[Open the door] I could be wrong, but somehow I doubt that the Ironborn would act like that. They are on a raid, pumped with adrenaline and bloodlust, they are not going to stop and try to lure people out with politeness, they would rush in with no questions asked.
Anyway, nice epic moment from Jarow. RIP Lord of the Bridges (probably).
Richard
“Hold on”, Richard growled, as he stumbled through the night, with the barely conscious Hal in his arms. It was equal parts meant… more to encourage Hal just to stay awake, but also to encourage himself to keep going. The pain in his damaged leg sent tears to his eyes, as he forced himself to take one step after the other, carefully and in near silence.
Obviously, Hal was in even greater pain than he was. He hadn't been ready to move, but Richard had no choice but to drag him along and on top of that, he had no time to be soft with him. As much as he could, he even had to run, praying silently to each of the Seven that the men behind him wouldn't catch up.
And he had no illusions that they were catching up slowly. He had managed to get an advantage by taking the path through the edges of the woods. It was dark, the lights of his house had long since been left behind and the typical noise every lively forest made almost drowned out … [view original content]
I could be wrong, but somehow I doubt that the Ironborn would act like that. They are on a raid, pumped with adrenaline and bloodlust, they are not going to stop and try to lure people out with politeness, they would rush in with no questions asked.
True, there are many Ironborn who would act in such a way, just kicking in the doors without asking questions. That said, there are somewhat atypical Ironborn as well. Of course I can't say anything about this situation here, but well, Lyria's next part is planned to be relatively soon, so you should get your answer there.
Anyway, nice epic moment from Jarow. RIP Lord of the Bridges (probably).
Well, he is one man facing down dozens of armed bandits and Bear. For now, he can be considered unknown (and if the unknown list would still be separate from the deceased list, I would have put him there instead) and he isn't outright confirmed dead, but to survive this, a miracle would be necessary. Of course, he survived similar odds before, even if it came at the cost of his sanity. There is definitely going to be an update on Jarow's status eventually, for the better or the worse.
[Open the door] I could be wrong, but somehow I doubt that the Ironborn would act like that. They are on a raid, pumped with adrenaline and … morebloodlust, they are not going to stop and try to lure people out with politeness, they would rush in with no questions asked.
Anyway, nice epic moment from Jarow. RIP Lord of the Bridges (probably).
Richard
“Hold on”, Richard growled, as he stumbled through the night, with the barely conscious Hal in his arms. It was equal parts meant… more to encourage Hal just to stay awake, but also to encourage himself to keep going. The pain in his damaged leg sent tears to his eyes, as he forced himself to take one step after the other, carefully and in near silence.
Obviously, Hal was in even greater pain than he was. He hadn't been ready to move, but Richard had no choice but to drag him along and on top of that, he had no time to be soft with him. As much as he could, he even had to run, praying silently to each of the Seven that the men behind him wouldn't catch up.
And he had no illusions that they were catching up slowly. He had managed to get an advantage by taking the path through the edges of the woods. It was dark, the lights of his house had long since been left behind and the typical noise every lively forest made almost drowned out … [view original content]
Richard
“Hold on”, Richard growled, as he stumbled through the night, with the barely conscious Hal in his arms. It was equal parts meant… more to encourage Hal just to stay awake, but also to encourage himself to keep going. The pain in his damaged leg sent tears to his eyes, as he forced himself to take one step after the other, carefully and in near silence.
Obviously, Hal was in even greater pain than he was. He hadn't been ready to move, but Richard had no choice but to drag him along and on top of that, he had no time to be soft with him. As much as he could, he even had to run, praying silently to each of the Seven that the men behind him wouldn't catch up.
And he had no illusions that they were catching up slowly. He had managed to get an advantage by taking the path through the edges of the woods. It was dark, the lights of his house had long since been left behind and the typical noise every lively forest made almost drowned out … [view original content]
[Open the door] My guess is that these are Raenna's companions. They probably wouldn't all have gone to the castle, maybe Davith and Brandon looking to help some people out? And good ol' Jarow holding his bridge. As a good lord would do. His sacrifice is the best thing that can happen for Richard and Hal, and they better be damn grateful for it. Raylainsfair lost a good man this chapter. Probably going to end up seeing Bear having Jarow's head on a spike as he approaches the city wall. If I remember right Leonard will be there, and that will certainly destroy morale.
Richard
“Hold on”, Richard growled, as he stumbled through the night, with the barely conscious Hal in his arms. It was equal parts meant… more to encourage Hal just to stay awake, but also to encourage himself to keep going. The pain in his damaged leg sent tears to his eyes, as he forced himself to take one step after the other, carefully and in near silence.
Obviously, Hal was in even greater pain than he was. He hadn't been ready to move, but Richard had no choice but to drag him along and on top of that, he had no time to be soft with him. As much as he could, he even had to run, praying silently to each of the Seven that the men behind him wouldn't catch up.
And he had no illusions that they were catching up slowly. He had managed to get an advantage by taking the path through the edges of the woods. It was dark, the lights of his house had long since been left behind and the typical noise every lively forest made almost drowned out … [view original content]
Richard
“Hold on”, Richard growled, as he stumbled through the night, with the barely conscious Hal in his arms. It was equal parts meant… more to encourage Hal just to stay awake, but also to encourage himself to keep going. The pain in his damaged leg sent tears to his eyes, as he forced himself to take one step after the other, carefully and in near silence.
Obviously, Hal was in even greater pain than he was. He hadn't been ready to move, but Richard had no choice but to drag him along and on top of that, he had no time to be soft with him. As much as he could, he even had to run, praying silently to each of the Seven that the men behind him wouldn't catch up.
And he had no illusions that they were catching up slowly. He had managed to get an advantage by taking the path through the edges of the woods. It was dark, the lights of his house had long since been left behind and the typical noise every lively forest made almost drowned out … [view original content]
[Open the door] What Ironborn knocks? I suppose it could be bandits but that also seems out of place. They'll probably kick in the door anyway. Hopefully we can make a good first impression this way.
Richard
“Hold on”, Richard growled, as he stumbled through the night, with the barely conscious Hal in his arms. It was equal parts meant… more to encourage Hal just to stay awake, but also to encourage himself to keep going. The pain in his damaged leg sent tears to his eyes, as he forced himself to take one step after the other, carefully and in near silence.
Obviously, Hal was in even greater pain than he was. He hadn't been ready to move, but Richard had no choice but to drag him along and on top of that, he had no time to be soft with him. As much as he could, he even had to run, praying silently to each of the Seven that the men behind him wouldn't catch up.
And he had no illusions that they were catching up slowly. He had managed to get an advantage by taking the path through the edges of the woods. It was dark, the lights of his house had long since been left behind and the typical noise every lively forest made almost drowned out … [view original content]
Yes, yes indeed, may he be remembered! I mean, his death is not confirmed yet, but it should be clear that holding this bridge can only end in one way, unless a small miracle happens in the next few minutes of the story. But it is definitely how he wants to go out, buying the city and its people as much time as one man can provide and weakening the enemy in the process. I mean, at his age and with his lifestyle, he probably wouldn't have survived the coming winter, so I personally see this as the most dignified way for him to go and I guess Jarow has a similar opinion on it.
Also, do not worry, Book 1 is nearing its finish and that means, The Hawk is on his way, so even if Jarow's time has come, Book 2 should be very good for your characters. Come to think of it, it will be very good for the characters of many readers
[Stay quiet]
Aaa my sweet Jarow, may you hold the bridge until your last breath and make the bastards bleed.
Old soldiers never die...… morethey just fade away
kinda sad to see my man (probably) die, but it's just how i would like it. Facing death so he can hold the bridge
[Open the door] What Ironborn knocks? I suppose it could be bandits but that also seems out of place. They'll probably kick in the door anyway. Hopefully we can make a good first impression this way.
Poor Jarow. Who will defend the bridge now?
Hm, a very good theory you bring up there. There is definitely going to be an update on Raenna's companions soon, this is all I can say about them. But it is a very interesting thought! And you are right, Bear and his men approach the gate that is currently held by Leonard (with Stormlander reinforcements). Jarow is a popular man in the city, for some reason, so seeing him dead would be a blow for the guardsmen, though not for the Stormlanders.
[Open the door] My guess is that these are Raenna's companions. They probably wouldn't all have gone to the castle, maybe Davith and Brandon… more looking to help some people out? And good ol' Jarow holding his bridge. As a good lord would do. His sacrifice is the best thing that can happen for Richard and Hal, and they better be damn grateful for it. Raylainsfair lost a good man this chapter. Probably going to end up seeing Bear having Jarow's head on a spike as he approaches the city wall. If I remember right Leonard will be there, and that will certainly destroy morale.
Poor Jarow. Who will defend the bridge now?
Fear not! Out of the ashes of Raylansfair, a new Lord of the Bridges will rise! And his name shall be... Dimitri the Wise!
At least that is one possibility... I guess?
Richard
“Hold on”, Richard growled, as he stumbled through the night, with the barely conscious Hal in his arms. It was equal parts meant… more to encourage Hal just to stay awake, but also to encourage himself to keep going. The pain in his damaged leg sent tears to his eyes, as he forced himself to take one step after the other, carefully and in near silence.
Obviously, Hal was in even greater pain than he was. He hadn't been ready to move, but Richard had no choice but to drag him along and on top of that, he had no time to be soft with him. As much as he could, he even had to run, praying silently to each of the Seven that the men behind him wouldn't catch up.
And he had no illusions that they were catching up slowly. He had managed to get an advantage by taking the path through the edges of the woods. It was dark, the lights of his house had long since been left behind and the typical noise every lively forest made almost drowned out … [view original content]
I bet it's Abbas and Bakr. If it were someone bad, well, it's Lyria, Rosalie, and Urid. I would have no guilt.
Hm. I wonder if we left Hal if my theory would have been correct. Regardless, 5 less people for Leonard to deal with, yay.
Ah, a surprisingly emotional scene with Jarow, guarding his bridge yet again. I assume that element of his character is inspired by the Viking at the Battle of Stamford Bridge who held up the entire English army singlehandely on the bridge, slaying up to 40 of the English. Per cool, even if it's isn't inspired by that.
Richard
“Hold on”, Richard growled, as he stumbled through the night, with the barely conscious Hal in his arms. It was equal parts meant… more to encourage Hal just to stay awake, but also to encourage himself to keep going. The pain in his damaged leg sent tears to his eyes, as he forced himself to take one step after the other, carefully and in near silence.
Obviously, Hal was in even greater pain than he was. He hadn't been ready to move, but Richard had no choice but to drag him along and on top of that, he had no time to be soft with him. As much as he could, he even had to run, praying silently to each of the Seven that the men behind him wouldn't catch up.
And he had no illusions that they were catching up slowly. He had managed to get an advantage by taking the path through the edges of the woods. It was dark, the lights of his house had long since been left behind and the typical noise every lively forest made almost drowned out … [view original content]
[Open the door]
I bet it's Abbas and Bakr. If it were someone bad, well, it's Lyria, Rosalie, and Urid. I would have no guilt.
Hm. I w… moreonder if we left Hal if my theory would have been correct. Regardless, 5 less people for Leonard to deal with, yay.
Ah, a surprisingly emotional scene with Jarow, guarding his bridge yet again. I assume that element of his character is inspired by the Viking at the Battle of Stamford Bridge who held up the entire English army singlehandely on the bridge, slaying up to 40 of the English. Per cool, even if it's isn't inspired by that.
I bet it's Abbas and Bakr. If it were someone bad, well, it's Lyria, Rosalie, and Urid. I would have no guilt.
I knew this would not be a hard choice for you Actually, the more interesting thought for you, given at least your feelings about Lyria and Rosalie, would be which option has a higher chance of getting them killed. It's either opening the door to strangers, or trying to hide from whatever worse may come.
Hm. I wonder if we left Hal if my theory would have been correct. Regardless, 5 less people for Leonard to deal with, yay.
With that, you mean your thought that Richard would have managed to draw the attention of the bandits in the house to himself, therefore keeping Hal safe in hiding, right? If so, then yes, you were right back then, that is actually what would have happened. The bandits would have spotted and followed Richard without finding Hal, although his survival wouldn't have been revealed until the next chapter. Until that reveal, he would have been moved down to the list of deceased and unknown characters. His sister and Richard would have both thought him to be dead as well, with Nora personally holding Richard responsible for this.
Ah, a surprisingly emotional scene with Jarow, guarding his bridge yet again. I assume that element of his character is inspired by the Viking at the Battle of Stamford Bridge who held up the entire English army singlehandely on the bridge, slaying up to 40 of the English. Per cool, even if it's isn't inspired by that.
I am familiar with that magnificent feat of badassery, although it wasn't a conscious inspiration for Jarow's final stand here. The similarities are there though, even if Jarow likely won't manage to slay 40 men. That said, he will definitely take more down than just the five he got in this part.
[Open the door]
I bet it's Abbas and Bakr. If it were someone bad, well, it's Lyria, Rosalie, and Urid. I would have no guilt.
Hm. I w… moreonder if we left Hal if my theory would have been correct. Regardless, 5 less people for Leonard to deal with, yay.
Ah, a surprisingly emotional scene with Jarow, guarding his bridge yet again. I assume that element of his character is inspired by the Viking at the Battle of Stamford Bridge who held up the entire English army singlehandely on the bridge, slaying up to 40 of the English. Per cool, even if it's isn't inspired by that.
Richard sighed. “You will die”, he said again, in the weak attempt to stop him. He felt a strange distraught over the thought of losing the old man. He belonged to Raylansfair. A hero. A tragedy. But more importantly than all of this, a part of this city and a man that saved his life. A friend. Jarow shook his head. “I died a long time ago”, he answered and his expression softened. “Go, Richard. Find your daughter. And... cherish every moment”
Richard
“Hold on”, Richard growled, as he stumbled through the night, with the barely conscious Hal in his arms. It was equal parts meant… more to encourage Hal just to stay awake, but also to encourage himself to keep going. The pain in his damaged leg sent tears to his eyes, as he forced himself to take one step after the other, carefully and in near silence.
Obviously, Hal was in even greater pain than he was. He hadn't been ready to move, but Richard had no choice but to drag him along and on top of that, he had no time to be soft with him. As much as he could, he even had to run, praying silently to each of the Seven that the men behind him wouldn't catch up.
And he had no illusions that they were catching up slowly. He had managed to get an advantage by taking the path through the edges of the woods. It was dark, the lights of his house had long since been left behind and the typical noise every lively forest made almost drowned out … [view original content]
Hm, I was not entirely sure which option you would prefer here. Both have a certain risk with them. Maybe these people are bad guys of some capacity and opening the door will lead to tragedy, maybe they are good guys and not opening the door will be a missed opportunity. Maybe bad things will happen either way. One thing you have noted is that these people don't really act like typical Ironborn raiders, so it is likely that there is more to this. We'll see about it in the next Lyria part, which actually won't be too far away. And it will be one of the central parts of this chapter on top, one of those parts I have started to plan a long time ago.
The next part is hopefully going to be out today. I have finished the first PoV of it and will include a second one as well, although I have to attend some classes tomorrow, so I won't be able to stay up all night to write, as I usually prefer. But well, we're nearing the really hot parts of the chapter and I can't wait to write about them. So, the next part will feature the second PoV from Alys in this chapter, as well as the first from Samantha. The last time we have seen Alys, she arrived at the archive, together with Edward and his men. There, Edward revealed at least a tiny fragment of his plans, namely what he needs Alys for. The foundations of the archive, as it turned out, have been built by the First Men, so only those with First Men blood can safely enter these lower levels. Apparently, he has an interest in these lower levels, but has not elaborated this further. To be safe from the spells th First Men have casted to protect these lower levels, Edward has found out about something that requires the blood of one of the First Men. Hailing from the North, Alys (alongside with Alisa) probably has the purest First Men blood among his group, so he asked her for a small sample. Reluctantly, Alys agreed to his wish. Meanwhile, Samantha has only been seen in this chapter very briefly, in John's part. While John, Janae, Temari, Behara and Jaro have left for the eastern gate, she and Nymeria remained behind at the tavern, with the wounded Sasha, Lenrianda and I'lian. This next part should reveal what she's up to in the meantime.
Before this part is going to be out however, we're likely going to have the next part of A Wolf in Lord's Clothing, by @TheFurryOne, so make sure to read that one as well
Lord Woodbark immediately returned to his drink as Greysor made his way towards him. When Greysor arrived, he still drank, pretending not to notice him. Up close, Greysor realized that Lord Woodbark looked somewhat like an older Lupin, with the similar unsettling features.
“Hello” Greysor nervously spoke.
Lord Woodbark tilted his head back, allowing the last few drops of his drink to fall down. He then placed his cup back down on the table and turned to face the young guard.
“Is there something I can help you with, young man?” Lord Woodbark spoke in a rather deep, raspy voice. He seemed to be somewhat annoyed as he said this.
“Pardon the intrusion my lord, I just wanted to ask a few questions, if you don’t mind” Greysor replied, trying to sound strong. Despite Lord Woodbark being quite shorter than Greysor himself, he still seemed to be intimidating.
“Very well, ask” Lord Woodbark sighed.
“Could you tell me a bit about yourself?” Greysor asked.
“My name is Wofius Woodbark, I am twenty-two years old and the youngest child and only son of the late Lord Fergus Woodbark and his late wife Lady Elaena Woodbark, Lord Lionel Frostborn’s older sister. I have a few older sisters but they have either passed to illness, childbirth or have been married off. My father passed away a few months ago and my mother died about a decade ago” Wolfius explained. “Which leaves me as the Lord of Emberdam.”
Greysor was surprised at the lord’s age; he looked a lot older than he actually was. It must be the stress of being the lord with no family support.
“And you are?” Wolfius continued.
“My name’s Greysor Darkmoor, I’m sixteen years old and the thirdborn son of Lord Darkmoor, I have two older brothers and two younger sisters, one of which came with me to Thaumaturge when I decided to become a soldier for House Frostborn, who my house are bannermen to” Greysor explained. As he thought of his younger sister, he began to wonder why she wasn’t around.
Suddenly, Greysor heard something move from underneath the table. He knelt down and slowly pulled up the tablecloth. His heart skipped a beat when he saw a pair of yellow, glowing eyes glaring at him. Greysor leapt back and turned to face Wolfius.
“What is that thing?” Greysor gasped.
“Something that would tear your face off if you dared to go near it again” Wolfius hissed. “Now I would appreciate it if you would leave now.”
“A-apologies my lord” Greysor gulped, and he fearfully walked away.
As Greysor walked back to the other tables, he suddenly heard a shout, which seemed to be filled with rage.
“Say that again you scrawny little shit and I’ll snap you in half!” Alistair Wolfraven roared. His hands were wrapped around the neck of Lupin Frostborn, who had been lifted into the air by the bad-tempered firstborn’s brute strength.
“It was a simple question you brain-dead brute!” Lupin grunted. “No need to resort to violence!”
Greysor ran to Lupin’s aid.
“Just release him Lord Alistair, let’s remain calm” Greysor attempted to negotiate.
Alistair calmed himself and released Lupin from his grip. Greysor helped Lupin to his feet as he rubbed the red marks on his neck.
Well that was easy Greysor thought.
“What was that all about?” Greysor questioned.
“I only asked how big his sister’s tits were!” Lupin chuckled.
Alistair clenched his fist; the sound of his knuckles crackling could be heard. Lupin grinned then turned back to Alistair.
“I suppose it doesn’t matter, I’m going to have my dick between them in a few months anyway” Lupin sneered.
“YOU’RE A FUCKING DEAD MAN!” Alistair roared, charging towards Lupin. Greysor jumped in the way and received a full blow to the stomach, causing him to fly backwards and fall to the ground. He clutched his stomach, wheezing and choking.
“That’s enough, cousin!” said an unfamiliar male voice.
Greysor couldn’t see anything but the boots of the two men standing beside him.
“He insulted Rosyn!” Alistair growled. “Let me past and I can beat the shit out of him!”
“You’ve already injured an innocent man with your rage, Ali, let’s take a breather and sing a song like we would as children” the man said. Greysor didn’t know exactly why, but he could tell this man was smiling fiendishly as he said that.
“I don’t have time for singing, Rodrik!” Alistair growled.
“You should listen to your cousin” Lupin hissed.
“Fuck you!” Alistair yelled.
“Listen, cousin, it seems to be time for your duel with Alphyn, perhaps you can take out your anger on him” the man apparently called Rodrik said.
Greysor could hear the footsteps of Alistair and the man called Rodrik walk away. Greysor then dragged himself up to his feet, still clutching at the abdominal pain. He looked up to see Lupin staring at him.
“Let’s see how my perfect brother fares against that numbskull” Lupin suggested.
“…o…kay” Greysor wheezed.
As Alphyn and Alistair began their duel, Greysor and Lupin sat at the seats that gave the best view of where the fight was taking place. It was a set of seats a few seats away from where Lord Lionel’s only daughter Evelyn Frostborn was sitting with Alistair’s younger brother Maxwell Wolfraven. Both of them were only eleven years old.
“It is my party after all” Lupin had remarked.
Greysor had realized upon sitting down that they were seated next to Ryden Grimthorn and Ascar Bloodboar and four children. Two of them, a boy and a girl with blonde hair must be Ryden’s children. The other boy and girl must have been Dantis’ children.
“Your brother gives me the creeps” Ascar said to Ryden.
“He’s always been somewhat unhinged, no clue why” Ryden replied. Greysor could hear two of the boy children giggling to themselves.
“Hush, Ryler” said Ryden to the blonde boy.
“You too, Dantis” Ascar said to his own son.
Both boys seemed to be no older than four years old, although both girls seemed to be older, around six or seven. Greysor suddenly jumped at hearing Lupin’s voice in his ear.
“Want to know why House Grimthorn is named as such?” he asked.
“Sure” Greysor replied.
“Around Fangdor (their keep) is a large forest with thorns so deadly that they poison a man and slowly kill him, starting from the inside. There’s also a legend that the trees there emit a poisonous gas which kills anyone not of Grimthorn blood, except we know that’s bullshit since Ascar and his sister have visited Fangdor countless times” Lupin explained.
“And what of the Bloodboars, why are they named as such?” Greysor asked.
“Lots of wild boars in their area, not much else, although I suppose the “blood” part comes from how they will completely fucking destroy the lives of anyone that dares to cross them” Lupin replied. “Also, a lot of people from their family are tall as fuck, with Ascar himself being six feet and seven inches tall, just look how he is taller sitting down than Ryden is standing up, despite Ryden being a few years older than him.”
Greysor turned to Ryden and Ascar to see that now a wolfhound puppy was sitting next to Ryler. Even as a puppy it was still larger than the four-year-old boy. The puppy noticed Greysor and timidly approached him. Greysor gently petted the baby wolf-hunter.
All of a sudden Greysor heard the clattering of sword against armour and he saw Alphyn fall to the ground. Alistair had won. He aimed the tip of his blade towards Alphyn’s face and smirked. He seemed to have calmed down since his recent confrontation with Lupin.
“Alright, you win” Alphyn grunted, catching his breath. He was covered in cuts and bruises, but there was nothing too serious. Alistair began chuckling in victory.
“Cocky bastard” Lupin muttered.
Greysor shooed the wolfhound puppy back to its owners, and turned back to resume conversing with Lupin, only to realize he was gone.
“I’m going to wipe that grin of your face!” Lupin yelled at Alistair, who was now standing on the arena next to him with his sword drawn. Lupin seemed to cower as Alistair stopped smiling and took a few steps towards him.
“What’s wrong, Lupin? You shit yourself?” Alistair sneered.
“Yes, and I’m going to wipe my arse with your face!” Lupin growled and swung his sword at Alistair. Alistair deflected the blow and kicked Lupin in the stomach, sending him falling backwards to the mud.
“Are we done here?” Alistair snarled.
“No!” Lupin hissed and he continued to swing his blade at him, which always ended up with Lupin on the ground. It was obvious he had never been trained with a sword, with how clumsily he wielded and swung it.
Eventually after a few minutes, Alistair disarmed Lupin and punched him in the noggin, sending him back to the mud for the umpteenth time. Alistair spat on his mud and blood-covered foe, and then sheathed his blade and went to walk away. Lupin then arose, except this time he was no longer wielding a sword, but a rock instead. He bashed Alistair in the back of the head. The entire crowd was expecting Alistair to fall down unconscious or worse, but instead he just stood there for a few seconds. Then he turned around to face Lupin, his face red with rage.
“You fucking shit!” Alistair roared, a roar of bloodlust and beast-like fury. It was at that moment, Lupin knew he had fucked up.
Alistair’s fist went flying as fast as lightning into Lupin’s face, an audible wet crunch sounded out as Lupin fell into the dirt. Alistair fell on top of him, and began pummelling his face again, again and again. Blood flew everywhere. The cringe-inducing sound that resulted of the beat down was similar to if a huge block of ice was repeatedly struck with a hammer. Greysor and several other Frostborn guards raced towards Lupin’s attacker, and managed to pry him off. Lupin’s face was completely covered in blood; chunks of his flesh had been scraped off by the knuckles of Alistair’s gauntlets. He was barely recognisable through all the blood, cuts and bumps on his face and the swollen left eye.
“Alistair, go stand over there, while we fix your mess!” Lord Gregory Wolfraven screamed at his son, pointing to a patch of grass by the forest. Lord Gregory Wolfraven was a tall, slightly overweight man with night-black hair, brown eyes and a beard that went down to his belly.
Greysor knelt down next to Lupin.
“My lord, can you hear me?” Greysor said to Lupin, who wasn’t moving whatsoever. Suddenly, Lupin’s right eye opened, and for a second Greysor thought he was okay, until he realized the pupil of the eye was missing, and his eye was nothing but milky white.
“Something’s wrong with Lupin!” Greysor yelled to the crowd.
Greysor then heard an animal-like growl and then the loud, ear-splitting scream of Alistair filled the air. Greysor turned to face him only to be shocked at seeing him lying on the ground, a stream of blood leaking out of his neck. His throat had been ripped clean from him.
“Alistair!” Lord Gregory cried in shock. He ran to his son’s aid and cradled him in his arms. Alistair began to choke and rasp as blood now poured out of his mouth and nostrils.
“SOMEONE GET A MAESTER, ANYTHING PLEASE, I BEG YOU!” Gregory wailed.
Alistair then stopped choking and his eyelids slowly closed together, blood still leaking from him. Alistair Wolfraven was dead.
The entire crowd began gasping in shock and horror and Greysor could hear the weeping of women and children. Among the crowd, Greysor could notice Wolfius Woodbark, who was searching under the table he had been drinking at and revealed that there was no longer a creature underneath it. Wolfius noticed Greysor staring at the empty space under the table, and then at him in shock and fear, in which Wolfius only responded with a psychotic grin and a knowing wink that sent shivers down his spine. Wolfius began to turn and disappear in the crowd. Greysor heard a rustling in the trees and turned to look at the entrance to the forest, and could see something black, large and covered in fur back into the shadows. Both Wolfius and the creature were escaping.
A Wolf in Lord’s Clothing Part 3
Greysor Darkmoor
Lord Woodbark immediately returned to his drink as Greysor made his way towards him.… more When Greysor arrived, he still drank, pretending not to notice him. Up close, Greysor realized that Lord Woodbark looked somewhat like an older Lupin, with the similar unsettling features.
“Hello” Greysor nervously spoke.
Lord Woodbark tilted his head back, allowing the last few drops of his drink to fall down. He then placed his cup back down on the table and turned to face the young guard.
“Is there something I can help you with, young man?” Lord Woodbark spoke in a rather deep, raspy voice. He seemed to be somewhat annoyed as he said this.
“Pardon the intrusion my lord, I just wanted to ask a few questions, if you don’t mind” Greysor replied, trying to sound strong. Despite Lord Woodbark being quite shorter than Greysor himself, he still seemed to be intimidating.
“Very well, ask” Lord … [view original content]
Well, we can't get our dear Lord Woodbark away already, can we?
Great part! I love how this gives Wolfius some additional characterization, by showing him in a situation that is so different from the ones we have seen him in so far and I must say, I quite enjoy this younger version of him. That is one of the reasons why I choose to follow him. I am interested in what this creature is, but I am even more interested in reading more about Wolfius. Since he is your character and all, this was to be expected, but I really think you write him perfectly!
A Wolf in Lord’s Clothing Part 3
Greysor Darkmoor
Lord Woodbark immediately returned to his drink as Greysor made his way towards him.… more When Greysor arrived, he still drank, pretending not to notice him. Up close, Greysor realized that Lord Woodbark looked somewhat like an older Lupin, with the similar unsettling features.
“Hello” Greysor nervously spoke.
Lord Woodbark tilted his head back, allowing the last few drops of his drink to fall down. He then placed his cup back down on the table and turned to face the young guard.
“Is there something I can help you with, young man?” Lord Woodbark spoke in a rather deep, raspy voice. He seemed to be somewhat annoyed as he said this.
“Pardon the intrusion my lord, I just wanted to ask a few questions, if you don’t mind” Greysor replied, trying to sound strong. Despite Lord Woodbark being quite shorter than Greysor himself, he still seemed to be intimidating.
“Very well, ask” Lord … [view original content]
Nervously, Alys glanced at Alisa, who gave her a short, encouraging nod. Then, she extended her hand towards Edward. “Do it then”, she mumbled and her voice shivered as she spoke. Edward gave her a pleased smile. “It won't hurt”, he promised, as he grabbed her hand, to move the sharp edge of the knife towards her palm.
It did hurt. A lot. When the knife cut across her palm, an involuntary scream forced its way up her throat and through her clenched teeth. The cut was deep, spanning across her entire palm and it burned like fire. Against her will, tears shot into her eyes. Edward gave her a sympathetic look, as he put the knife away and reached into the inner pocket of his coat.
Still holding on to her aching hand, he pulled out a vial, which he gently placed underneath the wound, to capture the blood that poured out of it. Alys tensed up, as neither pain nor flow of blood stopped. “Is... is it normal that it bleeds so heavily?”, she asked, as she felt her legs starting to shake. Nonchalantly Edward gave her a nod. “It looks more severe than it actually is”, he promised her with an emotionless voice, only looking at her dark red blood. “But I need to fill at least this vial, maybe...”
“Seven, Edward, that girl's about to faint”, Alisa hissed and Edward narrowed his eyes as she addressed him. Alys started to shiver, unable to avert her eyes from the deep wound on her palm. “Do you want to stand in for her?”, Edward asked and Alisa gulped. “No, Ser”, she answered. “Just pointing it out”
Slowly, Edward glanced at Alys, who noticed that she had started to sweat coldly. Her breath went faster, as she focussed fully onto the vial containing her blood. Just a small cut, he had said, before he had sliced her entire palm open. With a sigh, the man let go of her palm and she staggered backwards immediately, raising her wounded hand.
Strong hands prevented her from sinking to the ground. “Easy, little lady”, Carvin growled, as he helped her remain standing. “Stay with us now, it's just a little bit of blood” Even though the pain was severe, she managed to sent him a glare. “Just a little bit of blood?”, she hissed and now, he chuckled. “You're not used to getting cut, huh?”, he responded.
Alys gave him a nod. The pain wasn't the worst part of this ordeal. No, worse was that she felt like she was about to cry and this upset her terribly. It was one thing to be in pain, but to cry in front of Edward and the others... She snuffled, before she took a deep breath. “I'll get over it”, she said and Carvin let go of her.
Immediately, Alisa was there, holding a clean bandage in her hand. She started to wrap it around the wound to stop the bleeding and Alys gave her a thankful smile. Then, her glance fell upon Edward and the smile faded as quick as it came. His right index finger was covered in her blood and right before her eyes, he started to move the bloodied finger across his forehead, painting something that looked like a rune, crude and archaic in its appearance, like a circle with two hooks on each side.
“What are you doing?”, she asked and her voice sounded thin. Edward glanced at the vial. “I protect myself”, he answered and now, Alys raised an eyebrow. “By a symbol painting with my blood?”, she asked. “That's all? That's... primitive”
Edward shrugged. “A primitive protection for a primitive spell”, he answered. “Yet its simplicity doesn't make it any less strong” He lowered his finger and mustered her closely. “You're shaking”, he stated. “And you're pale. You're not about to faint, are you?”
“I... I don't think so”, Alys stuttered, as she gulped. “It's just...” She stared at the blood on his forehead, her blood. “Is that all I have to do?” Edward shook his head. “There is but one problem”, he said. “It mustn't get dry. It must remain as similar to the blood pumping through your veins right now.
This caused Alys to tense up even more. “You said it would just be one little cut”, she hissed and he gave her a nod. “Although it might not remain the only one”, he admitted, before he met her glare. “And I am afraid this is not up to debate” As Alys glanced to the street they came from, he gave Carvin a nod. Once again, the sellsword grabbed her from behind.
Alys stopped struggling almost instantly, knowing that it would achieve nothing. She tried to control her panic and succeeded only partially. “I don't want that”, she mumbled. “I don't want to accompany you” Instead of answering, Edward turned to the Ironborn, who were standing in front of the broken doors to the archive, each of them looking slightly confused at the scenery, some of them even unnerved.
“Get over here”, he ordered and reluctantly, the raiders followed. As the first one approached, Edward moved his finger into the vial again and the man stopped instantly. He was plain looking, with a crooked nose and a patchy beard that barely hid his gaunt cheeks. “Whoa, what do you think you're doing?”, he barked.
“This will protect you”, Edward said and now, there was deep distrust on the face of every single raider. “Just hold still for a second as I apply the symbol” The raider narrowed his eyes. “I swear, if it wouldn't be for Captain Hollard's orders, you'd be dead already”, he growled and Edward seemingly ignored the threat.
Silently, he started to paint the symbol onto the man's forehead. It looked similar to the one he had painted onto his own forehead, though Alys noticed that it was applied with less care. The hooks looked slightly crooked, the circle wasn't perfect. A wicked smile appeared on Edward's face, as he turned to Carvin.
The sellsword let go of Alys, who noticed that Alisa had positioned herself between her and the alleyway they came from. The woman subtly shook her head and Alys sighed. Instead, she glanced at Carvin, while Edward started to paint a circle onto his forehead. “Aren't you from the North as well?”, she asked.
“Aye”, Carvin answered. “But I'm a mutt compared to you noble ladies. My mother came from the Riverlands, my father's mother was from the Vale, as much an Andal as possible” He managed a smirk, even though he seemed unnerved at what Edward was doing right there. As a result, it didn't look very encouraging, more like the attempt to distract her. But Alys wouldn't get distracted, not now.
“I don't want to accompany you in there”, she repeated and Edward, having just finished painting the symbol on Carvin's forehead, turned around. “I'm sorry, mylady, but this is not up for debate”, he said, his tone soft, but cold. “But I will make it up for you, I assure you. You will have a good life in Dorne, or wherever else you wish to live”
Home... that was the first thought that flashed through Alys' mind, as ironic as it was. She had to think if marrying the Karstark boy would have been as bad as this. The answer was a firm maybe, considering how little she actually knew about Dante. She knew him less than Edward, that much was for sure.
“Ser, just look at her”, Alisa said. “I think you cut too deep. She's not used to the pain and I'm afraid she might faint” Edward glanced at her, then back at Alys, as he narrowed his eyes. Finally, he sighed and looked at the Ironborn. “You, get over here”, he barked.
The man that approached was Wilbur. “Yes, Ser?”, he asked, nervously looking at the vial, as Edward put his finger into it once more. “Hold still for a second”, he ordered and Wilbur followed. “I've got a question”, he said, trying not to look at the finger that was pressed against his forehead. “Go ahead”, Edward said and Wilbur sighed. “So... what exactly do you need us for down there? Half a dozen men, I mean”
Edward glanced at Alys. “Your name?”, he asked and Wilbur straightened his back. “It's Wilbur”, he answered slowly. “Wonderful”, Edward said. “Wilbur, your task will be to stay by Lady Alys' side during our trip through the archive. Alisa is right, I can't have her fainting now, especially not down there”
Alys gulped at his words. “I... uh, what exactly do you still need me for?”, she asked and Edward gave her a mild look. He raised the vial, revealing that a considerable amount of the blood had already been used for him, Carvin and two of their six Ironborn companions. “Well, I need more of this”, he said, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
Instantly, Alys tensed up. “No way”, she stated and Edward sighed. He even slightly rolled his eyes as he approached her. “Lady Alys”, he purred, though his tone lacked genuine emotion. “You will accompany us, that is not debatable. As I said, I will repay you a thousand times once my work here is done. But you will accompany us down there. Wilbur here will make sure you will remain at least conscious”
“And... do... do you need more blood?”, Alys asked, noticing that her voice was now clearly and openly shaking. Edward glanced at the vial, before he shrugged. “Actually, that would be up for you to decide. What I have here will suffice for me and Carvin”, he answered and subtly pointed at the other Ironborn that hadn't received their rune yet. “If you wish to protect them though, I will need more, to make sure that I am properly protected as well down there”
“And if I refuse?”, Alys asked and Edward smirked coldly. “Then they will go down there without protection, which could be interesting. Truly a sight to behold”, he answered in a low whisper. “I must admit, their well-being is not my primary concern. Your own well-being certainly is more important to be, by far to be honest. So, I'd leave this up to you. Are you willing to give me more of your precious blood, for their sake?”
[Give him more blood][Refuse]
Samantha
The only sound that broke the silence came from Nymeria's axe, as she carefully sharpened it. The albino woman was sitting on a chair between Lenrianda's bed and the door, carefully trying to keep an eye on both, with mixed results. Most of the time, she only had eyes for Lenrianda, who was conscious, though only barely.
Samantha meanwhile sat on a chair next to I'lian, who was looking even worse than Lenrianda, who only had to deal with a concussion. His left hand was heavily bandaged and the missing fingers obviously caused him pain, though his wounded leg was apparently even more painful than those, even if it wouldn't have such permanent effects.
John and the others had left a few minutes ago. Orys and his knights were gone as well, but at least they had taken that swine Rodrik with them. Samantha shivered with anger at the thought of the bastard knight. If only they would have killed him instantly. Though she understood why Orys spared him. She understood it, she admired it and she still hoped he would have decided differently. Some people were too dangerous to remain alive. And after what the bastard did to her friends, to Lenrianda, to Jaro and I'lian and especially to Sasha...
Sasha... Samantha sighed as she thought of her friend, who still lay in the room next door, constantly shifting between being conscious and unconscious. She had lost a lot of blood, though she was alive, mostly thanks to Orys and Behara, who did their best with stopping the bleeding from the wound at her neck. But still, Sasha had almost died and the thought, it drove her crazy.
“Sammy?”, I'lian asked and she looked up. “Yeah?”, she asked and noticed the concern on his face. He frowned as he accidentally moved his leg the wrong way. “It's nothing”, he gasped, grimacing in pain. “It's just... your face...”
Subtly, Samantha moved a hand to the nasty bruise Rodrik left her with. It would probably heal, but at the moment, it was still thumping uncomfortably and was probably swollen slightly by now. “Doesn't look pretty, huh?”, she asked with a smirk. I'lian shook his head and despite the pain he was in, he managed to reciprocate the smirk with his usual charm. “You are a treat as always”, he complimented her, before his expression grew serious again. “But that's not what I meant. It's your expression. You look... devastated”
Samantha sighed again, this time glancing towards the door, preferring not to answer. I'lian followed her stare. “I know she means a lot to you”, he said. “And I can assure you, she will recover” He raised his mutilated hand. “Hell, I will recover, doesn't that mean anything to you?”
She rolled her eyes. “You're an idiot”, she stated and he flashed her a grin. “A loveable idiot, I hope”, he responded and she playfully glared at him. “Don't push your luck too far”, she warned him and for a second, they both shared a smile. Then, the thought of Sasha in the room next door returned and so did her frown.
“You know, you can look for her”, Nymeria offered, momentarily stopping to sharpen her axe. Samantha looked up, raising an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”, she asked and the albino woman gave her a nod. “Yeah, of course”, she said. “Make sure you come back, but well, for a couple minutes I should be able to take care of these two”
This caused Lenrianda to chuckle softly and Nymeria looked at her. “What's so funny?”, she asked, though her usual harshness was gone when she looked at her friend. Lenrianda's smile was dizzy, but genuine. “The whole situation”, she answered. “It's absurd seeing you as the caring one here”
Nymeria furrowed her brows. “I can be very caring”, she claimed and Lenrianda smiled. “Yeah, I know that”, she answered, before sinking back onto her pillow. “You know, I'm feeling a lot better already. My vision is not blurry anymore, I can feel my legs again and I only have to pee a little bit”
Now, Nymeria frowned. “You think that is funny?”, she asked and Lenrianda chuckled. “More funny than your typical jokes at least”, she teased her. “Hells, that brownie next door is less grumpy than you are” She did not notice how her comment caused Samantha to frown, though Nymeria did. She put a hand onto her friend's. “Perhaps you should try to find some sleep, Len”, she said softly. “And when you wake up, the raid will be over”
Samantha rose from her chair. “I think I'm really going to check up on Sasha for a moment”, she answered and looked from Nymeria to I'lian. “Will you two manage?” I'lian gave her a confident nod. “Of course!”, he answered and gave Nymeria a wink. “I can do many things. I'm an excellent story-teller, I make the best jokes and I can do a lot of other things as well”
The woman sighed and rolled her red eyes. “Can you be silent?”, she asked dryly, as Samantha approached the door. She forced herself to smile at both. “I see you'll manage”, she stated, as she opened the door. “But please, try not to kill each other. I bet Jaro and Len would be highly displeased”
She stepped outside, into the dimly lit hallway. From the taproom below, she heard the innkeeper shouting her orders at the men that had gathered to protect the building. Drunkards, mostly, men who wanted to get some courage and ended up staying entirely. Though located at the city square, no guardsmen had been dispatched to defend it, which she could even understand. As much as she hated to admit it, this building and everyone inside was simply not important enough to justify defending it, at least not for the city guard. But these people, they meant the world to her and she'd defend them to her last breath.
Carefully, Samantha opened the door that led to Sasha's room. It was her own room actually, but the bed was softer than Sasha's own, so they had put her there. Right now, only a single candle illuminated it and the light was almost burned down. Sasha lay in the bed, her eyes closed, her breath going steadily.
With a concerned look on her face, Samantha entered the room and closed the door behind her, as she approached her friend. A tear found her way into her eye, as she looked at the other woman. For someone of her complexion, Sasha was pale, the bandage around her neck was stained with her blood. She had almost died. Sasha had almost died and Samantha felt awful for this.
Not wanting to wake her up, she merely glanced around the room for a moment. There was the candle of course, but Samantha had no idea where to get a new one right now. Satisfied, she looked at the small crossbow next to it. It had been Nymeria's idea to give Sasha at least something to defend herself from her bed, should the Ironborn break through and should she be awake at that point. Who knew, perhaps it would save her life pretty soon.
Just in this moment, a loud knock on the door caused her to tense up. “Cavalry's here, Sammy”, a male voice said and Samantha narrowed her eyes, noticing that this man sounded somewhat familiar. It wasn't I'lian though, no, it was...
She stormed to the door and tossed it open, to reveal none other than Davith Lanser. His chocolate brown hair was in a disarray, he looked tired and worn, but otherwise healthy. Of course, there was this obnoxious smile she remembered only too well. She also remembered that he had kissed her. And she remembered that he had risked his life for her, no, outright sacrificed it.
“You...”, she managed to utter and Davith's smile turned into a smirk. “I”, she said, as he spread his arms. “What is it, no hug for your pal?” A smile formed on her face as she indeed fell into his open arms. “You... how are you still alive?”, she gasped. “What are you doing here? How have you escaped? How have you found us?”
Davith's glance fell upon Sasha on the bed and his smile faded. “That is a seriously long story”, he said. “To make it short, I have never been captured by these cat freaks. I escaped Oldtown together with some people and they... well, that's something I'm going to tell you another time. We had the same goal, Raylansfair” He lifted his cloak, revealing a familiar sight underneath it. “I've come here to join you again”, he said, as his hand moved to her hatchets, grabbing both of the small weapons with one hand. “And to give you these back”
This time, the smile on Samantha's face was genuine, as she moved forwards, to give Davith the hint of a kiss on the cheek. She successfully suppressed a squeal as she reached for her weapons. On Davith's belt, she also spotted Sasha's arakh and her smile widened. Surely, her friend would have something to be happy about as soon as she would wake up.
She took a deep breath as she felt the familiar weight of the hatchets in her hands. “This is good”, she said. “This is very good” A happy smile on her face, she mustered Davith. “This is... fuck, this is a miracle” He shrugged. “Sometimes they do happen”, he told her. “You know what they say, it's a million to one chance, but it might just work” He smugly pointed at himself. “And I was born lucky”
Quickly, his smug smile faded. “But there is one thing I need to talk about with you”, he informed her. “I've been downstairs and the barmaid told me about your room. She also told me that the Ironborn are advancing” He gulped. “Daisy's been sure that they will be here soon”, he continued. “The men will defend the taproom downstairs. She hasn't outright said it, but I'm sure they could need help. From you, me, perhaps any other fighter you still have hidden somewhere”
Samantha's mind wandered to Nymeria, if briefly. Defending downstairs... a risky move, considering that the taproom had two entrances and consisted mostly of a wide, open room. And if any of the raiders would slip through, up the stairs and into Sasha's room... “What's with upstairs?”, she asked. Davith raised an eyebrow. “You mean fortifying the floor?”, he asked in return. “A daring move. We'd have less fighters up here, I guess, but could hold them off at the stairs” He shrugged. “Hey, I just arrived here. You know the building better than I do”, he stated. “But whatever you decide, we should prepare for the fight”
[Defend the ground floor][Fortify the upper floor]
A Wolf in Lord’s Clothing Part 3
Greysor Darkmoor
Lord Woodbark immediately returned to his drink as Greysor made his way towards him.… more When Greysor arrived, he still drank, pretending not to notice him. Up close, Greysor realized that Lord Woodbark looked somewhat like an older Lupin, with the similar unsettling features.
“Hello” Greysor nervously spoke.
Lord Woodbark tilted his head back, allowing the last few drops of his drink to fall down. He then placed his cup back down on the table and turned to face the young guard.
“Is there something I can help you with, young man?” Lord Woodbark spoke in a rather deep, raspy voice. He seemed to be somewhat annoyed as he said this.
“Pardon the intrusion my lord, I just wanted to ask a few questions, if you don’t mind” Greysor replied, trying to sound strong. Despite Lord Woodbark being quite shorter than Greysor himself, he still seemed to be intimidating.
“Very well, ask” Lord … [view original content]
Alys
Nervously, Alys glanced at Alisa, who gave her a short, encouraging nod. Then, she extended her hand towards Edward. “Do it then”, s… morehe mumbled and her voice shivered as she spoke. Edward gave her a pleased smile. “It won't hurt”, he promised, as he grabbed her hand, to move the sharp edge of the knife towards her palm.
It did hurt. A lot. When the knife cut across her palm, an involuntary scream forced its way up her throat and through her clenched teeth. The cut was deep, spanning across her entire palm and it burned like fire. Against her will, tears shot into her eyes. Edward gave her a sympathetic look, as he put the knife away and reached into the inner pocket of his coat.
Still holding on to her aching hand, he pulled out a vial, which he gently placed underneath the wound, to capture the blood that poured out of it. Alys tensed up, as neither pain nor flow of blood stopped. “Is... is it normal that it bleeds so heavily?”,… [view original content]
Alys
Nervously, Alys glanced at Alisa, who gave her a short, encouraging nod. Then, she extended her hand towards Edward. “Do it then”, s… morehe mumbled and her voice shivered as she spoke. Edward gave her a pleased smile. “It won't hurt”, he promised, as he grabbed her hand, to move the sharp edge of the knife towards her palm.
It did hurt. A lot. When the knife cut across her palm, an involuntary scream forced its way up her throat and through her clenched teeth. The cut was deep, spanning across her entire palm and it burned like fire. Against her will, tears shot into her eyes. Edward gave her a sympathetic look, as he put the knife away and reached into the inner pocket of his coat.
Still holding on to her aching hand, he pulled out a vial, which he gently placed underneath the wound, to capture the blood that poured out of it. Alys tensed up, as neither pain nor flow of blood stopped. “Is... is it normal that it bleeds so heavily?”,… [view original content]
Alys
Nervously, Alys glanced at Alisa, who gave her a short, encouraging nod. Then, she extended her hand towards Edward. “Do it then”, s… morehe mumbled and her voice shivered as she spoke. Edward gave her a pleased smile. “It won't hurt”, he promised, as he grabbed her hand, to move the sharp edge of the knife towards her palm.
It did hurt. A lot. When the knife cut across her palm, an involuntary scream forced its way up her throat and through her clenched teeth. The cut was deep, spanning across her entire palm and it burned like fire. Against her will, tears shot into her eyes. Edward gave her a sympathetic look, as he put the knife away and reached into the inner pocket of his coat.
Still holding on to her aching hand, he pulled out a vial, which he gently placed underneath the wound, to capture the blood that poured out of it. Alys tensed up, as neither pain nor flow of blood stopped. “Is... is it normal that it bleeds so heavily?”,… [view original content]
[Give him more blood] I don't wish any misfortune on these people. And Edward keeps hinting that there's something dangerous down there. Best to go in numbers.
[Defend the ground floor] They need help down there. I'm not gonna selfishly choose to hide upstairs just for Sasha, who I don't even really like.
EDIT: Interesting how my opinion of Edward dramatically dropped in just one part.
Alys
Nervously, Alys glanced at Alisa, who gave her a short, encouraging nod. Then, she extended her hand towards Edward. “Do it then”, s… morehe mumbled and her voice shivered as she spoke. Edward gave her a pleased smile. “It won't hurt”, he promised, as he grabbed her hand, to move the sharp edge of the knife towards her palm.
It did hurt. A lot. When the knife cut across her palm, an involuntary scream forced its way up her throat and through her clenched teeth. The cut was deep, spanning across her entire palm and it burned like fire. Against her will, tears shot into her eyes. Edward gave her a sympathetic look, as he put the knife away and reached into the inner pocket of his coat.
Still holding on to her aching hand, he pulled out a vial, which he gently placed underneath the wound, to capture the blood that poured out of it. Alys tensed up, as neither pain nor flow of blood stopped. “Is... is it normal that it bleeds so heavily?”,… [view original content]
I'm not gonna selfishly choose to hide upstairs just for Sasha, who I don't even really like.
In that case, I should clarify that this is not only for Sasha. Obviously, she would be one of Samantha's key priorities if this choice wins, but I'lian is also a close friend and she has grown rather fond of Lenrianda, who are both going to stay upstairs as well either way, since they really shouldn't be fighting in their condition. I don't know if that would play a role in your decision, as I can definitely understand your reason here, but if it does, well, hope that clarifies it
[Give him more blood] I don't wish any misfortune on these people. And Edward keeps hinting that there's something dangerous down there. Bes… moret to go in numbers.
[Defend the ground floor] They need help down there. I'm not gonna selfishly choose to hide upstairs just for Sasha, who I don't even really like.
EDIT: Interesting how my opinion of Edward dramatically dropped in just one part.
Edward is one slimy a-hole though. He is also very enjoyable though.
Ah, that is good to hear I'm having a lot of fun writing Edward in this chapter, which is arguably his most important so far, so I am really happy to see he's well-received. I think he's really getting a chance to show his more jerkish qualities here and that makes me excited for the next Alys parts.
[Refuse] Naah, I don't care that much about the Ironborn Edward is one slimy a-hole though. He is also very enjoyable though.
[Fortify the upper floor] I'd say this gives a better chance for the wounded to survive.
[Refuse] Nah, don't care about some lame oo Ironborn, who've done nothing for me. Might as well let them die to the spoopy spells.
[Defend the ground floor] Gotta be the good Samaritan every once and awhile, and the fact that my characters are down there make this the perfect time to do so.
Alys
Nervously, Alys glanced at Alisa, who gave her a short, encouraging nod. Then, she extended her hand towards Edward. “Do it then”, s… morehe mumbled and her voice shivered as she spoke. Edward gave her a pleased smile. “It won't hurt”, he promised, as he grabbed her hand, to move the sharp edge of the knife towards her palm.
It did hurt. A lot. When the knife cut across her palm, an involuntary scream forced its way up her throat and through her clenched teeth. The cut was deep, spanning across her entire palm and it burned like fire. Against her will, tears shot into her eyes. Edward gave her a sympathetic look, as he put the knife away and reached into the inner pocket of his coat.
Still holding on to her aching hand, he pulled out a vial, which he gently placed underneath the wound, to capture the blood that poured out of it. Alys tensed up, as neither pain nor flow of blood stopped. “Is... is it normal that it bleeds so heavily?”,… [view original content]
Black fur? Check. Yellow eyes? Ugh, check (right?) But it is probably not the beast? Or maybe it is. One thing is for certain, Wolfius is more sketchy.
Hm. Ryler with that wolfhound. Hm. Wolfius. Interesting.
However I think I have noticed a crucial detail about this entire ordeal that no one (besides probably Liquid). An easy to be miss but very important detail. For the sake of others' enjoyment. I just hope I am not misinterpreting it.
A Wolf in Lord’s Clothing Part 3
Greysor Darkmoor
Lord Woodbark immediately returned to his drink as Greysor made his way towards him.… more When Greysor arrived, he still drank, pretending not to notice him. Up close, Greysor realized that Lord Woodbark looked somewhat like an older Lupin, with the similar unsettling features.
“Hello” Greysor nervously spoke.
Lord Woodbark tilted his head back, allowing the last few drops of his drink to fall down. He then placed his cup back down on the table and turned to face the young guard.
“Is there something I can help you with, young man?” Lord Woodbark spoke in a rather deep, raspy voice. He seemed to be somewhat annoyed as he said this.
“Pardon the intrusion my lord, I just wanted to ask a few questions, if you don’t mind” Greysor replied, trying to sound strong. Despite Lord Woodbark being quite shorter than Greysor himself, he still seemed to be intimidating.
“Very well, ask” Lord … [view original content]
I'm not gonna selfishly choose to hide upstairs just for Sasha, who I don't even really like.
In that case, I should clarify that th… moreis is not only for Sasha. Obviously, she would be one of Samantha's key priorities if this choice wins, but I'lian is also a close friend and she has grown rather fond of Lenrianda, who are both going to stay upstairs as well either way, since they really shouldn't be fighting in their condition. I don't know if that would play a role in your decision, as I can definitely understand your reason here, but if it does, well, hope that clarifies it
[Refuse] I don't know why people voted to let him get it in the first place, Anturion as much as I like him is not a trustworthy kind of guy. Plus why are we helping this man do no good.
[Defend the ground floor]
I would like to think that doing this would be better since if they encounter stuff resistance they might just bugger off. Maybe, I don't really know. We'll see.
Alys
Nervously, Alys glanced at Alisa, who gave her a short, encouraging nod. Then, she extended her hand towards Edward. “Do it then”, s… morehe mumbled and her voice shivered as she spoke. Edward gave her a pleased smile. “It won't hurt”, he promised, as he grabbed her hand, to move the sharp edge of the knife towards her palm.
It did hurt. A lot. When the knife cut across her palm, an involuntary scream forced its way up her throat and through her clenched teeth. The cut was deep, spanning across her entire palm and it burned like fire. Against her will, tears shot into her eyes. Edward gave her a sympathetic look, as he put the knife away and reached into the inner pocket of his coat.
Still holding on to her aching hand, he pulled out a vial, which he gently placed underneath the wound, to capture the blood that poured out of it. Alys tensed up, as neither pain nor flow of blood stopped. “Is... is it normal that it bleeds so heavily?”,… [view original content]
Comments
[Open the door] I could be wrong, but somehow I doubt that the Ironborn would act like that. They are on a raid, pumped with adrenaline and bloodlust, they are not going to stop and try to lure people out with politeness, they would rush in with no questions asked.
Anyway, nice epic moment from Jarow. RIP Lord of the Bridges (probably).
True, there are many Ironborn who would act in such a way, just kicking in the doors without asking questions. That said, there are somewhat atypical Ironborn as well. Of course I can't say anything about this situation here, but well, Lyria's next part is planned to be relatively soon, so you should get your answer there.
Well, he is one man facing down dozens of armed bandits and Bear. For now, he can be considered unknown (and if the unknown list would still be separate from the deceased list, I would have put him there instead) and he isn't outright confirmed dead, but to survive this, a miracle would be necessary. Of course, he survived similar odds before, even if it came at the cost of his sanity. There is definitely going to be an update on Jarow's status eventually, for the better or the worse.
[Stay quiet]
[Stay quiet]
Aaa my sweet Jarow, may you hold the bridge until your last breath and make the bastards bleed.
Old soldiers never die...they just fade away
kinda sad to see my man (probably) die, but it's just how i would like it. Facing death so he can hold the bridge
[Open the door] My guess is that these are Raenna's companions. They probably wouldn't all have gone to the castle, maybe Davith and Brandon looking to help some people out? And good ol' Jarow holding his bridge. As a good lord would do. His sacrifice is the best thing that can happen for Richard and Hal, and they better be damn grateful for it. Raylainsfair lost a good man this chapter. Probably going to end up seeing Bear having Jarow's head on a spike as he approaches the city wall. If I remember right Leonard will be there, and that will certainly destroy morale.
[Open the door]
I have a feeling it's really help... I really hope it is, seeing in what state Urid and Rosalie are.
And Jarow, eh :-( At least he will die a hero, if he will die.
[Open the door]
[Open the door] What Ironborn knocks? I suppose it could be bandits but that also seems out of place. They'll probably kick in the door anyway. Hopefully we can make a good first impression this way.
Poor Jarow. Who will defend the bridge now?
Yes, yes indeed, may he be remembered! I mean, his death is not confirmed yet, but it should be clear that holding this bridge can only end in one way, unless a small miracle happens in the next few minutes of the story. But it is definitely how he wants to go out, buying the city and its people as much time as one man can provide and weakening the enemy in the process. I mean, at his age and with his lifestyle, he probably wouldn't have survived the coming winter, so I personally see this as the most dignified way for him to go and I guess Jarow has a similar opinion on it.
Also, do not worry, Book 1 is nearing its finish and that means, The Hawk is on his way, so even if Jarow's time has come, Book 2 should be very good for your characters. Come to think of it, it will be very good for the characters of many readers
Fear not! Out of the ashes of Raylansfair, a new Lord of the Bridges will rise! And his name shall be... Dimitri the Wise!
At least that is one possibility... I guess?
Hm, a very good theory you bring up there. There is definitely going to be an update on Raenna's companions soon, this is all I can say about them. But it is a very interesting thought! And you are right, Bear and his men approach the gate that is currently held by Leonard (with Stormlander reinforcements). Jarow is a popular man in the city, for some reason, so seeing him dead would be a blow for the guardsmen, though not for the Stormlanders.
I think Dimitri's still lost in the woods.
You are probably right, at least that was where he has last been seen. That said, sooner or later I have to give an update about him.
[Open the door]
....Fuck it. I have a feeling this is gonna be the better option. Hopefully this isn't one of those choices we're gonna regret down the stretch.
[Open the door]
I bet it's Abbas and Bakr. If it were someone bad, well, it's Lyria, Rosalie, and Urid. I would have no guilt.
Hm. I wonder if we left Hal if my theory would have been correct. Regardless, 5 less people for Leonard to deal with, yay.
Ah, a surprisingly emotional scene with Jarow, guarding his bridge yet again. I assume that element of his character is inspired by the Viking at the Battle of Stamford Bridge who held up the entire English army singlehandely on the bridge, slaying up to 40 of the English. Per cool, even if it's isn't inspired by that.
Nea, Jarow was inspired from the Three Billy Goats troll but with PTSD. But i liked yours much more
I knew this would not be a hard choice for you
Actually, the more interesting thought for you, given at least your feelings about Lyria and Rosalie, would be which option has a higher chance of getting them killed. It's either opening the door to strangers, or trying to hide from whatever worse may come.
With that, you mean your thought that Richard would have managed to draw the attention of the bandits in the house to himself, therefore keeping Hal safe in hiding, right? If so, then yes, you were right back then, that is actually what would have happened. The bandits would have spotted and followed Richard without finding Hal, although his survival wouldn't have been revealed until the next chapter. Until that reveal, he would have been moved down to the list of deceased and unknown characters. His sister and Richard would have both thought him to be dead as well, with Nora personally holding Richard responsible for this.
I am familiar with that magnificent feat of badassery, although it wasn't a conscious inspiration for Jarow's final stand here. The similarities are there though, even if Jarow likely won't manage to slay 40 men. That said, he will definitely take more down than just the five he got in this part.
[Open the door]
awww man why ;_;
The Voting is closed!
Lyria is going to open the door
Hm, I was not entirely sure which option you would prefer here. Both have a certain risk with them. Maybe these people are bad guys of some capacity and opening the door will lead to tragedy, maybe they are good guys and not opening the door will be a missed opportunity. Maybe bad things will happen either way. One thing you have noted is that these people don't really act like typical Ironborn raiders, so it is likely that there is more to this. We'll see about it in the next Lyria part, which actually won't be too far away. And it will be one of the central parts of this chapter on top, one of those parts I have started to plan a long time ago.
The next part is hopefully going to be out today. I have finished the first PoV of it and will include a second one as well, although I have to attend some classes tomorrow, so I won't be able to stay up all night to write, as I usually prefer. But well, we're nearing the really hot parts of the chapter and I can't wait to write about them. So, the next part will feature the second PoV from Alys in this chapter, as well as the first from Samantha. The last time we have seen Alys, she arrived at the archive, together with Edward and his men. There, Edward revealed at least a tiny fragment of his plans, namely what he needs Alys for. The foundations of the archive, as it turned out, have been built by the First Men, so only those with First Men blood can safely enter these lower levels. Apparently, he has an interest in these lower levels, but has not elaborated this further. To be safe from the spells th First Men have casted to protect these lower levels, Edward has found out about something that requires the blood of one of the First Men. Hailing from the North, Alys (alongside with Alisa) probably has the purest First Men blood among his group, so he asked her for a small sample. Reluctantly, Alys agreed to his wish. Meanwhile, Samantha has only been seen in this chapter very briefly, in John's part. While John, Janae, Temari, Behara and Jaro have left for the eastern gate, she and Nymeria remained behind at the tavern, with the wounded Sasha, Lenrianda and I'lian. This next part should reveal what she's up to in the meantime.
Before this part is going to be out however, we're likely going to have the next part of A Wolf in Lord's Clothing, by @TheFurryOne, so make sure to read that one as well
A Wolf in Lord’s Clothing Part 3
Greysor Darkmoor
Lord Woodbark immediately returned to his drink as Greysor made his way towards him. When Greysor arrived, he still drank, pretending not to notice him. Up close, Greysor realized that Lord Woodbark looked somewhat like an older Lupin, with the similar unsettling features.
“Hello” Greysor nervously spoke.
Lord Woodbark tilted his head back, allowing the last few drops of his drink to fall down. He then placed his cup back down on the table and turned to face the young guard.
“Is there something I can help you with, young man?” Lord Woodbark spoke in a rather deep, raspy voice. He seemed to be somewhat annoyed as he said this.
“Pardon the intrusion my lord, I just wanted to ask a few questions, if you don’t mind” Greysor replied, trying to sound strong. Despite Lord Woodbark being quite shorter than Greysor himself, he still seemed to be intimidating.
“Very well, ask” Lord Woodbark sighed.
“Could you tell me a bit about yourself?” Greysor asked.
“My name is Wofius Woodbark, I am twenty-two years old and the youngest child and only son of the late Lord Fergus Woodbark and his late wife Lady Elaena Woodbark, Lord Lionel Frostborn’s older sister. I have a few older sisters but they have either passed to illness, childbirth or have been married off. My father passed away a few months ago and my mother died about a decade ago” Wolfius explained. “Which leaves me as the Lord of Emberdam.”
Greysor was surprised at the lord’s age; he looked a lot older than he actually was. It must be the stress of being the lord with no family support.
“And you are?” Wolfius continued.
“My name’s Greysor Darkmoor, I’m sixteen years old and the thirdborn son of Lord Darkmoor, I have two older brothers and two younger sisters, one of which came with me to Thaumaturge when I decided to become a soldier for House Frostborn, who my house are bannermen to” Greysor explained. As he thought of his younger sister, he began to wonder why she wasn’t around.
Suddenly, Greysor heard something move from underneath the table. He knelt down and slowly pulled up the tablecloth. His heart skipped a beat when he saw a pair of yellow, glowing eyes glaring at him. Greysor leapt back and turned to face Wolfius.
“What is that thing?” Greysor gasped.
“Something that would tear your face off if you dared to go near it again” Wolfius hissed. “Now I would appreciate it if you would leave now.”
“A-apologies my lord” Greysor gulped, and he fearfully walked away.
As Greysor walked back to the other tables, he suddenly heard a shout, which seemed to be filled with rage.
“Say that again you scrawny little shit and I’ll snap you in half!” Alistair Wolfraven roared. His hands were wrapped around the neck of Lupin Frostborn, who had been lifted into the air by the bad-tempered firstborn’s brute strength.
“It was a simple question you brain-dead brute!” Lupin grunted. “No need to resort to violence!”
Greysor ran to Lupin’s aid.
“Just release him Lord Alistair, let’s remain calm” Greysor attempted to negotiate.
Alistair calmed himself and released Lupin from his grip. Greysor helped Lupin to his feet as he rubbed the red marks on his neck.
Well that was easy Greysor thought.
“What was that all about?” Greysor questioned.
“I only asked how big his sister’s tits were!” Lupin chuckled.
Alistair clenched his fist; the sound of his knuckles crackling could be heard. Lupin grinned then turned back to Alistair.
“I suppose it doesn’t matter, I’m going to have my dick between them in a few months anyway” Lupin sneered.
“YOU’RE A FUCKING DEAD MAN!” Alistair roared, charging towards Lupin. Greysor jumped in the way and received a full blow to the stomach, causing him to fly backwards and fall to the ground. He clutched his stomach, wheezing and choking.
“That’s enough, cousin!” said an unfamiliar male voice.
Greysor couldn’t see anything but the boots of the two men standing beside him.
“He insulted Rosyn!” Alistair growled. “Let me past and I can beat the shit out of him!”
“You’ve already injured an innocent man with your rage, Ali, let’s take a breather and sing a song like we would as children” the man said. Greysor didn’t know exactly why, but he could tell this man was smiling fiendishly as he said that.
“I don’t have time for singing, Rodrik!” Alistair growled.
“You should listen to your cousin” Lupin hissed.
“Fuck you!” Alistair yelled.
“Listen, cousin, it seems to be time for your duel with Alphyn, perhaps you can take out your anger on him” the man apparently called Rodrik said.
Greysor could hear the footsteps of Alistair and the man called Rodrik walk away. Greysor then dragged himself up to his feet, still clutching at the abdominal pain. He looked up to see Lupin staring at him.
“Let’s see how my perfect brother fares against that numbskull” Lupin suggested.
“…o…kay” Greysor wheezed.
As Alphyn and Alistair began their duel, Greysor and Lupin sat at the seats that gave the best view of where the fight was taking place. It was a set of seats a few seats away from where Lord Lionel’s only daughter Evelyn Frostborn was sitting with Alistair’s younger brother Maxwell Wolfraven. Both of them were only eleven years old.
“It is my party after all” Lupin had remarked.
Greysor had realized upon sitting down that they were seated next to Ryden Grimthorn and Ascar Bloodboar and four children. Two of them, a boy and a girl with blonde hair must be Ryden’s children. The other boy and girl must have been Dantis’ children.
“Your brother gives me the creeps” Ascar said to Ryden.
“He’s always been somewhat unhinged, no clue why” Ryden replied. Greysor could hear two of the boy children giggling to themselves.
“Hush, Ryler” said Ryden to the blonde boy.
“You too, Dantis” Ascar said to his own son.
Both boys seemed to be no older than four years old, although both girls seemed to be older, around six or seven. Greysor suddenly jumped at hearing Lupin’s voice in his ear.
“Want to know why House Grimthorn is named as such?” he asked.
“Sure” Greysor replied.
“Around Fangdor (their keep) is a large forest with thorns so deadly that they poison a man and slowly kill him, starting from the inside. There’s also a legend that the trees there emit a poisonous gas which kills anyone not of Grimthorn blood, except we know that’s bullshit since Ascar and his sister have visited Fangdor countless times” Lupin explained.
“And what of the Bloodboars, why are they named as such?” Greysor asked.
“Lots of wild boars in their area, not much else, although I suppose the “blood” part comes from how they will completely fucking destroy the lives of anyone that dares to cross them” Lupin replied. “Also, a lot of people from their family are tall as fuck, with Ascar himself being six feet and seven inches tall, just look how he is taller sitting down than Ryden is standing up, despite Ryden being a few years older than him.”
Greysor turned to Ryden and Ascar to see that now a wolfhound puppy was sitting next to Ryler. Even as a puppy it was still larger than the four-year-old boy. The puppy noticed Greysor and timidly approached him. Greysor gently petted the baby wolf-hunter.
All of a sudden Greysor heard the clattering of sword against armour and he saw Alphyn fall to the ground. Alistair had won. He aimed the tip of his blade towards Alphyn’s face and smirked. He seemed to have calmed down since his recent confrontation with Lupin.
“Alright, you win” Alphyn grunted, catching his breath. He was covered in cuts and bruises, but there was nothing too serious. Alistair began chuckling in victory.
“Cocky bastard” Lupin muttered.
Greysor shooed the wolfhound puppy back to its owners, and turned back to resume conversing with Lupin, only to realize he was gone.
“I’m going to wipe that grin of your face!” Lupin yelled at Alistair, who was now standing on the arena next to him with his sword drawn. Lupin seemed to cower as Alistair stopped smiling and took a few steps towards him.
“What’s wrong, Lupin? You shit yourself?” Alistair sneered.
“Yes, and I’m going to wipe my arse with your face!” Lupin growled and swung his sword at Alistair. Alistair deflected the blow and kicked Lupin in the stomach, sending him falling backwards to the mud.
“Are we done here?” Alistair snarled.
“No!” Lupin hissed and he continued to swing his blade at him, which always ended up with Lupin on the ground. It was obvious he had never been trained with a sword, with how clumsily he wielded and swung it.
Eventually after a few minutes, Alistair disarmed Lupin and punched him in the noggin, sending him back to the mud for the umpteenth time. Alistair spat on his mud and blood-covered foe, and then sheathed his blade and went to walk away. Lupin then arose, except this time he was no longer wielding a sword, but a rock instead. He bashed Alistair in the back of the head. The entire crowd was expecting Alistair to fall down unconscious or worse, but instead he just stood there for a few seconds. Then he turned around to face Lupin, his face red with rage.
“You fucking shit!” Alistair roared, a roar of bloodlust and beast-like fury. It was at that moment, Lupin knew he had fucked up.
Alistair’s fist went flying as fast as lightning into Lupin’s face, an audible wet crunch sounded out as Lupin fell into the dirt. Alistair fell on top of him, and began pummelling his face again, again and again. Blood flew everywhere. The cringe-inducing sound that resulted of the beat down was similar to if a huge block of ice was repeatedly struck with a hammer. Greysor and several other Frostborn guards raced towards Lupin’s attacker, and managed to pry him off. Lupin’s face was completely covered in blood; chunks of his flesh had been scraped off by the knuckles of Alistair’s gauntlets. He was barely recognisable through all the blood, cuts and bumps on his face and the swollen left eye.
“Alistair, go stand over there, while we fix your mess!” Lord Gregory Wolfraven screamed at his son, pointing to a patch of grass by the forest. Lord Gregory Wolfraven was a tall, slightly overweight man with night-black hair, brown eyes and a beard that went down to his belly.
Greysor knelt down next to Lupin.
“My lord, can you hear me?” Greysor said to Lupin, who wasn’t moving whatsoever. Suddenly, Lupin’s right eye opened, and for a second Greysor thought he was okay, until he realized the pupil of the eye was missing, and his eye was nothing but milky white.
“Something’s wrong with Lupin!” Greysor yelled to the crowd.
Greysor then heard an animal-like growl and then the loud, ear-splitting scream of Alistair filled the air. Greysor turned to face him only to be shocked at seeing him lying on the ground, a stream of blood leaking out of his neck. His throat had been ripped clean from him.
“Alistair!” Lord Gregory cried in shock. He ran to his son’s aid and cradled him in his arms. Alistair began to choke and rasp as blood now poured out of his mouth and nostrils.
“SOMEONE GET A MAESTER, ANYTHING PLEASE, I BEG YOU!” Gregory wailed.
Alistair then stopped choking and his eyelids slowly closed together, blood still leaking from him. Alistair Wolfraven was dead.
The entire crowd began gasping in shock and horror and Greysor could hear the weeping of women and children. Among the crowd, Greysor could notice Wolfius Woodbark, who was searching under the table he had been drinking at and revealed that there was no longer a creature underneath it. Wolfius noticed Greysor staring at the empty space under the table, and then at him in shock and fear, in which Wolfius only responded with a psychotic grin and a knowing wink that sent shivers down his spine. Wolfius began to turn and disappear in the crowd. Greysor heard a rustling in the trees and turned to look at the entrance to the forest, and could see something black, large and covered in fur back into the shadows. Both Wolfius and the creature were escaping.
[Draw sword and follow the creature]
[Chase after Wolfius]
[Chase after Wolfius]
Nice, psycho Wolfius is here. Let's follow him.
Too bad your own story died, your writing is appealing.
[Chase after Wolfius]
Well, we can't get our dear Lord Woodbark away already, can we?
Great part! I love how this gives Wolfius some additional characterization, by showing him in a situation that is so different from the ones we have seen him in so far and I must say, I quite enjoy this younger version of him. That is one of the reasons why I choose to follow him. I am interested in what this creature is, but I am even more interested in reading more about Wolfius. Since he is your character and all, this was to be expected, but I really think you write him perfectly!
Alys
Nervously, Alys glanced at Alisa, who gave her a short, encouraging nod. Then, she extended her hand towards Edward. “Do it then”, she mumbled and her voice shivered as she spoke. Edward gave her a pleased smile. “It won't hurt”, he promised, as he grabbed her hand, to move the sharp edge of the knife towards her palm.
It did hurt. A lot. When the knife cut across her palm, an involuntary scream forced its way up her throat and through her clenched teeth. The cut was deep, spanning across her entire palm and it burned like fire. Against her will, tears shot into her eyes. Edward gave her a sympathetic look, as he put the knife away and reached into the inner pocket of his coat.
Still holding on to her aching hand, he pulled out a vial, which he gently placed underneath the wound, to capture the blood that poured out of it. Alys tensed up, as neither pain nor flow of blood stopped. “Is... is it normal that it bleeds so heavily?”, she asked, as she felt her legs starting to shake. Nonchalantly Edward gave her a nod. “It looks more severe than it actually is”, he promised her with an emotionless voice, only looking at her dark red blood. “But I need to fill at least this vial, maybe...”
“Seven, Edward, that girl's about to faint”, Alisa hissed and Edward narrowed his eyes as she addressed him. Alys started to shiver, unable to avert her eyes from the deep wound on her palm. “Do you want to stand in for her?”, Edward asked and Alisa gulped. “No, Ser”, she answered. “Just pointing it out”
Slowly, Edward glanced at Alys, who noticed that she had started to sweat coldly. Her breath went faster, as she focussed fully onto the vial containing her blood. Just a small cut, he had said, before he had sliced her entire palm open. With a sigh, the man let go of her palm and she staggered backwards immediately, raising her wounded hand.
Strong hands prevented her from sinking to the ground. “Easy, little lady”, Carvin growled, as he helped her remain standing. “Stay with us now, it's just a little bit of blood” Even though the pain was severe, she managed to sent him a glare. “Just a little bit of blood?”, she hissed and now, he chuckled. “You're not used to getting cut, huh?”, he responded.
Alys gave him a nod. The pain wasn't the worst part of this ordeal. No, worse was that she felt like she was about to cry and this upset her terribly. It was one thing to be in pain, but to cry in front of Edward and the others... She snuffled, before she took a deep breath. “I'll get over it”, she said and Carvin let go of her.
Immediately, Alisa was there, holding a clean bandage in her hand. She started to wrap it around the wound to stop the bleeding and Alys gave her a thankful smile. Then, her glance fell upon Edward and the smile faded as quick as it came. His right index finger was covered in her blood and right before her eyes, he started to move the bloodied finger across his forehead, painting something that looked like a rune, crude and archaic in its appearance, like a circle with two hooks on each side.
“What are you doing?”, she asked and her voice sounded thin. Edward glanced at the vial. “I protect myself”, he answered and now, Alys raised an eyebrow. “By a symbol painting with my blood?”, she asked. “That's all? That's... primitive”
Edward shrugged. “A primitive protection for a primitive spell”, he answered. “Yet its simplicity doesn't make it any less strong” He lowered his finger and mustered her closely. “You're shaking”, he stated. “And you're pale. You're not about to faint, are you?”
“I... I don't think so”, Alys stuttered, as she gulped. “It's just...” She stared at the blood on his forehead, her blood. “Is that all I have to do?” Edward shook his head. “There is but one problem”, he said. “It mustn't get dry. It must remain as similar to the blood pumping through your veins right now.
This caused Alys to tense up even more. “You said it would just be one little cut”, she hissed and he gave her a nod. “Although it might not remain the only one”, he admitted, before he met her glare. “And I am afraid this is not up to debate” As Alys glanced to the street they came from, he gave Carvin a nod. Once again, the sellsword grabbed her from behind.
Alys stopped struggling almost instantly, knowing that it would achieve nothing. She tried to control her panic and succeeded only partially. “I don't want that”, she mumbled. “I don't want to accompany you” Instead of answering, Edward turned to the Ironborn, who were standing in front of the broken doors to the archive, each of them looking slightly confused at the scenery, some of them even unnerved.
“Get over here”, he ordered and reluctantly, the raiders followed. As the first one approached, Edward moved his finger into the vial again and the man stopped instantly. He was plain looking, with a crooked nose and a patchy beard that barely hid his gaunt cheeks. “Whoa, what do you think you're doing?”, he barked.
“This will protect you”, Edward said and now, there was deep distrust on the face of every single raider. “Just hold still for a second as I apply the symbol” The raider narrowed his eyes. “I swear, if it wouldn't be for Captain Hollard's orders, you'd be dead already”, he growled and Edward seemingly ignored the threat.
Silently, he started to paint the symbol onto the man's forehead. It looked similar to the one he had painted onto his own forehead, though Alys noticed that it was applied with less care. The hooks looked slightly crooked, the circle wasn't perfect. A wicked smile appeared on Edward's face, as he turned to Carvin.
The sellsword let go of Alys, who noticed that Alisa had positioned herself between her and the alleyway they came from. The woman subtly shook her head and Alys sighed. Instead, she glanced at Carvin, while Edward started to paint a circle onto his forehead. “Aren't you from the North as well?”, she asked.
“Aye”, Carvin answered. “But I'm a mutt compared to you noble ladies. My mother came from the Riverlands, my father's mother was from the Vale, as much an Andal as possible” He managed a smirk, even though he seemed unnerved at what Edward was doing right there. As a result, it didn't look very encouraging, more like the attempt to distract her. But Alys wouldn't get distracted, not now.
“I don't want to accompany you in there”, she repeated and Edward, having just finished painting the symbol on Carvin's forehead, turned around. “I'm sorry, mylady, but this is not up for debate”, he said, his tone soft, but cold. “But I will make it up for you, I assure you. You will have a good life in Dorne, or wherever else you wish to live”
Home... that was the first thought that flashed through Alys' mind, as ironic as it was. She had to think if marrying the Karstark boy would have been as bad as this. The answer was a firm maybe, considering how little she actually knew about Dante. She knew him less than Edward, that much was for sure.
“Ser, just look at her”, Alisa said. “I think you cut too deep. She's not used to the pain and I'm afraid she might faint” Edward glanced at her, then back at Alys, as he narrowed his eyes. Finally, he sighed and looked at the Ironborn. “You, get over here”, he barked.
The man that approached was Wilbur. “Yes, Ser?”, he asked, nervously looking at the vial, as Edward put his finger into it once more. “Hold still for a second”, he ordered and Wilbur followed. “I've got a question”, he said, trying not to look at the finger that was pressed against his forehead. “Go ahead”, Edward said and Wilbur sighed. “So... what exactly do you need us for down there? Half a dozen men, I mean”
Edward glanced at Alys. “Your name?”, he asked and Wilbur straightened his back. “It's Wilbur”, he answered slowly. “Wonderful”, Edward said. “Wilbur, your task will be to stay by Lady Alys' side during our trip through the archive. Alisa is right, I can't have her fainting now, especially not down there”
Alys gulped at his words. “I... uh, what exactly do you still need me for?”, she asked and Edward gave her a mild look. He raised the vial, revealing that a considerable amount of the blood had already been used for him, Carvin and two of their six Ironborn companions. “Well, I need more of this”, he said, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
Instantly, Alys tensed up. “No way”, she stated and Edward sighed. He even slightly rolled his eyes as he approached her. “Lady Alys”, he purred, though his tone lacked genuine emotion. “You will accompany us, that is not debatable. As I said, I will repay you a thousand times once my work here is done. But you will accompany us down there. Wilbur here will make sure you will remain at least conscious”
“And... do... do you need more blood?”, Alys asked, noticing that her voice was now clearly and openly shaking. Edward glanced at the vial, before he shrugged. “Actually, that would be up for you to decide. What I have here will suffice for me and Carvin”, he answered and subtly pointed at the other Ironborn that hadn't received their rune yet. “If you wish to protect them though, I will need more, to make sure that I am properly protected as well down there”
“And if I refuse?”, Alys asked and Edward smirked coldly. “Then they will go down there without protection, which could be interesting. Truly a sight to behold”, he answered in a low whisper. “I must admit, their well-being is not my primary concern. Your own well-being certainly is more important to be, by far to be honest. So, I'd leave this up to you. Are you willing to give me more of your precious blood, for their sake?”
[Give him more blood] [Refuse]
Samantha
The only sound that broke the silence came from Nymeria's axe, as she carefully sharpened it. The albino woman was sitting on a chair between Lenrianda's bed and the door, carefully trying to keep an eye on both, with mixed results. Most of the time, she only had eyes for Lenrianda, who was conscious, though only barely.
Samantha meanwhile sat on a chair next to I'lian, who was looking even worse than Lenrianda, who only had to deal with a concussion. His left hand was heavily bandaged and the missing fingers obviously caused him pain, though his wounded leg was apparently even more painful than those, even if it wouldn't have such permanent effects.
John and the others had left a few minutes ago. Orys and his knights were gone as well, but at least they had taken that swine Rodrik with them. Samantha shivered with anger at the thought of the bastard knight. If only they would have killed him instantly. Though she understood why Orys spared him. She understood it, she admired it and she still hoped he would have decided differently. Some people were too dangerous to remain alive. And after what the bastard did to her friends, to Lenrianda, to Jaro and I'lian and especially to Sasha...
Sasha... Samantha sighed as she thought of her friend, who still lay in the room next door, constantly shifting between being conscious and unconscious. She had lost a lot of blood, though she was alive, mostly thanks to Orys and Behara, who did their best with stopping the bleeding from the wound at her neck. But still, Sasha had almost died and the thought, it drove her crazy.
“Sammy?”, I'lian asked and she looked up. “Yeah?”, she asked and noticed the concern on his face. He frowned as he accidentally moved his leg the wrong way. “It's nothing”, he gasped, grimacing in pain. “It's just... your face...”
Subtly, Samantha moved a hand to the nasty bruise Rodrik left her with. It would probably heal, but at the moment, it was still thumping uncomfortably and was probably swollen slightly by now. “Doesn't look pretty, huh?”, she asked with a smirk. I'lian shook his head and despite the pain he was in, he managed to reciprocate the smirk with his usual charm. “You are a treat as always”, he complimented her, before his expression grew serious again. “But that's not what I meant. It's your expression. You look... devastated”
Samantha sighed again, this time glancing towards the door, preferring not to answer. I'lian followed her stare. “I know she means a lot to you”, he said. “And I can assure you, she will recover” He raised his mutilated hand. “Hell, I will recover, doesn't that mean anything to you?”
She rolled her eyes. “You're an idiot”, she stated and he flashed her a grin. “A loveable idiot, I hope”, he responded and she playfully glared at him. “Don't push your luck too far”, she warned him and for a second, they both shared a smile. Then, the thought of Sasha in the room next door returned and so did her frown.
“You know, you can look for her”, Nymeria offered, momentarily stopping to sharpen her axe. Samantha looked up, raising an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”, she asked and the albino woman gave her a nod. “Yeah, of course”, she said. “Make sure you come back, but well, for a couple minutes I should be able to take care of these two”
This caused Lenrianda to chuckle softly and Nymeria looked at her. “What's so funny?”, she asked, though her usual harshness was gone when she looked at her friend. Lenrianda's smile was dizzy, but genuine. “The whole situation”, she answered. “It's absurd seeing you as the caring one here”
Nymeria furrowed her brows. “I can be very caring”, she claimed and Lenrianda smiled. “Yeah, I know that”, she answered, before sinking back onto her pillow. “You know, I'm feeling a lot better already. My vision is not blurry anymore, I can feel my legs again and I only have to pee a little bit”
Now, Nymeria frowned. “You think that is funny?”, she asked and Lenrianda chuckled. “More funny than your typical jokes at least”, she teased her. “Hells, that brownie next door is less grumpy than you are” She did not notice how her comment caused Samantha to frown, though Nymeria did. She put a hand onto her friend's. “Perhaps you should try to find some sleep, Len”, she said softly. “And when you wake up, the raid will be over”
Samantha rose from her chair. “I think I'm really going to check up on Sasha for a moment”, she answered and looked from Nymeria to I'lian. “Will you two manage?” I'lian gave her a confident nod. “Of course!”, he answered and gave Nymeria a wink. “I can do many things. I'm an excellent story-teller, I make the best jokes and I can do a lot of other things as well”
The woman sighed and rolled her red eyes. “Can you be silent?”, she asked dryly, as Samantha approached the door. She forced herself to smile at both. “I see you'll manage”, she stated, as she opened the door. “But please, try not to kill each other. I bet Jaro and Len would be highly displeased”
She stepped outside, into the dimly lit hallway. From the taproom below, she heard the innkeeper shouting her orders at the men that had gathered to protect the building. Drunkards, mostly, men who wanted to get some courage and ended up staying entirely. Though located at the city square, no guardsmen had been dispatched to defend it, which she could even understand. As much as she hated to admit it, this building and everyone inside was simply not important enough to justify defending it, at least not for the city guard. But these people, they meant the world to her and she'd defend them to her last breath.
Carefully, Samantha opened the door that led to Sasha's room. It was her own room actually, but the bed was softer than Sasha's own, so they had put her there. Right now, only a single candle illuminated it and the light was almost burned down. Sasha lay in the bed, her eyes closed, her breath going steadily.
With a concerned look on her face, Samantha entered the room and closed the door behind her, as she approached her friend. A tear found her way into her eye, as she looked at the other woman. For someone of her complexion, Sasha was pale, the bandage around her neck was stained with her blood. She had almost died. Sasha had almost died and Samantha felt awful for this.
Not wanting to wake her up, she merely glanced around the room for a moment. There was the candle of course, but Samantha had no idea where to get a new one right now. Satisfied, she looked at the small crossbow next to it. It had been Nymeria's idea to give Sasha at least something to defend herself from her bed, should the Ironborn break through and should she be awake at that point. Who knew, perhaps it would save her life pretty soon.
Just in this moment, a loud knock on the door caused her to tense up. “Cavalry's here, Sammy”, a male voice said and Samantha narrowed her eyes, noticing that this man sounded somewhat familiar. It wasn't I'lian though, no, it was...
She stormed to the door and tossed it open, to reveal none other than Davith Lanser. His chocolate brown hair was in a disarray, he looked tired and worn, but otherwise healthy. Of course, there was this obnoxious smile she remembered only too well. She also remembered that he had kissed her. And she remembered that he had risked his life for her, no, outright sacrificed it.
“You...”, she managed to utter and Davith's smile turned into a smirk. “I”, she said, as he spread his arms. “What is it, no hug for your pal?” A smile formed on her face as she indeed fell into his open arms. “You... how are you still alive?”, she gasped. “What are you doing here? How have you escaped? How have you found us?”
Davith's glance fell upon Sasha on the bed and his smile faded. “That is a seriously long story”, he said. “To make it short, I have never been captured by these cat freaks. I escaped Oldtown together with some people and they... well, that's something I'm going to tell you another time. We had the same goal, Raylansfair” He lifted his cloak, revealing a familiar sight underneath it. “I've come here to join you again”, he said, as his hand moved to her hatchets, grabbing both of the small weapons with one hand. “And to give you these back”
This time, the smile on Samantha's face was genuine, as she moved forwards, to give Davith the hint of a kiss on the cheek. She successfully suppressed a squeal as she reached for her weapons. On Davith's belt, she also spotted Sasha's arakh and her smile widened. Surely, her friend would have something to be happy about as soon as she would wake up.
She took a deep breath as she felt the familiar weight of the hatchets in her hands. “This is good”, she said. “This is very good” A happy smile on her face, she mustered Davith. “This is... fuck, this is a miracle” He shrugged. “Sometimes they do happen”, he told her. “You know what they say, it's a million to one chance, but it might just work” He smugly pointed at himself. “And I was born lucky”
Quickly, his smug smile faded. “But there is one thing I need to talk about with you”, he informed her. “I've been downstairs and the barmaid told me about your room. She also told me that the Ironborn are advancing” He gulped. “Daisy's been sure that they will be here soon”, he continued. “The men will defend the taproom downstairs. She hasn't outright said it, but I'm sure they could need help. From you, me, perhaps any other fighter you still have hidden somewhere”
Samantha's mind wandered to Nymeria, if briefly. Defending downstairs... a risky move, considering that the taproom had two entrances and consisted mostly of a wide, open room. And if any of the raiders would slip through, up the stairs and into Sasha's room... “What's with upstairs?”, she asked. Davith raised an eyebrow. “You mean fortifying the floor?”, he asked in return. “A daring move. We'd have less fighters up here, I guess, but could hold them off at the stairs” He shrugged. “Hey, I just arrived here. You know the building better than I do”, he stated. “But whatever you decide, we should prepare for the fight”
[Defend the ground floor] [Fortify the upper floor]
[Chase after Wolfius]
[Refuse]
[Fortify the upper floor]
[Refuse] Naah, I don't care that much about the Ironborn
Edward is one slimy a-hole though. He is also very enjoyable though.
[Fortify the upper floor] I'd say this gives a better chance for the wounded to survive.
[Refuse]
[Fortify the upper floor]
[Give him more blood] I don't wish any misfortune on these people. And Edward keeps hinting that there's something dangerous down there. Best to go in numbers.
[Defend the ground floor] They need help down there. I'm not gonna selfishly choose to hide upstairs just for Sasha, who I don't even really like.
EDIT: Interesting how my opinion of Edward dramatically dropped in just one part.
In that case, I should clarify that this is not only for Sasha. Obviously, she would be one of Samantha's key priorities if this choice wins, but I'lian is also a close friend and she has grown rather fond of Lenrianda, who are both going to stay upstairs as well either way, since they really shouldn't be fighting in their condition. I don't know if that would play a role in your decision, as I can definitely understand your reason here, but if it does, well, hope that clarifies it
Ah, that is good to hear
I'm having a lot of fun writing Edward in this chapter, which is arguably his most important so far, so I am really happy to see he's well-received. I think he's really getting a chance to show his more jerkish qualities here and that makes me excited for the next Alys parts.
[Refuse] Nah, don't care about some lame oo Ironborn, who've done nothing for me. Might as well let them die to the spoopy spells.
[Defend the ground floor] Gotta be the good Samaritan every once and awhile, and the fact that my characters are down there make this the perfect time to do so.
[Draw sword and follow the creature]
Black fur? Check. Yellow eyes? Ugh, check (right?) But it is probably not the beast? Or maybe it is. One thing is for certain, Wolfius is more sketchy.
Hm. Ryler with that wolfhound. Hm. Wolfius. Interesting.
However I think I have noticed a crucial detail about this entire ordeal that no one (besides probably Liquid). An easy to be miss but very important detail. For the sake of others' enjoyment. I just hope I am not misinterpreting it.
My decision still doesn't change. Staying upstairs literally means waiting for the people downstairs to die and I'm just not okay with that.
[Give him more blood]
A little blood loss won't kill her, there really is no downside to choosing this option.
[Fortify the upper floor]
Saving Sasha is priority number 1.
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[Refuse] I don't know why people voted to let him get it in the first place, Anturion as much as I like him is not a trustworthy kind of guy. Plus why are we helping this man do no good.
[Defend the ground floor]
I would like to think that doing this would be better since if they encounter stuff resistance they might just bugger off. Maybe, I don't really know. We'll see.