Well... this was an important choice, that much I can already tell. Naturally, I can't say if it is for the better or the worse. You brought up good arguments for both and frankly, it could go either way. Both options would have been quite a bit of a gamble, but you chose it when you decided for Jaron to try a more diplomatic approach. One way or the other, this choice will change quite something. Of course, now it means that Jaron puts his trust into Farris' honesty instead of his own ability to deceive.
The next part is halfway written and should be ready in a few hours. It's going to be the first part of Sadie's storyline in this chapter. As you remember, the Raid on Maybros which she fought back in the last chapter ended catastrophically for her. Though the Ironborn were defeated, Sadie herself got into a duel with Durren Stallhart, who completely outclassed her. This duel ended with him severing her right hand. Dan, who tried to come to her aid, was unceremoniously killed by Stallhart as well, before the captain himself was forced to retreat by Leo and his men. Sadie herself was saved by Blane, the sellsword that had seemingly taken a liking to her, though her current fate is very much up in the air. I have written about half of the part and... whew... save to say that she won't get much of a break in this chapter.
The voices that reached her ears were muffled, as Sadie slowly opened her eyes. Her senses were still dulled from the deep sleep and she blinked to remain awake. Numb pain was still aching in her head, as she sluggishly rose from her bed. A hearty, yet silent yawn forced its way up her throat, as she approached the light that shined from beneath her door.
By now, the voices had gotten louder, more agitated, though Sadie was still not able to hear any particular words. She straightened her back, before she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Fumbling around in the dark, her hand finally touched the doorknob.
As she turned it and opened the door, the narrowed her eyes for a moment, as the light from the room momentarily caused her discomfort, especially with the headache she was still suffering from. However, now she was able to hear the voices clearly.
“She's your daughter, you oaf!”, a voice spat and Sadie sighed. Her mother had been drinking again, she heard it in her voice. “What do you want me to do? We tried everything!”, her father replied and Sadie rolled her eyes. Another argument. Every night the same damn thing. Her mother would drink and would start to blame her father, or her remaining daughter if things were particularly dire. She couldn't have any of this. Not this time.
With a sigh, she turned away from the door, closing it behind her. “So, get off your ass and try to find her!”, her mother yelled, clearly audible even through the closed door this time. “And ignoring my other daughter?”, her father said. “Sadie needs us just as well! She nearly died in the Marches!”
All of a sudden, pain flashed through Sadie's right wrist and with a confused frown, she moved her other hand to massage the aching spot. Blinking away the tears of frustration that formed as she heard her parents arguing, she moved back to her bed. In the darkness, she was able to make out the hint of Melanie's bed, all empty and cold, at the other end of the room.
“So what? It's not as if she's doing much here”, her mother yelled this time and Sadie bit down on her lower lip. So, her mother had drunken a lot. This was worse than usual. “And if she would have remained here, as I asked her to, as I begged her to, then maybe nothing of this would have happened! Melanie could have still been here. My daughter. Our sweet daughter...”
Unable and unwilling to hear any more of it, Sadie fell down onto her bed. Reaching for her pillow, she buried her head in it, drowning out the noise of the fight, a fight that got increasingly louder. At least it muffled the voices, prevented her from hearing the hateful things her mother uttered in her drunken bitterness.
It had been a month since Melanie's disappearance. Sadie had been in the Marches still, though she returned home just a week later, to find that nothing remained of the way it used to be. Her sister was gone and with her, her parents marriage was shattered. Her mother had turned to the bottle once again, whereas her father had escaped into apathy. Neither had managed to find her and by the time Sadie was able to investigate, any trail had already grown cold. Melanie was gone.
Suddenly, she noticed something. More, the absence of something. There were no voices anymore. Towards the end, her mother's yells had gotten more angry, whereas even her father had raised his voice. Instantly, she frowned. This was something new. If Sadie had learned anything in the nightmare that had been the past weeks, then that this was something truly bad.
Instantly, she sat up, almost jumping out of her bed. Rushing to the door, she almost tripped over, though she managed to reach the doorknob with her hand, clinging onto it as she pushed the door open. “Mother?”, she asked into the silence. “Father?” And then she heard something. Not an answer. Just sobbing. Soft, broken sobbing.
Sadie tensed up at the sound, as she took one step after the other, through the small hallway that separated the room she and Melanie used to share from the main room of the house. Tears welled up in her eyes as she stepped into the room, instantly realizing what had happened. Her father lay dead on the ground. Blood oozed from a deep gash on his forehead, leaving a puddle on the ground and a trail right to the hatchet her mother was still holding in one hand, as she cowered on the ground.
In this moment, Sadie was surprised how calm she was. Adrenaline kicked in at once, though at the same time, the thumping pain in her right wrist grew stronger. Irritated by this strange feeling she frowned, as tears poured down her cheeks. She resisted the urge to break down right there, to crawl over to her father's corpse. Instead, she focussed on his killer.
“Mother?”, she asked and her voice shivered. She gasped as she looked at the corpse of her father again. Tears clouded her vision, though she forced herself to look away. She was a soldier and right now, her instincts kicked in. Focus on the threat. There was a time for mourning later.
Carefully, she took a few steps towards the woman, stepping above empty bottles in the process. Imported wine from Volantis. Her mother had wasted the money she had sent home, the money she had earned while risking her life for her kingdom. “Mother!”, she barked and finally, the woman reacted.
Glancing over her shoulder, there was a bitter look in her eyes. The eyes... they were the only thing Sadie truly had of this woman. Right now, they were filled with tears, with regret, shame, fear and anger. There was resentment in them. “You...”, she growled and Sadie stopped as she heard this voice. She gulped. “What are you doing here?”
“What have you done, mother?”, Sadie asked thinly and her mother rose from the ground. Instinctively, she took a step back, right onto a bottle. It crunched underneath her and she gasped in pain, as the broken glass scratched across her naked foot.
“What... I have done?”, her mother asked in return, her voice a slur. “You did this! You killed him with your... indifference towards your sister” Now, a new wave of tears shot into Sadie's eyes, as she still backed away from her own mother, feeling fear for the woman that gave birth to her and fear for what she herself would do if a fight would break out.
“I tried to speak to him, but he wouldn't listen!”, her mother spat, staggering forwards, her steps as shaky as her voice. “This is your fault! Your fault alone! If you would have stayed, none of this would have happened!”
Sadie shook her head. “Mother, you are drunken. You don't think clearly”, she said, almost in a begging tone. “Put it down. Let us talk about this, please” Her mother only tensed up. “There is nothing to talk about”, she growled. “You killed your father. You killed your sister. You killed them by leaving us when we needed you. I will not be the next!” With a howl, she raised the hatchet and crossed the distance between her and her daughter in a second.
Sadie had prepared herself for the attack. Her mother didn't immediately strike at her, it was more that she slammed into her. Putting too much weight on her wounded foot caused Sadie's legs to give in underneath her. While she fell, she managed to grab her mother's right arm, to keep the hatchet away from her as they landed, the older woman on top of her.
“Your fault!”, her mother spat, sending drops of saliva flying into Sadie's face. She was a small woman, but stocky from countless hours of hard work and the strength with which she tried to push the hatchet into Sadie's chest was terrifying. “Mother, don't...”, she gasped, as she continued to hold the weapon away from her.
For a moment, she considered using both hands, though instead, she decided to reach around, to find something she could defend herself with. Blindly fumbling around, her fingers finally found something. A bottle. Sadie looked up, into these eyes, once so filled with love, now glaring at her with blinding rage. And then she raised the bottle to smash it over her mother's head.
It was too late that Sadie realized she had done a mistake. The bottle was meant to knock her mother out, or to stun her enough so that she could do the rest herself. Only as she had already put all her strength into this strike, too late to stop it, did she realize that the bottle she had grabbed wasn't whole. It was broken and instead of knocking her mother out with a blunt object, she sliced across her chin and into her neck with the sharp, jagged spikes of a broken bottle.
Her mother's strength left her at once, as pain and shock took it from her and while Sadie let out a gasp of horror, realizing what had happened, her mother fell off her, the hatchet sinking out of her hand. “Mother!”, she screamed in horror, as she pushed herself towards the woman.
Blood was pouring out of the open neck and as Sadie glanced down upon herself, she let go of the broken, bloodied bottle with something that was a mixture between a gasp and a muffled scream. Sinking to the ground next to her mother, she clung onto her. “No, no, no...”, she mumbled. “Please, don't... Hang on, mother, please!”
But she wasn't. Sadie had seen enough wounds to know that it was hopeless. She knew what just happened, what she had done. Finally breaking down into heavy sobbing, she looked at her mother. The woman's gaze had cleared now, instead of anger, there was confusion. She opened her mouth to speak, though the words were barely audible. Yet Sadie knew them regardless and in this moment, they burned themselves into her soul.
Be cursed, Kinslayer
Sadie opened her eyes, still shivering from the nightmare. By now, the thumping pain in her right hand had grown worse, spanning across her entire arm and the right side of her body. Sluggishly, she glanced around, to realize where she was, still in a dazed, confused state.
She was in a room, though she did not recognize it. Dimmed light fell through a window with half-closed shutters, illuminating the barren furniture that surrounded her. There was an open door, revealing a hallway that seemed faintly familiar. And that's when she spotted the man.
He had turned his back on her, though she could see that he was old, with a thin, almost frail frame and a head full of long, unkempt white hair that fell over his shoulders. She moved her head towards him, opening her mouth to speak, as a new wave of pain flared up in her hand, originating from her wrist. Groaning in discomfort, Sadie raised her arm and her groan turned into a gasp of shock.
As her eyes fell upon the thickly bandaged stump where her right hand used to be, she remembered. Maybros, the rain, Durren Stallhart, towering above her, more giant than man. She remembered the horns coming out of his skull and the strength he put into his strikes. The pain was no memory, it was still very much present and then there was her hand and Dan, oh gods, Dan...
A muffled, brief scream came out of her throat, as she stared at the bandages. The pain grew more intense, sending tears to her eyes. In surprise, the older man turned around and she saw the voluptuous beard that covered most of his face and fell down onto his chest, with two strands of it woven into thick braids.
Sadie's breaths became faster, more panicked, as she fully snapped into her current situation. She was here, this was happening. The pain was real and though but a memory of what she had felt in the very moment Stallhart's axe hit her, it was still enough to cause her to shiver, to drown out every attempt at speaking. She wanted to scream, but with her rapid breaths, even this became impossible.
Without hesitating, the old man reached for a cup standing next to him. Rushing to her side, faster than she expected, he fell onto one knee next to her bed, now slightly frowning with discomfort over the fast movement. There was concern in his turquoise eyes, as he raised the cup. “Drink”, he said sternly, moving it to her lips. He almost poured the liquid down her throat once she opened her mouth. Sadie noticed the taste just a little bit too late. Milk of the Poppy...
This time, her sleep was dreamless.
As Sadie awoke again, the sun had set already and the room was illuminated by candles now. Once again, searing pain was thumping through her right arm, what was left of it. A figure, the old man from before, was kneeling next to her, having grabbed the arm and tightly wrapping a bandage around it. A sharp, strange smell filled the air.
Sadie blinked and groaned in pain, which caused the old man to look up. For a moment, she stared at him, through barely opened eyes and a sight that was clouded by tears. She was exhausted and in pain, though the true reality of her condition had kicked in much earlier now than it did before.
Wordlessly, the old man reached for a cup on the small nightstand next to the bed and Sadie managed to utter something. “No...”, she groaned, though he still raised the cup to her lips. “Drink”, he ordered her, though she clenched her lips together. She couldn't sleep right now, not after what had happened.
She still shook her head weakly, as the old man gave her a stern look. “Drink”, he ordered her again and this time, he slightly forced her mouth open, pouring the liquid down her throat. It was there that Sadie noticed that he was giving her water.
Coughing, but still continuing to drink with thirst, she emptied a good part of the cup, half of it landing on the linen shirt she was wearing. The old man pulled the cup away again and with a sigh, Sadie sank back onto the pillow.
“I am sorry for waking you. I thought the milk would keep you asleep while I change the bandages”, the old man said. As he said the last word, Sadie's glance fell upon the bandaged stump of her right arm. The pain was still horrifying, but even more so was the wave of thoughts that flashed through her mind right now. She had been a fighter for all her life. It was the only thing she had ever been good at. Now... she would have cried if she wouldn't feel so exhausted. The numbing pain made it impossible. And a tiny, hateful voice, telling her that she deserved this, that this was her curse...
“Look at me”, the old man ordered her. “Don't look at it, look at me” There was warmth in his voice, yet it was the stern tone that caused her to instinctively follow the order. A slight smile formed on his bearded face as their eyes met. “This is better”, he said, before he put a hand onto his chest, just below the beard. “My name is Wylie. I am a healer and was asked to treat your wound”
“Sa... Sadie”, she introduced herself and Wylie gave her a nod. “I know”, he replied. “Leo told me about you. What little he knew, at least. He told me you fought bravely” Once again, the sharp smell reached Sadie's nose and she frowned, as she glanced around to find its source.
Wylie followed her eyes and reached for a small bowl. As he held it closer, the smell grew more intense. “An eastern recipe”, he explained. “It smells horrible, but I can assure you, it helps. Thankfully, I had some of the herbs still with me” He put the bowl down and glanced at the bandaged stump, a sight so horrible that Sadie didn't dare to do the same. “It will prevent an infection, despite the mud that had already entered the wound when they brought me to you”
“You saved my life”, Sadie mumbled and Wylie gave her a nod, not the slightest bit humble about it. “I did”, he agreed. “They did good with asking me to help you. I have treated more stumps than I can remember” The blunt way with which he put it caused Sadie to shiver and she averted her eyes, clenching the one hand she had left until the finger ached.
Wylie sighed. “I need you to listen closely now”, he said. “You have lost your right hand in battle. A common risk for any fighter. You knew that when you picked up the sword, didn't you?” She looked back at him and gave him a weak nod. “But you never thought it would happen to you”, he continued. “Now it did. This part of you is lost and the quicker you realize what this means, the better”
Sadie's breaths grew faster again, more rapid, as she spied the bandage around what remained of her right forearm. The pain, not only the physical, was almost too much for her, though something prevented her from fainting. “But this does not mean that your live is over”, Wylie continued. “This is merely yet another fight and it will continue. This is not the end”
Blinking away the tears, she looked at Wylie. He was right. She was still alive. At the same time, in her pained, dazed state of mind, her thoughts racing around, she couldn't help but to think what little worth there was to it anymore. To her. Her lips shivered and Wylie's stern gaze softened. “It will take a lot of time, but be assured that I will help you. You are my patient now”
Sadie gulped, as she gave him a nod. “Leo ordered you to help me?”, she asked and Wylie gave her a nod. “By no means do I claim to be an expert on these things, but it seems that he is concerned for your well-being”, he explained to her. “He even asked to see you once you should be awake again”
Closing her eyes for a second, Sadie took a deep breath. Dan... if Dan would be here, it would be easier. But he wasn't and his absence made the loss only worse. “Where is Leo?”, she asked, as she looked back at Wylie. The old man rose from his kneeling position with a groan of effort. “We are in the Golden Gyles. A terrible establishment, but the rooms are clean enough for you to rest”, he said. “Leo himself is in the main room of this building, as far as I know, speaking with our guest from Castamere. He asked of me to bring you to him”
“The Gyles...”, Sadie mumbled, before a new thought entered her mind, enough to cause her eyes to widen considerably. “My sister is here!” She attempted to rise from the bed, a task she instinctively tried to use her right hand for help. The pain caused her to fall back onto her bed again with a short scream.
With a sigh, Wylie put a hand onto her shoulder. “It will take time”, he told her. “But I promise you, you will adapt to this. It will get easier” Putting one arm underneath hers, he gently pulled her up. “Here, let me”, he said, as he helped her to get into a sitting position.
Sadie glanced at the terrible wound and once again, she shivered at the thought of what this would mean. “Your condition is serious, but unlike many wounds, it does not require of you to stay in bed”, Wylie told her. “Besides, you've been unconscious for the better part of two days. Perhaps it will be good for you to move around again. What do you say, shall we go and meet with Leo?”
Now, Sadie closed her eyes, as she frowned. Opening them again, the first thing she saw was the remnant of her right arm. She had been a fighter for all her life. What was she now? What good was a fighter without a hand? What use was there to keep her alive? Yet she knew, there was one thing she had to do.
Yes, she wanted to meet with Leo. She had to know what else happened while she was out. How the raid ended, how many they had lost. But even more importantly was that he had promised to help her in return. She had kept her part of the deal, she had bled for him and this city and had ruined her life beyond repair. And in return, he had to help her with Melanie. Her sister was the only thing she had left now.
There was only one thing that caused her to hesitate. She knew, she had to look pathetic right now. Even aside from the hand, she was tired, exhausted. Though she wasn't crying, she sure as hell felt like it. A broken wreck of what she used to be. Sadie knew, she had to meet with Leo and she didn't want to waste any time, but she wasn't sure if she could deal with everyone else seeing her like this right now.
[Get up and meet with Leo][Ask Wylie to bring Leo to you]
It was really interesting read of Sadie backstory (despite I must say that it wasn't a really happy one)
Now that we know that Sadie kill her own mother it will be interesting read of her reunion with her sister (that don't know the tragic end of her parents)
I'm curious to discover what happened in the two days gap
And today it was introduced a new character is he...Maester Ortengryn (this Sadie part make me remember of the start of Rodrick PoV in the Game of thrones telltale game)?
[Get up and meet with Leo] Sadie can't remain in a bed forever expecially if even the medic suggest that Sadie should start to move again.
Sadie
The voices that reached her ears were muffled, as Sadie slowly opened her eyes. Her senses were still dulled from the deep sleep an… mored she blinked to remain awake. Numb pain was still aching in her head, as she sluggishly rose from her bed. A hearty, yet silent yawn forced its way up her throat, as she approached the light that shined from beneath her door.
By now, the voices had gotten louder, more agitated, though Sadie was still not able to hear any particular words. She straightened her back, before she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Fumbling around in the dark, her hand finally touched the doorknob.
As she turned it and opened the door, the narrowed her eyes for a moment, as the light from the room momentarily caused her discomfort, especially with the headache she was still suffering from. However, now she was able to hear the voices clearly.
“She's your daughter, you oaf!”, a voice spat and Sadie sighed. Her mother had… [view original content]
Sadie
The voices that reached her ears were muffled, as Sadie slowly opened her eyes. Her senses were still dulled from the deep sleep an… mored she blinked to remain awake. Numb pain was still aching in her head, as she sluggishly rose from her bed. A hearty, yet silent yawn forced its way up her throat, as she approached the light that shined from beneath her door.
By now, the voices had gotten louder, more agitated, though Sadie was still not able to hear any particular words. She straightened her back, before she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Fumbling around in the dark, her hand finally touched the doorknob.
As she turned it and opened the door, the narrowed her eyes for a moment, as the light from the room momentarily caused her discomfort, especially with the headache she was still suffering from. However, now she was able to hear the voices clearly.
“She's your daughter, you oaf!”, a voice spat and Sadie sighed. Her mother had… [view original content]
Very glad to hear it! Sadie is a PoV who has occasionally suffered from bad pacing in her storyline, though I hope I have managed to turn that around in the last chapter. If anything, writing this part has shown me that I have made the right decision with the direction I decided to take her storyline into. Things should get really interesting for her
It was really interesting read of Sadie backstory (despite I must say that it wasn't a really happy one)
Aye, that was not a happy one. Sadie's is actually one of the darkest PoV backstories to date. The only one who is clearly beating her on that end is Kersea. However, I am glad you enjoyed this read. It was previously hinted at, though this is the first time the events happening there are revealed. Naturally, this is a very important event in Sadie's life and it will continue to play a massive role for her.
Now that we know that Sadie kill her own mother it will be interesting read of her reunion with her sister (that don't know the tragic end of her parents)
Oh yes... Melanie knows nothing about the fate of her parents, who are dead for over two years now. She's been through hell in this time and learning that on top... well, that is something nobody can take well. It's definitely going to make an already intense moment even harder on both sisters.
I'm curious to discover what happened in the two days gap
Ah, you know... things. Important things. Sadie has been out the whole time, but Leo hasn't, neither has Gyles and then there is their visitor, who will potentially be shown in her next part and all three have made important plans for the future.
And today it was introduced a new character is he...Maester Ortengryn (this Sadie part make me remember of the start of Rodrick PoV in the Game of thrones telltale game)?
Wylie... well, I'd say there are indeed similarities to Ortengryn. However, he has the stronger, more straightforward personality, whereas Ortengryn is often a bit awkward. I can also say that Wylie is far more consequential for the plot than the Archmaester of Red Herrings All in all, I look forward to write him in the coming parts of Sadie's storyline, that much is for sure.
Wow,I really enjoy this Sadie part!
RT:
* It was really interesting read of Sadie backstory (despite I must say that it wasn't a rea… morelly happy one)
* Now that we know that Sadie kill her own mother it will be interesting read of her reunion with her sister (that don't know the tragic end of her parents)
* I'm curious to discover what happened in the two days gap
* And today it was introduced a new character is he...Maester Ortengryn (this Sadie part make me remember of the start of Rodrick PoV in the Game of thrones telltale game)?
[Get up and meet with Leo] Sadie can't remain in a bed forever expecially if even the medic suggest that Sadie should start to move again.
Sadie
The voices that reached her ears were muffled, as Sadie slowly opened her eyes. Her senses were still dulled from the deep sleep an… mored she blinked to remain awake. Numb pain was still aching in her head, as she sluggishly rose from her bed. A hearty, yet silent yawn forced its way up her throat, as she approached the light that shined from beneath her door.
By now, the voices had gotten louder, more agitated, though Sadie was still not able to hear any particular words. She straightened her back, before she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Fumbling around in the dark, her hand finally touched the doorknob.
As she turned it and opened the door, the narrowed her eyes for a moment, as the light from the room momentarily caused her discomfort, especially with the headache she was still suffering from. However, now she was able to hear the voices clearly.
“She's your daughter, you oaf!”, a voice spat and Sadie sighed. Her mother had… [view original content]
Great part! The glimpse to her past really gives depth to Sadie's character and storyline. I'm really interested to see where will her story go from here.
[Get up and meet with Leo] Well, even Wylie recommended her to get up and moving, so let's just do that.
Sadie
The voices that reached her ears were muffled, as Sadie slowly opened her eyes. Her senses were still dulled from the deep sleep an… mored she blinked to remain awake. Numb pain was still aching in her head, as she sluggishly rose from her bed. A hearty, yet silent yawn forced its way up her throat, as she approached the light that shined from beneath her door.
By now, the voices had gotten louder, more agitated, though Sadie was still not able to hear any particular words. She straightened her back, before she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Fumbling around in the dark, her hand finally touched the doorknob.
As she turned it and opened the door, the narrowed her eyes for a moment, as the light from the room momentarily caused her discomfort, especially with the headache she was still suffering from. However, now she was able to hear the voices clearly.
“She's your daughter, you oaf!”, a voice spat and Sadie sighed. Her mother had… [view original content]
That is something I myself was not quite sure of, so I did some research. In short, I haven't found a source saying that only men can be knights, though given how heavily Westerosi society favours men when it comes to positions of power, it seems likely. That said, I haven't found anything that outright states that women are forbidden from being knights. It is possible that these incidents are merely extremely rare, even more than women who inherit titles due to a lack of male heirs. However, it is far more likely that women are outright banned from being knighted, or else there surely would have been some mention of a female knight at some point in the books, even just in the backstory.
At first, I thought Brienne would be a classic example of a female knight, but I found a passage from the books in which she explicitly states that she is not a knight. Instead, it seems she merely acts like a knight and embodies basically every knightly virtue, but has never been formally knighted by another knight or a lord, even when she served in Renly's Kingsguard. Then again, the Hound shows that it is possible to be in the Kingsguard without being a knight. There's also a slight difference between the books and the show there, because in the books, Podrick follows her out of his own decision after she already left King's Landing, whereas the show version of Podrick gets assigned to her as a squire. Since only knights can get squires, there's a tiny bit more evidence for Brienne to be a knight in the show, whereas she is most likely to merely behave like a knight in all but name when it comes to the books.
When it comes to FoT, I am a bit conflicted, due to there being no explicit statement against it, as far as I know. Ultimately, I think there is more evidence towards women not being able to become knights than the other way 'round. There is one female character submitted who poses as a male knight, with her backstory explicitly stating that she was unable to be genuinely knighted due to her gender. This means, I'll probably go with that. However, things might be somewhat differently in Dorne, which is generally more lax on these things, although it can be taken as a fact that the Andal parts of Westeros don't accept female knights.
That is something I myself was not quite sure of, so I did some research. In short, I haven't found a source saying that only men can be kni… moreghts, though given how heavily Westerosi society favours men when it comes to positions of power, it seems likely. That said, I haven't found anything that outright states that women are forbidden from being knights. It is possible that these incidents are merely extremely rare, even more than women who inherit titles due to a lack of male heirs. However, it is far more likely that women are outright banned from being knighted, or else there surely would have been some mention of a female knight at some point in the books, even just in the backstory.
At first, I thought Brienne would be a classic example of a female knight, but I found a passage from the books in which she explicitly states that she is not a knight. Instead, it seems she merely acts like a knight and embodies basically every knightly v… [view original content]
[Get up and meet with Leo] Now this was a revelation that I did not expect! I figured that there was something more to Sadie than meets the eye and well there certainly is! Sadie has no doubt dealt with plenty in her life and now with her losing her sword hand, it adds even more impact to what was already very impactful for her. I can only imagine that once Sadie is able to tell Melanie what happened with her parents, that is going to no doubt be a very emotional scene.
As for the choice, I think Sadie should [Get up and meet with Leo] It sounds like Sadie has laid around enough and it is time for her to start her newest fight as Wylie said with all of the power that she can. This is only the beginning for Sadie's new life and she should try to tackle it head on and I see this as a small but important first step. I also would like to add that I am very intrigued to see who this guest from Castamere is, I would imagine it is something involving the Ironborn attack that just happened but assuming that this guest from Castamere is a Reyne, I can't help but wonder what else would bring them to Maybros since there is potentially more to it than that. On a side note though, this Wylie character seems familiar and if it is the same one that I am thinking of then well safe to say that this guy is timeless Great part!
Sadie
The voices that reached her ears were muffled, as Sadie slowly opened her eyes. Her senses were still dulled from the deep sleep an… mored she blinked to remain awake. Numb pain was still aching in her head, as she sluggishly rose from her bed. A hearty, yet silent yawn forced its way up her throat, as she approached the light that shined from beneath her door.
By now, the voices had gotten louder, more agitated, though Sadie was still not able to hear any particular words. She straightened her back, before she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Fumbling around in the dark, her hand finally touched the doorknob.
As she turned it and opened the door, the narrowed her eyes for a moment, as the light from the room momentarily caused her discomfort, especially with the headache she was still suffering from. However, now she was able to hear the voices clearly.
“She's your daughter, you oaf!”, a voice spat and Sadie sighed. Her mother had… [view original content]
Sadie
The voices that reached her ears were muffled, as Sadie slowly opened her eyes. Her senses were still dulled from the deep sleep an… mored she blinked to remain awake. Numb pain was still aching in her head, as she sluggishly rose from her bed. A hearty, yet silent yawn forced its way up her throat, as she approached the light that shined from beneath her door.
By now, the voices had gotten louder, more agitated, though Sadie was still not able to hear any particular words. She straightened her back, before she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Fumbling around in the dark, her hand finally touched the doorknob.
As she turned it and opened the door, the narrowed her eyes for a moment, as the light from the room momentarily caused her discomfort, especially with the headache she was still suffering from. However, now she was able to hear the voices clearly.
“She's your daughter, you oaf!”, a voice spat and Sadie sighed. Her mother had… [view original content]
Sadie
The voices that reached her ears were muffled, as Sadie slowly opened her eyes. Her senses were still dulled from the deep sleep an… mored she blinked to remain awake. Numb pain was still aching in her head, as she sluggishly rose from her bed. A hearty, yet silent yawn forced its way up her throat, as she approached the light that shined from beneath her door.
By now, the voices had gotten louder, more agitated, though Sadie was still not able to hear any particular words. She straightened her back, before she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Fumbling around in the dark, her hand finally touched the doorknob.
As she turned it and opened the door, the narrowed her eyes for a moment, as the light from the room momentarily caused her discomfort, especially with the headache she was still suffering from. However, now she was able to hear the voices clearly.
“She's your daughter, you oaf!”, a voice spat and Sadie sighed. Her mother had… [view original content]
Sadie
The voices that reached her ears were muffled, as Sadie slowly opened her eyes. Her senses were still dulled from the deep sleep an… mored she blinked to remain awake. Numb pain was still aching in her head, as she sluggishly rose from her bed. A hearty, yet silent yawn forced its way up her throat, as she approached the light that shined from beneath her door.
By now, the voices had gotten louder, more agitated, though Sadie was still not able to hear any particular words. She straightened her back, before she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Fumbling around in the dark, her hand finally touched the doorknob.
As she turned it and opened the door, the narrowed her eyes for a moment, as the light from the room momentarily caused her discomfort, especially with the headache she was still suffering from. However, now she was able to hear the voices clearly.
“She's your daughter, you oaf!”, a voice spat and Sadie sighed. Her mother had… [view original content]
Now this was a revelation that I did not expect! I figured that there was something more to Sadie than meets the eye and well there certainly is! Sadie has no doubt dealt with plenty in her life and now with her losing her sword hand, it adds even more impact to what was already very impactful for her. I can only imagine that once Sadie is able to tell Melanie what happened with her parents, that is going to no doubt be a very emotional scene.
Oh yes, Sadie has to deal with a lot right now. She has actually more or less supressed the guilt about her mother's death and was fully focussed on finding Melanie, though with everything that happened, the loss of her hand and her best friend, it finally caught up to her, probably at the worst time possible. Eventually, she knows she has to tell Melanie about it, though such a moment won't be easy for either sister. Melanie's current situation is also pretty much unknown, there's a lot of potential to make the whole thing even harder for both.
I also would like to add that I am very intrigued to see who this guest from Castamere is, I would imagine it is something involving the Ironborn attack that just happened but assuming that this guest from Castamere is a Reyne, I can't help but wonder what else would bring them to Maybros since there is potentially more to it than that.
One thing I can at least confirm, since it hasn't been established yet, House Turnberry, the house that rules over Maybros, is actually a vassal of House Reyne, so there surely is a personal interest the Reyne's have in sending someone to learn about the situation after the attack. This character will most likely appear in the next Sadie part and I look forward to establish the coming events there.
On a side note though, this Wylie character seems familiar and if it is the same one that I am thinking of then well safe to say that this guy is timeless
Well, I can confirm that he is a very old man, quite probably among the oldest in the entire story Wylie surely has an interesting backstory and I was looking forward to introduce him in FoT for a while now, so I am excited I finally get to write him.
Ah, no problem There's this little box just above the "Follow this discussion" box and if you check it, your comment will be marked as a spoiler. Before the forum update in the last year, you could remove the spoiler tag if you accidentally hit the box, as far as I know, but ever since "update" last summer, things have gotten a bit more complicated in the forums as a whole.
Great part! Awesome part to kick off Sadie's storyline and boy, she does have a tragic backstory. You were right when you said she wasn't going to get a break. I have a feeling she'll have a pretty dark and bloody remaining storyline throughout FoT, for the most part at least. She just seems like one of those characters.
[Get up and meet with Leo] Sadie has to start getting up and walking at some point, this is a perfect time to do it. Besides, Wylie suggested for her to get up anyway.
Sadie
The voices that reached her ears were muffled, as Sadie slowly opened her eyes. Her senses were still dulled from the deep sleep an… mored she blinked to remain awake. Numb pain was still aching in her head, as she sluggishly rose from her bed. A hearty, yet silent yawn forced its way up her throat, as she approached the light that shined from beneath her door.
By now, the voices had gotten louder, more agitated, though Sadie was still not able to hear any particular words. She straightened her back, before she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Fumbling around in the dark, her hand finally touched the doorknob.
As she turned it and opened the door, the narrowed her eyes for a moment, as the light from the room momentarily caused her discomfort, especially with the headache she was still suffering from. However, now she was able to hear the voices clearly.
“She's your daughter, you oaf!”, a voice spat and Sadie sighed. Her mother had… [view original content]
Sadie
The voices that reached her ears were muffled, as Sadie slowly opened her eyes. Her senses were still dulled from the deep sleep an… mored she blinked to remain awake. Numb pain was still aching in her head, as she sluggishly rose from her bed. A hearty, yet silent yawn forced its way up her throat, as she approached the light that shined from beneath her door.
By now, the voices had gotten louder, more agitated, though Sadie was still not able to hear any particular words. She straightened her back, before she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Fumbling around in the dark, her hand finally touched the doorknob.
As she turned it and opened the door, the narrowed her eyes for a moment, as the light from the room momentarily caused her discomfort, especially with the headache she was still suffering from. However, now she was able to hear the voices clearly.
“She's your daughter, you oaf!”, a voice spat and Sadie sighed. Her mother had… [view original content]
I have a feeling she'll have a pretty dark and bloody remaining storyline throughout FoT, for the most part at least. She just seems like one of those characters.
Oh well... I think I can safely confirm this. She absolutely is this sort of character that seem easy-going and well-adjusted at first, but at the same time have huge issues going on. For a while, she managed to supress them, but the current physical and emotional pain caused them all to catch up with her. Thinking about all that happened, the last couple of years have been seriously dark for Sadie and it is entirely possible that she hasn't even hit rock bottom yet. Argh, I actually kinda feel bad for writing her into that direction now, even though a lot of that stuff, aside from losing her sword hand of course, came from her submission. But well, at the very least she finally has a realistic chance at getting reunited with her sister, so there's a tiny chance that things will start to look up from here on. Probably will take a long while though.
Great part! Awesome part to kick off Sadie's storyline and boy, she does have a tragic backstory. You were right when you said she wasn't go… moreing to get a break. I have a feeling she'll have a pretty dark and bloody remaining storyline throughout FoT, for the most part at least. She just seems like one of those characters.
[Get up and meet with Leo] Sadie has to start getting up and walking at some point, this is a perfect time to do it. Besides, Wylie suggested for her to get up anyway.
Sadie
The voices that reached her ears were muffled, as Sadie slowly opened her eyes. Her senses were still dulled from the deep sleep an… mored she blinked to remain awake. Numb pain was still aching in her head, as she sluggishly rose from her bed. A hearty, yet silent yawn forced its way up her throat, as she approached the light that shined from beneath her door.
By now, the voices had gotten louder, more agitated, though Sadie was still not able to hear any particular words. She straightened her back, before she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Fumbling around in the dark, her hand finally touched the doorknob.
As she turned it and opened the door, the narrowed her eyes for a moment, as the light from the room momentarily caused her discomfort, especially with the headache she was still suffering from. However, now she was able to hear the voices clearly.
“She's your daughter, you oaf!”, a voice spat and Sadie sighed. Her mother had… [view original content]
As you can see by the alternative, this won't change much in sheer plot terms. Sadie's meeting with Leo is going to be central for the next part, one way or the other. However, this is surely going to have an effect on her mental well-being, though this doesn't necessarily has to be good. There are certainly scenarios in which this can actually increase Sadie's trauma, although at the same time, it could have just as well been an important first step on her road to recovery. Sadie should get a pretty interesting storyline from now on, so I hope you look forward for it
The next part should be out today. There is a tiny chance I'm going out for the evening, so I'd hate to keep you waiting for another day, especially as it already took me longer than usual. I struggled a little bit with this next part, though I think I finally found my flow. I am sorry to admit that I have thought of an April Fool's part, but didn't manage to. Mostly because that would absolutely require of me to keep you waiting for yet another day for the real part, which is something I have moral objections against. A shame, as I had a couple of interesting thoughts, though putting them into one coherent part would have been far too much effort for one simple joke. I am sorry
But anyways, to cheer you up, the next part should feature PoV's from Alys and most likely Edrick. I have almost finished Alys' and have to plan ahead, to see if there is enough space left for Edrick's second part, though it seems highly likely. It is going to be the first and unfortunately most likely only part for Alys in this chapter, whereas Edrick will get his second and certainly not last. The last time we saw Alys, she escaped the archive from a murderous spell and she is currently on a boat heading to an unknown destination, together with Edward, Alisa, Carvin, Wilbur and everyone's favourite surprise guest Edrick meanwhile had a small timeskip in which he and his companions have travelled to the northern Riverlands, to the lands just north of the Green Fork, the river which they seek to cross right now. Sending Leo and Darreth ahead, they discovered two paths, one of them leading past a small Ironborn garrison, which they deemed too risky. The other bridge was, according to Darreth, held by a mysterious knight, who demanded a duel with those that wish to cross it. Seeing this single knight as far less of a threat, Edrick and companions decided in favour of it. However, there was a choice regarding Leo. Previously, Dante and Alphyn have both stated their distrust of their companion, something Edrick agreed on. However, Leo actually listened to their conversation and was quite angry about it. The choice was about taking him with them to the bridge, or keeping him behind as back-up in case anything went wrong. You decided in favour of the first option and well, we'll see what this is going to lead to.
Also, well, I hope that new avatar looks as neat as it seemed in the preview, though I am half afraid that the transparent background doesn't really work for anyone but me
Alys was shivering in the cold, as the longship made its way through the fog. The air was chilly and damp, not even the thick cloak she was wrapped in did anything against it. It was almost painful as she shivered, though it was the worst in her left arm, right where that... thing had grabbed her. Even now, she could feel its freezing touch, burning down to her bone. The skin, frankly, showed no marks anymore, if it ever did in the first place.
They had left Raylansfair behind, a smouldering ruin of what it used to be. Alys' illusions went up in flames with it. Edward had been behind this. He attacked a peaceful city, accepted the death of hundreds of innocents, all for... for what exactly? Alys had no idea what he was after in the archive, or if he even found it. She had barely seen him since they had boarded the ship, though apparently, he had been wounded in the fight. A few days ago, she would have actually been concerned for him. Now? The only reason she was still there was the fact that she was on a ship, with no idea where it was, where it was going and how far the coast would be.
“Alys?”, a familiar voice sounded and she sighed. Alisa. The woman was still someone she considered trustworthy. Maybe a friend even, for a lack of any actual friends around. She and Carvin both. With a sigh, Alys turned around, looking into Alisa's concerned face. The sellsword looked even paler than usual in the foggy surroundings and there was something about her Alys considered to be genuine. “How are you feeling?”, she asked.
“I'm cold”, Alys answered and Alisa stepped next to her, putting her arms onto the railing. “I... we are concerned for you”, she revealed and Alys raised an eyebrow. “We?”, she asked. Now, Alisa gulped. “Me, Carvin... Edward”, she answered, hesitating before saying the final name. To this, Alys shook her head. “Edward is not concerned about me”, she said decidedly. “He was willing to risk my life down there. He sacrificed so many others”
“Not you though”, Alisa argued. “I know, it might not sound like much, but when you truly needed to get out of there, he wasted no time. Saving your life and Carvin's as well” She stared into the distance, through the fog. “I've known Edward for two years now and this is the closest thing he ever showed to truly care for anyone”
Alys sighed. “I don't know if I'm supposed to feel better now, because that is seriously messed up”, she answered glumly. Alisa smirked thinly, unsure what to say. “It is”, she finally agreed. “But for Edward's standards, it's almost sweet” She shook her head. “Don't be fooled. What you saw there, that is Edward. A ruthless man, willing to do almost anything to achieve his goals” Still slightly hesitating, she put a hand onto Alys' back. “Almost anything. Not quite all of it”
“Still not feeling any better...”, Alys said dryly. Alisa's smile faded. “What I mean is... you see Edward as some kind of a monster now and I can't blame you. But you're young... well, younger than me and you have seen maybe a fragment of what I have seen”, she replied and looked out into the fog again. “The world is a scary place, little lady. I have seen true monsters. The man I serve under, Ser Rodrik, he killed his own father out of envy. Edward's brother Nain burns people alive just to hear them scream. And both sound harmless compared to the few things I heard about Edward's sister...”
Alys raised an eyebrow, looking at her, while getting slightly closer, to be warmed by the other woman's presence. “Edward has a sister?”, she asked and Alisa shrugged. “I don't know a thing about her, but even Nain seemed afraid when he mentioned her”, she explained. “And Nain... he barely qualifies as a human being in my eyes, that's how much of a monster he is” She sighed, as she glanced over her shoulder. “Edward is the sane one in that family. The one that, believe it or not, actually cares about some people, as small as that number might be”
Alys pressed her lips together, closing her eyes for a moment. “Are you trying to warm me up to Edward?”, she asked. Alisa smiled and shook her head. “Just trying to warm you up in general”, she answered. “Give him a chance, even if you feel he doesn't deserve it. Compared to what's out there, he's one of the better people you could stick with”
Their talk was interrupted by the sound of footsteps across the deck. Alys glanced to her side and saw Carvin approaching them. Tensing up, Alisa pulled away from her and straightened her back, whereas Alys threw a questioning glance at the man. Carvin seemed tired and momentarily looked into the fog with a slightly distant expression on his face, before he pulled himself together.
“Lady Alys”, he greeted her with a nod and she gave him a small, weak smile. “How are you feeling, Carvin?”, she asked him and he sighed. “It's been a long night”, he admitted, though he quickly regained his composure. “Edward wishes to speak to you”
Alys tensed up, though before she was able to answer, Alisa spoke. “What for?”, she asked coldly and Carvin raised an eyebrow at her tone. “He didn't tell me”, he replied. “Is there a problem?” Alisa shook her head. “I was just wondering if it's his wish or his order”, she explained. Glumly, Carvin shrugged. “With him it's both, I presume”, he said.
Closing her eyes for a second, Alys took a step away from the railing. “I better don't keep him waiting then”, she said with as little enthusiasm as possible. As she started to walk, Alisa and Carvin flanked her. On the other side of the ship, she spotted Wilbur, working on something. The young raider spotted her and greeted her with a nod, which she briefly reciprocated.
She noticed that both of her companions were exchanging a look, until Alisa diverted her attention to the man sitting on the stairs next to the door that led to the lower deck, where Edward had his quartes. Bear had his head raised, his scarred face forming a grin as he laid eyes on her. Ever since she had noticed his presence aboard, she had tried her best not to get too close to him.
“Where are you going?”, he growled, slowly raising from the ground. Alisa narrowed her eyes and Carvin replied in her stead. “Edward requested her presence”, he said. To this, Bear's grin grew wider, though more threatening at the same time. He slowly moved his fingers, still in the terrifying knife-glove of his.
“So, you're telling me that Anturion keeps me waiting for hours and then he wants to see the little girl first?”, he growled. Nonchalantly, Carvin gave him a nod. “Looks like it”, he said and with a low growl, not unlike the animal that had given him his nickname, Bear moved his hand, faster than any of them could react, pointing a finger at Carvin, the tip of the blade stopping just inches before his eye. The crossbowman didn't even flinch.
“Careful, runt!”, the bandit spat. “My men make up half of this ship's remaining crew. Anturion promised us fucking riches and so far we got less than shit” Slowly, he lowered his arm again. “You tell him I want to see him. I will wait until he's done fucking his little bitch here, but he better makes me a good offer, or I'll take her next”
Alys narrowed her eyes, though Alisa was quick to push her towards the door. Carvin took a deep breath. “I will tell him”, he agreed. “Edward will speak to you as quickly as possible. No need for violence, I am sure you will come to an agreement” Bear gave him a nod, followed by one final grin towards Alys. “Oh, we will”, he confirmed. With these words, he stepped aside, allowing the three to enter the lower decks.
Edward was waiting for them in his room, a small, dark cabin, almost hot compared to the chilly breeze above. The light of a candle illuminated the sparse furniture, including the bed he sat on. He wasn't wearing a shirt and Alys could see the bandages around his chest, with the dark spot near his shoulder, where he was wounded. A freshly stitched wound on his face would likely heal into an ugly scar. In general, he didn't look too good. His hair in a mess, his skin pale and sweaty, he gave her a tired look. “Mylady, I am glad you were able to come”
The presence of Alisa and Carvin gave her a sense of security, so Alys managed to give him a brave nod, despite how shaken she was at the encounter with Bear. “What is it?”, she asked, coldly and sternly. Edward sighed. “I am sorry that you got hurt during our raid”, he told her and she glared at him. “So, it's our raid now?”, she hissed.
To this, Edward shook his head. “My raid”, he corrected himself. “It doesn't change that I am sorry. Risking your health is the last thing I wanted” Her glare grew more intense. “Seems to me the last thing you wanted is risking your mission”, she replied. “And for what? Where is this artifact you've been looking for?”
Edward took a moment to answer. “I... lost it”, he admitted. “It was taken from me” He and Carvin exchanged a glance. “But I know how to get it back”, he said and a small smile formed on his face. “The red lion has it and before the end, he will give it to me” Though Alys had no idea what this meant, Carvin obviously had. “Ser... with all due respect, I don't think we have enough men for this”, he argued.
“We haven't”, Edward confirmed. “But I know someone that has. That's why we're heading towards him now” This time, it was Alisa who knew what this meant. She put a hand onto her forehead. “Ser... you don't mean to visit your brother, don't you?”
To this, Edward chuckled, though it obviously put him through some pain. “My dear Alisa, I can assure you, Nain is the last person I want to see right now”, he told her. “No... I plan to visit someone else” Alys rolled her eyes at his answer. “To whom then?”, she said with impatience. “I am sick of being shipped around by you. You told me you'd bring me to Dorne, you promised me!”
Edward raised an eyebrow in surprise at her outburst. “I did and I absolutely intend to keep my promise”, he assured her. “In fact, my benefactor is in Dorne, so my plans involve both. Getting you to where you wanted to be and getting my men for the next step of my plans” He leant forwards, cold sweat running down his forehead. “We set sails towards the Stepstone Islands, just near the dornish coast”, he revealed.
Now, it was Carvin who sighed. “Blacksails?”, he asked and Edward gave him a nod. “Aeron Blacksails, Pirate King of the Narrow Sea”, he answered and with a smirk, he looked back at Alys. “Have you ever met a king, mylady?” She silently shook her head and his expression grew softer. “Then you will. I assure you, there is nothing to fear, not with me by your side. Blacksails is an ally, and my friends are his” In a sudden, good mood, he gave her a wink. “I shall fulfil my promise to you after all”
No Choices for this part
Edrick
“There he is”, Darreth said, as he pointed into the distance. Edrick narrowed his eyes and indeed, the squire had told the truth. There was a small stone bridge across the murky waters of the Green Fork and just as he had said, there was a knight standing in its centre. It was a tall man in full armour, a heavy helmet concealing the face. He held a spiked mace in one hand, the other resting on a tall wooden shield.
Another man was there was well, as they rode down the path that led to the bridge. He had the typically fair skin and dark hair of a northerner, with a thick beard, clad in darkened leather. Even from afar, his frustration was visible and audible. “I'm telling you again, you crazy boy, just let me pass! Seven fucking Hells, this is unbelievable”, he barked.
Dante raised an eyebrow. “I... did not expect that”, he admitted. His friend smirked at his confusion. “Quite the sight, eh?”, he chuckled. “And you thought I was exaggerating things” Dante gave him a nod. “I did and... damn, what's he doing there?”
“Yeah, what kind of a lunatic guards a bridge?”, Alphyn spoke up. Edrick said nothing at this. Instead, he focussed on the two men in front of him, the knight on the bridge and the other traveller just in front of it. This was surely a situation, though he was not sure how severe it was.
The traveller was the first to react to them. With a sigh, he turned towards them. “Finally, people”, he exclaimed, as he saw them approaching. “Come on, maybe you can talk some sense into that kid” Edrick stopped his horse, with his companions just behind him. As he descended from the animal, Dante and Alphyn did the same, though Darreth and Leo remained on horseback.
Flanked by the other two men, Edrick approached the bridge, giving the traveller a nod. “Good day, Ser”, he greeted him. “Is there a problem” Quickly, the man nodded his head. “Hell yeah there is. Some little kid in armour block this bridge, that's the damn problem”, he replied, before he sighed, calming down in the process. “I'm sorry, I don't want to rant here. The name's Jorid. I wanted to travel down that road, but this... so-called knight isn't letting me”
“It's because of your insult!”, the knight's voice sounded and Edrick was surprised at how youthful it sounded. This man was a lot younger than he had thought. He nodded his helmed head as a greeting. “Don't listen to him, Ser”, he said. “I am merely defending my honour here, by demanding to duel this man”
Edrick raised an eyebrow. “Your honour?”, he said. “What did Jorid here say that insulted you so badly?” Jorid chuckled at this. “Nothing”, he answered. “Nothing too bad at least. I merely questioned this boy's age. Asked him if he isn't a bit too young to be a knight” He shook his head. “Hells, I fucking hate knights”
To this, Dante narrowed his eyes. “As a matter of fact, I am a knight. We all are”, he replied coldly. “This is Ser Edrick of the Wolfswood, our companion Ser Alphyn Frostborn and myself, Ser Dante Karstark” He pointed behind his back, at Darreth. “My friend right there, Darreth Kailen, he's my squire and will be knighted as well once I deem him worthy of this honour”
Jorid frowned at these words. Slowly he raised his hands. “Okay, okay...”, he mumbled. “I meant no offence, Ser” Dante gave him a mild nod. “None taken”, he assured him. “But let's get to the bottom of this. Maybe we can work something out” He looked at the knight. “Ser, we told you our names. It would be polite of you to reveal yours”
The knight nodded again. “You are right. Apologies, I wasn't aware I was in the presence of knights here” He put a hand onto his chest. “My name is Ser Reymond Mormont” Edrick threw a glance at the man's shield. He wasn't an expert on heraldry, but even he knew that this wasn't the Mormont sigil. Reymond's shield was coloured in blue, adorned by a yellow fish. Though he raised an eyebrow at this strange detail, he remained silent about it.
“Greetings, Ser Reymond”, he said. “Dante is right. There has to be something we can do to work this out” Immediately, Reymond shook his head. “I'm afraid no, Ser”, he answered. “This man insulted me in my honour by calling me a little boy. For this, I have challenged him to a duel and I will not allow him to pass any further until he accepts”
Jorid sighed. “See what I have to deal with?”, he complained. “Listen, I'm not the bad guy here. Yeah, I was a little too carefree with my words, but come on, that guy is way out of line” Edrick remained silent, though Dante answered to this. “He is”, he agreed. “And as I have said, maybe there is a peaceful solution to this”
Edrick finally shrugged. “Maybe”, he answered. “But to be fair, this is none of our business. We have a duty towards Lady Alys” He looked towards the knight on the bridge. “Ser Reymond, me and my men have no quarrel with you. We'd like to cross the bridge, so that we can continue on our quest”
To his surprise, the knight shook his head, firmly grabbing his spiked mace. “I'm afraid I can't allow that, Ser”, he said. “I will stand guard on this bridge until the coward accepts my challenge and allows me to regain my honour in fair combat” A smirk flashed across Jorid's face. “None of your business, huh?”, he said. “I told you that boy can't be reasoned with”
“Well, that's just great”, Edrick said with a sigh. “I suppose we can't convince you to take up on his challenge?” Jorid decidedly shook his head. “No way. I'm not going to fight that guy”, he clarified. “I mean, look at him. No matter how young he is under that armour, he's still a knight. Taller than me and probably got training ten times as good”
A slight grin flashed across Alphyn's face. “So, he wants a duel, huh?”, he said and Edrick was slightly concerned by the sudden enthusiasm in the man's face. “I say we give him a duel” Dante raised an eyebrow. “You mean you wish to fight him?”
Without missing a beat, Alphyn gave him a nod. “I mean, I am a knight as well. Surely I can fight in Jorid's stead. Beating some sense into that kid so that we can finally cross that bridge” He glanced at Reymond. “You'd be okay with me fighting in his stead?”, he yelled.
After a moment of consideration, the knight gave him a nod. “I would”, he answered with his boyish voice and Edrick had to wonder just how old this self-proclaimed knight truly was. Surely barely out of his teens at most. He didn't feel good with fighting against a boy and wasn't too sure if he should allow Alphyn to do such a thing.
“Well, I'd be okay with that as well”, Jorid interjected. “Naturally, I mean. Listen, if you're doing this, or if you get him to back down in any other way, then I owe you one” Alphyn gave him a nod. “We'll think of something once I cleared the path”
Finally, Edrick noticed the frown on Dante's face. “This is not a good idea”, the younger knight protested. “A duel for the right reasons would be something I might agree to, but this? Reymond has no reason to be so aggravated, yes, but that doesn't give us the right to cut him down”
“So, how do you wish to deal with this situation?”, Alphyn asked. “Keep in mind, we shouldn't stay here for too long. Who knows when the next Ironborn patrol goes this way. Don't know about you, but I'd rather not be caught by them”
“I know”, Dante agreed grimly. “Though I still think it's worth a try to talk with him” He looked at Edrick. “Your opinion on the topic, Ser?” Edrick sighed. This was quite a shitty situation he found himself in here. “I'm not much of a talker”, he said. “All I could do would be to take Ser Alphyn's place in this fight”
“Works for me”, Alphyn agreed. “As long as we get to cross the bridge, I don't care who gets to beat that boy senseless” A smug grin formed on his face. “That's what he gets for trying to stop us” Dante sighed. “As I said, that is not necessary”, he argued, before he looked at Edrick. “Before either of you step onto that bridge to fight, allow me to try a less bloody solution. If that fails, if there's no other way, then you can still duel him, though at least try to keep him alive”
“Yeah, by then the Ironborn might have already caught up to us”, Alphyn brought up. “I say we fight him right away. For a boy his age, I'd probably need about two minutes. And yeah, I'll try to keep him alive. Not too keen on killing someone over this either”
Both men looked at Edrick, expecting his input on the situation. He didn't want to fight Reymond, but at the same time, perhaps he'd be a better choice than Alphyn. At least he would try not to hurt the boy too much. Dante's offer was tempting. Talking their way through this, it wasn't how Edrick usually solved conflict, but perhaps it would be worth a try. Then again, Alphyn brought up a point he had to consider. If Dante would fail, if they'd waste time here, who could know what would happen as a result?
[Fight Reymond][Allow Alphyn to fight][Try to talk Reymond down]
Alys
Alys was shivering in the cold, as the longship made its way through the fog. The air was chilly and damp, not even the thick cloak … moreshe was wrapped in did anything against it. It was almost painful as she shivered, though it was the worst in her left arm, right where that... thing had grabbed her. Even now, she could feel its freezing touch, burning down to her bone. The skin, frankly, showed no marks anymore, if it ever did in the first place.
They had left Raylansfair behind, a smouldering ruin of what it used to be. Alys' illusions went up in flames with it. Edward had been behind this. He attacked a peaceful city, accepted the death of hundreds of innocents, all for... for what exactly? Alys had no idea what he was after in the archive, or if he even found it. She had barely seen him since they had boarded the ship, though apparently, he had been wounded in the fight. A few days ago, she would have actually been concerned for h… [view original content]
Nah, screw Edward! "He's not as bad as these other people" just doesn't work for me. He's proven himself to be a two-faced scumbag and that opinion isn't charging.
Alys
Alys was shivering in the cold, as the longship made its way through the fog. The air was chilly and damp, not even the thick cloak … moreshe was wrapped in did anything against it. It was almost painful as she shivered, though it was the worst in her left arm, right where that... thing had grabbed her. Even now, she could feel its freezing touch, burning down to her bone. The skin, frankly, showed no marks anymore, if it ever did in the first place.
They had left Raylansfair behind, a smouldering ruin of what it used to be. Alys' illusions went up in flames with it. Edward had been behind this. He attacked a peaceful city, accepted the death of hundreds of innocents, all for... for what exactly? Alys had no idea what he was after in the archive, or if he even found it. She had barely seen him since they had boarded the ship, though apparently, he had been wounded in the fight. A few days ago, she would have actually been concerned for h… [view original content]
To be fair, Alisa's opinion on him isn't all that positive either. However, while Edward is very much a two-faced scumbag, as you said, he is at least somewhat benevolent towards Alys, which does set him apart from even worse people, such as Wolfius or Harmund. Alisa's main concern is that Alys could now leave Edward's company and therefore her own watchful presence after the events down in the archive, which is something that could very likely end in great tragedy. So, she's not exactly trying to change Alys' opinion on Edward, though she is trying to make her see how easily it could get much worse for her personally. Due to a current lack of realistic alternatives, he is the best she has for an ally, which is kinda scary, come to think of it.
[Try to talk Reymond down]
Nah, screw Edward! "He's not as bad as these other people" just doesn't work for me. He's proven himself to be a two-faced scumbag and that opinion isn't charging.
[Fight Reymond] If this kid is as knightly as he says, showing off with a feat of strength may convience him to stand down. Plus this seems more interesting. Oh, where was Leo during that? If I remember correctly, we brought him along. Maybe he's just being real sneaky like, again. As for Alys, ain't no party like a pirate party cause a pirate party don't stop. She is getting farther and farther away from Edrick, will they ever find her? Hopefully that package was worth the trouble, because it looks like we know what Wilifred's storyline is going to be later on in the chapter.
Alys
Alys was shivering in the cold, as the longship made its way through the fog. The air was chilly and damp, not even the thick cloak … moreshe was wrapped in did anything against it. It was almost painful as she shivered, though it was the worst in her left arm, right where that... thing had grabbed her. Even now, she could feel its freezing touch, burning down to her bone. The skin, frankly, showed no marks anymore, if it ever did in the first place.
They had left Raylansfair behind, a smouldering ruin of what it used to be. Alys' illusions went up in flames with it. Edward had been behind this. He attacked a peaceful city, accepted the death of hundreds of innocents, all for... for what exactly? Alys had no idea what he was after in the archive, or if he even found it. She had barely seen him since they had boarded the ship, though apparently, he had been wounded in the fight. A few days ago, she would have actually been concerned for h… [view original content]
Oh, where was Leo during that? If I remember correctly, we brought him along. Maybe he's just being real sneaky like, again
He is indeed super sneaky, but he is mentioned exactly once in this part, where he and Darreth remain on horseback, while Edrick, Dante and Alphyn approach the bridge on foot. Since he is Leo, he's not the most chatty person either way. However, the choice to bring him along will change quite something in a coming Edrick part, either the next one or the one after that, depending on how many parts I decide to give Edrick in this chapter.
As for Alys, ain't no party like a pirate party cause a pirate party don't stop. She is getting farther and farther away from Edrick, will they ever find her?
Aye, Alys is soon going to meet pirates, including the pirate king, a character I have first mentioned ages ago and whom I can't wait to finally introduce At the same time, this is the furthest she has ever been from anyone who could potentially bring her back home. Dorne is admittedly the place where she always wanted to be though, so maybe she'll be happy there.
Hopefully that package was worth the trouble, because it looks like we know what Wilifred's storyline is going to be later on in the chapter.
Willfred will certainly learn more about this artifact Edward was looking for. Though it remains to be seen if it was truly worth the trouble and Edward's anger. Perhaps this is something everyone has to decide for themselves here.
[Fight Reymond] If this kid is as knightly as he says, showing off with a feat of strength may convience him to stand down. Plus this seems … moremore interesting. Oh, where was Leo during that? If I remember correctly, we brought him along. Maybe he's just being real sneaky like, again. As for Alys, ain't no party like a pirate party cause a pirate party don't stop. She is getting farther and farther away from Edrick, will they ever find her? Hopefully that package was worth the trouble, because it looks like we know what Wilifred's storyline is going to be later on in the chapter.
Worst case scenario here is that we fight him anyway. Might as well try and calm him down.
Hm. Blacksails, an enemy of Butterfly. Hm. Wouldn't make a lot of sense if Anturion was in fact working for Mullendore.
Also, I wonder if that prophecy Noelle showed Marak in Chapter 1 that mentioned something about a snake biting a red lion relates to Anturion's plans. Don't know the sigils of all the ironborn stuff and Anturion, but it could be.
Alys
Alys was shivering in the cold, as the longship made its way through the fog. The air was chilly and damp, not even the thick cloak … moreshe was wrapped in did anything against it. It was almost painful as she shivered, though it was the worst in her left arm, right where that... thing had grabbed her. Even now, she could feel its freezing touch, burning down to her bone. The skin, frankly, showed no marks anymore, if it ever did in the first place.
They had left Raylansfair behind, a smouldering ruin of what it used to be. Alys' illusions went up in flames with it. Edward had been behind this. He attacked a peaceful city, accepted the death of hundreds of innocents, all for... for what exactly? Alys had no idea what he was after in the archive, or if he even found it. She had barely seen him since they had boarded the ship, though apparently, he had been wounded in the fight. A few days ago, she would have actually been concerned for h… [view original content]
Oh Alys why can't you trust Edward. It shouldn't be hard, he's smart, nice, daring and kills people he doesn't like without remorse. Really what else could a girl want? I'm surprised she resists swooning!
Anyway yeah I'm pretty sure that if Alys met the Anturion siblings she would beg to be with Edward again. Alisa is hardened and brave and even she is paranoid to meet Nain again not to mention their dear sister. Hopefully Alys will realize what's best for her in this situation before she falls in the hands of Bear or the like.
[Try to talk Reymond down]
Its always good to try new things Edrick , who knows maybe this is the start of a new load of options for you. If not feel free to bust their chins in.
Alys
Alys was shivering in the cold, as the longship made its way through the fog. The air was chilly and damp, not even the thick cloak … moreshe was wrapped in did anything against it. It was almost painful as she shivered, though it was the worst in her left arm, right where that... thing had grabbed her. Even now, she could feel its freezing touch, burning down to her bone. The skin, frankly, showed no marks anymore, if it ever did in the first place.
They had left Raylansfair behind, a smouldering ruin of what it used to be. Alys' illusions went up in flames with it. Edward had been behind this. He attacked a peaceful city, accepted the death of hundreds of innocents, all for... for what exactly? Alys had no idea what he was after in the archive, or if he even found it. She had barely seen him since they had boarded the ship, though apparently, he had been wounded in the fight. A few days ago, she would have actually been concerned for h… [view original content]
Alys
Alys was shivering in the cold, as the longship made its way through the fog. The air was chilly and damp, not even the thick cloak … moreshe was wrapped in did anything against it. It was almost painful as she shivered, though it was the worst in her left arm, right where that... thing had grabbed her. Even now, she could feel its freezing touch, burning down to her bone. The skin, frankly, showed no marks anymore, if it ever did in the first place.
They had left Raylansfair behind, a smouldering ruin of what it used to be. Alys' illusions went up in flames with it. Edward had been behind this. He attacked a peaceful city, accepted the death of hundreds of innocents, all for... for what exactly? Alys had no idea what he was after in the archive, or if he even found it. She had barely seen him since they had boarded the ship, though apparently, he had been wounded in the fight. A few days ago, she would have actually been concerned for h… [view original content]
Alright, Wilfred, now you're officially fucked. Even though I can't remember if he took anything from the Ironborn, the situation's really bad. Now this prophecy of the serpent killing the red lion won't let me calm down RUN, YOU FOOL! ESCAPE TO ESSOS!
Alys
Alys was shivering in the cold, as the longship made its way through the fog. The air was chilly and damp, not even the thick cloak … moreshe was wrapped in did anything against it. It was almost painful as she shivered, though it was the worst in her left arm, right where that... thing had grabbed her. Even now, she could feel its freezing touch, burning down to her bone. The skin, frankly, showed no marks anymore, if it ever did in the first place.
They had left Raylansfair behind, a smouldering ruin of what it used to be. Alys' illusions went up in flames with it. Edward had been behind this. He attacked a peaceful city, accepted the death of hundreds of innocents, all for... for what exactly? Alys had no idea what he was after in the archive, or if he even found it. She had barely seen him since they had boarded the ship, though apparently, he had been wounded in the fight. A few days ago, she would have actually been concerned for h… [view original content]
[Allow Alphyn to fight] I think that will be a much cooler outcome that will finally bring some action in Edrick storyline (leaving aside that I have the impression that try to talk with the young knight will be only a waste of time)
RT:
Alys last part for this book was interesting,I really like the talk between her and Alisa
Edward has a sister even worse of his brother?Well,that is not a very good news!
And we are finally going to see the pirate king!He is a character that wad mentioned a really long time ago and I can feel the hype for his first appearence!
This part show me that Willfred has obtain a really huge number of enemies (and they will not even be the last of his villain list)
Speaking of Edrick PoV where is Leo York?He should have been with the others members of the party following the last choice
All this knight situation it's so weird that I have to agree with the poor traveller (however I'm curious to discover why the kid decide to protect the bridge)
Alys
Alys was shivering in the cold, as the longship made its way through the fog. The air was chilly and damp, not even the thick cloak … moreshe was wrapped in did anything against it. It was almost painful as she shivered, though it was the worst in her left arm, right where that... thing had grabbed her. Even now, she could feel its freezing touch, burning down to her bone. The skin, frankly, showed no marks anymore, if it ever did in the first place.
They had left Raylansfair behind, a smouldering ruin of what it used to be. Alys' illusions went up in flames with it. Edward had been behind this. He attacked a peaceful city, accepted the death of hundreds of innocents, all for... for what exactly? Alys had no idea what he was after in the archive, or if he even found it. She had barely seen him since they had boarded the ship, though apparently, he had been wounded in the fight. A few days ago, she would have actually been concerned for h… [view original content]
Hm. Blacksails, an enemy of Butterfly. Hm. Wouldn't make a lot of sense if Anturion was in fact working for Mullendore.
Ah, I see you remember him, very good Indeed, Blacksails is far from a friend of Butterfly, considering he drove him out of Oldtown years ago and therefore away from a likely very lucrative business. However, it is very likely that he doesn't know about Mullendore's secret identity as Butterfly and assumes the two to be different people. So, at least in theory, Anturion could just work for both, betting on neither of them ever finding out about this. I can confirm that you will get more hints at the answer to this in a later part in this chapter.
Also, I wonder if that prophecy Noelle showed Marak in Chapter 1 that mentioned something about a snake biting a red lion relates to Anturion's plans. Don't know the sigils of all the ironborn stuff and Anturion, but it could be.
That is an interesting thought for sure. I can reveal that Edward doesn't have a personal sigil and that no Ironborn house has a snake as their sigil either. The red lion is obviously a member of House Reyne, with Willfred being a very likely possibility. As for the snake, Anturion is certainly still a possible guess, though not the only one who would fit.
[Try to talk Reymond down]
Worst case scenario here is that we fight him anyway. Might as well try and calm him down.
Hm. Blacksails, … morean enemy of Butterfly. Hm. Wouldn't make a lot of sense if Anturion was in fact working for Mullendore.
Also, I wonder if that prophecy Noelle showed Marak in Chapter 1 that mentioned something about a snake biting a red lion relates to Anturion's plans. Don't know the sigils of all the ironborn stuff and Anturion, but it could be.
Oh Alys why can't you trust Edward. It shouldn't be hard, he's smart, nice, daring and kills people he doesn't like without remorse. Really what else could a girl want? I'm surprised she resists swooning!
Yeah, I don't know what her deal is either. I mean, realistically there is no reason why she's not falling for him. There is this dashing pirate, who saves her life from Harlan Hoare, treats her with kindness, drags her into a besieged city, drains her blood and outright murders some of their companions right in front of her eyes and indirectly blames her for it, before putting her into danger of being killed by an ancient spell. I really don't know why she's not swooning over him. It simply appears that nice guys like Edward just don't have any chances with girls like her.
Anyway yeah I'm pretty sure that if Alys met the Anturion siblings she would beg to be with Edward again. Alisa is hardened and brave and even she is paranoid to meet Nain again not to mention their dear sister. Hopefully Alys will realize what's best for her in this situation before she falls in the hands of Bear or the like.
This however can be seen as a certainty. Alisa knows Nain personally, so she knows what she's talking about and she has very good reason to be afraid of him. Then there is the sister... and man, I think you know best what kind of a person she is Alys very much met the best of the Anturion family, but to be honest, being the best next to Nain and their sister is not very hard. Still, Edward is no Bear, so there's at least a tiny silver lining for her.
Oh Alys why can't you trust Edward. It shouldn't be hard, he's smart, nice, daring and kills people he doesn't like without remorse. Really … morewhat else could a girl want? I'm surprised she resists swooning!
Anyway yeah I'm pretty sure that if Alys met the Anturion siblings she would beg to be with Edward again. Alisa is hardened and brave and even she is paranoid to meet Nain again not to mention their dear sister. Hopefully Alys will realize what's best for her in this situation before she falls in the hands of Bear or the like.
[Try to talk Reymond down]
Its always good to try new things Edrick , who knows maybe this is the start of a new load of options for you. If not feel free to bust their chins in.
Alys
Alys was shivering in the cold, as the longship made its way through the fog. The air was chilly and damp, not even the thick cloak … moreshe was wrapped in did anything against it. It was almost painful as she shivered, though it was the worst in her left arm, right where that... thing had grabbed her. Even now, she could feel its freezing touch, burning down to her bone. The skin, frankly, showed no marks anymore, if it ever did in the first place.
They had left Raylansfair behind, a smouldering ruin of what it used to be. Alys' illusions went up in flames with it. Edward had been behind this. He attacked a peaceful city, accepted the death of hundreds of innocents, all for... for what exactly? Alys had no idea what he was after in the archive, or if he even found it. She had barely seen him since they had boarded the ship, though apparently, he had been wounded in the fight. A few days ago, she would have actually been concerned for h… [view original content]
Even though I can't remember if he took anything from the Ironborn, the situation's really bad.
Well, he did take the artifact Edward wanted. They got into a duel at the end of last chapter, which ended with Edward getting badly wounded and losing this artifact he wanted to retrieve from the archive. Nothing is known about that thing yet, but Willfred's next part should give you at least a bit of an idea.
Now this prophecy of the serpent killing the red lion won't let me calm down RUN, YOU FOOL! ESCAPE TO ESSOS!
Aye, there is this prophecy and while I naturally can't say anything that would be a spoiler, I can at least, to be fair, tell you that the serpent was not shown to outright kill the lion, merely to bite him. Of course, that doesn't mean the red lion will survive this encounter either. It's very much up in the air. Although, trust me there, Essos is the last place Willfred would want to be in such a situation. Edward's brother, whom I have once fittingly described as Edward on bath salts, is actually a warlord in central Essos, which means that if Willfred would ever get there, he'd have a serious opponent against him, far more brutal than Edward could ever be.
[Allow Alphyn to fight]
Alright, Wilfred, now you're officially fucked. Even though I can't remember if he took anything from the Ironbor… moren, the situation's really bad. Now this prophecy of the serpent killing the red lion won't let me calm down RUN, YOU FOOL! ESCAPE TO ESSOS!
Alys last part for this book was interesting,I really like the talk between her and Alisa
I am glad to hear it! I would have liked to expand it a little bit, but had no choice that Alys could realistically make there and I didn't want to leave you without one, so I decided to put Edrick's PoV in there as well. Alys is going to have a very interesting storyline coming up in Book 2, that much I can promise.
Edward has a sister even worse of his brother?Well,that is not a very good news!
And you haven't even met his brother. Trust me, this is really bad news. Of course, Alisa doesn't know this sister personally, though she knows that Nain is hesitant to speak about her. For this, it must be known that Nain is an absolute lunatic. We're talking about Gregor Clegane levels of aggression and sociopathy. If he hesitates to speak about someone, this someone must terrify him. Then again, as I said, Alisa doesn't know her personally. Though she will appear in time, this much I can promise
And we are finally going to see the pirate king!He is a character that wad mentioned a really long time ago and I can feel the hype for his first appearence!
Aeron Blacksails, yes! He is one of the oldest submitted characters actually, submitted over two years ago, so I look forward to finally introduce him in the first chapter of Book 2. He is really an interesting guy and it has always been part of my plans to have him appear in Alys' storyline, a meeting I hope is going to be as interesting as it sounds in my plans.
This part show me that Willfred has obtain a really huge number of enemies (and they will not even be the last of his villain list)
Willfred is indeed in a dangerous position now. Edward is an opponent that should be taken seriously and while he is the only one with a personal grudge, he has powerful allies who might pose even more of a threat.
Speaking of Edrick PoV where is Leo York?He should have been with the others members of the party following the last choice
Leo was indeed tagging along, he was mentioned in this sentence:
As he descended from the animal, Dante and Alphyn did the same, though Darreth and Leo remained on horseback.
Of course, him being Leo, he remained silent for these talks and merely watched Edrick and co. in their discussion with Reymond and Jorid. Taking him with you will be important in the final part of Edrick's Chapter 9 storyline, which is either be his next or the one after that, depending on how long I can make his storyline. It will give you an important detail you otherwise wouldn't have gotten, so it was a really important choice, this I can tell you.
All this knight situation it's so weird that I have to agree with the poor traveller (however I'm curious to discover why the kid decide to protect the bridge)
Well, Reymond doesn't really protect this bridge all that much, he merely chose it as the duel ground between him and Jorid, who insulted him. Reymond has a very traditional, perhaps even somewhat naive image of knighthood and he feels deeply insulted by some of the things Jorid carelessly said. The bridge just happened to be close by when these perceived insults were uttered, so it was a natural choice for him. He's no Jarow and couldn't care less about this bridge, it's just the location he chose for their duel. And keep in mind, he is a Mormont, which makes him naturally stubborn when it comes to these things.
[Allow Alphyn to fight] I think that will be a much cooler outcome that will finally bring some action in Edrick storyline (leaving aside th… moreat I have the impression that try to talk with the young knight will be only a waste of time)
RT:
* Alys last part for this book was interesting,I really like the talk between her and Alisa
* Edward has a sister even worse of his brother?Well,that is not a very good news!
* And we are finally going to see the pirate king!He is a character that wad mentioned a really long time ago and I can feel the hype for his first appearence!
* This part show me that Willfred has obtain a really huge number of enemies (and they will not even be the last of his villain list)
* Speaking of Edrick PoV where is Leo York?He should have been with the others members of the party following the last choice
* All this knight situation it's so weird that I have to agree with the poor traveller (however I'm curious to discover why the kid decide to protect the bridge)
Man now I really wish Willfred declared support for Argella. Without Durrandon troops, now he's got the Ironborn to deal with and something worse.
This would have been a wise choice indeed. Having Argella in power would have been beneficial for Willfred, but also for Lucas, who would have had at least some protection from Mullendore and Petyr. Ultimately, even supporting Hobert would have been better than supporting no one and just seeing where things will lead to, because now Willfred stands without allies against Edward's wrath. Of course, he is still the son of the most powerful Lannister bannerman, so he might not be entirely screwed, but by failing to gain an ally in Raylansfair, his situation certainly hasn't improved.
On a brighter note, I can't wait to see what locations in Dorne we'll be taken to with Alys. Who knows, maybe she'll get her happy ending.
insert Ramsay gif in reply
This is the Ramsay gif you expected, right?
But well, Alys' adventures in Dorne will surely not be all sunshine and rainbows. So far, she has this idealized opinion on what life in Dorne is like, so actually seeing it, especially by meeting a pirate king and his low-life followers, that could very well be an eye opener for her
[Allow Alphyn to fight]
Man now I really wish Willfred declared support for Argella. Without Durrandon troops, now he's got the Ironborn … moreto deal with and something worse.
On a brighter note, I can't wait to see what locations in Dorne we'll be taken to with Alys. Who knows, maybe she'll get her happy ending.
insert Ramsay gif in reply
Comments
The Voting is closed!
Jaron is going to tell Farris their real names
Well... this was an important choice, that much I can already tell. Naturally, I can't say if it is for the better or the worse. You brought up good arguments for both and frankly, it could go either way. Both options would have been quite a bit of a gamble, but you chose it when you decided for Jaron to try a more diplomatic approach. One way or the other, this choice will change quite something. Of course, now it means that Jaron puts his trust into Farris' honesty instead of his own ability to deceive.
The next part is halfway written and should be ready in a few hours. It's going to be the first part of Sadie's storyline in this chapter. As you remember, the Raid on Maybros which she fought back in the last chapter ended catastrophically for her. Though the Ironborn were defeated, Sadie herself got into a duel with Durren Stallhart, who completely outclassed her. This duel ended with him severing her right hand. Dan, who tried to come to her aid, was unceremoniously killed by Stallhart as well, before the captain himself was forced to retreat by Leo and his men. Sadie herself was saved by Blane, the sellsword that had seemingly taken a liking to her, though her current fate is very much up in the air. I have written about half of the part and... whew... save to say that she won't get much of a break in this chapter.
Sadie
The voices that reached her ears were muffled, as Sadie slowly opened her eyes. Her senses were still dulled from the deep sleep and she blinked to remain awake. Numb pain was still aching in her head, as she sluggishly rose from her bed. A hearty, yet silent yawn forced its way up her throat, as she approached the light that shined from beneath her door.
By now, the voices had gotten louder, more agitated, though Sadie was still not able to hear any particular words. She straightened her back, before she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Fumbling around in the dark, her hand finally touched the doorknob.
As she turned it and opened the door, the narrowed her eyes for a moment, as the light from the room momentarily caused her discomfort, especially with the headache she was still suffering from. However, now she was able to hear the voices clearly.
“She's your daughter, you oaf!”, a voice spat and Sadie sighed. Her mother had been drinking again, she heard it in her voice. “What do you want me to do? We tried everything!”, her father replied and Sadie rolled her eyes. Another argument. Every night the same damn thing. Her mother would drink and would start to blame her father, or her remaining daughter if things were particularly dire. She couldn't have any of this. Not this time.
With a sigh, she turned away from the door, closing it behind her. “So, get off your ass and try to find her!”, her mother yelled, clearly audible even through the closed door this time. “And ignoring my other daughter?”, her father said. “Sadie needs us just as well! She nearly died in the Marches!”
All of a sudden, pain flashed through Sadie's right wrist and with a confused frown, she moved her other hand to massage the aching spot. Blinking away the tears of frustration that formed as she heard her parents arguing, she moved back to her bed. In the darkness, she was able to make out the hint of Melanie's bed, all empty and cold, at the other end of the room.
“So what? It's not as if she's doing much here”, her mother yelled this time and Sadie bit down on her lower lip. So, her mother had drunken a lot. This was worse than usual. “And if she would have remained here, as I asked her to, as I begged her to, then maybe nothing of this would have happened! Melanie could have still been here. My daughter. Our sweet daughter...”
Unable and unwilling to hear any more of it, Sadie fell down onto her bed. Reaching for her pillow, she buried her head in it, drowning out the noise of the fight, a fight that got increasingly louder. At least it muffled the voices, prevented her from hearing the hateful things her mother uttered in her drunken bitterness.
It had been a month since Melanie's disappearance. Sadie had been in the Marches still, though she returned home just a week later, to find that nothing remained of the way it used to be. Her sister was gone and with her, her parents marriage was shattered. Her mother had turned to the bottle once again, whereas her father had escaped into apathy. Neither had managed to find her and by the time Sadie was able to investigate, any trail had already grown cold. Melanie was gone.
Suddenly, she noticed something. More, the absence of something. There were no voices anymore. Towards the end, her mother's yells had gotten more angry, whereas even her father had raised his voice. Instantly, she frowned. This was something new. If Sadie had learned anything in the nightmare that had been the past weeks, then that this was something truly bad.
Instantly, she sat up, almost jumping out of her bed. Rushing to the door, she almost tripped over, though she managed to reach the doorknob with her hand, clinging onto it as she pushed the door open. “Mother?”, she asked into the silence. “Father?” And then she heard something. Not an answer. Just sobbing. Soft, broken sobbing.
Sadie tensed up at the sound, as she took one step after the other, through the small hallway that separated the room she and Melanie used to share from the main room of the house. Tears welled up in her eyes as she stepped into the room, instantly realizing what had happened. Her father lay dead on the ground. Blood oozed from a deep gash on his forehead, leaving a puddle on the ground and a trail right to the hatchet her mother was still holding in one hand, as she cowered on the ground.
In this moment, Sadie was surprised how calm she was. Adrenaline kicked in at once, though at the same time, the thumping pain in her right wrist grew stronger. Irritated by this strange feeling she frowned, as tears poured down her cheeks. She resisted the urge to break down right there, to crawl over to her father's corpse. Instead, she focussed on his killer.
“Mother?”, she asked and her voice shivered. She gasped as she looked at the corpse of her father again. Tears clouded her vision, though she forced herself to look away. She was a soldier and right now, her instincts kicked in. Focus on the threat. There was a time for mourning later.
Carefully, she took a few steps towards the woman, stepping above empty bottles in the process. Imported wine from Volantis. Her mother had wasted the money she had sent home, the money she had earned while risking her life for her kingdom. “Mother!”, she barked and finally, the woman reacted.
Glancing over her shoulder, there was a bitter look in her eyes. The eyes... they were the only thing Sadie truly had of this woman. Right now, they were filled with tears, with regret, shame, fear and anger. There was resentment in them. “You...”, she growled and Sadie stopped as she heard this voice. She gulped. “What are you doing here?”
“What have you done, mother?”, Sadie asked thinly and her mother rose from the ground. Instinctively, she took a step back, right onto a bottle. It crunched underneath her and she gasped in pain, as the broken glass scratched across her naked foot.
“What... I have done?”, her mother asked in return, her voice a slur. “You did this! You killed him with your... indifference towards your sister” Now, a new wave of tears shot into Sadie's eyes, as she still backed away from her own mother, feeling fear for the woman that gave birth to her and fear for what she herself would do if a fight would break out.
“I tried to speak to him, but he wouldn't listen!”, her mother spat, staggering forwards, her steps as shaky as her voice. “This is your fault! Your fault alone! If you would have stayed, none of this would have happened!”
Sadie shook her head. “Mother, you are drunken. You don't think clearly”, she said, almost in a begging tone. “Put it down. Let us talk about this, please” Her mother only tensed up. “There is nothing to talk about”, she growled. “You killed your father. You killed your sister. You killed them by leaving us when we needed you. I will not be the next!” With a howl, she raised the hatchet and crossed the distance between her and her daughter in a second.
Sadie had prepared herself for the attack. Her mother didn't immediately strike at her, it was more that she slammed into her. Putting too much weight on her wounded foot caused Sadie's legs to give in underneath her. While she fell, she managed to grab her mother's right arm, to keep the hatchet away from her as they landed, the older woman on top of her.
“Your fault!”, her mother spat, sending drops of saliva flying into Sadie's face. She was a small woman, but stocky from countless hours of hard work and the strength with which she tried to push the hatchet into Sadie's chest was terrifying. “Mother, don't...”, she gasped, as she continued to hold the weapon away from her.
For a moment, she considered using both hands, though instead, she decided to reach around, to find something she could defend herself with. Blindly fumbling around, her fingers finally found something. A bottle. Sadie looked up, into these eyes, once so filled with love, now glaring at her with blinding rage. And then she raised the bottle to smash it over her mother's head.
It was too late that Sadie realized she had done a mistake. The bottle was meant to knock her mother out, or to stun her enough so that she could do the rest herself. Only as she had already put all her strength into this strike, too late to stop it, did she realize that the bottle she had grabbed wasn't whole. It was broken and instead of knocking her mother out with a blunt object, she sliced across her chin and into her neck with the sharp, jagged spikes of a broken bottle.
Her mother's strength left her at once, as pain and shock took it from her and while Sadie let out a gasp of horror, realizing what had happened, her mother fell off her, the hatchet sinking out of her hand. “Mother!”, she screamed in horror, as she pushed herself towards the woman.
Blood was pouring out of the open neck and as Sadie glanced down upon herself, she let go of the broken, bloodied bottle with something that was a mixture between a gasp and a muffled scream. Sinking to the ground next to her mother, she clung onto her. “No, no, no...”, she mumbled. “Please, don't... Hang on, mother, please!”
But she wasn't. Sadie had seen enough wounds to know that it was hopeless. She knew what just happened, what she had done. Finally breaking down into heavy sobbing, she looked at her mother. The woman's gaze had cleared now, instead of anger, there was confusion. She opened her mouth to speak, though the words were barely audible. Yet Sadie knew them regardless and in this moment, they burned themselves into her soul.
Be cursed, Kinslayer
Sadie opened her eyes, still shivering from the nightmare. By now, the thumping pain in her right hand had grown worse, spanning across her entire arm and the right side of her body. Sluggishly, she glanced around, to realize where she was, still in a dazed, confused state.
She was in a room, though she did not recognize it. Dimmed light fell through a window with half-closed shutters, illuminating the barren furniture that surrounded her. There was an open door, revealing a hallway that seemed faintly familiar. And that's when she spotted the man.
He had turned his back on her, though she could see that he was old, with a thin, almost frail frame and a head full of long, unkempt white hair that fell over his shoulders. She moved her head towards him, opening her mouth to speak, as a new wave of pain flared up in her hand, originating from her wrist. Groaning in discomfort, Sadie raised her arm and her groan turned into a gasp of shock.
As her eyes fell upon the thickly bandaged stump where her right hand used to be, she remembered. Maybros, the rain, Durren Stallhart, towering above her, more giant than man. She remembered the horns coming out of his skull and the strength he put into his strikes. The pain was no memory, it was still very much present and then there was her hand and Dan, oh gods, Dan...
A muffled, brief scream came out of her throat, as she stared at the bandages. The pain grew more intense, sending tears to her eyes. In surprise, the older man turned around and she saw the voluptuous beard that covered most of his face and fell down onto his chest, with two strands of it woven into thick braids.
Sadie's breaths became faster, more panicked, as she fully snapped into her current situation. She was here, this was happening. The pain was real and though but a memory of what she had felt in the very moment Stallhart's axe hit her, it was still enough to cause her to shiver, to drown out every attempt at speaking. She wanted to scream, but with her rapid breaths, even this became impossible.
Without hesitating, the old man reached for a cup standing next to him. Rushing to her side, faster than she expected, he fell onto one knee next to her bed, now slightly frowning with discomfort over the fast movement. There was concern in his turquoise eyes, as he raised the cup. “Drink”, he said sternly, moving it to her lips. He almost poured the liquid down her throat once she opened her mouth. Sadie noticed the taste just a little bit too late. Milk of the Poppy...
This time, her sleep was dreamless.
As Sadie awoke again, the sun had set already and the room was illuminated by candles now. Once again, searing pain was thumping through her right arm, what was left of it. A figure, the old man from before, was kneeling next to her, having grabbed the arm and tightly wrapping a bandage around it. A sharp, strange smell filled the air.
Sadie blinked and groaned in pain, which caused the old man to look up. For a moment, she stared at him, through barely opened eyes and a sight that was clouded by tears. She was exhausted and in pain, though the true reality of her condition had kicked in much earlier now than it did before.
Wordlessly, the old man reached for a cup on the small nightstand next to the bed and Sadie managed to utter something. “No...”, she groaned, though he still raised the cup to her lips. “Drink”, he ordered her, though she clenched her lips together. She couldn't sleep right now, not after what had happened.
She still shook her head weakly, as the old man gave her a stern look. “Drink”, he ordered her again and this time, he slightly forced her mouth open, pouring the liquid down her throat. It was there that Sadie noticed that he was giving her water.
Coughing, but still continuing to drink with thirst, she emptied a good part of the cup, half of it landing on the linen shirt she was wearing. The old man pulled the cup away again and with a sigh, Sadie sank back onto the pillow.
“I am sorry for waking you. I thought the milk would keep you asleep while I change the bandages”, the old man said. As he said the last word, Sadie's glance fell upon the bandaged stump of her right arm. The pain was still horrifying, but even more so was the wave of thoughts that flashed through her mind right now. She had been a fighter for all her life. It was the only thing she had ever been good at. Now... she would have cried if she wouldn't feel so exhausted. The numbing pain made it impossible. And a tiny, hateful voice, telling her that she deserved this, that this was her curse...
“Look at me”, the old man ordered her. “Don't look at it, look at me” There was warmth in his voice, yet it was the stern tone that caused her to instinctively follow the order. A slight smile formed on his bearded face as their eyes met. “This is better”, he said, before he put a hand onto his chest, just below the beard. “My name is Wylie. I am a healer and was asked to treat your wound”
“Sa... Sadie”, she introduced herself and Wylie gave her a nod. “I know”, he replied. “Leo told me about you. What little he knew, at least. He told me you fought bravely” Once again, the sharp smell reached Sadie's nose and she frowned, as she glanced around to find its source.
Wylie followed her eyes and reached for a small bowl. As he held it closer, the smell grew more intense. “An eastern recipe”, he explained. “It smells horrible, but I can assure you, it helps. Thankfully, I had some of the herbs still with me” He put the bowl down and glanced at the bandaged stump, a sight so horrible that Sadie didn't dare to do the same. “It will prevent an infection, despite the mud that had already entered the wound when they brought me to you”
“You saved my life”, Sadie mumbled and Wylie gave her a nod, not the slightest bit humble about it. “I did”, he agreed. “They did good with asking me to help you. I have treated more stumps than I can remember” The blunt way with which he put it caused Sadie to shiver and she averted her eyes, clenching the one hand she had left until the finger ached.
Wylie sighed. “I need you to listen closely now”, he said. “You have lost your right hand in battle. A common risk for any fighter. You knew that when you picked up the sword, didn't you?” She looked back at him and gave him a weak nod. “But you never thought it would happen to you”, he continued. “Now it did. This part of you is lost and the quicker you realize what this means, the better”
Sadie's breaths grew faster again, more rapid, as she spied the bandage around what remained of her right forearm. The pain, not only the physical, was almost too much for her, though something prevented her from fainting. “But this does not mean that your live is over”, Wylie continued. “This is merely yet another fight and it will continue. This is not the end”
Blinking away the tears, she looked at Wylie. He was right. She was still alive. At the same time, in her pained, dazed state of mind, her thoughts racing around, she couldn't help but to think what little worth there was to it anymore. To her. Her lips shivered and Wylie's stern gaze softened. “It will take a lot of time, but be assured that I will help you. You are my patient now”
Sadie gulped, as she gave him a nod. “Leo ordered you to help me?”, she asked and Wylie gave her a nod. “By no means do I claim to be an expert on these things, but it seems that he is concerned for your well-being”, he explained to her. “He even asked to see you once you should be awake again”
Closing her eyes for a second, Sadie took a deep breath. Dan... if Dan would be here, it would be easier. But he wasn't and his absence made the loss only worse. “Where is Leo?”, she asked, as she looked back at Wylie. The old man rose from his kneeling position with a groan of effort. “We are in the Golden Gyles. A terrible establishment, but the rooms are clean enough for you to rest”, he said. “Leo himself is in the main room of this building, as far as I know, speaking with our guest from Castamere. He asked of me to bring you to him”
“The Gyles...”, Sadie mumbled, before a new thought entered her mind, enough to cause her eyes to widen considerably. “My sister is here!” She attempted to rise from the bed, a task she instinctively tried to use her right hand for help. The pain caused her to fall back onto her bed again with a short scream.
With a sigh, Wylie put a hand onto her shoulder. “It will take time”, he told her. “But I promise you, you will adapt to this. It will get easier” Putting one arm underneath hers, he gently pulled her up. “Here, let me”, he said, as he helped her to get into a sitting position.
Sadie glanced at the terrible wound and once again, she shivered at the thought of what this would mean. “Your condition is serious, but unlike many wounds, it does not require of you to stay in bed”, Wylie told her. “Besides, you've been unconscious for the better part of two days. Perhaps it will be good for you to move around again. What do you say, shall we go and meet with Leo?”
Now, Sadie closed her eyes, as she frowned. Opening them again, the first thing she saw was the remnant of her right arm. She had been a fighter for all her life. What was she now? What good was a fighter without a hand? What use was there to keep her alive? Yet she knew, there was one thing she had to do.
Yes, she wanted to meet with Leo. She had to know what else happened while she was out. How the raid ended, how many they had lost. But even more importantly was that he had promised to help her in return. She had kept her part of the deal, she had bled for him and this city and had ruined her life beyond repair. And in return, he had to help her with Melanie. Her sister was the only thing she had left now.
There was only one thing that caused her to hesitate. She knew, she had to look pathetic right now. Even aside from the hand, she was tired, exhausted. Though she wasn't crying, she sure as hell felt like it. A broken wreck of what she used to be. Sadie knew, she had to meet with Leo and she didn't want to waste any time, but she wasn't sure if she could deal with everyone else seeing her like this right now.
[Get up and meet with Leo] [Ask Wylie to bring Leo to you]
Wow,I really enjoy this Sadie part!
RT:
[Get up and meet with Leo] Sadie can't remain in a bed forever expecially if even the medic suggest that Sadie should start to move again.
[Get up and meet with Leo]
Very glad to hear it! Sadie is a PoV who has occasionally suffered from bad pacing in her storyline, though I hope I have managed to turn that around in the last chapter. If anything, writing this part has shown me that I have made the right decision with the direction I decided to take her storyline into. Things should get really interesting for her
Aye, that was not a happy one. Sadie's is actually one of the darkest PoV backstories to date. The only one who is clearly beating her on that end is Kersea. However, I am glad you enjoyed this read. It was previously hinted at, though this is the first time the events happening there are revealed. Naturally, this is a very important event in Sadie's life and it will continue to play a massive role for her.
Oh yes... Melanie knows nothing about the fate of her parents, who are dead for over two years now. She's been through hell in this time and learning that on top... well, that is something nobody can take well. It's definitely going to make an already intense moment even harder on both sisters.
Ah, you know... things. Important things. Sadie has been out the whole time, but Leo hasn't, neither has Gyles and then there is their visitor, who will potentially be shown in her next part and all three have made important plans for the future.
Wylie... well, I'd say there are indeed similarities to Ortengryn. However, he has the stronger, more straightforward personality, whereas Ortengryn is often a bit awkward. I can also say that Wylie is far more consequential for the plot than the Archmaester of Red Herrings
All in all, I look forward to write him in the coming parts of Sadie's storyline, that much is for sure.
[Get up and meet with Leo]
Great part! The glimpse to her past really gives depth to Sadie's character and storyline. I'm really interested to see where will her story go from here.
[Get up and meet with Leo] Well, even Wylie recommended her to get up and moving, so let's just do that.
Another question for the people with better got nknowlege than me.
Do female knights exist in got?
That is something I myself was not quite sure of, so I did some research. In short, I haven't found a source saying that only men can be knights, though given how heavily Westerosi society favours men when it comes to positions of power, it seems likely. That said, I haven't found anything that outright states that women are forbidden from being knights. It is possible that these incidents are merely extremely rare, even more than women who inherit titles due to a lack of male heirs. However, it is far more likely that women are outright banned from being knighted, or else there surely would have been some mention of a female knight at some point in the books, even just in the backstory.
At first, I thought Brienne would be a classic example of a female knight, but I found a passage from the books in which she explicitly states that she is not a knight. Instead, it seems she merely acts like a knight and embodies basically every knightly virtue, but has never been formally knighted by another knight or a lord, even when she served in Renly's Kingsguard. Then again, the Hound shows that it is possible to be in the Kingsguard without being a knight. There's also a slight difference between the books and the show there, because in the books, Podrick follows her out of his own decision after she already left King's Landing, whereas the show version of Podrick gets assigned to her as a squire. Since only knights can get squires, there's a tiny bit more evidence for Brienne to be a knight in the show, whereas she is most likely to merely behave like a knight in all but name when it comes to the books.
When it comes to FoT, I am a bit conflicted, due to there being no explicit statement against it, as far as I know. Ultimately, I think there is more evidence towards women not being able to become knights than the other way 'round. There is one female character submitted who poses as a male knight, with her backstory explicitly stating that she was unable to be genuinely knighted due to her gender. This means, I'll probably go with that. However, things might be somewhat differently in Dorne, which is generally more lax on these things, although it can be taken as a fact that the Andal parts of Westeros don't accept female knights.
Whoa. I didn't think I would get such a long answer but that helped a lot thank you.
[Get up and meet with Leo] Now this was a revelation that I did not expect! I figured that there was something more to Sadie than meets the eye and well there certainly is! Sadie has no doubt dealt with plenty in her life and now with her losing her sword hand, it adds even more impact to what was already very impactful for her. I can only imagine that once Sadie is able to tell Melanie what happened with her parents, that is going to no doubt be a very emotional scene.
As for the choice, I think Sadie should [Get up and meet with Leo] It sounds like Sadie has laid around enough and it is time for her to start her newest fight as Wylie said with all of the power that she can. This is only the beginning for Sadie's new life and she should try to tackle it head on and I see this as a small but important first step. I also would like to add that I am very intrigued to see who this guest from Castamere is, I would imagine it is something involving the Ironborn attack that just happened but assuming that this guest from Castamere is a Reyne, I can't help but wonder what else would bring them to Maybros since there is potentially more to it than that. On a side note though, this Wylie character seems familiar and if it is the same one that I am thinking of then well safe to say that this guy is timeless
Great part!
My bad Liquid, I did not mean to put spoiler tags in this comment. I am still trying to figure out how I would have in the first place
[Get up and meet with Leo]
[Ask Wylie to bring Leo to you]
Why not rest? It is good. Sadie's going to have some phantom pain now. So many horrific back stories. A shame.
[Ask Wylie to bring Leo to you]
Resting doesn't hurt, especially after such a traumatic event. Looking helpless and weak in front of Leo might give us more chance of receiving help.
[Get up and meet with Leo] Seems like an easy enough answer, especially when the doctor recommends it.
Oh yes, Sadie has to deal with a lot right now. She has actually more or less supressed the guilt about her mother's death and was fully focussed on finding Melanie, though with everything that happened, the loss of her hand and her best friend, it finally caught up to her, probably at the worst time possible. Eventually, she knows she has to tell Melanie about it, though such a moment won't be easy for either sister. Melanie's current situation is also pretty much unknown, there's a lot of potential to make the whole thing even harder for both.
One thing I can at least confirm, since it hasn't been established yet, House Turnberry, the house that rules over Maybros, is actually a vassal of House Reyne, so there surely is a personal interest the Reyne's have in sending someone to learn about the situation after the attack. This character will most likely appear in the next Sadie part and I look forward to establish the coming events there.
Well, I can confirm that he is a very old man, quite probably among the oldest in the entire story
Wylie surely has an interesting backstory and I was looking forward to introduce him in FoT for a while now, so I am excited I finally get to write him.
Ah, no problem
There's this little box just above the "Follow this discussion" box and if you check it, your comment will be marked as a spoiler. Before the forum update in the last year, you could remove the spoiler tag if you accidentally hit the box, as far as I know, but ever since "update" last summer, things have gotten a bit more complicated in the forums as a whole.
Great part! Awesome part to kick off Sadie's storyline and boy, she does have a tragic backstory. You were right when you said she wasn't going to get a break. I have a feeling she'll have a pretty dark and bloody remaining storyline throughout FoT, for the most part at least. She just seems like one of those characters.
[Get up and meet with Leo] Sadie has to start getting up and walking at some point, this is a perfect time to do it. Besides, Wylie suggested for her to get up anyway.
[Get up and meet with Leo]
Oh well... I think I can safely confirm this. She absolutely is this sort of character that seem easy-going and well-adjusted at first, but at the same time have huge issues going on. For a while, she managed to supress them, but the current physical and emotional pain caused them all to catch up with her. Thinking about all that happened, the last couple of years have been seriously dark for Sadie and it is entirely possible that she hasn't even hit rock bottom yet. Argh, I actually kinda feel bad for writing her into that direction now, even though a lot of that stuff, aside from losing her sword hand of course, came from her submission. But well, at the very least she finally has a realistic chance at getting reunited with her sister, so there's a tiny chance that things will start to look up from here on. Probably will take a long while though.
Poor Sadie
This is terrible! And that backstory. She deserves so much better.
[Get up and meet with Leo] She's a fighter so she can handle this. Screw what anyone else thinks!
The Voting is closed!
Sadie is going to get up and meet Leo
As you can see by the alternative, this won't change much in sheer plot terms. Sadie's meeting with Leo is going to be central for the next part, one way or the other. However, this is surely going to have an effect on her mental well-being, though this doesn't necessarily has to be good. There are certainly scenarios in which this can actually increase Sadie's trauma, although at the same time, it could have just as well been an important first step on her road to recovery. Sadie should get a pretty interesting storyline from now on, so I hope you look forward for it
The next part should be out today. There is a tiny chance I'm going out for the evening, so I'd hate to keep you waiting for another day, especially as it already took me longer than usual. I struggled a little bit with this next part, though I think I finally found my flow. I am sorry to admit that I have thought of an April Fool's part, but didn't manage to. Mostly because that would absolutely require of me to keep you waiting for yet another day for the real part, which is something I have moral objections against. A shame, as I had a couple of interesting thoughts, though putting them into one coherent part would have been far too much effort for one simple joke. I am sorry
Edrick meanwhile had a small timeskip in which he and his companions have travelled to the northern Riverlands, to the lands just north of the Green Fork, the river which they seek to cross right now. Sending Leo and Darreth ahead, they discovered two paths, one of them leading past a small Ironborn garrison, which they deemed too risky. The other bridge was, according to Darreth, held by a mysterious knight, who demanded a duel with those that wish to cross it. Seeing this single knight as far less of a threat, Edrick and companions decided in favour of it. However, there was a choice regarding Leo. Previously, Dante and Alphyn have both stated their distrust of their companion, something Edrick agreed on. However, Leo actually listened to their conversation and was quite angry about it. The choice was about taking him with them to the bridge, or keeping him behind as back-up in case anything went wrong. You decided in favour of the first option and well, we'll see what this is going to lead to.
But anyways, to cheer you up, the next part should feature PoV's from Alys and most likely Edrick. I have almost finished Alys' and have to plan ahead, to see if there is enough space left for Edrick's second part, though it seems highly likely. It is going to be the first and unfortunately most likely only part for Alys in this chapter, whereas Edrick will get his second and certainly not last. The last time we saw Alys, she escaped the archive from a murderous spell and she is currently on a boat heading to an unknown destination, together with Edward, Alisa, Carvin, Wilbur and everyone's favourite surprise guest
Also, well, I hope that new avatar looks as neat as it seemed in the preview, though I am half afraid that the transparent background doesn't really work for anyone but me
Alys
Alys was shivering in the cold, as the longship made its way through the fog. The air was chilly and damp, not even the thick cloak she was wrapped in did anything against it. It was almost painful as she shivered, though it was the worst in her left arm, right where that... thing had grabbed her. Even now, she could feel its freezing touch, burning down to her bone. The skin, frankly, showed no marks anymore, if it ever did in the first place.
They had left Raylansfair behind, a smouldering ruin of what it used to be. Alys' illusions went up in flames with it. Edward had been behind this. He attacked a peaceful city, accepted the death of hundreds of innocents, all for... for what exactly? Alys had no idea what he was after in the archive, or if he even found it. She had barely seen him since they had boarded the ship, though apparently, he had been wounded in the fight. A few days ago, she would have actually been concerned for him. Now? The only reason she was still there was the fact that she was on a ship, with no idea where it was, where it was going and how far the coast would be.
“Alys?”, a familiar voice sounded and she sighed. Alisa. The woman was still someone she considered trustworthy. Maybe a friend even, for a lack of any actual friends around. She and Carvin both. With a sigh, Alys turned around, looking into Alisa's concerned face. The sellsword looked even paler than usual in the foggy surroundings and there was something about her Alys considered to be genuine. “How are you feeling?”, she asked.
“I'm cold”, Alys answered and Alisa stepped next to her, putting her arms onto the railing. “I... we are concerned for you”, she revealed and Alys raised an eyebrow. “We?”, she asked. Now, Alisa gulped. “Me, Carvin... Edward”, she answered, hesitating before saying the final name. To this, Alys shook her head. “Edward is not concerned about me”, she said decidedly. “He was willing to risk my life down there. He sacrificed so many others”
“Not you though”, Alisa argued. “I know, it might not sound like much, but when you truly needed to get out of there, he wasted no time. Saving your life and Carvin's as well” She stared into the distance, through the fog. “I've known Edward for two years now and this is the closest thing he ever showed to truly care for anyone”
Alys sighed. “I don't know if I'm supposed to feel better now, because that is seriously messed up”, she answered glumly. Alisa smirked thinly, unsure what to say. “It is”, she finally agreed. “But for Edward's standards, it's almost sweet” She shook her head. “Don't be fooled. What you saw there, that is Edward. A ruthless man, willing to do almost anything to achieve his goals” Still slightly hesitating, she put a hand onto Alys' back. “Almost anything. Not quite all of it”
“Still not feeling any better...”, Alys said dryly. Alisa's smile faded. “What I mean is... you see Edward as some kind of a monster now and I can't blame you. But you're young... well, younger than me and you have seen maybe a fragment of what I have seen”, she replied and looked out into the fog again. “The world is a scary place, little lady. I have seen true monsters. The man I serve under, Ser Rodrik, he killed his own father out of envy. Edward's brother Nain burns people alive just to hear them scream. And both sound harmless compared to the few things I heard about Edward's sister...”
Alys raised an eyebrow, looking at her, while getting slightly closer, to be warmed by the other woman's presence. “Edward has a sister?”, she asked and Alisa shrugged. “I don't know a thing about her, but even Nain seemed afraid when he mentioned her”, she explained. “And Nain... he barely qualifies as a human being in my eyes, that's how much of a monster he is” She sighed, as she glanced over her shoulder. “Edward is the sane one in that family. The one that, believe it or not, actually cares about some people, as small as that number might be”
Alys pressed her lips together, closing her eyes for a moment. “Are you trying to warm me up to Edward?”, she asked. Alisa smiled and shook her head. “Just trying to warm you up in general”, she answered. “Give him a chance, even if you feel he doesn't deserve it. Compared to what's out there, he's one of the better people you could stick with”
Their talk was interrupted by the sound of footsteps across the deck. Alys glanced to her side and saw Carvin approaching them. Tensing up, Alisa pulled away from her and straightened her back, whereas Alys threw a questioning glance at the man. Carvin seemed tired and momentarily looked into the fog with a slightly distant expression on his face, before he pulled himself together.
“Lady Alys”, he greeted her with a nod and she gave him a small, weak smile. “How are you feeling, Carvin?”, she asked him and he sighed. “It's been a long night”, he admitted, though he quickly regained his composure. “Edward wishes to speak to you”
Alys tensed up, though before she was able to answer, Alisa spoke. “What for?”, she asked coldly and Carvin raised an eyebrow at her tone. “He didn't tell me”, he replied. “Is there a problem?” Alisa shook her head. “I was just wondering if it's his wish or his order”, she explained. Glumly, Carvin shrugged. “With him it's both, I presume”, he said.
Closing her eyes for a second, Alys took a step away from the railing. “I better don't keep him waiting then”, she said with as little enthusiasm as possible. As she started to walk, Alisa and Carvin flanked her. On the other side of the ship, she spotted Wilbur, working on something. The young raider spotted her and greeted her with a nod, which she briefly reciprocated.
She noticed that both of her companions were exchanging a look, until Alisa diverted her attention to the man sitting on the stairs next to the door that led to the lower deck, where Edward had his quartes. Bear had his head raised, his scarred face forming a grin as he laid eyes on her. Ever since she had noticed his presence aboard, she had tried her best not to get too close to him.
“Where are you going?”, he growled, slowly raising from the ground. Alisa narrowed her eyes and Carvin replied in her stead. “Edward requested her presence”, he said. To this, Bear's grin grew wider, though more threatening at the same time. He slowly moved his fingers, still in the terrifying knife-glove of his.
“So, you're telling me that Anturion keeps me waiting for hours and then he wants to see the little girl first?”, he growled. Nonchalantly, Carvin gave him a nod. “Looks like it”, he said and with a low growl, not unlike the animal that had given him his nickname, Bear moved his hand, faster than any of them could react, pointing a finger at Carvin, the tip of the blade stopping just inches before his eye. The crossbowman didn't even flinch.
“Careful, runt!”, the bandit spat. “My men make up half of this ship's remaining crew. Anturion promised us fucking riches and so far we got less than shit” Slowly, he lowered his arm again. “You tell him I want to see him. I will wait until he's done fucking his little bitch here, but he better makes me a good offer, or I'll take her next”
Alys narrowed her eyes, though Alisa was quick to push her towards the door. Carvin took a deep breath. “I will tell him”, he agreed. “Edward will speak to you as quickly as possible. No need for violence, I am sure you will come to an agreement” Bear gave him a nod, followed by one final grin towards Alys. “Oh, we will”, he confirmed. With these words, he stepped aside, allowing the three to enter the lower decks.
Edward was waiting for them in his room, a small, dark cabin, almost hot compared to the chilly breeze above. The light of a candle illuminated the sparse furniture, including the bed he sat on. He wasn't wearing a shirt and Alys could see the bandages around his chest, with the dark spot near his shoulder, where he was wounded. A freshly stitched wound on his face would likely heal into an ugly scar. In general, he didn't look too good. His hair in a mess, his skin pale and sweaty, he gave her a tired look. “Mylady, I am glad you were able to come”
The presence of Alisa and Carvin gave her a sense of security, so Alys managed to give him a brave nod, despite how shaken she was at the encounter with Bear. “What is it?”, she asked, coldly and sternly. Edward sighed. “I am sorry that you got hurt during our raid”, he told her and she glared at him. “So, it's our raid now?”, she hissed.
To this, Edward shook his head. “My raid”, he corrected himself. “It doesn't change that I am sorry. Risking your health is the last thing I wanted” Her glare grew more intense. “Seems to me the last thing you wanted is risking your mission”, she replied. “And for what? Where is this artifact you've been looking for?”
Edward took a moment to answer. “I... lost it”, he admitted. “It was taken from me” He and Carvin exchanged a glance. “But I know how to get it back”, he said and a small smile formed on his face. “The red lion has it and before the end, he will give it to me” Though Alys had no idea what this meant, Carvin obviously had. “Ser... with all due respect, I don't think we have enough men for this”, he argued.
“We haven't”, Edward confirmed. “But I know someone that has. That's why we're heading towards him now” This time, it was Alisa who knew what this meant. She put a hand onto her forehead. “Ser... you don't mean to visit your brother, don't you?”
To this, Edward chuckled, though it obviously put him through some pain. “My dear Alisa, I can assure you, Nain is the last person I want to see right now”, he told her. “No... I plan to visit someone else” Alys rolled her eyes at his answer. “To whom then?”, she said with impatience. “I am sick of being shipped around by you. You told me you'd bring me to Dorne, you promised me!”
Edward raised an eyebrow in surprise at her outburst. “I did and I absolutely intend to keep my promise”, he assured her. “In fact, my benefactor is in Dorne, so my plans involve both. Getting you to where you wanted to be and getting my men for the next step of my plans” He leant forwards, cold sweat running down his forehead. “We set sails towards the Stepstone Islands, just near the dornish coast”, he revealed.
Now, it was Carvin who sighed. “Blacksails?”, he asked and Edward gave him a nod. “Aeron Blacksails, Pirate King of the Narrow Sea”, he answered and with a smirk, he looked back at Alys. “Have you ever met a king, mylady?” She silently shook her head and his expression grew softer. “Then you will. I assure you, there is nothing to fear, not with me by your side. Blacksails is an ally, and my friends are his” In a sudden, good mood, he gave her a wink. “I shall fulfil my promise to you after all”
No Choices for this part
Edrick
“There he is”, Darreth said, as he pointed into the distance. Edrick narrowed his eyes and indeed, the squire had told the truth. There was a small stone bridge across the murky waters of the Green Fork and just as he had said, there was a knight standing in its centre. It was a tall man in full armour, a heavy helmet concealing the face. He held a spiked mace in one hand, the other resting on a tall wooden shield.
Another man was there was well, as they rode down the path that led to the bridge. He had the typically fair skin and dark hair of a northerner, with a thick beard, clad in darkened leather. Even from afar, his frustration was visible and audible. “I'm telling you again, you crazy boy, just let me pass! Seven fucking Hells, this is unbelievable”, he barked.
Dante raised an eyebrow. “I... did not expect that”, he admitted. His friend smirked at his confusion. “Quite the sight, eh?”, he chuckled. “And you thought I was exaggerating things” Dante gave him a nod. “I did and... damn, what's he doing there?”
“Yeah, what kind of a lunatic guards a bridge?”, Alphyn spoke up. Edrick said nothing at this. Instead, he focussed on the two men in front of him, the knight on the bridge and the other traveller just in front of it. This was surely a situation, though he was not sure how severe it was.
The traveller was the first to react to them. With a sigh, he turned towards them. “Finally, people”, he exclaimed, as he saw them approaching. “Come on, maybe you can talk some sense into that kid” Edrick stopped his horse, with his companions just behind him. As he descended from the animal, Dante and Alphyn did the same, though Darreth and Leo remained on horseback.
Flanked by the other two men, Edrick approached the bridge, giving the traveller a nod. “Good day, Ser”, he greeted him. “Is there a problem” Quickly, the man nodded his head. “Hell yeah there is. Some little kid in armour block this bridge, that's the damn problem”, he replied, before he sighed, calming down in the process. “I'm sorry, I don't want to rant here. The name's Jorid. I wanted to travel down that road, but this... so-called knight isn't letting me”
“It's because of your insult!”, the knight's voice sounded and Edrick was surprised at how youthful it sounded. This man was a lot younger than he had thought. He nodded his helmed head as a greeting. “Don't listen to him, Ser”, he said. “I am merely defending my honour here, by demanding to duel this man”
Edrick raised an eyebrow. “Your honour?”, he said. “What did Jorid here say that insulted you so badly?” Jorid chuckled at this. “Nothing”, he answered. “Nothing too bad at least. I merely questioned this boy's age. Asked him if he isn't a bit too young to be a knight” He shook his head. “Hells, I fucking hate knights”
To this, Dante narrowed his eyes. “As a matter of fact, I am a knight. We all are”, he replied coldly. “This is Ser Edrick of the Wolfswood, our companion Ser Alphyn Frostborn and myself, Ser Dante Karstark” He pointed behind his back, at Darreth. “My friend right there, Darreth Kailen, he's my squire and will be knighted as well once I deem him worthy of this honour”
Jorid frowned at these words. Slowly he raised his hands. “Okay, okay...”, he mumbled. “I meant no offence, Ser” Dante gave him a mild nod. “None taken”, he assured him. “But let's get to the bottom of this. Maybe we can work something out” He looked at the knight. “Ser, we told you our names. It would be polite of you to reveal yours”
The knight nodded again. “You are right. Apologies, I wasn't aware I was in the presence of knights here” He put a hand onto his chest. “My name is Ser Reymond Mormont” Edrick threw a glance at the man's shield. He wasn't an expert on heraldry, but even he knew that this wasn't the Mormont sigil. Reymond's shield was coloured in blue, adorned by a yellow fish. Though he raised an eyebrow at this strange detail, he remained silent about it.
“Greetings, Ser Reymond”, he said. “Dante is right. There has to be something we can do to work this out” Immediately, Reymond shook his head. “I'm afraid no, Ser”, he answered. “This man insulted me in my honour by calling me a little boy. For this, I have challenged him to a duel and I will not allow him to pass any further until he accepts”
Jorid sighed. “See what I have to deal with?”, he complained. “Listen, I'm not the bad guy here. Yeah, I was a little too carefree with my words, but come on, that guy is way out of line” Edrick remained silent, though Dante answered to this. “He is”, he agreed. “And as I have said, maybe there is a peaceful solution to this”
Edrick finally shrugged. “Maybe”, he answered. “But to be fair, this is none of our business. We have a duty towards Lady Alys” He looked towards the knight on the bridge. “Ser Reymond, me and my men have no quarrel with you. We'd like to cross the bridge, so that we can continue on our quest”
To his surprise, the knight shook his head, firmly grabbing his spiked mace. “I'm afraid I can't allow that, Ser”, he said. “I will stand guard on this bridge until the coward accepts my challenge and allows me to regain my honour in fair combat” A smirk flashed across Jorid's face. “None of your business, huh?”, he said. “I told you that boy can't be reasoned with”
“Well, that's just great”, Edrick said with a sigh. “I suppose we can't convince you to take up on his challenge?” Jorid decidedly shook his head. “No way. I'm not going to fight that guy”, he clarified. “I mean, look at him. No matter how young he is under that armour, he's still a knight. Taller than me and probably got training ten times as good”
A slight grin flashed across Alphyn's face. “So, he wants a duel, huh?”, he said and Edrick was slightly concerned by the sudden enthusiasm in the man's face. “I say we give him a duel” Dante raised an eyebrow. “You mean you wish to fight him?”
Without missing a beat, Alphyn gave him a nod. “I mean, I am a knight as well. Surely I can fight in Jorid's stead. Beating some sense into that kid so that we can finally cross that bridge” He glanced at Reymond. “You'd be okay with me fighting in his stead?”, he yelled.
After a moment of consideration, the knight gave him a nod. “I would”, he answered with his boyish voice and Edrick had to wonder just how old this self-proclaimed knight truly was. Surely barely out of his teens at most. He didn't feel good with fighting against a boy and wasn't too sure if he should allow Alphyn to do such a thing.
“Well, I'd be okay with that as well”, Jorid interjected. “Naturally, I mean. Listen, if you're doing this, or if you get him to back down in any other way, then I owe you one” Alphyn gave him a nod. “We'll think of something once I cleared the path”
Finally, Edrick noticed the frown on Dante's face. “This is not a good idea”, the younger knight protested. “A duel for the right reasons would be something I might agree to, but this? Reymond has no reason to be so aggravated, yes, but that doesn't give us the right to cut him down”
“So, how do you wish to deal with this situation?”, Alphyn asked. “Keep in mind, we shouldn't stay here for too long. Who knows when the next Ironborn patrol goes this way. Don't know about you, but I'd rather not be caught by them”
“I know”, Dante agreed grimly. “Though I still think it's worth a try to talk with him” He looked at Edrick. “Your opinion on the topic, Ser?” Edrick sighed. This was quite a shitty situation he found himself in here. “I'm not much of a talker”, he said. “All I could do would be to take Ser Alphyn's place in this fight”
“Works for me”, Alphyn agreed. “As long as we get to cross the bridge, I don't care who gets to beat that boy senseless” A smug grin formed on his face. “That's what he gets for trying to stop us” Dante sighed. “As I said, that is not necessary”, he argued, before he looked at Edrick. “Before either of you step onto that bridge to fight, allow me to try a less bloody solution. If that fails, if there's no other way, then you can still duel him, though at least try to keep him alive”
“Yeah, by then the Ironborn might have already caught up to us”, Alphyn brought up. “I say we fight him right away. For a boy his age, I'd probably need about two minutes. And yeah, I'll try to keep him alive. Not too keen on killing someone over this either”
Both men looked at Edrick, expecting his input on the situation. He didn't want to fight Reymond, but at the same time, perhaps he'd be a better choice than Alphyn. At least he would try not to hurt the boy too much. Dante's offer was tempting. Talking their way through this, it wasn't how Edrick usually solved conflict, but perhaps it would be worth a try. Then again, Alphyn brought up a point he had to consider. If Dante would fail, if they'd waste time here, who could know what would happen as a result?
[Fight Reymond] [Allow Alphyn to fight] [Try to talk Reymond down]
[Allow Alphyn to fight]
[Try to talk Reymond down]
Nah, screw Edward! "He's not as bad as these other people" just doesn't work for me. He's proven himself to be a two-faced scumbag and that opinion isn't charging.
To be fair, Alisa's opinion on him isn't all that positive either. However, while Edward is very much a two-faced scumbag, as you said, he is at least somewhat benevolent towards Alys, which does set him apart from even worse people, such as Wolfius or Harmund. Alisa's main concern is that Alys could now leave Edward's company and therefore her own watchful presence after the events down in the archive, which is something that could very likely end in great tragedy. So, she's not exactly trying to change Alys' opinion on Edward, though she is trying to make her see how easily it could get much worse for her personally. Due to a current lack of realistic alternatives, he is the best she has for an ally, which is kinda scary, come to think of it.
[Fight Reymond] If this kid is as knightly as he says, showing off with a feat of strength may convience him to stand down. Plus this seems more interesting. Oh, where was Leo during that? If I remember correctly, we brought him along. Maybe he's just being real sneaky like, again. As for Alys, ain't no party like a pirate party cause a pirate party don't stop. She is getting farther and farther away from Edrick, will they ever find her? Hopefully that package was worth the trouble, because it looks like we know what Wilifred's storyline is going to be later on in the chapter.
He is indeed super sneaky, but he is mentioned exactly once in this part, where he and Darreth remain on horseback, while Edrick, Dante and Alphyn approach the bridge on foot. Since he is Leo, he's not the most chatty person either way. However, the choice to bring him along will change quite something in a coming Edrick part, either the next one or the one after that, depending on how many parts I decide to give Edrick in this chapter.
Aye, Alys is soon going to meet pirates, including the pirate king, a character I have first mentioned ages ago and whom I can't wait to finally introduce
At the same time, this is the furthest she has ever been from anyone who could potentially bring her back home. Dorne is admittedly the place where she always wanted to be though, so maybe she'll be happy there.
Willfred will certainly learn more about this artifact Edward was looking for. Though it remains to be seen if it was truly worth the trouble and Edward's anger. Perhaps this is something everyone has to decide for themselves here.
[Try to talk Reymond down]
Worst case scenario here is that we fight him anyway. Might as well try and calm him down.
Hm. Blacksails, an enemy of Butterfly. Hm. Wouldn't make a lot of sense if Anturion was in fact working for Mullendore.
Also, I wonder if that prophecy Noelle showed Marak in Chapter 1 that mentioned something about a snake biting a red lion relates to Anturion's plans. Don't know the sigils of all the ironborn stuff and Anturion, but it could be.
Oh Alys why can't you trust Edward. It shouldn't be hard, he's smart, nice, daring and kills people he doesn't like without remorse. Really what else could a girl want? I'm surprised she resists swooning!
Anyway yeah I'm pretty sure that if Alys met the Anturion siblings she would beg to be with Edward again. Alisa is hardened and brave and even she is paranoid to meet Nain again not to mention their dear sister. Hopefully Alys will realize what's best for her in this situation before she falls in the hands of Bear or the like.
[Try to talk Reymond down]
Its always good to try new things Edrick , who knows maybe this is the start of a new load of options for you. If not feel free to bust their chins in.
[Allow Alphyn to fight]
[Allow Alphyn to fight]
Alright, Wilfred, now you're officially fucked. Even though I can't remember if he took anything from the Ironborn, the situation's really bad. Now this prophecy of the serpent killing the red lion won't let me calm down
RUN, YOU FOOL! ESCAPE TO ESSOS!
[Allow Alphyn to fight] I think that will be a much cooler outcome that will finally bring some action in Edrick storyline (leaving aside that I have the impression that try to talk with the young knight will be only a waste of time)
RT:
Ah, I see you remember him, very good
Indeed, Blacksails is far from a friend of Butterfly, considering he drove him out of Oldtown years ago and therefore away from a likely very lucrative business. However, it is very likely that he doesn't know about Mullendore's secret identity as Butterfly and assumes the two to be different people. So, at least in theory, Anturion could just work for both, betting on neither of them ever finding out about this. I can confirm that you will get more hints at the answer to this in a later part in this chapter.
That is an interesting thought for sure. I can reveal that Edward doesn't have a personal sigil and that no Ironborn house has a snake as their sigil either. The red lion is obviously a member of House Reyne, with Willfred being a very likely possibility. As for the snake, Anturion is certainly still a possible guess, though not the only one who would fit.
Yeah, I don't know what her deal is either. I mean, realistically there is no reason why she's not falling for him. There is this dashing pirate, who saves her life from Harlan Hoare, treats her with kindness, drags her into a besieged city, drains her blood and outright murders some of their companions right in front of her eyes and indirectly blames her for it, before putting her into danger of being killed by an ancient spell. I really don't know why she's not swooning over him. It simply appears that nice guys like Edward just don't have any chances with girls like her.
This however can be seen as a certainty. Alisa knows Nain personally, so she knows what she's talking about and she has very good reason to be afraid of him. Then there is the sister... and man, I think you know best what kind of a person she is
Alys very much met the best of the Anturion family, but to be honest, being the best next to Nain and their sister is not very hard. Still, Edward is no Bear, so there's at least a tiny silver lining for her.
[Allow Alphyn to fight]
Man now I really wish Willfred declared support for Argella. Without Durrandon troops, now he's got the Ironborn to deal with and something worse.
On a brighter note, I can't wait to see what locations in Dorne we'll be taken to with Alys. Who knows, maybe she'll get her happy ending.
insert Ramsay gif in reply
Well, he did take the artifact Edward wanted. They got into a duel at the end of last chapter, which ended with Edward getting badly wounded and losing this artifact he wanted to retrieve from the archive. Nothing is known about that thing yet, but Willfred's next part should give you at least a bit of an idea.
Aye, there is this prophecy and while I naturally can't say anything that would be a spoiler, I can at least, to be fair, tell you that the serpent was not shown to outright kill the lion, merely to bite him. Of course, that doesn't mean the red lion will survive this encounter either. It's very much up in the air. Although, trust me there, Essos is the last place Willfred would want to be in such a situation. Edward's brother, whom I have once fittingly described as Edward on bath salts, is actually a warlord in central Essos, which means that if Willfred would ever get there, he'd have a serious opponent against him, far more brutal than Edward could ever be.
I am glad to hear it! I would have liked to expand it a little bit, but had no choice that Alys could realistically make there and I didn't want to leave you without one, so I decided to put Edrick's PoV in there as well. Alys is going to have a very interesting storyline coming up in Book 2, that much I can promise.
And you haven't even met his brother. Trust me, this is really bad news. Of course, Alisa doesn't know this sister personally, though she knows that Nain is hesitant to speak about her. For this, it must be known that Nain is an absolute lunatic. We're talking about Gregor Clegane levels of aggression and sociopathy. If he hesitates to speak about someone, this someone must terrify him. Then again, as I said, Alisa doesn't know her personally. Though she will appear in time, this much I can promise
Aeron Blacksails, yes! He is one of the oldest submitted characters actually, submitted over two years ago, so I look forward to finally introduce him in the first chapter of Book 2. He is really an interesting guy and it has always been part of my plans to have him appear in Alys' storyline, a meeting I hope is going to be as interesting as it sounds in my plans.
Willfred is indeed in a dangerous position now. Edward is an opponent that should be taken seriously and while he is the only one with a personal grudge, he has powerful allies who might pose even more of a threat.
Leo was indeed tagging along, he was mentioned in this sentence:
Of course, him being Leo, he remained silent for these talks and merely watched Edrick and co. in their discussion with Reymond and Jorid. Taking him with you will be important in the final part of Edrick's Chapter 9 storyline, which is either be his next or the one after that, depending on how long I can make his storyline. It will give you an important detail you otherwise wouldn't have gotten, so it was a really important choice, this I can tell you.
Well, Reymond doesn't really protect this bridge all that much, he merely chose it as the duel ground between him and Jorid, who insulted him. Reymond has a very traditional, perhaps even somewhat naive image of knighthood and he feels deeply insulted by some of the things Jorid carelessly said. The bridge just happened to be close by when these perceived insults were uttered, so it was a natural choice for him. He's no Jarow and couldn't care less about this bridge, it's just the location he chose for their duel. And keep in mind, he is a Mormont, which makes him naturally stubborn when it comes to these things.
This would have been a wise choice indeed. Having Argella in power would have been beneficial for Willfred, but also for Lucas, who would have had at least some protection from Mullendore and Petyr. Ultimately, even supporting Hobert would have been better than supporting no one and just seeing where things will lead to, because now Willfred stands without allies against Edward's wrath. Of course, he is still the son of the most powerful Lannister bannerman, so he might not be entirely screwed, but by failing to gain an ally in Raylansfair, his situation certainly hasn't improved.
This is the Ramsay gif you expected, right?
But well, Alys' adventures in Dorne will surely not be all sunshine and rainbows. So far, she has this idealized opinion on what life in Dorne is like, so actually seeing it, especially by meeting a pirate king and his low-life followers, that could very well be an eye opener for her