Even with his eyes closed, John could still feel his men looking at him. They had gathered in his room, one of the largest the inn had to offer, a room he had rented specifically for such a purpose. He let out a sigh and opened his eyes, looking down at the letter in his hands, the letter with the Targaryen seal on it. They had a lot to talk about.
Janae stood next to the door, her arms crossed as she glared at Jaro and I'Lian, who were sitting on chairs near the table. Unlike John, she hadn't reacted kindly to the news of their arrival in Raylansfair There had been a heated argument after they returned from Daghan's tower and Janae and I'Lian refused to talk to each other ever since. John could even understand where she came from. For the sake of Jaro and I'Lian, they stayed at Aylard's inn longer than they intended, a move that nearly got them killed. Janae was righteously furious. John on the other hand was simply glad to see two of his old friends.
Next to Jaro sat Temari. During the past week, his condition got better with every day. He still wasn't entirely fit, but he was able to walk around again almost without pain. After the way Bear roughed him up during their fight, this alone was a small miracle. His sister was the only one that was missing from their meeting. Behara was in the room next door, tending to the still barely conscious woman they had captured during their fight with the Second Sons. Apparently, she woke up a few days ago, but according to Behara, she still was in no shape to get interrogated. John had to pay the innkeeper quite a hefty sum to stay quiet about the wounded woman.
“My friends”, he said and looked up from the letter. “We have a lot to talk about” He raised his hand, showing the letter with the Targaryen seal. I'Lian raised an eyebrow, while Jaro immediately narrowed his eyes. “Targaryen?”, he asked and lent forwards. “Where do you got that from?”
“You know that knight we had to deal with while you were gone?”, Janae hissed. I'Lian opened his mouth to answer, but Jaro quickly grabbed his arm to silence him. “You met a Targaryen knight?”, he asked and John gave him a nod. “Seems like its the case”, he answered. “Daghan Oxus. Ever heard of the name?”
Jaro shook his head, but I'lian gave him a slow nod, causing everyone in the room to look at him. “What? I've heard of that man”, he stated. “Ser Daghan Oxus. Known as 'The Ox of the Dragon'. He's one hell of a warrior. Me and Jaro actually met him in Myr, during the war against the Hegemony, shortly before we met you”
“Did we?”, Jaro asked, slightly confused and I'Lian gave him a nod. “Well, meeting might be a bit too much, but I saw him at least. Tall guy, kinda intimidating, bald head, helm formed like an ox”, he explained. John let out a sigh. “Sounds like him at least”, he mumbled and noticed that I'Lian was slightly frowning. “That man is bad news. Do you know why he is in Raylansfair?”, he asked.
“That's what I wanted to talk about with you”, John explained. “Janae found this letter in the tower Daghan is currently occupying. It's kept short, too short to make any real sense to me. Apparently, Daghan is waiting for someone to arrive, to share some information with”
“What kind of information?”, Jaro interjected and John shrugged. “The letter does not mention it. There have been plenty of papers, probably older letters, maybe the mentioned information, but it was already risky enough to take this one”, he answered. “But the interesting part is, the letter has the Targaryen seal on it, but it wasn't sent from Dragonstone”
He handed the letter to Temari, who slowly started to read. “The Targaryen has someone inside of Raylansfair...”, he muttered. “This person is mentioning the death of the old Lord Raylan and of the Master-at-arms, even the arrival of this Hobert dandy. Someone at Dragonstone could never know this”
“So, you're telling me that Oxus, and by extension House Targaryen of Dragonstone has a spy in Raylansfair, probably even in the castle?”, Jaro growled. “Why should a man like Aegon Targaryen be interested in Raylansfair?”
“Same everyone else is hoping for in this shitty excuse of a city”, Janae answered. “That archive gives power” Jaro and I'Lian exchanged a glance apparently thinking the same, but it was Temari who answered. “And here I am, still not knowing why everyone makes such a drama about a bunch of old books”, he muttered.
“As I said, it gives power”, Janae explained patiently. “Wars are not always won by soldiers alone. At times, this 'bunch of old books', as you called it, can be just as destructive as, say, a dragon” She noticed Temari's confused face and let out a sigh. “Let me explain it that way. The lord of Raylansfair controls this archive. What if the lord of Raylansfair gets into a dispute with his neighbour... who are House Raylans neighbours?”
“Right now, no one, because that house is dead”, I'Lian chuckled, which earned himself a glare from Janae. He quickly raised his hands. “Just a joke”, he grinned. Jaro let out a sigh “House Camberlyng of Lindenhill”, he answered in his brothers stead. “House Raylans closest neighbour to the east, ever since House Bennick died out” He raised an eyebrow. “Which has been partially House Raylans fault, if I'm not mistaken”
Janae shrugged. “Perhaps you want to explain?”, she asked coldly. Jaro shook his head. “Please continue, my friend”, he said softly, apparently succeeding in calming Janae down a little bit. “House Camberlyng”, she said. “Now imagine Lord Camberlyng gets into a fight with Lord Raylan. I'm sure the Camberlyngs have a good repuation, possible allies and are a force to be reckoned with for House Raylan. All of a sudden, Lord Raylan reveals that the archive contains historical accounts of House Camberlyng doing something terrible. Gone is the good reputation, gone are the allies. House Raylan wins without spilling a single drop of blood”
“And what if they don't have these accounts?”, Temari asked. A rare smirk appeared on Janae's face. “Remember their words, Tem, and think about the possibilities. The Raylans write history, at least if they are smart” Temari's one eye opened widely as he realized what she was talking about. “Bloody hells...”, he muttered. “Why exactly is this House so small again?”
“Terrible lords without ambition or intelligence, powerful neighbours, a strong king above them and frequent attacks from Ironborn raiders”, Jaro answered. “It's actually a small wonder they managed to survive for so long” He looked at the letter in John's hands. “And now House Targaryen wants this city and this archive”, he mumbled. “Who knows what a man like Lord Aegon could do with this power”
“So, what are we doing about this?”, I'Lian asked. “I don't know”, John admitted. “If I would actually like Lord Harris, I would have already warned him. But for what we found, for what his men are uncovering right now at the old tower, he paid us a pretty measly amount of gold. Now, I'd like to hear your advice”
“We should tell him”, Jaro said immediately. “I've seen what a dragon can do. Harris Flowers might be a miser, but Aegon Targaryen is something much worse. I don't want to see such a power in his hands”
“Why not?”, Temari asked. “Not our problem. Neither Harris nor Aegon are our lords and after Harris paid us, we owe him nothing. I'd rather not anger the Dragonlord. Besides, compared to using dragons against his enemies, using the archive sounds almost... peaceful. Perhaps we should even approach Daghan and offer our support. There could be a rich reward”
“I'm with you on this one, Tem”, I'Lian agreed and noticed the surprised look Jaro gave him. “Don't look at me like that, brother”, he sighed. “But what Tem said is true. I don't want to anger Aegon Targaryen. But I especially don't want to anger Daghan Oxus. You really don't remember him? If provoked, He'd kill you, me, the entire room without breaking a sweat” He looked up, towards Gutten. “That woman you've taken as our prisoner, how long is she unconscious now?”
“Ever since Daghan slammed his shield against her head”, John answered. “More or less, at least. Hara thinks she's about to wake up any moment” He sighed. “I realize where you're coming from, I'Lian. Even Bear pales in comparison” I'Lian chuckled at the mention of the bandit. Like his brother, he hadn't met him and to John's irritation, he apparently thought of him as a funny guy. “Yeah... Bear”, he chuckled. “With such a name, I'm sure he's compensating for something”
“I'Lian!”, Janae hissed, before she cleared her throat. “Anyway, that's not a reason to support Daghan. I don't trust him. I don't like him” She glanced at John. “And you don't really consider supporting him, right?”
“Now you're all for supporting Harris?”, Temari asked with a mocking look in his eyes. Janae shook her head. “Not at all. I think we should remain neutral in this conflict. Maybe it was a mistake to take the letter, but who could have known? If he asks, we can always claim to know nothing about it. Things tend to get lost when Wildfire explodes”, she explained. “At the same time, we don't tell Lord Harris anything about the Targaryen plans for his city. No matter how this ends, we stay safe”
“And what if Daghan realizes that we're lying to him?”, I'lian asked. Janae shrugged indifferently. “In such a case, we can always negotiate with him. I mean, we simply took his letter. That's a breach of trust, sure, and he won't be thrilled. But as long as we don't tell anyone, I doubt he's going to be too angry”, she answered and looked at Gutten. “Your call, John. I think you know what the right decision is”
[Approach Harris and tell him about the Targaryen spy in his castle][Approach Daghan and offer your help][Stay out of it]
Arthur
“Here we got a fresh loaf of bread for you, not the wormy stuff they give you here at the headquarters”, Aditha said with a friendly smile, putting the fragrant piece of bread in front of Arthur onto the table. Arthur noticed the slightly envious looks in the eyes of his fellow guardsmen as they passed him, at least those who weren't immediately glancing at Aditha.
“You know you don't have to do this”, Arthur chuckled and Aditha raised her eyebrow. “As a matter of fact, I want to do this”, she answered. “You are a hero, Arthur. The man who brought Wolfius Woodbark in. You probably saved the city. I'm just bringing you a bit of fresh food for your troubles”
“Yeah... saved the city”, Arthur muttered, as he glanced towards the holding cells. He had brought Wolfius in, put him in a cell, where the beast had stayed for the past week. The killings had stopped. All the killings. But after taking a look at the list of guardsmen that lost their lives during the failed warehouse attack, Arthur still had to ask himself if he made the right decision. Then, he looked into Aditha's warm, green eyes and knew he at least hadn't made a wrong decision.
“It's true, brother. Imagine all the people who would have died if you wouldn't have stopped him”, she said, before noticing the frown on his face. “What about you and father? He vowed to kill you”, he mumbled. Instead of answering, Aditha pulled him into a short hug, resting her arms on his shoulders. “He is bound in chains, behind thick, iron bars, two guards watch over him all day. He is wounded. He could never hurt me”, she answered, before her gaze hardened. “Besides, you know I could have never looked you in the eyes again if you would have let that monster loose on our city”
Arthur gave her a sad nod. “I know”, he answered and noticed that Aditha's gaze still stayed hard as she looked over his shoulder. “What is he doing here?”, she hissed. Arthur didn't even need to turn around to know that she was talking about their father. His sister had a very special tone when Hackor was around. Still, he glanced over his shoulder, seeing his father standing near his office. The commander was apparently reading a document, while a young guard was talking to him, but Arthur knew, he was watching his children. His reaction to Wolfius' capture had been as expected. No gratitude, no appreciation, beyond a cold nod of his head and a weak, obligatory compliment. “Isn't he supposed to be on patrol duty right now?”, Aditha asked.
Arthur shook his head. “He's waiting for the healer”, he answered. “Wants to accompany her to the cells when she takes a look at Wolfius” Aditha pressed her lips together. “Is that really necessary?”, she asked. “I'm afraid so, yes”, Arthur answered. “At first, we weren't sure if he really needed a healer. But his condition got worse. The people who caught him got him really badly”
“Well, where's the problem? Just let him die”, Aditha answered. Arthur had to gulp as he noticed the cold tone in her voice. In a certain way, Aditha had way more of their father than she wanted to admit. But one aspect, Hackor's love for rules, his sense of duty, that was something she was lacking. “Father insisted”, Arthur explained. “Serial killer or not, we can't just let him die before he got a fair trial”
“Yeah... and then he's going to get sentenced to death either way. I don't see a reason to keep a dead man alive, but well, that's father for you”, Aditha answered and her frown faded, replaced by a tired smile. “Look, I don't want to argue. Father always tries to decide in favour of the city and who am I to blame him?” The last sentence was shivering with bitterness, but it was gone as she continued to talk. “I think it's for the best if I go now. Don't want to be around here for too long.”, she said and gave Arthur another hug. “Stay safe, brother. Enjoy your meal!”
With these words, she turned around and started to walk to the door. She hadn't even reached the door as Hackor stepped up to Arthur, glancing from him to Aditha. “What did your sister want?”, he asked, glancing at the basket containing the food she brought for Arthur.
“Just wanted to bring me something to eat”, Arthur answered, noticing that his father narrowed his eyes. “You have a meal here, the same everyone else gets”, he growled. Arthur let out a sigh. He didn't want to argue with his father, but at the same time, he felt the frustration rising again. “She thought I would deserve it after capturing Wolfius Woodbark”, he answered.
Hackor slowly shook his head. “What you did was exceptional work”, he complimented him awkwardly, before the look in his eyes got harder again. “However, there are rules when it comes to the meal of a guardsman and exceptions are...” His hand slowly moved towards the basket, before he sighed. “Exceptions are rare. Outstanding work on the Woodbark case, guardsman Nathamer. Enjoy your meal”
With these words, he turned to his office and quickly entered it without saying another word, leaving a surprised Arthur behind. Had his father just given him an actual compliment, or was it just a half-hearted attempt at pleasing him? Arthur slowly shook his head, glancing at the basked Aditha brought him. A smile formed on his face as he grabbed a small loaf of bread out of it.
Before he could bite into it, he noticed a new visitor entering the headquarters, a young woman with long, black hair and pale skin. He recognized the healer, Mathea and she seemed to recognize him too, since she immediately approached him. She was wearing a simple, brown dress and seemingly did not notice how bloodstained it was. Arthur on the other hand noticed it immediately and as she followed his gaze, the hint of embarrassment appeared on her face.
“Sorry”, she greeted him. “I forgot to change my clothes. I changed Urid Strad's bandages before I left for the headquarters. I have an appointment with Commander Nathamer, in order to visit the prisoner...” She looked towards the door that lead to Hackor's office and Arthur shook his head. “I don't think we should disturb my father right now. I can lead you to the cells”, he explained.
Mathea raised an eyebrow and not for the first time, Arthur noticed the unusual colour of her eyes. It was not quite brown, or at best, a very light tone of brown, more like yellow or even orange. “Your father?”, she asked. Arthur gave her a nod. “Yes. He is the commander. Hackor Nathamer. My name is Arthur Nathamer”, he introduced himself. “We have met before, last week”
“I remember you”, Mathea said. “I just couldn't remember your name. So, you're the commander's son?” Arthur gave her a nod, followed by a sign, as he ordered her to follow. The two approached the door that lead to the headquarters cellar. Raylansfair had a larger dungeon in the castle, but just like the dungeon below the headquarters, it was rarely used. Currently, Wolfius was the only prisoner they had.
“Yes. Actually, it was me who captured the killer as well”, Arthur said and the look on Mathea's face seemed to turn to slight, pleasant surprise. “Then I think I have to thank you. We all have to thank you. What this killer did to Lyria and Rosalie...”, she answered and cut herself off.
“Are they okay?”, Arthur asked and Mathea shook her head. “Lyria is okay, at least physically. Her wrist is broken, but it already starts to heal. It is Rosalie I am concerned of. I saved her life for now, but I am not sure if I'm good enough to save her”
“Well, that is delightful to hear!”, the throaty, growling voice of Wolfius Woodbark was heard as they entered the long hallway that contained the holding cells. Wolfius was in a small cell, surrounded by thick, iron bars. He wasn't looking good. His skin was paler than usual, but he was sweating despite the cold in the dungeons. A pained expression flashed across his face as he clutched his leg wound. He was stinking and Arthur wasn't sure if any of it came from the wound.
“Why are you here, guardsman?”, he snarled and the last word was barely audible as he started to cough violently. “I won't... I won't tell you anything, you know that” His gaze fell upon Mathea and he immediately stopped coughing. A weak smile appeared on his face. “So... you brought me a healer?”, he asked. “You really brought me a healer... Looks like your old man wants to keep me alive for a while longer, wants to give me even more chances to escape”
He started to cough again, just as Arthur and Mathea exchanged a glance. Arthur noticed the understandable nervousness in her eyes. It wasn't fear, but she was intelligent enough to be anxious. “Are you sure you want to do this?”, he asked and Mathea shook her head. “Do I have a choice?”, she asked. “And no, I am not sure. This man... I have seen what he did to his victims”
Wolfius stopped coughing and attempted to grin at her. His weakened state caused him to fail miserably. “You know nothing, girl. Now come on, help me before I die. I promise, I won't bite...”, he said, half chuckling, half coughing.
“It's not looking good for him”, Mathea explained and let out a sigh. It was clear how reluctant she was to get anywhere near the beast. “You don't have to do this if you don't want to”, Arthur said immediately, glancing at the old bandages around Wolfius' leg. His father made it clear that Wolfius should survive until he got a trial. But if he would die from an infected wound... Mathea wasn't a member of the city guard. She wasn't even sworn to House Raylan. Hackor couldn't order her around that easily. If she wouldn't treat Wolfius, it was clear that he would die. Of course, his father would be enraged, especially if Arthur would be the one to convince her to leave Wolfius without treating him. But his father did nothing to capture him in the first place, right? Could Arthur really do this? A terrible thought formed in his mind...
[Try to convince Mathea to leave Wolfius][Try to encourage Mathea to treat Wolfius][Let her make her own decision]
John
Even with his eyes closed, John could still feel his men looking at him. They had gathered in his room, one of the largest the inn h… moread to offer, a room he had rented specifically for such a purpose. He let out a sigh and opened his eyes, looking down at the letter in his hands, the letter with the Targaryen seal on it. They had a lot to talk about.
Janae stood next to the door, her arms crossed as she glared at Jaro and I'Lian, who were sitting on chairs near the table. Unlike John, she hadn't reacted kindly to the news of their arrival in Raylansfair There had been a heated argument after they returned from Daghan's tower and Janae and I'Lian refused to talk to each other ever since. John could even understand where she came from. For the sake of Jaro and I'Lian, they stayed at Aylard's inn longer than they intended, a move that nearly got them killed. Janae was righteously furious. John on the other hand was simply glad to see tw… [view original content]
John
Even with his eyes closed, John could still feel his men looking at him. They had gathered in his room, one of the largest the inn h… moread to offer, a room he had rented specifically for such a purpose. He let out a sigh and opened his eyes, looking down at the letter in his hands, the letter with the Targaryen seal on it. They had a lot to talk about.
Janae stood next to the door, her arms crossed as she glared at Jaro and I'Lian, who were sitting on chairs near the table. Unlike John, she hadn't reacted kindly to the news of their arrival in Raylansfair There had been a heated argument after they returned from Daghan's tower and Janae and I'Lian refused to talk to each other ever since. John could even understand where she came from. For the sake of Jaro and I'Lian, they stayed at Aylard's inn longer than they intended, a move that nearly got them killed. Janae was righteously furious. John on the other hand was simply glad to see tw… [view original content]
Technically, I did not. However, I actually wasn't sure if I would manage to finish the new part today, despite what I said earlier. This is the result of a slight rewrite, as the part was originally intended to be a long John part. However, I seriously struggled with bringing it to the length of a normal part, on top of me seeing a good opportunity for a choice a bit earlier. Originally, the events of the next John part were supposed to happen in this part as well and I figured they would work better as two parts. Because of that, I had the opportunity to write Arthur's first part a bit earlier than originally intended, but since I wasn't sure if I could write the entirety of Arthur's part on one day, I refrained from properly closing the voting.
Anyway, for once I also thought that officially closing the voting isn't really necessary, so I figured I could just post the part as soon as it was done. Both choices have been pretty obviously in favour of choosing Irving as the lookout and leaving the ship with Himani, respectively. While maybe not the wisest choices, they are probably the ones I would have chosen as well in your position and both, Maya's and Ellena's storylines will profit from them, at least when it comes to exciting stuff happening in them
John
Even with his eyes closed, John could still feel his men looking at him. They had gathered in his room, one of the largest the inn h… moread to offer, a room he had rented specifically for such a purpose. He let out a sigh and opened his eyes, looking down at the letter in his hands, the letter with the Targaryen seal on it. They had a lot to talk about.
Janae stood next to the door, her arms crossed as she glared at Jaro and I'Lian, who were sitting on chairs near the table. Unlike John, she hadn't reacted kindly to the news of their arrival in Raylansfair There had been a heated argument after they returned from Daghan's tower and Janae and I'Lian refused to talk to each other ever since. John could even understand where she came from. For the sake of Jaro and I'Lian, they stayed at Aylard's inn longer than they intended, a move that nearly got them killed. Janae was righteously furious. John on the other hand was simply glad to see tw… [view original content]
John
Even with his eyes closed, John could still feel his men looking at him. They had gathered in his room, one of the largest the inn h… moread to offer, a room he had rented specifically for such a purpose. He let out a sigh and opened his eyes, looking down at the letter in his hands, the letter with the Targaryen seal on it. They had a lot to talk about.
Janae stood next to the door, her arms crossed as she glared at Jaro and I'Lian, who were sitting on chairs near the table. Unlike John, she hadn't reacted kindly to the news of their arrival in Raylansfair There had been a heated argument after they returned from Daghan's tower and Janae and I'Lian refused to talk to each other ever since. John could even understand where she came from. For the sake of Jaro and I'Lian, they stayed at Aylard's inn longer than they intended, a move that nearly got them killed. Janae was righteously furious. John on the other hand was simply glad to see tw… [view original content]
But looking at it from logic healing healing him is the BEST choice. Think of all the people this arsehole hurt and killed. Dont you think the families deserve a chance? If he is healed he is going to trial , he is going to be found guilty, he is going to get the death penalty and hes going to be executed PUBLICLY. Dying from a wound is not fitting for a monster like him and just overall is a bad choice for arthur.
Tell me do you want Leonard to hear about him dying or do you want him to SEE him die possibly killing him himself? Im just saying this is the worse in terms of payback.
[Stay out of it] Not really our business. I'm sure Sherryl is that spy though.
[Try to convince Mathea to leave Wolfius] Let this bastard just die. He'll probably get an escape opportunity and kill Mathea if we don't.
John
Even with his eyes closed, John could still feel his men looking at him. They had gathered in his room, one of the largest the inn h… moread to offer, a room he had rented specifically for such a purpose. He let out a sigh and opened his eyes, looking down at the letter in his hands, the letter with the Targaryen seal on it. They had a lot to talk about.
Janae stood next to the door, her arms crossed as she glared at Jaro and I'Lian, who were sitting on chairs near the table. Unlike John, she hadn't reacted kindly to the news of their arrival in Raylansfair There had been a heated argument after they returned from Daghan's tower and Janae and I'Lian refused to talk to each other ever since. John could even understand where she came from. For the sake of Jaro and I'Lian, they stayed at Aylard's inn longer than they intended, a move that nearly got them killed. Janae was righteously furious. John on the other hand was simply glad to see tw… [view original content]
John
Even with his eyes closed, John could still feel his men looking at him. They had gathered in his room, one of the largest the inn h… moread to offer, a room he had rented specifically for such a purpose. He let out a sigh and opened his eyes, looking down at the letter in his hands, the letter with the Targaryen seal on it. They had a lot to talk about.
Janae stood next to the door, her arms crossed as she glared at Jaro and I'Lian, who were sitting on chairs near the table. Unlike John, she hadn't reacted kindly to the news of their arrival in Raylansfair There had been a heated argument after they returned from Daghan's tower and Janae and I'Lian refused to talk to each other ever since. John could even understand where she came from. For the sake of Jaro and I'Lian, they stayed at Aylard's inn longer than they intended, a move that nearly got them killed. Janae was righteously furious. John on the other hand was simply glad to see tw… [view original content]
[Try to convince Mathea to leave Wolfius] Wolfius deserves to die and this way he will suffer if he gets a trial he will most likely get a quick death.
John
Even with his eyes closed, John could still feel his men looking at him. They had gathered in his room, one of the largest the inn h… moread to offer, a room he had rented specifically for such a purpose. He let out a sigh and opened his eyes, looking down at the letter in his hands, the letter with the Targaryen seal on it. They had a lot to talk about.
Janae stood next to the door, her arms crossed as she glared at Jaro and I'Lian, who were sitting on chairs near the table. Unlike John, she hadn't reacted kindly to the news of their arrival in Raylansfair There had been a heated argument after they returned from Daghan's tower and Janae and I'Lian refused to talk to each other ever since. John could even understand where she came from. For the sake of Jaro and I'Lian, they stayed at Aylard's inn longer than they intended, a move that nearly got them killed. Janae was righteously furious. John on the other hand was simply glad to see tw… [view original content]
[Stay out of it]
[Try to convince Mathea to leave Wolfius] Wolfius deserves to die and this way he will suffer if he gets a trial he will most likely get a quick death.
[Approach Harris and tell him about the Targaryen spy in his castle] We already have the knowledge, so let's make good use of it and tell Harris so we can weed out the spy. Don't think the spy is Sherrly though, since she is already the spy for the Storm King.
[Try to encourage Mathea to treat Wolfius] There has to be something good out of doing the right thing. Plus someone else besides Mathea could come in and try to heal Wolfius, without anyone to protect them, and inadvertently get Wolfius to escape. Also, why is Arthur being kinda cocky about capturing Wolfius, after all all he did was bring him from his house to the jail.
John
Even with his eyes closed, John could still feel his men looking at him. They had gathered in his room, one of the largest the inn h… moread to offer, a room he had rented specifically for such a purpose. He let out a sigh and opened his eyes, looking down at the letter in his hands, the letter with the Targaryen seal on it. They had a lot to talk about.
Janae stood next to the door, her arms crossed as she glared at Jaro and I'Lian, who were sitting on chairs near the table. Unlike John, she hadn't reacted kindly to the news of their arrival in Raylansfair There had been a heated argument after they returned from Daghan's tower and Janae and I'Lian refused to talk to each other ever since. John could even understand where she came from. For the sake of Jaro and I'Lian, they stayed at Aylard's inn longer than they intended, a move that nearly got them killed. Janae was righteously furious. John on the other hand was simply glad to see tw… [view original content]
John
Even with his eyes closed, John could still feel his men looking at him. They had gathered in his room, one of the largest the inn h… moread to offer, a room he had rented specifically for such a purpose. He let out a sigh and opened his eyes, looking down at the letter in his hands, the letter with the Targaryen seal on it. They had a lot to talk about.
Janae stood next to the door, her arms crossed as she glared at Jaro and I'Lian, who were sitting on chairs near the table. Unlike John, she hadn't reacted kindly to the news of their arrival in Raylansfair There had been a heated argument after they returned from Daghan's tower and Janae and I'Lian refused to talk to each other ever since. John could even understand where she came from. For the sake of Jaro and I'Lian, they stayed at Aylard's inn longer than they intended, a move that nearly got them killed. Janae was righteously furious. John on the other hand was simply glad to see tw… [view original content]
Also, why is Arthur being kinda cocky about capturing Wolfius, after all all he did was bring him from his house to the jail.
That's true, technically he did very little to capture Wolfius. However, since only he and Aditha know about the involvement of Kersea and Clayton, he got all the credit and everyone treats him accordingly. While Aditha knows that it wasn't Arthur who captured Wolfius, she knows about the sadistic choice Wolfius gave him and she sees him as a hero for refusing the offer. In turn, Arthur is slightly angered that his father still does not treat him with respect, even if everything looks like he caught this dangerous serial killer all on his own. The way people treat him right now starts to get to his head and even though he objectively did very little, he is still very proud that he was the one who put Wolfius into prison.
[Approach Harris and tell him about the Targaryen spy in his castle] We already have the knowledge, so let's make good use of it and tell Ha… morerris so we can weed out the spy. Don't think the spy is Sherrly though, since she is already the spy for the Storm King.
[Try to encourage Mathea to treat Wolfius] There has to be something good out of doing the right thing. Plus someone else besides Mathea could come in and try to heal Wolfius, without anyone to protect them, and inadvertently get Wolfius to escape. Also, why is Arthur being kinda cocky about capturing Wolfius, after all all he did was bring him from his house to the jail.
So far it looks fairly balanced and I don't think that letting Mathea make her own decision has zero chance of winning. Convincing her to leave Wolfius has four votes, while letting her make her own decision is at three votes, so everything is possible. Technically, convincing her to treat Wolfius also still has a chance to win, as it only has two votes less than convincing her to leave him. But of course you can always change your vote until I close the voting, which will probably happen around Friday or Saturday
[Stay out of it] I don't think it's good idea to say anything... yet. They don't own anything to Harris, it's bad idea to anger Targaryen's as well and Daghan could get furious finding out they took this letter. I would wait for the events to bloom.
[Let her make her own decision] Oh my, even if she was submitted by me I am not sure how she would react for opportunity of deciding about Wolfius faith. I have a scenario already in my head and if the vote will win, we will see if I was right with my intuition and "connection" with my own creation. :-)
John
Even with his eyes closed, John could still feel his men looking at him. They had gathered in his room, one of the largest the inn h… moread to offer, a room he had rented specifically for such a purpose. He let out a sigh and opened his eyes, looking down at the letter in his hands, the letter with the Targaryen seal on it. They had a lot to talk about.
Janae stood next to the door, her arms crossed as she glared at Jaro and I'Lian, who were sitting on chairs near the table. Unlike John, she hadn't reacted kindly to the news of their arrival in Raylansfair There had been a heated argument after they returned from Daghan's tower and Janae and I'Lian refused to talk to each other ever since. John could even understand where she came from. For the sake of Jaro and I'Lian, they stayed at Aylard's inn longer than they intended, a move that nearly got them killed. Janae was righteously furious. John on the other hand was simply glad to see tw… [view original content]
John
Even with his eyes closed, John could still feel his men looking at him. They had gathered in his room, one of the largest the inn h… moread to offer, a room he had rented specifically for such a purpose. He let out a sigh and opened his eyes, looking down at the letter in his hands, the letter with the Targaryen seal on it. They had a lot to talk about.
Janae stood next to the door, her arms crossed as she glared at Jaro and I'Lian, who were sitting on chairs near the table. Unlike John, she hadn't reacted kindly to the news of their arrival in Raylansfair There had been a heated argument after they returned from Daghan's tower and Janae and I'Lian refused to talk to each other ever since. John could even understand where she came from. For the sake of Jaro and I'Lian, they stayed at Aylard's inn longer than they intended, a move that nearly got them killed. Janae was righteously furious. John on the other hand was simply glad to see tw… [view original content]
John
Even with his eyes closed, John could still feel his men looking at him. They had gathered in his room, one of the largest the inn h… moread to offer, a room he had rented specifically for such a purpose. He let out a sigh and opened his eyes, looking down at the letter in his hands, the letter with the Targaryen seal on it. They had a lot to talk about.
Janae stood next to the door, her arms crossed as she glared at Jaro and I'Lian, who were sitting on chairs near the table. Unlike John, she hadn't reacted kindly to the news of their arrival in Raylansfair There had been a heated argument after they returned from Daghan's tower and Janae and I'Lian refused to talk to each other ever since. John could even understand where she came from. For the sake of Jaro and I'Lian, they stayed at Aylard's inn longer than they intended, a move that nearly got them killed. Janae was righteously furious. John on the other hand was simply glad to see tw… [view original content]
John
Even with his eyes closed, John could still feel his men looking at him. They had gathered in his room, one of the largest the inn h… moread to offer, a room he had rented specifically for such a purpose. He let out a sigh and opened his eyes, looking down at the letter in his hands, the letter with the Targaryen seal on it. They had a lot to talk about.
Janae stood next to the door, her arms crossed as she glared at Jaro and I'Lian, who were sitting on chairs near the table. Unlike John, she hadn't reacted kindly to the news of their arrival in Raylansfair There had been a heated argument after they returned from Daghan's tower and Janae and I'Lian refused to talk to each other ever since. John could even understand where she came from. For the sake of Jaro and I'Lian, they stayed at Aylard's inn longer than they intended, a move that nearly got them killed. Janae was righteously furious. John on the other hand was simply glad to see tw… [view original content]
Escape? Maybe that's a stretch. Kill Mathea? Not as much.
I don't understand how healing someone who will die is a logically smart decision. First, we waste supplies and time. Second, Kreep is still creeping around, and anyone execution or trial is an escape attempt opportunity. Besides that, an execution is something this guy wants. Let me die by a petty wound. He doesn't deserve an honorable death. He who lives by the sword will die by the sword, on the battlefield or not.
Leonard has no quarrel with Wolfius. If Wolfius dies beforehand, then he and Lucas don't have to worry about him.
Ok, lets be honest ingen i doubt he will escape.
But looking at it from logic healing healing him is the BEST choice. Think of all the pe… moreople this arsehole hurt and killed. Dont you think the families deserve a chance? If he is healed he is going to trial , he is going to be found guilty, he is going to get the death penalty and hes going to be executed PUBLICLY. Dying from a wound is not fitting for a monster like him and just overall is a bad choice for arthur.
Tell me do you want Leonard to hear about him dying or do you want him to SEE him die possibly killing him himself? Im just saying this is the worse in terms of payback.
Tbh I don't think Wolfius would even feel humiliated, he would probably just remind the families of the victims that their loved ones were killed by him an laugh, he's a psychopath
Tbh I don't think Wolfius would even feel humiliated, he would probably just remind the families of the victims that their loved ones were killed by him an laugh, he's a psychopath
Well i do. First Wolfius gets what he wants. Both Mathea and Arthuer become publicly hated figures. This created a público crisis which could mean trouble for several characters. Arthurs father would never respect him again. Kreep would become revenge hungry and kill several villagers a quite possibly end up attacking people you like (coughLeonardcough).
This is overall compleatly worse as an option in almost every area, you really can't defend it.
Escape? Maybe that's a stretch. Kill Mathea? Not as much.
I don't understand how healing someone who will die is a logically smart decisi… moreon. First, we waste supplies and time. Second, Kreep is still creeping around, and anyone execution or trial is an escape attempt opportunity. Besides that, an execution is something this guy wants. Let me die by a petty wound. He doesn't deserve an honorable death. He who lives by the sword will die by the sword, on the battlefield or not.
Leonard has no quarrel with Wolfius. If Wolfius dies beforehand, then he and Lucas don't have to worry about him.
John
Even with his eyes closed, John could still feel his men looking at him. They had gathered in his room, one of the largest the inn h… moread to offer, a room he had rented specifically for such a purpose. He let out a sigh and opened his eyes, looking down at the letter in his hands, the letter with the Targaryen seal on it. They had a lot to talk about.
Janae stood next to the door, her arms crossed as she glared at Jaro and I'Lian, who were sitting on chairs near the table. Unlike John, she hadn't reacted kindly to the news of their arrival in Raylansfair There had been a heated argument after they returned from Daghan's tower and Janae and I'Lian refused to talk to each other ever since. John could even understand where she came from. For the sake of Jaro and I'Lian, they stayed at Aylard's inn longer than they intended, a move that nearly got them killed. Janae was righteously furious. John on the other hand was simply glad to see tw… [view original content]
Oh that makes some sense, since he has a want to impress Hackor, so he is milking this to impress his pa. Also, I can't wait until this blows up in his face where someone finds out about the shady deal.
Also, why is Arthur being kinda cocky about capturing Wolfius, after all all he did was bring him from his house to the jail.
That's… more true, technically he did very little to capture Wolfius. However, since only he and Aditha know about the involvement of Kersea and Clayton, he got all the credit and everyone treats him accordingly. While Aditha knows that it wasn't Arthur who captured Wolfius, she knows about the sadistic choice Wolfius gave him and she sees him as a hero for refusing the offer. In turn, Arthur is slightly angered that his father still does not treat him with respect, even if everything looks like he caught this dangerous serial killer all on his own. The way people treat him right now starts to get to his head and even though he objectively did very little, he is still very proud that he was the one who put Wolfius into prison.
John
Even with his eyes closed, John could still feel his men looking at him. They had gathered in his room, one of the largest the inn h… moread to offer, a room he had rented specifically for such a purpose. He let out a sigh and opened his eyes, looking down at the letter in his hands, the letter with the Targaryen seal on it. They had a lot to talk about.
Janae stood next to the door, her arms crossed as she glared at Jaro and I'Lian, who were sitting on chairs near the table. Unlike John, she hadn't reacted kindly to the news of their arrival in Raylansfair There had been a heated argument after they returned from Daghan's tower and Janae and I'Lian refused to talk to each other ever since. John could even understand where she came from. For the sake of Jaro and I'Lian, they stayed at Aylard's inn longer than they intended, a move that nearly got them killed. Janae was righteously furious. John on the other hand was simply glad to see tw… [view original content]
[Approach Harris and tell him about the Targaryen spy in his castle] We already have the knowledge, so let's make good use of it and tell Ha… morerris so we can weed out the spy. Don't think the spy is Sherrly though, since she is already the spy for the Storm King.
[Try to encourage Mathea to treat Wolfius] There has to be something good out of doing the right thing. Plus someone else besides Mathea could come in and try to heal Wolfius, without anyone to protect them, and inadvertently get Wolfius to escape. Also, why is Arthur being kinda cocky about capturing Wolfius, after all all he did was bring him from his house to the jail.
John
Even with his eyes closed, John could still feel his men looking at him. They had gathered in his room, one of the largest the inn h… moread to offer, a room he had rented specifically for such a purpose. He let out a sigh and opened his eyes, looking down at the letter in his hands, the letter with the Targaryen seal on it. They had a lot to talk about.
Janae stood next to the door, her arms crossed as she glared at Jaro and I'Lian, who were sitting on chairs near the table. Unlike John, she hadn't reacted kindly to the news of their arrival in Raylansfair There had been a heated argument after they returned from Daghan's tower and Janae and I'Lian refused to talk to each other ever since. John could even understand where she came from. For the sake of Jaro and I'Lian, they stayed at Aylard's inn longer than they intended, a move that nearly got them killed. Janae was righteously furious. John on the other hand was simply glad to see tw… [view original content]
[Approach Harris and tell him about the Targaryen spy in his castle] We already have the knowledge, so let's make good use of it and tell Ha… morerris so we can weed out the spy. Don't think the spy is Sherrly though, since she is already the spy for the Storm King.
[Try to encourage Mathea to treat Wolfius] There has to be something good out of doing the right thing. Plus someone else besides Mathea could come in and try to heal Wolfius, without anyone to protect them, and inadvertently get Wolfius to escape. Also, why is Arthur being kinda cocky about capturing Wolfius, after all all he did was bring him from his house to the jail.
Comments
Today for sure. I can't give you an exact time, since there is a bit of writing left to be done, but I make good progress
Ok cool! I was just curious^^
John
Even with his eyes closed, John could still feel his men looking at him. They had gathered in his room, one of the largest the inn had to offer, a room he had rented specifically for such a purpose. He let out a sigh and opened his eyes, looking down at the letter in his hands, the letter with the Targaryen seal on it. They had a lot to talk about.
Janae stood next to the door, her arms crossed as she glared at Jaro and I'Lian, who were sitting on chairs near the table. Unlike John, she hadn't reacted kindly to the news of their arrival in Raylansfair There had been a heated argument after they returned from Daghan's tower and Janae and I'Lian refused to talk to each other ever since. John could even understand where she came from. For the sake of Jaro and I'Lian, they stayed at Aylard's inn longer than they intended, a move that nearly got them killed. Janae was righteously furious. John on the other hand was simply glad to see two of his old friends.
Next to Jaro sat Temari. During the past week, his condition got better with every day. He still wasn't entirely fit, but he was able to walk around again almost without pain. After the way Bear roughed him up during their fight, this alone was a small miracle. His sister was the only one that was missing from their meeting. Behara was in the room next door, tending to the still barely conscious woman they had captured during their fight with the Second Sons. Apparently, she woke up a few days ago, but according to Behara, she still was in no shape to get interrogated. John had to pay the innkeeper quite a hefty sum to stay quiet about the wounded woman.
“My friends”, he said and looked up from the letter. “We have a lot to talk about” He raised his hand, showing the letter with the Targaryen seal. I'Lian raised an eyebrow, while Jaro immediately narrowed his eyes. “Targaryen?”, he asked and lent forwards. “Where do you got that from?”
“You know that knight we had to deal with while you were gone?”, Janae hissed. I'Lian opened his mouth to answer, but Jaro quickly grabbed his arm to silence him. “You met a Targaryen knight?”, he asked and John gave him a nod. “Seems like its the case”, he answered. “Daghan Oxus. Ever heard of the name?”
Jaro shook his head, but I'lian gave him a slow nod, causing everyone in the room to look at him. “What? I've heard of that man”, he stated. “Ser Daghan Oxus. Known as 'The Ox of the Dragon'. He's one hell of a warrior. Me and Jaro actually met him in Myr, during the war against the Hegemony, shortly before we met you”
“Did we?”, Jaro asked, slightly confused and I'Lian gave him a nod. “Well, meeting might be a bit too much, but I saw him at least. Tall guy, kinda intimidating, bald head, helm formed like an ox”, he explained. John let out a sigh. “Sounds like him at least”, he mumbled and noticed that I'Lian was slightly frowning. “That man is bad news. Do you know why he is in Raylansfair?”, he asked.
“That's what I wanted to talk about with you”, John explained. “Janae found this letter in the tower Daghan is currently occupying. It's kept short, too short to make any real sense to me. Apparently, Daghan is waiting for someone to arrive, to share some information with”
“What kind of information?”, Jaro interjected and John shrugged. “The letter does not mention it. There have been plenty of papers, probably older letters, maybe the mentioned information, but it was already risky enough to take this one”, he answered. “But the interesting part is, the letter has the Targaryen seal on it, but it wasn't sent from Dragonstone”
He handed the letter to Temari, who slowly started to read. “The Targaryen has someone inside of Raylansfair...”, he muttered. “This person is mentioning the death of the old Lord Raylan and of the Master-at-arms, even the arrival of this Hobert dandy. Someone at Dragonstone could never know this”
“So, you're telling me that Oxus, and by extension House Targaryen of Dragonstone has a spy in Raylansfair, probably even in the castle?”, Jaro growled. “Why should a man like Aegon Targaryen be interested in Raylansfair?”
“Same everyone else is hoping for in this shitty excuse of a city”, Janae answered. “That archive gives power” Jaro and I'Lian exchanged a glance apparently thinking the same, but it was Temari who answered. “And here I am, still not knowing why everyone makes such a drama about a bunch of old books”, he muttered.
“As I said, it gives power”, Janae explained patiently. “Wars are not always won by soldiers alone. At times, this 'bunch of old books', as you called it, can be just as destructive as, say, a dragon” She noticed Temari's confused face and let out a sigh. “Let me explain it that way. The lord of Raylansfair controls this archive. What if the lord of Raylansfair gets into a dispute with his neighbour... who are House Raylans neighbours?”
“Right now, no one, because that house is dead”, I'Lian chuckled, which earned himself a glare from Janae. He quickly raised his hands. “Just a joke”, he grinned. Jaro let out a sigh “House Camberlyng of Lindenhill”, he answered in his brothers stead. “House Raylans closest neighbour to the east, ever since House Bennick died out” He raised an eyebrow. “Which has been partially House Raylans fault, if I'm not mistaken”
Janae shrugged. “Perhaps you want to explain?”, she asked coldly. Jaro shook his head. “Please continue, my friend”, he said softly, apparently succeeding in calming Janae down a little bit. “House Camberlyng”, she said. “Now imagine Lord Camberlyng gets into a fight with Lord Raylan. I'm sure the Camberlyngs have a good repuation, possible allies and are a force to be reckoned with for House Raylan. All of a sudden, Lord Raylan reveals that the archive contains historical accounts of House Camberlyng doing something terrible. Gone is the good reputation, gone are the allies. House Raylan wins without spilling a single drop of blood”
“And what if they don't have these accounts?”, Temari asked. A rare smirk appeared on Janae's face. “Remember their words, Tem, and think about the possibilities. The Raylans write history, at least if they are smart” Temari's one eye opened widely as he realized what she was talking about. “Bloody hells...”, he muttered. “Why exactly is this House so small again?”
“Terrible lords without ambition or intelligence, powerful neighbours, a strong king above them and frequent attacks from Ironborn raiders”, Jaro answered. “It's actually a small wonder they managed to survive for so long” He looked at the letter in John's hands. “And now House Targaryen wants this city and this archive”, he mumbled. “Who knows what a man like Lord Aegon could do with this power”
“So, what are we doing about this?”, I'Lian asked. “I don't know”, John admitted. “If I would actually like Lord Harris, I would have already warned him. But for what we found, for what his men are uncovering right now at the old tower, he paid us a pretty measly amount of gold. Now, I'd like to hear your advice”
“We should tell him”, Jaro said immediately. “I've seen what a dragon can do. Harris Flowers might be a miser, but Aegon Targaryen is something much worse. I don't want to see such a power in his hands”
“Why not?”, Temari asked. “Not our problem. Neither Harris nor Aegon are our lords and after Harris paid us, we owe him nothing. I'd rather not anger the Dragonlord. Besides, compared to using dragons against his enemies, using the archive sounds almost... peaceful. Perhaps we should even approach Daghan and offer our support. There could be a rich reward”
“I'm with you on this one, Tem”, I'Lian agreed and noticed the surprised look Jaro gave him. “Don't look at me like that, brother”, he sighed. “But what Tem said is true. I don't want to anger Aegon Targaryen. But I especially don't want to anger Daghan Oxus. You really don't remember him? If provoked, He'd kill you, me, the entire room without breaking a sweat” He looked up, towards Gutten. “That woman you've taken as our prisoner, how long is she unconscious now?”
“Ever since Daghan slammed his shield against her head”, John answered. “More or less, at least. Hara thinks she's about to wake up any moment” He sighed. “I realize where you're coming from, I'Lian. Even Bear pales in comparison” I'Lian chuckled at the mention of the bandit. Like his brother, he hadn't met him and to John's irritation, he apparently thought of him as a funny guy. “Yeah... Bear”, he chuckled. “With such a name, I'm sure he's compensating for something”
“I'Lian!”, Janae hissed, before she cleared her throat. “Anyway, that's not a reason to support Daghan. I don't trust him. I don't like him” She glanced at John. “And you don't really consider supporting him, right?”
“Now you're all for supporting Harris?”, Temari asked with a mocking look in his eyes. Janae shook her head. “Not at all. I think we should remain neutral in this conflict. Maybe it was a mistake to take the letter, but who could have known? If he asks, we can always claim to know nothing about it. Things tend to get lost when Wildfire explodes”, she explained. “At the same time, we don't tell Lord Harris anything about the Targaryen plans for his city. No matter how this ends, we stay safe”
“And what if Daghan realizes that we're lying to him?”, I'lian asked. Janae shrugged indifferently. “In such a case, we can always negotiate with him. I mean, we simply took his letter. That's a breach of trust, sure, and he won't be thrilled. But as long as we don't tell anyone, I doubt he's going to be too angry”, she answered and looked at Gutten. “Your call, John. I think you know what the right decision is”
[Approach Harris and tell him about the Targaryen spy in his castle] [Approach Daghan and offer your help] [Stay out of it]
Arthur
“Here we got a fresh loaf of bread for you, not the wormy stuff they give you here at the headquarters”, Aditha said with a friendly smile, putting the fragrant piece of bread in front of Arthur onto the table. Arthur noticed the slightly envious looks in the eyes of his fellow guardsmen as they passed him, at least those who weren't immediately glancing at Aditha.
“You know you don't have to do this”, Arthur chuckled and Aditha raised her eyebrow. “As a matter of fact, I want to do this”, she answered. “You are a hero, Arthur. The man who brought Wolfius Woodbark in. You probably saved the city. I'm just bringing you a bit of fresh food for your troubles”
“Yeah... saved the city”, Arthur muttered, as he glanced towards the holding cells. He had brought Wolfius in, put him in a cell, where the beast had stayed for the past week. The killings had stopped. All the killings. But after taking a look at the list of guardsmen that lost their lives during the failed warehouse attack, Arthur still had to ask himself if he made the right decision. Then, he looked into Aditha's warm, green eyes and knew he at least hadn't made a wrong decision.
“It's true, brother. Imagine all the people who would have died if you wouldn't have stopped him”, she said, before noticing the frown on his face. “What about you and father? He vowed to kill you”, he mumbled. Instead of answering, Aditha pulled him into a short hug, resting her arms on his shoulders. “He is bound in chains, behind thick, iron bars, two guards watch over him all day. He is wounded. He could never hurt me”, she answered, before her gaze hardened. “Besides, you know I could have never looked you in the eyes again if you would have let that monster loose on our city”
Arthur gave her a sad nod. “I know”, he answered and noticed that Aditha's gaze still stayed hard as she looked over his shoulder. “What is he doing here?”, she hissed. Arthur didn't even need to turn around to know that she was talking about their father. His sister had a very special tone when Hackor was around. Still, he glanced over his shoulder, seeing his father standing near his office. The commander was apparently reading a document, while a young guard was talking to him, but Arthur knew, he was watching his children. His reaction to Wolfius' capture had been as expected. No gratitude, no appreciation, beyond a cold nod of his head and a weak, obligatory compliment. “Isn't he supposed to be on patrol duty right now?”, Aditha asked.
Arthur shook his head. “He's waiting for the healer”, he answered. “Wants to accompany her to the cells when she takes a look at Wolfius” Aditha pressed her lips together. “Is that really necessary?”, she asked. “I'm afraid so, yes”, Arthur answered. “At first, we weren't sure if he really needed a healer. But his condition got worse. The people who caught him got him really badly”
“Well, where's the problem? Just let him die”, Aditha answered. Arthur had to gulp as he noticed the cold tone in her voice. In a certain way, Aditha had way more of their father than she wanted to admit. But one aspect, Hackor's love for rules, his sense of duty, that was something she was lacking. “Father insisted”, Arthur explained. “Serial killer or not, we can't just let him die before he got a fair trial”
“Yeah... and then he's going to get sentenced to death either way. I don't see a reason to keep a dead man alive, but well, that's father for you”, Aditha answered and her frown faded, replaced by a tired smile. “Look, I don't want to argue. Father always tries to decide in favour of the city and who am I to blame him?” The last sentence was shivering with bitterness, but it was gone as she continued to talk. “I think it's for the best if I go now. Don't want to be around here for too long.”, she said and gave Arthur another hug. “Stay safe, brother. Enjoy your meal!”
With these words, she turned around and started to walk to the door. She hadn't even reached the door as Hackor stepped up to Arthur, glancing from him to Aditha. “What did your sister want?”, he asked, glancing at the basket containing the food she brought for Arthur.
“Just wanted to bring me something to eat”, Arthur answered, noticing that his father narrowed his eyes. “You have a meal here, the same everyone else gets”, he growled. Arthur let out a sigh. He didn't want to argue with his father, but at the same time, he felt the frustration rising again. “She thought I would deserve it after capturing Wolfius Woodbark”, he answered.
Hackor slowly shook his head. “What you did was exceptional work”, he complimented him awkwardly, before the look in his eyes got harder again. “However, there are rules when it comes to the meal of a guardsman and exceptions are...” His hand slowly moved towards the basket, before he sighed. “Exceptions are rare. Outstanding work on the Woodbark case, guardsman Nathamer. Enjoy your meal”
With these words, he turned to his office and quickly entered it without saying another word, leaving a surprised Arthur behind. Had his father just given him an actual compliment, or was it just a half-hearted attempt at pleasing him? Arthur slowly shook his head, glancing at the basked Aditha brought him. A smile formed on his face as he grabbed a small loaf of bread out of it.
Before he could bite into it, he noticed a new visitor entering the headquarters, a young woman with long, black hair and pale skin. He recognized the healer, Mathea and she seemed to recognize him too, since she immediately approached him. She was wearing a simple, brown dress and seemingly did not notice how bloodstained it was. Arthur on the other hand noticed it immediately and as she followed his gaze, the hint of embarrassment appeared on her face.
“Sorry”, she greeted him. “I forgot to change my clothes. I changed Urid Strad's bandages before I left for the headquarters. I have an appointment with Commander Nathamer, in order to visit the prisoner...” She looked towards the door that lead to Hackor's office and Arthur shook his head. “I don't think we should disturb my father right now. I can lead you to the cells”, he explained.
Mathea raised an eyebrow and not for the first time, Arthur noticed the unusual colour of her eyes. It was not quite brown, or at best, a very light tone of brown, more like yellow or even orange. “Your father?”, she asked. Arthur gave her a nod. “Yes. He is the commander. Hackor Nathamer. My name is Arthur Nathamer”, he introduced himself. “We have met before, last week”
“I remember you”, Mathea said. “I just couldn't remember your name. So, you're the commander's son?” Arthur gave her a nod, followed by a sign, as he ordered her to follow. The two approached the door that lead to the headquarters cellar. Raylansfair had a larger dungeon in the castle, but just like the dungeon below the headquarters, it was rarely used. Currently, Wolfius was the only prisoner they had.
“Yes. Actually, it was me who captured the killer as well”, Arthur said and the look on Mathea's face seemed to turn to slight, pleasant surprise. “Then I think I have to thank you. We all have to thank you. What this killer did to Lyria and Rosalie...”, she answered and cut herself off.
“Are they okay?”, Arthur asked and Mathea shook her head. “Lyria is okay, at least physically. Her wrist is broken, but it already starts to heal. It is Rosalie I am concerned of. I saved her life for now, but I am not sure if I'm good enough to save her”
“Well, that is delightful to hear!”, the throaty, growling voice of Wolfius Woodbark was heard as they entered the long hallway that contained the holding cells. Wolfius was in a small cell, surrounded by thick, iron bars. He wasn't looking good. His skin was paler than usual, but he was sweating despite the cold in the dungeons. A pained expression flashed across his face as he clutched his leg wound. He was stinking and Arthur wasn't sure if any of it came from the wound.
“Why are you here, guardsman?”, he snarled and the last word was barely audible as he started to cough violently. “I won't... I won't tell you anything, you know that” His gaze fell upon Mathea and he immediately stopped coughing. A weak smile appeared on his face. “So... you brought me a healer?”, he asked. “You really brought me a healer... Looks like your old man wants to keep me alive for a while longer, wants to give me even more chances to escape”
He started to cough again, just as Arthur and Mathea exchanged a glance. Arthur noticed the understandable nervousness in her eyes. It wasn't fear, but she was intelligent enough to be anxious. “Are you sure you want to do this?”, he asked and Mathea shook her head. “Do I have a choice?”, she asked. “And no, I am not sure. This man... I have seen what he did to his victims”
Wolfius stopped coughing and attempted to grin at her. His weakened state caused him to fail miserably. “You know nothing, girl. Now come on, help me before I die. I promise, I won't bite...”, he said, half chuckling, half coughing.
“It's not looking good for him”, Mathea explained and let out a sigh. It was clear how reluctant she was to get anywhere near the beast. “You don't have to do this if you don't want to”, Arthur said immediately, glancing at the old bandages around Wolfius' leg. His father made it clear that Wolfius should survive until he got a trial. But if he would die from an infected wound... Mathea wasn't a member of the city guard. She wasn't even sworn to House Raylan. Hackor couldn't order her around that easily. If she wouldn't treat Wolfius, it was clear that he would die. Of course, his father would be enraged, especially if Arthur would be the one to convince her to leave Wolfius without treating him. But his father did nothing to capture him in the first place, right? Could Arthur really do this? A terrible thought formed in his mind...
[Try to convince Mathea to leave Wolfius] [Try to encourage Mathea to treat Wolfius] [Let her make her own decision]
[Stay out of it] Not really our business. I'm sure Sherryl is that spy though.
[Try to convince Mathea to leave Wolfius] Let this bastard just die. He'll probably get an escape opportunity and kill Mathea if we don't.
[Stay out of it] Let's not get John and co caught in politics.
[Let her make her own decision] We don't want to push her into doing anything. I'm hoping she treats him though.
Did you even close the voting for the last part?
Technically, I did not. However, I actually wasn't sure if I would manage to finish the new part today, despite what I said earlier. This is the result of a slight rewrite, as the part was originally intended to be a long John part. However, I seriously struggled with bringing it to the length of a normal part, on top of me seeing a good opportunity for a choice a bit earlier. Originally, the events of the next John part were supposed to happen in this part as well and I figured they would work better as two parts. Because of that, I had the opportunity to write Arthur's first part a bit earlier than originally intended, but since I wasn't sure if I could write the entirety of Arthur's part on one day, I refrained from properly closing the voting.
Anyway, for once I also thought that officially closing the voting isn't really necessary, so I figured I could just post the part as soon as it was done. Both choices have been pretty obviously in favour of choosing Irving as the lookout and leaving the ship with Himani, respectively. While maybe not the wisest choices, they are probably the ones I would have chosen as well in your position and both, Maya's and Ellena's storylines will profit from them, at least when it comes to exciting stuff happening in them
[Let her make her own choice]
Shocking i know. But i think Wolfius should be put to trial.
Edit: I'm hoping as a healer tha Mathea stays true to the phylosophy of:
"Thought shall cause no hurt or harm and heal the wounds of all that need it. Even if they had once harmed you"
Other wise ill be personaly disappointed in her as a person and hope dark things in her future. But i have faith she'll stay true to her values.
( Try to convince Mathea to leave wolfius)
(Approach Harris and tell him about the Targaryen spy in the castle)
Ok, lets be honest ingen i doubt he will escape.
But looking at it from logic healing healing him is the BEST choice. Think of all the people this arsehole hurt and killed. Dont you think the families deserve a chance? If he is healed he is going to trial , he is going to be found guilty, he is going to get the death penalty and hes going to be executed PUBLICLY. Dying from a wound is not fitting for a monster like him and just overall is a bad choice for arthur.
Tell me do you want Leonard to hear about him dying or do you want him to SEE him die possibly killing him himself? Im just saying this is the worse in terms of payback.
[Approach Daghan and offer your help]
[Let her make her own decision]
[Approach Daghan and offer your help]I'm smelling monney here
[Try to convince Mathea to leave Wolfius] nothing to say about this
But Xem this is Wolfius easy way out of this. Do you really want him to escape justice?
[Stay out of it]
[Try to convince Mathea to leave Wolfius] Wolfius deserves to die and this way he will suffer if he gets a trial he will most likely get a quick death.
I have a bad feeling about this choice...
[Approach Harris and tell him about the Targaryen spy in his castle] We already have the knowledge, so let's make good use of it and tell Harris so we can weed out the spy. Don't think the spy is Sherrly though, since she is already the spy for the Storm King.
[Try to encourage Mathea to treat Wolfius] There has to be something good out of doing the right thing. Plus someone else besides Mathea could come in and try to heal Wolfius, without anyone to protect them, and inadvertently get Wolfius to escape. Also, why is Arthur being kinda cocky about capturing Wolfius, after all all he did was bring him from his house to the jail.
I'm probably gonna change my choice as it seems that letting Mathea make her own decision has zero chance of winning. We'll see.
[Stay out of it]
[Let her make her own decision]
That's true, technically he did very little to capture Wolfius. However, since only he and Aditha know about the involvement of Kersea and Clayton, he got all the credit and everyone treats him accordingly. While Aditha knows that it wasn't Arthur who captured Wolfius, she knows about the sadistic choice Wolfius gave him and she sees him as a hero for refusing the offer. In turn, Arthur is slightly angered that his father still does not treat him with respect, even if everything looks like he caught this dangerous serial killer all on his own. The way people treat him right now starts to get to his head and even though he objectively did very little, he is still very proud that he was the one who put Wolfius into prison.
So far it looks fairly balanced and I don't think that letting Mathea make her own decision has zero chance of winning. Convincing her to leave Wolfius has four votes, while letting her make her own decision is at three votes, so everything is possible. Technically, convincing her to treat Wolfius also still has a chance to win, as it only has two votes less than convincing her to leave him. But of course you can always change your vote until I close the voting, which will probably happen around Friday or Saturday
[Stay out of it] I don't think it's good idea to say anything... yet. They don't own anything to Harris, it's bad idea to anger Targaryen's as well and Daghan could get furious finding out they took this letter. I would wait for the events to bloom.
[Let her make her own decision] Oh my, even if she was submitted by me I am not sure how she would react for opportunity of deciding about Wolfius faith. I have a scenario already in my head and if the vote will win, we will see if I was right with my intuition and "connection" with my own creation. :-)
[Stay out of it]
[Let her make her own decision]
I'll go with the neutral choices
You know that the justice you are talking about is death penalty, right? So if he dies he escapes death? Eh?
He escapes public humiliation, trial and any closure for his victims or their families.
[Stay out of it]
[Try to convince Mathea to leave Wolfius]
[Stay out of it]
[Try to convince Mathea to leave Wolfius]
Escape? Maybe that's a stretch. Kill Mathea? Not as much.
I don't understand how healing someone who will die is a logically smart decision. First, we waste supplies and time. Second, Kreep is still creeping around, and anyone execution or trial is an escape attempt opportunity. Besides that, an execution is something this guy wants. Let me die by a petty wound. He doesn't deserve an honorable death. He who lives by the sword will die by the sword, on the battlefield or not.
Leonard has no quarrel with Wolfius. If Wolfius dies beforehand, then he and Lucas don't have to worry about him.
Funny how everybody wants to stay out of it^^
Tbh I don't think Wolfius would even feel humiliated, he would probably just remind the families of the victims that their loved ones were killed by him an laugh, he's a psychopath
Ok he still gets a trial and is still PUBLICLY executed.
Well i do. First Wolfius gets what he wants. Both Mathea and Arthuer become publicly hated figures. This created a público crisis which could mean trouble for several characters. Arthurs father would never respect him again. Kreep would become revenge hungry and kill several villagers a quite possibly end up attacking people you like (coughLeonardcough).
This is overall compleatly worse as an option in almost every area, you really can't defend it.
Actually Agent i might end up changing mine so "convince her to leave" doesn't win.
[Let her make her own decision]
[Approach Harris and tell him about the Targaryen spy in his castle]
Great part!
Oh that makes some sense, since he has a want to impress Hackor, so he is milking this to impress his pa. Also, I can't wait until this blows up in his face where someone finds out about the shady deal.
[approach daghan and offer your help]
[try to Convince mathea to leave wolfius]
Bounden you should switch to "let her decide" its the only chance you have to make sure the right thing is done.
[Choose Irving as the lookout]
[Stay aboard the ship]
[Stay out of it]
[Try to convince Mathea to leave Wolfius]
Having trouble changing my vote on my phone but I'm changing it to let her make her own decision.
wtf dude?