Music played, people sang and laughed, and ale was flowing. It was a typical night in Tumbleton, and for once Ser Jaron and Ser Matthos had some spare coin to enjoy themselves. Jaron downed the rest of his ale, seeing Matthos raise his eyebrow on the opposite side of the table.
"Whatever you want to say, old man – don't", Jaron said, raising up his right index finger, and Matthos chuckled softly. "Young man, you should be careful with the ale", the old man said anyway, and Jaron rolled his eyes. He thumped the empty mug on the wooden surface of the table, and looked his mentor to the eyes. "We have gone through a lot of shit lately, don't you think we deserve some enjoyment in our lives for once?" Jaron asked, and Matthos smiled gently.
"Knights don't chase after riches and pleasures, Ser Jaron the Bastard. I thought I had taught you that a long time ago." Matthos' tone was calm and friendly, but still lecturing, and Jaron let out a frustrated sigh. "Couple ales now and then won't make me any less capable to live up to the code of knighthood, Ser Matthos the Kind", he replied, signaling for the barmaid to bring another mug of ale.
As the barmaid brought the mug, Matthos took a small sip from his own. "I hope you are not getting cocky now that you are a knight, Jaron", Matthos said this with a more serious tone. Jaron didn't answer immediately, as he wondered whether there was any cause for Matthos' concerns. Have I changed?
"We are equals now, but I haven't forgot your teachings, Ser", Jaron finally answered with a humble tone, and took a small sip from his new ale. Matthos smiled warmly to him, and let out a leisurely sigh. "We have many adventures ahead of us, Jaron, and you have still many lessons to learn", he said softly, leaning back onto his chair.
"Where will we head next?" Jaron asked enthusiastically. Matthos took his time to answer, letting his gaze travel around the tavern, from the ceiling to the floor. "I'm not sure", he finally said quietly, and Jaron narrowed his eyes. "Well, we must go somewhere", he stated clumsily, and Matthos nodded to him with a thin smile.
"Perhaps we could go to Oldtown", he said, though he didn't sound exactly thrilled about the idea. Jaron could understand why – he had only visited the city twice, but he could tell from those visits that the place was a big mess. On the other hand, he also understood why Matthos thought they should go there – in Oldtown someone was always hiring. It was a place for opportunities, even if those opportunities were covered in shit.
"And what kind of contract would we find from Oldtown?" Jaron asked casually, taking another gulp of his ale. Matthos shrugged, turning his gaze to the table. "Something to keep us fed, hopefully", he answered with a mild grin on his face. For a moment they were both quiet, until Matthos raised his gaze to look Jaron to the eyes. "I know you have big dreams, Jaron," he started, a touch of uncertainty in his words, "and I'm not asking you to let go of those dreams, but..."
"But what?" Jaron asked tensly, and his mentor let out a tired sigh. "You will sooner or later learn that life is not a song..."
"I have learned that already", Jaron cut off Matthos with strict words. "Trust me, I'm not the naïve boy I was few years ago. The Dornish Marches showed me what real life is."
"The Dornish Marches showed you what war is, yes", Matthos replied. "However, you still hope that some king or high lord will raise you up to nobility, just because they admire your valor. Most Hedge Knights never live to see such a stroke of luck. Being a Hedge Knight shouldn't be about reaching for a higher status, it should be about staying true to our knightly vows, no matter the conditions."
"And I will stay true to my vows", Jaron assured. "But I do believe there is something more for me to achieve than living my whole life as a Hedge Knight... Meaning no offence."
"None taken", Matthos replied with a smile. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll have to go take a leak." With these words Ser Matthos stood up from the table. However, before he could take two steps, he bumped into a drunken man, spilling the two mugs of ale the man was carrying. The ale spilled all over Matthos and the drunkard, while the mugs fell to the floor with a clatter. For a short moment a grin was formed on Jaron's face, but it disappeared quickly as he saw the drunken man landing a heavy punch on Matthos' face.
The punch clearly caught Matthos off guard, and he stumbled down to the floor. The man who had punched him also wasn't weak, but rather a large and muscular man. Jaron stood up, thinking he should keep the drunkard from giving any more punches to Matthos. However, then happened something horrifying that Jaron did not see coming. The drunkard pulled out a dagger, jumped on Matthos, and stabbed him several times on the chest, before Jaron rushed in and tackled the man off of his mentor.
The music died down, the laughing stopped, and Jaron stood there in terror, seeing his only friend bleeding to death, as the shocked people gathered around them. Frantically he fell on his knees, pushing his hands on the stab wounds in panic, trying to stop the bleeding. Matthos coughed weakly, reaching for Jaron with his hand. "Jaron", he mumbled, and Jaron looked into the old man's dizzy eyes. "Remember... your honor", Matthos managed to say, though every word was clearly painful. Jaron felt the tears coming to his eyes – Matthos was dying. The man who had taken him under his protection when he was just an orphaned boy on the streets of Blackhaven, and taught him so many important lessons on both life and knighthood. Like the father I never had.
"I will carry on your legacy, Ser" Jaron said with tearful words, and for one last time, Ser Matthos the Kind smiled. Then the life disappeared from his eyes, and Jaron pushed his face against his mentor's bleeding chest, his tears mixing up with the blood. I will carry on your legacy.
As I said, this is a wonderful part! It's a nice change to see Jaron before the events of the story. Save to say, he really came a long way from there and I found it to be very interesting to have a part about this inexperienced young knight he used to be, still with way more obvious naivety. He isn't quite the same person anymore in the recent parts, so it was quite refreshing to see him back at his roots. And well, seeing Matthos has been especially great. I knew about the influence he had on Jaron's life and have quite something planned on that front, so I loved seeing him in action, if only for a single part. This part will nicely work with these plans All in all, thank you very much for writing this, I enjoyed it thoroughly!
Ser Jaron the Bastard - A Night in Tumbleton
Music played, people sang and laughed, and ale was flowing. It was a typical night in Tumble… moreton, and for once Ser Jaron and Ser Matthos had some spare coin to enjoy themselves. Jaron downed the rest of his ale, seeing Matthos raise his eyebrow on the opposite side of the table.
"Whatever you want to say, old man – don't", Jaron said, raising up his right index finger, and Matthos chuckled softly. "Young man, you should be careful with the ale", the old man said anyway, and Jaron rolled his eyes. He thumped the empty mug on the wooden surface of the table, and looked his mentor to the eyes. "We have gone through a lot of shit lately, don't you think we deserve some enjoyment in our lives for once?" Jaron asked, and Matthos smiled gently.
"Knights don't chase after riches and pleasures, Ser Jaron the Bastard. I thought I had taught you that a long time ago." Matthos' tone was calm and friend… [view original content]
Ser Jaron the Bastard - A Night in Tumbleton
Music played, people sang and laughed, and ale was flowing. It was a typical night in Tumble… moreton, and for once Ser Jaron and Ser Matthos had some spare coin to enjoy themselves. Jaron downed the rest of his ale, seeing Matthos raise his eyebrow on the opposite side of the table.
"Whatever you want to say, old man – don't", Jaron said, raising up his right index finger, and Matthos chuckled softly. "Young man, you should be careful with the ale", the old man said anyway, and Jaron rolled his eyes. He thumped the empty mug on the wooden surface of the table, and looked his mentor to the eyes. "We have gone through a lot of shit lately, don't you think we deserve some enjoyment in our lives for once?" Jaron asked, and Matthos smiled gently.
"Knights don't chase after riches and pleasures, Ser Jaron the Bastard. I thought I had taught you that a long time ago." Matthos' tone was calm and friend… [view original content]
Ser Jaron the Bastard - A Night in Tumbleton
Music played, people sang and laughed, and ale was flowing. It was a typical night in Tumble… moreton, and for once Ser Jaron and Ser Matthos had some spare coin to enjoy themselves. Jaron downed the rest of his ale, seeing Matthos raise his eyebrow on the opposite side of the table.
"Whatever you want to say, old man – don't", Jaron said, raising up his right index finger, and Matthos chuckled softly. "Young man, you should be careful with the ale", the old man said anyway, and Jaron rolled his eyes. He thumped the empty mug on the wooden surface of the table, and looked his mentor to the eyes. "We have gone through a lot of shit lately, don't you think we deserve some enjoyment in our lives for once?" Jaron asked, and Matthos smiled gently.
"Knights don't chase after riches and pleasures, Ser Jaron the Bastard. I thought I had taught you that a long time ago." Matthos' tone was calm and friend… [view original content]
I really enjoyed this. That ending made me especially sad because in my opinion Jaron has forgotten his honor. Perhaps not all of it... yet. He does manage to be honorable from time to time. But my opinion of him has dropped drastically ever since he allowed Harpy to murder the fake Butterfly.
Ser Jaron the Bastard - A Night in Tumbleton
Music played, people sang and laughed, and ale was flowing. It was a typical night in Tumble… moreton, and for once Ser Jaron and Ser Matthos had some spare coin to enjoy themselves. Jaron downed the rest of his ale, seeing Matthos raise his eyebrow on the opposite side of the table.
"Whatever you want to say, old man – don't", Jaron said, raising up his right index finger, and Matthos chuckled softly. "Young man, you should be careful with the ale", the old man said anyway, and Jaron rolled his eyes. He thumped the empty mug on the wooden surface of the table, and looked his mentor to the eyes. "We have gone through a lot of shit lately, don't you think we deserve some enjoyment in our lives for once?" Jaron asked, and Matthos smiled gently.
"Knights don't chase after riches and pleasures, Ser Jaron the Bastard. I thought I had taught you that a long time ago." Matthos' tone was calm and friend… [view original content]
I'm really curious since help Samuel kill his brother it's for sure something that go against,like many other action that he have done when he decide to ally with The Burned Man, Matthos last words
As I said, this is a wonderful part! It's a nice change to see Jaron before the events of the story. Save to say, he really came a long way … morefrom there and I found it to be very interesting to have a part about this inexperienced young knight he used to be, still with way more obvious naivety. He isn't quite the same person anymore in the recent parts, so it was quite refreshing to see him back at his roots. And well, seeing Matthos has been especially great. I knew about the influence he had on Jaron's life and have quite something planned on that front, so I loved seeing him in action, if only for a single part. This part will nicely work with these plans All in all, thank you very much for writing this, I enjoyed it thoroughly!
It was very nice read of an event about Jaron before the start of the story!
I like that we read even of Matthos and the very high opinion that Jaron have of him. (Expecially because I remember that he had some debts with The Burned Man and you can't have debts with a Crime lord without have done shady things)
PS:btw I like much more Jaron now after the many events that happened inside his life and that shape him
Ser Jaron the Bastard - A Night in Tumbleton
Music played, people sang and laughed, and ale was flowing. It was a typical night in Tumble… moreton, and for once Ser Jaron and Ser Matthos had some spare coin to enjoy themselves. Jaron downed the rest of his ale, seeing Matthos raise his eyebrow on the opposite side of the table.
"Whatever you want to say, old man – don't", Jaron said, raising up his right index finger, and Matthos chuckled softly. "Young man, you should be careful with the ale", the old man said anyway, and Jaron rolled his eyes. He thumped the empty mug on the wooden surface of the table, and looked his mentor to the eyes. "We have gone through a lot of shit lately, don't you think we deserve some enjoyment in our lives for once?" Jaron asked, and Matthos smiled gently.
"Knights don't chase after riches and pleasures, Ser Jaron the Bastard. I thought I had taught you that a long time ago." Matthos' tone was calm and friend… [view original content]
“Two more”, Ryler said, as he knelt down next to the corpses. His hound stood on guard, though Arthur already knew what its relatively confident stance meant. The animal wasn't afraid and in their current situation, this wasn't a good thing. It meant there was nothing to be afraid of. It meant that Wolfius had escaped.
The killer had left a trail of bodies on his way out, from Mathea's house to the southern gate. The two they had found here were Ironborn, burly men, cut down without a chance. One of them, an older man with half of his face disfigured by a fading burn scar, had his throat cut, almost ripped out, while the other one was only identifiable by his attire, as the majority of his face had been torn off by massive jaws.
Arthur gulped as he saw the corpses and he wasn't sure if he should be frustrated that Wolfius had gotten away or relieved that he wouldn't have to face whatever beast he had under his control. At the same time, he felt as if he and Ryler had wasted their time for the past hours. The raid was over, allied forces had arrived to save them, that was all Arthur knew about it. Yet anything beyond that, the fates of his friends, hells, his family, it was a gnawing worry that slowly wore him down.
“What do you think?”, Ryler asked and Arthur sighed. “I think we lost him”, he replied. Grimly, Ryler gave him a nod, before he glanced at his hound. “Wolfsbane has lost the trail”, he mumbled. “That bastard got away” With a frustrated growl, he took a step away from the bodies.
“He could still be in the city”, Arthur brought up, but Ryler shook his head instantly. “He wouldn't be that stupid. He's wounded and this beast under his command isn't exactly a subtle ally”, he replied. “He can't risk it. No, I think he is gone, for now, though I don't think we've seen the last of him. He's not done with this city”
“Wonderful...”, Arthur sighed. “Any idea on what we do next?” Ryler clenched his fists and though his face was nearly motionless, his mismatched eyes showed deep anger. “We will keep a low profile for now. He likely still doesn't know that I am here to hunt him”, he said slowly. “There will be another chance, another day”
Now, both turned away from the dead bodies of Wolfius' latest victims, though Arthur took one last glance at the broken southern gate at the end of the street. In the distance, smoke still rose over the ruins that bore witness to the Ironborn and the destruction they caused. Most notably was the pillar of smoke that rose from the lighthouse, where the massive explosion had happened.
“Let's just leave”, he sighed. “We have wasted enough time here” Ryler gave him a nod. “I'll accompany you to the city guard”, he promised. “And then... well, then I'll continue to watch. There will be a sign of Wolfius one of these days. If that happens, I'll let you now” He stopped Arthur, by briefly touching his shoulder with the back of his hand. “I know you made a hard choice today, but... I appreciate it”, he said. “Usually I work alone, but if I ever need help again when it comes to Wolfius, I'd be happy to have your help” Arthur managed to give him a small smile. “I won't back out now”, he promised. “When the day comes, just let me know and I'll stand with you”
The two men and the dog started to walk back down the direction they had came from and with each step, anxiety grew inside of Arthur. They passed empty streets, ruined buildings, plundered, burned down or both, always getting closer to the city guard headquarters. If his father had made it through the night, he had to be there. Unless... unless anything happened to Aditha.
In this moment, Arthur felt nothing more than regret. He should have accompanied his father instead of leaving him alone in the time of need. At the very least, he should have stayed with Mathea. He gulped as he thought of what might have become of her. It wasn't something that has been in his mind back then. Back then, all he could think of was stopping Wolfius. But was it worth it? Even if he would have succeeded at stopping the killer, had the price been worth it?
The headquarters of the city guard still stood, untouched by fire or steel. The banners of Raylansfair were still flying in the soft morning breeze and in front of the building stood men whom Arthur recognized distantly, brothers-in-arms. “Raylansfair stands”, he mumbled and though regret was still his driving emotion, there was at least a hint of hope as he saw the banners. It was not over.
The guards were looking tired, just as bad as Arthur felt, though they saluted in front of him. “Ser”, one of them said, in a tone formal enough to catch Arthur off guard. “Is my father inside?”, he asked and the man shook his head. “I don't know of the commander”, he replied. “But Captain Stratford is in there. The healer, Lady Mathea, she has arrived as well, to tend to the wounded” He paused for a second, just as Arthur felt relief. “The man from Oldtown assists her”, the guard continued.
Arthur frowned as he noted the hesitant, dark tone in the guard's voice. “What man from Oldtown?”, he asked and the guard shrugged. “I don't know his name. He arrived with the Mullendore men and those from Darkdell” He paused, before he stepped aside. “You should head inside. I'm sure the captain wishes to speak to you”
As Arthur walked past him and onto the outer courtyard of the building, the guard threw a glance at Ryler and Wolfsbane. “It's alright, he's with me”, Arthur said and the guard reluctantly gave him a nod. “But keep that dog under control when you're in there”, the man said.
With this, Arthur and Ryler were allowed to enter the building at last. Just when he opened the door, he already noticed the stench of dying men, of burned flesh and a cacophony of wailing. Arthur had never been in the presence of so many wounded at once and the sheer power of the smell and sound caused him to stagger, with tears in his eyes, as he covered his mouth. Ryler stood next to him unmoved, yet his eyes rapidly moved across the room, indicating that he was shaken as well.
Among the wounded were many guardsmen, some of whom Arthur even recognized. Others stood around them, not only the remainder of the city guard, but also civilians, everyone who knew a little bit about first aid. He was no healer, but he still saw dozens who were beyond help, men and women who had been mutilated by the axes of the raiders, or burned by the fire the Ironborn started.
In a corner, Arthur saw Valarr Roux lying on a makeshift bed, a fresh bandage around his upper belly, wounded, sweating heavily, but conscious and alive. Next, he spotted Mathea, who was sitting on a chair, next to another makeshift bed. Rosalie was lying on it, her eyes closed. If she was sleeping it was probably for the better.
A sigh came out of Arthur's throat. “I... better go and speak to her”, he said. Ryler gave him an awkward nod and accompanied him for half of the way to Mathea's position, though he remained behind a good five feet, which was probably a wise thing to do. Wolfsbane sat down behind him, probably even wiser.
Mathea raised her head as she spotted him from the corner of her eyes. Her gaze widened, before it narrowed. Her pale skin blushed, though it was not a sign of affection, but visibly one of anger, as she quickly jumped up from her chair. Despite looking absolutely exhausted, she found it in her to march towards him with clenched fists. “You!”, she spat.
Apologetically, Arthur raised his hands. “Mathea”, he stuttered. “Listen, I... I...” He paused, as she approached him. “I know I fucked up and I...” He did not manage to continue, as she cut him off with a heavy, angry slap, hard enough to cause him to hold his cheek and to cringe in pain. “Okay...”, he gasped, as his cheek burned from her strike. “Okay, I guess I deserved that...”
Instead of letting him finish his sentence, Mathea's closed fist hit him right below the nose. Arthur's head was thrown back, as he staggered a few feet, instantly raising a hand to his nose. “Ouch!”, he said loudly, as he tried to ignore the severe pain this punch had put him through. It hadn't been a particularly hard one, but it hit exactly the right spot.
Still, Mathea was standing in front of him, trembling in anger. “You have nerves talking to me now”, she growled. “After what you did!” Arthur gulped, as he raised his hands again, in the hopes of calming her down. “Listen, I know you're angry and I can understand you”, he said. “But I've come to apologize”
“Apologize?”, she asked harshly. “Arthur, you left me with a traumatized girl in the ruins of my house, together with the corpses of two of my patients, among them the girl's mother. You did so in the middle of a raid on this city, while the streets were either burning down or filled with raiders. Do I have to remind you what they would have done, had they found us?”
Arthur sighed, as he shook his head. “No...”, he said. “No, I know what they do” He looked up again, his gaze filled with regret. “Listen, Mathea, I am sorry. Back then, when we arrived at your house and I saw Lyria... I...” He paused and avoided her angry glare, as memories of Lyria's corpse flashed through his mind. “I snapped. I wanted to stop him. I had to try”
For the hint of a second, Mathea seemed to understand him, though her anger quickly won over this brief moment of softness. And worst of it was that Arthur felt like he deserved it. “Well, have you caught him?”, she asked. “Has it been worth it?”
Again, Arthur hesitated, before he shook his head. “He got away”, he said quietly. Mathea sighed. “So it has been for nothing”, she concluded. “You left us to chase after a phantom. You left us for nothing” Arthur clenched his fists, trying one last, weak attempt at defending himself. “I left you to stop him”, he argued. “It was a foolish decision, but back then, it was all I could think of. I wanted to prevent him from hurting anyone else”
Now, he saw the hint of tears in Mathea's enchanting eyes. “A noble goal”, she said in a tone that made it clear how she felt about this. “Do you know how I felt when you left? You barely said a word before you took off with your new friend!” In frustration she shook her head. “And I was left alone in a city filled with murderous reavers and worse”, she mumbled. “What would have happened if Wolfius would have returned? I couldn't stop thinking about that” Her voice cracked momentarily, though she kept her composure far better than Arthur. “In all my life I've never felt so afraid. So helpless”
Arthur shivered in guilt, as he was barely able to look her in the eyes. Instead, his gaze fell upon the sleeping Rosalie. “And she?”, he asked. “Is she...?” Mathea shook her head. “I gave her the Milk of the Poppy”, she replied. “It's the only thing I can do for her right now. Physically, she's unharmed. But I am afraid she'll need a long time to recover from what happened yesterday, if she even manages to at all”
There was something she left unspoken, though Arthur voiced the thought instead. “You know that he is going to come back for her, don't you?”, he asked and Mathea glared at him, through him maybe. “I know”, she replied. “And I won't be able to stop him”
“Maybe I will”, Ryler's voice came from behind, as he walked up to them. Mathea gave him a glare no less angry than the one she gave Arthur, though slightly less hurt. “I am sorry for what we did”, h said, as he took a slight bow. “I have underestimated the danger this meant to you”
“I'm still alive, am I not?”, Mathea said tonelessly. “Though the credit belongs to the men that found us” Her voice grew darker and Arthur raised an eyebrow. Just as she spoke, Wolfsbane let out a short, low growl, which prompted Ryler to put a hand onto the hound's snout to silence it. “Men?”, Arthur asked and she gave him a nod. “Ser Maron's allies”, she explained. “Part of the group that saved our city” She pointed past Arthur. “Ser... Sphynx is a gifted healer as well and a... strange, yet kind man”
Arthur looked into the direction she was pointing into and saw a strange figure looming over the bed of a patient. It was a man, most likely, clad in white robes that concealed his entire body, with the face hidden beneath a mask of black and red, shaped like a cat's head, not unlike Ryler's helmet. The figure noticed Mathea's gesture and looked up.
Ryler sharply inhaled. “Oh fuck...”, he said. “Oh fuck, no...” The masked man approached them and all Arthur was able to see of his actual body were the deep, dark eyes. “Lady Mathea”, he said with an elegant bow, barely even looking at Arthur and Ryler. His voice was calm, yet eery. “Is there a problem?”
Mathea shook her head. “None at all, Ser”, she said. “This is Arthur Nathamer from the city guard. I just informed him of your timely arrival” The masked man chuckled dryly. “Truly fortunate”, he said, before he turned to Arthur. “But where are my manners. Ser, it's a pleasure. You can call me the Sphynx”
“Arthur Nathamer”, Arthur introduced himself, quite unnecessarily, as he noticed. He extended his hand, though before the Sphynx was able to grab it, a commotion behind them caused both men to turn around.
Wolfsbane was barking loudly, baring his teeth in a frightening way, as a young man, merely a boy, had stepped through the door that led down to the storeroom. He was pale and thin, with dirty blonde hair and unnerving grey eyes. Even before he laid eyes on him, Wolfsbane was almost uncontrollable and the moment the boy stepped through the door, the hound started to charge at him.
For a second, there was fear in the grey eyes, before Ryler's voice cut through the room, silencing every conversation. “Wolfsbane, sit!”, he yelled and the loyal animal followed the command at once. Gasping, the boy looked from the hound to Arthur, Ryler and the Sphynx. “What the hells?”, he growled. “Get that thing away from me!” He tried to move, only for Wolfsbane to let out a deep, angry growl.
Ryler and the Sphynx both approached the angry hound. While the Sphynx' expression was hidden behind a mask, Ryler looked slightly confused. “Easy, boy”, he said, as the animal continued to growl and snarl, though the earlier command still prevented it from charging at the boy as it obviously would like to.
“What the hell is that about?”, the boy spat. “Sphynx, why am I attacked by some stupid dog?” The Sphynx sighed and raised a hand. “Calm down, Connor”, he said. “It seems he doesn't like your smell” He reached the hound first and moved his hand towards it. “Don't!”, Ryler yelled, though it was already too late. Gently, the Sphynx started to pat Wolfsbane on the head, before stroking the fur on its neck.
“Good boy”, he said and to Arthur's surprise, the hound calmed down, though it did seem confused as it sniffed the Sphynx' hand. The masked man rose again and instantly, the hound turned to the boy, Connor, once more, though without growling this time. “I guess he likes me”, the Sphynx commented, before he turned to Ryler.
The moment he fully laid eyes on him, there was a visible change in stance and the dark eyes behind the mask widened. Ryler was tensed up the entire time he stood next to the masked man and now, if only for a second, the Sphynx tensed up as well. “Apologies, I don't think I've gotten your name”, he said.
“That's because I haven't told you”, Ryler replied. “And it's none of your business. Step away from my dog” The Sphynx hesitated, though gave him a nod. “Very well”, he said and though the mask still hid his face, there was something in these dark eyes that came close to stunning surprise. He moved away from Wolfsbane and positioned himself between the animal and Connor.
“What now, Sphynx?”, the boy hissed and the masked man glanced at him. “Now we leave”, he said. “Ser Maron requested our presence in the castle. Apparently, there is someone who requires my personal attention” He turned back to Mathea and took a deep bow from afar. “Mylady, I am afraid I have to leave. I take it that you'll manage without me?”
Mathea bit down on her lip, though she gave him a nod. “I think so”, she said, in a tone that showed how uncomfortable she was with this man around. Arthur couldn't blame her. But there was more going on than just this odd attire or the unnerving behaviour. Something about the Sphynx, especially in the way he just interacted with Ryler and Wolfsbane, it sent shivers down his spine.
“Farewell then”, the Sphynx said, as he gave Connor a slight push towards the door. Reluctantly, the boy started moving, though he shot a vicious glare at both, Wolfsbane and Ryler, before he stepped through the door. The Sphynx followed and Arthur sighed in relief as both had left the room. Ryler remained standing there, staring at the door they just left through.
“Mathea, I...”, Arthur started, as he turned towards her, though she cut him off by shaking her hand. “Don't”, she warned him. “It's not the first time you disappointed me. Perhaps I should have known better” Though calm on the outside, her voice showed just how shaken and tired she was. “I thought of you as someone to trust, someone to be friends with. I've been a fool for that, but if you think that a mere apology is all that's needed, then you're an even greater fool”
She turned around and Arthur put a hand onto her shoulder. “Please wait”, he said and she glared at him. “Just shut up”, she hissed. “We'll continue to work together whenever I must, whenever there's someone I can help by working with the city guard, but don't expect of me to forgive you just like that. Not after what you did. And now get the hell out of my sight”
As she walked back to Rosalie, Arthur looked after her, stunned not only by her anger, but by her disappointment. He only looked up as he heard someone calling for his name. “Arthur!”, Daemion Stratford's voice sounded through the building. He looked up and saw the captain walking down the stairs that led to Hackor's office. Daemion looked tired, yet unharmed at first glance. As he approached Arthur, his expression grew darker.
“It's good to see you”, he said. “I'm glad that you're still alive” He and Arthur shook hands, as Arthur pulled himself together by force. “Is everything alright, Captain?”, he asked and Daemion shook his head. “No, no it's not”, he replied and glanced around. “But this is something we should discuss with a bit more privacy. Something happened and... you have to know it” He looked at Mathea and pressed his lips together. “This is urgent. Once you have the time, meet me in your fa... the commander's office”
The strange way he spoke caused Arthur to frown. “What is it, Captain?”, he asked an Daemion sighed. “Upstairs, as soon as possible”, he told him, before he walked back to the stairs. Arthur remained there and just as he was about to follow him, Ryler grabbed his arm from behind.
“Do you have a moment?”, he asked and before Arthur was able to answer, he continued. “It's about this man we just met. The Sphynx... There is something you have to know. Something important and I think this can't wait” He let go of Arthur's arm and waited for a second. “We'll discuss this in private. Meet me outside as soon as possible”
With these words, he turned around and started to approach the door, with Wolfsbane shortly behind him. Arthur looked from him to the stairs that led to his father's office. Ryler and Daemion both seemed to have something important to say and he had the feeling it couldn't wait. Yet there was also Mathea. He looked at her and sighed bitterly. This wasn't how he wanted to let things stand between them. Perhaps there was still a chance for him to apologize.
[Talk to Daemion][Talk to Ryler][Try to apologize to Mathea]
It kind of does and Jaron acknowledges this. The Jaron from WildlingKing's part would have never done it, but the current Jaron has grown more pragmatic and gained a more realistic view on the world as opposed to the romanticised view he had before. He also understands that he doesn't know about the full story between Ryder and Samuel yet and that killing Ryder, while a very harsh thing to do, might even be motivated by understandable motives, that Samuel is not the bad guy in here. He doesn't like it, but he sees it as sticking to his end of the deal instead of screwing Samuel over, which he knows wouldn't end well for him. After all, he did agree to help him and backing out now that Samuel loyally stayed true to his end of the deal would not only be dangerously stupid, but also a very dishonourable thing to do. All he can try to do now is to maintain at least a bit of his morals in the process, like preventing Samuel from harming the seemingly innocent Farris in his thirst for revenge, which he at least tried to do by bringing up his own thoughts on the matter in the latest choice.
I'm really curious since help Samuel kill his brother it's for sure something that go against,like many other action that he have done when he decide to ally with The Burned Man, Matthos last words
I think this is something I am able to answer. Matthos' presence would have likely influenced Jaron and his storyline in a massive way. It had been previously established that Matthos had debts with the Burned Man and for these debts, Jaron started to work for the crimelord in the first place. However, Matthos, who knew Oldtown's underworld better, would have adamantly refused to work for the Burned Man and so, Jaron wouldn't have worked for him either. Instead, they would have found other work and the Burned Man would have gotten a share until Matthos' debt would have been repaid. This work would have likely been far more befitting for a knight, although chances are that they would have helped out Mullendore, the seemingly noble commander of the city guard instead.
Arthur
“Two more”, Ryler said, as he knelt down next to the corpses. His hound stood on guard, though Arthur already knew what its relati… morevely confident stance meant. The animal wasn't afraid and in their current situation, this wasn't a good thing. It meant there was nothing to be afraid of. It meant that Wolfius had escaped.
The killer had left a trail of bodies on his way out, from Mathea's house to the southern gate. The two they had found here were Ironborn, burly men, cut down without a chance. One of them, an older man with half of his face disfigured by a fading burn scar, had his throat cut, almost ripped out, while the other one was only identifiable by his attire, as the majority of his face had been torn off by massive jaws.
Arthur gulped as he saw the corpses and he wasn't sure if he should be frustrated that Wolfius had gotten away or relieved that he wouldn't have to face whatever beast he had under his control. At the … [view original content]
Arthur already tried to apologize to Mathea, so that option is out of the table, especially since both of the other two are more important. However, the choice between Daemion and Ryler is much harder. Daemion is there to tell about Hackor's death, and I think Arthur should learn about it as soon as possible, and privately in the commander's office would be better than, idk, hearing some random person say it in the streets for example However, Ryler clearly knows who and what the Sphynx is, and Arthur learning that he (as well as the other Alley Cats) is not someone to trust is pretty important as well. Hmm...
[Talk to Ryler] Damn it, I'll have to go with this, because whereas learning about Hackor's death now would be the best choice for Arthur himself, learning the truth about the Alley Cats could be more beneficial in the grand scheme of things.
Btw, wow, Mathea was even more pissed than I expected
Arthur
“Two more”, Ryler said, as he knelt down next to the corpses. His hound stood on guard, though Arthur already knew what its relati… morevely confident stance meant. The animal wasn't afraid and in their current situation, this wasn't a good thing. It meant there was nothing to be afraid of. It meant that Wolfius had escaped.
The killer had left a trail of bodies on his way out, from Mathea's house to the southern gate. The two they had found here were Ironborn, burly men, cut down without a chance. One of them, an older man with half of his face disfigured by a fading burn scar, had his throat cut, almost ripped out, while the other one was only identifiable by his attire, as the majority of his face had been torn off by massive jaws.
Arthur gulped as he saw the corpses and he wasn't sure if he should be frustrated that Wolfius had gotten away or relieved that he wouldn't have to face whatever beast he had under his control. At the … [view original content]
While I agree with @WildlingKing on his post and his way of reasoning at the end however I decide to [Talk to Daemion] because if I were Arthur know of the wellbeing of my family will be now my first priority
RT:
Well,it was a very short hunt against the Woodbark family!
Now that I think about it I suppose that it's obvious that Wolfius now will hide himself,he has an head almost smashed by an hammer!
Read of Ser Sphynx aid the wounded people was interesting
The Sphynx is dogs best friend!
Well Ryler,you can't complain that your "old pals" recognize you if you go around with a cat shaped helmet!
Mathea was rightfully angry with Arthur,he do nothing right in the previous chapter!
Arthur
“Two more”, Ryler said, as he knelt down next to the corpses. His hound stood on guard, though Arthur already knew what its relati… morevely confident stance meant. The animal wasn't afraid and in their current situation, this wasn't a good thing. It meant there was nothing to be afraid of. It meant that Wolfius had escaped.
The killer had left a trail of bodies on his way out, from Mathea's house to the southern gate. The two they had found here were Ironborn, burly men, cut down without a chance. One of them, an older man with half of his face disfigured by a fading burn scar, had his throat cut, almost ripped out, while the other one was only identifiable by his attire, as the majority of his face had been torn off by massive jaws.
Arthur gulped as he saw the corpses and he wasn't sure if he should be frustrated that Wolfius had gotten away or relieved that he wouldn't have to face whatever beast he had under his control. At the … [view original content]
Daemion is there to tell about Hackor's death, and I think Arthur should learn about it as soon as possible, and privately in the commander's office would be better than, idk, hearing some random person say it in the streets for example
Indeed, this is likely what Daemion wishes to tell him. He is informed about Hackor's death, as noted by how he hesitated to call the commander's office "Your father's office" in his talk to Arthur. As Hackor's son, Arthur is suddenly an important person among the city guard, especially after the gruesome losses they suffered and even though Daemion is temporarily leading them, there's surely a lot these two have to talk about.
However, Ryler clearly knows who and what the Sphynx is, and Arthur learning that he (as well as the other Alley Cats) is not someone to trust is pretty important as well. Hmm...
Oh yes, Ryler has encountered the Alley Cats before, as (I think) has at least been hinted at. He has recognized the mask, though there is something else that has deeply disturbed him here, which he might be willing to share with Arthur. This scene between Ryler and the Sphynx was very important on several levels, many of which likely won't be revealed in full until some point of Book 2.
Btw, wow, Mathea was even more pissed than I expected
That she was. Still is, to be honest. It's a mixture of pure anger at his decision, mixed with deep disappointment, because she actually started to trust him. As nice as she is, Mathea is not quite the person to trust others and to become more personal around them, so Arthur's choice really hit her badly.
Arthur already tried to apologize to Mathea, so that option is out of the table, especially since both of the other two are more important. … moreHowever, the choice between Daemion and Ryler is much harder. Daemion is there to tell about Hackor's death, and I think Arthur should learn about it as soon as possible, and privately in the commander's office would be better than, idk, hearing some random person say it in the streets for example However, Ryler clearly knows who and what the Sphynx is, and Arthur learning that he (as well as the other Alley Cats) is not someone to trust is pretty important as well. Hmm...
[Talk to Ryler] Damn it, I'll have to go with this, because whereas learning about Hackor's death now would be the best choice for Arthur himself, learning the truth about the Alley Cats could be more beneficial in the grand scheme of things.
Btw, wow, Mathea was even more pissed than I expected
Well,it was a very short hunt against the Woodbark family!
It was, indeed. The problem is that Wolfius has a giant direwolf at his command, so he is not only faster on his way out of the city than Ryler and Arthur, who have to follow his trail, but he would also have been pretty much unstoppable for these two. So, it's probably a good thing they didn't catch up to him on their own. At the same time, I figured that I don't want to drag out a hunt that is ultimately going to end in failure, so I just described the end of it. They did follow his trail through the city for the hours between the two chapters though, that much I can reveal, so in the story, it wasn't as short as it was here.
Now that I think about it I suppose that it's obvious that Wolfius now will hide himself,he has an head almost smashed by an hammer!
Aye, he is gruesomely wounded. As he acknowledged himself, Lyria came very close to kill him with that strike, which would have been a serious inconvenience for him, as he would have been trapped in the body of his direwolf then. He has to go into hiding for the time being, because he is likely the character who suffered the most life-threatening wound during the entire chapter without actually dying.
Read of Ser Sphynx aid the wounded people was interesting
Hehe, Ser Sphynx. Mathea herself is more than just a little bit creeped out by that guy. But it was a nice way to show that the Sphynx has talents that could be used for good. He is perhaps the most gifted healer in the entire story and if he wouldn't be such sadistic piece of shit, he could do a lot of good with this talent. Even Mathea could learn from him. But most importantly, I hope to flesh out the Alley Cats a bit more in the future. The Sphynx is of course a clear villain, but there's more to him, which we're going to learn about in the future. The same goes for the Tom, who should get a lot of depth in a key part of this chapter.
The Sphynx is dogs best friend!
He's good with animals in general, perhaps to counterbalance how badly he is with other humans. But even then, it certainly came as a surprise for Ryler how quick the Sphynx was to befriend Wolfsbane. The hound himself was a bit surprised. This was a very important detail, which is going to be expanded on later down the line.
Well Ryler,you can't complain that your "old pals" recognize you if you go around with a cat shaped helmet!
Ah, it is something I might have forgotten to mention, but Ryler doesn't currently wear his helmet. Otherwise, he really would have gotten more attention than he wants to. There's an interesting story behing this helmet, which you should learn about in time. Without the helmet, it is not entirely clear if the Sphynx recognized them, but his reaction was definitely not neutral. Again, this will play an important role for later. Big things have been set into motion here.
Mathea was rightfully angry with Arthur,he do nothing right in the previous chapter!
In his defense, I have to say that he made the correct decision of accompanying Mathea in the first place. That said, it can't be denied, when it comes to her, he screwed up massively. At the same time, he sort of befriended Ryler, which is not exactly a bad thing, so he hasn't screwed up entirely. But well, I am glad you consider Mathea's anger to be understandable, that was something I tried to put some emphasis on. She genuinely feared for her life while Arthur was gone and she feared for Rosalie, who has been through so much. And well, the fact that it was the Sphynx, of all people, to find her and bring he to the headquarters probably didn't help, because as much as she admires his skilles as a healer, she is too smart to trust him and certainly doesn't consider her to be the kind of person she likes to be saved by.
Wow,this is such a tough choice!
While I agree with @WildlingKing on his post and his way of reasoning at the end however I decide to [T… morealk to Daemion] because if I were Arthur know of the wellbeing of my family will be now my first priority
RT:
* Well,it was a very short hunt against the Woodbark family!
* Now that I think about it I suppose that it's obvious that Wolfius now will hide himself,he has an head almost smashed by an hammer!
* Read of Ser Sphynx aid the wounded people was interesting
* The Sphynx is dogs best friend!
* Well Ryler,you can't complain that your "old pals" recognize you if you go around with a cat shaped helmet!
* Mathea was rightfully angry with Arthur,he do nothing right in the previous chapter!
[Talk to Ryler] This is the more pressing issue at the moment. He seems like he knows something about the Solvers or the Allley Cats. Any information he can provide to Arthur is worth it.
I'm calling it right now, Sphynx is going to cut Mathea's throat. He will torture her to death and I will enjoy every second of it. EVERY. SECOND
Arthur
“Two more”, Ryler said, as he knelt down next to the corpses. His hound stood on guard, though Arthur already knew what its relati… morevely confident stance meant. The animal wasn't afraid and in their current situation, this wasn't a good thing. It meant there was nothing to be afraid of. It meant that Wolfius had escaped.
The killer had left a trail of bodies on his way out, from Mathea's house to the southern gate. The two they had found here were Ironborn, burly men, cut down without a chance. One of them, an older man with half of his face disfigured by a fading burn scar, had his throat cut, almost ripped out, while the other one was only identifiable by his attire, as the majority of his face had been torn off by massive jaws.
Arthur gulped as he saw the corpses and he wasn't sure if he should be frustrated that Wolfius had gotten away or relieved that he wouldn't have to face whatever beast he had under his control. At the … [view original content]
He seems like he knows something about the Solvers or the Allley Cats.
This is something I can confirm. He hasn't just stumbled upon that Alley Cat helmet, he actually has a history with them. I am not sure if it has been revealed before, but I know for sure it hasn't been revealed towards Arthur, so it shouldn't be a problem if Ryler explains it again. If he explains it of course. Those are not exactly fond memories.
I'm calling it right now, Sphynx is going to cut Mathea's throat. He will torture her to death and I will enjoy every second of it. EVERY. SECOND
Well... it seems you're not too fond of a certain healer. That said, she certainly doesn't trust the Sphynx, so if he has something like that in mind, she won't make it easy for him. She might be thankful for him taking her and Rosalie to the headquarters after Arthur abandoned them, she might be impressed by his skills as a healer and the knowledge he has, but the last thing she's going to do is to trust the creepy guy with the mask who is more than just a little bit shady. Though I can confirm that we'll see a lot more of the Sphynx soon, including some very particular development which I doubt anyone is really going to expect. If you think you know all there is to know about the Sphynx, you are thoroughly mistaken
[Talk to Ryler] This is the more pressing issue at the moment. He seems like he knows something about the Solvers or the Allley Cats. Any in… moreformation he can provide to Arthur is worth it.
I'm calling it right now, Sphynx is going to cut Mathea's throat. He will torture her to death and I will enjoy every second of it. EVERY. SECOND
Liquid, why didn't Lord Frostborn banish Lupin to the wall? I think that would have been a very smart choice on his part, rather than banishing him south.
I can confirm that we'll see a lot more of the Sphynx soon, including some very particular development which I doubt anyone is really going to expect. If you think you know all there is to know about the Sphynx, you are thoroughly mistaken
Are we gonna end up sympathizing with the Sphynx? I find that doubtful.
He seems like he knows something about the Solvers or the Allley Cats.
This is something I can confirm. He hasn't just stumbled upon… more that Alley Cat helmet, he actually has a history with them. I am not sure if it has been revealed before, but I know for sure it hasn't been revealed towards Arthur, so it shouldn't be a problem if Ryler explains it again. If he explains it of course. Those are not exactly fond memories.
I'm calling it right now, Sphynx is going to cut Mathea's throat. He will torture her to death and I will enjoy every second of it. EVERY. SECOND
Well... it seems you're not too fond of a certain healer. That said, she certainly doesn't trust the Sphynx, so if he has something like that in mind, she won't make it easy for him. She might be thankful for him taking her and Rosalie to the headquarters after Arthur abandoned them, she might be impressed by his skills as a healer and the knowledge he has, but th… [view original content]
This would have indeed been the smarter move, surely. However, Lionel had a multitude of reasons for him banishing Lupin to the south. His character is going to be explored more deeply in Book 2 (as is Lupin's), but he is not exactly the strongest, most determined ruler. Lupin's actions have left him highly indecisive and instead of doing the smart thing and banishing him to the wall, he merely banished him from the Frostborn lands, so that others can take care of the problem. He feels guilty for his weakness, but given the choice again, it is doubtful he would get the strength to truly punish his own flesh and blood. The other Frostborn's, excluding Connor, likely wouldn't have that much of a problem with outright killing him, but Lionel's main weakness is his family. The wall would have been a better choice, but well, given that Wolfius the escape artist is a good acquaintance of Lupin (as seen in TheFurryOne's mini-series), the two would have likely found a way for him to get away from there again, leading to the same outcome.
Liquid, why didn't Lord Frostborn banish Lupin to the wall? I think that would have been a very smart choice on his part, rather than banishing him south.
Sympathizing? Oh no, this is indeed doubtful. However, I plan to show other aspects of the Sphynx beyond the sadistic torturer in the future. There will be one twist in his storyline which I doubt anyon is going to see coming. After his actions in the story, the ones that already happened and the ones that will happen, I must say that I doubt that anyone is going to sympathize with him. He might not be as bad as Wolfius or Mullendore, but that doesn't really mean much. Still, the Sphynx is a character with secrets and not all of these secrets are wholeheartedly terrible.
I can confirm that we'll see a lot more of the Sphynx soon, including some very particular development which I doubt anyone is really going … moreto expect. If you think you know all there is to know about the Sphynx, you are thoroughly mistaken
Are we gonna end up sympathizing with the Sphynx? I find that doubtful.
[Talk to Daemion] I think this is the better option, not because Daemion is going to tell Arthur about Hackor. We gotta go because Daemion is going to mention the lack of leadership in the city guard now that half of them are dead and shizzz. Hopefully Arthur can get promoted to captain, because he isn't exactly incompetent, despite doing plenty of dumb stuff like abandoning Mathea. I still completely stand behind siding with Ryler though. Now we got an ally, and if Arthur gets promoted, we can be in more of a position to help Ryler take down Wolfius and the Solvers. There aren't many other people to take Daemion's role, now that he is going to be Commander of the City Guard. Valarr is injured for now, Aldus can barely guard himself, let alone the city, and there aren't many other guardsmen as of now. Hopefully we can regain Mathea's trust, if not her friendship in time. She is definitely right for being PO with Arthur. Luckily though, Arthur is likely going to run in with her again, and if Arthur can dedicate himself to his guarding, she may be able to respect him for that and let that be the basis of building their friendship. But that isn't going to happening for awhile now. Great part though, I really enjoyed it!
Arthur
“Two more”, Ryler said, as he knelt down next to the corpses. His hound stood on guard, though Arthur already knew what its relati… morevely confident stance meant. The animal wasn't afraid and in their current situation, this wasn't a good thing. It meant there was nothing to be afraid of. It meant that Wolfius had escaped.
The killer had left a trail of bodies on his way out, from Mathea's house to the southern gate. The two they had found here were Ironborn, burly men, cut down without a chance. One of them, an older man with half of his face disfigured by a fading burn scar, had his throat cut, almost ripped out, while the other one was only identifiable by his attire, as the majority of his face had been torn off by massive jaws.
Arthur gulped as he saw the corpses and he wasn't sure if he should be frustrated that Wolfius had gotten away or relieved that he wouldn't have to face whatever beast he had under his control. At the … [view original content]
Arthur
“Two more”, Ryler said, as he knelt down next to the corpses. His hound stood on guard, though Arthur already knew what its relati… morevely confident stance meant. The animal wasn't afraid and in their current situation, this wasn't a good thing. It meant there was nothing to be afraid of. It meant that Wolfius had escaped.
The killer had left a trail of bodies on his way out, from Mathea's house to the southern gate. The two they had found here were Ironborn, burly men, cut down without a chance. One of them, an older man with half of his face disfigured by a fading burn scar, had his throat cut, almost ripped out, while the other one was only identifiable by his attire, as the majority of his face had been torn off by massive jaws.
Arthur gulped as he saw the corpses and he wasn't sure if he should be frustrated that Wolfius had gotten away or relieved that he wouldn't have to face whatever beast he had under his control. At the … [view original content]
No offense intended but Mathea's anger was perfectly justified. He left her alone and in terrible danger because he MIGHT have been able to find Wolfius.
I realized something while re-reading some parts. If Mullendore is at Raylansfair with most of his forces, who's running the city guard back at Oldtown? I would have to assume its one of the captains, but whom?
The reaction of the healer was epic and totally in a character for her. Arthur had it coming on his own request. Since she already said to him to get out of her sight, it would be not smart again to approach her in such mood, unless we want Arthur to get punched again.
I am really concerned now, since because of him, she was left with Mullendore people being her saviors, which is freaking me out. I know she is not stupid but this sadist being around her now, behaving so fancy and all?
As for choice, I want Arthur to discover who Sphynx is to know, in what danger Mathea and others are.
Arthur
“Two more”, Ryler said, as he knelt down next to the corpses. His hound stood on guard, though Arthur already knew what its relati… morevely confident stance meant. The animal wasn't afraid and in their current situation, this wasn't a good thing. It meant there was nothing to be afraid of. It meant that Wolfius had escaped.
The killer had left a trail of bodies on his way out, from Mathea's house to the southern gate. The two they had found here were Ironborn, burly men, cut down without a chance. One of them, an older man with half of his face disfigured by a fading burn scar, had his throat cut, almost ripped out, while the other one was only identifiable by his attire, as the majority of his face had been torn off by massive jaws.
Arthur gulped as he saw the corpses and he wasn't sure if he should be frustrated that Wolfius had gotten away or relieved that he wouldn't have to face whatever beast he had under his control. At the … [view original content]
[Try to apologize to Mathea] I know that this has very little chance of winning since most readers here seem to prefer to vote pragmatically but even if Arthur fails I think it's important that he try to make it up to Mathea every chance he gets. It's important that Mathea knows that he cares about her.
Man this made me so damn sad. I love Mathea.
ARGH! I'm so mad at Arthur. And here I thought I was still holding a grudge against Jaron. How could he just leave Mathea behind?
It's interesting that based on other readers choices winning that my opinion of certain characters lessens. The last time this happened was when Jaron let Harpy kill the fake Butterfly.
I'm not comfortable being in a situation where the Sphynx can walk around with free rein.
I think this part confirmed a suspicion of mine. Not about the story, but about the readers. Just know that no offense is intended, this is my opinion and simply how I feel. If you disagree then feel free to say so.
I've had a suspicion for a while that majority of readers are so obsessed with killing Wolfius and getting it done as soon as possible that they let their judgement be clouded. Tracking Wolfius was 100% the wrong thing to do and it was clear that you'd be risking Mathea and Rosalie's safety but people voted for it anyway. I honestly think that if you gave us any choice but the other choice was kill Wolfius, most readers would pick kill Wolfius every time. Hopefully this part will make readers think twice if a similar choice ever comes up again.
Arthur
“Two more”, Ryler said, as he knelt down next to the corpses. His hound stood on guard, though Arthur already knew what its relati… morevely confident stance meant. The animal wasn't afraid and in their current situation, this wasn't a good thing. It meant there was nothing to be afraid of. It meant that Wolfius had escaped.
The killer had left a trail of bodies on his way out, from Mathea's house to the southern gate. The two they had found here were Ironborn, burly men, cut down without a chance. One of them, an older man with half of his face disfigured by a fading burn scar, had his throat cut, almost ripped out, while the other one was only identifiable by his attire, as the majority of his face had been torn off by massive jaws.
Arthur gulped as he saw the corpses and he wasn't sure if he should be frustrated that Wolfius had gotten away or relieved that he wouldn't have to face whatever beast he had under his control. At the … [view original content]
Arthur
“Two more”, Ryler said, as he knelt down next to the corpses. His hound stood on guard, though Arthur already knew what its relati… morevely confident stance meant. The animal wasn't afraid and in their current situation, this wasn't a good thing. It meant there was nothing to be afraid of. It meant that Wolfius had escaped.
The killer had left a trail of bodies on his way out, from Mathea's house to the southern gate. The two they had found here were Ironborn, burly men, cut down without a chance. One of them, an older man with half of his face disfigured by a fading burn scar, had his throat cut, almost ripped out, while the other one was only identifiable by his attire, as the majority of his face had been torn off by massive jaws.
Arthur gulped as he saw the corpses and he wasn't sure if he should be frustrated that Wolfius had gotten away or relieved that he wouldn't have to face whatever beast he had under his control. At the … [view original content]
She willingly went into the city, she wanted to go regardless if Arthur accompanied her or not if I remember correctly. Arthur going along with her is Arthur being nice, she can't get mad at someone for leaving her alone when she originally planned to go alone anyway. Besdies, slapping and punching someone after what everyone had gone through is most definitely always unjustified. In my opinion, she needs to grow up, and stop whining. Nothing ended up happening, so there's no reason for the kind of reaction she showed. If she is indeed to be the go-to healer in this city, she needs to act mature and responsible enough for the task, and not lose her shit.
No offense intended but Mathea's anger was perfectly justified. He left her alone and in terrible danger because he MIGHT have been able to find Wolfius.
Aww, that's so cool to see that someone loves my character.
As same I love her, I know she will get more pissed if we approach her now. She is a woman after all,and as a same fellow gender I can confirm that she needs time now to process it.
[Try to apologize to Mathea] I know that this has very little chance of winning since most readers here seem to prefer to vote pragmatically… more but even if Arthur fails I think it's important that he try to make it up to Mathea every chance he gets. It's important that Mathea knows that he cares about her.
Man this made me so damn sad. I love Mathea.
ARGH! I'm so mad at Arthur. And here I thought I was still holding a grudge against Jaron. How could he just leave Mathea behind?
It's interesting that based on other readers choices winning that my opinion of certain characters lessens. The last time this happened was when Jaron let Harpy kill the fake Butterfly.
I'm not comfortable being in a situation where the Sphynx can walk around with free rein.
I think this part confirmed a suspicion of mine. Not about the story, but about the readers. Just know that no offense is intended, this is my opinion and simply how I feel. If you disagre… [view original content]
Aww, that's so cool to see that someone loves my character.
As same I love her, I know she will get more pissed if we approach her now. She is a woman after all,and as a same fellow gender I can confirm that she needs time now to process it.
How would you feel if you were deeply traumatized and in a city at war, and then someone who you thought was a trusted friend just walked off to chase someone? Especially if it was without explanation.
She willingly went into the city, she wanted to go regardless if Arthur accompanied her or not if I remember correctly. Arthur going along w… moreith her is Arthur being nice, she can't get mad at someone for leaving her alone when she originally planned to go alone anyway. Besdies, slapping and punching someone after what everyone had gone through is most definitely always unjustified. In my opinion, she needs to grow up, and stop whining. Nothing ended up happening, so there's no reason for the kind of reaction she showed. If she is indeed to be the go-to healer in this city, she needs to act mature and responsible enough for the task, and not lose her shit.
Well... it seems you're not too fond of a certain healer. That said, she certainly doesn't trust the Sphynx, so if he has something like that in mind, she won't make it easy for him. She might be thankful for him taking her and Rosalie to the headquarters after Arthur abandoned them, she might be impressed by his skills as a healer and the knowledge he has, but the last thing she's going to do is to trust the creepy guy with the mask who is more than just a little bit shady. Though I can confirm that we'll see a lot more of the Sphynx soon, including some very particular development which I doubt anyone is really going to expect. If you think you know all there is to know about the Sphynx, you are thoroughly mistaken
Well not exactly. I think she is a good character, but the thing is that she thinks too highly of the justice system. She's naive in the sense that she doesn't see the necessity of some evil actions that must be taken. Then she snaps her fingers like she has some authority, even though shes too quick to judge some situations based on her moral alone. I'm not a big fan of her because of this, she needs to open her eyes more to the truth and stop being such a goody-goody.
As for the Sphynx, oh yeah. I'm very much looking forward to read about his backstory and how he came to be. Nothing would surprise me at this point xD
He seems like he knows something about the Solvers or the Allley Cats.
This is something I can confirm. He hasn't just stumbled upon… more that Alley Cat helmet, he actually has a history with them. I am not sure if it has been revealed before, but I know for sure it hasn't been revealed towards Arthur, so it shouldn't be a problem if Ryler explains it again. If he explains it of course. Those are not exactly fond memories.
I'm calling it right now, Sphynx is going to cut Mathea's throat. He will torture her to death and I will enjoy every second of it. EVERY. SECOND
Well... it seems you're not too fond of a certain healer. That said, she certainly doesn't trust the Sphynx, so if he has something like that in mind, she won't make it easy for him. She might be thankful for him taking her and Rosalie to the headquarters after Arthur abandoned them, she might be impressed by his skills as a healer and the knowledge he has, but th… [view original content]
She willingly went into the city, she wanted to go regardless if Arthur accompanied her or not if I remember correctly. Arthur going along w… moreith her is Arthur being nice, she can't get mad at someone for leaving her alone when she originally planned to go alone anyway. Besdies, slapping and punching someone after what everyone had gone through is most definitely always unjustified. In my opinion, she needs to grow up, and stop whining. Nothing ended up happening, so there's no reason for the kind of reaction she showed. If she is indeed to be the go-to healer in this city, she needs to act mature and responsible enough for the task, and not lose her shit.
I think you may be under estimating the benefit of having Ryler as an ally. Because we decided to help him, Arthur is in a better position to taking down Wolfius. I know you definitely realize the massive threat he posses to everyone while still alive, after all he has killed several of your favorite characters. Ryler will now call upon Arthur to help him out when he eventually gets a lead on Wolfius. Saying that however, I completely understand why you think it was a bad decision. Mathea, an amazing character and a very strong ally, ended up getting screwed over here by Arthur. She is completely justified in her anger at Arthur, and now the fact that the Sphynx knows her is chilling to say the least. So in the end, you have to just weigh up the pros and cons of both decisions. Each of them aren't perfect, but hopefully we can make do with what we are now in.
[Try to apologize to Mathea] I know that this has very little chance of winning since most readers here seem to prefer to vote pragmatically… more but even if Arthur fails I think it's important that he try to make it up to Mathea every chance he gets. It's important that Mathea knows that he cares about her.
Man this made me so damn sad. I love Mathea.
ARGH! I'm so mad at Arthur. And here I thought I was still holding a grudge against Jaron. How could he just leave Mathea behind?
It's interesting that based on other readers choices winning that my opinion of certain characters lessens. The last time this happened was when Jaron let Harpy kill the fake Butterfly.
I'm not comfortable being in a situation where the Sphynx can walk around with free rein.
I think this part confirmed a suspicion of mine. Not about the story, but about the readers. Just know that no offense is intended, this is my opinion and simply how I feel. If you disagre… [view original content]
I think you may be under estimating the benefit of having Ryler as an ally. Because we decided to help him, Arthur is in a better position t… moreo taking down Wolfius. I know you definitely realize the massive threat he posses to everyone while still alive, after all he has killed several of your favorite characters. Ryler will now call upon Arthur to help him out when he eventually gets a lead on Wolfius. Saying that however, I completely understand why you think it was a bad decision. Mathea, an amazing character and a very strong ally, ended up getting screwed over here by Arthur. She is completely justified in her anger at Arthur, and now the fact that the Sphynx knows her is chilling to say the least. So in the end, you have to just weigh up the pros and cons of both decisions. Each of them aren't perfect, but hopefully we can make do with what we are now in.
I add another question to your question,will the higher ups at Oldtown (aka Manfred Hightower and Archmeister Quent) make 2+2 and understand that Mullendore is Butterfly? Expecially now that Mullendore decide to make officialy the Alley Cats his personal guards?
I realized something while re-reading some parts. If Mullendore is at Raylansfair with most of his forces, who's running the city guard back at Oldtown? I would have to assume its one of the captains, but whom?
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Ser Jaron the Bastard - A Night in Tumbleton
Music played, people sang and laughed, and ale was flowing. It was a typical night in Tumbleton, and for once Ser Jaron and Ser Matthos had some spare coin to enjoy themselves. Jaron downed the rest of his ale, seeing Matthos raise his eyebrow on the opposite side of the table.
"Whatever you want to say, old man – don't", Jaron said, raising up his right index finger, and Matthos chuckled softly. "Young man, you should be careful with the ale", the old man said anyway, and Jaron rolled his eyes. He thumped the empty mug on the wooden surface of the table, and looked his mentor to the eyes. "We have gone through a lot of shit lately, don't you think we deserve some enjoyment in our lives for once?" Jaron asked, and Matthos smiled gently.
"Knights don't chase after riches and pleasures, Ser Jaron the Bastard. I thought I had taught you that a long time ago." Matthos' tone was calm and friendly, but still lecturing, and Jaron let out a frustrated sigh. "Couple ales now and then won't make me any less capable to live up to the code of knighthood, Ser Matthos the Kind", he replied, signaling for the barmaid to bring another mug of ale.
As the barmaid brought the mug, Matthos took a small sip from his own. "I hope you are not getting cocky now that you are a knight, Jaron", Matthos said this with a more serious tone. Jaron didn't answer immediately, as he wondered whether there was any cause for Matthos' concerns. Have I changed?
"We are equals now, but I haven't forgot your teachings, Ser", Jaron finally answered with a humble tone, and took a small sip from his new ale. Matthos smiled warmly to him, and let out a leisurely sigh. "We have many adventures ahead of us, Jaron, and you have still many lessons to learn", he said softly, leaning back onto his chair.
"Where will we head next?" Jaron asked enthusiastically. Matthos took his time to answer, letting his gaze travel around the tavern, from the ceiling to the floor. "I'm not sure", he finally said quietly, and Jaron narrowed his eyes. "Well, we must go somewhere", he stated clumsily, and Matthos nodded to him with a thin smile.
"Perhaps we could go to Oldtown", he said, though he didn't sound exactly thrilled about the idea. Jaron could understand why – he had only visited the city twice, but he could tell from those visits that the place was a big mess. On the other hand, he also understood why Matthos thought they should go there – in Oldtown someone was always hiring. It was a place for opportunities, even if those opportunities were covered in shit.
"And what kind of contract would we find from Oldtown?" Jaron asked casually, taking another gulp of his ale. Matthos shrugged, turning his gaze to the table. "Something to keep us fed, hopefully", he answered with a mild grin on his face. For a moment they were both quiet, until Matthos raised his gaze to look Jaron to the eyes. "I know you have big dreams, Jaron," he started, a touch of uncertainty in his words, "and I'm not asking you to let go of those dreams, but..."
"But what?" Jaron asked tensly, and his mentor let out a tired sigh. "You will sooner or later learn that life is not a song..."
"I have learned that already", Jaron cut off Matthos with strict words. "Trust me, I'm not the naïve boy I was few years ago. The Dornish Marches showed me what real life is."
"The Dornish Marches showed you what war is, yes", Matthos replied. "However, you still hope that some king or high lord will raise you up to nobility, just because they admire your valor. Most Hedge Knights never live to see such a stroke of luck. Being a Hedge Knight shouldn't be about reaching for a higher status, it should be about staying true to our knightly vows, no matter the conditions."
"And I will stay true to my vows", Jaron assured. "But I do believe there is something more for me to achieve than living my whole life as a Hedge Knight... Meaning no offence."
"None taken", Matthos replied with a smile. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll have to go take a leak." With these words Ser Matthos stood up from the table. However, before he could take two steps, he bumped into a drunken man, spilling the two mugs of ale the man was carrying. The ale spilled all over Matthos and the drunkard, while the mugs fell to the floor with a clatter. For a short moment a grin was formed on Jaron's face, but it disappeared quickly as he saw the drunken man landing a heavy punch on Matthos' face.
The punch clearly caught Matthos off guard, and he stumbled down to the floor. The man who had punched him also wasn't weak, but rather a large and muscular man. Jaron stood up, thinking he should keep the drunkard from giving any more punches to Matthos. However, then happened something horrifying that Jaron did not see coming. The drunkard pulled out a dagger, jumped on Matthos, and stabbed him several times on the chest, before Jaron rushed in and tackled the man off of his mentor.
The music died down, the laughing stopped, and Jaron stood there in terror, seeing his only friend bleeding to death, as the shocked people gathered around them. Frantically he fell on his knees, pushing his hands on the stab wounds in panic, trying to stop the bleeding. Matthos coughed weakly, reaching for Jaron with his hand. "Jaron", he mumbled, and Jaron looked into the old man's dizzy eyes. "Remember... your honor", Matthos managed to say, though every word was clearly painful. Jaron felt the tears coming to his eyes – Matthos was dying. The man who had taken him under his protection when he was just an orphaned boy on the streets of Blackhaven, and taught him so many important lessons on both life and knighthood. Like the father I never had.
"I will carry on your legacy, Ser" Jaron said with tearful words, and for one last time, Ser Matthos the Kind smiled. Then the life disappeared from his eyes, and Jaron pushed his face against his mentor's bleeding chest, his tears mixing up with the blood. I will carry on your legacy.
As I said, this is a wonderful part! It's a nice change to see Jaron before the events of the story. Save to say, he really came a long way from there and I found it to be very interesting to have a part about this inexperienced young knight he used to be, still with way more obvious naivety. He isn't quite the same person anymore in the recent parts, so it was quite refreshing to see him back at his roots. And well, seeing Matthos has been especially great. I knew about the influence he had on Jaron's life and have quite something planned on that front, so I loved seeing him in action, if only for a single part. This part will nicely work with these plans
All in all, thank you very much for writing this, I enjoyed it thoroughly!
RIP. Nice to see earlier Jaron and Ser Matthos. Maybe I'll do one of these for ol' Leonard and his buddy Donnel Selwyn.
That would be very welcome. If you plan to go through with this and need any further information or things like that, send me a PM whenever you want!
Nice to see we got a glimpse of Ser Matthos. I wonder what kind of influence he would've had if he went to Oldtown with Jaron.
I really enjoyed this. That ending made me especially sad because in my opinion Jaron has forgotten his honor. Perhaps not all of it... yet. He does manage to be honorable from time to time. But my opinion of him has dropped drastically ever since he allowed Harpy to murder the fake Butterfly.
I'm really curious since help Samuel kill his brother it's for sure something that go against,like many other action that he have done when he decide to ally with The Burned Man, Matthos last words
It was very nice read of an event about Jaron before the start of the story!
I like that we read even of Matthos and the very high opinion that Jaron have of him. (Expecially because I remember that he had some debts with The Burned Man and you can't have debts with a Crime lord without have done shady things)
PS:btw I like much more Jaron now after the many events that happened inside his life and that shape him
Arthur
“Two more”, Ryler said, as he knelt down next to the corpses. His hound stood on guard, though Arthur already knew what its relatively confident stance meant. The animal wasn't afraid and in their current situation, this wasn't a good thing. It meant there was nothing to be afraid of. It meant that Wolfius had escaped.
The killer had left a trail of bodies on his way out, from Mathea's house to the southern gate. The two they had found here were Ironborn, burly men, cut down without a chance. One of them, an older man with half of his face disfigured by a fading burn scar, had his throat cut, almost ripped out, while the other one was only identifiable by his attire, as the majority of his face had been torn off by massive jaws.
Arthur gulped as he saw the corpses and he wasn't sure if he should be frustrated that Wolfius had gotten away or relieved that he wouldn't have to face whatever beast he had under his control. At the same time, he felt as if he and Ryler had wasted their time for the past hours. The raid was over, allied forces had arrived to save them, that was all Arthur knew about it. Yet anything beyond that, the fates of his friends, hells, his family, it was a gnawing worry that slowly wore him down.
“What do you think?”, Ryler asked and Arthur sighed. “I think we lost him”, he replied. Grimly, Ryler gave him a nod, before he glanced at his hound. “Wolfsbane has lost the trail”, he mumbled. “That bastard got away” With a frustrated growl, he took a step away from the bodies.
“He could still be in the city”, Arthur brought up, but Ryler shook his head instantly. “He wouldn't be that stupid. He's wounded and this beast under his command isn't exactly a subtle ally”, he replied. “He can't risk it. No, I think he is gone, for now, though I don't think we've seen the last of him. He's not done with this city”
“Wonderful...”, Arthur sighed. “Any idea on what we do next?” Ryler clenched his fists and though his face was nearly motionless, his mismatched eyes showed deep anger. “We will keep a low profile for now. He likely still doesn't know that I am here to hunt him”, he said slowly. “There will be another chance, another day”
Now, both turned away from the dead bodies of Wolfius' latest victims, though Arthur took one last glance at the broken southern gate at the end of the street. In the distance, smoke still rose over the ruins that bore witness to the Ironborn and the destruction they caused. Most notably was the pillar of smoke that rose from the lighthouse, where the massive explosion had happened.
“Let's just leave”, he sighed. “We have wasted enough time here” Ryler gave him a nod. “I'll accompany you to the city guard”, he promised. “And then... well, then I'll continue to watch. There will be a sign of Wolfius one of these days. If that happens, I'll let you now” He stopped Arthur, by briefly touching his shoulder with the back of his hand. “I know you made a hard choice today, but... I appreciate it”, he said. “Usually I work alone, but if I ever need help again when it comes to Wolfius, I'd be happy to have your help” Arthur managed to give him a small smile. “I won't back out now”, he promised. “When the day comes, just let me know and I'll stand with you”
The two men and the dog started to walk back down the direction they had came from and with each step, anxiety grew inside of Arthur. They passed empty streets, ruined buildings, plundered, burned down or both, always getting closer to the city guard headquarters. If his father had made it through the night, he had to be there. Unless... unless anything happened to Aditha.
In this moment, Arthur felt nothing more than regret. He should have accompanied his father instead of leaving him alone in the time of need. At the very least, he should have stayed with Mathea. He gulped as he thought of what might have become of her. It wasn't something that has been in his mind back then. Back then, all he could think of was stopping Wolfius. But was it worth it? Even if he would have succeeded at stopping the killer, had the price been worth it?
The headquarters of the city guard still stood, untouched by fire or steel. The banners of Raylansfair were still flying in the soft morning breeze and in front of the building stood men whom Arthur recognized distantly, brothers-in-arms. “Raylansfair stands”, he mumbled and though regret was still his driving emotion, there was at least a hint of hope as he saw the banners. It was not over.
The guards were looking tired, just as bad as Arthur felt, though they saluted in front of him. “Ser”, one of them said, in a tone formal enough to catch Arthur off guard. “Is my father inside?”, he asked and the man shook his head. “I don't know of the commander”, he replied. “But Captain Stratford is in there. The healer, Lady Mathea, she has arrived as well, to tend to the wounded” He paused for a second, just as Arthur felt relief. “The man from Oldtown assists her”, the guard continued.
Arthur frowned as he noted the hesitant, dark tone in the guard's voice. “What man from Oldtown?”, he asked and the guard shrugged. “I don't know his name. He arrived with the Mullendore men and those from Darkdell” He paused, before he stepped aside. “You should head inside. I'm sure the captain wishes to speak to you”
As Arthur walked past him and onto the outer courtyard of the building, the guard threw a glance at Ryler and Wolfsbane. “It's alright, he's with me”, Arthur said and the guard reluctantly gave him a nod. “But keep that dog under control when you're in there”, the man said.
With this, Arthur and Ryler were allowed to enter the building at last. Just when he opened the door, he already noticed the stench of dying men, of burned flesh and a cacophony of wailing. Arthur had never been in the presence of so many wounded at once and the sheer power of the smell and sound caused him to stagger, with tears in his eyes, as he covered his mouth. Ryler stood next to him unmoved, yet his eyes rapidly moved across the room, indicating that he was shaken as well.
Among the wounded were many guardsmen, some of whom Arthur even recognized. Others stood around them, not only the remainder of the city guard, but also civilians, everyone who knew a little bit about first aid. He was no healer, but he still saw dozens who were beyond help, men and women who had been mutilated by the axes of the raiders, or burned by the fire the Ironborn started.
In a corner, Arthur saw Valarr Roux lying on a makeshift bed, a fresh bandage around his upper belly, wounded, sweating heavily, but conscious and alive. Next, he spotted Mathea, who was sitting on a chair, next to another makeshift bed. Rosalie was lying on it, her eyes closed. If she was sleeping it was probably for the better.
A sigh came out of Arthur's throat. “I... better go and speak to her”, he said. Ryler gave him an awkward nod and accompanied him for half of the way to Mathea's position, though he remained behind a good five feet, which was probably a wise thing to do. Wolfsbane sat down behind him, probably even wiser.
Mathea raised her head as she spotted him from the corner of her eyes. Her gaze widened, before it narrowed. Her pale skin blushed, though it was not a sign of affection, but visibly one of anger, as she quickly jumped up from her chair. Despite looking absolutely exhausted, she found it in her to march towards him with clenched fists. “You!”, she spat.
Apologetically, Arthur raised his hands. “Mathea”, he stuttered. “Listen, I... I...” He paused, as she approached him. “I know I fucked up and I...” He did not manage to continue, as she cut him off with a heavy, angry slap, hard enough to cause him to hold his cheek and to cringe in pain. “Okay...”, he gasped, as his cheek burned from her strike. “Okay, I guess I deserved that...”
Instead of letting him finish his sentence, Mathea's closed fist hit him right below the nose. Arthur's head was thrown back, as he staggered a few feet, instantly raising a hand to his nose. “Ouch!”, he said loudly, as he tried to ignore the severe pain this punch had put him through. It hadn't been a particularly hard one, but it hit exactly the right spot.
Still, Mathea was standing in front of him, trembling in anger. “You have nerves talking to me now”, she growled. “After what you did!” Arthur gulped, as he raised his hands again, in the hopes of calming her down. “Listen, I know you're angry and I can understand you”, he said. “But I've come to apologize”
“Apologize?”, she asked harshly. “Arthur, you left me with a traumatized girl in the ruins of my house, together with the corpses of two of my patients, among them the girl's mother. You did so in the middle of a raid on this city, while the streets were either burning down or filled with raiders. Do I have to remind you what they would have done, had they found us?”
Arthur sighed, as he shook his head. “No...”, he said. “No, I know what they do” He looked up again, his gaze filled with regret. “Listen, Mathea, I am sorry. Back then, when we arrived at your house and I saw Lyria... I...” He paused and avoided her angry glare, as memories of Lyria's corpse flashed through his mind. “I snapped. I wanted to stop him. I had to try”
For the hint of a second, Mathea seemed to understand him, though her anger quickly won over this brief moment of softness. And worst of it was that Arthur felt like he deserved it. “Well, have you caught him?”, she asked. “Has it been worth it?”
Again, Arthur hesitated, before he shook his head. “He got away”, he said quietly. Mathea sighed. “So it has been for nothing”, she concluded. “You left us to chase after a phantom. You left us for nothing” Arthur clenched his fists, trying one last, weak attempt at defending himself. “I left you to stop him”, he argued. “It was a foolish decision, but back then, it was all I could think of. I wanted to prevent him from hurting anyone else”
Now, he saw the hint of tears in Mathea's enchanting eyes. “A noble goal”, she said in a tone that made it clear how she felt about this. “Do you know how I felt when you left? You barely said a word before you took off with your new friend!” In frustration she shook her head. “And I was left alone in a city filled with murderous reavers and worse”, she mumbled. “What would have happened if Wolfius would have returned? I couldn't stop thinking about that” Her voice cracked momentarily, though she kept her composure far better than Arthur. “In all my life I've never felt so afraid. So helpless”
Arthur shivered in guilt, as he was barely able to look her in the eyes. Instead, his gaze fell upon the sleeping Rosalie. “And she?”, he asked. “Is she...?” Mathea shook her head. “I gave her the Milk of the Poppy”, she replied. “It's the only thing I can do for her right now. Physically, she's unharmed. But I am afraid she'll need a long time to recover from what happened yesterday, if she even manages to at all”
There was something she left unspoken, though Arthur voiced the thought instead. “You know that he is going to come back for her, don't you?”, he asked and Mathea glared at him, through him maybe. “I know”, she replied. “And I won't be able to stop him”
“Maybe I will”, Ryler's voice came from behind, as he walked up to them. Mathea gave him a glare no less angry than the one she gave Arthur, though slightly less hurt. “I am sorry for what we did”, h said, as he took a slight bow. “I have underestimated the danger this meant to you”
“I'm still alive, am I not?”, Mathea said tonelessly. “Though the credit belongs to the men that found us” Her voice grew darker and Arthur raised an eyebrow. Just as she spoke, Wolfsbane let out a short, low growl, which prompted Ryler to put a hand onto the hound's snout to silence it. “Men?”, Arthur asked and she gave him a nod. “Ser Maron's allies”, she explained. “Part of the group that saved our city” She pointed past Arthur. “Ser... Sphynx is a gifted healer as well and a... strange, yet kind man”
Arthur looked into the direction she was pointing into and saw a strange figure looming over the bed of a patient. It was a man, most likely, clad in white robes that concealed his entire body, with the face hidden beneath a mask of black and red, shaped like a cat's head, not unlike Ryler's helmet. The figure noticed Mathea's gesture and looked up.
Ryler sharply inhaled. “Oh fuck...”, he said. “Oh fuck, no...” The masked man approached them and all Arthur was able to see of his actual body were the deep, dark eyes. “Lady Mathea”, he said with an elegant bow, barely even looking at Arthur and Ryler. His voice was calm, yet eery. “Is there a problem?”
Mathea shook her head. “None at all, Ser”, she said. “This is Arthur Nathamer from the city guard. I just informed him of your timely arrival” The masked man chuckled dryly. “Truly fortunate”, he said, before he turned to Arthur. “But where are my manners. Ser, it's a pleasure. You can call me the Sphynx”
“Arthur Nathamer”, Arthur introduced himself, quite unnecessarily, as he noticed. He extended his hand, though before the Sphynx was able to grab it, a commotion behind them caused both men to turn around.
Wolfsbane was barking loudly, baring his teeth in a frightening way, as a young man, merely a boy, had stepped through the door that led down to the storeroom. He was pale and thin, with dirty blonde hair and unnerving grey eyes. Even before he laid eyes on him, Wolfsbane was almost uncontrollable and the moment the boy stepped through the door, the hound started to charge at him.
For a second, there was fear in the grey eyes, before Ryler's voice cut through the room, silencing every conversation. “Wolfsbane, sit!”, he yelled and the loyal animal followed the command at once. Gasping, the boy looked from the hound to Arthur, Ryler and the Sphynx. “What the hells?”, he growled. “Get that thing away from me!” He tried to move, only for Wolfsbane to let out a deep, angry growl.
Ryler and the Sphynx both approached the angry hound. While the Sphynx' expression was hidden behind a mask, Ryler looked slightly confused. “Easy, boy”, he said, as the animal continued to growl and snarl, though the earlier command still prevented it from charging at the boy as it obviously would like to.
“What the hell is that about?”, the boy spat. “Sphynx, why am I attacked by some stupid dog?” The Sphynx sighed and raised a hand. “Calm down, Connor”, he said. “It seems he doesn't like your smell” He reached the hound first and moved his hand towards it. “Don't!”, Ryler yelled, though it was already too late. Gently, the Sphynx started to pat Wolfsbane on the head, before stroking the fur on its neck.
“Good boy”, he said and to Arthur's surprise, the hound calmed down, though it did seem confused as it sniffed the Sphynx' hand. The masked man rose again and instantly, the hound turned to the boy, Connor, once more, though without growling this time. “I guess he likes me”, the Sphynx commented, before he turned to Ryler.
The moment he fully laid eyes on him, there was a visible change in stance and the dark eyes behind the mask widened. Ryler was tensed up the entire time he stood next to the masked man and now, if only for a second, the Sphynx tensed up as well. “Apologies, I don't think I've gotten your name”, he said.
“That's because I haven't told you”, Ryler replied. “And it's none of your business. Step away from my dog” The Sphynx hesitated, though gave him a nod. “Very well”, he said and though the mask still hid his face, there was something in these dark eyes that came close to stunning surprise. He moved away from Wolfsbane and positioned himself between the animal and Connor.
“What now, Sphynx?”, the boy hissed and the masked man glanced at him. “Now we leave”, he said. “Ser Maron requested our presence in the castle. Apparently, there is someone who requires my personal attention” He turned back to Mathea and took a deep bow from afar. “Mylady, I am afraid I have to leave. I take it that you'll manage without me?”
Mathea bit down on her lip, though she gave him a nod. “I think so”, she said, in a tone that showed how uncomfortable she was with this man around. Arthur couldn't blame her. But there was more going on than just this odd attire or the unnerving behaviour. Something about the Sphynx, especially in the way he just interacted with Ryler and Wolfsbane, it sent shivers down his spine.
“Farewell then”, the Sphynx said, as he gave Connor a slight push towards the door. Reluctantly, the boy started moving, though he shot a vicious glare at both, Wolfsbane and Ryler, before he stepped through the door. The Sphynx followed and Arthur sighed in relief as both had left the room. Ryler remained standing there, staring at the door they just left through.
“Mathea, I...”, Arthur started, as he turned towards her, though she cut him off by shaking her hand. “Don't”, she warned him. “It's not the first time you disappointed me. Perhaps I should have known better” Though calm on the outside, her voice showed just how shaken and tired she was. “I thought of you as someone to trust, someone to be friends with. I've been a fool for that, but if you think that a mere apology is all that's needed, then you're an even greater fool”
She turned around and Arthur put a hand onto her shoulder. “Please wait”, he said and she glared at him. “Just shut up”, she hissed. “We'll continue to work together whenever I must, whenever there's someone I can help by working with the city guard, but don't expect of me to forgive you just like that. Not after what you did. And now get the hell out of my sight”
As she walked back to Rosalie, Arthur looked after her, stunned not only by her anger, but by her disappointment. He only looked up as he heard someone calling for his name. “Arthur!”, Daemion Stratford's voice sounded through the building. He looked up and saw the captain walking down the stairs that led to Hackor's office. Daemion looked tired, yet unharmed at first glance. As he approached Arthur, his expression grew darker.
“It's good to see you”, he said. “I'm glad that you're still alive” He and Arthur shook hands, as Arthur pulled himself together by force. “Is everything alright, Captain?”, he asked and Daemion shook his head. “No, no it's not”, he replied and glanced around. “But this is something we should discuss with a bit more privacy. Something happened and... you have to know it” He looked at Mathea and pressed his lips together. “This is urgent. Once you have the time, meet me in your fa... the commander's office”
The strange way he spoke caused Arthur to frown. “What is it, Captain?”, he asked an Daemion sighed. “Upstairs, as soon as possible”, he told him, before he walked back to the stairs. Arthur remained there and just as he was about to follow him, Ryler grabbed his arm from behind.
“Do you have a moment?”, he asked and before Arthur was able to answer, he continued. “It's about this man we just met. The Sphynx... There is something you have to know. Something important and I think this can't wait” He let go of Arthur's arm and waited for a second. “We'll discuss this in private. Meet me outside as soon as possible”
With these words, he turned around and started to approach the door, with Wolfsbane shortly behind him. Arthur looked from him to the stairs that led to his father's office. Ryler and Daemion both seemed to have something important to say and he had the feeling it couldn't wait. Yet there was also Mathea. He looked at her and sighed bitterly. This wasn't how he wanted to let things stand between them. Perhaps there was still a chance for him to apologize.
[Talk to Daemion] [Talk to Ryler] [Try to apologize to Mathea]
It kind of does and Jaron acknowledges this. The Jaron from WildlingKing's part would have never done it, but the current Jaron has grown more pragmatic and gained a more realistic view on the world as opposed to the romanticised view he had before. He also understands that he doesn't know about the full story between Ryder and Samuel yet and that killing Ryder, while a very harsh thing to do, might even be motivated by understandable motives, that Samuel is not the bad guy in here. He doesn't like it, but he sees it as sticking to his end of the deal instead of screwing Samuel over, which he knows wouldn't end well for him. After all, he did agree to help him and backing out now that Samuel loyally stayed true to his end of the deal would not only be dangerously stupid, but also a very dishonourable thing to do. All he can try to do now is to maintain at least a bit of his morals in the process, like preventing Samuel from harming the seemingly innocent Farris in his thirst for revenge, which he at least tried to do by bringing up his own thoughts on the matter in the latest choice.
I think this is something I am able to answer. Matthos' presence would have likely influenced Jaron and his storyline in a massive way. It had been previously established that Matthos had debts with the Burned Man and for these debts, Jaron started to work for the crimelord in the first place. However, Matthos, who knew Oldtown's underworld better, would have adamantly refused to work for the Burned Man and so, Jaron wouldn't have worked for him either. Instead, they would have found other work and the Burned Man would have gotten a share until Matthos' debt would have been repaid. This work would have likely been far more befitting for a knight, although chances are that they would have helped out Mullendore, the seemingly noble commander of the city guard instead.
[Talk to Ryler] This is currently more important.
Arthur already tried to apologize to Mathea, so that option is out of the table, especially since both of the other two are more important. However, the choice between Daemion and Ryler is much harder. Daemion is there to tell about Hackor's death, and I think Arthur should learn about it as soon as possible, and privately in the commander's office would be better than, idk, hearing some random person say it in the streets for example
However, Ryler clearly knows who and what the Sphynx is, and Arthur learning that he (as well as the other Alley Cats) is not someone to trust is pretty important as well. Hmm...
[Talk to Ryler] Damn it, I'll have to go with this, because whereas learning about Hackor's death now would be the best choice for Arthur himself, learning the truth about the Alley Cats could be more beneficial in the grand scheme of things.
Btw, wow, Mathea was even more pissed than I expected
Wow,this is such a tough choice!
While I agree with @WildlingKing on his post and his way of reasoning at the end however I decide to [Talk to Daemion] because if I were Arthur know of the wellbeing of my family will be now my first priority
RT:
Indeed, this is likely what Daemion wishes to tell him. He is informed about Hackor's death, as noted by how he hesitated to call the commander's office "Your father's office" in his talk to Arthur. As Hackor's son, Arthur is suddenly an important person among the city guard, especially after the gruesome losses they suffered and even though Daemion is temporarily leading them, there's surely a lot these two have to talk about.
Oh yes, Ryler has encountered the Alley Cats before, as (I think) has at least been hinted at. He has recognized the mask, though there is something else that has deeply disturbed him here, which he might be willing to share with Arthur. This scene between Ryler and the Sphynx was very important on several levels, many of which likely won't be revealed in full until some point of Book 2.
That she was. Still is, to be honest. It's a mixture of pure anger at his decision, mixed with deep disappointment, because she actually started to trust him. As nice as she is, Mathea is not quite the person to trust others and to become more personal around them, so Arthur's choice really hit her badly.
It was, indeed. The problem is that Wolfius has a giant direwolf at his command, so he is not only faster on his way out of the city than Ryler and Arthur, who have to follow his trail, but he would also have been pretty much unstoppable for these two. So, it's probably a good thing they didn't catch up to him on their own. At the same time, I figured that I don't want to drag out a hunt that is ultimately going to end in failure, so I just described the end of it. They did follow his trail through the city for the hours between the two chapters though, that much I can reveal, so in the story, it wasn't as short as it was here.
Aye, he is gruesomely wounded. As he acknowledged himself, Lyria came very close to kill him with that strike, which would have been a serious inconvenience for him, as he would have been trapped in the body of his direwolf then. He has to go into hiding for the time being, because he is likely the character who suffered the most life-threatening wound during the entire chapter without actually dying.
Hehe, Ser Sphynx. Mathea herself is more than just a little bit creeped out by that guy. But it was a nice way to show that the Sphynx has talents that could be used for good. He is perhaps the most gifted healer in the entire story and if he wouldn't be such sadistic piece of shit, he could do a lot of good with this talent. Even Mathea could learn from him. But most importantly, I hope to flesh out the Alley Cats a bit more in the future. The Sphynx is of course a clear villain, but there's more to him, which we're going to learn about in the future. The same goes for the Tom, who should get a lot of depth in a key part of this chapter.
He's good with animals in general, perhaps to counterbalance how badly he is with other humans. But even then, it certainly came as a surprise for Ryler how quick the Sphynx was to befriend Wolfsbane. The hound himself was a bit surprised. This was a very important detail, which is going to be expanded on later down the line.
Ah, it is something I might have forgotten to mention, but Ryler doesn't currently wear his helmet. Otherwise, he really would have gotten more attention than he wants to. There's an interesting story behing this helmet, which you should learn about in time. Without the helmet, it is not entirely clear if the Sphynx recognized them, but his reaction was definitely not neutral. Again, this will play an important role for later. Big things have been set into motion here.
In his defense, I have to say that he made the correct decision of accompanying Mathea in the first place. That said, it can't be denied, when it comes to her, he screwed up massively. At the same time, he sort of befriended Ryler, which is not exactly a bad thing, so he hasn't screwed up entirely. But well, I am glad you consider Mathea's anger to be understandable, that was something I tried to put some emphasis on. She genuinely feared for her life while Arthur was gone and she feared for Rosalie, who has been through so much. And well, the fact that it was the Sphynx, of all people, to find her and bring he to the headquarters probably didn't help, because as much as she admires his skilles as a healer, she is too smart to trust him and certainly doesn't consider her to be the kind of person she likes to be saved by.
[Talk to Ryler] This is the more pressing issue at the moment. He seems like he knows something about the Solvers or the Allley Cats. Any information he can provide to Arthur is worth it.
I'm calling it right now, Sphynx is going to cut Mathea's throat. He will torture her to death and I will enjoy every second of it. EVERY. SECOND
This is something I can confirm. He hasn't just stumbled upon that Alley Cat helmet, he actually has a history with them. I am not sure if it has been revealed before, but I know for sure it hasn't been revealed towards Arthur, so it shouldn't be a problem if Ryler explains it again. If he explains it of course. Those are not exactly fond memories.
Well... it seems you're not too fond of a certain healer. That said, she certainly doesn't trust the Sphynx, so if he has something like that in mind, she won't make it easy for him. She might be thankful for him taking her and Rosalie to the headquarters after Arthur abandoned them, she might be impressed by his skills as a healer and the knowledge he has, but the last thing she's going to do is to trust the creepy guy with the mask who is more than just a little bit shady. Though I can confirm that we'll see a lot more of the Sphynx soon, including some very particular development which I doubt anyone is really going to expect. If you think you know all there is to know about the Sphynx, you are thoroughly mistaken
Liquid, why didn't Lord Frostborn banish Lupin to the wall? I think that would have been a very smart choice on his part, rather than banishing him south.
Are we gonna end up sympathizing with the Sphynx? I find that doubtful.
This would have indeed been the smarter move, surely. However, Lionel had a multitude of reasons for him banishing Lupin to the south. His character is going to be explored more deeply in Book 2 (as is Lupin's), but he is not exactly the strongest, most determined ruler. Lupin's actions have left him highly indecisive and instead of doing the smart thing and banishing him to the wall, he merely banished him from the Frostborn lands, so that others can take care of the problem. He feels guilty for his weakness, but given the choice again, it is doubtful he would get the strength to truly punish his own flesh and blood. The other Frostborn's, excluding Connor, likely wouldn't have that much of a problem with outright killing him, but Lionel's main weakness is his family. The wall would have been a better choice, but well, given that Wolfius the escape artist is a good acquaintance of Lupin (as seen in TheFurryOne's mini-series), the two would have likely found a way for him to get away from there again, leading to the same outcome.
Sympathizing? Oh no, this is indeed doubtful. However, I plan to show other aspects of the Sphynx beyond the sadistic torturer in the future. There will be one twist in his storyline which I doubt anyon is going to see coming. After his actions in the story, the ones that already happened and the ones that will happen, I must say that I doubt that anyone is going to sympathize with him. He might not be as bad as Wolfius or Mullendore, but that doesn't really mean much. Still, the Sphynx is a character with secrets and not all of these secrets are wholeheartedly terrible.
[Talk to Daemion] I think this is the better option, not because Daemion is going to tell Arthur about Hackor. We gotta go because Daemion is going to mention the lack of leadership in the city guard now that half of them are dead and shizzz. Hopefully Arthur can get promoted to captain, because he isn't exactly incompetent, despite doing plenty of dumb stuff like abandoning Mathea. I still completely stand behind siding with Ryler though. Now we got an ally, and if Arthur gets promoted, we can be in more of a position to help Ryler take down Wolfius and the Solvers. There aren't many other people to take Daemion's role, now that he is going to be Commander of the City Guard. Valarr is injured for now, Aldus can barely guard himself, let alone the city, and there aren't many other guardsmen as of now. Hopefully we can regain Mathea's trust, if not her friendship in time. She is definitely right for being PO with Arthur. Luckily though, Arthur is likely going to run in with her again, and if Arthur can dedicate himself to his guarding, she may be able to respect him for that and let that be the basis of building their friendship. But that isn't going to happening for awhile now. Great part though, I really enjoyed it!
[Talk to Ryler]
[Talk to Ryler]
Ugh, I don't like Mathea.
No offense intended but Mathea's anger was perfectly justified. He left her alone and in terrible danger because he MIGHT have been able to find Wolfius.
I realized something while re-reading some parts. If Mullendore is at Raylansfair with most of his forces, who's running the city guard back at Oldtown? I would have to assume its one of the captains, but whom?
[Talk to Ryler]
The reaction of the healer was epic and totally in a character for her. Arthur had it coming on his own request. Since she already said to him to get out of her sight, it would be not smart again to approach her in such mood, unless we want Arthur to get punched again.
I am really concerned now, since because of him, she was left with Mullendore people being her saviors, which is freaking me out. I know she is not stupid but this sadist being around her now, behaving so fancy and all?
As for choice, I want Arthur to discover who Sphynx is to know, in what danger Mathea and others are.
[Try to apologize to Mathea] I know that this has very little chance of winning since most readers here seem to prefer to vote pragmatically but even if Arthur fails I think it's important that he try to make it up to Mathea every chance he gets. It's important that Mathea knows that he cares about her.
Man this made me so damn sad. I love Mathea.
ARGH! I'm so mad at Arthur. And here I thought I was still holding a grudge against Jaron. How could he just leave Mathea behind?
It's interesting that based on other readers choices winning that my opinion of certain characters lessens. The last time this happened was when Jaron let Harpy kill the fake Butterfly.
I'm not comfortable being in a situation where the Sphynx can walk around with free rein.
I think this part confirmed a suspicion of mine. Not about the story, but about the readers. Just know that no offense is intended, this is my opinion and simply how I feel. If you disagree then feel free to say so.
I've had a suspicion for a while that majority of readers are so obsessed with killing Wolfius and getting it done as soon as possible that they let their judgement be clouded. Tracking Wolfius was 100% the wrong thing to do and it was clear that you'd be risking Mathea and Rosalie's safety but people voted for it anyway. I honestly think that if you gave us any choice but the other choice was kill Wolfius, most readers would pick kill Wolfius every time. Hopefully this part will make readers think twice if a similar choice ever comes up again.
[Talk to Daemion]
She willingly went into the city, she wanted to go regardless if Arthur accompanied her or not if I remember correctly. Arthur going along with her is Arthur being nice, she can't get mad at someone for leaving her alone when she originally planned to go alone anyway. Besdies, slapping and punching someone after what everyone had gone through is most definitely always unjustified. In my opinion, she needs to grow up, and stop whining. Nothing ended up happening, so there's no reason for the kind of reaction she showed. If she is indeed to be the go-to healer in this city, she needs to act mature and responsible enough for the task, and not lose her shit.
Aww, that's so cool to see that someone loves my character.
As same I love her, I know she will get more pissed if we approach her now. She is a woman after all,and as a same fellow gender I can confirm that she needs time now to process it.
This is more than likely true. XD
But since it's so unlikely to win I think I'll keep it there.
How would you feel if you were deeply traumatized and in a city at war, and then someone who you thought was a trusted friend just walked off to chase someone? Especially if it was without explanation.
Well not exactly. I think she is a good character, but the thing is that she thinks too highly of the justice system. She's naive in the sense that she doesn't see the necessity of some evil actions that must be taken. Then she snaps her fingers like she has some authority, even though shes too quick to judge some situations based on her moral alone. I'm not a big fan of her because of this, she needs to open her eyes more to the truth and stop being such a goody-goody.
As for the Sphynx, oh yeah. I'm very much looking forward to read about his backstory and how he came to be. Nothing would surprise me at this point xD
If someone decide to go with you from the very beginning, assuring your safety and then changes his mind, it's not cool.
Mathea did not ask him to go, it was his decision. He build a safety mental shield in her eyes and then just took it away in worst possible moment.
I think you may be under estimating the benefit of having Ryler as an ally. Because we decided to help him, Arthur is in a better position to taking down Wolfius. I know you definitely realize the massive threat he posses to everyone while still alive, after all he has killed several of your favorite characters. Ryler will now call upon Arthur to help him out when he eventually gets a lead on Wolfius. Saying that however, I completely understand why you think it was a bad decision. Mathea, an amazing character and a very strong ally, ended up getting screwed over here by Arthur. She is completely justified in her anger at Arthur, and now the fact that the Sphynx knows her is chilling to say the least. So in the end, you have to just weigh up the pros and cons of both decisions. Each of them aren't perfect, but hopefully we can make do with what we are now in.
I might just have bad memory but I don't recall Wolfius killing any of my favorites.
I add another question to your question,will the higher ups at Oldtown (aka Manfred Hightower and Archmeister Quent) make 2+2 and understand that Mullendore is Butterfly? Expecially now that Mullendore decide to make officialy the Alley Cats his personal guards?
My memory may be wrong, but I thought I remembered you being quite distraught when Lydia was quite literally torn in half.