If my choice caused Leonard's choice....I...I don't know how I would react. This story is almost a year old (sidebar today is my half-birthd… moreay and 1st anniversary on the forums) and losing him would make me lose it.
At the same time, I feel like you wouldn't tease Leonard's death. You didn't exactly tease Lunett's death, which made all the more shocking and that whole episode, so I feel like it's Davith or Sasha. I feel like the other half of the chapter finale will be a Jenna part.
Oh shit not Davith fuck kill Samantha. (Which would be interesting since the only PoV you have killed so far was Eaton it would seem very much like GoT.)
(sidebar today is my half-birthday and 1st anniversary on the forums)
Happy half-birthday and happy 1st forum anniversary
At … morethe same time, I feel like you wouldn't tease Leonard's death. You didn't exactly tease Lunett's death, which made all the more shocking and that whole episode, so I feel like it's Davith or Sasha.
I was actually afraid I teased Lunett's death too much, since you called it pretty early in Chapter 4 that she was a strong possibility for the character you doomed when you refused to send Samantha to Oldtown. As for the next Samantha part, no one will be safe and I will try my best not to make the wait for it too long.
I feel like the other half of the chapter finale will be a Jenna part.
Maybe. She's a good possibility. I won't confirm the second PoV until I start writing the chapter finale. However, the events that will happen in this second half are events that have been planned for many months now and I am highly excited that I finally get the chance to write them.
Honestly it could just be Samantha and co escape and kill some guards on there way he didn't actually say major character or any character at all he just said death.
If my choice caused Leonard's choice....I...I don't know how I would react. This story is almost a year old (sidebar today is my half-birthd… moreay and 1st anniversary on the forums) and losing him would make me lose it.
At the same time, I feel like you wouldn't tease Leonard's death. You didn't exactly tease Lunett's death, which made all the more shocking and that whole episode, so I feel like it's Davith or Sasha. I feel like the other half of the chapter finale will be a Jenna part.
(sidebar today is my half-birthday and 1st anniversary on the forums)
Happy half-birthday and happy 1st forum anniversary
At … morethe same time, I feel like you wouldn't tease Leonard's death. You didn't exactly tease Lunett's death, which made all the more shocking and that whole episode, so I feel like it's Davith or Sasha.
I was actually afraid I teased Lunett's death too much, since you called it pretty early in Chapter 4 that she was a strong possibility for the character you doomed when you refused to send Samantha to Oldtown. As for the next Samantha part, no one will be safe and I will try my best not to make the wait for it too long.
I feel like the other half of the chapter finale will be a Jenna part.
Maybe. She's a good possibility. I won't confirm the second PoV until I start writing the chapter finale. However, the events that will happen in this second half are events that have been planned for many months now and I am highly excited that I finally get the chance to write them.
My apologies for not posting this part yesterday. Once again, it got unexpectedly busy and it took me until today to finish it. But here it is and I hope you enjoy it
Jaron
Jaron let out a sigh. There was no other way to put it, he screwed up this time. “Fucking Bakr...”, he mumbled once more, before he looked down at Harpy. For a moment, he contemplated about waking her up, but ultimately, he decided against it. After what happened today, it was probably better to let her sleep. With a sigh, he looked through the doors inside. He saw Bakr, still sitting at the fire and he narrowed his eyes as he stormed back into the room.
The Ghiscari's mouth formed a wide, goofy smile as he gave Jaron a nod. “My friend!”, he greeted him. “You're back inside rather quickly and... rather alone. Is everything alright?” Jaron shook his head. “No, it isn't”, he hissed. “She's fucking asleep” Bakr's grin faded, replaced by an apologetic look. “Well... that was not supposed to happen”, he mumbled. “I... I guess I am sorry” A worried expression flashed across his face. “You mentioned the Burned Man wants to talk to her...”
Jaron gave him a nod. “Indeed he wants to”, he confirmed. “But it looks like he has to wait for a while longer, because I'm certainly not going to wake her up” For a moment, Bakr's goofy grin returned. “Eh, clever boy”, he complimented him. “In this world, there's nothing more terrible than the wrath of a woman you woke up. Look, I can confirm it” He rolled up the sleeve of his trousers, revealing a long, deep scar that went all over his lower leg. “My wife did this when I woke her up once”
“You're married?”, Jaron asked, while he looked around for a blanket he could bring outside. Bakr gave him a nod. “Was married. It did not work out”, he chuckled. “I can't imagine why”, Jaron answered, as he finally found a warm-looking blanket lying on the floor. “I'm going to bring her a blanket”
Bakr narrowed his eyes as he scratched his bald head. “My former wife?”, he asked and Jaron raised his eyebrows. “Harpy”, he clarified and Bakr's grin returned. “Ah, now, that makes a lot more sense”, he chuckled. “But... just to clarify. Bringing her a blanket means exactly that? It's not how they are calling it in Westeros, right?”
“Calling it in...”, Jaron started, before he understood what Bakr was talking about. “Seven Hells!” He pointed a finger at Bakr. “You have a problem” Bakr burst into a snorting laughter, as he took a deep gulp from the bottle of wine he held in his hands. “You sound just like Abbas, my friend. Give Harpy my regards”, he grinned.
“I make no promises”, Jaron answered with annoyance. With these words, he left the Ghiscari behind, as he stepped out into the cold night again. As expected, Harpy was still lying on the bench, sound asleep. A smile flashed across Jaron's face as he put the blanket over her body. For a moment, he just looked at her, before he turned around, facing the city. “Perhaps it's better that way...”, he mumbled. “It was a busy day, for all of us. Just sleep for a while, we can talk later”
“I'm not asleep, you dolt”, Harpy mumbled in return, causing Jaron to turn around, his face turning bright red. She had opened her eyes, an impish grin on her face. “But... but... you...”, Jaron stuttered. “Why?”
This time, Harpy sat up curling into the blanket, as she let out a loud yawn. “Because your reaction was hilarious”, she answered. "Totally worth it" Jaron gulped, a sheepish smile on his face. “How much have you heard?”, he asked and Harpy slightly shrugged, while making room on the bench for him. “Enough”, she chuckled. “Fucking Bakr, eh? I always thought you and Martin had this special connection”
While Jaron sat down to her left, he slightly moved his head into her direction, as confusion slowly turned into embarrassment. “I... what? No. No, just no!”, he protested, causing Harpy to let out a bright laugh. “Why are we even talking about this?”, Jaron continued and Harpy raised an eyebrow. “You wanted to talk about something”, she answered and Jaron shook his head. “But not about... seven hells, not about me and... ugh, and Martin!”, he clarified, which caused Harpy to laugh even louder. “Jaron, you're adorable”, she grinned.
“And you are... are you drunken, mylady?”, Jaron asked. Harpy's grin faded almost as quickly as it came and she slowly shook his head. “Not even nearly as much as I'd like to be”, she explained and let out a sigh. Jaron pressed his lips together and for a moment, he thought about putting his arm around her. Ultimately, he decided against it, but he still felt the need to say something. “About today...”, he started.
“Today was not a good day”, Harpy cut him off. “I know, I should feel good right now. Butterfly is dead, but I don't feel like I've won” Jaron softly looked at her, while she stared bleakly at the city below them. “Is it about the way he died?”, he asked and she gave him a slow nod. “You know he deserved this. What you told me about him... You can't feel bad for him, can you?”
“I don't feel bad for Butterfly. He got exactly the painful death he deserved”, Harpy growled coldly. “It's just... I told myself all these years that I wouldn't let him change who I am. Back at the warehouse though... Sure, killing him was necessary, but what I did was a horrible, bloody thing, no matter how much he deserved it. It wasn't befitting of me and... I'm not sure if I can come back from this”
“You feel ashamed”, Jaron deduced and she gave him a short nod. “I guess I do”, she answered. “Butterfly got what he deserved, but it feels like an empty victory. In the end, a part of me even thinks he won after all”
Jaron raised his arm, for a moment, contemplating about putting it around her, before he decided against it. “No”, he said sternly. “Don't even start thinking like that. Perhaps, what you did to Butterfly took it too far. But that doesn't change who you are. I mean... not really, at least. You will remember it, but it won't change who you are” A hopeful smile appeared on his face, while a curious look appeared on hers. “You're still a good person”
Harpy bit her lower lip, slowly shaking her head. “And that is where you are wrong”, she clarified. “I am many things, but I am neither arrogant, nor stupid. I know, I am definitely not the perfect example of a good person. Don't be ridiculous”
“You're selling yourself short”, Jaron urged her. “You're compassionate, kind, caring...” He was going to continue, but Harpy cut him off. “Vengeful, irritable, short-tempered”, she hissed. “Trust me, I'm a realist. I know what I am and what I am not. And calling me a good person is ridiculous”
“Surely you can't mean that you are a bad person”, Jaron answered and Harpy let out a sigh. “Of course I'm not. I hope so, at least. But in this world, very few people are truly good or truly bad. I thought your time with the Burned Man showed you that much”, she explained. Jaron frowned at her words, “I always liked to see myself as more good than bad. But after the warehouse, I think I'm a bit closer to the bad side. And that was Butterfly's victory. A small victory, but a victory nonetheless”
Despite the warm blanket that was wrapped around her, Jaron saw that she was shivering, most likely not because of the cold. “If your actions in the warehouse brought you closer to the bad side, perhaps you can counterbalance it again, by doing something good”, he tried to cheer her up. Harpy raised her head, her dark eyes looking at him with a strange expression. A hopeful smirk appeared on her face. “That's a sweet way of thinking, Jaron”, she said. “Maybe you even got a point”
For a moment, they both smiled at each other and Harpy let out a pleased sigh. “It looks like I was wrong. About you, you know”, she revealed. Jaron gave her a curious look. “What do you mean?”, he asked. Harpy's smirk got a bit wider. “I thought you were naive. Inexperienced. Nothing more than an ivory tower knight in shining armour”, she explained. Jaron shook his head. “I think I was. After the warehouse, I'm not so sure anymore. Just like you're ashamed at what you did, I'm ashamed because I let you”, he sighed.
Harpy looked away from him again, towards the city. “I'm sorry for what happened today. It seems, Butterfly changed us both, in the end”, she mumbled, before she let out a frustrated sigh. “Enough of this. I... thank you for what you said, but... I don't want to talk about Butterfly anymore and I doubt you wanted to talk about him in the first place. He is dead and he deserves to be forgotten”
For a moment, they both stayed silent, looking at the city and the stars. “Despite all that happened today, it's still a beautiful night”, Harpy said, a tired smile on her face. “You're...”, Jaron started, before he cut himself off. No, that line would be horrible! “You're right”, he corrected himself and Harpy raised an eyebrow. “Looks like I'm right”, she agreed and let out an awkward chuckle.
“You know...”, he said to change the topic, while he avoided to look her in the eyes. “There's one thing I always asked myself. You were born in slavery, right?” Harpy's smile faded, replaced by a distant expression. “Let's just talk about Butterfly again, shall we?”, she muttered and Jaron shook his head. “No. It's a harmless question. I hope so, at least”, he assured her. Harpy sighed, before she gave him a nod. “Fine. Ask your question”
“The thing is... you once told me that your... your master never gave you a name”, Jaron started, unsure how he should continue this question. “Does that mean, you named yourself?” Finally, Harpy's sullen expression faded and she started to smile again, although the smile seemed to be strained, perhaps a bit forced. “I suppose it does”, she answered.
“So... why have you named yourself after a monster?”, Jaron asked bluntly and Harpy let out an amused chuckle. “Oh Jaron, look at you. An Andal from tip to toe”, she answered with a mocking tone “I am Ghiscari. In the ruins of our empire, the Harpy is not seen as a monster, but as a symbol of power, of freedom. She bows to no one”
She let out a sigh. “To make it short, it used to be a nickname. It was the Burned Man's nickname for me, back when I first met him. It was his way of giving a meek little child some sense of self-worth. After Yunkai, it kinda stuck”, she explained. “But it's actually just a name like any other. Perhaps a bit unusual, but I don't think either of us is in a position to judge unusual names, ain't that right, Ser Bastard?”
Jaron chuckled at her words, slightly shaking her head. “You have a point, Mylady Harpy”, he admitted and made the mistake of slightly moving his broken arm in the wrong way. A pained expression flashed over his face and Harpy looked at him with worry. “So... there's something else, Jaron”, she muttered. “What I did to Butterfly, it's not the only thing I am ashamed of. Even worse is what I did to you and to Robb”
Robb... Jaron had tried not to think too much about the sellsword in the past hours. Robb gave his live to save theirs, despite everything that happened between them. “Robb was a good man”, he stated and Harpy shook her head. “He wasn't even close to be a good man”, she corrected him. “But he was a lot better than I thought and... perhaps I should have been better to him. I made a lot of mistakes with Robb” She looked up, glancing at Jaron, specifically at his arm. “And you... Butterfly gave you a chance to save your live and you decided to fight him instead”
Jaron smiled at her, noticing that she did not smile back. “It wasn't a choice”, he answered. “He would have tortured you and I...” He cut himself off, his smile fading. “Have you honestly thought I could be capable of such a thing?”, he asked and she gave him a guilty nod. “Most of the men I know would have accepted the offer”, she answered.
“Even Martin?”, Jaron asked. “Even Martin”, Harpy confirmed. “Although he would have been decent enough to feel bad about it. It's just... in this city, it's rare to encounter selflessness, which makes what you did even more outstanding. And I'm afraid I can never repay this debt”
“Repay?”, Jaron asked, slightly agitated. “Harpy, do you honestly think I want to be repaid, because I chose to save your life? I didn't do it for a reward, but because it was the right thing. I did it for you!” He realized that he had said these last words louder than he intended and a look of genuine confusion was on her face.
“For me...”, she mumbled, her voice gaining sharpness as she continued to speak. “You are a dolt! You barely know me and still you almost sacrificed your life for me” She shook her head in utter disbelief, before she continued, almost talking to herself. “Sure, we had a few nice conversations, we got along well, more than well perhaps, but I never thought you could... are all knights like you? So selfless? So brave? So... admirable?”
“Well, I think I'm special”, Jaron quipped and a shy smile appeared on Harpy's face. “I know you are”, she answered, before she cleared her throat, glancing at the city again. “So... how is your arm?”
Jaron slightly looked at his broken limb, opening and closing the hand a few times. It hurt, but it could have been worse. It would take time, but he would recover from it. “I can keep it for a little longer”, he chuckled and she shook her head in playful annoyance. “Not funny!”, she hissed. “You could have been hurt” Her face dropped as she realized what she just said. “I mean... I mean, you could have been hurt even more! You could have lost your arm”
“I could have lost you”, Jaron answered sternly and she looked at him, genuinely baffled. “You...”, she muttered. “You could have... You mean, you...” He gave her a nod and took a deep breath. “I like you, Harpy. I care for you. A lot. In the... in the romantic way”, he said and suppressed the urge to facepalm at his own clumsiness. “I know, we don't know each other for a long time, but that doesn't change how I feel” He paused for a moment and let out a sigh. Now he said it and it was too late to return. “Of course, I can understand if you don't feel the same”
“Don't feel the same?”, Harpy asked. The look on her face, aside from being completely and honestly stunned, meant the world for him. The hint of a genuine smile formed on it, before she answered. “A girl, born into slavery, raised into a life of crime, in a city where selflessness is treated as a sin, gets saved by a dashing knight who risks his own life for her. Tell me, how could the girl not feel the same?”
While she said this, she slowly moved closer, until she accidentally touched his left arm. The sudden pain that flashed through his body caused Jaron to groan in agony, while Harpy almost jumped back in surprise. “Oh shit...”, she mumbled, even though the pain was gone almost as quickly as it came. “Oh shit! I... damn it, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...” She cut herself off as she finally noticed that Jaron's pained groan quickly turned into an amused chuckle. “Harpy, you're adorable”, he grinned and she narrowed her eyes. “That is... shit, I was trying to be romantic!”, she protested, although she soon joined in on his chuckle. “That went not as planned”
“Nothing does”, Jaron stated as he put his healthy arm around her, while she moved closer, resting her head on his shoulder. “Almost nothing”, she agreed with a soft smile. “But on the positive side, I doubt there's anything that could ruin this moment for me now...” She moved closer and just as Jaron leaned in to kiss her, a deep, slightly embarrassed cough behind them caused both to turn around, while Harpy hastily moved away from him again.
“I hope I'm not interrupting anything”, Abbas stated with a sarcastic grin, seemingly not noticing the glare Harpy and Jaron both gave him. “Abbas, what are you doing here?”, Harpy asked, her voice sounding dangerously calm. Abbas grin got even wider as he looked from her to Jaron. “Oh, you know. The Burned Man wants to talk to you, mylady, and he does not like to wait”
“I see”, Harpy growled. “Then you can tell him 'Já si hojgá oa gundja'!” The transition to her guttural Ghiscari mother tongue happened almost flawless and even though Jaron didn't understand a word she said, her inflection and Abbas amused reaction made her intentions clear. “I'm going to say this to him with pleasure, mylady”, Abbas promised, before he moved closer, taking a deep breath as he looked at the city below him. “But it's indeed a beautiful night. I can't blame you for spending your time out here. Do you mind if I keep you company?”
Harpy and Jaron exchanged an irritated glance, before Harpy opened her mouth again. “Abbas...”, she hissed calmly without moving her eyes away from Jaron. “Get back inside. Now!” Finally, she glared at Abbas, whose grin faded. To Jaron's surprise, it was replaced by something that resembled a genuine smile. “So, you're that serious about each other, huh?”, he asked, glanced at Jaron and winked at him. “Perhaps I should congratulate you”
“Perhaps you should fuck off”, Harpy snarled and Abbas gave her a nod. “I wish you a good night”, he said, sounding surprisingly honest for the first time since Jaron met him, before he turned around and indeed went back inside.
“I think he just winked at me...”, Harpy muttered as she looked at the door that lead inside, slightly shaking in disgust. “Seven Hells, he just winked at me! Creepy! Creepy! Ugh...” A chuckle forced its way out of her throat. “I shouldn't have called it. There's always a way to make things worse. At least it's not...” Before she could continue, Jaron cut her off by leaning in and kissing her on the lips.
The kiss was longer and more passionate than Jaron had expected. When Harpy finally separated from him, she was smiling brightly, while she slowly opened her eyes. “Perhaps not exactly the perfect moment you imagined, right?”, Jaron asked and she rested her head on his shoulder. “Oh, this couldn't have been any more perfect”, she mumbled without sarcasm, while she smiled and looked at the distance. “Nothing could have ruined it for me” For a moment, she narrowed her eyes glaring at the sky. “I swear, if it starts to rain now...”
The tone in her voice was enough for Jaron to burst into laughter, into which she soon joined in. “What is it the Burned Man wants to discuss with me?”, Harpy finally asked calmly, while Jaron gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Our next step in the war. Apparently, we fight against the Tom now”, he explained and Harpy let out a frustrated noise. “The Tom... if there's any man in this city who can be as cruel as Butterfly, it's him”, she said. “I wonder if we won anything by killing Butterfly. The war still continues and I start to wonder if there's even a way to end it”
“One day it will be over”, Jaron tried to reassure her in a hopeful, optimistic tone. An unconvinced smile flashed over Harpy's face. “I wonder if we'll be there to see it”, she muttered and Jaron rested his head against hers.“We will make it”, he promised. “You and me, we will survive whatever this city throws at us” He knew, she was afraid of the future and deep down, so was he. He didn't want this moment to end, but off course he knew it couldn't last forever. Sooner or later, the war would catch up to them. Perhaps they would survive, perhaps not. But as he sat there, with her lying in his arms, the present was the only thing that mattered for him. For the first time since he arrived in Oldtown, perhaps even for the first time since his mentor died, Jaron felt nothing but peace and happiness. Neither of them said a word for a long while, as they just lay close to each other, watching the nightly sky above them as the black slowly turned to blue.
My apologies for not posting this part yesterday. Once again, it got unexpectedly busy and it took me until today to finish it. But here it … moreis and I hope you enjoy it
Jaron
Jaron let out a sigh. There was no other way to put it, he screwed up this time. “Fucking Bakr...”, he mumbled once more, before he looked down at Harpy. For a moment, he contemplated about waking her up, but ultimately, he decided against it. After what happened today, it was probably better to let her sleep. With a sigh, he looked through the doors inside. He saw Bakr, still sitting at the fire and he narrowed his eyes as he stormed back into the room.
The Ghiscari's mouth formed a wide, goofy smile as he gave Jaron a nod. “My friend!”, he greeted him. “You're back inside rather quickly and... rather alone. Is everything alright?” Jaron shook his head. “No, it isn't”, he hissed. “She's fucking asleep” Bakr's grin faded, replaced by an apologetic look. “Well..… [view original content]
My apologies for not posting this part yesterday. Once again, it got unexpectedly busy and it took me until today to finish it. But here it … moreis and I hope you enjoy it
Jaron
Jaron let out a sigh. There was no other way to put it, he screwed up this time. “Fucking Bakr...”, he mumbled once more, before he looked down at Harpy. For a moment, he contemplated about waking her up, but ultimately, he decided against it. After what happened today, it was probably better to let her sleep. With a sigh, he looked through the doors inside. He saw Bakr, still sitting at the fire and he narrowed his eyes as he stormed back into the room.
The Ghiscari's mouth formed a wide, goofy smile as he gave Jaron a nod. “My friend!”, he greeted him. “You're back inside rather quickly and... rather alone. Is everything alright?” Jaron shook his head. “No, it isn't”, he hissed. “She's fucking asleep” Bakr's grin faded, replaced by an apologetic look. “Well..… [view original content]
My apologies for not posting this part yesterday. Once again, it got unexpectedly busy and it took me until today to finish it. But here it … moreis and I hope you enjoy it
Jaron
Jaron let out a sigh. There was no other way to put it, he screwed up this time. “Fucking Bakr...”, he mumbled once more, before he looked down at Harpy. For a moment, he contemplated about waking her up, but ultimately, he decided against it. After what happened today, it was probably better to let her sleep. With a sigh, he looked through the doors inside. He saw Bakr, still sitting at the fire and he narrowed his eyes as he stormed back into the room.
The Ghiscari's mouth formed a wide, goofy smile as he gave Jaron a nod. “My friend!”, he greeted him. “You're back inside rather quickly and... rather alone. Is everything alright?” Jaron shook his head. “No, it isn't”, he hissed. “She's fucking asleep” Bakr's grin faded, replaced by an apologetic look. “Well..… [view original content]
My apologies for not posting this part yesterday. Once again, it got unexpectedly busy and it took me until today to finish it. But here it … moreis and I hope you enjoy it
Jaron
Jaron let out a sigh. There was no other way to put it, he screwed up this time. “Fucking Bakr...”, he mumbled once more, before he looked down at Harpy. For a moment, he contemplated about waking her up, but ultimately, he decided against it. After what happened today, it was probably better to let her sleep. With a sigh, he looked through the doors inside. He saw Bakr, still sitting at the fire and he narrowed his eyes as he stormed back into the room.
The Ghiscari's mouth formed a wide, goofy smile as he gave Jaron a nod. “My friend!”, he greeted him. “You're back inside rather quickly and... rather alone. Is everything alright?” Jaron shook his head. “No, it isn't”, he hissed. “She's fucking asleep” Bakr's grin faded, replaced by an apologetic look. “Well..… [view original content]
Hehe, i liked how it turned out, good written as well... hopefully their relation will last some time before Mullendore will lay his hands on them with big "surprise" smile.
My apologies for not posting this part yesterday. Once again, it got unexpectedly busy and it took me until today to finish it. But here it … moreis and I hope you enjoy it
Jaron
Jaron let out a sigh. There was no other way to put it, he screwed up this time. “Fucking Bakr...”, he mumbled once more, before he looked down at Harpy. For a moment, he contemplated about waking her up, but ultimately, he decided against it. After what happened today, it was probably better to let her sleep. With a sigh, he looked through the doors inside. He saw Bakr, still sitting at the fire and he narrowed his eyes as he stormed back into the room.
The Ghiscari's mouth formed a wide, goofy smile as he gave Jaron a nod. “My friend!”, he greeted him. “You're back inside rather quickly and... rather alone. Is everything alright?” Jaron shook his head. “No, it isn't”, he hissed. “She's fucking asleep” Bakr's grin faded, replaced by an apologetic look. “Well..… [view original content]
Awnn this is the cutest part in the entire story so far. And that's never a good sign, if Harpy is going to get the 'Lunett' treatment, I'll honestly be frustrated at myself. I mean its bad enough we lost Lunett and now Harpy is definitely a target.
My apologies for not posting this part yesterday. Once again, it got unexpectedly busy and it took me until today to finish it. But here it … moreis and I hope you enjoy it
Jaron
Jaron let out a sigh. There was no other way to put it, he screwed up this time. “Fucking Bakr...”, he mumbled once more, before he looked down at Harpy. For a moment, he contemplated about waking her up, but ultimately, he decided against it. After what happened today, it was probably better to let her sleep. With a sigh, he looked through the doors inside. He saw Bakr, still sitting at the fire and he narrowed his eyes as he stormed back into the room.
The Ghiscari's mouth formed a wide, goofy smile as he gave Jaron a nod. “My friend!”, he greeted him. “You're back inside rather quickly and... rather alone. Is everything alright?” Jaron shook his head. “No, it isn't”, he hissed. “She's fucking asleep” Bakr's grin faded, replaced by an apologetic look. “Well..… [view original content]
It definitely wasn't a wise decision, not only because they killed the wrong guy. By now, even Harpy would agree that it was a serious mistake.However, there's the chance that it's going to do wonders to her personality in the long run, as I've hinted in this part. She definitely feels ashamed at what she did and probably learned an important lesson.
It definitely wasn't a wise decision, not only because they killed the wrong guy. By now, even Harpy would agree that it was a serious mista… moreke.However, there's the chance that it's going to do wonders to her personality in the long run, as I've hinted in this part. She definitely feels ashamed at what she did and probably learned an important lesson.
Well Mercy isn't a popular choice with people. Which i find to be bad since EVERY 'GOOD' character in Game of Thrones dies in the season in which they decide to not show mercy.
It makes me afraid for all the characters who have willingly denied it so far. Especially since we still haven't seen the backlash from killing that guy in the bar. I hope next time we have the choice it gets chosen.
It would probably be bad if we spared him, because he would then spy on us and none of us would be aware that he is not Butterfly. Of course we would find out sooner or later, but we will still find out with him dead. In my opinion, that would cause more harm than good.
It would probably be bad if we spared him, because he would then spy on us and none of us would be aware that he is not Butterfly. Of course… more we would find out sooner or later, but we will still find out with him dead. In my opinion, that would cause more harm than good.
That could be said for every choice though. There'll be some good and some bad to ever decision given. But it could be a good thing if he survived but it seemed as if Butterfly wanted Jaron to keep him alive.
Well i still think we should have spared him. Thought i don't think we'll regret it as much as killing the bar guy, i'm convinced that was a bad choice.
That could be said for every choice though. There'll be some good and some bad to ever decision given. But it could be a good thing if he survived but it seemed as if Butterfly wanted Jaron to keep him alive.
Okay, maybe I can say something more, now that I've calmed down First of all this was a very well written part! And I'm so happy to see Jaron have these happy moments. I'm not a fool however and I know this wont last long, but it's still nice. Jaron has had it pretty easy so far compared to many others so I'm a little afraid of what will the next chapters bring for him. gulp
My apologies for not posting this part yesterday. Once again, it got unexpectedly busy and it took me until today to finish it. But here it … moreis and I hope you enjoy it
Jaron
Jaron let out a sigh. There was no other way to put it, he screwed up this time. “Fucking Bakr...”, he mumbled once more, before he looked down at Harpy. For a moment, he contemplated about waking her up, but ultimately, he decided against it. After what happened today, it was probably better to let her sleep. With a sigh, he looked through the doors inside. He saw Bakr, still sitting at the fire and he narrowed his eyes as he stormed back into the room.
The Ghiscari's mouth formed a wide, goofy smile as he gave Jaron a nod. “My friend!”, he greeted him. “You're back inside rather quickly and... rather alone. Is everything alright?” Jaron shook his head. “No, it isn't”, he hissed. “She's fucking asleep” Bakr's grin faded, replaced by an apologetic look. “Well..… [view original content]
Really? I thought it was an obvious good dissension to kill. If he were to survive, then he would've ran back and told Butterfly Raenna was here to kick butt and take names. Now he only knows it is someone mysterious. No witnesses.
Well i still think we should have spared him. Thought i don't think we'll regret it as much as killing the bar guy, i'm convinced that was a bad choice.
Really? I thought it was an obvious good dissension to kill. If he were to survive, then he would've ran back and told Butterfly Raenna was here to kick butt and take names. Now he only knows it is someone mysterious. No witnesses.
With a smirk on his face, Clayton saw how the first of the attackers went to the ground. “She hit his shoulder. He'll live”, he mumbled in a relaxed tone. Kersea wasn't relaxed. She was anxious, barely able to look at the scenery. Instead she knelt behind Clayton, who couldn't get enough of what he saw. “She's doing a good job”, he chuckled. “I knew she was the right one for it” Again, he checked the string of his bow. Five arrows lay in front of him, their heads wrapped in linen, soaked in oil. A tiny brazier burned next to them, one small light in the evening.
“You're awfully calm for someone who just sent his friend to die”, Kersea remarked and Clayton looked over his shoulder, a smirk on his face. “Alysanne is not my friend”, he explained. “And neither is she your friend. Aside from that, I haven't sent her to die. Someone had to do this and Alysanne is the best when it comes to this” Kersea slowly shook her head. “I'm a better archer, you're better in close combat”, she corrected him.“And that makes her expendable”, Clayton stated and grabbed one of the arrows.
“You're shooting?”, Kersea asked and he gave her a nod. “Alysanne fucked them up royally by this time. With a bit of luck, she even finishes your job and kills Harking”, he answered. “Is she out already?”, Kersea continued to ask, only for Clayton to ignore her as he held the linen into the fire. “Clayton, is Alysanne out of the warehouse?”
Clayton slowly bent the bow as he took aim. “Clayton!”, she yelled at him. He glanced at her coldly, before he fired the arrow. The initial explosion when the fire hit the small lake of oil they had created in the warehouses ground floor was large enough for Kersea to feel the heat from at least twenty feet away. It was enough to send the warehouse ablaze, but not enough for it to crumble immediately.
“She better hurries”, Clayton remarked and Kersea froze in terror. “You... you mean, you just left her to die?”, she stuttered. Clayton gave her a cold nod. “I figured, the guardsmen have less of a chance if Alysanne fights her way out of that warehouse”, he growled. Kersea finally rushed to the edge of the roof, fully looking at the burning building. “She's afraid of fire...”, she mumbled. “She's going to burn to death!”
Clayton just shrugged indifferently. “She's more dangerous when she is in a panic”, he hissed. “And the more dangerous she is, the less likely it is that anyone gets out of there alive” He wanted to add something else, until he noticed that Kersea crouched dangerously close to the edge of the roof now, her hands clenched tightly around the tiles. “Including her, huh?”, she hissed, before she swung over the edge. For a moment, she dangled there, bending her legs to prepare for the fall. “Kersea, what are you doing?”, Clayton yelled, louder than she thought and finally, not calm anymore. She even heard the hint of worry in his voice. “Saving my friend”, she answered, before she let go of the tiles, dropping several feet down on the ground.
The landing wasn't elegant, but she was skilled enough not to hurt herself. She spun around, looking at the burning warehouse. Somehow, she had to get to the roof. She remembered the skylight. This would be her way in. That Alysanne was even in there was her fault in the first place. She had told herself it wasn't cowardice, told herself she only did it for her sister, but deep down, Kersea knew she couldn't hide behind this forever. She mostly did it for herself, because she had been afraid. Right now, she wasn't afraid. She was determined to get her friend out of there, by all means.
The warehouse wasn't an architectural masterpiece. It was slightly crooked and on one side, the roof wasn't as high as on the other. This was the side Kersea was running to. As much as she hated him, she had to give Clayton credit this time. He had planned for such a case. A few crates, piled up against the wall, were a perfect way up to the roof for an experienced climber. It only took her a moment, until she pulled herself up over the edge.
The roof wasn't empty. Two guardsmen stood on it, armed with crossbows. In any other situation, Kersea would have tried to avoid killing them. Now, she knew she couldn't hesitate, especially not as they pointed their crossbow down the skylight. Completely focussed on what they saw down the skylight, they did not see her coming. With an often-trained movement, Kersea slit the first man's throat and pushed her dagger into the second man's eye as he looked up.
Finally, she looked down the skylight, seeing Alysanne clinging onto a large beam, the ground below her quickly consumed by fire. Her left arm was dangling freely, the skin on it red and blistered. Tears of pain were flowing down her face, but the look in her eyes was one of genuine surprise. “Come on, get up!”, Kersea yelled as she reached down to her. “I'm not leaving you behind!”
Despite the pain she was in, Alysanne managed to grab Kersea's arm with her own wounded arm and she let out an agonizing groan as Kersea harshly pulled her upwards. Breathing heavily, she barely managed to stand after Kersea finally pulled her up. “Why... did you come back?”, she gasped. Kersea did not answer. There was no time to waste, especially as she heard a cracking sound that could only mean that the roof was about to give in. “Can you run?”, she asked and Alysanne gave her a weak nod. Her running, as it turned out, was more of a limping and Kersea basically had to drag her to the edge of the roof. She looked down and to her horror, she realized that the fire had already started to consume the crates she used to get up there.
“Looks like we have to jump”, she growled and Alysanne shook her head. “I can't do it”, she mumbled and Kersea knew, she had a point. With her wounds, a safe landing was basically impossible. Even worse, Kersea herself would risk serious injuries if she would dare to jump down together with Alysanne. “Just leave me, puppy”, Alysanne said with a weak grin, apparently having the same thoughts.
Kersea gave her an almost angry glare, as she viciously shook her head. “No fucking way!”, she hissed. “I'm not like Clayton. I don't leave my friends behind” She looked up at the adjacent warehouse, separated only by the narrow alleyway. “Perhaps if we jump onto the next roof...”, she mumbled and Alysanne let out a joyless chuckle. “I'm done for...”, she muttered. “No need to get yourself killed because of me”
Kersea would have tried to jump. She wouldn't have left Alysanne behind. But before she could make a decision, a new voice joined the conversation. “Kersea! Alysanne!” She let out a sigh as she recognized Clayton and as she looked down, she indeed saw him running through the alleyway. “That roof is going to give in. Jump and I'll catch you!”, he yelled.
Alysanne rolled her eyes and squirmed free of Kersea's grip. “Oh, the irony...”, she chirped, before she took a step forwards, jumping down the roof before Kersea could do anything to stop her. Behind her, the roof cracked again, rather loudly this time and she finally felt panic overcoming her. As she looked down, she saw Alysanne lying safely in Clayton's arms. The man gently let her down, before he looked up again, his voice full of worry and the look in his eye urging her to jump. “Come on, Kersea!”, he yelled. “Please!”
And Kersea jumped, just as the roof finally gave in behind her. She did not land in Clayton's arms, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction. Instead, she landed a few feet next to him and even though she tried her best to minimize the impact of the fall, she heavily hit her knees, crying out in pain as she landed on the ground.
Immediately, Clayton was at her side, trying to help her back on her feet. Frustrated, annoyed and angry, she shook his hand off, as she stood up herself, with shaking legs. “What the...”, Clayton mumbled. “I was standing right there!”
“Yeah, you were”, Kersea agreed coldly, before she looked at Alysanne, who was leaning against the wall of the adjacent warehouse. “Are you alright?”, she asked. Alysanne slowly shook her head. “Not really...”, she admitted weakly and looked at the burned flesh on her left arm. “It hurts so much...”
This remark caused Kersea to send a cold glare towards him. “You cold bastard...”, she hissed. “She could have burned to death!” Clayton gave her an affirmative nod. “She could have. She didn't, thanks to you”, he answered. “I'm not saying this often, but you did well. Alysanne is a valuable asset...” “Asset?”, Kersea growled and attempted to take a step towards Clayton. It was Alysanne who held her back. “Don't!”, she hissed sternly, before she looked at Clayton. “Why have you done it?”
Clayton gave her an almost apologetic look as he looked at her fresh burn wounds. “I figured I should make it as hard as possible for the city guard to escape. Fire, a collapsing warehouse and in the middle of it, my best killer”, he explained, in a pragmatic, sober tone that fuelled Kersea's rage even more. Alysanne on the other hand gave him an oddly understanding nod. “I see”, she muttered, her voice containing only a hint of disappointment. “That actually makes sense”
“Come on, you can't be serious!”, Kersea yelled at her, causing Alysanne to let out a sigh. “I am serious, puppy”, she answered. “I can understand the logic” She looked from Kersea to Clayton. “That's not worth another argument between you. I'm still alive and you have other things to worry about” Finally she narrowed her eyes as she glanced at Clayton. “Just... don't do that again...”, she hissed.
“Never”, Clayton promised, before he looked at the warehouse. “We have to get away from here. No arguing. Both of you, follow me” This time, Kersea even had to agree with him. They had to get away from the warehouse. “But where are we going?”, she asked. Clayton looked over his shoulder and smirked at her as he started to walk down the alleyway back onto the main street. “While you were fucking up the castle job, I did some scouting. Found us a new hideout”, he explained.
With these words, he gave Kersea and Alysanne a sign to follow him. Of course, he had no regards for Alysanne's wounds and Kersea had to support her during the walk, gently putting an arm around her shoulder, allowing Alysanne to back against her. Together, they roughly managed to keep up with Clayton, as they walked through the city in complete silence. Kersea was still angry, mostly at herself, for showing cowardice, for allowing Alysanne to get hurt.
The walk came to a sudden stop, when Clayton turned into a small alleyway. By now, they had left the warehouses near the docks behind, changed the high, empty buildings for rundown houses, small, narrow and anything but empty. Beggars, outcasts, the less fortunate of Raylansfair lived here. And apparently, three professional killers as well, from now on.
“I've secured a small building. A couple of beggars lived there, but I took care of them”, Clayton explained and noticed Kersea's glare. “I paid them to leave. What kind of man do you think I am?” “No man at all”, Kersea answered, signallizing that she wasn't interested in any kind of conversation with him.
He entered a small house, two stories, a dark, narrow hallway, half a dozen doors to each side, lead them up a small set of stairs into an almost identically looking hallway, directly towards a door. “Ladies, your new, humble abode”, he joked, as he opened the door.
The room behind it was small, but surprisingly clean and with a big window, even though it lacked furniture. Two mattresses were lying on the ground, next to a small bed, which was were Alysanne was heading to. She was limping, more dragging herself towards the bed than actually walking and all the way, she was shivering in pain. When she finally laid down on the bed, she visibly relaxed, a relieved smile on her face.
“So, what are we doing now?”, she asked, looking around the room. “Keeping our head low until the city guard forgets we exist?” Clayton chuckled at her remark, a stilted, joyless chuckle. “You're doing exactly this”, he explained. “I don't know how bad your wounds are, but for the next weeks, you won't leave this room. We will bring you bandages, burn ointment, anything you need to get fit again. In the meantime, Kersea and I will continue our mission”
Kersea gave him an alarmed stare. “Seriously?”, she asked. “Tonight, we stirred up a hornet's nest. The city guard lost men and they will be out for blood. We really shouldn't make them any more angry” Clayton only smirked at her, as he walked towards Alysanne. “You should try to sleep for a bit. We will bring you everything you need once we're back”, he told her softly.
“Once we're back?”, Kersea asked. “You plan on going out there again tonight?” Clayton gave her a wordless nod, which caused her to shake her head. “No way I'm leaving Alysanne tonight!”, she hissed. Clayton narrowed his eyes, clenching his fists as he started to walk towards her. “Are you questioning my order again?”, he growled.
Before Kersea could confirm this, Alysanne audibly cleared her throat, a smile on her face. “Please puppy, there's no need to be worried about me. I need supplies if I want to treat my wounds, supplies you have to bring me. In the meantime, you can do whatever Clayton wants from you”, she said in a casual tone.
“See? Even Alysanne is fine with it”, Clayton urged her. “Aside from that, you're going to love what I have planned” Kersea let out a sigh as she looked from Alysanne to Clayton. After tonight, she really didn't want to spend any time alone with him. However, the look in his eye, a dangerous glimmer, told her that it would be unwise to go against his wish now.
“Are you sure you're going to be alright? What if the city guard finds you?”, she asked, looking at Alysanne. The other woman gave her a sly grin, gently moving her healthy hand over the edge of her dagger. “Then I'm going to kill them all”, she chuckled.
Kersea let out a sigh, looking over her shoulder at Clayton, who already started to walk out of the room. “I better get going then. Stay safe, please”, she said, before she followed Clayton. “Kersea, wait!”, Alysanne called her. “I... I wanted to thank you. For saving my life, I mean” Kersea smiled at her, even though her expression became forced as she glanced at the red, blistering skin on her arm. “Sure thing”, she answered. “We're friends, right?”
Alysanne's smile faded, replaced by a surprisingly thoughtful expression. “Yeah... I guess we really are”, she mumbled, before the hint of a smirk appeared on her face. She let out a sigh and Kersea quickly looked over her shoulder. Clayton waited for her, tapping his feet onto the ground in an impatient manner. “You would have done the same for me, right?”, she asked and Alysanne slowly shrugged. “I... I really don't know what I would have done. I can only thank you”, she said, before she rested her head back onto the bed.
Clayton was already waiting for her at the end of the hallway, still holding his bow in his hands, and Kersea had to hurry to keep up with him. The look in his one eye was surprisingly friendly, which only made her hate him even more. “So, where are we going now?”, she asked and Clayton even had the guts to smile at her, as he lead her out of the house and down the alleyway. “We're going to visit the blacksmith”, he answered.
“The blacksmith...”, Kersea repeated. “You mean the one who made that dagger for Butterfly? But Wolfius is with her right now, isn't he?” Clayton gave her a nod. “With a bit of luck he is, yes. It's Wolfius I'm after right now”, he explained. “If he's done with her already, I'm going to follow his trail”
“You're going to kill him?”, she asked and Clayton shook his head. “For now, I need him alive”, he answered and his smile got colder. “It would have been easier if Alysanne would have killed the commander. She shot him in the chest, but I'm afraid the armour saved his life”
“Clayton, what exactly are your plans?”, Kersea asked again and this time, Clayton's smirk faded. “Just wait and see”, he growled, quickly looking around. “The blacksmiths house is somewhere around. Be careful. Wolfius is out for blood tonight”
“So, we're doing good work now?”, Kersea asked mockingly and Clayton gave her a quick nod. “Killing someone isn't always something bad”, he answered. “Sometimes, if you kill a man, you make the lives of everyone around him better. Some people deserve death”
“All of this is true”, Kersea simply answered, sending a hateful glare towards Clayton. The man understood what she just implied and pressed his lips together. Before he could answer in any way, he stopped in his tracks. “Silence”, he hissed. “Just listen...”
Kersea followed his order, as she tried to regulate her breath and to listen to the sounds of the night. The night had always been her favourite part of any day. It was dark, silent, peaceful. Usually at least. This time, she heard the faint sound of steel clashing against steel. “Wolfius?”, she asked. Clayton shrugged. “We'll find out”, he answered, before he started to run towards the sounds, with Kersea trying her best to follow him.
They didn't had to run for very long. The sounds of fighting quickly became louder and it was clear that more than two people were fighting. She even heard yelling, but couldn't understand any particular word. However, she heard a malicious cackling that clearly belonged to Wolfius. Next to an alleyway, Clayton stopped as suddenly as he started to run and Kersea nearly bumped into him, causing him to send her an angry glare.
“Careful now”, he growled as he glanced around the corner of the house he was leaning against. A pleased smile appeared on his face. “Wolfius”, he chuckled. “As expected. Take a look for yourself” He made room for Kersea, who quickly glanced around the corner.
While it was dark, it wasn't hard for Kersea to overlook the scenery. She counted five people, one of them clearly being Wolfius, who had turned his back on her. He fought against a handsome, blonde-haired man with deeply tanned skin, who was wielding a longsword. Behind him, Kersea spotted a young, thin woman with short, dark hair, holding a dagger with shaking hands. Finally, at the other end of the alleyway, she spotted a tall, lanky, but obviously still young man fighting against a small man, whose widely brimmed hat hid his facial features. While the lanky man was armed with a sword, the smaller one was swinging two daggers at his opponent, like a wild animal. “What the hell is going on here?”, Kersea asked and Clayton shrugged. “I don't know and I don't care”, he said as he handed her the bow. “I only know that you're going to shoot Wolfius”
“Wait... why me?”, Kersea asked in return. Clayton gave her a small, but honest grin. “Because you're the best archer I know. I leave this for the best. Wait until Wolfius killed these people, then shoot him in the leg or something like that. I need him alive”, he answered.
“After he killed these people? But we could save them!”, Kersea exclaimed. Clayton shook his head. “They are witnesses. We let Wolfius do the dirty work, then we neutralize him”, he explained and noticed the hesitating look on Kersea's face. “Listen, Kersea, you have to wait until these people are dead. I have no problem in killing them myself, but I'd prefer if Wolfius kills them for us” “And what if he gets away because you want to wait?”, Kersea asked nervously. Clayton let out a sigh. “He only gets away if you let him”, he answered. “My dear, you are a weapon. My weapon. There's nothing you can do for these people, little weapon. You've never been a hero and now is a terrible time to start with it”
Kersea
With a smirk on his face, Clayton saw how the first of the attackers went to the ground. “She hit his shoulder. He'll live”, he mu… morembled in a relaxed tone. Kersea wasn't relaxed. She was anxious, barely able to look at the scenery. Instead she knelt behind Clayton, who couldn't get enough of what he saw. “She's doing a good job”, he chuckled. “I knew she was the right one for it” Again, he checked the string of his bow. Five arrows lay in front of him, their heads wrapped in linen, soaked in oil. A tiny brazier burned next to them, one small light in the evening.
“You're awfully calm for someone who just sent his friend to die”, Kersea remarked and Clayton looked over his shoulder, a smirk on his face. “Alysanne is not my friend”, he explained. “And neither is she your friend. Aside from that, I haven't sent her to die. Someone had to do this and Alysanne is the best when it comes to this” Kersea slowly shook her head. “I'm a bett… [view original content]
As much a so think it's Jenna that has the dagger, I...I don't know. If we wait longer, they probably will die, but I'm not sure we can let Wolfius live. Maybe he'll live and kill Jenna. I don't know. God I hate Alysanne. Guess I hope for Jenna's death, but at the same time that wouldn't make sense because of Septon Corbin.
Perhaps she's wondering why you would shoot a man, before throwing him out of a plane.
Kersea
With a smirk on his face, Clayton saw how the first of the attackers went to the ground. “She hit his shoulder. He'll live”, he mu… morembled in a relaxed tone. Kersea wasn't relaxed. She was anxious, barely able to look at the scenery. Instead she knelt behind Clayton, who couldn't get enough of what he saw. “She's doing a good job”, he chuckled. “I knew she was the right one for it” Again, he checked the string of his bow. Five arrows lay in front of him, their heads wrapped in linen, soaked in oil. A tiny brazier burned next to them, one small light in the evening.
“You're awfully calm for someone who just sent his friend to die”, Kersea remarked and Clayton looked over his shoulder, a smirk on his face. “Alysanne is not my friend”, he explained. “And neither is she your friend. Aside from that, I haven't sent her to die. Someone had to do this and Alysanne is the best when it comes to this” Kersea slowly shook her head. “I'm a bett… [view original content]
[Wait a little longer]
As much a so think it's Jenna that has the dagger, I...I don't know. If we wait longer, they probably will die, bu… moret I'm not sure we can let Wolfius live. Maybe he'll live and kill Jenna. I don't know. God I hate Alysanne. Guess I hope for Jenna's death, but at the same time that wouldn't make sense because of Septon Corbin.
Perhaps she's wondering why you would shoot a man, before throwing him out of a plane.
As much a so think it's Jenna that has the dagger,
I think it's safe to confirm that the girl with the dagger is not Jenna, it's Ilish. Jenna isn't present in this scene. The events that happen here are the events that were shown at the end of Ilish's last part, where she, Alexander and Lawsen encountered Wolfius and Kreep. Also, regardless of wether Kersea shoots Wolfius now or waits a little longer, she won't kill him. Clayton wants him alive after all and he has a very interesting plan for him. Shooting now will definitely anger him, as it will leave witnessess to deal with, while shooting later will please him, but will give Wolfius a chance to get away.
God I hate Alysanne.
But why? Isn't she a cute little psychopath? Keep in mind, she came very close to kill some names on your list and after they set her on fire, she has a personal grudge against Richard and Philip at least.
[Wait a little longer]
As much a so think it's Jenna that has the dagger, I...I don't know. If we wait longer, they probably will die, bu… moret I'm not sure we can let Wolfius live. Maybe he'll live and kill Jenna. I don't know. God I hate Alysanne. Guess I hope for Jenna's death, but at the same time that wouldn't make sense because of Septon Corbin.
Perhaps she's wondering why you would shoot a man, before throwing him out of a plane.
Don't know them, not Leonard well actually it could be Darren, but I don't know. Jenna could die here, which would rock. The only negative I really is Tallwood's death I guess.
As much a so think it's Jenna that has the dagger,
I think it's safe to confirm that the girl with the dagger is not Jenna, it's Ili… moresh. Jenna isn't present in this scene. The events that happen here are the events that were shown at the end of Ilish's last part, where she, Alexander and Lawsen encountered Wolfius and Kreep. Also, regardless of wether Kersea shoots Wolfius now or waits a little longer, she won't kill him. Clayton wants him alive after all and he has a very interesting plan for him. Shooting now will definitely anger him, as it will leave witnessess to deal with, while shooting later will please him, but will give Wolfius a chance to get away.
God I hate Alysanne.
But why? Isn't she a cute little psychopath? Keep in mind, she came very close to kill some names on your list and after they set her on fire, she has a personal grudge against Richard and Philip at least.
Or she might become a sadist and start to kill innocent people. This decision affects her thought process permanently. What if she eventually comes a cross character you DO like. Then since she's willing to kill innocents she puts one right between the eyes. You got to think of the long term on these types of choices.
Well:
* Don't know them, not Leonard well actually it could be Darren, but I don't know. Jenna could die here, which would rock. The only negative I really is Tallwood's death I guess.
* I hate Kersea I hope this haunts her dreams.
Don't know them, not Leonard well actually it could be Darren, but I don't know. Jenna could die here, which would rock. The only negative I really is Tallwood's death I guess.
As I said, neither Jenna nor Darren are present. Jenna is still at the sept, while Darren is currently on his way back to the castle. His wounds would probably prevent him from fighting against Wolfius either way. However, shouldn't he be included on your list? While he has no real ambitions to become lord, he would come before Leonard when it comes to inheriting Raylansfair, by law at least.
I hate Kersea I hope this haunts her dreams.
This will change, trust me. I can guarantee that this will change Although I have to ask again, why exactly do you hate her so much? Is it solely because she fucked up Wolfius' attempt to kill Jenna? Trust me, you're going to be happy about that one as well. Think long term, Jenna knows specific things that can get very dangerous to some people, while being beneficial towards other people whom you may or may not like a lot.
Well:
* Don't know them, not Leonard well actually it could be Darren, but I don't know. Jenna could die here, which would rock. The only negative I really is Tallwood's death I guess.
* I hate Kersea I hope this haunts her dreams.
Damnit I forgot. Illish, eh. Peasants. Never really cared for her.
Fair enough, probably. Although I always thought you hate Wolfius almost as much as you hate Jenna. I'm not saying the waiting option is wrong, I simply would have been willing to bet money that you're going to pick the option to shoot him
Alysanne failed. There's all the reason I need.
Trust me, you'll be very, very glad that she failed, in the long run at least. People like the Harkings or Philip are on Leonard's side, after all, and the list of people that are on his side gets rapidly smaller, with Lucas fate being unknown and Mullendore's plans advancing in unforeseeable ways. You should always keep in mind that many characters can get useful, especially if they are unarguably good people.
You should always keep in mind that many characters can get useful, especially if they are unarguably good people
Interesting since most of the characters agree that the most useful are the unarguably evil people. Not the people they employ thought , those you kill off even when they beg for mercy.
Damnit I forgot. Illish, eh. Peasants. Never really cared for her.
Fair enough, probably. Although I always thought you hate Wolfius… more almost as much as you hate Jenna. I'm not saying the waiting option is wrong, I simply would have been willing to bet money that you're going to pick the option to shoot him
Alysanne failed. There's all the reason I need.
Trust me, you'll be very, very glad that she failed, in the long run at least. People like the Harkings or Philip are on Leonard's side, after all, and the list of people that are on his side gets rapidly smaller, with Lucas fate being unknown and Mullendore's plans advancing in unforeseeable ways. You should always keep in mind that many characters can get useful, especially if they are unarguably good people.
Yeah I wrote that comment before I saw your response. I have a dodgy memory, you know? There's only two POVs I am 100% positive and don't forget is Lucas' and Samantha's.
Don't worry, Darren has no 'claim' because Hobert. This is good, infighting can get them.
This will change, trust me. I can guarantee that this will change Although I have to ask again, why exactly do you hate her so much? Is it solely because she fucked up Wolfius' attempt to kill Jenna? Trust me, you're going to be happy about that one as well. Think long term, Jenna knows specific things that can get very dangerous to some people, while being beneficial towards other people whom you may or may not like a lot.
I don't man, I don't know. Part of the reason is probably that, the other part is that I really don't like the assassins because well they're assassins. Fine, I guess Jenna can be useful. Ned Stark was useful.
Don't know them, not Leonard well actually it could be Darren, but I don't know. Jenna could die here, which would rock. The only negative I… more really is Tallwood's death I guess.
As I said, neither Jenna nor Darren are present. Jenna is still at the sept, while Darren is currently on his way back to the castle. His wounds would probably prevent him from fighting against Wolfius either way. However, shouldn't he be included on your list? While he has no real ambitions to become lord, he would come before Leonard when it comes to inheriting Raylansfair, by law at least.
I hate Kersea I hope this haunts her dreams.
This will change, trust me. I can guarantee that this will change Although I have to ask again, why exactly do you hate her so much? Is it solely because she fucked up Wolfius' attempt to kill Jenna? Trust me, you're going to be happy about that one as well. Think long term, Jenna knows specific things that can ge… [view original content]
Comments
Happy-half bday ingen
Oh shit not Davith fuck kill Samantha. (Which would be interesting since the only PoV you have killed so far was Eaton it would seem very much like GoT.)
Honestly it could just be Samantha and co escape and kill some guards on there way he didn't actually say major character or any character at all he just said death.
what is a half birthday?
It means that the birthday is six months away, on the other end of the year. '
I don't know why but Mullendore reminds me a lot of lotso from toy story 3
My apologies for not posting this part yesterday. Once again, it got unexpectedly busy and it took me until today to finish it. But here it is and I hope you enjoy it
Jaron
Jaron let out a sigh. There was no other way to put it, he screwed up this time. “Fucking Bakr...”, he mumbled once more, before he looked down at Harpy. For a moment, he contemplated about waking her up, but ultimately, he decided against it. After what happened today, it was probably better to let her sleep. With a sigh, he looked through the doors inside. He saw Bakr, still sitting at the fire and he narrowed his eyes as he stormed back into the room.
The Ghiscari's mouth formed a wide, goofy smile as he gave Jaron a nod. “My friend!”, he greeted him. “You're back inside rather quickly and... rather alone. Is everything alright?” Jaron shook his head. “No, it isn't”, he hissed. “She's fucking asleep” Bakr's grin faded, replaced by an apologetic look. “Well... that was not supposed to happen”, he mumbled. “I... I guess I am sorry” A worried expression flashed across his face. “You mentioned the Burned Man wants to talk to her...”
Jaron gave him a nod. “Indeed he wants to”, he confirmed. “But it looks like he has to wait for a while longer, because I'm certainly not going to wake her up” For a moment, Bakr's goofy grin returned. “Eh, clever boy”, he complimented him. “In this world, there's nothing more terrible than the wrath of a woman you woke up. Look, I can confirm it” He rolled up the sleeve of his trousers, revealing a long, deep scar that went all over his lower leg. “My wife did this when I woke her up once”
“You're married?”, Jaron asked, while he looked around for a blanket he could bring outside. Bakr gave him a nod. “Was married. It did not work out”, he chuckled. “I can't imagine why”, Jaron answered, as he finally found a warm-looking blanket lying on the floor. “I'm going to bring her a blanket”
Bakr narrowed his eyes as he scratched his bald head. “My former wife?”, he asked and Jaron raised his eyebrows. “Harpy”, he clarified and Bakr's grin returned. “Ah, now, that makes a lot more sense”, he chuckled. “But... just to clarify. Bringing her a blanket means exactly that? It's not how they are calling it in Westeros, right?”
“Calling it in...”, Jaron started, before he understood what Bakr was talking about. “Seven Hells!” He pointed a finger at Bakr. “You have a problem” Bakr burst into a snorting laughter, as he took a deep gulp from the bottle of wine he held in his hands. “You sound just like Abbas, my friend. Give Harpy my regards”, he grinned.
“I make no promises”, Jaron answered with annoyance. With these words, he left the Ghiscari behind, as he stepped out into the cold night again. As expected, Harpy was still lying on the bench, sound asleep. A smile flashed across Jaron's face as he put the blanket over her body. For a moment, he just looked at her, before he turned around, facing the city. “Perhaps it's better that way...”, he mumbled. “It was a busy day, for all of us. Just sleep for a while, we can talk later”
“I'm not asleep, you dolt”, Harpy mumbled in return, causing Jaron to turn around, his face turning bright red. She had opened her eyes, an impish grin on her face. “But... but... you...”, Jaron stuttered. “Why?”
This time, Harpy sat up curling into the blanket, as she let out a loud yawn. “Because your reaction was hilarious”, she answered. "Totally worth it" Jaron gulped, a sheepish smile on his face. “How much have you heard?”, he asked and Harpy slightly shrugged, while making room on the bench for him. “Enough”, she chuckled. “Fucking Bakr, eh? I always thought you and Martin had this special connection”
While Jaron sat down to her left, he slightly moved his head into her direction, as confusion slowly turned into embarrassment. “I... what? No. No, just no!”, he protested, causing Harpy to let out a bright laugh. “Why are we even talking about this?”, Jaron continued and Harpy raised an eyebrow. “You wanted to talk about something”, she answered and Jaron shook his head. “But not about... seven hells, not about me and... ugh, and Martin!”, he clarified, which caused Harpy to laugh even louder. “Jaron, you're adorable”, she grinned.
“And you are... are you drunken, mylady?”, Jaron asked. Harpy's grin faded almost as quickly as it came and she slowly shook his head. “Not even nearly as much as I'd like to be”, she explained and let out a sigh. Jaron pressed his lips together and for a moment, he thought about putting his arm around her. Ultimately, he decided against it, but he still felt the need to say something. “About today...”, he started.
“Today was not a good day”, Harpy cut him off. “I know, I should feel good right now. Butterfly is dead, but I don't feel like I've won” Jaron softly looked at her, while she stared bleakly at the city below them. “Is it about the way he died?”, he asked and she gave him a slow nod. “You know he deserved this. What you told me about him... You can't feel bad for him, can you?”
“I don't feel bad for Butterfly. He got exactly the painful death he deserved”, Harpy growled coldly. “It's just... I told myself all these years that I wouldn't let him change who I am. Back at the warehouse though... Sure, killing him was necessary, but what I did was a horrible, bloody thing, no matter how much he deserved it. It wasn't befitting of me and... I'm not sure if I can come back from this”
“You feel ashamed”, Jaron deduced and she gave him a short nod. “I guess I do”, she answered. “Butterfly got what he deserved, but it feels like an empty victory. In the end, a part of me even thinks he won after all”
Jaron raised his arm, for a moment, contemplating about putting it around her, before he decided against it. “No”, he said sternly. “Don't even start thinking like that. Perhaps, what you did to Butterfly took it too far. But that doesn't change who you are. I mean... not really, at least. You will remember it, but it won't change who you are” A hopeful smile appeared on his face, while a curious look appeared on hers. “You're still a good person”
Harpy bit her lower lip, slowly shaking her head. “And that is where you are wrong”, she clarified. “I am many things, but I am neither arrogant, nor stupid. I know, I am definitely not the perfect example of a good person. Don't be ridiculous”
“You're selling yourself short”, Jaron urged her. “You're compassionate, kind, caring...” He was going to continue, but Harpy cut him off. “Vengeful, irritable, short-tempered”, she hissed. “Trust me, I'm a realist. I know what I am and what I am not. And calling me a good person is ridiculous”
“Surely you can't mean that you are a bad person”, Jaron answered and Harpy let out a sigh. “Of course I'm not. I hope so, at least. But in this world, very few people are truly good or truly bad. I thought your time with the Burned Man showed you that much”, she explained. Jaron frowned at her words, “I always liked to see myself as more good than bad. But after the warehouse, I think I'm a bit closer to the bad side. And that was Butterfly's victory. A small victory, but a victory nonetheless”
Despite the warm blanket that was wrapped around her, Jaron saw that she was shivering, most likely not because of the cold. “If your actions in the warehouse brought you closer to the bad side, perhaps you can counterbalance it again, by doing something good”, he tried to cheer her up. Harpy raised her head, her dark eyes looking at him with a strange expression. A hopeful smirk appeared on her face. “That's a sweet way of thinking, Jaron”, she said. “Maybe you even got a point”
For a moment, they both smiled at each other and Harpy let out a pleased sigh. “It looks like I was wrong. About you, you know”, she revealed. Jaron gave her a curious look. “What do you mean?”, he asked. Harpy's smirk got a bit wider. “I thought you were naive. Inexperienced. Nothing more than an ivory tower knight in shining armour”, she explained. Jaron shook his head. “I think I was. After the warehouse, I'm not so sure anymore. Just like you're ashamed at what you did, I'm ashamed because I let you”, he sighed.
Harpy looked away from him again, towards the city. “I'm sorry for what happened today. It seems, Butterfly changed us both, in the end”, she mumbled, before she let out a frustrated sigh. “Enough of this. I... thank you for what you said, but... I don't want to talk about Butterfly anymore and I doubt you wanted to talk about him in the first place. He is dead and he deserves to be forgotten”
For a moment, they both stayed silent, looking at the city and the stars. “Despite all that happened today, it's still a beautiful night”, Harpy said, a tired smile on her face. “You're...”, Jaron started, before he cut himself off. No, that line would be horrible! “You're right”, he corrected himself and Harpy raised an eyebrow. “Looks like I'm right”, she agreed and let out an awkward chuckle.
“You know...”, he said to change the topic, while he avoided to look her in the eyes. “There's one thing I always asked myself. You were born in slavery, right?” Harpy's smile faded, replaced by a distant expression. “Let's just talk about Butterfly again, shall we?”, she muttered and Jaron shook his head. “No. It's a harmless question. I hope so, at least”, he assured her. Harpy sighed, before she gave him a nod. “Fine. Ask your question”
“The thing is... you once told me that your... your master never gave you a name”, Jaron started, unsure how he should continue this question. “Does that mean, you named yourself?” Finally, Harpy's sullen expression faded and she started to smile again, although the smile seemed to be strained, perhaps a bit forced. “I suppose it does”, she answered.
“So... why have you named yourself after a monster?”, Jaron asked bluntly and Harpy let out an amused chuckle. “Oh Jaron, look at you. An Andal from tip to toe”, she answered with a mocking tone “I am Ghiscari. In the ruins of our empire, the Harpy is not seen as a monster, but as a symbol of power, of freedom. She bows to no one”
She let out a sigh. “To make it short, it used to be a nickname. It was the Burned Man's nickname for me, back when I first met him. It was his way of giving a meek little child some sense of self-worth. After Yunkai, it kinda stuck”, she explained. “But it's actually just a name like any other. Perhaps a bit unusual, but I don't think either of us is in a position to judge unusual names, ain't that right, Ser Bastard?”
Jaron chuckled at her words, slightly shaking her head. “You have a point, Mylady Harpy”, he admitted and made the mistake of slightly moving his broken arm in the wrong way. A pained expression flashed over his face and Harpy looked at him with worry. “So... there's something else, Jaron”, she muttered. “What I did to Butterfly, it's not the only thing I am ashamed of. Even worse is what I did to you and to Robb”
Robb... Jaron had tried not to think too much about the sellsword in the past hours. Robb gave his live to save theirs, despite everything that happened between them. “Robb was a good man”, he stated and Harpy shook her head. “He wasn't even close to be a good man”, she corrected him. “But he was a lot better than I thought and... perhaps I should have been better to him. I made a lot of mistakes with Robb” She looked up, glancing at Jaron, specifically at his arm. “And you... Butterfly gave you a chance to save your live and you decided to fight him instead”
Jaron smiled at her, noticing that she did not smile back. “It wasn't a choice”, he answered. “He would have tortured you and I...” He cut himself off, his smile fading. “Have you honestly thought I could be capable of such a thing?”, he asked and she gave him a guilty nod. “Most of the men I know would have accepted the offer”, she answered.
“Even Martin?”, Jaron asked. “Even Martin”, Harpy confirmed. “Although he would have been decent enough to feel bad about it. It's just... in this city, it's rare to encounter selflessness, which makes what you did even more outstanding. And I'm afraid I can never repay this debt”
“Repay?”, Jaron asked, slightly agitated. “Harpy, do you honestly think I want to be repaid, because I chose to save your life? I didn't do it for a reward, but because it was the right thing. I did it for you!” He realized that he had said these last words louder than he intended and a look of genuine confusion was on her face.
“For me...”, she mumbled, her voice gaining sharpness as she continued to speak. “You are a dolt! You barely know me and still you almost sacrificed your life for me” She shook her head in utter disbelief, before she continued, almost talking to herself. “Sure, we had a few nice conversations, we got along well, more than well perhaps, but I never thought you could... are all knights like you? So selfless? So brave? So... admirable?”
“Well, I think I'm special”, Jaron quipped and a shy smile appeared on Harpy's face. “I know you are”, she answered, before she cleared her throat, glancing at the city again. “So... how is your arm?”
Jaron slightly looked at his broken limb, opening and closing the hand a few times. It hurt, but it could have been worse. It would take time, but he would recover from it. “I can keep it for a little longer”, he chuckled and she shook her head in playful annoyance. “Not funny!”, she hissed. “You could have been hurt” Her face dropped as she realized what she just said. “I mean... I mean, you could have been hurt even more! You could have lost your arm”
“I could have lost you”, Jaron answered sternly and she looked at him, genuinely baffled. “You...”, she muttered. “You could have... You mean, you...” He gave her a nod and took a deep breath. “I like you, Harpy. I care for you. A lot. In the... in the romantic way”, he said and suppressed the urge to facepalm at his own clumsiness. “I know, we don't know each other for a long time, but that doesn't change how I feel” He paused for a moment and let out a sigh. Now he said it and it was too late to return. “Of course, I can understand if you don't feel the same”
“Don't feel the same?”, Harpy asked. The look on her face, aside from being completely and honestly stunned, meant the world for him. The hint of a genuine smile formed on it, before she answered. “A girl, born into slavery, raised into a life of crime, in a city where selflessness is treated as a sin, gets saved by a dashing knight who risks his own life for her. Tell me, how could the girl not feel the same?”
While she said this, she slowly moved closer, until she accidentally touched his left arm. The sudden pain that flashed through his body caused Jaron to groan in agony, while Harpy almost jumped back in surprise. “Oh shit...”, she mumbled, even though the pain was gone almost as quickly as it came. “Oh shit! I... damn it, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...” She cut herself off as she finally noticed that Jaron's pained groan quickly turned into an amused chuckle. “Harpy, you're adorable”, he grinned and she narrowed her eyes. “That is... shit, I was trying to be romantic!”, she protested, although she soon joined in on his chuckle. “That went not as planned”
“Nothing does”, Jaron stated as he put his healthy arm around her, while she moved closer, resting her head on his shoulder. “Almost nothing”, she agreed with a soft smile. “But on the positive side, I doubt there's anything that could ruin this moment for me now...” She moved closer and just as Jaron leaned in to kiss her, a deep, slightly embarrassed cough behind them caused both to turn around, while Harpy hastily moved away from him again.
“I hope I'm not interrupting anything”, Abbas stated with a sarcastic grin, seemingly not noticing the glare Harpy and Jaron both gave him. “Abbas, what are you doing here?”, Harpy asked, her voice sounding dangerously calm. Abbas grin got even wider as he looked from her to Jaron. “Oh, you know. The Burned Man wants to talk to you, mylady, and he does not like to wait”
“I see”, Harpy growled. “Then you can tell him 'Já si hojgá oa gundja'!” The transition to her guttural Ghiscari mother tongue happened almost flawless and even though Jaron didn't understand a word she said, her inflection and Abbas amused reaction made her intentions clear. “I'm going to say this to him with pleasure, mylady”, Abbas promised, before he moved closer, taking a deep breath as he looked at the city below him. “But it's indeed a beautiful night. I can't blame you for spending your time out here. Do you mind if I keep you company?”
Harpy and Jaron exchanged an irritated glance, before Harpy opened her mouth again. “Abbas...”, she hissed calmly without moving her eyes away from Jaron. “Get back inside. Now!” Finally, she glared at Abbas, whose grin faded. To Jaron's surprise, it was replaced by something that resembled a genuine smile. “So, you're that serious about each other, huh?”, he asked, glanced at Jaron and winked at him. “Perhaps I should congratulate you”
“Perhaps you should fuck off”, Harpy snarled and Abbas gave her a nod. “I wish you a good night”, he said, sounding surprisingly honest for the first time since Jaron met him, before he turned around and indeed went back inside.
“I think he just winked at me...”, Harpy muttered as she looked at the door that lead inside, slightly shaking in disgust. “Seven Hells, he just winked at me! Creepy! Creepy! Ugh...” A chuckle forced its way out of her throat. “I shouldn't have called it. There's always a way to make things worse. At least it's not...” Before she could continue, Jaron cut her off by leaning in and kissing her on the lips.
The kiss was longer and more passionate than Jaron had expected. When Harpy finally separated from him, she was smiling brightly, while she slowly opened her eyes. “Perhaps not exactly the perfect moment you imagined, right?”, Jaron asked and she rested her head on his shoulder. “Oh, this couldn't have been any more perfect”, she mumbled without sarcasm, while she smiled and looked at the distance. “Nothing could have ruined it for me” For a moment, she narrowed her eyes glaring at the sky. “I swear, if it starts to rain now...”
The tone in her voice was enough for Jaron to burst into laughter, into which she soon joined in. “What is it the Burned Man wants to discuss with me?”, Harpy finally asked calmly, while Jaron gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Our next step in the war. Apparently, we fight against the Tom now”, he explained and Harpy let out a frustrated noise. “The Tom... if there's any man in this city who can be as cruel as Butterfly, it's him”, she said. “I wonder if we won anything by killing Butterfly. The war still continues and I start to wonder if there's even a way to end it”
“One day it will be over”, Jaron tried to reassure her in a hopeful, optimistic tone. An unconvinced smile flashed over Harpy's face. “I wonder if we'll be there to see it”, she muttered and Jaron rested his head against hers.“We will make it”, he promised. “You and me, we will survive whatever this city throws at us” He knew, she was afraid of the future and deep down, so was he. He didn't want this moment to end, but off course he knew it couldn't last forever. Sooner or later, the war would catch up to them. Perhaps they would survive, perhaps not. But as he sat there, with her lying in his arms, the present was the only thing that mattered for him. For the first time since he arrived in Oldtown, perhaps even for the first time since his mentor died, Jaron felt nothing but peace and happiness. Neither of them said a word for a long while, as they just lay close to each other, watching the nightly sky above them as the black slowly turned to blue.
No Choices for this part
Ah damnit we ended up talking to Harpy. Thank goodness Abbas messed it up. It's all quiet on the western front now. But it won't be.
I'm still hung up on the fact that they killed 'fake Butterfly'.
Yeah people should have probably spared him.
Haha another romance that will not last something will stop them as this is GoT and romance never lasts.
Anyway good job you handled this a lot better than Lucas and Lunetts romance in my opinion.
I think it makes it more interesting.
Hehe, i liked how it turned out, good written as well... hopefully their relation will last some time before Mullendore will lay his hands on them with big "surprise" smile.
Imagine their reaction later on and disappointment when they will find out they killed wrong guy :-)
Awnn this is the cutest part in the entire story so far. And that's never a good sign, if Harpy is going to get the 'Lunett' treatment, I'll honestly be frustrated at myself. I mean its bad enough we lost Lunett and now Harpy is definitely a target.
It's only because I think it was wrong.
It definitely wasn't a wise decision, not only because they killed the wrong guy. By now, even Harpy would agree that it was a serious mistake.However, there's the chance that it's going to do wonders to her personality in the long run, as I've hinted in this part. She definitely feels ashamed at what she did and probably learned an important lesson.
I'm happy with the way the story is going it's just my morals that have me hung up on it. I'm mostly upset with Jaron.
Well Mercy isn't a popular choice with people. Which i find to be bad since EVERY 'GOOD' character in Game of Thrones dies in the season in which they decide to not show mercy.
It makes me afraid for all the characters who have willingly denied it so far. Especially since we still haven't seen the backlash from killing that guy in the bar. I hope next time we have the choice it gets chosen.
It would probably be bad if we spared him, because he would then spy on us and none of us would be aware that he is not Butterfly. Of course we would find out sooner or later, but we will still find out with him dead. In my opinion, that would cause more harm than good.
Possibly. Then again this story isn't that predictable. Who knows sparing him could've had some SOME benefits.
That could be said for every choice though. There'll be some good and some bad to ever decision given. But it could be a good thing if he survived but it seemed as if Butterfly wanted Jaron to keep him alive.
Well i still think we should have spared him. Thought i don't think we'll regret it as much as killing the bar guy, i'm convinced that was a bad choice.
YASSS! All I can say is... #Jarpy!
Okay, maybe I can say something more, now that I've calmed down
First of all this was a very well written part! And I'm so happy to see Jaron have these happy moments. I'm not a fool however and I know this wont last long, but it's still nice. Jaron has had it pretty easy so far compared to many others so I'm a little afraid of what will the next chapters bring for him. gulp
Really? I thought it was an obvious good dissension to kill. If he were to survive, then he would've ran back and told Butterfly Raenna was here to kick butt and take names. Now he only knows it is someone mysterious. No witnesses.
I know liquid. Theres going to be something more than that.
Kersea
With a smirk on his face, Clayton saw how the first of the attackers went to the ground. “She hit his shoulder. He'll live”, he mumbled in a relaxed tone. Kersea wasn't relaxed. She was anxious, barely able to look at the scenery. Instead she knelt behind Clayton, who couldn't get enough of what he saw. “She's doing a good job”, he chuckled. “I knew she was the right one for it” Again, he checked the string of his bow. Five arrows lay in front of him, their heads wrapped in linen, soaked in oil. A tiny brazier burned next to them, one small light in the evening.
“You're awfully calm for someone who just sent his friend to die”, Kersea remarked and Clayton looked over his shoulder, a smirk on his face. “Alysanne is not my friend”, he explained. “And neither is she your friend. Aside from that, I haven't sent her to die. Someone had to do this and Alysanne is the best when it comes to this” Kersea slowly shook her head. “I'm a better archer, you're better in close combat”, she corrected him.“And that makes her expendable”, Clayton stated and grabbed one of the arrows.
“You're shooting?”, Kersea asked and he gave her a nod. “Alysanne fucked them up royally by this time. With a bit of luck, she even finishes your job and kills Harking”, he answered. “Is she out already?”, Kersea continued to ask, only for Clayton to ignore her as he held the linen into the fire. “Clayton, is Alysanne out of the warehouse?”
Clayton slowly bent the bow as he took aim. “Clayton!”, she yelled at him. He glanced at her coldly, before he fired the arrow. The initial explosion when the fire hit the small lake of oil they had created in the warehouses ground floor was large enough for Kersea to feel the heat from at least twenty feet away. It was enough to send the warehouse ablaze, but not enough for it to crumble immediately.
“She better hurries”, Clayton remarked and Kersea froze in terror. “You... you mean, you just left her to die?”, she stuttered. Clayton gave her a cold nod. “I figured, the guardsmen have less of a chance if Alysanne fights her way out of that warehouse”, he growled. Kersea finally rushed to the edge of the roof, fully looking at the burning building. “She's afraid of fire...”, she mumbled. “She's going to burn to death!”
Clayton just shrugged indifferently. “She's more dangerous when she is in a panic”, he hissed. “And the more dangerous she is, the less likely it is that anyone gets out of there alive” He wanted to add something else, until he noticed that Kersea crouched dangerously close to the edge of the roof now, her hands clenched tightly around the tiles. “Including her, huh?”, she hissed, before she swung over the edge. For a moment, she dangled there, bending her legs to prepare for the fall. “Kersea, what are you doing?”, Clayton yelled, louder than she thought and finally, not calm anymore. She even heard the hint of worry in his voice. “Saving my friend”, she answered, before she let go of the tiles, dropping several feet down on the ground.
The landing wasn't elegant, but she was skilled enough not to hurt herself. She spun around, looking at the burning warehouse. Somehow, she had to get to the roof. She remembered the skylight. This would be her way in. That Alysanne was even in there was her fault in the first place. She had told herself it wasn't cowardice, told herself she only did it for her sister, but deep down, Kersea knew she couldn't hide behind this forever. She mostly did it for herself, because she had been afraid. Right now, she wasn't afraid. She was determined to get her friend out of there, by all means.
The warehouse wasn't an architectural masterpiece. It was slightly crooked and on one side, the roof wasn't as high as on the other. This was the side Kersea was running to. As much as she hated him, she had to give Clayton credit this time. He had planned for such a case. A few crates, piled up against the wall, were a perfect way up to the roof for an experienced climber. It only took her a moment, until she pulled herself up over the edge.
The roof wasn't empty. Two guardsmen stood on it, armed with crossbows. In any other situation, Kersea would have tried to avoid killing them. Now, she knew she couldn't hesitate, especially not as they pointed their crossbow down the skylight. Completely focussed on what they saw down the skylight, they did not see her coming. With an often-trained movement, Kersea slit the first man's throat and pushed her dagger into the second man's eye as he looked up.
Finally, she looked down the skylight, seeing Alysanne clinging onto a large beam, the ground below her quickly consumed by fire. Her left arm was dangling freely, the skin on it red and blistered. Tears of pain were flowing down her face, but the look in her eyes was one of genuine surprise. “Come on, get up!”, Kersea yelled as she reached down to her. “I'm not leaving you behind!”
Despite the pain she was in, Alysanne managed to grab Kersea's arm with her own wounded arm and she let out an agonizing groan as Kersea harshly pulled her upwards. Breathing heavily, she barely managed to stand after Kersea finally pulled her up. “Why... did you come back?”, she gasped. Kersea did not answer. There was no time to waste, especially as she heard a cracking sound that could only mean that the roof was about to give in. “Can you run?”, she asked and Alysanne gave her a weak nod. Her running, as it turned out, was more of a limping and Kersea basically had to drag her to the edge of the roof. She looked down and to her horror, she realized that the fire had already started to consume the crates she used to get up there.
“Looks like we have to jump”, she growled and Alysanne shook her head. “I can't do it”, she mumbled and Kersea knew, she had a point. With her wounds, a safe landing was basically impossible. Even worse, Kersea herself would risk serious injuries if she would dare to jump down together with Alysanne. “Just leave me, puppy”, Alysanne said with a weak grin, apparently having the same thoughts.
Kersea gave her an almost angry glare, as she viciously shook her head. “No fucking way!”, she hissed. “I'm not like Clayton. I don't leave my friends behind” She looked up at the adjacent warehouse, separated only by the narrow alleyway. “Perhaps if we jump onto the next roof...”, she mumbled and Alysanne let out a joyless chuckle. “I'm done for...”, she muttered. “No need to get yourself killed because of me”
Kersea would have tried to jump. She wouldn't have left Alysanne behind. But before she could make a decision, a new voice joined the conversation. “Kersea! Alysanne!” She let out a sigh as she recognized Clayton and as she looked down, she indeed saw him running through the alleyway. “That roof is going to give in. Jump and I'll catch you!”, he yelled.
Alysanne rolled her eyes and squirmed free of Kersea's grip. “Oh, the irony...”, she chirped, before she took a step forwards, jumping down the roof before Kersea could do anything to stop her. Behind her, the roof cracked again, rather loudly this time and she finally felt panic overcoming her. As she looked down, she saw Alysanne lying safely in Clayton's arms. The man gently let her down, before he looked up again, his voice full of worry and the look in his eye urging her to jump. “Come on, Kersea!”, he yelled. “Please!”
And Kersea jumped, just as the roof finally gave in behind her. She did not land in Clayton's arms, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction. Instead, she landed a few feet next to him and even though she tried her best to minimize the impact of the fall, she heavily hit her knees, crying out in pain as she landed on the ground.
Immediately, Clayton was at her side, trying to help her back on her feet. Frustrated, annoyed and angry, she shook his hand off, as she stood up herself, with shaking legs. “What the...”, Clayton mumbled. “I was standing right there!”
“Yeah, you were”, Kersea agreed coldly, before she looked at Alysanne, who was leaning against the wall of the adjacent warehouse. “Are you alright?”, she asked. Alysanne slowly shook her head. “Not really...”, she admitted weakly and looked at the burned flesh on her left arm. “It hurts so much...”
This remark caused Kersea to send a cold glare towards him. “You cold bastard...”, she hissed. “She could have burned to death!” Clayton gave her an affirmative nod. “She could have. She didn't, thanks to you”, he answered. “I'm not saying this often, but you did well. Alysanne is a valuable asset...” “Asset?”, Kersea growled and attempted to take a step towards Clayton. It was Alysanne who held her back. “Don't!”, she hissed sternly, before she looked at Clayton. “Why have you done it?”
Clayton gave her an almost apologetic look as he looked at her fresh burn wounds. “I figured I should make it as hard as possible for the city guard to escape. Fire, a collapsing warehouse and in the middle of it, my best killer”, he explained, in a pragmatic, sober tone that fuelled Kersea's rage even more. Alysanne on the other hand gave him an oddly understanding nod. “I see”, she muttered, her voice containing only a hint of disappointment. “That actually makes sense”
“Come on, you can't be serious!”, Kersea yelled at her, causing Alysanne to let out a sigh. “I am serious, puppy”, she answered. “I can understand the logic” She looked from Kersea to Clayton. “That's not worth another argument between you. I'm still alive and you have other things to worry about” Finally she narrowed her eyes as she glanced at Clayton. “Just... don't do that again...”, she hissed.
“Never”, Clayton promised, before he looked at the warehouse. “We have to get away from here. No arguing. Both of you, follow me” This time, Kersea even had to agree with him. They had to get away from the warehouse. “But where are we going?”, she asked. Clayton looked over his shoulder and smirked at her as he started to walk down the alleyway back onto the main street. “While you were fucking up the castle job, I did some scouting. Found us a new hideout”, he explained.
With these words, he gave Kersea and Alysanne a sign to follow him. Of course, he had no regards for Alysanne's wounds and Kersea had to support her during the walk, gently putting an arm around her shoulder, allowing Alysanne to back against her. Together, they roughly managed to keep up with Clayton, as they walked through the city in complete silence. Kersea was still angry, mostly at herself, for showing cowardice, for allowing Alysanne to get hurt.
The walk came to a sudden stop, when Clayton turned into a small alleyway. By now, they had left the warehouses near the docks behind, changed the high, empty buildings for rundown houses, small, narrow and anything but empty. Beggars, outcasts, the less fortunate of Raylansfair lived here. And apparently, three professional killers as well, from now on.
“I've secured a small building. A couple of beggars lived there, but I took care of them”, Clayton explained and noticed Kersea's glare. “I paid them to leave. What kind of man do you think I am?” “No man at all”, Kersea answered, signallizing that she wasn't interested in any kind of conversation with him.
He entered a small house, two stories, a dark, narrow hallway, half a dozen doors to each side, lead them up a small set of stairs into an almost identically looking hallway, directly towards a door. “Ladies, your new, humble abode”, he joked, as he opened the door.
The room behind it was small, but surprisingly clean and with a big window, even though it lacked furniture. Two mattresses were lying on the ground, next to a small bed, which was were Alysanne was heading to. She was limping, more dragging herself towards the bed than actually walking and all the way, she was shivering in pain. When she finally laid down on the bed, she visibly relaxed, a relieved smile on her face.
“So, what are we doing now?”, she asked, looking around the room. “Keeping our head low until the city guard forgets we exist?” Clayton chuckled at her remark, a stilted, joyless chuckle. “You're doing exactly this”, he explained. “I don't know how bad your wounds are, but for the next weeks, you won't leave this room. We will bring you bandages, burn ointment, anything you need to get fit again. In the meantime, Kersea and I will continue our mission”
Kersea gave him an alarmed stare. “Seriously?”, she asked. “Tonight, we stirred up a hornet's nest. The city guard lost men and they will be out for blood. We really shouldn't make them any more angry” Clayton only smirked at her, as he walked towards Alysanne. “You should try to sleep for a bit. We will bring you everything you need once we're back”, he told her softly.
“Once we're back?”, Kersea asked. “You plan on going out there again tonight?” Clayton gave her a wordless nod, which caused her to shake her head. “No way I'm leaving Alysanne tonight!”, she hissed. Clayton narrowed his eyes, clenching his fists as he started to walk towards her. “Are you questioning my order again?”, he growled.
Before Kersea could confirm this, Alysanne audibly cleared her throat, a smile on her face. “Please puppy, there's no need to be worried about me. I need supplies if I want to treat my wounds, supplies you have to bring me. In the meantime, you can do whatever Clayton wants from you”, she said in a casual tone.
“See? Even Alysanne is fine with it”, Clayton urged her. “Aside from that, you're going to love what I have planned” Kersea let out a sigh as she looked from Alysanne to Clayton. After tonight, she really didn't want to spend any time alone with him. However, the look in his eye, a dangerous glimmer, told her that it would be unwise to go against his wish now.
“Are you sure you're going to be alright? What if the city guard finds you?”, she asked, looking at Alysanne. The other woman gave her a sly grin, gently moving her healthy hand over the edge of her dagger. “Then I'm going to kill them all”, she chuckled.
Kersea let out a sigh, looking over her shoulder at Clayton, who already started to walk out of the room. “I better get going then. Stay safe, please”, she said, before she followed Clayton. “Kersea, wait!”, Alysanne called her. “I... I wanted to thank you. For saving my life, I mean” Kersea smiled at her, even though her expression became forced as she glanced at the red, blistering skin on her arm. “Sure thing”, she answered. “We're friends, right?”
Alysanne's smile faded, replaced by a surprisingly thoughtful expression. “Yeah... I guess we really are”, she mumbled, before the hint of a smirk appeared on her face. She let out a sigh and Kersea quickly looked over her shoulder. Clayton waited for her, tapping his feet onto the ground in an impatient manner. “You would have done the same for me, right?”, she asked and Alysanne slowly shrugged. “I... I really don't know what I would have done. I can only thank you”, she said, before she rested her head back onto the bed.
Clayton was already waiting for her at the end of the hallway, still holding his bow in his hands, and Kersea had to hurry to keep up with him. The look in his one eye was surprisingly friendly, which only made her hate him even more. “So, where are we going now?”, she asked and Clayton even had the guts to smile at her, as he lead her out of the house and down the alleyway. “We're going to visit the blacksmith”, he answered.
“The blacksmith...”, Kersea repeated. “You mean the one who made that dagger for Butterfly? But Wolfius is with her right now, isn't he?” Clayton gave her a nod. “With a bit of luck he is, yes. It's Wolfius I'm after right now”, he explained. “If he's done with her already, I'm going to follow his trail”
“You're going to kill him?”, she asked and Clayton shook his head. “For now, I need him alive”, he answered and his smile got colder. “It would have been easier if Alysanne would have killed the commander. She shot him in the chest, but I'm afraid the armour saved his life”
“Clayton, what exactly are your plans?”, Kersea asked again and this time, Clayton's smirk faded. “Just wait and see”, he growled, quickly looking around. “The blacksmiths house is somewhere around. Be careful. Wolfius is out for blood tonight”
“So, we're doing good work now?”, Kersea asked mockingly and Clayton gave her a quick nod. “Killing someone isn't always something bad”, he answered. “Sometimes, if you kill a man, you make the lives of everyone around him better. Some people deserve death”
“All of this is true”, Kersea simply answered, sending a hateful glare towards Clayton. The man understood what she just implied and pressed his lips together. Before he could answer in any way, he stopped in his tracks. “Silence”, he hissed. “Just listen...”
Kersea followed his order, as she tried to regulate her breath and to listen to the sounds of the night. The night had always been her favourite part of any day. It was dark, silent, peaceful. Usually at least. This time, she heard the faint sound of steel clashing against steel. “Wolfius?”, she asked. Clayton shrugged. “We'll find out”, he answered, before he started to run towards the sounds, with Kersea trying her best to follow him.
They didn't had to run for very long. The sounds of fighting quickly became louder and it was clear that more than two people were fighting. She even heard yelling, but couldn't understand any particular word. However, she heard a malicious cackling that clearly belonged to Wolfius. Next to an alleyway, Clayton stopped as suddenly as he started to run and Kersea nearly bumped into him, causing him to send her an angry glare.
“Careful now”, he growled as he glanced around the corner of the house he was leaning against. A pleased smile appeared on his face. “Wolfius”, he chuckled. “As expected. Take a look for yourself” He made room for Kersea, who quickly glanced around the corner.
While it was dark, it wasn't hard for Kersea to overlook the scenery. She counted five people, one of them clearly being Wolfius, who had turned his back on her. He fought against a handsome, blonde-haired man with deeply tanned skin, who was wielding a longsword. Behind him, Kersea spotted a young, thin woman with short, dark hair, holding a dagger with shaking hands. Finally, at the other end of the alleyway, she spotted a tall, lanky, but obviously still young man fighting against a small man, whose widely brimmed hat hid his facial features. While the lanky man was armed with a sword, the smaller one was swinging two daggers at his opponent, like a wild animal. “What the hell is going on here?”, Kersea asked and Clayton shrugged. “I don't know and I don't care”, he said as he handed her the bow. “I only know that you're going to shoot Wolfius”
“Wait... why me?”, Kersea asked in return. Clayton gave her a small, but honest grin. “Because you're the best archer I know. I leave this for the best. Wait until Wolfius killed these people, then shoot him in the leg or something like that. I need him alive”, he answered.
“After he killed these people? But we could save them!”, Kersea exclaimed. Clayton shook his head. “They are witnesses. We let Wolfius do the dirty work, then we neutralize him”, he explained and noticed the hesitating look on Kersea's face. “Listen, Kersea, you have to wait until these people are dead. I have no problem in killing them myself, but I'd prefer if Wolfius kills them for us” “And what if he gets away because you want to wait?”, Kersea asked nervously. Clayton let out a sigh. “He only gets away if you let him”, he answered. “My dear, you are a weapon. My weapon. There's nothing you can do for these people, little weapon. You've never been a hero and now is a terrible time to start with it”
[Shoot Wolfius] [Wait a little longer]
[Shoot]
Edit: I didn't read right. Nope, were not letting innocent people die.
[Wait a little longer]
As much a so think it's Jenna that has the dagger, I...I don't know. If we wait longer, they probably will die, but I'm not sure we can let Wolfius live. Maybe he'll live and kill Jenna. I don't know. God I hate Alysanne. Guess I hope for Jenna's death, but at the same time that wouldn't make sense because of Septon Corbin.
Perhaps she's wondering why you would shoot a man, before throwing him out of a plane.
Ign, if this get picked those innocent people will die. Im sure of it. That would change Kersea in ways that are not good.
I think it's safe to confirm that the girl with the dagger is not Jenna, it's Ilish. Jenna isn't present in this scene. The events that happen here are the events that were shown at the end of Ilish's last part, where she, Alexander and Lawsen encountered Wolfius and Kreep. Also, regardless of wether Kersea shoots Wolfius now or waits a little longer, she won't kill him. Clayton wants him alive after all and he has a very interesting plan for him. Shooting now will definitely anger him, as it will leave witnessess to deal with, while shooting later will please him, but will give Wolfius a chance to get away.
But why? Isn't she a cute little psychopath? Keep in mind, she came very close to kill some names on your list and after they set her on fire, she has a personal grudge against Richard and Philip at least.
Well:
Damnit I forgot. Illish, eh. Peasants. Never really cared for her.
Alysanne failed. There's all the reason I need.
Or she might become a sadist and start to kill innocent people. This decision affects her thought process permanently. What if she eventually comes a cross character you DO like. Then since she's willing to kill innocents she puts one right between the eyes. You got to think of the long term on these types of choices.
Ok what about Wolfius getting away. YOU WOULD RISK THAT?
As I said, neither Jenna nor Darren are present. Jenna is still at the sept, while Darren is currently on his way back to the castle. His wounds would probably prevent him from fighting against Wolfius either way. However, shouldn't he be included on your list? While he has no real ambitions to become lord, he would come before Leonard when it comes to inheriting Raylansfair, by law at least.
This will change, trust me. I can guarantee that this will change
Although I have to ask again, why exactly do you hate her so much? Is it solely because she fucked up Wolfius' attempt to kill Jenna? Trust me, you're going to be happy about that one as well. Think long term, Jenna knows specific things that can get very dangerous to some people, while being beneficial towards other people whom you may or may not like a lot.
Fair enough, probably. Although I always thought you hate Wolfius almost as much as you hate Jenna. I'm not saying the waiting option is wrong, I simply would have been willing to bet money that you're going to pick the option to shoot him
Trust me, you'll be very, very glad that she failed, in the long run at least. People like the Harkings or Philip are on Leonard's side, after all, and the list of people that are on his side gets rapidly smaller, with Lucas fate being unknown and Mullendore's plans advancing in unforeseeable ways. You should always keep in mind that many characters can get useful, especially if they are unarguably good people.
You should always keep in mind that many characters can get useful, especially if they are unarguably good people
Interesting since most of the characters agree that the most useful are the unarguably evil people. Not the people they employ thought , those you kill off even when they beg for mercy.
Yeah I wrote that comment before I saw your response. I have a dodgy memory, you know? There's only two POVs I am 100% positive and don't forget is Lucas' and Samantha's.
Don't worry, Darren has no 'claim' because Hobert. This is good, infighting can get them.
I don't man, I don't know. Part of the reason is probably that, the other part is that I really don't like the assassins because well they're assassins. Fine, I guess Jenna can be useful. Ned Stark was useful.