The Voting is closed!
Willfred is going to stay with Lord Tyrell
Ellena won't allow Roach to hold the letter
For the first choice, … moreI can tell you that you missed the opportunity to learn something rather important. However, I can also reveal that you will have additional chances to learn about this important thing in the future and that I might not even be able to specify it in the alternative choices at the end of the chapter. For now, Willfred is going to stay perfectly safe together with Lord Tyrell and General Tallian. The second choice on the other hand did not seem that important, didn't it? Since I already mentioned the alternative choices, keep an eye out for this particular one at the end of the chapter.
The next part should be out today. Writing makes some good progress and I'm pretty sure it shouldn't take long to finish it. It's going to be a part with PoV's for Sadie and John. Sadie's last part, coincidentally also he… [view original content]
The Voting is closed!
Willfred is going to stay with Lord Tyrell
Ellena won't allow Roach to hold the letter
For the first choice, … moreI can tell you that you missed the opportunity to learn something rather important. However, I can also reveal that you will have additional chances to learn about this important thing in the future and that I might not even be able to specify it in the alternative choices at the end of the chapter. For now, Willfred is going to stay perfectly safe together with Lord Tyrell and General Tallian. The second choice on the other hand did not seem that important, didn't it? Since I already mentioned the alternative choices, keep an eye out for this particular one at the end of the chapter.
The next part should be out today. Writing makes some good progress and I'm pretty sure it shouldn't take long to finish it. It's going to be a part with PoV's for Sadie and John. Sadie's last part, coincidentally also he… [view original content]
So, I am afraid I have to take back my earlier statement. This part will only include a Sadie PoV, because I realized that I wouldn't be able to fit John's PoV into it without significantly cutting Sadie's PoV. However, about half of John's PoV is already written and I can promise that he will appear in the next part.
Sadie
Half-heartedly, Sadie reached into her purse, pulling out two silver coins. “Two on Blane”, she said as she handed the coins to Nilanne. The whore quickly took her coin, as well as the five coins Dan handed her. “Blane's a risky bet”, she remarked as she started to write down something on a small sheet of paper. “Can you read?”
Sadie gave her a short nod and Nilanne handed her the paper, which turned out to be a betting slip. “Gyles likes order”, the whore explained. “After the fight, I will return to the tables and reward those who got lucky”
“Just with coin, I'm afraid?”, Dan chuckled and Nilanne raised an eyebrow. “Sugar, the girls are a bit more expensive than five silver”, she answered with a forced smile. Sadie glanced down to the dark markings on her arms and Nilanne followed her glance. With a frown, she subtly attempted to pull down her short sleeves. “If that was all, I'm going to resume my duties now. Gyles does not like his employees just standing around and chatting to the guests”, she said and her smile returned, though it failed to reach her eyes. “But if you need anything, don't hesitate to approach me or one of the other girls”
With these words, she took a step backwards, squeezing herself through the crowd. Dan had a wide smile on his face as he looked after her. “A pretty girl”, he mumbled, not noticing the glare Sadie gave him. “Have you seen her arms?”, she asked. “Someone is mistreating her” She clenched her fists, forcing herself to lower her voice, to avoid anyone hearing her conversation. “Something is not right here, Dan. If Melanie is here...”
Dan cut her off by putting one of his large hands onto her shoulder. “Then we'll get her out of here, I promise”, he said calmly. “For now, I need you to remain calm and collected. If you do something rash, you won't be able to help your sister. We should... gentle mother, have you seen that punch?”
His words drew Sadie's attention back to the fight that was going on. Baelor was staggering backwards, looking mildly dazed for a moment, while Blane had a sly, but strangely handsome grin on his face as he took a step away from his opponent. A nasty-looking bruise was visible on his left shoulder, but he seemed to shrug it off as he charged at Baelor, using the other man's momentary confusion to land another hit. “Finish him!”, Gyles yelled at the top of his lungs.
“At least it looks like I'm going to earn some money tonight”, Sadie remarked, still frowning as she thought of the look in Nilanne's eyes. Dan shook his head. “No way. This Bloodbane is tough. He's just playing with his opponent”
Just as he said this, Baelor seemed to regain some of his strength. He let out a sigh and Sadie saw the look in his eyes changing. She doubted that anyone else was noticing it. The people here were farmers, woodcutters, miners. Aside from a couple of sellswords that were apparently working for Gyles, none of them had any fighting experience. Sadie on the other hand had two years of combat experience in the Dornish Marches. She was able to see when someone was holding back.
Blane took another fast punch at him and this time, he barely flinched before he retaliated, delivering a heavy punch into his opponent's stomach area. In turn, Blane almost went down in pain. A second blow from Baelor was enough to finally send him down on his knees. Dan grinned as he looked at her and she avoided his gaze. “What was that? Who's going to earn some money tonight?”, he asked sarcastically.
For one moment, Sadie shifted her attention from the fight to Gyles Gomblinger. The owner of the whorehouse had narrowed his eyes, which gave him a distinctive, pig-like appearance. His lips formed a thin line of anger as Baelor slammed both of his fists straight onto the top of Blane's head, immediately knocking his opponent onto the ground. However, he quickly regained his composure as soon as it was clear that Blane wasn't continuing the fight.
Gyles stepped into the ring, a wide grin on his face that would have been convincing if Sadie hadn't seen his prior expression. “My friends, it appears we have a victor!”, he shouted. “Baelor the Bloodbane took another contender down! A round of applause for our victor!”
The crowd broke into a deafening chant. “Bloodbane!”, they yelled. “Bloodbane! Bloodbane!” While Sadie stayed silent, Dan chimed in, cheering for the victor. She however couldn't be happy for him. It wasn't so much the fact that she lost her money, it was more the fact that something wasn't right here.
“And another round of applause for the brave contender”, Gyles yelled. A second, thankfully less noisy cheer erupted, as Baelor helped his former opponent back to his feet. Blane had a small grin on his face and despite the fact that Baelor's punch had been massive, he was still able to wave his arms and to look around. Nilanne quickly grabbed his arm and gently pulled him to an empty chair.
Meanwhile, Gyles started to push Baelor towards the door, decidedly less gentle. The warrior was following willingly, a calm, almost amused look on his face. Gyles' smile grew smaller with each step, but Sadie doubted that anyone noticed it.They were too busy celebrating, though a small, but noticeable portion of the guests looked decidedly unhappy, occasionally glancing at their betting slips with large frowns on their faces.
“Told you he'd win”, Dan teased her and Sadie gave him a disgruntled nod. “Sure, strength isn't all”, the merchant continued. “But you can't beat experience. Besides, Baelor was anything but slow” Sadie saw Nilanne walking around the tables, handing out rewards to those who bet on Baelor. “You are right”, she muttered.
“Course I am”, Dan answered and his smile grew wider as Nilanne finally reached their table. “Congratulations”, the whore said enthusiastically and reached into her purse. “Seven silver coins for you”
“And how much for you?”, Dan asked with a cheerful grin. Nilanne glanced to the door and as Sadie followed her eyes, she saw Gyles walking back into the room, alone. A forced smile appeared on her face. “Sugar, that'll be way more than seven silver coins”
Dan reached down to his purse and lifted it onto the table. “How about twenty?”, he asked. “Or thirty? Fourty?” Nilanne was about to answer, but immediately as Dan lifted his purse onto the table, Gyles started to approach them. Sadie clenched her fists and took a deep breath as she saw him coming. If her sources told her the truth, this man was nothing short of a slaver, that kept her sister locked away in his disgusting whorehouse.
“Good evening”, Gyles greeted them with a friendly nod of his head. “I haven't seen you around here. My name is Gyles Gomblinger, but please, call me Gyles” He and Dan shook hands and Sadie was relieved that he seemingly ignored her. “My name is Dan Ornon”, Dan introduced himself. “I am a travelling merchant. This is my guard...” “Kelly”, Sadie cut him off, afraid that he could reveal her name by accident. The last thing she wanted was that Gyles would realize why she was here. Kelly was her mothers name and it sent a sting of regret through her body, but she managed to keep her composure, as Gyles' wide smile didn't change. Nilanne however slowly narrowed her eyes, but stayed silent.
“Dan and Kelly”, Gyles said. “Pleasure to have you here” His smile faded as he glanced at Nilanne. “I see you've been among the lucky winners”, he growled. “Congratulations” Dan gave him a nod. “Quite a number of people bet on Baelor, right?”, he asked. “Right”, Gyles confirmed, before he looked at Sadie. “And you, m'lady? How much have you won?”
“Oh, Kelly was betting on Blane”, Dan revealed and Gyles started to chuckle. “My condolences then”, he said and looked her straight in the eyes. It took all of her self-restraint to look back and to uphold the friendly expression on her face. “That's a shame, isn't it?”
“It's only been two silver coins”, Sadie answered. “I'll get over it, after an extensive period of mourning” Gyles let out a loud laughter, despite the fact that she herself didn't find her joke too funny. The laughter sounded genuine, proving that he either had a very simple sense of humour, or that he was a more cunning liar than she had previously thought. “That's the spirit, m'lady”, he said, still slightly chuckling. “To be fair, I had a good feeling for Blane as well. Shame that Baelor won, right?”
“Not for me”, Dan interjected, still holding the silver coins he got from Nilanne. Gyles frowned momentarily, before his smile reappeared. “Glad you got lucky, Ser Dan”, he complimented him. “I hope you keep fond memories of the Golden Gyles” With these words, he sat down in front of them and Sadie noticed his bad smell. More than before, she felt pity for Nilanne as Gyles pulled the whore onto his lap.
“So, Dan, what are you trading with?”, he asked with curiosity. Dan leant backwards and looked at Nilanne, who was upholding her bright smile. However, Sadie had noticed the moment of fear in her eyes as Gyles had touched her. Her hatred for this man grew with every second.
“Fabrics”, her friend answered without lying. “I have a cartload full of the finest at Lord Turnberry's stables. Plan on selling most of it tomorrow” Gyles raised an eyebrow. “Perhaps I'm going to pay you a visit”, he said. “I plan on buying a new dress for my mother” Dan gave him a nod. “Gladly”, he answered. “Why don't you bring her along as well?”
Gyles slowly shook his head. “That won't be a good idea. You see, she is a very old woman and she can be...” He paused and looked at Sadie. “You're giving me that look, m'lady”, he remarked and Sadie realized that she was glaring at him. She immediately forced herself to smile. “Sorry, I don't mean to offend you”, she answered. “Guess I'm just a bit upset that I lost”
“I see”, Gyles answered. “Well, I'm sorry. I would have preferred the other outcome as well. Baelor is undefeated for three years straight now. He's a gifted fighter, but his constant victories are starting to get... boring” He looked at Dan. “I think you know that boring is bad for the business”
Dan gave him a nod, but before he could answer, Gyles continued. “However, perhaps I can give you something as well”, he said and a smirk appeared on his face. On other faces, it would have probably looked friendly and benign. However, combined with his small, greedy eyes and his slightly deformed, almost snout-like nose, it gave him an even more repulsive look. “I'd love to introduce you to our winner, bur sadly, Baelor decided to leave early tonight. Important work at the barracks, I suppose”, he explained. “Though, I think you and Blane should get along just fine. He's a skilled warrior. A sellsword, just like you. Perhaps you'd like to talk to him, considering that you trusted him enough to bet on him, yes?”
Sadie gave him a short nod, followed by a forced smile. “Sure, why not? I'd like to”, she answered, even though it was quite the opposite. But she knew men like Gyles Gomblinger. It would be unwise to refuse one of their offers. Besides, what's the worst that could happen?
Gyles turned around and glanced at Blane, who was still sitting on his chair and drinking a mug of ale. “Hey, Blane!”, he called him. “Get over here. I got someone to introduce to you” The sellsword sluggishly raised from his chair and started to approach Sadie's table. Even from afar, he spotted her and a sly, irritatingly handsome smirk formed on his face. “Everything alright, Gyles?”, he asked as he stopped next to the table. Now that he was closer, Sadie was able to see that Baelor had roughed him up pretty well. His nose wasn't bleeding anymore, but the area around his left eye and his cheek had taken a light blue tone, while the area above his right eye, close to an older, fading scar, had started to turn into a shade of purple.
His employer put a hand onto his shoulder and made a nod into Sadie's direction. “Blane, this is Kelly. She was crazy enough to bet on you”, he said with a forced grin. Blane's smirk faded, as he gave Saide a stern, apologetic look. “I am sorry, mylady”, he said and he managed to sound honest. “If I had known that a woman as beautiful as you was watching, I would have surely been able to defeat Baelor” While Sadie tried her best not to blush, Blane sighed and a pained frown flashed across his face as he moved a hand towards his forehead. “Though I had a good run. For a moment, I was sure I'd defeat him”
“So was I”, Gyles revealed. “You can imagine my surprise when Baelor managed to bring you down” Blane gave him an apologetic look as well. “Sorry, boss. I guess Baelor is just too good”, he answered and Gyles shook his head. “Or perhaps I don't have the right fighters”, he growled, but quickly, his friendly smile returned. “But we shouldn't talk about loss tonight”
“I agree”, Sadie answered and she was sure that she was convincingly able to fake a good mood. At least convincingly for everyone aside from Nilanne, who was still trapped on Gyles' lap, one of the man's fat arms wrapped around her belly. “There was one thing I've been wondering ever since Gyles announced you”, Sadie said as she looked at Blane. “Banefort... are you a member of House Banefort?”
Blane chuckled and compared to Nilanne's forced chuckle, or the greedy, somewhat cruel noises that Gyles made when he was laughing, it sounded refreshingly genuine. “In a certain way”, he answered. “Maybros cadet branch, if I may say so. One of my ancestors has been a member of House Banefort, but any other connection to the house has been gone for centuries. Aside from the name, I'm as noble as a street dog” His grin got wider and decidedly more charming, but Sadie saw that he was merely covering up the pain he was in.
Finally, he let out a pained sigh and shook his head. “I'm sorry mylady, boss”, he mumbled. “I'm really not feeling too well. Baelor has been rather rough on me. I doubt I can hold a conversation for much longer right now” He looked at Gyles and Sadie saw how even moving his head caused him pain. “Boss, if you allow, I'd rather call it a night before I collapse on the ground”
Gyles gave him a benign nod. “Of course. You fought well and you earned some rest. Nila is going to bring you another beer and then you can leave”, he said. Blane let out a relieved sigh. “Thanks, boss”, he said and glanced at Sadie. “I don't want to appear like a complete idiot in front of the lady”
“Oh but you don't”, Sadie was quick to answer. “Look like a complete idiot, I mean” Blane chuckled at her words and shook his head, which caused him to grimace in pain. “With all due respect, but not looking like a complete idiot is not exactly the best compliment I ever got”, he answered with a genuine grin. “You could have complimented my eyes for example”
Sadie looked up, straight into his handsome, green eyes and immediately blushed as he gave her a wink. Sadly, or perhaps thankfully, his wink was followed by a painful grimace which slightly ruined the effect. Nilanne, finally free of Gyles' arm, jumped at Blane's side, before Gyles regained her attention. “Nila, be a darling and bring Blane back to his seat. Bring him a cold ale and a warm meal. Then, bring him to his rooms and make sure that two of the girls tend to his needs”, Gyles ordered. “I guess... Jade and Melanie are free tonight aren't they?”
Melanie... Sadie suppressed the urge to jump up at the mention of her sister. Dan noticed her reaction and without a doubt, Nilanne noticed it too. Thankfully, Gyles seemed to be preoccupied with paying attention to Nilanne, while Blane was obviously too dazed to notice much at all. “They are”, Nilanne confirmed. “I'm going to make sure that everything will be as you ordered, Gyles”
With these words, she lead Blane away, supporting his movements as he stumbled towards a free table, where he almost fell onto the chair. Gyles gave Sadie an apologetic smile and she noticed that her fists were clenched tightly. “I'm sorry. Blane is usually a talkative fellow and rather charming on top”, he said. “Guess I can be lucky that Baelor left him conscious... Is everything alright?”
“Yes!”, Sadie was quick to lie. “Everything... it's just...” Dan leant forwards, immediately defusing the situation. “Your fighter left an impression on my friend here”, he said with a grin. “It would be nice if you could arrange another meeting”
Gyles gave him a happy nod. “It would be my honour”, he said and suddenly raised from his chair. “Though, I'm afraid for now I have to leave you. It's getting late and I have to see if my mother is alright” He took a surprisingly elegant bow in front of Dan and a deeper one in front of Sadie, before he turned around. Finally, Sadie was able to breath out.
Before she could say anything, Dan started to speak. “I've heard him”, he said. “You got your evidence. Your sister is here and I doubt she's here out of her own free will” He put a hand onto Sadie's shoulder, to push her back into her seat, just as she was ready to jump up.
“What is it?”, she growled. “I'm going in there!” Dan shook his head. “And what do you think you're going to achieve?”, he asked. “I've studied this place. A dozen guards at least. On your own, you won't get far. Do you think Gyles is letting her go?”
As much as Sadie hated to admit it, he had a point. Acting rash now would be the worst move she could make. She came that far thanks to patient and cautious planning and to no small part, thanks to Dan. “What are you suggesting?”, she asked.
Dan leant back again and smiled his friendly, warm smile. “We need an ally. Someone who knows the building, someone who has at least some degree of authority and who can support us with bringing your sister our of here, alive of course”, he explained. “Luckily, you left quite the impression on Blane. Trust me, as a man I know the look he gave you”
“So?”, Sadie asked, even though she knew what he was going to suggest. “So you're going to use your charm to win him over for our cause”, Dan explained. “The Seven know, you're respectable looking and you seem to get along with him. Just go over and talk to him”
Sadie immediately shook her head. “Not going to happen”, she hissed, with barely concealed anger in her voice. Dan shrugged. “Why not?”, he asked. “What happened to the girl that was ready to do anything it takes to find her sister?” He raised an eyebrow and gave her a questioning look. “That girl would greatly prefer to keep her dignity”, Sadie clarified. “Besides, Blane is working for Gyles and he seems to be loyal. I was thinking, perhaps Baelor could be a better ally. After all, he's a soldier”
“Baelor?”, Dan asked, as if he just started to consider this option. “Risky. Very risky. He's on Gyles' payroll as well and unlike Blane, he might not be interested in you” Sadie quickly shook her head. “I don't want him to be interested in me. He and Gyles had an argument”, she explained. “I guess he was supposed to loose this fight on purpose. He won regardless, costing Gyles a sweet amount of money. I doubt they are friends”
Dan sighed and gave her a nod. “You may have a point”, he admitted. “In the end, the choice is up to you. You can seek help from Baelor or Blane. Though keep in mind, Baelor is a risk, considering that you know nothing about this man. Blane is right here and he is not exactly in the right state of mind to resist someone like you”
So, I am afraid I have to take back my earlier statement. This part will only include a Sadie PoV, because I realized that I wouldn't be abl… moree to fit John's PoV into it without significantly cutting Sadie's PoV. However, about half of John's PoV is already written and I can promise that he will appear in the next part.
Sadie
Half-heartedly, Sadie reached into her purse, pulling out two silver coins. “Two on Blane”, she said as she handed the coins to Nilanne. The whore quickly took her coin, as well as the five coins Dan handed her. “Blane's a risky bet”, she remarked as she started to write down something on a small sheet of paper. “Can you read?”
Sadie gave her a short nod and Nilanne handed her the paper, which turned out to be a betting slip. “Gyles likes order”, the whore explained. “After the fight, I will return to the tables and reward those who got lucky”
“Just with coin, I'm afraid?”, Dan chuckled and Nilanne raised an … [view original content]
So, I am afraid I have to take back my earlier statement. This part will only include a Sadie PoV, because I realized that I wouldn't be abl… moree to fit John's PoV into it without significantly cutting Sadie's PoV. However, about half of John's PoV is already written and I can promise that he will appear in the next part.
Sadie
Half-heartedly, Sadie reached into her purse, pulling out two silver coins. “Two on Blane”, she said as she handed the coins to Nilanne. The whore quickly took her coin, as well as the five coins Dan handed her. “Blane's a risky bet”, she remarked as she started to write down something on a small sheet of paper. “Can you read?”
Sadie gave her a short nod and Nilanne handed her the paper, which turned out to be a betting slip. “Gyles likes order”, the whore explained. “After the fight, I will return to the tables and reward those who got lucky”
“Just with coin, I'm afraid?”, Dan chuckled and Nilanne raised an … [view original content]
So, I am afraid I have to take back my earlier statement. This part will only include a Sadie PoV, because I realized that I wouldn't be abl… moree to fit John's PoV into it without significantly cutting Sadie's PoV. However, about half of John's PoV is already written and I can promise that he will appear in the next part.
Sadie
Half-heartedly, Sadie reached into her purse, pulling out two silver coins. “Two on Blane”, she said as she handed the coins to Nilanne. The whore quickly took her coin, as well as the five coins Dan handed her. “Blane's a risky bet”, she remarked as she started to write down something on a small sheet of paper. “Can you read?”
Sadie gave her a short nod and Nilanne handed her the paper, which turned out to be a betting slip. “Gyles likes order”, the whore explained. “After the fight, I will return to the tables and reward those who got lucky”
“Just with coin, I'm afraid?”, Dan chuckled and Nilanne raised an … [view original content]
So, I am afraid I have to take back my earlier statement. This part will only include a Sadie PoV, because I realized that I wouldn't be abl… moree to fit John's PoV into it without significantly cutting Sadie's PoV. However, about half of John's PoV is already written and I can promise that he will appear in the next part.
Sadie
Half-heartedly, Sadie reached into her purse, pulling out two silver coins. “Two on Blane”, she said as she handed the coins to Nilanne. The whore quickly took her coin, as well as the five coins Dan handed her. “Blane's a risky bet”, she remarked as she started to write down something on a small sheet of paper. “Can you read?”
Sadie gave her a short nod and Nilanne handed her the paper, which turned out to be a betting slip. “Gyles likes order”, the whore explained. “After the fight, I will return to the tables and reward those who got lucky”
“Just with coin, I'm afraid?”, Dan chuckled and Nilanne raised an … [view original content]
So, I am afraid I have to take back my earlier statement. This part will only include a Sadie PoV, because I realized that I wouldn't be abl… moree to fit John's PoV into it without significantly cutting Sadie's PoV. However, about half of John's PoV is already written and I can promise that he will appear in the next part.
Sadie
Half-heartedly, Sadie reached into her purse, pulling out two silver coins. “Two on Blane”, she said as she handed the coins to Nilanne. The whore quickly took her coin, as well as the five coins Dan handed her. “Blane's a risky bet”, she remarked as she started to write down something on a small sheet of paper. “Can you read?”
Sadie gave her a short nod and Nilanne handed her the paper, which turned out to be a betting slip. “Gyles likes order”, the whore explained. “After the fight, I will return to the tables and reward those who got lucky”
“Just with coin, I'm afraid?”, Dan chuckled and Nilanne raised an … [view original content]
So, I am afraid I have to take back my earlier statement. This part will only include a Sadie PoV, because I realized that I wouldn't be abl… moree to fit John's PoV into it without significantly cutting Sadie's PoV. However, about half of John's PoV is already written and I can promise that he will appear in the next part.
Sadie
Half-heartedly, Sadie reached into her purse, pulling out two silver coins. “Two on Blane”, she said as she handed the coins to Nilanne. The whore quickly took her coin, as well as the five coins Dan handed her. “Blane's a risky bet”, she remarked as she started to write down something on a small sheet of paper. “Can you read?”
Sadie gave her a short nod and Nilanne handed her the paper, which turned out to be a betting slip. “Gyles likes order”, the whore explained. “After the fight, I will return to the tables and reward those who got lucky”
“Just with coin, I'm afraid?”, Dan chuckled and Nilanne raised an … [view original content]
[Seek help from Blane] Yeah I'll give him a chance since we talked to him. Also hello this is my first time reading fanfiction. I finished the other five chapters and now just started reading chapter 6 but I decided to start voting so I read both parts of Sadie's story.
So, I am afraid I have to take back my earlier statement. This part will only include a Sadie PoV, because I realized that I wouldn't be abl… moree to fit John's PoV into it without significantly cutting Sadie's PoV. However, about half of John's PoV is already written and I can promise that he will appear in the next part.
Sadie
Half-heartedly, Sadie reached into her purse, pulling out two silver coins. “Two on Blane”, she said as she handed the coins to Nilanne. The whore quickly took her coin, as well as the five coins Dan handed her. “Blane's a risky bet”, she remarked as she started to write down something on a small sheet of paper. “Can you read?”
Sadie gave her a short nod and Nilanne handed her the paper, which turned out to be a betting slip. “Gyles likes order”, the whore explained. “After the fight, I will return to the tables and reward those who got lucky”
“Just with coin, I'm afraid?”, Dan chuckled and Nilanne raised an … [view original content]
[Seek help from Blane] Dan's a smart man who seems to be able to notice people's tells, I think he knows what he's talking about. Plus I'm loving the flirtatious banter.
So, I am afraid I have to take back my earlier statement. This part will only include a Sadie PoV, because I realized that I wouldn't be abl… moree to fit John's PoV into it without significantly cutting Sadie's PoV. However, about half of John's PoV is already written and I can promise that he will appear in the next part.
Sadie
Half-heartedly, Sadie reached into her purse, pulling out two silver coins. “Two on Blane”, she said as she handed the coins to Nilanne. The whore quickly took her coin, as well as the five coins Dan handed her. “Blane's a risky bet”, she remarked as she started to write down something on a small sheet of paper. “Can you read?”
Sadie gave her a short nod and Nilanne handed her the paper, which turned out to be a betting slip. “Gyles likes order”, the whore explained. “After the fight, I will return to the tables and reward those who got lucky”
“Just with coin, I'm afraid?”, Dan chuckled and Nilanne raised an … [view original content]
So, I am afraid I have to take back my earlier statement. This part will only include a Sadie PoV, because I realized that I wouldn't be abl… moree to fit John's PoV into it without significantly cutting Sadie's PoV. However, about half of John's PoV is already written and I can promise that he will appear in the next part.
Sadie
Half-heartedly, Sadie reached into her purse, pulling out two silver coins. “Two on Blane”, she said as she handed the coins to Nilanne. The whore quickly took her coin, as well as the five coins Dan handed her. “Blane's a risky bet”, she remarked as she started to write down something on a small sheet of paper. “Can you read?”
Sadie gave her a short nod and Nilanne handed her the paper, which turned out to be a betting slip. “Gyles likes order”, the whore explained. “After the fight, I will return to the tables and reward those who got lucky”
“Just with coin, I'm afraid?”, Dan chuckled and Nilanne raised an … [view original content]
So, I am afraid I have to take back my earlier statement. This part will only include a Sadie PoV, because I realized that I wouldn't be abl… moree to fit John's PoV into it without significantly cutting Sadie's PoV. However, about half of John's PoV is already written and I can promise that he will appear in the next part.
Sadie
Half-heartedly, Sadie reached into her purse, pulling out two silver coins. “Two on Blane”, she said as she handed the coins to Nilanne. The whore quickly took her coin, as well as the five coins Dan handed her. “Blane's a risky bet”, she remarked as she started to write down something on a small sheet of paper. “Can you read?”
Sadie gave her a short nod and Nilanne handed her the paper, which turned out to be a betting slip. “Gyles likes order”, the whore explained. “After the fight, I will return to the tables and reward those who got lucky”
“Just with coin, I'm afraid?”, Dan chuckled and Nilanne raised an … [view original content]
[Seek help from Blane] I think it's safer with Blane, especially while we already talked with him. Perhaps he know Melanie more, together with her story and he will help her out while possibility appears.
I really enjoyed reading the part of Sadie... like any other on the other hand... this addictive story totally got my heart.
So, I am afraid I have to take back my earlier statement. This part will only include a Sadie PoV, because I realized that I wouldn't be abl… moree to fit John's PoV into it without significantly cutting Sadie's PoV. However, about half of John's PoV is already written and I can promise that he will appear in the next part.
Sadie
Half-heartedly, Sadie reached into her purse, pulling out two silver coins. “Two on Blane”, she said as she handed the coins to Nilanne. The whore quickly took her coin, as well as the five coins Dan handed her. “Blane's a risky bet”, she remarked as she started to write down something on a small sheet of paper. “Can you read?”
Sadie gave her a short nod and Nilanne handed her the paper, which turned out to be a betting slip. “Gyles likes order”, the whore explained. “After the fight, I will return to the tables and reward those who got lucky”
“Just with coin, I'm afraid?”, Dan chuckled and Nilanne raised an … [view original content]
The Voting is closed!
Willfred is going to stay with Lord Tyrell
Ellena won't allow Roach to hold the letter
For the first choice, … moreI can tell you that you missed the opportunity to learn something rather important. However, I can also reveal that you will have additional chances to learn about this important thing in the future and that I might not even be able to specify it in the alternative choices at the end of the chapter. For now, Willfred is going to stay perfectly safe together with Lord Tyrell and General Tallian. The second choice on the other hand did not seem that important, didn't it? Since I already mentioned the alternative choices, keep an eye out for this particular one at the end of the chapter.
The next part should be out today. Writing makes some good progress and I'm pretty sure it shouldn't take long to finish it. It's going to be a part with PoV's for Sadie and John. Sadie's last part, coincidentally also he… [view original content]
[Seek help from Baelor] for what I've read Baelor has more reasons to betray Gyles than Blane ( Baelor seems to me a man that dislike lost on purpose fights and I see enough movies about the matter to know that if his owner must choice who rid off Baelor will be his first choice) and obviously he is more strong than Blane (and I must admit that Blane for what I've read seems still too loyal to the man that give him money for live)
So, I am afraid I have to take back my earlier statement. This part will only include a Sadie PoV, because I realized that I wouldn't be abl… moree to fit John's PoV into it without significantly cutting Sadie's PoV. However, about half of John's PoV is already written and I can promise that he will appear in the next part.
Sadie
Half-heartedly, Sadie reached into her purse, pulling out two silver coins. “Two on Blane”, she said as she handed the coins to Nilanne. The whore quickly took her coin, as well as the five coins Dan handed her. “Blane's a risky bet”, she remarked as she started to write down something on a small sheet of paper. “Can you read?”
Sadie gave her a short nod and Nilanne handed her the paper, which turned out to be a betting slip. “Gyles likes order”, the whore explained. “After the fight, I will return to the tables and reward those who got lucky”
“Just with coin, I'm afraid?”, Dan chuckled and Nilanne raised an … [view original content]
So, I am afraid I have to take back my earlier statement. This part will only include a Sadie PoV, because I realized that I wouldn't be abl… moree to fit John's PoV into it without significantly cutting Sadie's PoV. However, about half of John's PoV is already written and I can promise that he will appear in the next part.
Sadie
Half-heartedly, Sadie reached into her purse, pulling out two silver coins. “Two on Blane”, she said as she handed the coins to Nilanne. The whore quickly took her coin, as well as the five coins Dan handed her. “Blane's a risky bet”, she remarked as she started to write down something on a small sheet of paper. “Can you read?”
Sadie gave her a short nod and Nilanne handed her the paper, which turned out to be a betting slip. “Gyles likes order”, the whore explained. “After the fight, I will return to the tables and reward those who got lucky”
“Just with coin, I'm afraid?”, Dan chuckled and Nilanne raised an … [view original content]
From what I can gather, Blane likes Sadie so he has more of a reason to help her than someone who doesn't even know her. And two, he's practically half-dead right now. If it doesn't work in our favor, odds are he won't even remember it tomorrow.
So, I am afraid I have to take back my earlier statement. This part will only include a Sadie PoV, because I realized that I wouldn't be abl… moree to fit John's PoV into it without significantly cutting Sadie's PoV. However, about half of John's PoV is already written and I can promise that he will appear in the next part.
Sadie
Half-heartedly, Sadie reached into her purse, pulling out two silver coins. “Two on Blane”, she said as she handed the coins to Nilanne. The whore quickly took her coin, as well as the five coins Dan handed her. “Blane's a risky bet”, she remarked as she started to write down something on a small sheet of paper. “Can you read?”
Sadie gave her a short nod and Nilanne handed her the paper, which turned out to be a betting slip. “Gyles likes order”, the whore explained. “After the fight, I will return to the tables and reward those who got lucky”
“Just with coin, I'm afraid?”, Dan chuckled and Nilanne raised an … [view original content]
So, I am afraid I have to take back my earlier statement. This part will only include a Sadie PoV, because I realized that I wouldn't be abl… moree to fit John's PoV into it without significantly cutting Sadie's PoV. However, about half of John's PoV is already written and I can promise that he will appear in the next part.
Sadie
Half-heartedly, Sadie reached into her purse, pulling out two silver coins. “Two on Blane”, she said as she handed the coins to Nilanne. The whore quickly took her coin, as well as the five coins Dan handed her. “Blane's a risky bet”, she remarked as she started to write down something on a small sheet of paper. “Can you read?”
Sadie gave her a short nod and Nilanne handed her the paper, which turned out to be a betting slip. “Gyles likes order”, the whore explained. “After the fight, I will return to the tables and reward those who got lucky”
“Just with coin, I'm afraid?”, Dan chuckled and Nilanne raised an … [view original content]
So, I am afraid I have to take back my earlier statement. This part will only include a Sadie PoV, because I realized that I wouldn't be abl… moree to fit John's PoV into it without significantly cutting Sadie's PoV. However, about half of John's PoV is already written and I can promise that he will appear in the next part.
Sadie
Half-heartedly, Sadie reached into her purse, pulling out two silver coins. “Two on Blane”, she said as she handed the coins to Nilanne. The whore quickly took her coin, as well as the five coins Dan handed her. “Blane's a risky bet”, she remarked as she started to write down something on a small sheet of paper. “Can you read?”
Sadie gave her a short nod and Nilanne handed her the paper, which turned out to be a betting slip. “Gyles likes order”, the whore explained. “After the fight, I will return to the tables and reward those who got lucky”
“Just with coin, I'm afraid?”, Dan chuckled and Nilanne raised an … [view original content]
So, I am afraid I have to take back my earlier statement. This part will only include a Sadie PoV, because I realized that I wouldn't be abl… moree to fit John's PoV into it without significantly cutting Sadie's PoV. However, about half of John's PoV is already written and I can promise that he will appear in the next part.
Sadie
Half-heartedly, Sadie reached into her purse, pulling out two silver coins. “Two on Blane”, she said as she handed the coins to Nilanne. The whore quickly took her coin, as well as the five coins Dan handed her. “Blane's a risky bet”, she remarked as she started to write down something on a small sheet of paper. “Can you read?”
Sadie gave her a short nod and Nilanne handed her the paper, which turned out to be a betting slip. “Gyles likes order”, the whore explained. “After the fight, I will return to the tables and reward those who got lucky”
“Just with coin, I'm afraid?”, Dan chuckled and Nilanne raised an … [view original content]
[Seek help from Blane] Yeah I'll give him a chance since we talked to him. Also hello this is my first time reading fanfiction. I finished t… morehe other five chapters and now just started reading chapter 6 but I decided to start voting so I read both parts of Sadie's story.
So, I am afraid I have to take back my earlier statement. This part will only include a Sadie PoV, because I realized that I wouldn't be abl… moree to fit John's PoV into it without significantly cutting Sadie's PoV. However, about half of John's PoV is already written and I can promise that he will appear in the next part.
Sadie
Half-heartedly, Sadie reached into her purse, pulling out two silver coins. “Two on Blane”, she said as she handed the coins to Nilanne. The whore quickly took her coin, as well as the five coins Dan handed her. “Blane's a risky bet”, she remarked as she started to write down something on a small sheet of paper. “Can you read?”
Sadie gave her a short nod and Nilanne handed her the paper, which turned out to be a betting slip. “Gyles likes order”, the whore explained. “After the fight, I will return to the tables and reward those who got lucky”
“Just with coin, I'm afraid?”, Dan chuckled and Nilanne raised an … [view original content]
I apologize for not voting in so long. I hate saying "I've been busy" as an excuse for everything, but it also took some time to pretty much re-read what I have missed. I did not re-read it in one sitting as I would have hoped, but I have finally caught up! Now let's just hope I get stuck behind three parts later.
[Seek help from Blane] This was actually pretty tough for me. But in the end I realized that we are closer and more comfortable with Blane and Baelor might not be someone we want to be with. Just in case.
So, I am afraid I have to take back my earlier statement. This part will only include a Sadie PoV, because I realized that I wouldn't be abl… moree to fit John's PoV into it without significantly cutting Sadie's PoV. However, about half of John's PoV is already written and I can promise that he will appear in the next part.
Sadie
Half-heartedly, Sadie reached into her purse, pulling out two silver coins. “Two on Blane”, she said as she handed the coins to Nilanne. The whore quickly took her coin, as well as the five coins Dan handed her. “Blane's a risky bet”, she remarked as she started to write down something on a small sheet of paper. “Can you read?”
Sadie gave her a short nod and Nilanne handed her the paper, which turned out to be a betting slip. “Gyles likes order”, the whore explained. “After the fight, I will return to the tables and reward those who got lucky”
“Just with coin, I'm afraid?”, Dan chuckled and Nilanne raised an … [view original content]
So, I am afraid I have to take back my earlier statement. This part will only include a Sadie PoV, because I realized that I wouldn't be abl… moree to fit John's PoV into it without significantly cutting Sadie's PoV. However, about half of John's PoV is already written and I can promise that he will appear in the next part.
Sadie
Half-heartedly, Sadie reached into her purse, pulling out two silver coins. “Two on Blane”, she said as she handed the coins to Nilanne. The whore quickly took her coin, as well as the five coins Dan handed her. “Blane's a risky bet”, she remarked as she started to write down something on a small sheet of paper. “Can you read?”
Sadie gave her a short nod and Nilanne handed her the paper, which turned out to be a betting slip. “Gyles likes order”, the whore explained. “After the fight, I will return to the tables and reward those who got lucky”
“Just with coin, I'm afraid?”, Dan chuckled and Nilanne raised an … [view original content]
This outcome is unexpected, but certainly not unwanted. As much as I would have enjoyed additional interaction between Sadie and Blane in this chapter, I gladly take the opportunity to flesh out Baelor's character a bit better. If you would have chosen Blane, I can already reveal that Baelor wouldn't have appeared for the remaining Chapter 6, which would be a shame. Now, the screentime between these two should be divided more evenly.
The next part is hopefully going to be out today. As promised, it will include the John PoV that was meant to be featured in the last part. It will also include a Garthon PoV. Since I already gave you a recap for the latest events in John's storyline the last time I closed the voting, I'm going to skip it this time. However, Garthon's last part has been a few weeks ago, so here's a short recap for him. The last time we saw him and Torvin, they were still in Harren Hoare's dungeons, at the mercy of the sadistic torturer Holt Torv. The unexpected arrival of Kyra Greyjoy, followed by the king himself, changed this however. As it turned out, Harren currently refrains from killing them for very good reason. While the brothers had failed to kill Harren or Harlan, they have achieved something dangerous, because they once again showed the lords of the Riverlands that the king is not invincible and it was revealed that the lords now start to see them as icons of hope. One particular lord, Lord Blackwood, even seems to be on a good way to start an open rebellion. Because of that, Harren obviously does not want to make martyrs out of them. Instead, he wants to pull Torvin and Garthon to his side, to give an important political message to his insubordinant lords. In turn, he promised to set them free and to refrain from further punishment as long as they serve him loyally. While Torvin proudly refused, Garthon eventually decided to accept the king's offer.
Once again, I have to take back what I said earlier. While writing Garthon's PoV, I had an idea for John's PoV that required of me to extend it to the length of a full part. Sorry for those who were looking forward for Garthon, but here's a longer John part for you.
John
Daghan knew it. There was no doubt that the knight had already seen through John's weak attempts at hiding the truth. Still, John was afraid that telling the truth could be a grievous mistake. This feeling resulted from Daghan's unnerving confidence. They outnumbered him five to one, so it was either a result of insanity, or the knowledge that his skill would suffice to defeat a whole group of trained fighters. Even though John didn't know Daghan very well, he was reasonably certain that the knight wasn't insane.
John sighed and looked Daghan straight in the eyes. “Yes, I took your letter”, he admitted and slowly raised from his chair. Daghan narrowed his eyes, but remained silent. At the same time, Janae gave him an alarmed stare and John knew that she was waiting for his orders. For a moment, he even considered it. Five against one should, by all means, result in an easy victory. Then again, John had been in similar situations before, with five against him. He knew how brutal such a fight would be and he knew it wasn't worth it.
“I'm sorry”, he added half-heartedly. Of course, he wasn't sorry and Daghan obviously knew it as well, but in this tense situation, politeness seemed appropriate. Then, he carefully approached Daghan and reached into his pocket, slow enough to allow the knight to react to his movements. He pulled out the letter and handed it over.
Impatiently, Daghan grabbed it, before he gave him a gruff nod. “Thank you”, he growled and John started to relax. Then, without any kind of warning, Daghan's closed fist hit his face. It felt like the kick of a horse and was more than enough to send John to the ground. While he fell, John noticed two things. First, his face hurt like hell, enough to send shivers of pain through his whole body, enough to dull the rest of his senses. Second, his men immediately jumped up and grabbed their weapons. Temari and Jaro were pointing their swords at him, Janae was holding a small knife and I'Lian was grabbing his bow.
All this time, Daghan remained as calm as always, as if he wasn't even noticing the armed men around him, who were just waiting for an order to kill him. “I believe now we're even”, he remarked and under the careful eye of Janae, his hand moved down, closer to John. It took him a moment to realize that the knight was going to help him up. Barely noticing the bleeding cut on his forehead, a grin formed on his face as he grabbed Daghan's hand. “Looks like it”, he answered.
After Daghan helped him up, John tried to pull his hand back again, only to find that the knight's iron grip hadn't softened. Instead, Daghan was still glaring at him, although he did it in a decidedly less hostile way. “I suppose you have read the letter”, he stated and John felt obliged to give him a nod.
Finally, Daghan released his hand with a sigh. “Sit down”, he ordered. “And I'd be very thankful if Janae could stop pointing a knife at my spine” John glanced past him and saw Janae, who was clenching her teeth and indeed holding a knife dangerously close to Daghan. He shook his head, which caused her to put the knife away, visibly unhappy about his decision.
Following her actions, Daghan sat down as well, which finally defused the situation. While Temari and Jaro had remained calm, John could see that I'lian was feeling anxious and visibly uncomfortable in Daghan's presence. “I believe I owe you some answers”, Daghan said. “You obviously realized that I am not a hedge knight”
“Surprise”, Janae said as deadpan as possible. Daghan glanced over his shoulder and straight at her, to which she just raised an eyebrow. “I have to say, I was slightly surprised you haven't recognized my name when I introduced myself”, the knight said. “After all, you have fought in the Free Cities, haven't you?”
John gave him an apologetic smile. “I'm afraid I have a bad memory for names”, he answered. “He wants to say, you're not as famous as you think you are”, Janae added, which caused Daghan to smirk. “That hurt”, he chuckled. “While it is true that most of my work isn't well known, I gained some fame in the war against the Hegemony” His smile faded, replaced by a cold, distant look on his whole face. “My family has served House Targaryen for generations, ever since they landed on Dragonstone centuries ago”, he explained. “We have no valyrian ancestry. We're not as important as Houses Celtigar and Velaryon, but each member of my family served the dragonlords loyally. My father served as Lord Aerion Targaryen's bodyguard. My grandfather was Lord Daemion Targaryen's chief advisor”
The distant look in his eyes got a bit warmer and to John's surprise, he even started to smile. “My daughter Cass is a handmaiden to...”, he explained and immediately, a shocked, hurt expression flashed over John's face, noticeable enough for Daghan to pause. “Is everything alright?”, he asked with concern in his voice.
“Her... her name is Cass?”, John asked in surprise, his voice sounding weaker than expected. Daghan raised an eyebrow and gave him a nod. “Cassandra, yes”, he answered and glanced over his shoulder, right at Janae. “Have I... said anything wrong?”
Janae shook her head and threw a concerned look at John, who was silently facing the floor. Seven Hells, out of all the names he could have given to his daughter... “No”, she growled. “Just continue your story. But I don't think any of us is interested in your daughter” She looked back at him and crossed her arms. “Maybe you can start with why you are here and what the Dragonlord wants from this city”
Daghan gave her a nod. “Very well. I have to say, King Aegon...”, he started, but Janae cut him off again. “King Aegon?”, she asked. “Lord Aegon”, Daghan answered quickly, maybe even a bit too quickly. “He considers me one of his finest knights. I've personally commanded the Targaryen cavalry at the fields of Myr. I am a knight, a fighter and, if necessary, a killer at my liege's command, but I am not a liar”
“Well you lied to us when we first met”, Janae remarked and Daghan gave her a nod. “And you immediately saw through it, because honestly, I hate it. So, now I'm going to be honest with you, as honest as I'm allowed to be”
“Sounds good”, Janae answered. “Let's start with the obvious. Why is a renowned Targaryen knight, commander of the dragonlords armies, on a secret mission here in Raylansfair?” Daghan leant back in his chair and closed his eyes for a moment. “I'm a middleman. I'm the backup”, he revealed. “Lord Aegon knows that my talents are on the battlefield. Because of this, I am ordered to guard someone”
“Whom?”, Janae asked and Daghan shook his head. “I'm not allowed to say this. However, you probably realized already that my contact is someone in the castle. She is working on a highly important project, involving the archive, as well as lordship over Raylansfair”
“What's wrong with the current lord?”, Jaro remarked sarcastically. Daghan gave him a surprised look, as if he had just realized that the man was even present at this meeting. “For starters, he's only the acting lord. He's also a cold-blooded murderer, responsible for the death of Ilhan Lagoon, the previous master-at-arms”
“That... is actually a good reason to be against him”, Jaro answered in surprise and even Janae was taken aback for a second, although she was better at hiding it. John looked up and right at Daghan. “Do you have any proof?”, he asked. It came as a great relief for him that Daghan shook his head. “I only know what my contact told me, but I fully trust her. Her loyalty to House Targaryen is without question”
“Few loyalties are without question and even fewer should be”, Jaro interjected. “But what your contact told you is concerning. Talking about your contact, what are her goals in Raylansfair?” Daghan smirked before he answered. “I'm afraid if I tell you about it, I have to kill you”, he chuckled and noticed Janae's grim, alarmed stare. “I always wanted to say that”, he quickly added, in the attempt to calm her down. “But still, I am not allowed to reveal any more about it. It is important for my liege and let me assure you, not at all dangerous for this beautiful city”
“If you say so”, Janae muttered and let out a sigh. “As much as I doubt that one, there is one thing in which I have to agree with your contact. Harris Flowers is a killer. At first I wasn't sure why I had such an aversion to him, but after what you said... I recognize the look in his eyes. Seen enough people like him during... a few years ago” She paused and John knew what she was referring to. The look she gave him contained no disappointment, not that he would have blamed her. “And we gave him enough Wildfire to burn a city to the ground”, he finished what she was trying to say.
“Irrelevant”, Daghan interjected. “Harris Flowers is a murdering bastard, but not a danger to Lord Aegon's goals, at least not yet...” He was going to continue, but before he could say anything else, the door to the room was opened without warning. Temari jumped up, a hand on the hilt of his sword, but he relaxed immediately as he saw his sister walking through the door.
“John, you...”, Behara started to say, before she noticed the hulking figure of Daghan. She stopped and threw a questioning look from John to her brother. “It's alright, Hara”, Temari calmed her down. “This is Daghan Oxus. Daghan, this is my sister Behara”
The knight raised from his chair and took a deep, elegant bow in front of her. In this moment, there was no doubt that he was more than a simple hedge knight. Underneath his gruff exterior, John was able to see hints of the manners that were taught to people at all courts he had ever been to. “At your service, mylady”, Daghan said. Behara raised an eyebrow, but stayed silent. “Is everything alright, Hara? How's our guest?”, John asked. “That's why I'm here”, she finally answered. “She just woke up”
“You have a guest?”, Daghan asked and Janae gave him a nod. “Do you remember the woman you nearly killed back at the tower?”, she asked and for a moment, her expression softened slightly. John knew, she was thinking about the same thing that flashed through his mind. Daghan had almost killed this woman, but in doing so, he had also saved John's life.
“So, that was you?”, Behara deduced. “Great. Charming. Just a little bit harder and you would have literally shattered her skull” While Behara was rarely unfriendly to a stranger, John saw that she was sharing Janae's dislike of the knight. “But she is alright, for someone who had spent most of the week unconscious. She can speak in full sentences and she can move her body, although she is still in a lot of pain”
“Has she said anything important?”, John asked. Finally, he snapped out of the weirdly uncomfortable feeling that had gotten to him the moment Daghan mentioned his daughter. The time to mourn would come later. For now, there was work to do, hopefully enough to make him feel alive.
“Not yet. She hasn't even told me her name”, Behara answered. “I immediately came here. But... John, she's awake right now. Maybe she's going to fall unconscious any second. I'm not a healer, but I know how dangerous head injuries are” She paused and glanced at Daghan. “Is... is this meeting important?”
John shook his head and raised from his chair. “Not as important as finding out why the Second Sons attacked us that night”, he answered. “Janae is going to continue here. I will talk to our guest” He took a step towards Behara and put a hand onto her shoulder. “And I'm doing it alone. Go and get some rest”, he added, as he noticed the dark rings under her eyes. Out of his entire group, Behara had worked the hardest during the past week, trying her best to keep the woman alive despite the fact that her skills and equipment was rudimentary at best.
He looked at Janae who gave him a nod. “Works for me”, she answered and walked around Daghan, to take the chair in front of him. “We're going to continue our little talk. There's still a lot I don't quite understand about you”
“And when I have answered you, are you willing to help me?”, Daghan asked. “I mean, I could use a group like you, if things get bad” Janae shrugged. “It depends on how much I like you and your answers”, she explained. “And truth be told, I don't really like you at the moment”
John smirked as he heard her answer. “Be nice to him. We can never know when we need a Targaryen knight on our side”, he warned her. Janae reciprocated the smirk, although it was smaller and less genuine in her case. “Sure”, she answered and turned back to Daghan. “Let us start with the question why Lord Aegon all of a sudden decides to send a spy to Raylansfair instead of a diplomatic envoy”
John didn't listen to the rest of their conversation. He knew, Janae would keep him updated. For now, he had his own work to do. He stepped out the door and Behara followed him down the hallway, to the next door, where she grabbed his shoulder. “She might be awake, but she is still heavily wounded”, she warned him. “What I mean is, be gentle to her. We know nothing about her and she might be a good person. There's no need for further violence”
“I'll decide about that”, John said, although he was at least considering her words. It was true that he knew nothing about this woman. He had been in her situation before and he would have at least appreciated it if the people who captured him before would have treated him with decency. At the same time, she was chained to the bed for very good reason. She only got into this situation because she tried to kill him and she would have succeeded if it wouldn't have been for Daghan and his shield.
Carefully, he entered the room. It was a bit smaller than the room he had just left. A small bed, a chair in front of it, a cupboard, a small tub filled with bloodied water, old bandages lying on a pile next to the bed. The air was stale and only a small candle provided light.
The young woman was lying on the bed. Her eyes were barely open, though they widened slightly as soon as John entered the room, revealing their dark brown colour. Her hair was black and fell below her shoulders, contrasting with her skin, which seemed even more pale than back when she had tried to kill him, as a result of a full week she had spent barely conscious.
“So... I suppose you are my jailer”, the woman remarked and sluggishly raised her left hand, the one that was chained to the heavy bedpost. Her voice was weak and rough and even though she opened her mouth to say something else, a violent cough forced its way out of her throat instead. John walked to the cupboard and opened it, pulling out a small glass and a bottle of water. He filled the glass, before he continued to approach the woman.
“You're correct”, he answered as he moved the glass to her lips. Despite the cold, untrusting look in her eyes, he knew that she was too thirsty to refuse such an offer. She drunk and did not stop until she had to cough again from drinking too fast. “My name is John Gutten and you have spent the last week in our custody”
“A whole week...”, the woman mumbled in surprise and closed her eyes for a second, just long enough to make John afraid she could fall unconscious again. “Do you remember anything?”, he asked. Like Behara, he wasn't an expert when it came to head injuries, even though he caused quite a lot of them. But he knew that the partial loss of memory was one of the most common consequences of it.
“The last thing I remember was... it was night. We... attacked a tower...”, she mumbled and John was relieved that her memory was obviously still working. Suddenly, her eyes widened. “We fought against each other, didn't we?”, she asked. He gave her a nod. “You nearly killed me”, he growled. “And you would have, if it weren't for the man who knocked you out”
“Swine...”, the woman mumbled weakly. “The man that knocked me out, I mean. I... I don't think I'm supposed to actually feel my brain, am I?” John crossed his arms as he glanced down at her. “My name is John Gutten”, he revealed. “I have a few questions about you, your involvement with the Second Sons and their leader, this Rodrik”
“Do I look like a second son to you?”, the woman mumbled again, barely managing to look at him. Then, she stayed silent. John waited for a while, looking down at her, while she looked up. “Do you intend on giving me an answer?”, he asked. This time, she tried to shake her head, but stopped as soon as a pained expression flashed across her face. “I've been paid handsomely to stay quiet”, she said.
John sighed at these words. He was afraid of this. In general, John hated prisoners. He made them when it was inevitable, but they always meant a lot more work for him and his men. It was even worse with prisoners who had an attitude. And the worst of all were wounded prisoners with an attitude, because he had to remain calm around them.
“Listen, girl”, he growled. “You tried to kill me, we saved your life. The way I see it, you owe me” A tired smirk formed on the woman's face. “The way I see it, you only saved my life because you want information”, she answered. “The moment I told you what I know, you're going to kill me” John raised an eyebrow at her cunning. He never intended to kill her of course, but from her position, it was a reasonable thought.
“So be it...”, he sighed, but before he could continue, the sound of the door to the next room being opened made him look up. Someone walked out of the room in which Janae and Daghan were talking. He narrowed his eyes. “Excuse me”, he said, before he turned around. “Yeah, not like I'm going anywhere”, the woman mumbled faintly.
As John stepped out of the room, he was greeted by the sight of Daghan, who was leaning against the wall. Next to him stood a visibly uncomfortable I'lian, who was nervously glancing at the knight. “What are you doing out here?”, he asked.
“It appears, Janae wants to talk to Jaro and Temari in private”, Daghan answered. “She ordered me out and sent I'lian with me, probably to watch after me” He glanced at the nervous sellsword and smiled. “We were in the middle of a lively conversation when you interrupted us”, he chuckled.
“Yeah... I think I'm the only one who knows how dangerous that guy can be”, I'lian remarked and immediately looked back at Daghan. “And I'm saying this with the utmost respect, Ser” He glanced at John. “Is everything alright in there? Has she started to speak?”
John shook his head. “She refuses to”, he answered. Immediately, he noticed a subtle change in Daghan's body language. “Maybe I can help”, he offered all of a sudden. “I gained some knowledge of interrogating prisoners during my time in the Free Cities. Don't you worry, I won't kill her”
I'lian's look of nervousness faded immediately. “Sorry, Ser, but that's bullshit”, he argued, before he realized what he just said. “Respectful bullshit, I mean”, he quickly corrected himself. “John, the last time this man met the woman in there, he nearly killed her. You on the other hand... eh, you've always been shitty at talking to others. She is as good as dead. You won't come far with violence” A sly smirk appeared on his face. “However, I always had a way with words. Just ask Jaro if you don't believe me”, he claimed. “Let me talk to her and she will give you the answers out of her own free will. Or maybe you'd like to try your luck yourself again?”
[Let Daghan speak to her][Let I'lian speak to her][Try to speak to her yourself]
Once again, I have to take back what I said earlier. While writing Garthon's PoV, I had an idea for John's PoV that required of me to extend… more it to the length of a full part. Sorry for those who were looking forward for Garthon, but here's a longer John part for you.
John
Daghan knew it. There was no doubt that the knight had already seen through John's weak attempts at hiding the truth. Still, John was afraid that telling the truth could be a grievous mistake. This feeling resulted from Daghan's unnerving confidence. They outnumbered him five to one, so it was either a result of insanity, or the knowledge that his skill would suffice to defeat a whole group of trained fighters. Even though John didn't know Daghan very well, he was reasonably certain that the knight wasn't insane.
John sighed and looked Daghan straight in the eyes. “Yes, I took your letter”, he admitted and slowly raised from his chair. Daghan narrowed his eyes, but… [view original content]
Once again, I have to take back what I said earlier. While writing Garthon's PoV, I had an idea for John's PoV that required of me to extend… more it to the length of a full part. Sorry for those who were looking forward for Garthon, but here's a longer John part for you.
John
Daghan knew it. There was no doubt that the knight had already seen through John's weak attempts at hiding the truth. Still, John was afraid that telling the truth could be a grievous mistake. This feeling resulted from Daghan's unnerving confidence. They outnumbered him five to one, so it was either a result of insanity, or the knowledge that his skill would suffice to defeat a whole group of trained fighters. Even though John didn't know Daghan very well, he was reasonably certain that the knight wasn't insane.
John sighed and looked Daghan straight in the eyes. “Yes, I took your letter”, he admitted and slowly raised from his chair. Daghan narrowed his eyes, but… [view original content]
Once again, I have to take back what I said earlier. While writing Garthon's PoV, I had an idea for John's PoV that required of me to extend… more it to the length of a full part. Sorry for those who were looking forward for Garthon, but here's a longer John part for you.
John
Daghan knew it. There was no doubt that the knight had already seen through John's weak attempts at hiding the truth. Still, John was afraid that telling the truth could be a grievous mistake. This feeling resulted from Daghan's unnerving confidence. They outnumbered him five to one, so it was either a result of insanity, or the knowledge that his skill would suffice to defeat a whole group of trained fighters. Even though John didn't know Daghan very well, he was reasonably certain that the knight wasn't insane.
John sighed and looked Daghan straight in the eyes. “Yes, I took your letter”, he admitted and slowly raised from his chair. Daghan narrowed his eyes, but… [view original content]
Once again, I have to take back what I said earlier. While writing Garthon's PoV, I had an idea for John's PoV that required of me to extend… more it to the length of a full part. Sorry for those who were looking forward for Garthon, but here's a longer John part for you.
John
Daghan knew it. There was no doubt that the knight had already seen through John's weak attempts at hiding the truth. Still, John was afraid that telling the truth could be a grievous mistake. This feeling resulted from Daghan's unnerving confidence. They outnumbered him five to one, so it was either a result of insanity, or the knowledge that his skill would suffice to defeat a whole group of trained fighters. Even though John didn't know Daghan very well, he was reasonably certain that the knight wasn't insane.
John sighed and looked Daghan straight in the eyes. “Yes, I took your letter”, he admitted and slowly raised from his chair. Daghan narrowed his eyes, but… [view original content]
Once again, I have to take back what I said earlier. While writing Garthon's PoV, I had an idea for John's PoV that required of me to extend… more it to the length of a full part. Sorry for those who were looking forward for Garthon, but here's a longer John part for you.
John
Daghan knew it. There was no doubt that the knight had already seen through John's weak attempts at hiding the truth. Still, John was afraid that telling the truth could be a grievous mistake. This feeling resulted from Daghan's unnerving confidence. They outnumbered him five to one, so it was either a result of insanity, or the knowledge that his skill would suffice to defeat a whole group of trained fighters. Even though John didn't know Daghan very well, he was reasonably certain that the knight wasn't insane.
John sighed and looked Daghan straight in the eyes. “Yes, I took your letter”, he admitted and slowly raised from his chair. Daghan narrowed his eyes, but… [view original content]
Once again, I have to take back what I said earlier. While writing Garthon's PoV, I had an idea for John's PoV that required of me to extend… more it to the length of a full part. Sorry for those who were looking forward for Garthon, but here's a longer John part for you.
John
Daghan knew it. There was no doubt that the knight had already seen through John's weak attempts at hiding the truth. Still, John was afraid that telling the truth could be a grievous mistake. This feeling resulted from Daghan's unnerving confidence. They outnumbered him five to one, so it was either a result of insanity, or the knowledge that his skill would suffice to defeat a whole group of trained fighters. Even though John didn't know Daghan very well, he was reasonably certain that the knight wasn't insane.
John sighed and looked Daghan straight in the eyes. “Yes, I took your letter”, he admitted and slowly raised from his chair. Daghan narrowed his eyes, but… [view original content]
Once again, I have to take back what I said earlier. While writing Garthon's PoV, I had an idea for John's PoV that required of me to extend… more it to the length of a full part. Sorry for those who were looking forward for Garthon, but here's a longer John part for you.
John
Daghan knew it. There was no doubt that the knight had already seen through John's weak attempts at hiding the truth. Still, John was afraid that telling the truth could be a grievous mistake. This feeling resulted from Daghan's unnerving confidence. They outnumbered him five to one, so it was either a result of insanity, or the knowledge that his skill would suffice to defeat a whole group of trained fighters. Even though John didn't know Daghan very well, he was reasonably certain that the knight wasn't insane.
John sighed and looked Daghan straight in the eyes. “Yes, I took your letter”, he admitted and slowly raised from his chair. Daghan narrowed his eyes, but… [view original content]
Once again, I have to take back what I said earlier. While writing Garthon's PoV, I had an idea for John's PoV that required of me to extend… more it to the length of a full part. Sorry for those who were looking forward for Garthon, but here's a longer John part for you.
John
Daghan knew it. There was no doubt that the knight had already seen through John's weak attempts at hiding the truth. Still, John was afraid that telling the truth could be a grievous mistake. This feeling resulted from Daghan's unnerving confidence. They outnumbered him five to one, so it was either a result of insanity, or the knowledge that his skill would suffice to defeat a whole group of trained fighters. Even though John didn't know Daghan very well, he was reasonably certain that the knight wasn't insane.
John sighed and looked Daghan straight in the eyes. “Yes, I took your letter”, he admitted and slowly raised from his chair. Daghan narrowed his eyes, but… [view original content]
Once again, I have to take back what I said earlier. While writing Garthon's PoV, I had an idea for John's PoV that required of me to extend… more it to the length of a full part. Sorry for those who were looking forward for Garthon, but here's a longer John part for you.
John
Daghan knew it. There was no doubt that the knight had already seen through John's weak attempts at hiding the truth. Still, John was afraid that telling the truth could be a grievous mistake. This feeling resulted from Daghan's unnerving confidence. They outnumbered him five to one, so it was either a result of insanity, or the knowledge that his skill would suffice to defeat a whole group of trained fighters. Even though John didn't know Daghan very well, he was reasonably certain that the knight wasn't insane.
John sighed and looked Daghan straight in the eyes. “Yes, I took your letter”, he admitted and slowly raised from his chair. Daghan narrowed his eyes, but… [view original content]
Comments
Took me a minute to for my memory to click and remember Sadie XD I completely forgot about her. I thought she was interesting though, glad she's back
This act already seems more exciting than the last
So, I am afraid I have to take back my earlier statement. This part will only include a Sadie PoV, because I realized that I wouldn't be able to fit John's PoV into it without significantly cutting Sadie's PoV. However, about half of John's PoV is already written and I can promise that he will appear in the next part.
Sadie
Half-heartedly, Sadie reached into her purse, pulling out two silver coins. “Two on Blane”, she said as she handed the coins to Nilanne. The whore quickly took her coin, as well as the five coins Dan handed her. “Blane's a risky bet”, she remarked as she started to write down something on a small sheet of paper. “Can you read?”
Sadie gave her a short nod and Nilanne handed her the paper, which turned out to be a betting slip. “Gyles likes order”, the whore explained. “After the fight, I will return to the tables and reward those who got lucky”
“Just with coin, I'm afraid?”, Dan chuckled and Nilanne raised an eyebrow. “Sugar, the girls are a bit more expensive than five silver”, she answered with a forced smile. Sadie glanced down to the dark markings on her arms and Nilanne followed her glance. With a frown, she subtly attempted to pull down her short sleeves. “If that was all, I'm going to resume my duties now. Gyles does not like his employees just standing around and chatting to the guests”, she said and her smile returned, though it failed to reach her eyes. “But if you need anything, don't hesitate to approach me or one of the other girls”
With these words, she took a step backwards, squeezing herself through the crowd. Dan had a wide smile on his face as he looked after her. “A pretty girl”, he mumbled, not noticing the glare Sadie gave him. “Have you seen her arms?”, she asked. “Someone is mistreating her” She clenched her fists, forcing herself to lower her voice, to avoid anyone hearing her conversation. “Something is not right here, Dan. If Melanie is here...”
Dan cut her off by putting one of his large hands onto her shoulder. “Then we'll get her out of here, I promise”, he said calmly. “For now, I need you to remain calm and collected. If you do something rash, you won't be able to help your sister. We should... gentle mother, have you seen that punch?”
His words drew Sadie's attention back to the fight that was going on. Baelor was staggering backwards, looking mildly dazed for a moment, while Blane had a sly, but strangely handsome grin on his face as he took a step away from his opponent. A nasty-looking bruise was visible on his left shoulder, but he seemed to shrug it off as he charged at Baelor, using the other man's momentary confusion to land another hit. “Finish him!”, Gyles yelled at the top of his lungs.
“At least it looks like I'm going to earn some money tonight”, Sadie remarked, still frowning as she thought of the look in Nilanne's eyes. Dan shook his head. “No way. This Bloodbane is tough. He's just playing with his opponent”
Just as he said this, Baelor seemed to regain some of his strength. He let out a sigh and Sadie saw the look in his eyes changing. She doubted that anyone else was noticing it. The people here were farmers, woodcutters, miners. Aside from a couple of sellswords that were apparently working for Gyles, none of them had any fighting experience. Sadie on the other hand had two years of combat experience in the Dornish Marches. She was able to see when someone was holding back.
Blane took another fast punch at him and this time, he barely flinched before he retaliated, delivering a heavy punch into his opponent's stomach area. In turn, Blane almost went down in pain. A second blow from Baelor was enough to finally send him down on his knees. Dan grinned as he looked at her and she avoided his gaze. “What was that? Who's going to earn some money tonight?”, he asked sarcastically.
For one moment, Sadie shifted her attention from the fight to Gyles Gomblinger. The owner of the whorehouse had narrowed his eyes, which gave him a distinctive, pig-like appearance. His lips formed a thin line of anger as Baelor slammed both of his fists straight onto the top of Blane's head, immediately knocking his opponent onto the ground. However, he quickly regained his composure as soon as it was clear that Blane wasn't continuing the fight.
Gyles stepped into the ring, a wide grin on his face that would have been convincing if Sadie hadn't seen his prior expression. “My friends, it appears we have a victor!”, he shouted. “Baelor the Bloodbane took another contender down! A round of applause for our victor!”
The crowd broke into a deafening chant. “Bloodbane!”, they yelled. “Bloodbane! Bloodbane!” While Sadie stayed silent, Dan chimed in, cheering for the victor. She however couldn't be happy for him. It wasn't so much the fact that she lost her money, it was more the fact that something wasn't right here.
“And another round of applause for the brave contender”, Gyles yelled. A second, thankfully less noisy cheer erupted, as Baelor helped his former opponent back to his feet. Blane had a small grin on his face and despite the fact that Baelor's punch had been massive, he was still able to wave his arms and to look around. Nilanne quickly grabbed his arm and gently pulled him to an empty chair.
Meanwhile, Gyles started to push Baelor towards the door, decidedly less gentle. The warrior was following willingly, a calm, almost amused look on his face. Gyles' smile grew smaller with each step, but Sadie doubted that anyone noticed it.They were too busy celebrating, though a small, but noticeable portion of the guests looked decidedly unhappy, occasionally glancing at their betting slips with large frowns on their faces.
“Told you he'd win”, Dan teased her and Sadie gave him a disgruntled nod. “Sure, strength isn't all”, the merchant continued. “But you can't beat experience. Besides, Baelor was anything but slow” Sadie saw Nilanne walking around the tables, handing out rewards to those who bet on Baelor. “You are right”, she muttered.
“Course I am”, Dan answered and his smile grew wider as Nilanne finally reached their table. “Congratulations”, the whore said enthusiastically and reached into her purse. “Seven silver coins for you”
“And how much for you?”, Dan asked with a cheerful grin. Nilanne glanced to the door and as Sadie followed her eyes, she saw Gyles walking back into the room, alone. A forced smile appeared on her face. “Sugar, that'll be way more than seven silver coins”
Dan reached down to his purse and lifted it onto the table. “How about twenty?”, he asked. “Or thirty? Fourty?” Nilanne was about to answer, but immediately as Dan lifted his purse onto the table, Gyles started to approach them. Sadie clenched her fists and took a deep breath as she saw him coming. If her sources told her the truth, this man was nothing short of a slaver, that kept her sister locked away in his disgusting whorehouse.
“Good evening”, Gyles greeted them with a friendly nod of his head. “I haven't seen you around here. My name is Gyles Gomblinger, but please, call me Gyles” He and Dan shook hands and Sadie was relieved that he seemingly ignored her. “My name is Dan Ornon”, Dan introduced himself. “I am a travelling merchant. This is my guard...” “Kelly”, Sadie cut him off, afraid that he could reveal her name by accident. The last thing she wanted was that Gyles would realize why she was here. Kelly was her mothers name and it sent a sting of regret through her body, but she managed to keep her composure, as Gyles' wide smile didn't change. Nilanne however slowly narrowed her eyes, but stayed silent.
“Dan and Kelly”, Gyles said. “Pleasure to have you here” His smile faded as he glanced at Nilanne. “I see you've been among the lucky winners”, he growled. “Congratulations” Dan gave him a nod. “Quite a number of people bet on Baelor, right?”, he asked. “Right”, Gyles confirmed, before he looked at Sadie. “And you, m'lady? How much have you won?”
“Oh, Kelly was betting on Blane”, Dan revealed and Gyles started to chuckle. “My condolences then”, he said and looked her straight in the eyes. It took all of her self-restraint to look back and to uphold the friendly expression on her face. “That's a shame, isn't it?”
“It's only been two silver coins”, Sadie answered. “I'll get over it, after an extensive period of mourning” Gyles let out a loud laughter, despite the fact that she herself didn't find her joke too funny. The laughter sounded genuine, proving that he either had a very simple sense of humour, or that he was a more cunning liar than she had previously thought. “That's the spirit, m'lady”, he said, still slightly chuckling. “To be fair, I had a good feeling for Blane as well. Shame that Baelor won, right?”
“Not for me”, Dan interjected, still holding the silver coins he got from Nilanne. Gyles frowned momentarily, before his smile reappeared. “Glad you got lucky, Ser Dan”, he complimented him. “I hope you keep fond memories of the Golden Gyles” With these words, he sat down in front of them and Sadie noticed his bad smell. More than before, she felt pity for Nilanne as Gyles pulled the whore onto his lap.
“So, Dan, what are you trading with?”, he asked with curiosity. Dan leant backwards and looked at Nilanne, who was upholding her bright smile. However, Sadie had noticed the moment of fear in her eyes as Gyles had touched her. Her hatred for this man grew with every second.
“Fabrics”, her friend answered without lying. “I have a cartload full of the finest at Lord Turnberry's stables. Plan on selling most of it tomorrow” Gyles raised an eyebrow. “Perhaps I'm going to pay you a visit”, he said. “I plan on buying a new dress for my mother” Dan gave him a nod. “Gladly”, he answered. “Why don't you bring her along as well?”
Gyles slowly shook his head. “That won't be a good idea. You see, she is a very old woman and she can be...” He paused and looked at Sadie. “You're giving me that look, m'lady”, he remarked and Sadie realized that she was glaring at him. She immediately forced herself to smile. “Sorry, I don't mean to offend you”, she answered. “Guess I'm just a bit upset that I lost”
“I see”, Gyles answered. “Well, I'm sorry. I would have preferred the other outcome as well. Baelor is undefeated for three years straight now. He's a gifted fighter, but his constant victories are starting to get... boring” He looked at Dan. “I think you know that boring is bad for the business”
Dan gave him a nod, but before he could answer, Gyles continued. “However, perhaps I can give you something as well”, he said and a smirk appeared on his face. On other faces, it would have probably looked friendly and benign. However, combined with his small, greedy eyes and his slightly deformed, almost snout-like nose, it gave him an even more repulsive look. “I'd love to introduce you to our winner, bur sadly, Baelor decided to leave early tonight. Important work at the barracks, I suppose”, he explained. “Though, I think you and Blane should get along just fine. He's a skilled warrior. A sellsword, just like you. Perhaps you'd like to talk to him, considering that you trusted him enough to bet on him, yes?”
Sadie gave him a short nod, followed by a forced smile. “Sure, why not? I'd like to”, she answered, even though it was quite the opposite. But she knew men like Gyles Gomblinger. It would be unwise to refuse one of their offers. Besides, what's the worst that could happen?
Gyles turned around and glanced at Blane, who was still sitting on his chair and drinking a mug of ale. “Hey, Blane!”, he called him. “Get over here. I got someone to introduce to you” The sellsword sluggishly raised from his chair and started to approach Sadie's table. Even from afar, he spotted her and a sly, irritatingly handsome smirk formed on his face. “Everything alright, Gyles?”, he asked as he stopped next to the table. Now that he was closer, Sadie was able to see that Baelor had roughed him up pretty well. His nose wasn't bleeding anymore, but the area around his left eye and his cheek had taken a light blue tone, while the area above his right eye, close to an older, fading scar, had started to turn into a shade of purple.
His employer put a hand onto his shoulder and made a nod into Sadie's direction. “Blane, this is Kelly. She was crazy enough to bet on you”, he said with a forced grin. Blane's smirk faded, as he gave Saide a stern, apologetic look. “I am sorry, mylady”, he said and he managed to sound honest. “If I had known that a woman as beautiful as you was watching, I would have surely been able to defeat Baelor” While Sadie tried her best not to blush, Blane sighed and a pained frown flashed across his face as he moved a hand towards his forehead. “Though I had a good run. For a moment, I was sure I'd defeat him”
“So was I”, Gyles revealed. “You can imagine my surprise when Baelor managed to bring you down” Blane gave him an apologetic look as well. “Sorry, boss. I guess Baelor is just too good”, he answered and Gyles shook his head. “Or perhaps I don't have the right fighters”, he growled, but quickly, his friendly smile returned. “But we shouldn't talk about loss tonight”
“I agree”, Sadie answered and she was sure that she was convincingly able to fake a good mood. At least convincingly for everyone aside from Nilanne, who was still trapped on Gyles' lap, one of the man's fat arms wrapped around her belly. “There was one thing I've been wondering ever since Gyles announced you”, Sadie said as she looked at Blane. “Banefort... are you a member of House Banefort?”
Blane chuckled and compared to Nilanne's forced chuckle, or the greedy, somewhat cruel noises that Gyles made when he was laughing, it sounded refreshingly genuine. “In a certain way”, he answered. “Maybros cadet branch, if I may say so. One of my ancestors has been a member of House Banefort, but any other connection to the house has been gone for centuries. Aside from the name, I'm as noble as a street dog” His grin got wider and decidedly more charming, but Sadie saw that he was merely covering up the pain he was in.
Finally, he let out a pained sigh and shook his head. “I'm sorry mylady, boss”, he mumbled. “I'm really not feeling too well. Baelor has been rather rough on me. I doubt I can hold a conversation for much longer right now” He looked at Gyles and Sadie saw how even moving his head caused him pain. “Boss, if you allow, I'd rather call it a night before I collapse on the ground”
Gyles gave him a benign nod. “Of course. You fought well and you earned some rest. Nila is going to bring you another beer and then you can leave”, he said. Blane let out a relieved sigh. “Thanks, boss”, he said and glanced at Sadie. “I don't want to appear like a complete idiot in front of the lady”
“Oh but you don't”, Sadie was quick to answer. “Look like a complete idiot, I mean” Blane chuckled at her words and shook his head, which caused him to grimace in pain. “With all due respect, but not looking like a complete idiot is not exactly the best compliment I ever got”, he answered with a genuine grin. “You could have complimented my eyes for example”
Sadie looked up, straight into his handsome, green eyes and immediately blushed as he gave her a wink. Sadly, or perhaps thankfully, his wink was followed by a painful grimace which slightly ruined the effect. Nilanne, finally free of Gyles' arm, jumped at Blane's side, before Gyles regained her attention. “Nila, be a darling and bring Blane back to his seat. Bring him a cold ale and a warm meal. Then, bring him to his rooms and make sure that two of the girls tend to his needs”, Gyles ordered. “I guess... Jade and Melanie are free tonight aren't they?”
Melanie... Sadie suppressed the urge to jump up at the mention of her sister. Dan noticed her reaction and without a doubt, Nilanne noticed it too. Thankfully, Gyles seemed to be preoccupied with paying attention to Nilanne, while Blane was obviously too dazed to notice much at all. “They are”, Nilanne confirmed. “I'm going to make sure that everything will be as you ordered, Gyles”
With these words, she lead Blane away, supporting his movements as he stumbled towards a free table, where he almost fell onto the chair. Gyles gave Sadie an apologetic smile and she noticed that her fists were clenched tightly. “I'm sorry. Blane is usually a talkative fellow and rather charming on top”, he said. “Guess I can be lucky that Baelor left him conscious... Is everything alright?”
“Yes!”, Sadie was quick to lie. “Everything... it's just...” Dan leant forwards, immediately defusing the situation. “Your fighter left an impression on my friend here”, he said with a grin. “It would be nice if you could arrange another meeting”
Gyles gave him a happy nod. “It would be my honour”, he said and suddenly raised from his chair. “Though, I'm afraid for now I have to leave you. It's getting late and I have to see if my mother is alright” He took a surprisingly elegant bow in front of Dan and a deeper one in front of Sadie, before he turned around. Finally, Sadie was able to breath out.
Before she could say anything, Dan started to speak. “I've heard him”, he said. “You got your evidence. Your sister is here and I doubt she's here out of her own free will” He put a hand onto Sadie's shoulder, to push her back into her seat, just as she was ready to jump up.
“What is it?”, she growled. “I'm going in there!” Dan shook his head. “And what do you think you're going to achieve?”, he asked. “I've studied this place. A dozen guards at least. On your own, you won't get far. Do you think Gyles is letting her go?”
As much as Sadie hated to admit it, he had a point. Acting rash now would be the worst move she could make. She came that far thanks to patient and cautious planning and to no small part, thanks to Dan. “What are you suggesting?”, she asked.
Dan leant back again and smiled his friendly, warm smile. “We need an ally. Someone who knows the building, someone who has at least some degree of authority and who can support us with bringing your sister our of here, alive of course”, he explained. “Luckily, you left quite the impression on Blane. Trust me, as a man I know the look he gave you”
“So?”, Sadie asked, even though she knew what he was going to suggest. “So you're going to use your charm to win him over for our cause”, Dan explained. “The Seven know, you're respectable looking and you seem to get along with him. Just go over and talk to him”
Sadie immediately shook her head. “Not going to happen”, she hissed, with barely concealed anger in her voice. Dan shrugged. “Why not?”, he asked. “What happened to the girl that was ready to do anything it takes to find her sister?” He raised an eyebrow and gave her a questioning look. “That girl would greatly prefer to keep her dignity”, Sadie clarified. “Besides, Blane is working for Gyles and he seems to be loyal. I was thinking, perhaps Baelor could be a better ally. After all, he's a soldier”
“Baelor?”, Dan asked, as if he just started to consider this option. “Risky. Very risky. He's on Gyles' payroll as well and unlike Blane, he might not be interested in you” Sadie quickly shook her head. “I don't want him to be interested in me. He and Gyles had an argument”, she explained. “I guess he was supposed to loose this fight on purpose. He won regardless, costing Gyles a sweet amount of money. I doubt they are friends”
Dan sighed and gave her a nod. “You may have a point”, he admitted. “In the end, the choice is up to you. You can seek help from Baelor or Blane. Though keep in mind, Baelor is a risk, considering that you know nothing about this man. Blane is right here and he is not exactly in the right state of mind to resist someone like you”
[Seek help from Baelor] [Seek help from Blane]
Thanks, glad to hear it! Now that the stakes are going to get higher and higher, I hope that future acts are going to be even more exciting
[Seek help from Blane] I like Blane, he's my man.
[Seek help from Baelor] Blane seems abit suspicious to me, plus he just got his ass kicked and seems out of it.
(Seek help from Baelor)
[Seek help from Baelor] Blane couldnt even talk for long because of the pain I doubt he would be much help.
Finally got time to catch up on this story.
[Seek help from Baelor] Seems like the best choice for me.
[Seek help from Baelor]Sadie don't need no man fighting her battles, unless that man is Baelor.
[Seek help from Blane] Yeah I'll give him a chance since we talked to him. Also hello this is my first time reading fanfiction. I finished the other five chapters and now just started reading chapter 6 but I decided to start voting so I read both parts of Sadie's story.
[Seek help from Blane] Dan's a smart man who seems to be able to notice people's tells, I think he knows what he's talking about. Plus I'm loving the flirtatious banter.
[Seek help from Blane]
[Seek help from Blane]
[Seek help from Blane] I think it's safer with Blane, especially while we already talked with him. Perhaps he know Melanie more, together with her story and he will help her out while possibility appears.
I really enjoyed reading the part of Sadie... like any other on the other hand... this addictive story totally got my heart.
I know it! Never underestimate a player even if he seems a fool!
[Seek help from Baelor] for what I've read Baelor has more reasons to betray Gyles than Blane ( Baelor seems to me a man that dislike lost on purpose fights and I see enough movies about the matter to know that if his owner must choice who rid off Baelor will be his first choice) and obviously he is more strong than Blane (and I must admit that Blane for what I've read seems still too loyal to the man that give him money for live)
[seek help from baelor]
[Seek help from Blane]
From what I can gather, Blane likes Sadie so he has more of a reason to help her than someone who doesn't even know her. And two, he's practically half-dead right now. If it doesn't work in our favor, odds are he won't even remember it tomorrow.
[Seek help from Baelor]
[Seek help from Baelor]
[Seek help from Blane] i go for him :[
[Seek help from Baelor]
Hi and welcome to the story! I'm always glad to see a new reader joining
I've been meaning to read this for some time since I got here and I'm glad I did!
So again we choose between Baelor and Blane. Last time Baelor was the right choice, this time I think it's Blane.
[Seek help from Blane]
I apologize for not voting in so long. I hate saying "I've been busy" as an excuse for everything, but it also took some time to pretty much re-read what I have missed. I did not re-read it in one sitting as I would have hoped, but I have finally caught up! Now let's just hope I get stuck behind three parts later.
[Seek help from Blane] This was actually pretty tough for me. But in the end I realized that we are closer and more comfortable with Blane and Baelor might not be someone we want to be with. Just in case.
[Seek help from Baelor]
I didn't realize at first but you're right. We're choosing between these two twice. That's pretty cool!
The Voting is closed!
Sadie is going to seek help from Baelor
This outcome is unexpected, but certainly not unwanted. As much as I would have enjoyed additional interaction between Sadie and Blane in this chapter, I gladly take the opportunity to flesh out Baelor's character a bit better. If you would have chosen Blane, I can already reveal that Baelor wouldn't have appeared for the remaining Chapter 6, which would be a shame. Now, the screentime between these two should be divided more evenly.
The next part is hopefully going to be out today. As promised, it will include the John PoV that was meant to be featured in the last part. It will also include a Garthon PoV. Since I already gave you a recap for the latest events in John's storyline the last time I closed the voting, I'm going to skip it this time. However, Garthon's last part has been a few weeks ago, so here's a short recap for him. The last time we saw him and Torvin, they were still in Harren Hoare's dungeons, at the mercy of the sadistic torturer Holt Torv. The unexpected arrival of Kyra Greyjoy, followed by the king himself, changed this however. As it turned out, Harren currently refrains from killing them for very good reason. While the brothers had failed to kill Harren or Harlan, they have achieved something dangerous, because they once again showed the lords of the Riverlands that the king is not invincible and it was revealed that the lords now start to see them as icons of hope. One particular lord, Lord Blackwood, even seems to be on a good way to start an open rebellion. Because of that, Harren obviously does not want to make martyrs out of them. Instead, he wants to pull Torvin and Garthon to his side, to give an important political message to his insubordinant lords. In turn, he promised to set them free and to refrain from further punishment as long as they serve him loyally. While Torvin proudly refused, Garthon eventually decided to accept the king's offer.
Once again, I have to take back what I said earlier. While writing Garthon's PoV, I had an idea for John's PoV that required of me to extend it to the length of a full part. Sorry for those who were looking forward for Garthon, but here's a longer John part for you.
John
Daghan knew it. There was no doubt that the knight had already seen through John's weak attempts at hiding the truth. Still, John was afraid that telling the truth could be a grievous mistake. This feeling resulted from Daghan's unnerving confidence. They outnumbered him five to one, so it was either a result of insanity, or the knowledge that his skill would suffice to defeat a whole group of trained fighters. Even though John didn't know Daghan very well, he was reasonably certain that the knight wasn't insane.
John sighed and looked Daghan straight in the eyes. “Yes, I took your letter”, he admitted and slowly raised from his chair. Daghan narrowed his eyes, but remained silent. At the same time, Janae gave him an alarmed stare and John knew that she was waiting for his orders. For a moment, he even considered it. Five against one should, by all means, result in an easy victory. Then again, John had been in similar situations before, with five against him. He knew how brutal such a fight would be and he knew it wasn't worth it.
“I'm sorry”, he added half-heartedly. Of course, he wasn't sorry and Daghan obviously knew it as well, but in this tense situation, politeness seemed appropriate. Then, he carefully approached Daghan and reached into his pocket, slow enough to allow the knight to react to his movements. He pulled out the letter and handed it over.
Impatiently, Daghan grabbed it, before he gave him a gruff nod. “Thank you”, he growled and John started to relax. Then, without any kind of warning, Daghan's closed fist hit his face. It felt like the kick of a horse and was more than enough to send John to the ground. While he fell, John noticed two things. First, his face hurt like hell, enough to send shivers of pain through his whole body, enough to dull the rest of his senses. Second, his men immediately jumped up and grabbed their weapons. Temari and Jaro were pointing their swords at him, Janae was holding a small knife and I'Lian was grabbing his bow.
All this time, Daghan remained as calm as always, as if he wasn't even noticing the armed men around him, who were just waiting for an order to kill him. “I believe now we're even”, he remarked and under the careful eye of Janae, his hand moved down, closer to John. It took him a moment to realize that the knight was going to help him up. Barely noticing the bleeding cut on his forehead, a grin formed on his face as he grabbed Daghan's hand. “Looks like it”, he answered.
After Daghan helped him up, John tried to pull his hand back again, only to find that the knight's iron grip hadn't softened. Instead, Daghan was still glaring at him, although he did it in a decidedly less hostile way. “I suppose you have read the letter”, he stated and John felt obliged to give him a nod.
Finally, Daghan released his hand with a sigh. “Sit down”, he ordered. “And I'd be very thankful if Janae could stop pointing a knife at my spine” John glanced past him and saw Janae, who was clenching her teeth and indeed holding a knife dangerously close to Daghan. He shook his head, which caused her to put the knife away, visibly unhappy about his decision.
Following her actions, Daghan sat down as well, which finally defused the situation. While Temari and Jaro had remained calm, John could see that I'lian was feeling anxious and visibly uncomfortable in Daghan's presence. “I believe I owe you some answers”, Daghan said. “You obviously realized that I am not a hedge knight”
“Surprise”, Janae said as deadpan as possible. Daghan glanced over his shoulder and straight at her, to which she just raised an eyebrow. “I have to say, I was slightly surprised you haven't recognized my name when I introduced myself”, the knight said. “After all, you have fought in the Free Cities, haven't you?”
John gave him an apologetic smile. “I'm afraid I have a bad memory for names”, he answered. “He wants to say, you're not as famous as you think you are”, Janae added, which caused Daghan to smirk. “That hurt”, he chuckled. “While it is true that most of my work isn't well known, I gained some fame in the war against the Hegemony” His smile faded, replaced by a cold, distant look on his whole face. “My family has served House Targaryen for generations, ever since they landed on Dragonstone centuries ago”, he explained. “We have no valyrian ancestry. We're not as important as Houses Celtigar and Velaryon, but each member of my family served the dragonlords loyally. My father served as Lord Aerion Targaryen's bodyguard. My grandfather was Lord Daemion Targaryen's chief advisor”
The distant look in his eyes got a bit warmer and to John's surprise, he even started to smile. “My daughter Cass is a handmaiden to...”, he explained and immediately, a shocked, hurt expression flashed over John's face, noticeable enough for Daghan to pause. “Is everything alright?”, he asked with concern in his voice.
“Her... her name is Cass?”, John asked in surprise, his voice sounding weaker than expected. Daghan raised an eyebrow and gave him a nod. “Cassandra, yes”, he answered and glanced over his shoulder, right at Janae. “Have I... said anything wrong?”
Janae shook her head and threw a concerned look at John, who was silently facing the floor. Seven Hells, out of all the names he could have given to his daughter... “No”, she growled. “Just continue your story. But I don't think any of us is interested in your daughter” She looked back at him and crossed her arms. “Maybe you can start with why you are here and what the Dragonlord wants from this city”
Daghan gave her a nod. “Very well. I have to say, King Aegon...”, he started, but Janae cut him off again. “King Aegon?”, she asked. “Lord Aegon”, Daghan answered quickly, maybe even a bit too quickly. “He considers me one of his finest knights. I've personally commanded the Targaryen cavalry at the fields of Myr. I am a knight, a fighter and, if necessary, a killer at my liege's command, but I am not a liar”
“Well you lied to us when we first met”, Janae remarked and Daghan gave her a nod. “And you immediately saw through it, because honestly, I hate it. So, now I'm going to be honest with you, as honest as I'm allowed to be”
“Sounds good”, Janae answered. “Let's start with the obvious. Why is a renowned Targaryen knight, commander of the dragonlords armies, on a secret mission here in Raylansfair?” Daghan leant back in his chair and closed his eyes for a moment. “I'm a middleman. I'm the backup”, he revealed. “Lord Aegon knows that my talents are on the battlefield. Because of this, I am ordered to guard someone”
“Whom?”, Janae asked and Daghan shook his head. “I'm not allowed to say this. However, you probably realized already that my contact is someone in the castle. She is working on a highly important project, involving the archive, as well as lordship over Raylansfair”
“What's wrong with the current lord?”, Jaro remarked sarcastically. Daghan gave him a surprised look, as if he had just realized that the man was even present at this meeting. “For starters, he's only the acting lord. He's also a cold-blooded murderer, responsible for the death of Ilhan Lagoon, the previous master-at-arms”
“That... is actually a good reason to be against him”, Jaro answered in surprise and even Janae was taken aback for a second, although she was better at hiding it. John looked up and right at Daghan. “Do you have any proof?”, he asked. It came as a great relief for him that Daghan shook his head. “I only know what my contact told me, but I fully trust her. Her loyalty to House Targaryen is without question”
“Few loyalties are without question and even fewer should be”, Jaro interjected. “But what your contact told you is concerning. Talking about your contact, what are her goals in Raylansfair?” Daghan smirked before he answered. “I'm afraid if I tell you about it, I have to kill you”, he chuckled and noticed Janae's grim, alarmed stare. “I always wanted to say that”, he quickly added, in the attempt to calm her down. “But still, I am not allowed to reveal any more about it. It is important for my liege and let me assure you, not at all dangerous for this beautiful city”
“If you say so”, Janae muttered and let out a sigh. “As much as I doubt that one, there is one thing in which I have to agree with your contact. Harris Flowers is a killer. At first I wasn't sure why I had such an aversion to him, but after what you said... I recognize the look in his eyes. Seen enough people like him during... a few years ago” She paused and John knew what she was referring to. The look she gave him contained no disappointment, not that he would have blamed her. “And we gave him enough Wildfire to burn a city to the ground”, he finished what she was trying to say.
“Irrelevant”, Daghan interjected. “Harris Flowers is a murdering bastard, but not a danger to Lord Aegon's goals, at least not yet...” He was going to continue, but before he could say anything else, the door to the room was opened without warning. Temari jumped up, a hand on the hilt of his sword, but he relaxed immediately as he saw his sister walking through the door.
“John, you...”, Behara started to say, before she noticed the hulking figure of Daghan. She stopped and threw a questioning look from John to her brother. “It's alright, Hara”, Temari calmed her down. “This is Daghan Oxus. Daghan, this is my sister Behara”
The knight raised from his chair and took a deep, elegant bow in front of her. In this moment, there was no doubt that he was more than a simple hedge knight. Underneath his gruff exterior, John was able to see hints of the manners that were taught to people at all courts he had ever been to. “At your service, mylady”, Daghan said. Behara raised an eyebrow, but stayed silent. “Is everything alright, Hara? How's our guest?”, John asked. “That's why I'm here”, she finally answered. “She just woke up”
“You have a guest?”, Daghan asked and Janae gave him a nod. “Do you remember the woman you nearly killed back at the tower?”, she asked and for a moment, her expression softened slightly. John knew, she was thinking about the same thing that flashed through his mind. Daghan had almost killed this woman, but in doing so, he had also saved John's life.
“So, that was you?”, Behara deduced. “Great. Charming. Just a little bit harder and you would have literally shattered her skull” While Behara was rarely unfriendly to a stranger, John saw that she was sharing Janae's dislike of the knight. “But she is alright, for someone who had spent most of the week unconscious. She can speak in full sentences and she can move her body, although she is still in a lot of pain”
“Has she said anything important?”, John asked. Finally, he snapped out of the weirdly uncomfortable feeling that had gotten to him the moment Daghan mentioned his daughter. The time to mourn would come later. For now, there was work to do, hopefully enough to make him feel alive.
“Not yet. She hasn't even told me her name”, Behara answered. “I immediately came here. But... John, she's awake right now. Maybe she's going to fall unconscious any second. I'm not a healer, but I know how dangerous head injuries are” She paused and glanced at Daghan. “Is... is this meeting important?”
John shook his head and raised from his chair. “Not as important as finding out why the Second Sons attacked us that night”, he answered. “Janae is going to continue here. I will talk to our guest” He took a step towards Behara and put a hand onto her shoulder. “And I'm doing it alone. Go and get some rest”, he added, as he noticed the dark rings under her eyes. Out of his entire group, Behara had worked the hardest during the past week, trying her best to keep the woman alive despite the fact that her skills and equipment was rudimentary at best.
He looked at Janae who gave him a nod. “Works for me”, she answered and walked around Daghan, to take the chair in front of him. “We're going to continue our little talk. There's still a lot I don't quite understand about you”
“And when I have answered you, are you willing to help me?”, Daghan asked. “I mean, I could use a group like you, if things get bad” Janae shrugged. “It depends on how much I like you and your answers”, she explained. “And truth be told, I don't really like you at the moment”
John smirked as he heard her answer. “Be nice to him. We can never know when we need a Targaryen knight on our side”, he warned her. Janae reciprocated the smirk, although it was smaller and less genuine in her case. “Sure”, she answered and turned back to Daghan. “Let us start with the question why Lord Aegon all of a sudden decides to send a spy to Raylansfair instead of a diplomatic envoy”
John didn't listen to the rest of their conversation. He knew, Janae would keep him updated. For now, he had his own work to do. He stepped out the door and Behara followed him down the hallway, to the next door, where she grabbed his shoulder. “She might be awake, but she is still heavily wounded”, she warned him. “What I mean is, be gentle to her. We know nothing about her and she might be a good person. There's no need for further violence”
“I'll decide about that”, John said, although he was at least considering her words. It was true that he knew nothing about this woman. He had been in her situation before and he would have at least appreciated it if the people who captured him before would have treated him with decency. At the same time, she was chained to the bed for very good reason. She only got into this situation because she tried to kill him and she would have succeeded if it wouldn't have been for Daghan and his shield.
Carefully, he entered the room. It was a bit smaller than the room he had just left. A small bed, a chair in front of it, a cupboard, a small tub filled with bloodied water, old bandages lying on a pile next to the bed. The air was stale and only a small candle provided light.
The young woman was lying on the bed. Her eyes were barely open, though they widened slightly as soon as John entered the room, revealing their dark brown colour. Her hair was black and fell below her shoulders, contrasting with her skin, which seemed even more pale than back when she had tried to kill him, as a result of a full week she had spent barely conscious.
“So... I suppose you are my jailer”, the woman remarked and sluggishly raised her left hand, the one that was chained to the heavy bedpost. Her voice was weak and rough and even though she opened her mouth to say something else, a violent cough forced its way out of her throat instead. John walked to the cupboard and opened it, pulling out a small glass and a bottle of water. He filled the glass, before he continued to approach the woman.
“You're correct”, he answered as he moved the glass to her lips. Despite the cold, untrusting look in her eyes, he knew that she was too thirsty to refuse such an offer. She drunk and did not stop until she had to cough again from drinking too fast. “My name is John Gutten and you have spent the last week in our custody”
“A whole week...”, the woman mumbled in surprise and closed her eyes for a second, just long enough to make John afraid she could fall unconscious again. “Do you remember anything?”, he asked. Like Behara, he wasn't an expert when it came to head injuries, even though he caused quite a lot of them. But he knew that the partial loss of memory was one of the most common consequences of it.
“The last thing I remember was... it was night. We... attacked a tower...”, she mumbled and John was relieved that her memory was obviously still working. Suddenly, her eyes widened. “We fought against each other, didn't we?”, she asked. He gave her a nod. “You nearly killed me”, he growled. “And you would have, if it weren't for the man who knocked you out”
“Swine...”, the woman mumbled weakly. “The man that knocked me out, I mean. I... I don't think I'm supposed to actually feel my brain, am I?” John crossed his arms as he glanced down at her. “My name is John Gutten”, he revealed. “I have a few questions about you, your involvement with the Second Sons and their leader, this Rodrik”
“Do I look like a second son to you?”, the woman mumbled again, barely managing to look at him. Then, she stayed silent. John waited for a while, looking down at her, while she looked up. “Do you intend on giving me an answer?”, he asked. This time, she tried to shake her head, but stopped as soon as a pained expression flashed across her face. “I've been paid handsomely to stay quiet”, she said.
John sighed at these words. He was afraid of this. In general, John hated prisoners. He made them when it was inevitable, but they always meant a lot more work for him and his men. It was even worse with prisoners who had an attitude. And the worst of all were wounded prisoners with an attitude, because he had to remain calm around them.
“Listen, girl”, he growled. “You tried to kill me, we saved your life. The way I see it, you owe me” A tired smirk formed on the woman's face. “The way I see it, you only saved my life because you want information”, she answered. “The moment I told you what I know, you're going to kill me” John raised an eyebrow at her cunning. He never intended to kill her of course, but from her position, it was a reasonable thought.
“So be it...”, he sighed, but before he could continue, the sound of the door to the next room being opened made him look up. Someone walked out of the room in which Janae and Daghan were talking. He narrowed his eyes. “Excuse me”, he said, before he turned around. “Yeah, not like I'm going anywhere”, the woman mumbled faintly.
As John stepped out of the room, he was greeted by the sight of Daghan, who was leaning against the wall. Next to him stood a visibly uncomfortable I'lian, who was nervously glancing at the knight. “What are you doing out here?”, he asked.
“It appears, Janae wants to talk to Jaro and Temari in private”, Daghan answered. “She ordered me out and sent I'lian with me, probably to watch after me” He glanced at the nervous sellsword and smiled. “We were in the middle of a lively conversation when you interrupted us”, he chuckled.
“Yeah... I think I'm the only one who knows how dangerous that guy can be”, I'lian remarked and immediately looked back at Daghan. “And I'm saying this with the utmost respect, Ser” He glanced at John. “Is everything alright in there? Has she started to speak?”
John shook his head. “She refuses to”, he answered. Immediately, he noticed a subtle change in Daghan's body language. “Maybe I can help”, he offered all of a sudden. “I gained some knowledge of interrogating prisoners during my time in the Free Cities. Don't you worry, I won't kill her”
I'lian's look of nervousness faded immediately. “Sorry, Ser, but that's bullshit”, he argued, before he realized what he just said. “Respectful bullshit, I mean”, he quickly corrected himself. “John, the last time this man met the woman in there, he nearly killed her. You on the other hand... eh, you've always been shitty at talking to others. She is as good as dead. You won't come far with violence” A sly smirk appeared on his face. “However, I always had a way with words. Just ask Jaro if you don't believe me”, he claimed. “Let me talk to her and she will give you the answers out of her own free will. Or maybe you'd like to try your luck yourself again?”
[Let Daghan speak to her] [Let I'lian speak to her] [Try to speak to her yourself]
[Let I'lian speak to her]] He has a way with words.
So there's a contact. Probably not Sherryl, although it's not impossible. The new girl, what was her name, Saerya? Maybe her.
[Let Daghan speak to her]
(Try to speak to her yourself)
[Let I'lian speak to her]
[Let I'lian speak to her]
[Let I'lian speak to her]
[Let I'lian speak to her]
I'm 100% sure that the contact Daghan is talking about is Sherryl. That bitch!
[Let Daghan speak to her]
[Let I'lian speak to her]