I close this voting a bit later in the day than I usually do, but this is because I was working today. Now I'm finished, exhausted, but nonetheless excited to write. And the voting has been open for long enough, so I'll try not to keep you waiting for longer than I have to. I was not sure which one you'd pick in this part, though I had the feeling that a majority of you would ultimately decide on staying with Aditha for a little longer. It is surely going to make for an interesting scene, but I can promise that the person that wishes to speak to Arthur won't be thrilled to be kept waiting.
As I said above, I am a bit tired, so I am not sure if I will manage to finish the next part before going to bed. I also have a couple of PM's to answer, so if yours takes me until tomorrow, apologies in advance, I'll get to it as soon as possible The next part, in any way, is going to be a Drent part, the second half of what was originally planned to be his first part. Length reasons forced me to cut it in half, but now you can look forward for a hopefully nice read. Last time we saw him, Drent accompanied Argella and the rest of the Stormlanders to the Great Hall of Raylansfair, where she intended to negotiate about Lucas' freedom. However, Mullendore wasn't having any of it. Both of their volatile tempers together didn't quite work out and after Argella gave Mullendore an (arguably understandable) slap across the face, he outright punched her to the ground, nearly causing the whole situation to escalate. Tensions are still running high and in the heat of the moment, Drent decided to reach for his weapon as well. The next part is hopefully going to be a very interesting read. So, until later today or early tomorrow!
Drent felt a wave of confidence flashing through him as he grabbed his sword. They were outnumbered, yes, but they were Stormlanders, part of the best army in the known world. Each of them was as good as three of their opponents. It would be a hard fight, but only a madman would pick it. Mullendore had to stand down now, he had to...
Yet the man didn't seem to make any effort at defusing the situation. Glaring at the princess he had pushed to the ground, he appeared to have every bit the intention to cause a further escalation. “Go on, bitch”, he spat. “Say another fucking word to me and I'll have your tongue!”
Edonia threw a concerned look at Drent before she, at last, drew her sword as well. Mullendore looked up and at them. “If any of you Stormlander scum makes a move, I'm going to cut you all down!”, he growled, before he looked back at the princess, who had a hand on her cheek, right where he had punched her. “Now I will speak and you will listen”
Throughout this, Drent had to suppress the urge to just attack the nearest opponent. Surrounded and outnumbered, those were no concerns for him. But Mullendore's men were a lot closer to Argella than he was. If he'd do anything, they'd kill her. And it finally dawned upon him that this situation was a lot worse than he assumed it to be at first.
Finally, Argella rose her head and though Drent wasn't able to see her expression, he saw Mullendore's grin. “Go to hell”, she spat from the ground and he shrugged. “Oh, now you'r just asking for it”, he said with a chuckle, before he glared at the Stormlanders. “Any of you make a move and she's dead before you reach her. Any of you make a sound and I'll kill each and every fucking last of you” Now, his terrifying glare went back down to her. “And you... I'm not going to kill you”, he promised. “But I'll give you a little something to remember me by”
“Drent...”, Edonia hissed, as Drent considered his options. They could fight, but the outcome of such a battle would be up in the air. One thing was for sure though, Mullendore was not bluffing. He was too close to Argella and there was no way they could reach her without risking her life.
“Ser, if you do this...”, he started, though took a deep breath as he saw the bloodthirsty look on Mullendore's face. “If I do what, soldier?”, he growled. “Smash your precious little princess to a bloody pulp? What are you going to do then?” He gave him a wink with the single eye he had left. “You can't do shit to stop me, boy, so you better prepare to get her to a healer once I'm done”
“Drent...”, Edonia hissed again, a bit louder this time and Drent took a deep breath. This was it... the moment he had been trained for. There would be a battle breaking out any second and it might just be the last one in his life. But Drent knew, whatever Mullendore was about to do, his honour forbade him to just let it happen....
“Stop this madness!”, a deep voice barked all of a sudden. Drent glanced into the direction it came from and he saw none other than Orys Baratheon pushing through the crowd of Mullendore's men. The knight's expression had changed. What was once a calm, almost gentle look had faded into a mask of anger. “Ser Maron, I cannot allow this!”
One of the masked henchmen tried to get into his way, but a sign from Mullendore caused him to let the angry knight pass. He walked past the Stormlanders without even looking at them, before positioning himself between Argella and Mullendore, only two guards standing between the two knights.
“By the gods, I am not a violent man”, Orys growled, while sending a murderous glare towards the two guards that separated him from the other knight. “But I cannot allow this. I will not allow this” One of the two guards, a bit bolder than the other one, took a step towards him, though he stopped as Orys put a hand onto the hilt of his sword. “Go on, take another step”, he said harshly. “I dare you”
Satisfied by the guard's reaction, he glared back at Mullendore, who seemed slightly taken back by the Targaryen knight intervening. “You... are not a Stormlander, Ser Orys”, he stated. “Yet you still get involved?” Orys gave him a furious nod. “I do”, he replied. “I swore an oath and today won't be the day I break it. As a matter of fact, you swore the same once, Ser”
Mullendore narrowed his one eye. “You'd do this for... her?”, he asked and a mocking smirked formed on his face. “Oh yes, I know what happened at Storm's End. Such word travelled far. The spurned suitor, the bastard not worthy of the Storm End's fair maiden” He chuckled. “I am not sure if this is admirable or pathetic”
He was going to say another thing, but the slight movement Orys made was enough to shut him up. The Targaryen knight slightly remove the first few inches of his sword from the sheath and Drent tensed up as he saw the darkly shimmering metal the blade was made from.
“An oath is an oath”, he clarified. “There are no exceptions” Mullendore glanced at the sword, which was drawn a quarter out of its sheath. Defiantly, he glared at the knight wielding it. “You wouldn't dare!”, he spat. “If you start a fight here, my men will cut you down! We outnumber you two to one!”
“I have won under worse odds”, Orys replied. “But that is not the important thing here. What truly matters is that all that separates me and you are two thugs” He moved his head, looking from one guard to the other. “How long do you think it will take me to cut them down? You made a mistake when you allowed me to come this closely”
“If you fight here, you will die”, Mullendore said again, though it was a weak protest and for the first time during their talk, he seemed less confident and less smug. Drent in returned regained some confidence. Perhaps this could be solved without them having to die.
“Maybe”, Orys admitted. “Every single person in this room could die if a fight breaks out. But consider where you stand and consider your own chances” He shrugged. “I don't know what will happen if we are going to fight”, he continued and pulled out the sword a little bit more from the sheath, up until roughly half of the blade was visible. “There's only one thing I know in this situation. When I draw this sword, there will be bloodshed. Risk it at your peril”
A moment passed in which Mullendore sighed, a movement that caused him to grow visibly less intimidating. “Lower your weapons!”, he barked at last and Drent felt a wave of relief. Satisfied, Orys put the sword back into its sheath. “I am glad you saw reason”, he stated.
Mullendore however was seething with anger. His breaths came heavily and quickly and he took a step towards the knight. “I want you and yours gone from my city!”, he barked. “I don't care what you want here, but every single Targaryen supporter in Raylansfair will be gone by tomorrow. Take the bitch with you. She can keep her pretty face and her men. The knight however will remain, for he belongs to me now”
Turning to Argella, he continued. “You hear me, girl? Leave my city! You have one full day to be gone. And be thankful for the mercy this bastard showed you today” He took a step back from Orys, before he sank back onto his chair. “And now... get the fuck out of my hall”
Orys gave him a now. “An acceptable offer”, he agreed, as he turned around. Glancing over his shoulder, he took one last look at the other man. “I would have killed you”, he stated. “The day will come where we will meet again. Choose carefully on whose side you wish to be by then”
With these words, he stepped around and reached his hand down, towards Argella. The princess looked up, a mixture of confusion and anger on her face, though she eventually grabbed his hand, as he helped her up. She was looking shocked, yet quickly regained her usual composure, as she pulled her hand away.
Without saying a word to him, without even looking at him, she started to walk towards Drent and the other Stormlanders. However, after a few steps, she stopped. Drent saw the mixture of emotions on her face, as she momentarily closed her eyes, her lips a thin line and her fists trembling from being clenched so tightly. Finally, she opened her eyes and momentarily glanced over her shoulder. “Thank you, Ser”, she said in an almost meek tone, her words far more thin and sombre than they usually were.
Orys gave her a nod, though by then, she had already looked away again. Without saying a word, Argella started to march through the corridor her soldiers formed. With concern, Drent glared at the red gash on her cheek, where Mullendore had hit her. This would form a serious bruise, as he realized with anger.
Just as she almost reached the door, Argella stopped again. Still not averting her eyes from the exit, she began to address the man leaning against the wall next to it. “Ser Gordar”, she said, biting down onto her lip before she continued. The golden-haired man, accompanied by the third knight, the silver-haired one, folded his arms and raised his eyebrows. “Princess Argella”, he said.
“I... wish to talk to you”, she revealed. “As soon as possible” Now she turned her head towards him and Drent heard in her voice how much she held back the tears of humiliation. “There is a lot to speak, I believe. A lot I wish to know. A lot I have to say. I... my apologies”
Gordar sighed and he glanced at his commanding officer. Orys had approached them through the crowd, most of whom instinctively made room for him. Drent followed the stare between the men and he saw the dark-haired knight to subtly nod. Gordar rolled his eyes, though he reciprocated this nod. “Fine”, he said. “I will listen to what you have to say. Send someone to fetch me when you're ready”
“I will”, Argella agreed tonelessly. For a moment, it seemed as if she wanted to say something else, though she pulled herself together and instead approached the doors, which were opened by two Vyrwel knights to let the Stormlanders through.
Once out on the courtyard, Argella's behaviour changed. Now, Drent spotted a familiar expression, the naked fury her line was known for. She began to walk faster, approaching the large door that led into the building, to the quarters that were meant for highborn guests.
Edonia raised an eyebrow and Drent shrugged. Both wordlessly decided to follow. After a moment of hesitation, Torrence and Tariel stepped out of the line to catch up with them as well, while the rest of the Stormlanders remained on the courtyard, as Argella entered the building.
By now, the princess had fastened her pace enough for Drent to struggle to keep up with her without breaking into a sprint. She was heading right for her rooms, as he quickly noticed, her anger only getting more severe with every step she took.
Finally, she reached her room and as she threw the door open, her built-up rage was released in a growl of anger and frustration, as she sank down onto her bed. Drent and Edonia exchanged a concerned look, as Torrence entered the room behind them and closed the door.
“This bastard!”, the princess spat. “How can he dare?” Tariel took a step towards her, eyeing the bruise on her cheek. “It will heal”, she said. “Allow me to cover it and nobody will notice” Argella gave her a glare, though it seemed as if she was looking right through the woman. “That's not what I mean”, she growled. “I mean the bastard!”
Drent raised an eyebrow. “You're angry at Ser Orys?”, he asked. “I mean, he did save us...” Argella sighed, calming down momentarily. “He did”, she admitted. “And I... gods, I can't even be angry at him. Here I am, meeting this man my father killed a man over. And instead of being some... some bastard, he's actually helping me? How can he be so... good?” Once again, she sighed in frustration. “And how do I look now, after what I said in Storm's End? He must think of me as a heartless bitch!”
“Well...”, Torrence started with a slight grin, though she cut him off with a terrifying glare. Torrence's grin faded, as he slowly backed off. “I... think I'm going to wait outside”, he said, as he hurried to make his way out of the room.
Slowly, Argella's glare turned into a frown, before she sighed, shaking her head in frustration. “What I mean is, I was wrong, what I said was wrong and I have no idea how to admit to this without losing face”, she explained. “And I hate this”
“You know, you always could...”, Tariel started, but Argella cut her off. “Nobody's asking for your advice, bastard”, she snarled. “I have not forgotten what you did during the raid. Your 'advice' has seldom been helpful” She shook her head. “I will speak to Celtigar. To him I owe an apology. Baratheon... I probably owe him more than that, but I... just can't” She looked up and at Drent, with a curious expression. “What would you do in this situation, Drent?”, she asked.
Drent sighed, as he took a step towards her. After she gave him a nod, he sat down on the bed next to her. “Well... I haven't been in such a situation before, but I'd say that you should talk to him, as hard as it will be”, he advised her. “Nobody forced him to help today, but he did. If what you said in Storm's End is bothering you so much, then you will regret it if you miss the chance”
To this, she rolled her eyes. “I know. Seven Hells, you're right”, she admitted. “But gods... how do I even start to apologize for such a thing? My father killed a man over this and the things I've said... and he's so calmly proving me wrong. If I could at least hate him, this would be so much easier”
“And... what's with Maron Mullendore?”, Edonia spoke up. Argella clenched her fists again, a new wave of anger flaring up in her eyes. “He will be dealt with in time. Right now, we can't do anything by force. But the day will come where I'll make him pay for what he did today”, she stated. “We have one day to get out of this city and there is a lot to take care of until then”
Edonia gave her a ready smile. “Well, then how can we help?”, she asked. Her eagerness did wonders in calming Argella down and the princess raised from the bed again. “Before I leave this city, I need to know who shot at me yesterday”, she explained, as she narrowed her eyes. “I need to know who murdered Ser Jax” Walking up to Edonia, she placed a hand on her shoulder. “For this, I need someone who knows this city. A member of the city guard. From what I know, their commander is a man named Nathamer. Find him and bring him to me”
To this, Edonia gave her a salute. “It will be done”, she said, as she turned to the door. Argella meanwhile as now looking at Drent. “And there is yet another thing I wish to know”, she told him. “Ian Shortwood. I want to know who he is, what he is doing here and most importantly, if he had a role in the events of yesterday”
Drent nodded in agreement. “If he's still in the city, I will find him”, he agreed. “But what's with Celtigar? He has a motive” Argella shook her head. “I don't think he did it”, she admitted. “He's one of Baratheon's companions and I... cannot imagine one of them would stoop so low” For a moment, she pressed her lips together. “Neither do I believe Shortwood is responsible”, she continued. “But he's an enigma, something I'd like to know more about before we are forced to leave”
“Emphryus could know more. He did not trust him from the very beginning”, Drent argued and she gave him a nod. “Talk to him then. Give him my best wishes. I'd visit him, but right now, time is of the essence”, she replied. “Nonetheless, I want you to find Shortwood himself as well. I need to know if he's a threat”
“I will do it”, Drent assured her. “Though... if he wasn't the one who shot Montclair, I doubt he's a threat. He... seems to me like the kind of person that only wishes to be left alone” Argella gulped. “Those people can be the most dangerous”, she replied.
“Uh... Princess Argella?”, Tariel said as she cleared her throat. Instead of a glare, the princess only gave her a questioning look. “I don't want to hear your advice”, she said. “Especially if it's about anything related to our current problems” Tariel quickly shook her head. “That's not it”, she was quick to assure. “What I mean is, what's with the knight? Ser Lucas, I mean. You insist that he's one of us now”
“He is”, Argella said sharply. “If he doesn't count as one of us, then neither do you. He swore an oath and I gave him one in return. And no matter what this Butterfly bastard wants, I have no intention of leaving my knight in his dungeon”
Tariel was quick to evade her gaze, preferring to look out of the window instead. “Then how do you wish to help him? I am sure he is guarded heavily”, she argued. Now, a sly smirk formed on Argella's face. “The entire castle is guarded heavily”, she replied. “But trust me, I have an idea. There might be hope for him yet. Actually... there is something I could need your help for”
This time, Tariel did not hesitate to nod. “Whatever it is, I will try my best”, she promised. “I... know what I did was a horrible thing, but if I can somehow prove my loyalty, I...” Argella cut her off with an impatient handwave. “Yeah, whatever”, she said. “Getting back from that will be a lot of work, Tariel, but you can take the first step today”
The smile she gave Drent was not the slightest bit angry anymore. Instead, if was determined, almost hopeful. “First, I shall speak to Celtigar. Then, I shall work on freeing my knight. I'm having an idea for that”, she said. “And you, you will deal with Ian Shortwood”
The way she said this caused Drent to gulp. “Do you... want me to kill him?”, he asked and Argella shook her head. “Not if he won't be a threat to us”, she said. “Just make sure he won't endanger our next steps. They will be essential and we cannot afford him to disturb anything”
“Got it”, Drent said, as he rose from the bed as well. “Then... I better get going” He allowed himself a quick smile at her, which she reciprocated, before he walked out of the room. Only as he was outside did he notice how wildly his heart was beating.
That said, his excited feeling faded quickly as he spotted a familiar, yet unpleasant sight. Garen was standing there, talking to Torrence. As they noticed Drent, Torrence took a step away from the sellsword and with a nod towards him, he began to walk down the hallway, leaving the two men alone.
“Drentie”, Garen said in a mocking tone and Drent frowned. “What do you want?”, he asked and now, Garen smirked. “I couldn't help but listen to the conversation you had with your princess”, he replied and to this, Drent frowned. “You eavesdropped us?”, he growled. Quickly, Garen shook his head. “I was going to speak to her”, he admitted. “Wanted to offer my help. It's clear that she doesn't think very highly of me...”
“Yeah, I wonder why”, Drent cut him off quickly and Garen grinned, in the same way a predator showed its teeth. “Fact is, I don't want things to remain that way. This job pays well, so I don't want to risk her dropping me once we get back to Storm's End”, he explained. “I was going to offer my help directly to her, but now I have a better idea”
Drent raised an eyebrow. “You wish to help me?”, he said and Garen gave him a nod. “You're searching for Ian Shortwood. Bernile was useful for once when he told me what that guy is all about”, he stated. “A rogue hedge knight with a grudge against Stormlander soldiers? Sounds like a dangerous man to face alone” He put a hand onto his chest. “Luckily, I am neither Stormlander, nor soldier” His smile grew wider and now, it wasn't entirely cold. “So yes, I wish to help you. It's up to you if you accept or decline, but well, if you look beyond our little dispute, I'm sure you see that having me around can be useful”
[Accept Garen's help] Since even Tariel has obtain a second chance to gain Argella's trust I don't see any reason because Drent can't do the same thing with Garen (and I suppose that the sellsworld can prove to be useful for this mission since the target has a grudge against Stormlander and expecially against Drent)
RT:
Too bad that we had lose a chance for Drent to shine,at least we had a cool scene with Orys showing to Mullendore how badass he is
It seems that maybe Mullendore is not pro Targaryen
I'm not really sure to like how you want to develop a certain relationship but I suppose that time will tell and maybe my opinion will change some day
Well,today we discover that we decide to make Edonia wait a little with the last choice!
Maybe Lucas won't visit the wall (maybe)
Let's see if we can finally discover who Ian really is!
Drent
Drent felt a wave of confidence flashing through him as he grabbed his sword. They were outnumbered, yes, but they were Stormlander… mores, part of the best army in the known world. Each of them was as good as three of their opponents. It would be a hard fight, but only a madman would pick it. Mullendore had to stand down now, he had to...
Yet the man didn't seem to make any effort at defusing the situation. Glaring at the princess he had pushed to the ground, he appeared to have every bit the intention to cause a further escalation. “Go on, bitch”, he spat. “Say another fucking word to me and I'll have your tongue!”
Edonia threw a concerned look at Drent before she, at last, drew her sword as well. Mullendore looked up and at them. “If any of you Stormlander scum makes a move, I'm going to cut you all down!”, he growled, before he looked back at the princess, who had a hand on her cheek, right where he had punched her. “Now I will s… [view original content]
[Accept Garen's help] Is that a new budding bromance I smell? Time to see good cop bad cop Drent and Garen take on the cold case of the enigmatic Ian Shortwood. As for Orys, as awesome as expected. He is even more intimidating not that he has his own Valryian blade. I'm still curious as to Mullendore's response however. Maybe he isn't working for Team Targ after all, or maybe he was just upset because someone he considered to be on his side made a fool of him in his own court.
Drent
Drent felt a wave of confidence flashing through him as he grabbed his sword. They were outnumbered, yes, but they were Stormlander… mores, part of the best army in the known world. Each of them was as good as three of their opponents. It would be a hard fight, but only a madman would pick it. Mullendore had to stand down now, he had to...
Yet the man didn't seem to make any effort at defusing the situation. Glaring at the princess he had pushed to the ground, he appeared to have every bit the intention to cause a further escalation. “Go on, bitch”, he spat. “Say another fucking word to me and I'll have your tongue!”
Edonia threw a concerned look at Drent before she, at last, drew her sword as well. Mullendore looked up and at them. “If any of you Stormlander scum makes a move, I'm going to cut you all down!”, he growled, before he looked back at the princess, who had a hand on her cheek, right where he had punched her. “Now I will s… [view original content]
Too bad that we had lose a chance for Drent to shine,at least we had a cool scene with Orys showing to Mullendore how badass he is
I do believe the other option would have led to an even cooler scene there, with Drent and Orys more or less teaming up and talking Mullendore down. It also would have involved a lot less direct threats from Orys, as he and Drent together would have actually convinced Mullendore to stand down with merely the implication of violence. While this part gave Orys a time to shine, the alternative choice would have indeed put Drent into a centre role there, which could have arguably been a valuable experience for him.
It seems that maybe Mullendore is not pro Targaryen
Well, he surely was very vocal about throwing them out of the city. I assume this doesn't necessarily strengthen the Targaryen theory, although his true allegiance is still going to remain a bit of a mystery. I plan to give you a more definite answer later on. At least in theory though, it could still be possible for him to turn out as an incredibly low-key Targaryen supporter. After all, who would consider him to be a Targaryen supporter now, after this very vocal disagreement with one of the top Targaryens.
I'm not really sure to like how you want to develop a certain relationship but I suppose that time will tell and maybe my opinion will change some day
Hm, I do have an idea which one you mean. However, having put some thought into the relationships between these characters, I can guarantee that every possible relationship between every single character that appeared in this part is going to become a lot more complicated in the future. There are going to be some significant changes coming up in Book 2
Well,today we discover that we decide to make Edonia wait a little with the last choice!
Indeed, Edonia is the one that asked for Arthur in the latest part. Although, she actually doesn't really mind the waiting all that much, as long as she gets to do what she was told. It's Argella he keeps waiting here and she is going to be anything but thrilled about this.
Maybe Lucas won't visit the wall (maybe)
Maybe, oh yes. Argella does have a plan, although it remains to be seen if it is truly as good as she hopes it to be. Actually, she has two plans and she herself considers her chances to free Lucas to go up again. Mullendore's refusal to cooperate has made things a lot more complicated though.
Let's see if we can finally discover who Ian really is!
Well, Ian does have a colourful backstory, that much I can tell. If a different set of choices would have been taken, you would have even found out more about him by now. But with Drent's goal for this chapter being all about solving this mystery, it is a good possibility.
[Accept Garen's help] Since even Tariel has obtain a second chance to gain Argella's trust I don't see any reason because Drent can't do the… more same thing with Garen (and I suppose that the sellsworld can prove to be useful for this mission since the target has a grudge against Stormlander and expecially against Drent)
RT:
* Too bad that we had lose a chance for Drent to shine,at least we had a cool scene with Orys showing to Mullendore how badass he is
* It seems that maybe Mullendore is not pro Targaryen
* I'm not really sure to like how you want to develop a certain relationship but I suppose that time will tell and maybe my opinion will change some day
* Well,today we discover that we decide to make Edonia wait a little with the last choice!
* Maybe Lucas won't visit the wall (maybe)
* Let's see if we can finally discover who Ian really is!
Is that a new budding bromance I smell? Time to see good cop bad cop Drent and Garen take on the cold case of the enigmatic Ian Shortwood.
Haha, I wouldn't go as far as to say that there is a bromance between the two on its way, but there is surely room for improvement in their relationship. Who knows, perhaps this choice can influence it somehow, though it can go both ways with them.
As for Orys, as awesome as expected. He is even more intimidating not that he has his own Valryian blade.
Here I should clarify, it's actually not his own. It's Lady Forlorn, the Corbray blade, which he took from Ser Rodrik after their duel in Chapter 7. He has promised Maya to give it to her before they leave Raylansfair, so that it can be returned to the rightful owners. Since he hasn't gotten around to meet up with her, he is still wielding it, though it is possible that he will soon switch back to a common sword.
I'm still curious as to Mullendore's response however. Maybe he isn't working for Team Targ after all, or maybe he was just upset because someone he considered to be on his side made a fool of him in his own court.
That is yet another possibility, of course. Mullendore has a serious temper and he did not appreciate Orys' actions in the slightest. Surely it wouldn't be out of character for him to screw himself out of an important alliance just by overreacting. Although he could, in theory, still be a Targaryen supporter, that is something I don't wish to confirm nor deny until a later part in this chapter.
[Accept Garen's help] Is that a new budding bromance I smell? Time to see good cop bad cop Drent and Garen take on the cold case of the enig… morematic Ian Shortwood. As for Orys, as awesome as expected. He is even more intimidating not that he has his own Valryian blade. I'm still curious as to Mullendore's response however. Maybe he isn't working for Team Targ after all, or maybe he was just upset because someone he considered to be on his side made a fool of him in his own court.
Really cool part! A lot of characters got to shine, and believe it or not, I really like Garen.
Anyways, [Accept Garen's help] . Why the hell not? He will be of good use, and probably some interesting dialogue between them as well.
There was one thing that I found weird though.
“Any of you make a move and she's dead before you reach her. Any of you make a sound and I'll kill each and every fucking last of you” Now, his terrifying glare went back down to her. “And you... I'm not going to kill you”, he promised.
Mullendore changed his mind quick? and then I think he changed his mind yet again. But really good part, Liquid. You continue to amaze
Drent
Drent felt a wave of confidence flashing through him as he grabbed his sword. They were outnumbered, yes, but they were Stormlander… mores, part of the best army in the known world. Each of them was as good as three of their opponents. It would be a hard fight, but only a madman would pick it. Mullendore had to stand down now, he had to...
Yet the man didn't seem to make any effort at defusing the situation. Glaring at the princess he had pushed to the ground, he appeared to have every bit the intention to cause a further escalation. “Go on, bitch”, he spat. “Say another fucking word to me and I'll have your tongue!”
Edonia threw a concerned look at Drent before she, at last, drew her sword as well. Mullendore looked up and at them. “If any of you Stormlander scum makes a move, I'm going to cut you all down!”, he growled, before he looked back at the princess, who had a hand on her cheek, right where he had punched her. “Now I will s… [view original content]
[Accept Garen's help] Garen could definitely be helpful, as Shortwood certainly won't be friendly towards Drent.
And looks like some are now doubting that Mullendore wouldn't be a Targ supporter, but actually I'm still going to stick to that theory after this part. True, Mullendore was harsh towards Orys, but at the same time I somehow got the feeling like these two had met before. And to me Orys saying "Choose carefully on whose side you wish to be by then" sounds like a concealed reminder for Maron to stay in line and loyal to Aegon.
Drent
Drent felt a wave of confidence flashing through him as he grabbed his sword. They were outnumbered, yes, but they were Stormlander… mores, part of the best army in the known world. Each of them was as good as three of their opponents. It would be a hard fight, but only a madman would pick it. Mullendore had to stand down now, he had to...
Yet the man didn't seem to make any effort at defusing the situation. Glaring at the princess he had pushed to the ground, he appeared to have every bit the intention to cause a further escalation. “Go on, bitch”, he spat. “Say another fucking word to me and I'll have your tongue!”
Edonia threw a concerned look at Drent before she, at last, drew her sword as well. Mullendore looked up and at them. “If any of you Stormlander scum makes a move, I'm going to cut you all down!”, he growled, before he looked back at the princess, who had a hand on her cheek, right where he had punched her. “Now I will s… [view original content]
This is certainly unexpected But I find this pretty great. I never expected anyone to like Garen at this point of the story, so this is a pleasant surprise, to see that this character, who has been a relative jerk, still managed to somewhat be seen in a more positive light by you.
Mullendore changed his mind quick? and then I think he changed his mind yet again.
Ah, I think I failed to show Mullendore's intention there. He warned the soldiers not to attack him or his men, because in such a case, he'd kill Argella. Then he informed her that he has no intention of killing her, but only as long as she and her men refrain from attacking him. He basically informed her that he intends something seriously bad for her, but that he won't kill her, so he more or less showed her the two options she could pick from, either her death, or whatever Mullendore had in mind as a punishment.
Really cool part! A lot of characters got to shine, and believe it or not, I really like Garen.
Anyways, [Accept Garen's help] . Why the … morehell not? He will be of good use, and probably some interesting dialogue between them as well.
There was one thing that I found weird though.
“Any of you make a move and she's dead before you reach her. Any of you make a sound and I'll kill each and every fucking last of you” Now, his terrifying glare went back down to her. “And you... I'm not going to kill you”, he promised.
Mullendore changed his mind quick? and then I think he changed his mind yet again. But really good part, Liquid. You continue to amaze
This is a very interesting theory! Naturally, I cannot confirm anything beyond what I said before, that you will get a definite answer about Mullendore's loyalties in a later part of this chapter, but what I can say is that Orys' words have definitely been a threat towards Mullendore. If he truly supports House Targaryen as you speculate, then he has fully understood what Orys meant with this. If not, well, then he will realize it soon enough
[Accept Garen's help] Garen could definitely be helpful, as Shortwood certainly won't be friendly towards Drent.
And looks like some are … morenow doubting that Mullendore wouldn't be a Targ supporter, but actually I'm still going to stick to that theory after this part. True, Mullendore was harsh towards Orys, but at the same time I somehow got the feeling like these two had met before. And to me Orys saying "Choose carefully on whose side you wish to be by then" sounds like a concealed reminder for Maron to stay in line and loyal to Aegon.
[Decline Garen's help] We don't need backup. This isn't Lethal Weapon.
Anyhow, Edonia is probably the person Arthur just ignored by staying with his sister I see. Tisk tisk. Mullendore doesn't seem too happy. I am curious as to what his next move is. Regardless, looks like Lucas is going to be stuck in that there dungeon for a while now.
Drent
Drent felt a wave of confidence flashing through him as he grabbed his sword. They were outnumbered, yes, but they were Stormlander… mores, part of the best army in the known world. Each of them was as good as three of their opponents. It would be a hard fight, but only a madman would pick it. Mullendore had to stand down now, he had to...
Yet the man didn't seem to make any effort at defusing the situation. Glaring at the princess he had pushed to the ground, he appeared to have every bit the intention to cause a further escalation. “Go on, bitch”, he spat. “Say another fucking word to me and I'll have your tongue!”
Edonia threw a concerned look at Drent before she, at last, drew her sword as well. Mullendore looked up and at them. “If any of you Stormlander scum makes a move, I'm going to cut you all down!”, he growled, before he looked back at the princess, who had a hand on her cheek, right where he had punched her. “Now I will s… [view original content]
Liquid goes from upsetting me with numerous of my favourtite characters deaths to scaring the shit out of me. XD
I have never felt this way while reading a story and I had no idea I could hate Mullendore even more. It takes a LOT for me to hate a character. I was both really angry and really scared. I'm not kidding, my heart was going ballistic. FUCK MULLENDORE! I didn't even feel this way when Lunette died. I've never been a revenge kind of guy, but I legitimately want something bad to happen to Mullendore. I want payback.
[Accept Garen's help] I like Garen so I don't see a real downside here. I could go either way through to be honest.
Drent
Drent felt a wave of confidence flashing through him as he grabbed his sword. They were outnumbered, yes, but they were Stormlander… mores, part of the best army in the known world. Each of them was as good as three of their opponents. It would be a hard fight, but only a madman would pick it. Mullendore had to stand down now, he had to...
Yet the man didn't seem to make any effort at defusing the situation. Glaring at the princess he had pushed to the ground, he appeared to have every bit the intention to cause a further escalation. “Go on, bitch”, he spat. “Say another fucking word to me and I'll have your tongue!”
Edonia threw a concerned look at Drent before she, at last, drew her sword as well. Mullendore looked up and at them. “If any of you Stormlander scum makes a move, I'm going to cut you all down!”, he growled, before he looked back at the princess, who had a hand on her cheek, right where he had punched her. “Now I will s… [view original content]
Drent
Drent felt a wave of confidence flashing through him as he grabbed his sword. They were outnumbered, yes, but they were Stormlander… mores, part of the best army in the known world. Each of them was as good as three of their opponents. It would be a hard fight, but only a madman would pick it. Mullendore had to stand down now, he had to...
Yet the man didn't seem to make any effort at defusing the situation. Glaring at the princess he had pushed to the ground, he appeared to have every bit the intention to cause a further escalation. “Go on, bitch”, he spat. “Say another fucking word to me and I'll have your tongue!”
Edonia threw a concerned look at Drent before she, at last, drew her sword as well. Mullendore looked up and at them. “If any of you Stormlander scum makes a move, I'm going to cut you all down!”, he growled, before he looked back at the princess, who had a hand on her cheek, right where he had punched her. “Now I will s… [view original content]
EDIT: Looking back I forgot to tell you how much I love how you are developing Argella, absolutely one of my favorite characters bar none. I also love what you are doing with her and Orys, it shows a very unexplored side of her.
Drent
Drent felt a wave of confidence flashing through him as he grabbed his sword. They were outnumbered, yes, but they were Stormlander… mores, part of the best army in the known world. Each of them was as good as three of their opponents. It would be a hard fight, but only a madman would pick it. Mullendore had to stand down now, he had to...
Yet the man didn't seem to make any effort at defusing the situation. Glaring at the princess he had pushed to the ground, he appeared to have every bit the intention to cause a further escalation. “Go on, bitch”, he spat. “Say another fucking word to me and I'll have your tongue!”
Edonia threw a concerned look at Drent before she, at last, drew her sword as well. Mullendore looked up and at them. “If any of you Stormlander scum makes a move, I'm going to cut you all down!”, he growled, before he looked back at the princess, who had a hand on her cheek, right where he had punched her. “Now I will s… [view original content]
Wow, this is unexpected! I mean, I fully guessed that this part would make Mullendore even more disliked, but I am amazed that I managed to make him so thoroughly hateable that it would cause such a reaction from you. I feel flattered Naturally, I cannot say wether or not anything bad will happen to Mullendore. All I can say is, I doubt your feelings on him will change for the time being.
Liquid goes from upsetting me with numerous of my favourtite characters deaths to scaring the shit out of me. XD
I have never felt this way… more while reading a story and I had no idea I could hate Mullendore even more. It takes a LOT for me to hate a character. I was both really angry and really scared. I'm not kidding, my heart was going ballistic. FUCK MULLENDORE! I didn't even feel this way when Lunette died. I've never been a revenge kind of guy, but I legitimately want something bad to happen to Mullendore. I want payback.
[Accept Garen's help] I like Garen so I don't see a real downside here. I could go either way through to be honest.
Well, that is not completely impossible. I mean, the general starting point for them is quite similar to Lucas and Leonard, as both only reluctantly work together and neither likes each other. It is also entirely possible that their bad relationship still leaves room for improvement. Naturally though, this would require a lot of work and the right choices from Drent's side.
Drent
Drent felt a wave of confidence flashing through him as he grabbed his sword. They were outnumbered, yes, but they were Stormlander… mores, part of the best army in the known world. Each of them was as good as three of their opponents. It would be a hard fight, but only a madman would pick it. Mullendore had to stand down now, he had to...
Yet the man didn't seem to make any effort at defusing the situation. Glaring at the princess he had pushed to the ground, he appeared to have every bit the intention to cause a further escalation. “Go on, bitch”, he spat. “Say another fucking word to me and I'll have your tongue!”
Edonia threw a concerned look at Drent before she, at last, drew her sword as well. Mullendore looked up and at them. “If any of you Stormlander scum makes a move, I'm going to cut you all down!”, he growled, before he looked back at the princess, who had a hand on her cheek, right where he had punched her. “Now I will s… [view original content]
Drent
Drent felt a wave of confidence flashing through him as he grabbed his sword. They were outnumbered, yes, but they were Stormlander… mores, part of the best army in the known world. Each of them was as good as three of their opponents. It would be a hard fight, but only a madman would pick it. Mullendore had to stand down now, he had to...
Yet the man didn't seem to make any effort at defusing the situation. Glaring at the princess he had pushed to the ground, he appeared to have every bit the intention to cause a further escalation. “Go on, bitch”, he spat. “Say another fucking word to me and I'll have your tongue!”
Edonia threw a concerned look at Drent before she, at last, drew her sword as well. Mullendore looked up and at them. “If any of you Stormlander scum makes a move, I'm going to cut you all down!”, he growled, before he looked back at the princess, who had a hand on her cheek, right where he had punched her. “Now I will s… [view original content]
Meh not a big fan of him but maybe bringing him along will change my mind. I doubt Shortwood would be any nicer.
Going back through the character artwork, Clint Volmark's image gives me the shivers every time I look at it. It makes me glad he got owned by a level 15 archer noob.
Drent
Drent felt a wave of confidence flashing through him as he grabbed his sword. They were outnumbered, yes, but they were Stormlander… mores, part of the best army in the known world. Each of them was as good as three of their opponents. It would be a hard fight, but only a madman would pick it. Mullendore had to stand down now, he had to...
Yet the man didn't seem to make any effort at defusing the situation. Glaring at the princess he had pushed to the ground, he appeared to have every bit the intention to cause a further escalation. “Go on, bitch”, he spat. “Say another fucking word to me and I'll have your tongue!”
Edonia threw a concerned look at Drent before she, at last, drew her sword as well. Mullendore looked up and at them. “If any of you Stormlander scum makes a move, I'm going to cut you all down!”, he growled, before he looked back at the princess, who had a hand on her cheek, right where he had punched her. “Now I will s… [view original content]
I'm curious. Does the name Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka ring any bells?
Also, are Leo York or Keat ever going to be POVs? I noticed Dan was but, well, no.
I'm curious. Does the name Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka ring any bells?
'Ez da profit of da Waaagh an’ whole worlds burn in 'iz boot prints. 'Ez gonna stomp da ‘ooniverse flat an’ kill anyfing that fights back. 'Ez gonna do this coz’ 'ez an Ork an’ 'e was made ta fight an’ win!
In all seriousness, I remember him He was a well done character save for him unfortunately sharing a name with the Beast of Armageddon. However, unlike Warhammer's Ghazghkull, he is not a virtually unstoppable killing machine, does not command billions of orks and is not a plant. His creator contacted me shortly after I mentioned that his name is not quite usable for Forum of Thrones, we agreed on changing the name and he is now a character in the waiting list, to make his first appearance somewhere in Book 2.
Also, are Leo York or Keat ever going to be POVs? I noticed Dan was but, well, no.
At different times, different characters were considered as future PoV's. Dan was among them, up until Sadie got submitted, which changed the storyline and ultimately was for the better, I think. Leo was considered in an early phase, though I ultimately settled for Edrick. Keat is still very much a possibility in Book 2 though
I'm curious. Does the name Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka ring any bells?
Also, are Leo York or Keat ever going to be POVs? I noticed Dan was but, well, no.
Going back through the character artwork, Clint Volmark's image gives me the shivers every time I look at it. It makes me glad he got owned by a level 15 archer noob.
He's actually among my favourite drawings as well! Looking through them, I'm actually having a hard time finding one that is more intimidating than him. Bear maybe, but there's just something about the Clint drawing that is indeed chilling. It is certainly a good thing for a great number of characters that Hjalgar got a lucky shot at him. In fact, he would have continued to be quite a threat in this chapter if Garthon wouldn't have attacked him.
[Accept Garen's help]
Meh not a big fan of him but maybe bringing him along will change my mind. I doubt Shortwood would be any nicer.
… more Going back through the character artwork, Clint Volmark's image gives me the shivers every time I look at it. It makes me glad he got owned by a level 15 archer noob.
First things first, this is going to change Garen's importance in this chapter and it is going to give him more of a presence. This is a good thing, as most of the other Stormlanders already had some chances for development, whereas he has merely been this jerk. Frankly, he is a jerk, a huge asshole, but there is more to him than that. It might also affect the interaction with Shortwood in this chapter. Keep in mind, due to Drent's earlier refusal to help, things are already heated. First of all however, there will be an interesting talk with Emphryus, which should give you some answers
The next part will be out today. I was at work for most of it, so haven't made any progress today, but I got a lot of writing done yesterday and I believe I should finish this part reasonably soon. It is going to be Garthon's first part in this chapter. The last time you saw him has been during the chapter finale, where he witnessed Torvin's death, only to get shot in the shoulder by Carvin. He survived the raid, though his current whereabouts, whom he is with and things like that, are currently still unknown. You'll get an answer to this and more in the next part, which should hold some important revelations for the future As I said, it should be done very soon, likely somewhere in the next 2-3 hours, or maybe 4. We'll see. Fact is, it will be out before I go to bed tonight.
With a sigh of pain, Garthon switched his position from lying on his back to sitting against the post they had chained him to. Naturally, his jailers hadn't given him any milk of the poppy for his wounded shoulder, but at the least they had treated his wound while he had been unconscious. That had been the first surprise he noticed when waking up. The second had been that, despite being chained to a post, he was not in a cell, but in a tent, comfortably furnished on top of that. It certainly wasn't the prison he expected himself to be thrown into after he lost consciousness during the final moments of the raid.
Torvin was the last thing on his mind before he had drifted off and the first he had to think of after waking up again, an hour ago. Ever since, he couldn't stop thinking about what happened. His brother was dead and Garthon didn't even have enough strength left to cry. It almost felt surreal. Torvin had always been there, for him, for everyone. In a way, Garthon had always thought his brother was immortal, invincible, that nothing could ever get to him.
Even before, Harren Hoare had shown him how wrong he had been, back when he murdered Torvin's child. It had been this moment that marked the beginning of Torvin's demise. In a certain way, he had already been dead by the time Anturion put a knife into his chest.
Anturion... just thinking about the traitor caused Garthon's breaths to become faster. He had never trusted the pirate, had never liked him. He murdered George and now he had taken Garthon's family as well. And he knew, should they ever meet again, he would avenge them. Yet something was not right about this. As much as he'd make him pay, Garthon couldn't quite believe that Anturion acted all on his own. No... perhaps this has been Harren's way of making sure that his brother would never return to Harrenhal.
But whatever the truth was, it didn't change anything about the pain Garthon felt right now. His brother was gone and the true meaning of this only slowly kicked in. Right here, in his current condition, the loss was overwhelming. Torvin had always been there and up until now, Garthon had never been able to imagine a life without him. But there he was, wounded, but alive. And Torvin was dead.
He glanced at the chair that had been put close to the post. A small table was standing next to it, with a bowl of fruit on top and a second chair on the other side. It were details like this that surprised him and he noticed them despite his pained, slightly dizzy state. The chain that kept him in the tent was long enough to allow him to sit down on the chair, at least in theory, though something still prevented him from doing so. He felt that something was wrong about all of this and he surely did not trust any of it.
Judging by the noises, he was in a camp, a relatively large one at that. The sun was shining, though occasionally, shadows were seen on the walls of the tent, as men passed, in groups of two or three. Soldiers, judging by the snippets of their talks that were loud enough for him to understand. At least they sounded like soldiers.
Here he was, waiting. For what exactly, he wasn't even sure. But somebody had put a lot of effort into keeping him alive and this meant that he was still useful for that person. Yet Garthon didn't exactly feel useful. He couldn't save Torvin, he couldn't prevent the senseless slaughter that was this raid. He couldn't even kill Cleaver, that honour had gone to Hjalgar. But the fact that he lived, while Torvin and for all he knew Hjalgar as well were dead, it proved that someone thought differently.
With a sigh, Garthon finally rose from the ground. It sent a sting of pain through his shoulder, though he had to admit that it had been treated well. The tight bandages prevented him from feeling much about what likely was a gruesome wound. It only hurt when he moved. Glancing at the table and the bowl of fruit, he began to approach it.
Halfway to the table, which he walked to on shaky legs, Garthon head something that caused him to stop. He was just quick enough to turn towards the entrance of the tent, as a man walked in. For a moment, as he opened the tent, bright, undimmed sunlight shined through it and Garthon raised his chained arms to protect his eyes.
As soon as they had adjusted, he got a better look at the man. At least he thought it was a man. He was tall, but lean, clad in black, with a hood and a white-golden mask that resembled a cat. He was armed, heavily so, a belt full of throwing knives strapped across his chest and a curved sword on his belt. Silently he watched him through greenish eyes, his arms crossed, as he stood slightly next to the entrance of the tent.
Garthon stared back at him in silence, not daring to move. He gulped under the intense stare of the masked man, though he raised an eyebrow. Just a second later, the tent was opened yet again. This time, he didn't have such a hard time adjusting to the brightness of the day outside and he quickly laid eyes on the man that had followed.
He was a broad, yet slightly stocky man, probably in his fifties. Pale, sweaty skin provided a contrast to the red hair, streaks of grey in it being one of several hints at his true age. One of his eyes was hidden beneath a thick bandage, a red spot showing that the wound beneath was still fresh. Breathing heavily, the man limped forwards on a cane, one of his legs clearly damaged.
Unlike the masked man, this one did not remain silent. “Good day”, he greeted him, as he dragged himself to one of the chairs and sat down on it, which caused him to sigh in relief. His one eye followed Garthon's confused glare and a smirk formed on his face. “Sit down, come on”, he urged him, pointing at one of the chairs.
After a moment of hesitation, he followed the order and the man gave him a cordial smile. “There you go”, he said. “Looking alive again. Splendid!” He looked at the chains around Garthon's hands, tied to the pole. “A shame about that”, he said. “Apologies. We felt it was necessary, to prevent you from doing anything unfortunate after waking up”
“Unfortunate?”, Garthon asked, the first words he ever said to this man. In return, the man chuckled. “We could have put you in a cell, but honestly, I don't think that would have made a good first impression”, he replied. “So, the tent it is. I had some business left to do up in the castle, so I couldn't make it any earlier. I hope you find the tent acceptable”
A curious look appeared on Garthon's face. “I've been a prisoner under worse conditions”, he admitted. The man's smirk turned into a wide grin. “But you are not my prisoner”, he said. “You are my guest. In fact, I have no intention of keeping you here against your will. Put your hands onto the table”
Garthon followed the order, as the man reached into his pocket. Surprisingly, he pulled out a key, which he used to unlock the chains. Pulling back his now free hands, Garthon rubbed his aching wrists, as he gave the man a nod. “Thank you”, he said thinly and the man reached for the bowl. Picking up a grape, he gave Garthon a smile before he ate it. “Take some”, he told him. “You must be hungry and we have a lot to speak about”
“That we have indeed”, Garthon replied. “You could begin by telling me who the hell you are” The man and his silent companion exchanged a look, before he answered. “I am the man that has treated you like a guest instead of a prisoner”, he said. “But if you must know it, my name is Maron Mullendore. I am a knight and I lead part of the army that saved Raylansfair from your lot”
This surprising revelation opened up more questions than it answered and Garthon found himself curious about this situation. “You defeated us?”, he said and Maron gave him a nod. “Together with my partner, Petyr Vyrwel, the Lord of Darkdell”, he explained. “Right now, you are in our joint camp, which accommodates the major part of our army, the ones that have no room in the city for now”
“That answers my second question”, Garthon admitted. “I'm still near Raylansfair though. But this makes me wonder, if you have defeated my men, why am I still alive? Why am I treated like... this?” As he spoke, he reached for the bowl and grabbed a grape. It tasted sweet and fresh and did wonders for his dizzy state of mind.
“I believe I do owe you an explanation for that”, Maron answered. “But first, I'm having a question as well. The others I have spared, they named you their leader, told me your name is Garthon Breaker, though as far as I know, the leaders of the raid are Lord Clint Volmark and a certain Torvin Breaker. Why's that?”
The mention of his brother caused Garthon to frown, though he pulled himself together quickly. “Torvin is my brother”, he revealed. “He... was betrayed and murdered during the final stages of the raid. Volmark... got what he deserved” He looked up. “You mentioned others... is there a man among them who calls himself Edward Anturion?”
Maron shrugged. “I don't know a man by that name”, he admitted. “They only told me your name. Most of your raiders fought to the death, but one surrendered, a young lad, lanky, with blonde hair. Carried a bow when we found him. He called you his leader. Then there's the silent one with the messed up face. We cut him down with the others during our charge, but the bastard refused to die, so we took him prisoner. Third, a guy we found on one of the ships that have been left behind. His leg's all fucked, but he'll live”
Hjalgar, Tedyn, Rell... though only one of these three meant anything to Garthon, he was glad that they survived. At least he wasn't the only one... though there was one thing he suddenly realized, something that caused his eyes to widen in surprise. “You mentioned Torvin and Clint... how could you know that?”
Maron's grin returned. “Ah, a good question”, he admitted. “Same reason me and my ally arrived in Raylansfair just in time to save the city. Though you haven't advanced as quickly as we thought you would. Our plans involved you taking the castle by then, only to be taken out when you fail to lower the portcullis”
“You have spies at the court of King Harren”, Garthon concluded and this caused Maron to chuckle in a jovial way. His general nature was affable, yet there was something about him that did not feel right. It were small mannerisms, which even Garthon barely noticed. He had no doubt that everything about this knight felt genuine for many others, but he had experience with liars and actors.
“Close, but not quite”, Maron replied. “I have received word from Harrenhal, that is true, but I don't exactly need a spy in there. My source is far more reliable and far more influential” And suddenly it made sense. The reason Maron and his allies arrived in Raylansfair so suspiciously timely. The reason he himself was still alive. His eyes widened. “You're working for Harren Hoare!”, Garthon managed to utter.
With an approving, almost impressed smile, Maron nodded. “Very good!”, he said. “I'm glad to have such a smart man to talk to. Indeed, I am working for Harren Hoare and, as much as it must hurt you to learn about it, your entire raid, your reason to be in Raylansfair, all of it has been a rigged game from the very beginning”
Breathing rapidly, Garthon leant back on his chair, turning his face away from Maron Mullendore. Harren had allies in the Reach... this was the last thing he would have expected. “Why Harren?”, was all he managed to utter and Maron raised an eyebrow. “You don't seem too keen on this, boy”, he said. “After all, I just told you that we are allies and you look as if I kicked your puppy. Lighten up a bit, for fucks sake”
Noticing how suspicious his constant frown must be, Garthon forced himself to smile at the knight. “Apologies, Ser”, he said. “It's just... this is the last I have expected. Thought I'd be done for the moment I was caught by your men” His smile faded, as he could no longer keep it up. “And... regardless of whom you are working for, I still lost my brother recently”
Maron gave him an understanding nod. “My condolences”, he said. “Did my men kill him?” Garthon shook his head, though the nonchalant way the man had put it did cause him to feel even more uneasy in his presence. “A man named Anturion did it”, he said. “We were told that the raid was for him, that he'd need something from the archives of Raylansfair”
This information obviously seemed to concern the other man, judging by his intense frown. “This is... new for me”, he revealed. “I don't know any man by that name. All I can tell you is, this raid was not for him, it was for me an for my ally, so that we could arrive and take the city as heroes, as saviours”
Garthon narrowed his eyes. “So... you're telling me my men were used as bait?”, he growled. “Sacrificed?” Maron raised an eyebrow, before he shrugged. “A necessary sacrifice”, he said. “It's what a strong ruler would do. A few were sent to die so that many more could live in peace in the end”
“So this is what the entire raid has been about”, Garthon spoke. “Harren wanted a loyal ally in Raylansfair. It was all about power” Maron gave him a nod. “It's all about power”, he replied. “Every single thing we do in our lives is about power, be it over others or ourselves. A strong king realizes this”
“And you consider Harren a strong king?”, Garthon asked. Without hesitating, Maron nodded again. “Our king, in name only, is Mern Gardener, a weak dreamer. His obsession with ideals drag down those around him, limit our potential”, he explained. “What we need is a king who is not afraid to do what has to be done. A strong king, an iron king”
Garthon tensed up as he heard this. This man was dedicated to his cause, that much was clear to see. And it gave Harren more power than anyone could have expected. “How many allies do you have?”, he asked and Maron grinned. “We are numerous. The number of men unhappy with Mern's rule is greater than you probably think. Soon, the northern Reach will be under our control. The rest will be no problem for our combined might”
“And the Rock will follow”, Garthon realized. “Maybe the Stormlands too” Maron nodded in agreement. “I was hoping for a war between Gardener and Durrandon”, he admitted. “My agent here in the city failed to reach this goal. But once Reach and Rock have submitted, the old stag won't have any choice but to kneel, or else we shall crush him”
“And Harren rules over Westeros”, Garthon mumbled. Maron smiled, a genuine smile, which was more than unsettling, given the context. “Aye”, he merely said. “A conqueror. The king we need. Westeros can never prosper if things remain as they are, a continent divided. Harren is the only one strong enough to achieve true unity”
Garthon successfully suppressed a remark about this last line, knowing how badly this would end for him. After all, how did true unity work out for the Ironborn and Riverlands back home? At the same time, he almost understood the reasoning behind all this. Yet this didn't change the fact that he had been used as a pawn, that Torvin, though not having died at the hands of these so-called 'allies', could have lived if they would have never undertaken the raid in the first place.
“So we have been sent to die”, Garthon said and this time, Maron shook his head. “By no means”, he answered. “I have always intended to spare as many of you as possible. After all, I don't wish to kill potential allies. Though casualties have always been inevitable, it was planned for you to take the city with relative ease. The presence of the Stormlanders was unexpected, as was the resistance the smallfolk showed” He momentarily spread his arms. “I think we can both agree that this went a bit out of hand”
As Garthon closed his eyes, he saw Torvin again, bleeding from his chest, dying as he was unable to do anything to help. A bitter sigh came out of his throat, as he opened his eyes quickly, glancing at Maron. “More than a little bit”, he replied. “A lot of people died”
This time, a slightly displeased look appeared on Maron's face. “Most of them haven't been up to me”, he said. “And they are still less than the people that would die if Westeros remains divided. We have and had centuries of war, but instead of continuing down that road, we're looking at centuries of peace if Harren unites these lands”
Garthon gave him a nod. “Maybe”, he said. “We shall see. However, this still leaves me with one question... Why am I still alive?” Maron raised an eyebrow. “I already told you, I don't wish to kill a potential ally”, he answered. To this, Garthon shook his head. “What about a potential enemy?”, he said. “You're a pragmatist. You wouldn't have taken the risk if you didn't want anything from me in particular”
As he spoke, Maron's kind expression faded. The masked man behind him inhaled sharply, as one of his hands moved to the sword. “Tom...”, Maron growled sharply and the man stopped. Now, the knight looked at Garthon and this time, the friendly expression was gone. Instead, he had gotten colder, yet at the same time more genuine. And in his single eye, there was something that resembled appreciation. Respect even?
“You're a smart one, boy”, he complimented him. “I can see why the others named you as their leader” He gave him a nod. “Yes, I do need your help with something”, he continued. As he spoke, his hand moved into the inner pocket of his vest, to reveal a smalls scroll. “I need you to deliver this to our king in Harrenhal”
Garthon carefully eyed the scroll. “It's not too big”, he stated. “Is there a reason you don't send this by raven?” Maron was quick to give him a nod. “Secrecy”, he replied. “A raven can always get lost and frankly, I'd hate for anyone but my king to read what I have to say to him. This is why I send my correspondence through messengers. King Harren uses a similar method for his”
“And you want me to become one of your messengers?”, Garthon asked. Maron smirked thinly and without any joy. “In return for your life and the lives of your companions”, he confirmed. “I'd give you all the supplies you need to return to Harrenhal, food, water, horses. There's even a scout, a guy named Christian who lives on these lands, as I've been told, who could show you the way if you don't know it by yourself. Once you arrived in Harrenhal King Harren might give you a message of his own, in which case I'd expect your return to me of course, for an additional reward”
As he listened to the knights words, Garthon clenched his teeth. “There would be a problem”, he replied glumly. “I hope you are aware of why Harren sent me and my brother onto this mission” Maron shook his head, looking at him with curiosity, so Garthon continued. “He wanted us dead, me and my brother. He succeeded with Torvin, but here I am, still breathing. If I am to return to Harrenhal, I doubt he is going to let me live”
Maron waited a moment before he reacted, but then, he merely shrugged. “So?”, he asked in a casual tone and Garthon realized that the knight hadn't given him a request, but an order. “So, what if I refuse to be your messenger?”, he asked. “I'm not saying I refuse, I just want to know where I'm standing here. What choices I have”
“Well, you are free to decline my offer”, Maron revealed. “In such a case however, you wouldn't have any use to me. I'd kill you, publicly, to please the masses. A swift death through decapitation” A wicked look formed in his green eye. “Then I would move on. I have your three companions still alive here in my camp. I am sure one of them is willing to accept what I am offering here” He shrugged sarcastically. “But well, the choice is yours, of course”
So, Mullendore supports Harren, huh? Well, I must admit this is a surprise. Mullendore liking Harren's style is not so much of a surprise, it's just surprising to see a Reachman wanting an Ironborn to rule over him Then again, it's not like Maron has been too picky with his allies, considering Alley Cats are one of his most important forces. And well, this certainly gives a whole new layer to the raid, seeing that it was just a means to get Mullendore in control of Raylansfair.
[Accept the offer] As for the choice, no reason to throw Garthon's life away, especially since Tedyn or Rell would deliver the message anyway.
Garthon
With a sigh of pain, Garthon switched his position from lying on his back to sitting against the post they had chained him to. Na… moreturally, his jailers hadn't given him any milk of the poppy for his wounded shoulder, but at the least they had treated his wound while he had been unconscious. That had been the first surprise he noticed when waking up. The second had been that, despite being chained to a post, he was not in a cell, but in a tent, comfortably furnished on top of that. It certainly wasn't the prison he expected himself to be thrown into after he lost consciousness during the final moments of the raid.
Torvin was the last thing on his mind before he had drifted off and the first he had to think of after waking up again, an hour ago. Ever since, he couldn't stop thinking about what happened. His brother was dead and Garthon didn't even have enough strength left to cry. It almost felt surreal. Torvin had always been there… [view original content]
[Accept the offer] I don't see a reason not to accept, Garthon's gone trough a lot, and to have him killed off by Maron fucking Mullendore isn't practical. We could get a really cool storyline here. And even though Harren doesn't exactly love Garthon, I highly doubt he would kill Garthon. Harren is cruel, but also smart. He can probably see that it's crueller (is that a word?) to let Garthon live by now. I will not have Garthon get killed off now.
Garthon
With a sigh of pain, Garthon switched his position from lying on his back to sitting against the post they had chained him to. Na… moreturally, his jailers hadn't given him any milk of the poppy for his wounded shoulder, but at the least they had treated his wound while he had been unconscious. That had been the first surprise he noticed when waking up. The second had been that, despite being chained to a post, he was not in a cell, but in a tent, comfortably furnished on top of that. It certainly wasn't the prison he expected himself to be thrown into after he lost consciousness during the final moments of the raid.
Torvin was the last thing on his mind before he had drifted off and the first he had to think of after waking up again, an hour ago. Ever since, he couldn't stop thinking about what happened. His brother was dead and Garthon didn't even have enough strength left to cry. It almost felt surreal. Torvin had always been there… [view original content]
Garthon
With a sigh of pain, Garthon switched his position from lying on his back to sitting against the post they had chained him to. Na… moreturally, his jailers hadn't given him any milk of the poppy for his wounded shoulder, but at the least they had treated his wound while he had been unconscious. That had been the first surprise he noticed when waking up. The second had been that, despite being chained to a post, he was not in a cell, but in a tent, comfortably furnished on top of that. It certainly wasn't the prison he expected himself to be thrown into after he lost consciousness during the final moments of the raid.
Torvin was the last thing on his mind before he had drifted off and the first he had to think of after waking up again, an hour ago. Ever since, he couldn't stop thinking about what happened. His brother was dead and Garthon didn't even have enough strength left to cry. It almost felt surreal. Torvin had always been there… [view original content]
So, Mullendore supports Harren, huh? Well, I must admit this is a surprise. Mullendore liking Harren's style is not so much of a surprise, it's just surprising to see a Reachman wanting an Ironborn to rule over him Then again, it's not like Maron has been too picky with his allies, considering Alley Cats are one of his most important forces. And well, this certainly gives a whole new layer to the raid, seeing that it was just a means to get Mullendore in control of Raylansfair.
Heh, this was the one detail I have really tried my utmost not to let slip in any way. This is one of the reasons why I enjoyed your Targaryen theory so much, because it made sense and it was widely accepted, making it even better to throw you off any hints I have given to Mullendore's true allegiance. Admittedly, these hints have been very minor, though I was surprised nobody questions Mullendore's perfectly timed arrival at the city of Raylansfair, which could have really only happened out of audacious luck, or due to an insider who fed him the valuable information. But well, this detail comes actually straight from his character submission and it is probably the detail that shaped the story the most, because his support for Harren basically cemented his status as a villain and encouraged me to include some of his more brutal moments of dog-kicking. And the two do have similarities, so from Maron's standpoint, there is a lot to admire about Harren. And he has never been that much against Ironborn. Now, dornishmen or people from Essos, they are roughly on the same level as criminals in his eyes, but Ironborn have a culture Maron is able to respect.
Admittedly though, if it wouldn't have been a detail I picked straight from his submission, it is actually possible I would have went with the Targaryen idea after it was brought up. that one was just too nice and I feel a bit bad for not being able to use it
So, Mullendore supports Harren, huh? Well, I must admit this is a surprise. Mullendore liking Harren's style is not so much of a surprise, i… moret's just surprising to see a Reachman wanting an Ironborn to rule over him Then again, it's not like Maron has been too picky with his allies, considering Alley Cats are one of his most important forces. And well, this certainly gives a whole new layer to the raid, seeing that it was just a means to get Mullendore in control of Raylansfair.
[Accept the offer] As for the choice, no reason to throw Garthon's life away, especially since Tedyn or Rell would deliver the message anyway.
And even though Harren doesn't exactly love Garthon, I highly doubt he would kill Garthon. Harren is cruel, but also smart. He can probably see that it's crueller (is that a word?) to let Garthon live by now.
Hm, this is a good thought. I will, naturally, neither confirm nor deny that things go down that way, though to play devil's advocate here, if Harren truly is behind Torvin's death at the hands of Anturion, then he could be willing to dispose of the threat Garthon still poses as well. He is cruel, but as you said, he is also smart and perhaps it would be the smarter thing to kill him instead of risking any danger from him. But as said, this is merely me playing devil's advocate. You shall see the truth soon enough
Glad you enjoyed the part! But yeah, Torvin's death was so far the biggest in the story. It surely wasn't easy to kill him off, though at the same time, given how long I had planned this, I think there are characters whom I would have had a far harder time killing off (Kersea's final Chapter 8 part would have likely been nearly impossible for me to write if I wouldn't have changed her fate), while others whom are still going to die will crush me even more than Torvin. And... I doubt I'll be the only one there
[Accept the offer] I don't see a reason not to accept, Garthon's gone trough a lot, and to have him killed off by Maron fucking Mullendore i… moresn't practical. We could get a really cool storyline here. And even though Harren doesn't exactly love Garthon, I highly doubt he would kill Garthon. Harren is cruel, but also smart. He can probably see that it's crueller (is that a word?) to let Garthon live by now. I will not have Garthon get killed off now.
Really cool part. Can't believe Torvin's gone though, really sad, indeed.
[Accept the offer] I don't see any reason to risk the life of the Ironbro expecially when this choice can make us a step closer to bring down Mullendore and Harren (and it seems that can be a very good storyline)
RT:
The Ironbro is back!It's always a pleausure read of Garthon even when he is a prisoner!
About the part I really like the conversation between Mullendore and Garthon!
And we have now discovered that Mullendore work for Harren! While I don't dislike the choice (and I admit that it is a logical one) I wouldn't have hate a Mullendore/Targaryen partnership
Btw,it seems of the raid died outside chapter 8 all the Ironborns except named characters!
And,in the end,we finally discover Christian role for this story!
Garthon
With a sigh of pain, Garthon switched his position from lying on his back to sitting against the post they had chained him to. Na… moreturally, his jailers hadn't given him any milk of the poppy for his wounded shoulder, but at the least they had treated his wound while he had been unconscious. That had been the first surprise he noticed when waking up. The second had been that, despite being chained to a post, he was not in a cell, but in a tent, comfortably furnished on top of that. It certainly wasn't the prison he expected himself to be thrown into after he lost consciousness during the final moments of the raid.
Torvin was the last thing on his mind before he had drifted off and the first he had to think of after waking up again, an hour ago. Ever since, he couldn't stop thinking about what happened. His brother was dead and Garthon didn't even have enough strength left to cry. It almost felt surreal. Torvin had always been there… [view original content]
Ah ya yay. So we have the Targaryens, The Anturions and now the Hoare's (And possibly others I'm forgetting right now) all trying to achieve absolute power and the unification of the Kingdoms under their rule. This really has become a game of thrones hasn't it?
Okay so Mullendore's plans go as far as world domination under a strong a harsh ruler. It kinda makes you wonder how he would view the situation if he somehow knew all the factions. Would he still work under Harren then? Or maybe measure one of the others as a better option? He could even chose to play them all (or at least try) In an effort for himself to rule, thou he might realize how these people aren't really the kind you trick.
......[Accept the offer] Do it for the memory Torvin!!!!
Garthon
With a sigh of pain, Garthon switched his position from lying on his back to sitting against the post they had chained him to. Na… moreturally, his jailers hadn't given him any milk of the poppy for his wounded shoulder, but at the least they had treated his wound while he had been unconscious. That had been the first surprise he noticed when waking up. The second had been that, despite being chained to a post, he was not in a cell, but in a tent, comfortably furnished on top of that. It certainly wasn't the prison he expected himself to be thrown into after he lost consciousness during the final moments of the raid.
Torvin was the last thing on his mind before he had drifted off and the first he had to think of after waking up again, an hour ago. Ever since, he couldn't stop thinking about what happened. His brother was dead and Garthon didn't even have enough strength left to cry. It almost felt surreal. Torvin had always been there… [view original content]
The Ironbro is back!It's always a pleausure read of Garthon even when he is a prisoner!
Ah, I am afraid that Garthon won't have too much of a long storyline in this chapter. It sort of depends on your choice here how much he will get to do. But it's good to hear you enjoyed him here. Depending on the choice, there will be a lot more for him in the future
About the part I really like the conversation between Mullendore and Garthon!
Very glad to hear it I wasn't sure how long I could make this part and originally considered a second PoV as well, but Garthon's and Mullendore's talk just grew, something I really liked. Arguably, it was one of the most important talks of Book 1, so I am glad to hear that it is well-received.
And we have now discovered that Mullendore work for Harren! While I don't dislike the choice (and I admit that it is a logical one) I wouldn't have hate a Mullendore/Targaryen partnership
Same here, I would have liked a Mullendor/Targaryen alliance. Arguably, this would have made things far harder depending on where you stand when it comes to the Targaryen's. With Harren, you got a more classical villainous alliance. However, it does put Harren's role into a new light, as it basically demotes Mullendore to a henchman, a twist I myself have grown quite fond of. And in the end, this is too important a part of Mullendore's character to just change it.
Btw,it seems of the raid died outside chapter 8 all the Ironborns except named characters!
Indeed, this is true. Basically, Mullendore told Garthon a lot of crap here, with him trying to spare as many Ironborn as possible. Hjalgar was spared because he was the only one who surrendered, Rell was spared becaus he was found aboard the ship where Garthon left him, unable to fight back, while Tedyn got wounded up to the point where he had no chance but to submit. The others didn't have as much luck and Mullendore certainly didn't go out of his way to spare as many as possible.
And,in the end,we finally discover Christian role for this story!
Indeed! Actually, this has always been meant to be Christian's role I introduced him a bit earlier to give him at least some sort of a presence in Book 1, but failed to have him show up again. This is certainly going to change in Book 2, where he is going to be a more constant presence.
[Accept the offer] I don't see any reason to risk the life of the Ironbro expecially when this choice can make us a step closer to bring dow… moren Mullendore and Harren (and it seems that can be a very good storyline)
RT:
* The Ironbro is back!It's always a pleausure read of Garthon even when he is a prisoner!
* About the part I really like the conversation between Mullendore and Garthon!
* And we have now discovered that Mullendore work for Harren! While I don't dislike the choice (and I admit that it is a logical one) I wouldn't have hate a Mullendore/Targaryen partnership
* Btw,it seems of the raid died outside chapter 8 all the Ironborns except named characters!
* And,in the end,we finally discover Christian role for this story!
Ah ya yay. So we have the Targaryens, The Anturions and now the Hoare's (And possibly others I'm forgetting right now) all trying to achieve absolute power and the unification of the Kingdoms under their rule. This really has become a game of thrones hasn't it?
You are right, things are getting really complicated. You have rulers such as Argilac Durrandon, Loren Lannister and Torrhen Stark who have primarily the goal of keeping their kingdoms save and players such Harren, Aegon and likely Edward (or maybe Nain?) who are aiming for more. And this is only the end of Book 1 we're reaching. More players will follow in Book 2, with more goals. I think I really need to get the wiki done, because in a couple of chapters, it might get very easy to lose the track of all the different factions and players
Okay so Mullendore's plans go as far as world domination under a strong a harsh ruler. It kinda makes you wonder how he would view the situation if he somehow knew all the factions. Would he still work under Harren then? Or maybe measure one of the others as a better option? He could even chose to play them all (or at least try) In an effort for himself to rule, thou he might realize how these people aren't really the kind you trick.
If Mullendore would know the other players well enough, he would likely still decide for Harren. After all, Harren is the most powerful king in Westeros. Mullendore's primary flaw has always been underestimating seemingly harmless opponents. While he is dangerous, seriously so, every loss he suffered can be traced back to that. He knows about the Targaryen's (though likely not their plans), but like almost the entirety of Westeros, he is severely underestimating the sheer power of a dragon, having never seen one in action. And smaller groups, such as Edward and co. are just too seemingly weak for him to support. Harren has the manpower, Harren has the ambition and the ruthless attitude to go through with it, so he is Maron's perfect king. That said, he is naturally a schemer, so it is not too far fetched to assume that he will plan for alternatives.
Ah ya yay. So we have the Targaryens, The Anturions and now the Hoare's (And possibly others I'm forgetting right now) all trying to achieve… more absolute power and the unification of the Kingdoms under their rule. This really has become a game of thrones hasn't it?
Okay so Mullendore's plans go as far as world domination under a strong a harsh ruler. It kinda makes you wonder how he would view the situation if he somehow knew all the factions. Would he still work under Harren then? Or maybe measure one of the others as a better option? He could even chose to play them all (or at least try) In an effort for himself to rule, thou he might realize how these people aren't really the kind you trick.
......[Accept the offer] Do it for the memory Torvin!!!!
[Accept the offer] Great part! Really informative. Now we know Mullendore's true allegiance. I got to say I am surprised he wasn't working for Targaryen. Now Mullendore is like the Rook of Hoare. I expected he was only working with the Targaryen's for his own personal gain, but it seems he is quite loyal to Hoare. However, once he sees the true force of Team Targ, I don't really doubt that it will take him too long to switch sides. It would've been really interesting to see him as apart of Team Targ, because how they're the ultimate point of good guys(not really) it wouldn't been interesting to see a really bad dude like Mullendore helping them out. But now the factions are set, for at least now, it is good to know who needs to be taken down in order for Team Targ to rule over all.
Garthon
With a sigh of pain, Garthon switched his position from lying on his back to sitting against the post they had chained him to. Na… moreturally, his jailers hadn't given him any milk of the poppy for his wounded shoulder, but at the least they had treated his wound while he had been unconscious. That had been the first surprise he noticed when waking up. The second had been that, despite being chained to a post, he was not in a cell, but in a tent, comfortably furnished on top of that. It certainly wasn't the prison he expected himself to be thrown into after he lost consciousness during the final moments of the raid.
Torvin was the last thing on his mind before he had drifted off and the first he had to think of after waking up again, an hour ago. Ever since, he couldn't stop thinking about what happened. His brother was dead and Garthon didn't even have enough strength left to cry. It almost felt surreal. Torvin had always been there… [view original content]
Well....Yeah it is good for US to know the current factions, but Team Targ doesn't. They have no idea that Harren Hoare has this really complex scheme and I don't think they even know that the Anturions are a thing. If anything the fact that there is YET ANOTHER faction they are oblivious to is very bad for them.
[Accept the offer] Great part! Really informative. Now we know Mullendore's true allegiance. I got to say I am surprised he wasn't working f… moreor Targaryen. Now Mullendore is like the Rook of Hoare. I expected he was only working with the Targaryen's for his own personal gain, but it seems he is quite loyal to Hoare. However, once he sees the true force of Team Targ, I don't really doubt that it will take him too long to switch sides. It would've been really interesting to see him as apart of Team Targ, because how they're the ultimate point of good guys(not really) it wouldn't been interesting to see a really bad dude like Mullendore helping them out. But now the factions are set, for at least now, it is good to know who needs to be taken down in order for Team Targ to rule over all.
[Accept the offer] Garthon's a smart man and I believe eventually Mullendore will realize that you can't play him. I say play along for now, Garthon gets to live and I imagine he'll have a choice of what to do later on. It's debatable whether or not he should return home.
Garthon
With a sigh of pain, Garthon switched his position from lying on his back to sitting against the post they had chained him to. Na… moreturally, his jailers hadn't given him any milk of the poppy for his wounded shoulder, but at the least they had treated his wound while he had been unconscious. That had been the first surprise he noticed when waking up. The second had been that, despite being chained to a post, he was not in a cell, but in a tent, comfortably furnished on top of that. It certainly wasn't the prison he expected himself to be thrown into after he lost consciousness during the final moments of the raid.
Torvin was the last thing on his mind before he had drifted off and the first he had to think of after waking up again, an hour ago. Ever since, he couldn't stop thinking about what happened. His brother was dead and Garthon didn't even have enough strength left to cry. It almost felt surreal. Torvin had always been there… [view original content]
Comments
The Voting is closed!
Arthur is going to stay with Aditha
I close this voting a bit later in the day than I usually do, but this is because I was working today. Now I'm finished, exhausted, but nonetheless excited to write. And the voting has been open for long enough, so I'll try not to keep you waiting for longer than I have to. I was not sure which one you'd pick in this part, though I had the feeling that a majority of you would ultimately decide on staying with Aditha for a little longer. It is surely going to make for an interesting scene, but I can promise that the person that wishes to speak to Arthur won't be thrilled to be kept waiting.
As I said above, I am a bit tired, so I am not sure if I will manage to finish the next part before going to bed. I also have a couple of PM's to answer, so if yours takes me until tomorrow, apologies in advance, I'll get to it as soon as possible
The next part, in any way, is going to be a Drent part, the second half of what was originally planned to be his first part. Length reasons forced me to cut it in half, but now you can look forward for a hopefully nice read. Last time we saw him, Drent accompanied Argella and the rest of the Stormlanders to the Great Hall of Raylansfair, where she intended to negotiate about Lucas' freedom. However, Mullendore wasn't having any of it. Both of their volatile tempers together didn't quite work out and after Argella gave Mullendore an (arguably understandable) slap across the face, he outright punched her to the ground, nearly causing the whole situation to escalate. Tensions are still running high and in the heat of the moment, Drent decided to reach for his weapon as well. The next part is hopefully going to be a very interesting read. So, until later today or early tomorrow!
Drent
Drent felt a wave of confidence flashing through him as he grabbed his sword. They were outnumbered, yes, but they were Stormlanders, part of the best army in the known world. Each of them was as good as three of their opponents. It would be a hard fight, but only a madman would pick it. Mullendore had to stand down now, he had to...
Yet the man didn't seem to make any effort at defusing the situation. Glaring at the princess he had pushed to the ground, he appeared to have every bit the intention to cause a further escalation. “Go on, bitch”, he spat. “Say another fucking word to me and I'll have your tongue!”
Edonia threw a concerned look at Drent before she, at last, drew her sword as well. Mullendore looked up and at them. “If any of you Stormlander scum makes a move, I'm going to cut you all down!”, he growled, before he looked back at the princess, who had a hand on her cheek, right where he had punched her. “Now I will speak and you will listen”
Throughout this, Drent had to suppress the urge to just attack the nearest opponent. Surrounded and outnumbered, those were no concerns for him. But Mullendore's men were a lot closer to Argella than he was. If he'd do anything, they'd kill her. And it finally dawned upon him that this situation was a lot worse than he assumed it to be at first.
Finally, Argella rose her head and though Drent wasn't able to see her expression, he saw Mullendore's grin. “Go to hell”, she spat from the ground and he shrugged. “Oh, now you'r just asking for it”, he said with a chuckle, before he glared at the Stormlanders. “Any of you make a move and she's dead before you reach her. Any of you make a sound and I'll kill each and every fucking last of you” Now, his terrifying glare went back down to her. “And you... I'm not going to kill you”, he promised. “But I'll give you a little something to remember me by”
“Drent...”, Edonia hissed, as Drent considered his options. They could fight, but the outcome of such a battle would be up in the air. One thing was for sure though, Mullendore was not bluffing. He was too close to Argella and there was no way they could reach her without risking her life.
“Ser, if you do this...”, he started, though took a deep breath as he saw the bloodthirsty look on Mullendore's face. “If I do what, soldier?”, he growled. “Smash your precious little princess to a bloody pulp? What are you going to do then?” He gave him a wink with the single eye he had left. “You can't do shit to stop me, boy, so you better prepare to get her to a healer once I'm done”
“Drent...”, Edonia hissed again, a bit louder this time and Drent took a deep breath. This was it... the moment he had been trained for. There would be a battle breaking out any second and it might just be the last one in his life. But Drent knew, whatever Mullendore was about to do, his honour forbade him to just let it happen....
“Stop this madness!”, a deep voice barked all of a sudden. Drent glanced into the direction it came from and he saw none other than Orys Baratheon pushing through the crowd of Mullendore's men. The knight's expression had changed. What was once a calm, almost gentle look had faded into a mask of anger. “Ser Maron, I cannot allow this!”
One of the masked henchmen tried to get into his way, but a sign from Mullendore caused him to let the angry knight pass. He walked past the Stormlanders without even looking at them, before positioning himself between Argella and Mullendore, only two guards standing between the two knights.
“By the gods, I am not a violent man”, Orys growled, while sending a murderous glare towards the two guards that separated him from the other knight. “But I cannot allow this. I will not allow this” One of the two guards, a bit bolder than the other one, took a step towards him, though he stopped as Orys put a hand onto the hilt of his sword. “Go on, take another step”, he said harshly. “I dare you”
Satisfied by the guard's reaction, he glared back at Mullendore, who seemed slightly taken back by the Targaryen knight intervening. “You... are not a Stormlander, Ser Orys”, he stated. “Yet you still get involved?” Orys gave him a furious nod. “I do”, he replied. “I swore an oath and today won't be the day I break it. As a matter of fact, you swore the same once, Ser”
Mullendore narrowed his one eye. “You'd do this for... her?”, he asked and a mocking smirked formed on his face. “Oh yes, I know what happened at Storm's End. Such word travelled far. The spurned suitor, the bastard not worthy of the Storm End's fair maiden” He chuckled. “I am not sure if this is admirable or pathetic”
He was going to say another thing, but the slight movement Orys made was enough to shut him up. The Targaryen knight slightly remove the first few inches of his sword from the sheath and Drent tensed up as he saw the darkly shimmering metal the blade was made from.
“An oath is an oath”, he clarified. “There are no exceptions” Mullendore glanced at the sword, which was drawn a quarter out of its sheath. Defiantly, he glared at the knight wielding it. “You wouldn't dare!”, he spat. “If you start a fight here, my men will cut you down! We outnumber you two to one!”
“I have won under worse odds”, Orys replied. “But that is not the important thing here. What truly matters is that all that separates me and you are two thugs” He moved his head, looking from one guard to the other. “How long do you think it will take me to cut them down? You made a mistake when you allowed me to come this closely”
“If you fight here, you will die”, Mullendore said again, though it was a weak protest and for the first time during their talk, he seemed less confident and less smug. Drent in returned regained some confidence. Perhaps this could be solved without them having to die.
“Maybe”, Orys admitted. “Every single person in this room could die if a fight breaks out. But consider where you stand and consider your own chances” He shrugged. “I don't know what will happen if we are going to fight”, he continued and pulled out the sword a little bit more from the sheath, up until roughly half of the blade was visible. “There's only one thing I know in this situation. When I draw this sword, there will be bloodshed. Risk it at your peril”
A moment passed in which Mullendore sighed, a movement that caused him to grow visibly less intimidating. “Lower your weapons!”, he barked at last and Drent felt a wave of relief. Satisfied, Orys put the sword back into its sheath. “I am glad you saw reason”, he stated.
Mullendore however was seething with anger. His breaths came heavily and quickly and he took a step towards the knight. “I want you and yours gone from my city!”, he barked. “I don't care what you want here, but every single Targaryen supporter in Raylansfair will be gone by tomorrow. Take the bitch with you. She can keep her pretty face and her men. The knight however will remain, for he belongs to me now”
Turning to Argella, he continued. “You hear me, girl? Leave my city! You have one full day to be gone. And be thankful for the mercy this bastard showed you today” He took a step back from Orys, before he sank back onto his chair. “And now... get the fuck out of my hall”
Orys gave him a now. “An acceptable offer”, he agreed, as he turned around. Glancing over his shoulder, he took one last look at the other man. “I would have killed you”, he stated. “The day will come where we will meet again. Choose carefully on whose side you wish to be by then”
With these words, he stepped around and reached his hand down, towards Argella. The princess looked up, a mixture of confusion and anger on her face, though she eventually grabbed his hand, as he helped her up. She was looking shocked, yet quickly regained her usual composure, as she pulled her hand away.
Without saying a word to him, without even looking at him, she started to walk towards Drent and the other Stormlanders. However, after a few steps, she stopped. Drent saw the mixture of emotions on her face, as she momentarily closed her eyes, her lips a thin line and her fists trembling from being clenched so tightly. Finally, she opened her eyes and momentarily glanced over her shoulder. “Thank you, Ser”, she said in an almost meek tone, her words far more thin and sombre than they usually were.
Orys gave her a nod, though by then, she had already looked away again. Without saying a word, Argella started to march through the corridor her soldiers formed. With concern, Drent glared at the red gash on her cheek, where Mullendore had hit her. This would form a serious bruise, as he realized with anger.
Just as she almost reached the door, Argella stopped again. Still not averting her eyes from the exit, she began to address the man leaning against the wall next to it. “Ser Gordar”, she said, biting down onto her lip before she continued. The golden-haired man, accompanied by the third knight, the silver-haired one, folded his arms and raised his eyebrows. “Princess Argella”, he said.
“I... wish to talk to you”, she revealed. “As soon as possible” Now she turned her head towards him and Drent heard in her voice how much she held back the tears of humiliation. “There is a lot to speak, I believe. A lot I wish to know. A lot I have to say. I... my apologies”
Gordar sighed and he glanced at his commanding officer. Orys had approached them through the crowd, most of whom instinctively made room for him. Drent followed the stare between the men and he saw the dark-haired knight to subtly nod. Gordar rolled his eyes, though he reciprocated this nod. “Fine”, he said. “I will listen to what you have to say. Send someone to fetch me when you're ready”
“I will”, Argella agreed tonelessly. For a moment, it seemed as if she wanted to say something else, though she pulled herself together and instead approached the doors, which were opened by two Vyrwel knights to let the Stormlanders through.
Once out on the courtyard, Argella's behaviour changed. Now, Drent spotted a familiar expression, the naked fury her line was known for. She began to walk faster, approaching the large door that led into the building, to the quarters that were meant for highborn guests.
Edonia raised an eyebrow and Drent shrugged. Both wordlessly decided to follow. After a moment of hesitation, Torrence and Tariel stepped out of the line to catch up with them as well, while the rest of the Stormlanders remained on the courtyard, as Argella entered the building.
By now, the princess had fastened her pace enough for Drent to struggle to keep up with her without breaking into a sprint. She was heading right for her rooms, as he quickly noticed, her anger only getting more severe with every step she took.
Finally, she reached her room and as she threw the door open, her built-up rage was released in a growl of anger and frustration, as she sank down onto her bed. Drent and Edonia exchanged a concerned look, as Torrence entered the room behind them and closed the door.
“This bastard!”, the princess spat. “How can he dare?” Tariel took a step towards her, eyeing the bruise on her cheek. “It will heal”, she said. “Allow me to cover it and nobody will notice” Argella gave her a glare, though it seemed as if she was looking right through the woman. “That's not what I mean”, she growled. “I mean the bastard!”
Drent raised an eyebrow. “You're angry at Ser Orys?”, he asked. “I mean, he did save us...” Argella sighed, calming down momentarily. “He did”, she admitted. “And I... gods, I can't even be angry at him. Here I am, meeting this man my father killed a man over. And instead of being some... some bastard, he's actually helping me? How can he be so... good?” Once again, she sighed in frustration. “And how do I look now, after what I said in Storm's End? He must think of me as a heartless bitch!”
“Well...”, Torrence started with a slight grin, though she cut him off with a terrifying glare. Torrence's grin faded, as he slowly backed off. “I... think I'm going to wait outside”, he said, as he hurried to make his way out of the room.
Slowly, Argella's glare turned into a frown, before she sighed, shaking her head in frustration. “What I mean is, I was wrong, what I said was wrong and I have no idea how to admit to this without losing face”, she explained. “And I hate this”
“You know, you always could...”, Tariel started, but Argella cut her off. “Nobody's asking for your advice, bastard”, she snarled. “I have not forgotten what you did during the raid. Your 'advice' has seldom been helpful” She shook her head. “I will speak to Celtigar. To him I owe an apology. Baratheon... I probably owe him more than that, but I... just can't” She looked up and at Drent, with a curious expression. “What would you do in this situation, Drent?”, she asked.
Drent sighed, as he took a step towards her. After she gave him a nod, he sat down on the bed next to her. “Well... I haven't been in such a situation before, but I'd say that you should talk to him, as hard as it will be”, he advised her. “Nobody forced him to help today, but he did. If what you said in Storm's End is bothering you so much, then you will regret it if you miss the chance”
To this, she rolled her eyes. “I know. Seven Hells, you're right”, she admitted. “But gods... how do I even start to apologize for such a thing? My father killed a man over this and the things I've said... and he's so calmly proving me wrong. If I could at least hate him, this would be so much easier”
“And... what's with Maron Mullendore?”, Edonia spoke up. Argella clenched her fists again, a new wave of anger flaring up in her eyes. “He will be dealt with in time. Right now, we can't do anything by force. But the day will come where I'll make him pay for what he did today”, she stated. “We have one day to get out of this city and there is a lot to take care of until then”
Edonia gave her a ready smile. “Well, then how can we help?”, she asked. Her eagerness did wonders in calming Argella down and the princess raised from the bed again. “Before I leave this city, I need to know who shot at me yesterday”, she explained, as she narrowed her eyes. “I need to know who murdered Ser Jax” Walking up to Edonia, she placed a hand on her shoulder. “For this, I need someone who knows this city. A member of the city guard. From what I know, their commander is a man named Nathamer. Find him and bring him to me”
To this, Edonia gave her a salute. “It will be done”, she said, as she turned to the door. Argella meanwhile as now looking at Drent. “And there is yet another thing I wish to know”, she told him. “Ian Shortwood. I want to know who he is, what he is doing here and most importantly, if he had a role in the events of yesterday”
Drent nodded in agreement. “If he's still in the city, I will find him”, he agreed. “But what's with Celtigar? He has a motive” Argella shook her head. “I don't think he did it”, she admitted. “He's one of Baratheon's companions and I... cannot imagine one of them would stoop so low” For a moment, she pressed her lips together. “Neither do I believe Shortwood is responsible”, she continued. “But he's an enigma, something I'd like to know more about before we are forced to leave”
“Emphryus could know more. He did not trust him from the very beginning”, Drent argued and she gave him a nod. “Talk to him then. Give him my best wishes. I'd visit him, but right now, time is of the essence”, she replied. “Nonetheless, I want you to find Shortwood himself as well. I need to know if he's a threat”
“I will do it”, Drent assured her. “Though... if he wasn't the one who shot Montclair, I doubt he's a threat. He... seems to me like the kind of person that only wishes to be left alone” Argella gulped. “Those people can be the most dangerous”, she replied.
“Uh... Princess Argella?”, Tariel said as she cleared her throat. Instead of a glare, the princess only gave her a questioning look. “I don't want to hear your advice”, she said. “Especially if it's about anything related to our current problems” Tariel quickly shook her head. “That's not it”, she was quick to assure. “What I mean is, what's with the knight? Ser Lucas, I mean. You insist that he's one of us now”
“He is”, Argella said sharply. “If he doesn't count as one of us, then neither do you. He swore an oath and I gave him one in return. And no matter what this Butterfly bastard wants, I have no intention of leaving my knight in his dungeon”
Tariel was quick to evade her gaze, preferring to look out of the window instead. “Then how do you wish to help him? I am sure he is guarded heavily”, she argued. Now, a sly smirk formed on Argella's face. “The entire castle is guarded heavily”, she replied. “But trust me, I have an idea. There might be hope for him yet. Actually... there is something I could need your help for”
This time, Tariel did not hesitate to nod. “Whatever it is, I will try my best”, she promised. “I... know what I did was a horrible thing, but if I can somehow prove my loyalty, I...” Argella cut her off with an impatient handwave. “Yeah, whatever”, she said. “Getting back from that will be a lot of work, Tariel, but you can take the first step today”
The smile she gave Drent was not the slightest bit angry anymore. Instead, if was determined, almost hopeful. “First, I shall speak to Celtigar. Then, I shall work on freeing my knight. I'm having an idea for that”, she said. “And you, you will deal with Ian Shortwood”
The way she said this caused Drent to gulp. “Do you... want me to kill him?”, he asked and Argella shook her head. “Not if he won't be a threat to us”, she said. “Just make sure he won't endanger our next steps. They will be essential and we cannot afford him to disturb anything”
“Got it”, Drent said, as he rose from the bed as well. “Then... I better get going” He allowed himself a quick smile at her, which she reciprocated, before he walked out of the room. Only as he was outside did he notice how wildly his heart was beating.
That said, his excited feeling faded quickly as he spotted a familiar, yet unpleasant sight. Garen was standing there, talking to Torrence. As they noticed Drent, Torrence took a step away from the sellsword and with a nod towards him, he began to walk down the hallway, leaving the two men alone.
“Drentie”, Garen said in a mocking tone and Drent frowned. “What do you want?”, he asked and now, Garen smirked. “I couldn't help but listen to the conversation you had with your princess”, he replied and to this, Drent frowned. “You eavesdropped us?”, he growled. Quickly, Garen shook his head. “I was going to speak to her”, he admitted. “Wanted to offer my help. It's clear that she doesn't think very highly of me...”
“Yeah, I wonder why”, Drent cut him off quickly and Garen grinned, in the same way a predator showed its teeth. “Fact is, I don't want things to remain that way. This job pays well, so I don't want to risk her dropping me once we get back to Storm's End”, he explained. “I was going to offer my help directly to her, but now I have a better idea”
Drent raised an eyebrow. “You wish to help me?”, he said and Garen gave him a nod. “You're searching for Ian Shortwood. Bernile was useful for once when he told me what that guy is all about”, he stated. “A rogue hedge knight with a grudge against Stormlander soldiers? Sounds like a dangerous man to face alone” He put a hand onto his chest. “Luckily, I am neither Stormlander, nor soldier” His smile grew wider and now, it wasn't entirely cold. “So yes, I wish to help you. It's up to you if you accept or decline, but well, if you look beyond our little dispute, I'm sure you see that having me around can be useful”
[Accept Garen's help] [Decline Garen's help]
[Accept Garen's help] Since even Tariel has obtain a second chance to gain Argella's trust I don't see any reason because Drent can't do the same thing with Garen (and I suppose that the sellsworld can prove to be useful for this mission since the target has a grudge against Stormlander and expecially against Drent)
RT:
[Accept Garen's help] Is that a new budding bromance I smell? Time to see good cop bad cop Drent and Garen take on the cold case of the enigmatic Ian Shortwood. As for Orys, as awesome as expected. He is even more intimidating not that he has his own Valryian blade. I'm still curious as to Mullendore's response however. Maybe he isn't working for Team Targ after all, or maybe he was just upset because someone he considered to be on his side made a fool of him in his own court.
I do believe the other option would have led to an even cooler scene there, with Drent and Orys more or less teaming up and talking Mullendore down. It also would have involved a lot less direct threats from Orys, as he and Drent together would have actually convinced Mullendore to stand down with merely the implication of violence. While this part gave Orys a time to shine, the alternative choice would have indeed put Drent into a centre role there, which could have arguably been a valuable experience for him.
Well, he surely was very vocal about throwing them out of the city. I assume this doesn't necessarily strengthen the Targaryen theory, although his true allegiance is still going to remain a bit of a mystery. I plan to give you a more definite answer later on. At least in theory though, it could still be possible for him to turn out as an incredibly low-key Targaryen supporter. After all, who would consider him to be a Targaryen supporter now, after this very vocal disagreement with one of the top Targaryens.
Hm, I do have an idea which one you mean. However, having put some thought into the relationships between these characters, I can guarantee that every possible relationship between every single character that appeared in this part is going to become a lot more complicated in the future. There are going to be some significant changes coming up in Book 2
Indeed, Edonia is the one that asked for Arthur in the latest part. Although, she actually doesn't really mind the waiting all that much, as long as she gets to do what she was told. It's Argella he keeps waiting here and she is going to be anything but thrilled about this.
Maybe, oh yes. Argella does have a plan, although it remains to be seen if it is truly as good as she hopes it to be. Actually, she has two plans and she herself considers her chances to free Lucas to go up again. Mullendore's refusal to cooperate has made things a lot more complicated though.
Well, Ian does have a colourful backstory, that much I can tell. If a different set of choices would have been taken, you would have even found out more about him by now. But with Drent's goal for this chapter being all about solving this mystery, it is a good possibility.
Haha, I wouldn't go as far as to say that there is a bromance between the two on its way, but there is surely room for improvement in their relationship. Who knows, perhaps this choice can influence it somehow, though it can go both ways with them.
Here I should clarify, it's actually not his own. It's Lady Forlorn, the Corbray blade, which he took from Ser Rodrik after their duel in Chapter 7. He has promised Maya to give it to her before they leave Raylansfair, so that it can be returned to the rightful owners. Since he hasn't gotten around to meet up with her, he is still wielding it, though it is possible that he will soon switch back to a common sword.
That is yet another possibility, of course. Mullendore has a serious temper and he did not appreciate Orys' actions in the slightest. Surely it wouldn't be out of character for him to screw himself out of an important alliance just by overreacting. Although he could, in theory, still be a Targaryen supporter, that is something I don't wish to confirm nor deny until a later part in this chapter.
Really cool part! A lot of characters got to shine, and believe it or not, I really like Garen.
Anyways, [Accept Garen's help] . Why the hell not? He will be of good use, and probably some interesting dialogue between them as well.
There was one thing that I found weird though.
Mullendore changed his mind quick? and then I think he changed his mind yet again. But really good part, Liquid. You continue to amaze
[Accept Garen's help] Garen could definitely be helpful, as Shortwood certainly won't be friendly towards Drent.
And looks like some are now doubting that Mullendore wouldn't be a Targ supporter, but actually I'm still going to stick to that theory after this part. True, Mullendore was harsh towards Orys, but at the same time I somehow got the feeling like these two had met before. And to me Orys saying "Choose carefully on whose side you wish to be by then" sounds like a concealed reminder for Maron to stay in line and loyal to Aegon.
This is certainly unexpected
But I find this pretty great. I never expected anyone to like Garen at this point of the story, so this is a pleasant surprise, to see that this character, who has been a relative jerk, still managed to somewhat be seen in a more positive light by you.
Ah, I think I failed to show Mullendore's intention there. He warned the soldiers not to attack him or his men, because in such a case, he'd kill Argella. Then he informed her that he has no intention of killing her, but only as long as she and her men refrain from attacking him. He basically informed her that he intends something seriously bad for her, but that he won't kill her, so he more or less showed her the two options she could pick from, either her death, or whatever Mullendore had in mind as a punishment.
This is a very interesting theory! Naturally, I cannot confirm anything beyond what I said before, that you will get a definite answer about Mullendore's loyalties in a later part of this chapter, but what I can say is that Orys' words have definitely been a threat towards Mullendore. If he truly supports House Targaryen as you speculate, then he has fully understood what Orys meant with this. If not, well, then he will realize it soon enough
[Decline Garen's help] We don't need backup. This isn't Lethal Weapon.
Anyhow, Edonia is probably the person Arthur just ignored by staying with his sister I see. Tisk tisk. Mullendore doesn't seem too happy. I am curious as to what his next move is. Regardless, looks like Lucas is going to be stuck in that there dungeon for a while now.
[Accept Garen's help]
Could Drent and Garen be the new Len and Lucas?
Liquid goes from upsetting me with numerous of my favourtite characters deaths to scaring the shit out of me. XD
I have never felt this way while reading a story and I had no idea I could hate Mullendore even more. It takes a LOT for me to hate a character. I was both really angry and really scared. I'm not kidding, my heart was going ballistic. FUCK MULLENDORE! I didn't even feel this way when Lunette died. I've never been a revenge kind of guy, but I legitimately want something bad to happen to Mullendore. I want payback.
[Accept Garen's help] I like Garen so I don't see a real downside here. I could go either way through to be honest.
[Accept Garen's help]
[Accept Garen's help]
[Accept Garen's help]
C'mon guys lets be friends.
EDIT: Looking back I forgot to tell you how much I love how you are developing Argella, absolutely one of my favorite characters bar none. I also love what you are doing with her and Orys, it shows a very unexplored side of her.
Wow, this is unexpected! I mean, I fully guessed that this part would make Mullendore even more disliked, but I am amazed that I managed to make him so thoroughly hateable that it would cause such a reaction from you. I feel flattered
Naturally, I cannot say wether or not anything bad will happen to Mullendore. All I can say is, I doubt your feelings on him will change for the time being.
Well, that is not completely impossible. I mean, the general starting point for them is quite similar to Lucas and Leonard, as both only reluctantly work together and neither likes each other. It is also entirely possible that their bad relationship still leaves room for improvement. Naturally though, this would require a lot of work and the right choices from Drent's side.
[Accept Garen's help]
[Accept Garen's help]
I'm curious. Does the name Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka ring any bells?
Also, are Leo York or Keat ever going to be POVs? I noticed Dan was but, well, no.
[Accept Garen's help]
Meh not a big fan of him but maybe bringing him along will change my mind. I doubt Shortwood would be any nicer.
Going back through the character artwork, Clint Volmark's image gives me the shivers every time I look at it. It makes me glad he got owned by a level 15 archer noob.
I'm not Liquid but I can suppose that Leo POV was "stolen" by Edrick (while Sadie take Dan place as a POV)
'Ez da profit of da Waaagh an’ whole worlds burn in 'iz boot prints. 'Ez gonna stomp da ‘ooniverse flat an’ kill anyfing that fights back. 'Ez gonna do this coz’ 'ez an Ork an’ 'e was made ta fight an’ win!
In all seriousness, I remember him
He was a well done character save for him unfortunately sharing a name with the Beast of Armageddon. However, unlike Warhammer's Ghazghkull, he is not a virtually unstoppable killing machine, does not command billions of orks and is not a plant. His creator contacted me shortly after I mentioned that his name is not quite usable for Forum of Thrones, we agreed on changing the name and he is now a character in the waiting list, to make his first appearance somewhere in Book 2.
At different times, different characters were considered as future PoV's. Dan was among them, up until Sadie got submitted, which changed the storyline and ultimately was for the better, I think. Leo was considered in an early phase, though I ultimately settled for Edrick. Keat is still very much a possibility in Book 2 though
He's actually among my favourite drawings as well! Looking through them, I'm actually having a hard time finding one that is more intimidating than him. Bear maybe, but there's just something about the Clint drawing that is indeed chilling. It is certainly a good thing for a great number of characters that Hjalgar got a lucky shot at him. In fact, he would have continued to be quite a threat in this chapter if Garthon wouldn't have attacked him.
The Voting is closed!
Drent is going to accept Garen's help
First things first, this is going to change Garen's importance in this chapter and it is going to give him more of a presence. This is a good thing, as most of the other Stormlanders already had some chances for development, whereas he has merely been this jerk. Frankly, he is a jerk, a huge asshole, but there is more to him than that. It might also affect the interaction with Shortwood in this chapter. Keep in mind, due to Drent's earlier refusal to help, things are already heated. First of all however, there will be an interesting talk with Emphryus, which should give you some answers
The next part will be out today. I was at work for most of it, so haven't made any progress today, but I got a lot of writing done yesterday and I believe I should finish this part reasonably soon. It is going to be Garthon's first part in this chapter. The last time you saw him has been during the chapter finale, where he witnessed Torvin's death, only to get shot in the shoulder by Carvin. He survived the raid, though his current whereabouts, whom he is with and things like that, are currently still unknown. You'll get an answer to this and more in the next part, which should hold some important revelations for the future
As I said, it should be done very soon, likely somewhere in the next 2-3 hours, or maybe 4. We'll see. Fact is, it will be out before I go to bed tonight.
Garthon
With a sigh of pain, Garthon switched his position from lying on his back to sitting against the post they had chained him to. Naturally, his jailers hadn't given him any milk of the poppy for his wounded shoulder, but at the least they had treated his wound while he had been unconscious. That had been the first surprise he noticed when waking up. The second had been that, despite being chained to a post, he was not in a cell, but in a tent, comfortably furnished on top of that. It certainly wasn't the prison he expected himself to be thrown into after he lost consciousness during the final moments of the raid.
Torvin was the last thing on his mind before he had drifted off and the first he had to think of after waking up again, an hour ago. Ever since, he couldn't stop thinking about what happened. His brother was dead and Garthon didn't even have enough strength left to cry. It almost felt surreal. Torvin had always been there, for him, for everyone. In a way, Garthon had always thought his brother was immortal, invincible, that nothing could ever get to him.
Even before, Harren Hoare had shown him how wrong he had been, back when he murdered Torvin's child. It had been this moment that marked the beginning of Torvin's demise. In a certain way, he had already been dead by the time Anturion put a knife into his chest.
Anturion... just thinking about the traitor caused Garthon's breaths to become faster. He had never trusted the pirate, had never liked him. He murdered George and now he had taken Garthon's family as well. And he knew, should they ever meet again, he would avenge them. Yet something was not right about this. As much as he'd make him pay, Garthon couldn't quite believe that Anturion acted all on his own. No... perhaps this has been Harren's way of making sure that his brother would never return to Harrenhal.
But whatever the truth was, it didn't change anything about the pain Garthon felt right now. His brother was gone and the true meaning of this only slowly kicked in. Right here, in his current condition, the loss was overwhelming. Torvin had always been there and up until now, Garthon had never been able to imagine a life without him. But there he was, wounded, but alive. And Torvin was dead.
He glanced at the chair that had been put close to the post. A small table was standing next to it, with a bowl of fruit on top and a second chair on the other side. It were details like this that surprised him and he noticed them despite his pained, slightly dizzy state. The chain that kept him in the tent was long enough to allow him to sit down on the chair, at least in theory, though something still prevented him from doing so. He felt that something was wrong about all of this and he surely did not trust any of it.
Judging by the noises, he was in a camp, a relatively large one at that. The sun was shining, though occasionally, shadows were seen on the walls of the tent, as men passed, in groups of two or three. Soldiers, judging by the snippets of their talks that were loud enough for him to understand. At least they sounded like soldiers.
Here he was, waiting. For what exactly, he wasn't even sure. But somebody had put a lot of effort into keeping him alive and this meant that he was still useful for that person. Yet Garthon didn't exactly feel useful. He couldn't save Torvin, he couldn't prevent the senseless slaughter that was this raid. He couldn't even kill Cleaver, that honour had gone to Hjalgar. But the fact that he lived, while Torvin and for all he knew Hjalgar as well were dead, it proved that someone thought differently.
With a sigh, Garthon finally rose from the ground. It sent a sting of pain through his shoulder, though he had to admit that it had been treated well. The tight bandages prevented him from feeling much about what likely was a gruesome wound. It only hurt when he moved. Glancing at the table and the bowl of fruit, he began to approach it.
Halfway to the table, which he walked to on shaky legs, Garthon head something that caused him to stop. He was just quick enough to turn towards the entrance of the tent, as a man walked in. For a moment, as he opened the tent, bright, undimmed sunlight shined through it and Garthon raised his chained arms to protect his eyes.
As soon as they had adjusted, he got a better look at the man. At least he thought it was a man. He was tall, but lean, clad in black, with a hood and a white-golden mask that resembled a cat. He was armed, heavily so, a belt full of throwing knives strapped across his chest and a curved sword on his belt. Silently he watched him through greenish eyes, his arms crossed, as he stood slightly next to the entrance of the tent.
Garthon stared back at him in silence, not daring to move. He gulped under the intense stare of the masked man, though he raised an eyebrow. Just a second later, the tent was opened yet again. This time, he didn't have such a hard time adjusting to the brightness of the day outside and he quickly laid eyes on the man that had followed.
He was a broad, yet slightly stocky man, probably in his fifties. Pale, sweaty skin provided a contrast to the red hair, streaks of grey in it being one of several hints at his true age. One of his eyes was hidden beneath a thick bandage, a red spot showing that the wound beneath was still fresh. Breathing heavily, the man limped forwards on a cane, one of his legs clearly damaged.
Unlike the masked man, this one did not remain silent. “Good day”, he greeted him, as he dragged himself to one of the chairs and sat down on it, which caused him to sigh in relief. His one eye followed Garthon's confused glare and a smirk formed on his face. “Sit down, come on”, he urged him, pointing at one of the chairs.
After a moment of hesitation, he followed the order and the man gave him a cordial smile. “There you go”, he said. “Looking alive again. Splendid!” He looked at the chains around Garthon's hands, tied to the pole. “A shame about that”, he said. “Apologies. We felt it was necessary, to prevent you from doing anything unfortunate after waking up”
“Unfortunate?”, Garthon asked, the first words he ever said to this man. In return, the man chuckled. “We could have put you in a cell, but honestly, I don't think that would have made a good first impression”, he replied. “So, the tent it is. I had some business left to do up in the castle, so I couldn't make it any earlier. I hope you find the tent acceptable”
A curious look appeared on Garthon's face. “I've been a prisoner under worse conditions”, he admitted. The man's smirk turned into a wide grin. “But you are not my prisoner”, he said. “You are my guest. In fact, I have no intention of keeping you here against your will. Put your hands onto the table”
Garthon followed the order, as the man reached into his pocket. Surprisingly, he pulled out a key, which he used to unlock the chains. Pulling back his now free hands, Garthon rubbed his aching wrists, as he gave the man a nod. “Thank you”, he said thinly and the man reached for the bowl. Picking up a grape, he gave Garthon a smile before he ate it. “Take some”, he told him. “You must be hungry and we have a lot to speak about”
“That we have indeed”, Garthon replied. “You could begin by telling me who the hell you are” The man and his silent companion exchanged a look, before he answered. “I am the man that has treated you like a guest instead of a prisoner”, he said. “But if you must know it, my name is Maron Mullendore. I am a knight and I lead part of the army that saved Raylansfair from your lot”
This surprising revelation opened up more questions than it answered and Garthon found himself curious about this situation. “You defeated us?”, he said and Maron gave him a nod. “Together with my partner, Petyr Vyrwel, the Lord of Darkdell”, he explained. “Right now, you are in our joint camp, which accommodates the major part of our army, the ones that have no room in the city for now”
“That answers my second question”, Garthon admitted. “I'm still near Raylansfair though. But this makes me wonder, if you have defeated my men, why am I still alive? Why am I treated like... this?” As he spoke, he reached for the bowl and grabbed a grape. It tasted sweet and fresh and did wonders for his dizzy state of mind.
“I believe I do owe you an explanation for that”, Maron answered. “But first, I'm having a question as well. The others I have spared, they named you their leader, told me your name is Garthon Breaker, though as far as I know, the leaders of the raid are Lord Clint Volmark and a certain Torvin Breaker. Why's that?”
The mention of his brother caused Garthon to frown, though he pulled himself together quickly. “Torvin is my brother”, he revealed. “He... was betrayed and murdered during the final stages of the raid. Volmark... got what he deserved” He looked up. “You mentioned others... is there a man among them who calls himself Edward Anturion?”
Maron shrugged. “I don't know a man by that name”, he admitted. “They only told me your name. Most of your raiders fought to the death, but one surrendered, a young lad, lanky, with blonde hair. Carried a bow when we found him. He called you his leader. Then there's the silent one with the messed up face. We cut him down with the others during our charge, but the bastard refused to die, so we took him prisoner. Third, a guy we found on one of the ships that have been left behind. His leg's all fucked, but he'll live”
Hjalgar, Tedyn, Rell... though only one of these three meant anything to Garthon, he was glad that they survived. At least he wasn't the only one... though there was one thing he suddenly realized, something that caused his eyes to widen in surprise. “You mentioned Torvin and Clint... how could you know that?”
Maron's grin returned. “Ah, a good question”, he admitted. “Same reason me and my ally arrived in Raylansfair just in time to save the city. Though you haven't advanced as quickly as we thought you would. Our plans involved you taking the castle by then, only to be taken out when you fail to lower the portcullis”
“You have spies at the court of King Harren”, Garthon concluded and this caused Maron to chuckle in a jovial way. His general nature was affable, yet there was something about him that did not feel right. It were small mannerisms, which even Garthon barely noticed. He had no doubt that everything about this knight felt genuine for many others, but he had experience with liars and actors.
“Close, but not quite”, Maron replied. “I have received word from Harrenhal, that is true, but I don't exactly need a spy in there. My source is far more reliable and far more influential” And suddenly it made sense. The reason Maron and his allies arrived in Raylansfair so suspiciously timely. The reason he himself was still alive. His eyes widened. “You're working for Harren Hoare!”, Garthon managed to utter.
With an approving, almost impressed smile, Maron nodded. “Very good!”, he said. “I'm glad to have such a smart man to talk to. Indeed, I am working for Harren Hoare and, as much as it must hurt you to learn about it, your entire raid, your reason to be in Raylansfair, all of it has been a rigged game from the very beginning”
Breathing rapidly, Garthon leant back on his chair, turning his face away from Maron Mullendore. Harren had allies in the Reach... this was the last thing he would have expected. “Why Harren?”, was all he managed to utter and Maron raised an eyebrow. “You don't seem too keen on this, boy”, he said. “After all, I just told you that we are allies and you look as if I kicked your puppy. Lighten up a bit, for fucks sake”
Noticing how suspicious his constant frown must be, Garthon forced himself to smile at the knight. “Apologies, Ser”, he said. “It's just... this is the last I have expected. Thought I'd be done for the moment I was caught by your men” His smile faded, as he could no longer keep it up. “And... regardless of whom you are working for, I still lost my brother recently”
Maron gave him an understanding nod. “My condolences”, he said. “Did my men kill him?” Garthon shook his head, though the nonchalant way the man had put it did cause him to feel even more uneasy in his presence. “A man named Anturion did it”, he said. “We were told that the raid was for him, that he'd need something from the archives of Raylansfair”
This information obviously seemed to concern the other man, judging by his intense frown. “This is... new for me”, he revealed. “I don't know any man by that name. All I can tell you is, this raid was not for him, it was for me an for my ally, so that we could arrive and take the city as heroes, as saviours”
Garthon narrowed his eyes. “So... you're telling me my men were used as bait?”, he growled. “Sacrificed?” Maron raised an eyebrow, before he shrugged. “A necessary sacrifice”, he said. “It's what a strong ruler would do. A few were sent to die so that many more could live in peace in the end”
“So this is what the entire raid has been about”, Garthon spoke. “Harren wanted a loyal ally in Raylansfair. It was all about power” Maron gave him a nod. “It's all about power”, he replied. “Every single thing we do in our lives is about power, be it over others or ourselves. A strong king realizes this”
“And you consider Harren a strong king?”, Garthon asked. Without hesitating, Maron nodded again. “Our king, in name only, is Mern Gardener, a weak dreamer. His obsession with ideals drag down those around him, limit our potential”, he explained. “What we need is a king who is not afraid to do what has to be done. A strong king, an iron king”
Garthon tensed up as he heard this. This man was dedicated to his cause, that much was clear to see. And it gave Harren more power than anyone could have expected. “How many allies do you have?”, he asked and Maron grinned. “We are numerous. The number of men unhappy with Mern's rule is greater than you probably think. Soon, the northern Reach will be under our control. The rest will be no problem for our combined might”
“And the Rock will follow”, Garthon realized. “Maybe the Stormlands too” Maron nodded in agreement. “I was hoping for a war between Gardener and Durrandon”, he admitted. “My agent here in the city failed to reach this goal. But once Reach and Rock have submitted, the old stag won't have any choice but to kneel, or else we shall crush him”
“And Harren rules over Westeros”, Garthon mumbled. Maron smiled, a genuine smile, which was more than unsettling, given the context. “Aye”, he merely said. “A conqueror. The king we need. Westeros can never prosper if things remain as they are, a continent divided. Harren is the only one strong enough to achieve true unity”
Garthon successfully suppressed a remark about this last line, knowing how badly this would end for him. After all, how did true unity work out for the Ironborn and Riverlands back home? At the same time, he almost understood the reasoning behind all this. Yet this didn't change the fact that he had been used as a pawn, that Torvin, though not having died at the hands of these so-called 'allies', could have lived if they would have never undertaken the raid in the first place.
“So we have been sent to die”, Garthon said and this time, Maron shook his head. “By no means”, he answered. “I have always intended to spare as many of you as possible. After all, I don't wish to kill potential allies. Though casualties have always been inevitable, it was planned for you to take the city with relative ease. The presence of the Stormlanders was unexpected, as was the resistance the smallfolk showed” He momentarily spread his arms. “I think we can both agree that this went a bit out of hand”
As Garthon closed his eyes, he saw Torvin again, bleeding from his chest, dying as he was unable to do anything to help. A bitter sigh came out of his throat, as he opened his eyes quickly, glancing at Maron. “More than a little bit”, he replied. “A lot of people died”
This time, a slightly displeased look appeared on Maron's face. “Most of them haven't been up to me”, he said. “And they are still less than the people that would die if Westeros remains divided. We have and had centuries of war, but instead of continuing down that road, we're looking at centuries of peace if Harren unites these lands”
Garthon gave him a nod. “Maybe”, he said. “We shall see. However, this still leaves me with one question... Why am I still alive?” Maron raised an eyebrow. “I already told you, I don't wish to kill a potential ally”, he answered. To this, Garthon shook his head. “What about a potential enemy?”, he said. “You're a pragmatist. You wouldn't have taken the risk if you didn't want anything from me in particular”
As he spoke, Maron's kind expression faded. The masked man behind him inhaled sharply, as one of his hands moved to the sword. “Tom...”, Maron growled sharply and the man stopped. Now, the knight looked at Garthon and this time, the friendly expression was gone. Instead, he had gotten colder, yet at the same time more genuine. And in his single eye, there was something that resembled appreciation. Respect even?
“You're a smart one, boy”, he complimented him. “I can see why the others named you as their leader” He gave him a nod. “Yes, I do need your help with something”, he continued. As he spoke, his hand moved into the inner pocket of his vest, to reveal a smalls scroll. “I need you to deliver this to our king in Harrenhal”
Garthon carefully eyed the scroll. “It's not too big”, he stated. “Is there a reason you don't send this by raven?” Maron was quick to give him a nod. “Secrecy”, he replied. “A raven can always get lost and frankly, I'd hate for anyone but my king to read what I have to say to him. This is why I send my correspondence through messengers. King Harren uses a similar method for his”
“And you want me to become one of your messengers?”, Garthon asked. Maron smirked thinly and without any joy. “In return for your life and the lives of your companions”, he confirmed. “I'd give you all the supplies you need to return to Harrenhal, food, water, horses. There's even a scout, a guy named Christian who lives on these lands, as I've been told, who could show you the way if you don't know it by yourself. Once you arrived in Harrenhal King Harren might give you a message of his own, in which case I'd expect your return to me of course, for an additional reward”
As he listened to the knights words, Garthon clenched his teeth. “There would be a problem”, he replied glumly. “I hope you are aware of why Harren sent me and my brother onto this mission” Maron shook his head, looking at him with curiosity, so Garthon continued. “He wanted us dead, me and my brother. He succeeded with Torvin, but here I am, still breathing. If I am to return to Harrenhal, I doubt he is going to let me live”
Maron waited a moment before he reacted, but then, he merely shrugged. “So?”, he asked in a casual tone and Garthon realized that the knight hadn't given him a request, but an order. “So, what if I refuse to be your messenger?”, he asked. “I'm not saying I refuse, I just want to know where I'm standing here. What choices I have”
“Well, you are free to decline my offer”, Maron revealed. “In such a case however, you wouldn't have any use to me. I'd kill you, publicly, to please the masses. A swift death through decapitation” A wicked look formed in his green eye. “Then I would move on. I have your three companions still alive here in my camp. I am sure one of them is willing to accept what I am offering here” He shrugged sarcastically. “But well, the choice is yours, of course”
[Accept the offer] [Decline the offer]
So, Mullendore supports Harren, huh? Well, I must admit this is a surprise. Mullendore liking Harren's style is not so much of a surprise, it's just surprising to see a Reachman wanting an Ironborn to rule over him
Then again, it's not like Maron has been too picky with his allies, considering Alley Cats are one of his most important forces. And well, this certainly gives a whole new layer to the raid, seeing that it was just a means to get Mullendore in control of Raylansfair.
[Accept the offer] As for the choice, no reason to throw Garthon's life away, especially since Tedyn or Rell would deliver the message anyway.
[Accept the offer] I don't see a reason not to accept, Garthon's gone trough a lot, and to have him killed off by Maron fucking Mullendore isn't practical. We could get a really cool storyline here. And even though Harren doesn't exactly love Garthon, I highly doubt he would kill Garthon. Harren is cruel, but also smart. He can probably see that it's crueller (is that a word?) to let Garthon live by now. I will not have Garthon get killed off now.
Really cool part. Can't believe Torvin's gone though, really sad, indeed.
[Accept the offer] Better live a nother day so we can keep fighting against harren hoare
Heh, this was the one detail I have really tried my utmost not to let slip in any way. This is one of the reasons why I enjoyed your Targaryen theory so much, because it made sense and it was widely accepted, making it even better to throw you off any hints I have given to Mullendore's true allegiance. Admittedly, these hints have been very minor, though I was surprised nobody questions Mullendore's perfectly timed arrival at the city of Raylansfair, which could have really only happened out of audacious luck, or due to an insider who fed him the valuable information. But well, this detail comes actually straight from his character submission and it is probably the detail that shaped the story the most, because his support for Harren basically cemented his status as a villain and encouraged me to include some of his more brutal moments of dog-kicking. And the two do have similarities, so from Maron's standpoint, there is a lot to admire about Harren. And he has never been that much against Ironborn. Now, dornishmen or people from Essos, they are roughly on the same level as criminals in his eyes, but Ironborn have a culture Maron is able to respect.
Admittedly though, if it wouldn't have been a detail I picked straight from his submission, it is actually possible I would have went with the Targaryen idea after it was brought up. that one was just too nice and I feel a bit bad for not being able to use it
Hm, this is a good thought. I will, naturally, neither confirm nor deny that things go down that way, though to play devil's advocate here, if Harren truly is behind Torvin's death at the hands of Anturion, then he could be willing to dispose of the threat Garthon still poses as well. He is cruel, but as you said, he is also smart and perhaps it would be the smarter thing to kill him instead of risking any danger from him. But as said, this is merely me playing devil's advocate. You shall see the truth soon enough
Glad you enjoyed the part! But yeah, Torvin's death was so far the biggest in the story. It surely wasn't easy to kill him off, though at the same time, given how long I had planned this, I think there are characters whom I would have had a far harder time killing off (Kersea's final Chapter 8 part would have likely been nearly impossible for me to write if I wouldn't have changed her fate), while others whom are still going to die will crush me even more than Torvin. And... I doubt I'll be the only one there
[Accept the offer] I don't see any reason to risk the life of the Ironbro expecially when this choice can make us a step closer to bring down Mullendore and Harren (and it seems that can be a very good storyline)
RT:
Ah ya yay. So we have the Targaryens, The Anturions and now the Hoare's (And possibly others I'm forgetting right now) all trying to achieve absolute power and the unification of the Kingdoms under their rule. This really has become a game of thrones hasn't it?
Okay so Mullendore's plans go as far as world domination under a strong a harsh ruler. It kinda makes you wonder how he would view the situation if he somehow knew all the factions. Would he still work under Harren then? Or maybe measure one of the others as a better option? He could even chose to play them all (or at least try) In an effort for himself to rule, thou he might realize how these people aren't really the kind you trick.
......[Accept the offer] Do it for the memory Torvin!!!!
Ah, I am afraid that Garthon won't have too much of a long storyline in this chapter. It sort of depends on your choice here how much he will get to do. But it's good to hear you enjoyed him here. Depending on the choice, there will be a lot more for him in the future
Very glad to hear it
I wasn't sure how long I could make this part and originally considered a second PoV as well, but Garthon's and Mullendore's talk just grew, something I really liked. Arguably, it was one of the most important talks of Book 1, so I am glad to hear that it is well-received.
Same here, I would have liked a Mullendor/Targaryen alliance. Arguably, this would have made things far harder depending on where you stand when it comes to the Targaryen's. With Harren, you got a more classical villainous alliance. However, it does put Harren's role into a new light, as it basically demotes Mullendore to a henchman, a twist I myself have grown quite fond of. And in the end, this is too important a part of Mullendore's character to just change it.
Indeed, this is true. Basically, Mullendore told Garthon a lot of crap here, with him trying to spare as many Ironborn as possible. Hjalgar was spared because he was the only one who surrendered, Rell was spared becaus he was found aboard the ship where Garthon left him, unable to fight back, while Tedyn got wounded up to the point where he had no chance but to submit. The others didn't have as much luck and Mullendore certainly didn't go out of his way to spare as many as possible.
Indeed! Actually, this has always been meant to be Christian's role
I introduced him a bit earlier to give him at least some sort of a presence in Book 1, but failed to have him show up again. This is certainly going to change in Book 2, where he is going to be a more constant presence.
You are right, things are getting really complicated. You have rulers such as Argilac Durrandon, Loren Lannister and Torrhen Stark who have primarily the goal of keeping their kingdoms save and players such Harren, Aegon and likely Edward (or maybe Nain?) who are aiming for more. And this is only the end of Book 1 we're reaching. More players will follow in Book 2, with more goals. I think I really need to get the wiki done, because in a couple of chapters, it might get very easy to lose the track of all the different factions and players
If Mullendore would know the other players well enough, he would likely still decide for Harren. After all, Harren is the most powerful king in Westeros. Mullendore's primary flaw has always been underestimating seemingly harmless opponents. While he is dangerous, seriously so, every loss he suffered can be traced back to that. He knows about the Targaryen's (though likely not their plans), but like almost the entirety of Westeros, he is severely underestimating the sheer power of a dragon, having never seen one in action. And smaller groups, such as Edward and co. are just too seemingly weak for him to support. Harren has the manpower, Harren has the ambition and the ruthless attitude to go through with it, so he is Maron's perfect king. That said, he is naturally a schemer, so it is not too far fetched to assume that he will plan for alternatives.
[Accept the offer] Great part! Really informative. Now we know Mullendore's true allegiance. I got to say I am surprised he wasn't working for Targaryen. Now Mullendore is like the Rook of Hoare. I expected he was only working with the Targaryen's for his own personal gain, but it seems he is quite loyal to Hoare. However, once he sees the true force of Team Targ, I don't really doubt that it will take him too long to switch sides. It would've been really interesting to see him as apart of Team Targ, because how they're the ultimate point of good guys(not really) it wouldn't been interesting to see a really bad dude like Mullendore helping them out. But now the factions are set, for at least now, it is good to know who needs to be taken down in order for Team Targ to rule over all.
Well....Yeah it is good for US to know the current factions, but Team Targ doesn't. They have no idea that Harren Hoare has this really complex scheme and I don't think they even know that the Anturions are a thing. If anything the fact that there is YET ANOTHER faction they are oblivious to is very bad for them.
[Accept the offer] Garthon's a smart man and I believe eventually Mullendore will realize that you can't play him. I say play along for now, Garthon gets to live and I imagine he'll have a choice of what to do later on. It's debatable whether or not he should return home.
[Accept the offer]
This choice seems too easy, there must be some unknown consequence from this choice that we don't know yet. But oh well, I can't just let Garthon die.