who stood next to her. The man was giggling. “That was nice, Harrington”, he chuckled. Harrington only gave him a cold glare.
“So, girl? Do you have anything to say about this... Terroma?”, she heard him saying. She could tell them where Terroma was, could tell them to stay safe... but could she live with herself after that?
And then she saw it. Moreo's knife, a valuable and exquisite thing, a silver blade, a golden hilt, a family heirloom, only an inch in front of her. She knew she was quick. She could grab it. Jaylon wouldn't expect it and he was all that stood between her and her freedom. A stab in the leg and she could run, she would be free...
[Try to stab Jaylon and run] [Tell them about Terroma's whereabouts] [Stay silent and do nothing]
This makes Samuel look like a complete asshole xD in all seriousness though, awesome chapter!
[Stay silent and do nothing] All of these choices will lead us to Butterfly, might as well make it out alive.
[Stay silent and do nothing] i feel like trying to stab him won't work, and telling them the whereabouts of Terroma will make her... Worthless to them. I fear they might kill her once they have the information.
Great part!
Hey Liquid I actually just started reading your story and I'm about half through it it by now- very good stuff I must say, great writing!
I
decided I'll submit a character hope you'll put him in good use
Oh dang I fear for Ellena's life right now! But I really want her to stab Jaylon so I have to go with [Stab Jaylon and run]
Fingers crossed she doesn't die!
[Try to stab Jaylon and run] Not letting Ellena or Talea get raped.
Awesome Chapter!!!
{Try to stab Jaylon and run}
awesome writing
(Stay silent)
I want to meet butterfly, besides she can tell him not this random.
[try to stab jaylon and run]
[Tell them about Terroma's whereabouts]
Might as well be a figurative bastard about this.
[Stay silent ]
Great chapter!!!
( Try to stab jaylon and run)
Great chapter!
[Try to stab Jaylon and run] Samuel has issues....
And awesome, once again!
[Try to stab Jaylon and run]
[Stay silent and do nothing]
[Stay silent and do nothing]
[Stay silent and do nothing]
[try to stab jaylon and run] Amazing chapter!!
[Stay silent and do nothing]
I want to see a pissed of Terroma [Tell them about Terroma's whereabouts]
[Stay silent and do nothing]
[Try to stab Jaylon and run]
The Voting is kinda closed! Well... almost. It's a tie. But today, I'd like to make an announcement about ties.
Yes... yes, I know it is a tie. And I could leave it open a while longer to see if anyone still wants to vote. But it could take a while for the tie-breaking savior to appear. This is a perfect chance to introduce the way I'd like to handle ties. I'm pretty excited to see this choice so disputed (to be honest I haven't thought it could get so disputed. But more about this later) and would like to use this chance. After all, who knows when the next tie is going to happen?
I thought about just flipping a coin for a while. Unfortunately I can't flip a coin if my life depends on it. Trust me, I tried it and almost lost an eye because of it. That's when I thought of a different system, maybe a bit safer than a coin toss. I'd like to give the creator of the PoV-character a tie breaking vote. Yeah, you got that right. A second vote for the creator of the PoV, but only for people who already voted, in case of a tie and only when I actually announce it with one of these little posts. At least from my point, it's the fairest and most unbiased way if I let the creator of the character decide if they want to use their second vote to support their original decision, or if they want to use it to support the other decision. After all, they should know best how their character would behave in such a situation.
Also, the new chapter is halfway written and I will be able to post it tomorrow and don't want to leave you people waiting too long. In my opinion, this should be a good way to end the tie, but if you're not content with this approach, feel free to tell me.
That means, @TWD_25, as Ellena's creator you'll get the tie breaking vote this time. Want to stick with the stabbing stuff, or would you like to use your second vote to stay silent? Remember, silence is a valid option. And... well, I guess stabbing scumbags is also a valid option.
If you don't want to use the vote, I'm afraid I have to risk my life again and...sigh... toss a coin. The things I do for the story...
On another note, since the voting is technically not closed yet, there won't be a shout-out this time. But expect a new shout-out soon!
Wait, Liquid, how the hell did you almost lose an eye flipping a coin? XD
Science I guess. Flipping a coin can be more dangerous than it seems to be at first.
Oh snap, I'm pretty much deciding whether my character lives or dies. If I choose to stay silent Ellena will almost undoubtedly be raped, as well as Talea. But if I choose to stab Jaylon and run then Ellena could very well die, and I really don't want that.
Ellena would rather die than be taken back to Butterfly, I feel as if this is what Ellena wants, and no matter how small her chances of survival are, I'm willing to risk it. They're not getting away with hitting Ellena! So my answer is still the same [Try to stab Jaylon and run]
Then it shall be! Thanks for breaking the tie. Let's hope that this was the right decision.
At least subjectively I was a bit surprised that the tie even happened. Butterfly is not exactly the person I'd like to meet, so fighting with all I have would have been my first choice. Though I can also guess the readers want to learn more about Butterfly. All I can say for now is, Butterfly is surprisingly not a nice person. Anyway, next Ellena part is going to be intense and I shall write it soon!
Also:
The Voting is closed!
Ellena will try to stab Jaylon and run
As the creator of Samuel, I can tell you pretty much that running away is useless because Samuel has experience. Besides Jaylon has armour on, that can prove inffective against him (maybe). Good luck for Ellena to meet Butterfly
Dammit, missed the vote again... damn busy weekend!
Insert face desk gif here
At least TWD_25 chose what I would have voted for!
Well maybe this time it will work?
Jenna
As she looked at Carma's gentle face, she noticed how tired she really was. During the past five days, her sleep has been restless. In her dreams, she saw Ser Ilhan die, again and again. Sometimes it was Harris who killed him. Sometimes it was herself who fatally stabbed him. Yes, she knew that she never held the knife, that she never stabbed him. But she also knew that he would have been still alive if only she would have been able to control her curiosity. And this knowledge was worse than anything else. Harris was the monster who killed Ilhan. But she gave him the opportunity to do so. Inside of this castle, she wouldn't be able to sleep safe and sound again until Harris was gone. Considering her luck, she wouldn't be surprised if he would outlive her. But Carma had a family! Could she really get her into danger? Her father would have refused this offer. Her father would have faced Harris. But her father wasn't here. And she wasn't as strong as he was. She wasn't even as strong as Ser Ilhan claimed she could be. She was weak and alone. And she needed a friend.
“Yes...”, she said weakly, trying not to tear up. “Yes, please” She looked at Carma who gave her a bright smile. “I am finished for the day anyway. The lord allowed me to spent the nights with my family now that Yack is born. Just get your things and let us go”, she said, approaching the door of Jenna's chambers. “I'll pack my things and meet you at the front gate in a few minutes”, she added, before leaving. Jenna couldn't help herself, she had to smile. Maybe she was safe at Carma's house. Maybe things would finally look up for her. And still... there was this dark place of her mind, telling her that things would never look up for her. It was bad already and it could only get worse.
Jenna had to pack her things in a sudden rush, mixed with a very bad feeling about... well about everything. She had a bad feeling about staying in the castle. But if she would endanger Carma, she could never forgive herself. The Strads were probably the only family in Raylansfair who hadn't lost someone to the Ironborn or to disease. All three of Carma's and Urid's children survived their birth. And the youngest one was only a few months old! The baby had a great start into life and Jenna would not ruin this. She would only stay a night at Carma's house and maybe by sunrise she would travel to her father's farm. Maybe her father was there. Maybe he was only sick, unable to contact her. Maybe... But if not, Jenna Harking wouldn't endanger her friends, she wouldn't!
She didn't pack everything. It would take too long. She made sure to take everything of personal value with her. Things she just couldn't leave behind in this castle, not with Harris. It didn't took her that long and she was actually faster than Carma. Of course, she knew she had only this one free day. She had no intentions of coming back here tomorrow. Maybe one day, when Harris was gone. When Septon Corbin wrote his letter to the High Septon. When Harris would hang for murder. And when a new Lord would be in Raylansfair, a good and just lord. As she thought about it, it sounded too easy. Things were never easy for her.
Carma took her time. Just as Jenna was about to get worried, her friend came down the stairs the lead to the servant's quarters. She smiled and waved at Jenna. “I'm so glad you're coming with me Jenna!”, Carma smiled. “It's going to be wonderful. You'll love the kids” Jenna managed to give her a happy smile. Insincere happiness yes, but still better than sadness. There was no need to worry Carma with her problems, after all she likely had problems of her own. Three children and from what Jenna knew, the Strads weren't exactly a rich family, but the fact that Carma had anything to spare proved to her that she was a true friend. Jenna felt horrible for accepting. And she knew, her father would be disappointed.
They moved down the small path to Raylansfair in silence. Carma had an easy way of walking and Jenna noticed once again that her friend had apparently no worries about anything. That was refreshing, but also a bit unsettling. Jenna grew up being worried and timid. Her whole life had been one large worry. It was far beyond her how someone could actually just... live without all these fears. Of course, there were a few moments in which Jenna was happy. The moments with her father. The short moment of strength she felt after Ser Ilhan spoke to her. But it took a special person to be as carefree as Carma. She knew, she would never be like that. She thought too much about the problems ahead.
Carma's house was located in the outer parts of the village, not too far away from the castle itself, residing near the coast. Jenna got a lovely view on the lighthouse from there, next to it the large archive. She had never entered it, but knew that it was mainly built underground, it's tunnels reaching far below Raylansfair. She knew that not even a third of the stories about it were close to be true, much to her relief. Carma's house was small, fitting to a tailor and a servicewoman, a single-story building located directly on the main street that lead to Raylansfairs centre. Even before they reached the door, it was opened and a man stepped out, not very tall but quite muscular, with fair skin and dark brown hair. He quickly walked up to Carma, hugging her tightly and gaving her a gentle kiss. “I'm glad you're back”, Jenna heard him whisper, before the man looked at her. His face dropped. “You... You're Jenna Harking, right?”, he asked. She had never met him before, but from what Carma and her father had told her she would have recognized Urid Strad immediately. Just as he obviously recognized her. She gave him a nod and he gave her a sad smile in return.
“This... this is probably not a good time to ask... but do you know anything about your father?”, he asked. “Because... well, we haven't seen him for a while. Phillip is currently talking to the city guard about this. But, well, maybe you know anything about it” He took a short and insecure step towards her and she shook her head. “I don't know more than you do”, she whispered. “Ser... Lord Harris promised me to look for him”
Carma gave Jenna a bright smile before looking at Urid. “And I'm sure they will find him. Anyway, you can see how shaken Jenna is. She will stay at our house for a while, at least for the night”, she explained. Urid raised his brows. “At least? But what is with your work? This Lady Carma is talking about, she won't be too thrilled when you stay away from your work”, he said. Lady Halla... Jenna hadn't thought about her reaction. Surely she would be angry. Oh yes, she would be very angry. Another good reason to stay away for a longer while. Maybe that wasn't all that bad.
Urid did not answer immediately, instead he gave Jenna a short hug first. “It's alright. Stay as long as you want. Your father is a good friend and I owe him to keep you safe as long as you want. Come in, you have to meet the kids”, he said. Jenna gave him a heartfelt smile and followed him and Carma into the house.
The Strad's house was nothing special. Her father's farm was larger, but it was also built for more people. Jenna could clearly tell that this house was built with only two people in mind. It was simple, small, but also quite pretty. The perfection Carma showed during her work apparently also caused her to keep her own house clean. Next to the main room, a small room with a central table and a fireplace, Jenna counted three rooms. Out of one of these rooms, a young boy entered the room, excitedly running towards Carma. “Mother! Mother!”, he shouted, jumping into her arms. “I missed you”, he giggled, as Carma hugged him tightly. A girl, looking not older than the boy, followed him into the room, and while she seemed to be far less wild, she seemed not less enthusiastic about seeing her mother back. She walked up to Carma and got a big hug of her own. The boy gave Jenna a shy smile. “Mother, who is this?”, he asked.
A blissful smile appeared on Carma's face as she answered. “Farrel, this is Jenna Harking, my friend from my work at the castle. Jenna, these are Farrel and Mickaela, my wonderful kids”, she explained. Farrel gave her a wink. “Hello...”, he said with a friendly, but certainly shy voice. Mickaela did not say anything at first, but also gave Jenna a friendly smile before walking up to her. “You work at the castle? Do they have dragons there? Mother always says no, but I don't believe her”, she said with a curious expression on her face. “And what is your job? Are you a soldier? Or do you do the stuff mother does? You know, the boring stuff”
Carma let out a loud laugh. “Mickaela!”, she said with feigned sternness. “Jenna just arrived. You can ask her later. First I will show her where she can sleep. And then, I'll look after my baby”
Urid gave his wife a loving smile. “Yack is asleep right now. You won't believe how exhausting he can be”, he chuckled, to which Carma gave him a short glare. “Well, I was the one who gave birth to him, my love”, she answered, before looking at Jenna. “Come on. We have a small bed in the storeroom. It's not much, but still... We made it for Urid's brother, but he hasn't visited us so far”
Carma entered one of the three rooms and Jenna followed her. The room was obviously a storeroom and surprisingly large. Jenna saw a small bed, indeed not much, but more than she even expected. She would have been content to sleep on the floor and felt a heartfelt wave of thankfulness. “Thank you Carma”, she said. “For everything”
Her friend did not answer at first and only gave her a warm smile. Jenna sat down on the bed, Carma next to her and started to unpack her few belongings. Just to be sure that she hadn't left anything of value at the castle. There was her small purse... her hairbrush... the small knife her father gave her so that she was able to protect herself... her mother's... oh no! One particular thing was missing from the bundle. She left her mother's valuable wedding ring! She was certain that she had put it into the bundle, but it wasn't there. Maybe it fell out, there was no other explanation. She gave Carma an alarmed look.
“I have to go back to the castle!”, she exclaimed. There was no way she would leave her mother's ring in there. Lady Halla would take it and sell it as a punishment for Jenna staying away from work, she knew it! Carma gave her an irritated look. “What? Jenna, don't be ridiculous. Why do you want to go back now?”, she asked. Jenna gulped and had to look away. “My mother's wedding ring. I can't leave it there Carma, I won't”, she explained. Other people would have laughed about her stupidity. Carma only gave her a bright smile. “Don't be ridiculous Jenna. You are shaken and you just arrived here. I will go for you. Let me just look after Yack for a moment, then I'll go back to the castle to get your ring. Not a problem for me and you are a guest after all. I insist”, she smiled.
Jenna gave her a thankful, but also slightly worried look. Carma was too kind to her. Could she really burden her with the long walk? This would take some time and Carma only had a few hours with her family before going back to work. On the other hand, Jenna was tired. But she couldn't leave the ring in the castle!
[Let Carma go] [Go yourself]
Kersea
She closed her eyes. Wolfius knew. It was impossible, she had been careful. But still, the look in his eyes told her everything. He was harder to read than most people, but Kersea was quite talented when it came to reading them. Somehow, he had found out. Lying was pointless. She just hoped that Clayton wouldn't find out. Damn him. Damn her. Damn her soft heart. She spared the man in a fit of mercy. Her list was long enough already. She never wanted to take another life. But now her sister would pay the price for it. Kersea knew, after all these years she still had too much of her old self left to be strong enough, to do what had to be done and she hated herself for it. It was still too hard for her to kill, after all these years in which she had been barely more than Clayton's dog... Damn her soft heart! She should have killed Harking!
“I've never killed him”, she whispered, noticing that Alysanne's face dropped, while Wolfius stayed calm. Of course he stayed calm. “Seven Hells, Kersea?”, Alysanne muttered, raising an eyebrow. “You... spared him? What in the actual fuck is wrong with you? That was an order”
Kersea gulped. Not the whole truth. She would not tell Alysanne about the man in Braavos she spared. Or about the merchant from the Vale. Yes, she should know better. But just as Wolfius couldn't go against his nature and stop killing people, Kersea couldn't go against her nature. She tried. She tried it hard. Killing like it was nothing. But then again, she would never let break her spirit. She would never let them win. She would never be a killer.
“Technically, his orders were to leave Harking in the woods to the wolves. I have not defied against his will. But... but I thought why should I have the whole fun? The wolves would deserve their share of him too, I guess”, she lied through her teeth. She was always good at lying and Alysanne was always bad at reading people. Kersea saw it in her face. She believed her and seemed to be quite happy with it. “A little rabbit, eaten by wolves. May the Seven have mercy on his stupid soul. Still, you really need a taste for the kill. It's more personal this way. And way more fun, especially when you hear them begging not to put your blade into this special spot...”, she said and a blissful smile appeared on her face. It filled Kersea with sadness. Alysanne was broken, probably beyond repair. But seeing how far she was truly gone always came as a shock. It always showed Kersea how far she could come herself. How far she would come herself one day, if she continued to walk down this path. Yes, she would never allow Clayton or Butterfly to break her. But maybe that wasn't even necessary. Maybe she was on her way to break herself. Caring became harder with every kill.
Wolfius did not believe her, not one second and she had no illusions about that. But he hadn't told Alysanne or Clayton so far... was he planning something? So far, Wolfius had struck her as little more than an animal, barely able to suppress his nature long enough to live among them. Sure, he and Butterfly shared similar interests, but she doubted that they had some sort of friendship. Seeing someone like him obviously planning something worried her. She knew some of the sick plans Butterfly had planned out and suspected Wolfius to be capable of even worse. But she forced herself to give him a smile. “Is everything alright, Wolfius?”, she asked. He smiled back, a cold and emotionless mask of a smile. “Always, Kersea. Though that explains why I couldn't find him later, when I was hungry”, he hissed and Kersea's smile was gone in a second. Hungry? He did not just imply...
Before she could continue to think this truly horrifying thought, the sound of footsteps down the stairway drew her attention. For once, she was quite glad that Clayton was there. She did not want to think about it. Wolfius... No! Gods, No! That was sick, even for him!
Clayton gave her a stilted smile and waved with two small pieces of paper. “A raven from Oldtown. New orders from Butterfly. Two people will die tonight”, he said softly, almost casually. Two people. No big deal for him. And for her?
Clayton gave Wolfius a look. “You got the dagger from the blacksmith?”, he asked. Wolfius gave him a short nod and reached into the depths of his overcoat, pulling out a fine silver dagger, on the hilt the sigil of House Hoare. Kersea didn't knew why Butterfly wanted to frame the Ironborn, but knew she didn't care. She was surrounded by monsters, with monstrous reasons and on her best way to become a monster herself. She had to care about the important things. Two people were going to die tonight...
“Kersea, this will be your target. You will kill her with the dagger. And then you will leave the dagger, but make it look like an accident. Maybe in some poor guards throat, I don't really care how you do it. Just, don't fail me”, he explained, handing her one of the pieces. Kersea took a look on it and her face almost got sorrowul for a moment. Another name on her list... Whoever this Halla Peddle was, Kersea was sure she did nothing to deserve death. Very few people would deserve death. Butterfly. Clayton. Wolfius. Maybe herself, once all of this was done... Yes, maybe she would deserve death herself, maybe as soon as she stopped caring. But there would be nobody left who could give it to her. At least her sister would be safe, that was the only thing that really mattered. Two people were going to die tonight and Kersea wouldn't show mercy. Not this time. Harking was too much mercy and almost got her into trouble. Two people. Two more names on her list.
Clayton looked at her, his forced smile starting to get on her nerves. “You understood everything, Kersea?”, he asked. She gave him a nod.“Good. Don't fuck this up. Your target has to die and you have to use this special dagger”, he explained. Once again. Why did he always explain it twice to her? She wasn't stupid!
Clayton handed a second note to Wolfius. “This will be your target and her room in the castle. She has to die too, but do with her as you like”, he said. Wolfius looked at the note and let out a howling laugh. “Harking! Didn't knew he had a daughter! Trust me Clayton, I will enjoy this...” His smile seemed to be as genuine as possible for him. Yes, Kersea had no doubt that he would enjoy this. Harking's daughter... poor girl. Wolfius would likely forget her once he moved on to his next target. But Kersea would remember.
Alysanne seemed to be slightly aghast. “Wait... You send Kersea and Wolfius on a mission? What is with me? I'm here for two fucking weeks and haven't tasted a single kill yet. You got the Maester and the old lord, Wolfius got this random bitch in the streets and Kersea got the rabbit”, she protested and gave Clayton a furious look. The man sighed and put his right hand on her shoulder. “Alysanne, my dear, I need you to do something else. It does not involve killing, but it is very important. We will go on a short trip, you and I”, he explained. Alysanne shrugged. “Whatever you say, Clayton. But I want to get the next kill”, she moaned.
Clayton did not respond to her, instead he looked at Kersea and Wolfius. “I put my trust in you. Both of these targets need to die, Butterfly was very specific here. Screw this up and he will be displeased”, he explained. Wolfius gave him a smile. “Sure he will. But I don't do this for him. This will be for my pleasure alone. Jenna Harking... I wonder if there are any more of these Harkings to kill”, he hissed, before looking at Kersea.
“You don't want to screw up for your sweet sisters sake, isn't it?”, he asked. Kersea gave him a short nod. “Well then... two targets and we have the whole night to kill them... Why don't we work together? I'll help you killing your bitch. And you give me time to have my fun with little Jenna for hours”, he smiled. Kersea gave him a slightly disgusted look. Wolfius' definition of fun did not only imply rape... No, he was into far more depraved things. Still... working with him? He was capable. He could be a valuable ally to make sure the mission would succeed. For her sister...
Jenna Harking... another name for her list. Another name, another regret.
[Agree to work with Wolfius] [Decline to work with Wolfius]
[Let Carma go]
[Agree to work with Wolfius]
[Go yourself] Not putting the Strad´s in danger
[Agree to work with Wolfius] She could stop him of killing Jenna
Awesome Chapter!!!
[Go yourself]
[Agree to work with Wolfius]
[go yourself]
[agree to work with wolfius]
[go yourself]
[agree to work with Wolfius]
great chapter!