Hello! Hopefully I manage to drop my new set of illustrations before the next part! Here they are:
Hope you like 'em!… more
edit: shit, there's something wrong with imgur... I'll try to fix the links.
edit2: fixed and sorry Liquid for all the notifications you got from this
Ah, you certainly managed to drop them before the next part! It looks like it'll be another all-nighter for me, so I am very happy that these are here before I post the part. This is awesome and I am happy to see them
Now, as always, I enjoy these a lot. It's a highlight to see a new set of drawings and well, considering how every new set seems to be better than the one before, it's probably no surprise that this one even features one of my favourites ever. More about that in a moment. First of all, let's start with Daemion. He is one of these characters I myself haven't really imagined while writing. I mean, I obviouly know his description, but he never really left much of an image to me so far. Given that I plan to increase his role in Book 2, this is bound to change and his drawing is going to be of great use. It is also one of the best of this set, though not quite enough to beat my favourite. He looks intimidating, yet in a different way than, say, the Moggy. Clearly the kind of guy I'd imagine as part of a good city guard and while the guard of Raylansfair is far from a perfect fighting troupe, he is clearly their best and I love that drawing. Next... well, it might be a first, but I gotta leave some tiny criticism there. The girl's name is Edith, not Editha A minor detail, nothing that really bothers me, but I think I should point it out. Other than that, I enjoy her a lot here. She's one of the newest characters of the story, but I think given her position, she's important enough to justify a drawing already. And well, I have a very clear image of her in my head and your drawing fits perfectly! I love stuff like her Vyrel wardrobe, or the fact that she somehow manages to simultaneously look like her father and nothing like him. It fits her, especially given her personality. Then we have the Wicked Witch of the Westerlands, Sanyse Gomblinger. It's confession time, I can never get her name right. Whenever writing it, I have to double check to make sure it's not Senyse While I doubt the drawing is going to help with that, I nonetheless enjoy it tremendously. She, like her son, is one of the most ugly characters in the story, inside and out and together with the next drawing, she's also among the eldest, so I guess this has been quite the challenge to draw her. Needless to say, you've been up for it and you hit the nail with her. She' repulsive, exactly as she should be. This is a stark contrast to the next character, one of my favourite drawings so far. One of Tolkien's blue wizards, it seems As a matter of fact, I know Gandalf has been a bit of an inspiration for his submission and the drawings gives me these vibes as well. It's literally everything about this drawing I love so much. There is this stance, the dignified expression, the robe, that epic beard, the look in his eyes, you truly did one of your best drawings so far with him. In fact, this drawing gave me some much appreciated inspiration for some future Wylie stuff. He is a fascinating character and I think now, his role in the story is going to be even better. After such praise, it seems a bit odd to comment on Blane, whom I loved as well, but he's not quite my favourite With him I especially like the facial features, they seem to be especially fine and detailed. In general, I think he and Wylie are among the most quality work you have drawn for FoT so far (save for the portraits of course). And this entire set is wonderful. Really, I cannot thank you enough
Hello! Hopefully I manage to drop my new set of illustrations before the next part! Here they are:
Hope you like 'em!… more
edit: shit, there's something wrong with imgur... I'll try to fix the links.
edit2: fixed and sorry Liquid for all the notifications you got from this
Though he knew it was the right thing to do, to support the man that had helped him so much, the actual words were a bit muffled when they left Jaron's mouth. “I'm with you”, he assured him and Samuel raised an eyebrow in slight disbelief. “If you say so”, he replied and Jaron put a hand onto his shoulder. “I'm with you”, he repeated, this time more strongly.
Finally, he seemed to have convinced Samuel and the sellsword even managed to give him a slight smile in return. “It's good to hear this”, he said, with genuine relief in his voice. “I don't know what we're going to find in there, but I don't think I'll make it without your help”
His hand moved to the knife hidden beneath his sleeve, the one Joshawa allowed him to keep, before he turned to the door. For a moment, he hesitated, before he grabbed the doorknob, pushing it open in a rush, nearly jumping into the room as Jaron struggled to keep up with him. He almost ran into the sellsword, as Samuel stopped, frozen in place, staring into the room.
It was as luxurious as the entire building, with walls painted red and a slightly darker carpet covering the entire floor. Gold adorned the walls and the metal at the large windows. They were open, allowing refreshing air to pour into the room, while several candles provided a cozy atmosphere and warmth. There was a table, holding a plate full of fruit, but the centre of the room was taken by a large bed, worthy of a king.
Two people were lying in it, half-dressed and wide-eyed. The woman was a beauty, hair a shade of gold, with emerald green eyes and seductively soft skin. Not quite undressed yet, her ample chest was exposed, though she had pulled the covers up the moment Samuel rushed into the room.
The man meanwhile was wearing only his pants, his naked chest showing scars and impressive muscles. He was a bit taller than Samuel, broader though undeniably his brother. Though a few years separated them at most, the man's full beard made him look a good ten years older than the sellsword. Other than that, they were the same. Facial features that were unremarkable, perhaps even plain, yet far from ugly, with black hair and deep blue eyes.
Samuel was breathing heavily now, his fists clenched, as he glared at the man in helpless fury. “Ryder”, he gasped, his voice shivering with emotion despite the visible attempt to calm himself. Jaron gulped as he stood next to him and slowly, Ryder realized who was standing there.
“Samuel...”, the man mumbled in disbelief, though this quickly turned to something resembling fear as Samuel pulled the dagger from his sleeve. It wasn't fear for his life, Jaron had seen that one before. No, what he saw in Ryder Harrington's eyes was something else, something that confused him greatly.
“I have come to take your life”, Samuel whispered, his voice stressed. He looked desperate, like a man at the end of a long journey. Anger disfigured his features and on the usually calm, plain mask that was his face, it had a terrifying effect, as rage and fury were embedded on it with nothing to diminish their effects. Jaron had seen rage like this before, though on Harpy's beautiful face, it hadn't looked even nearly as pure as it looked on Samuel's.
“I have come to make you pay”, Samuel now said, his voice getting slightly louder, higher, as he stared at his brother in complete shock, without even blinking. He clearly wasn't the type to cry, though his voice showed that he was holding back tears by now.
“For Father. For Mother. For Anna and Cedrick”, he growled, as he took a step forwards, helplessly pointing the dagger at his brother at the other end of the room. Ryder just stared at his brother, completely dumbfounded, perhaps shocked that the confrontation he had likely expected was finally there. The woman meanwhile showed a purer form of fear.
“Ryder, who is this man?”, she asked, her voice warm like honey, yet stressed, as she moved away from him, to the corner of the bed. Ryder answered without even looking at her. “Donna, this is my brother”, he said. “Samuel...” Now, the hint of tears appeared in his eyes. “Samuel”
His gaze wandered to Jaron, but Samuel's angry growl quickly caused him to snap his attention back to the true danger. “He does not matter”, the sellsword barked. “Neither does your whore. It's only you and me”
Ryder narrowed his eyes. “Donna, please leave us”, he said softly and the woman gave him a concerned look. “He's going to kill you”, she hissed, her melodic voice stained with fear and Ryder shook his head. “He is going to try”, he replied, before he looked back at his brother.
Samuel said nothing, instead he visibly tensed up, clutching the knife tightly, his fingers twitching around the hilt. Ryder sighed, as he gave the woman a kiss on the cheek. “Go now, my flower”, he urge her, as tears formed in her eyes. “Ryder, don't...”, she gasped, as he softly moved a hand through her hair. “Don't be afraid for me”, he assured her.
Though clearly not convinced, Donna only needed to take a look at Samuel, ready for anything, to pull herself together. “If a fight breaks out here...”, she said in a warning tone, as she removed the covers, pulling her dress up before rising from the bed. She approached Samuel, who barely even looked at her, safe for a single, angry glare.
Still, she approached him. “If a fight breaks out here”, she repeated. “You're going to die. There's guards. Think about that” Though he now glared almost solely at her, Donna still continued to come closer. “Don't do that”, she urged him. “Ryder is not a bad man. He's...”
Jaron reacted quickly before Samuel could slap her across the face, catching his arm and giving him a stern, silent glare. He felt uneasy at this entire situation. It wasn't only his doubt about Ryder's guilt, now only reinforced by Donna's plea. It was the feeling that he was a complete stranger in a situation that was so private that he felt at the entirely wrong place. This was between Samuel and Ryder. Yet here he was.
His glare clearing momentarily, Samuel broke free of his grip, lowering his arm again, while Donna gulped in relief. “Leave”, the sellsword barked and she narrowed her eyes. “I'll inform Lanford about this”, she warned him and Samuel shrugged. “They know”, he replied nonchalantly. “They have chosen their side”
Concern flashed over Donna's face and she looked over her shoulder towards Ryder, who had risen from the bed. He gave her a gentle nod, followed by a weary smile. “Don't be afraid for me, my rose”, he told her, before he looked at Samuel again. With a reluctant sigh, she moved aside, quickly rushing out of the room.
“Decent of you to let her go”, Ryder said and Samuel began to breathe faster again. “She means a lot to me. And given your reputation, I doubted you'd spare her. I was afraid for her. Now... now I'm just glad she got out”
“Shut up about your whore”, Samuel mumbled and as he spoke, he looked away from his brother. Jaron however, he focussed closely on Ryder, who in turn gave him a questioning look again. “I thought you'd came alone”, he said and Samuel tensed up. “He is an ally”, he replied. “But he is not the one you should be worried about”
Ryder glanced at Jaron's arm, still damaged from the past fights, as he nodded. “I can see that”, he answered, before he focussed back onto his brother. “Twenty years”, he said. “A long time to hold a grudge” Samuel's breaths became even faster, though he was still holding back and by now, he only looked at the dagger in his hand instead of his brother. “Father. Mother. Anna. Cedrick”, he said. “You murdered them in cold blood and then you ran away like a coward!”
“I ran away”, Ryder confirmed. “And I waited for you. I knew you'd come. You'd get your revenge” He glanced at the table. “If you're strong enough” Samuel gulped and by now, it was clear how much he struggled to keep back. “Why did you kill them?”, he asked.
Though the sellsword did not see the gesture, Jaron noticed how Ryder's expression turned even more dour. “There is a lot you would never understand”, he said. “Yet I chose this path. You live for a purpose, Samuel. It pains me that it comes to this, but after all the lives you have taken to get here, I doubt I can just talk you down. Now we shall see how strong you truly are”
“Samuel!”, Jaron yelled, as he noticed how Ryder looked at the small knife on the table, next to the pile of fruit. It was a simple thing, made of gold and not suite for a fight, yet probably enough to negate any advantage Samuel would get from his weapon. The sellsword pulled himself together, going into the offensive, yet his brother was quick enough to grab the small weapon to defend himself.
Samuel made the first strike, though Ryder dodged quickly, before attempting a counterattack. Having expected this, Samuel grabbed his forearm, pushing him against the table and trying to impale him with the dagger. As expected, he did not succeed at this, as Ryder grabbed his brother's arm, leaving them locked in a struggling position, both preventing the other from attacking, as they tried to break free.
Larger and stronger, Ryder pushed his brother back, as Jaron looked on, unable to even find an opening to intervene. The two brothers moved quickly, with Samuel pulling Ryder back, kicking him against the lower leg in the process. In return Ryder managed to break free from his brother's grip and the soft metal of his knife sliced across Samuel's upper arm.
Roaring with anger now, Samuel threw a punch with his free hand, right into Ryder's face. He hit, though received another cut, as Ryder instinctively raised his blade, the steel entering the skin on Samuel's forearm. A groan of pain came out of the sellsword's throat, whereas Ryder, now bleeding out of his nose, remained silent.
As he raised his knife again, Jaron finally saw an opportunity to intervene. He charged at Ryder, grabbing his arm and heavily pulling it back, applying painful pressure onto the limb for a moment, enough for the man to drop the knife and frown in pain. He let go of Samuel's hand, though gave his brother a heavy punch in the face at the same time.
With Samuel staggering and struggling to remain standing, Ryder turned to Jaron, cold fury in his glare. “This is not your fight”, he barked, as he delivered a punch into his gut, pressing the air out of Jaron's lungs. His eyes widened, as he moaned painfully. Instantly, he let go of Ryder's arm, which the man used to get behind him, grabbing him with one arm around the neck and squeezing heavily, effectively choking him. Jaron gasped for air, as Ryder's arms around his neck choked the life out of him. Blood rushed into his head, as he gagged, struggling against the stronger man, in an attempt to break free.
Finally, Samuel rose from the ground again, still firmly holding his dagger, which he pointed at Ryder. Jaron heard the deep breath the man was taking, as he himself was feeling more and more light-headed the less he was able to breather. With him as a human shield, Samuel was effectively prevented from attacking and despite his fury, he hesitated.
Then however, Jaron used his remaining strength to raise his elbow, slamming it right into Ryder's face. He heard a crunch as he hit the damaged nose, followed by an angry howl. But it also caused the grip around his throat to lessen, enough for him to break free. Taking a deep breath, relief filled Jaron, though it didn't last long, as Ryder grabbed him by the back of the head, yanking him backwards, before slamming him face-first into the wood.
Going to the ground again, Jaron felt blood running down his forehead, clouding his vision, muffling his senses, causing him to see everything in a blur. Next to him, still standing, Ryder spread his arms, while Samuel charged at him. The sellsword was still clinging onto his knife and he used to to strike at his brother.
As expected, Ryder managed to grab the knife and he also parried the punch Samuel threw at him with his free hand. What caught him off guard though was the heavy kick between the legs, which he received without even expecting it.
Jaron's sight cleared just in time to spot Ryder stumbling to the ground, with Samuel on top. The sellsword was still holding his knife and he raised it above his head, before bringing it down onto his brother. Ryder had to use both hands to hold against it, though being stronger, he quickly pushed Samuel away and punched him into the ribs.
Frowning with pain, Samuel was pushed to the side and now, Ryder wasted no time to get on top of him. But just as he prepared to punch his brother, the knife cut upwards, hitting him in the face and slicing through his cheek. Ryder fell into Jaron's direction and their gazes met. For the first time, Jaron noticed surprise on Ryder's face, as one of his hands clutched to the deep cut that had opened his cheek. Then, surprise changed to anger.
The guardsman jumped up, just as his brother did the same. Once again, Samuel attacked, though Ryder grabbed the hand holding the knife at the wrist, kicking his brother against the lower leg, before swiftly pushing the free hand aside to land a heavy blow against the man's face.
It was the sort of punch he put all his strength into. Even Samuel was stunned by this power. Jaron himself, he could have intervened, if not for the dizzy state of confusion his head wound had left him in. He was barely able to process the fact that Ryder threw another punch at his brother, then another, then another, all the while screaming in rage.
Samuel sank against the bed, having long since dropped the knife, as Ryder finally stopped. His body moved to the side, revealing the bruised face of Samuel Harrington, his head hanging low in both, pain and defeat. It was there that Jaron's gaze fell upon the knife, Ryder's knife, the small golden one, which he had dropped in the early stages of their fight. Without even thinking twice, his hand extended, reaching for the weapon...
And all of a sudden, the door got kicked open. In the doorframe stood none other than Farris Flowers, sword in hand, a dozen men behind him. He had held his word after all. The anger on the guard captain's face faded as he noticed the scenery. A relieved smile formed on his face, as he and half of his men entered the room. Behind them, Jaron spotted Lanford, a grim look on his face.
A grin formed on Ryder's bloodied face, as he let go of his brother. By now, Jaron saw tears streaming down Samuel's face, freely and without holding back. He didn't look like the famed Fang of Shadows, the most dreaded blade in Oldtown. Right now, he seemed like a grieving man, a man who had been deprived of his sole purpose. A man who had lost.
“Took you long enough”, Ryder said, as he weakly patted Farris onto the shoulder. The captain's smile turned into a grin. “You should get someone looking at that cut”, he replied. “But I'm glad you have the situation under control. He put up a fight?”
This time, Ryder shook his head. “Barely”, he lied and Jaron felt anger rising inside him. “Oh, well, he tried, that he did, but it wasn't much. It wasn't enough” His wounds proved him wrong and he almost sank into his friends arms. “Is Donna okay?”, he asked and Farris rolled his eyes. “She's fine, gods damn it”, the man barked in return. “So, what now?”
Jaron sighed, as a new wave of pain flashed through his aching head. He... needed rest. Yet at the same time, he was afraid of what would happen if he would lose consciousness here. The city guard... the image that kept repeating in his head was about Mullendore and his corrupt guardsmen in Tanner's Alley. These men, were they truly any different? His gaze fell upon Samuel, who weakly looked at him, before slightly shaking his bruised head.
“This one's alright”, Lanford intervened, pointing at Jaron. “Kid's been through enough. He had no idea what he'd get himself into here” Weakly, Jaron managed to raise his eyebrows in surprise, though Ryder merely glared at him. “He did try to fight. He tried to help my brother in killing me”
“Aye, but he failed”, Lanford argued. “We have tolerated your men in here, have tolerated you and your liking to Donna. We'll continue to do so, but you leave that one to us, to me” He extended his hand and with a sigh, Ryder shook it. “And Samuel?”, Farris asked.
A slight smirk appeared on Ryder's face, though it held no happiness, or even just triumph. He approached his defeated brother again. “Take him into custody”, he ordered. “For a month. Treat him well during this time. Then release him, give him back his belongings and let him go”
Farris' eyes widened. “He tried to kill you!”, he barked and Ryder gave him a nod. “And I won't press any charges”, he answered, as he knelt down next to Samuel. “As it turns out, my little brother is far away from being any threat to me”
Weakly, Samuel tried to throw another punch at the man, yet Ryder caught the fist without any effort. After any resistance had left the sellsword's body again, he let go of the hand an it sank to the ground. “You have put up a fight, but you haven't given enough”, Ryder said. “For twenty years in the making, this I very disappointing”
“I'm going... to kill you”, Samuel managed to gasp and Ryder shook his head. “This is all you care for”, he growled. “No answers, no talk, just senseless violence and death. You proved this for all to see, Fang of Shadows” He rose from the ground, as he sighed. “You will be brought into custody and I will leave Oldtown. This time, I'll head east. Come find me when you feel ready and then, you shall get the fight you so desperately yearn for. Just don't expect a different outcome” He turned around, giving Farris a nod. “Take him”, he ordered, before he threw one last look at his brother. “I see you in twenty years”
As the guards approached Samuel, the sellsword began to breathe heavily. “Why did you kill them?”, he yelled. “Ryder, why? WHY?” But Ryder had already gone, without giving an answer. Two guards grabbed Samuel, who was too wounded to fight back, as they dragged him out of the room. Farris and the rest of the men followed, while Jaron, tired, dizzy, bleeding and feeling generally numb, was left behind. Together with Lanford.
“So, boy”, the older man said, as he crouched down next to Jaron. “You're feeling okay?” Weakly, Jaron managed to shake his head and Lanford smirked. “Roughed you up pretty badly, huh?”, he chuckled. “You probably want to know why I saved you from these people”
After Jaron nodded, Lanford sank to the ground sitting next to him now. “Partially, it's for Harpy's sake”, he admitted. “I have always respected that woman. But I also want to make you an offer” Jaron raised an eyebrow. “An offer?”, he asked and Lanford nodded. “Aye”, he confirmed. “I'm not Butterfly. I give you a choice”
“What is it?”, Jaron uttered. “I'm going to be frank about it, I want you and Harpy gone from this city”, Lanford replied in an instant. “You're nothing but trouble in the Oldtown to come, the Oldtown Hishi envisions. Finish your business here, then move on. Never come back”
His bluntness caught Jaron by surprise. “And if I refuse?”, he asked. This time, Lanford smiled. “You can stay as long as you want”, he revealed. “But think about it. The Burned Man is dead. The Solvers are headless, but still powerful. New groups will fight for control over this city. And don't expect me or Hishi to protect you. There is no place for you in the Oldtown of tomorrow. If you remain here, I can't guarantee for anything” He shrugged. “As said, your choice. Stay here, try to rebuild what was lost at your own peril. Or leave, never return and start anew. You gotta live with the consequences”
[Accept Lanford's offer] I suppose this is a acceptable course of action, a gang war, if you think about it, is brewing in Oldtown, and while we need eyes on the situation, its not worthy to risk his life in this fight between Hishi and Mullendore, especially now that he's away.
And there's the impending Targaryen threat, while the only major battle of The Conquest at the region was north of Highgarden, I wouldn't be surprised if refugees from other parts of The Reach flocked to Oldtown, which will only complicate things even more.
Is Garthon's storyline already over? because I want to know which are Mullendore's and Harren's plans.
Jaron
Though he knew it was the right thing to do, to support the man that had helped him so much, the actual words were a bit muffled wh… moreen they left Jaron's mouth. “I'm with you”, he assured him and Samuel raised an eyebrow in slight disbelief. “If you say so”, he replied and Jaron put a hand onto his shoulder. “I'm with you”, he repeated, this time more strongly.
Finally, he seemed to have convinced Samuel and the sellsword even managed to give him a slight smile in return. “It's good to hear this”, he said, with genuine relief in his voice. “I don't know what we're going to find in there, but I don't think I'll make it without your help”
His hand moved to the knife hidden beneath his sleeve, the one Joshawa allowed him to keep, before he turned to the door. For a moment, he hesitated, before he grabbed the doorknob, pushing it open in a rush, nearly jumping into the room as Jaron struggled to keep up with him. He almost ran into t… [view original content]
Jaron
Though he knew it was the right thing to do, to support the man that had helped him so much, the actual words were a bit muffled wh… moreen they left Jaron's mouth. “I'm with you”, he assured him and Samuel raised an eyebrow in slight disbelief. “If you say so”, he replied and Jaron put a hand onto his shoulder. “I'm with you”, he repeated, this time more strongly.
Finally, he seemed to have convinced Samuel and the sellsword even managed to give him a slight smile in return. “It's good to hear this”, he said, with genuine relief in his voice. “I don't know what we're going to find in there, but I don't think I'll make it without your help”
His hand moved to the knife hidden beneath his sleeve, the one Joshawa allowed him to keep, before he turned to the door. For a moment, he hesitated, before he grabbed the doorknob, pushing it open in a rush, nearly jumping into the room as Jaron struggled to keep up with him. He almost ran into t… [view original content]
Wow, what a great part! I was on edge the whole fight between Samuel and his brother, I was loudly cheering for him while reading... A shame he couldn't at least defeat Ryder.
As for the choice, I'm going with [Accept Lanford's offer], there's nothing left for them in Oldtown, best thing they can do is try to get a new start in a place where there's less enemies... though I'm pretty sure Harpy won't like this.
Jaron
Though he knew it was the right thing to do, to support the man that had helped him so much, the actual words were a bit muffled wh… moreen they left Jaron's mouth. “I'm with you”, he assured him and Samuel raised an eyebrow in slight disbelief. “If you say so”, he replied and Jaron put a hand onto his shoulder. “I'm with you”, he repeated, this time more strongly.
Finally, he seemed to have convinced Samuel and the sellsword even managed to give him a slight smile in return. “It's good to hear this”, he said, with genuine relief in his voice. “I don't know what we're going to find in there, but I don't think I'll make it without your help”
His hand moved to the knife hidden beneath his sleeve, the one Joshawa allowed him to keep, before he turned to the door. For a moment, he hesitated, before he grabbed the doorknob, pushing it open in a rush, nearly jumping into the room as Jaron struggled to keep up with him. He almost ran into t… [view original content]
Jaron
Though he knew it was the right thing to do, to support the man that had helped him so much, the actual words were a bit muffled wh… moreen they left Jaron's mouth. “I'm with you”, he assured him and Samuel raised an eyebrow in slight disbelief. “If you say so”, he replied and Jaron put a hand onto his shoulder. “I'm with you”, he repeated, this time more strongly.
Finally, he seemed to have convinced Samuel and the sellsword even managed to give him a slight smile in return. “It's good to hear this”, he said, with genuine relief in his voice. “I don't know what we're going to find in there, but I don't think I'll make it without your help”
His hand moved to the knife hidden beneath his sleeve, the one Joshawa allowed him to keep, before he turned to the door. For a moment, he hesitated, before he grabbed the doorknob, pushing it open in a rush, nearly jumping into the room as Jaron struggled to keep up with him. He almost ran into t… [view original content]
[Accept Lanford's offer] Well,since we know that Abbas and Bakr have enslaved Harpy (together with Janae and Behara) there is no reason for Jaron to remain at Oldtown;he has to rescue his girlfriend from unknown (for him) kidnappers!
RT:
Part of me expected this outcome for the revenge plot,it is however still very enjoyable to read
I must admit that I'm curious to discover what really happened at the Harrington family even if we will have to wait a long time before the revelation
If Samuel is obsessed to kill his brother it seems that Ryder is obsessed to let him try;not only Ryder decide to make Samuel remain in prison for only a month but he even left his position of captain of the city guard (and Oldtown)! I'm really curious to know where we will see him again
Speaking instead of Jaron I'm curious to learn what will do and where he will be at the beginning of the next book after he had discovered that a certain Harpy is missing
About the new characters,Donna,I don't have still anything interesting to say;she seems a nice person though!
Ah,that lucky man called Farris Flowers..he is probably going to be promoted in the near future (for lack of other candidates)
Another thing that I'm curious to read is of the new Oldtown that the misterious Hishi envisions and how much the city will change at the beginning of the next book (I expect new factions to born inside the city and I won't be surprised that,after Mullendore has runaway, even Hightower will have an interest to control his own city)
Jaron
Though he knew it was the right thing to do, to support the man that had helped him so much, the actual words were a bit muffled wh… moreen they left Jaron's mouth. “I'm with you”, he assured him and Samuel raised an eyebrow in slight disbelief. “If you say so”, he replied and Jaron put a hand onto his shoulder. “I'm with you”, he repeated, this time more strongly.
Finally, he seemed to have convinced Samuel and the sellsword even managed to give him a slight smile in return. “It's good to hear this”, he said, with genuine relief in his voice. “I don't know what we're going to find in there, but I don't think I'll make it without your help”
His hand moved to the knife hidden beneath his sleeve, the one Joshawa allowed him to keep, before he turned to the door. For a moment, he hesitated, before he grabbed the doorknob, pushing it open in a rush, nearly jumping into the room as Jaron struggled to keep up with him. He almost ran into t… [view original content]
And there's the impending Targaryen threat, while the only major battle of The Conquest at the region was north of Highgarden, I wouldn't be surprised if refugees from other parts of The Reach flocked to Oldtown, which will only complicate things even more.
You bring up a good point there! As the largest city in Westeros at the time, Oldtown is only natural to attract refugees from all over the Kingdom once the war comes closer. Given that it is already crowded and filled with desperate people, these things will make the situation even more explosive.
Is Garthon's storyline already over? because I want to know which are Mullendore's and Harren's plans.
I'm afraid yes, he only has one part in this chapter. And for now, this will be all about Mullendore's and Harren's plans, as Mullendore won't reveal the details to a mere footsoldier. However, Harren's interlude could give you more answers and of course, there will be Book 2 to give you a full overview of what they plan and how they want to achieve it. Be assured, this is something I wish to reveal in its entirety before Book 2 ends.
How many parts until we finally meet the Kings?
Currently, I have planned for seven more PoV's to have parts in this chapter, but since some of them won't have much to do anymore, I'll probably be able to put two PoV's into a single part. I'd say the total amount of parts left in Book 1, until the Interlude, is probably around 5, maybe 4. The PoV's who will have parts left in this chapter are Sadie, Jenna, Samantha, Richard, John, Arthur and Lucas. There will also be an epilogue before the Interlude, but it might already give you a glimpse of what you wish for All in all, I hope to start and likely finish the interlude in July. Not requiring any votes (because the Interlude won't have any choices) will make it easier for me to push out the parts faster, probably every two days if I truly have the time to write that quickly.
[Accept Lanford's offer] I suppose this is a acceptable course of action, a gang war, if you think about it, is brewing in Oldtown, and whil… moree we need eyes on the situation, its not worthy to risk his life in this fight between Hishi and Mullendore, especially now that he's away.
And there's the impending Targaryen threat, while the only major battle of The Conquest at the region was north of Highgarden, I wouldn't be surprised if refugees from other parts of The Reach flocked to Oldtown, which will only complicate things even more.
Is Garthon's storyline already over? because I want to know which are Mullendore's and Harren's plans.
How many parts until we finally meet the Kings?
Wow, what a great part! I was on edge the whole fight between Samuel and his brother, I was loudly cheering for him while reading... A shame he couldn't at least defeat Ryder.
I am glad to hear you liked it! Originally, it was planned to end slightly differently and I was not sure if this version of the fight would live up to the expectations, but it's nice to hear that you enjoyed it so much. And that people cheer for Samuel now, that as well, given that he started as anything but a sympathetic character
though I'm pretty sure Harpy won't like this.
Well... Harpy might have more urgent problems than that. Actually, she might have left Oldtown already, if not entirely by her choice. In Janae's latest part (and only in this chapter), Abbas knocked her out and took her with him, with plans to sell her back to the man she and the Burned Man escaped from over a decade ago, a Great Master named Razdal zo Yunzak. This is going to be a very important part of Book 2. Though aside from that, Harpy would actually prefer to leave Oldtown and would have loved to do so years ago. It was only the Burned Man's stubbornness and her loyalty and love for him that kept her there.
Wow, what a great part! I was on edge the whole fight between Samuel and his brother, I was loudly cheering for him while reading... A shame… more he couldn't at least defeat Ryder.
As for the choice, I'm going with [Accept Lanford's offer], there's nothing left for them in Oldtown, best thing they can do is try to get a new start in a place where there's less enemies... though I'm pretty sure Harpy won't like this.
Well,since we know that Abbas and Bakr have enslaved Harpy (together with Janae and Behara) there is no reason for Jaron to remain at Oldtown;he has to rescue his girlfriend from unknown (for him) kidnappers!
That is true and it is likely that once Jaron figures out she has been taken out of the city, he is going to leave in either way. This choice however will majorly determine his opinion on Oldtown in general, if a return would be possible for him and things like that. Though for the time being, figuring out what happened to Harpy is going to be a lot of work and it won't drive him out of the city immediately. He knows Abbas and Bakr and should he find out that they have been responsible for this, he likely knows where to head as well.
Part of me expected this outcome for the revenge plot,it is however still very enjoyable to read
Very good, I am happy to hear this! The revenge plot between the Harrington brothers is not over yet and I wasn't sure if this relatively open end for Book 1 would be satisfying, but be assured, I plan to bring it to a conclusion in the future. For now, I am really glad I managed to write an enjoyable part regardless of the conclusion
I must admit that I'm curious to discover what really happened at the Harrington family even if we will have to wait a long time before the revelation
I can confirm, you will learn it eventually. One reason for me to not end this subplot in Book 1 is because I had no way to show Ryder's side of the story. You know little about him, aside from his murderous past, his seemingly decent present, his fondness for Donna and him being so good in hand-to-hand combat that he managed to take down Samuel (whose specialty, to be fair, is swordplay). Book 2 will change this, as Ryder will have some major interaction with a PoV character and should get a chance to reveal his reasons and motivations.
If Samuel is obsessed to kill his brother it seems that Ryder is obsessed to let him try;not only Ryder decide to make Samuel remain in prison for only a month but he even left his position of captain of the city guard (and Oldtown)! I'm really curious to know where we will see him again
Aye, Ryder has said it, Samuel lives for a purpose. If he truly wanted him dead, he could have done so twenty years ago. Now, he is probably anticipating a real fight between them, maybe even as equals. Though to not make it too easy for him, he will leave Oldtown and move on. It won't be easy for him to leave his life there behind, but he is driven by a specific goal and it includes giving Samuel a chance to catch up to him.
Speaking instead of Jaron I'm curious to learn what will do and where he will be at the beginning of the next book after he had discovered that a certain Harpy is missing
Jaron is probably going to have my favourite introduction of all the PoV's in the next chapter. There will be a small timeskip of two months for every PoV save Edrick (who already had his during his journey from the Frostborn lands to the Green Fork) and Jaron... well, he won't exactly be in a happy place next time we see him. Of course he will have investigated this already during this timeskip, but things won't be all that easy, as his next part will surely reveal.
About the new characters,Donna,I don't have still anything interesting to say;she seems a nice person though!
Ah, you know she is Donna is, as you can expect, one of the characters whom I will expand on in the next book, where I hope to show more of the Thousand Shades of Flowers in general.
Ah,that lucky man called Farris Flowers..he is probably going to be promoted in the near future (for lack of other candidates)
He is indeed a lucky man, as he is one of the best candidates for that promotion left in the city. With Mullendore gone and his right hand man at the guard just having quitted the position, Farris might have to step up. He's probably not quite happy about this though, he's the kind of the guy who prefers to be a mid-ranking officer instead of a leader.
Another thing that I'm curious to read is of the new Oldtown that the misterious Hishi envisions and how much the city will change at the beginning of the next book (I expect new factions to born inside the city and I won't be surprised that,after Mullendore has runaway, even Hightower will have an interest to control his own city)
Hishi has high ambitions, that I can reveal. Naturally, these plans are quite mysteriou for now, but I will develop and reveal them more in Book 2. And you are right, with Mullendore and the Burned Man out of the way, new factions will rise to power. People who have been too afraid to get into crime out of fear for Butterfly, people who worked for Butterfly or the Burned Man, ambitious newcomers who expand their business into Oldtown and naturally, Lord Hightower himself, who might get a chance to regain control over Oldtown.
[Accept Lanford's offer] Well,since we know that Abbas and Bakr have enslaved Harpy (together with Janae and Behara) there is no reason for … moreJaron to remain at Oldtown;he has to rescue his girlfriend from unknown (for him) kidnappers!
RT:
* Part of me expected this outcome for the revenge plot,it is however still very enjoyable to read
* I must admit that I'm curious to discover what really happened at the Harrington family even if we will have to wait a long time before the revelation
* If Samuel is obsessed to kill his brother it seems that Ryder is obsessed to let him try;not only Ryder decide to make Samuel remain in prison for only a month but he even left his position of captain of the city guard (and Oldtown)! I'm really curious to know where we will see him again
* Speaking instead of Jaron I'm curious to learn what will do and where he will be at the beginning of the next book after he had discovered that a certain Harpy is… [view original content]
Well, in that case I am afraid that keeping Jaron in Oldtown forever is unlikely. He loves Harpy and once he finds out that she is no longer in the city, going after her is going to be his primary desire, even if this sounds easier than it truly will be. However, he and Samuel might indeed be able to work together some more. They have both reason to travel to Essos after all, even if their goals and journeys might not align entirely. However, this choice will play a role in how Jaron sees Oldtown and his time there in general. Should he survive his journey (again, choices), a return to Oldtown could be up on the table.
[Refuse Lanford's offer]
I like Jaron in Oldtown, he's always been in Oldtown and he shall stay in Oldtown. And besides, Jaron's gotta wait for Samuel to get out of prison.
Oh man, this was a very emotional part. Not so much for Jaron, but for Samuel. We've seen him mostly as this calm and pragmatic badass so far in the story, but this part truly showed another side of him. And I could feel his disappointment when Ryder beat him and left without even giving any answers. It would probably be better for Samuel's own sake if he gave up on trying to kill his brother, but I doubt that's going to happen.
[Accept Lanford's offer] Yes, I want Jaron out of Oldtown! Don't get me wrong, his storyline there has been awesome, but I feel like at this point he is pushing his luck if he stays there. And we of course know that Harpy has been captured by Abbas and Bakr, so it's unlikely he'd want to stay anyway.
Jaron
Though he knew it was the right thing to do, to support the man that had helped him so much, the actual words were a bit muffled wh… moreen they left Jaron's mouth. “I'm with you”, he assured him and Samuel raised an eyebrow in slight disbelief. “If you say so”, he replied and Jaron put a hand onto his shoulder. “I'm with you”, he repeated, this time more strongly.
Finally, he seemed to have convinced Samuel and the sellsword even managed to give him a slight smile in return. “It's good to hear this”, he said, with genuine relief in his voice. “I don't know what we're going to find in there, but I don't think I'll make it without your help”
His hand moved to the knife hidden beneath his sleeve, the one Joshawa allowed him to keep, before he turned to the door. For a moment, he hesitated, before he grabbed the doorknob, pushing it open in a rush, nearly jumping into the room as Jaron struggled to keep up with him. He almost ran into t… [view original content]
Oh man, this was a very emotional part. Not so much for Jaron, but for Samuel. We've seen him mostly as this calm and pragmatic badass so far in the story, but this part truly showed another side of him. And I could feel his disappointment when Ryder beat him and left without even giving any answers. It would probably be better for Samuel's own sake if he gave up on trying to kill his brother, but I doubt that's going to happen.
Ah, yes, this was very much Samuel's part here. Well, this entire chapter mainly served to wrap up his revenge story at least here in Oldtown. Jaron's next chapter should put the focus back onto him and his feelings though. For now, this was the first time Samuel was truly emotional. Even his flirting with Raenna was relatively calm, though it can be guessed that he merely kept his emotions in line during their interactions. With Ryder, he truly and utterly lost his cool and this was also a big reason why he was beaten so thoroughly. You are also right, it would be a lot better for him to give up on his revenge, but after twenty years of having this goal, he has a truly unhealthy obsession with it and he is always in danger of being consumed by this vengeance. The severe disappointment of having lost and not even gotten any answer made it only worse.
Yes, I want Jaron out of Oldtown! Don't get me wrong, his storyline there has been awesome, but I feel like at this point he is pushing his luck if he stays there. And we of course know that Harpy has been captured by Abbas and Bakr, so it's unlikely he'd want to stay anyway.
Hehe, I knew you'd be happy for a choice to get him out of there. I very much enjoyed writing Jaron in Oldtown, but at this point, the city has gotten more dangerous than ever, with the few forces who kept the violence in line being gone. Naturally, Harpy being taken by Abbas and Bakr is a major plot point for him. His main goal will be to find her and it is likely that he will quickly find out that she has been taken out of the city. Once he learns about that, staying in Oldtown would be a very unlikley thing for him to do.
Oh man, this was a very emotional part. Not so much for Jaron, but for Samuel. We've seen him mostly as this calm and pragmatic badass so fa… morer in the story, but this part truly showed another side of him. And I could feel his disappointment when Ryder beat him and left without even giving any answers. It would probably be better for Samuel's own sake if he gave up on trying to kill his brother, but I doubt that's going to happen.
[Accept Lanford's offer] Yes, I want Jaron out of Oldtown! Don't get me wrong, his storyline there has been awesome, but I feel like at this point he is pushing his luck if he stays there. And we of course know that Harpy has been captured by Abbas and Bakr, so it's unlikely he'd want to stay anyway.
Jaron
Though he knew it was the right thing to do, to support the man that had helped him so much, the actual words were a bit muffled wh… moreen they left Jaron's mouth. “I'm with you”, he assured him and Samuel raised an eyebrow in slight disbelief. “If you say so”, he replied and Jaron put a hand onto his shoulder. “I'm with you”, he repeated, this time more strongly.
Finally, he seemed to have convinced Samuel and the sellsword even managed to give him a slight smile in return. “It's good to hear this”, he said, with genuine relief in his voice. “I don't know what we're going to find in there, but I don't think I'll make it without your help”
His hand moved to the knife hidden beneath his sleeve, the one Joshawa allowed him to keep, before he turned to the door. For a moment, he hesitated, before he grabbed the doorknob, pushing it open in a rush, nearly jumping into the room as Jaron struggled to keep up with him. He almost ran into t… [view original content]
Jaron
Though he knew it was the right thing to do, to support the man that had helped him so much, the actual words were a bit muffled wh… moreen they left Jaron's mouth. “I'm with you”, he assured him and Samuel raised an eyebrow in slight disbelief. “If you say so”, he replied and Jaron put a hand onto his shoulder. “I'm with you”, he repeated, this time more strongly.
Finally, he seemed to have convinced Samuel and the sellsword even managed to give him a slight smile in return. “It's good to hear this”, he said, with genuine relief in his voice. “I don't know what we're going to find in there, but I don't think I'll make it without your help”
His hand moved to the knife hidden beneath his sleeve, the one Joshawa allowed him to keep, before he turned to the door. For a moment, he hesitated, before he grabbed the doorknob, pushing it open in a rush, nearly jumping into the room as Jaron struggled to keep up with him. He almost ran into t… [view original content]
[Refuse Lanford's offer] Nah. He's goin' to leave soon anyway, I know. But I'm sure Jaron had the time of his life during his Oldtown-time.
Also, this from your answer to The_Not_Chosen_One:
Hishi has high ambitions, that I can reveal. Naturally, these plans are quite mysteriou for now, but I will develop and reveal them more in Book 2. And you are right, with Mullendore and the Burned Man out of the way, new factions will rise to power. People who have been too afraid to get into crime out of fear for Butterfly, people who worked for Butterfly or the Burned Man, ambitious newcomers who expand their business into Oldtown and naturally, Lord Hightower himself, who might get a chance to regain control over Oldtown.
Jaron
Though he knew it was the right thing to do, to support the man that had helped him so much, the actual words were a bit muffled wh… moreen they left Jaron's mouth. “I'm with you”, he assured him and Samuel raised an eyebrow in slight disbelief. “If you say so”, he replied and Jaron put a hand onto his shoulder. “I'm with you”, he repeated, this time more strongly.
Finally, he seemed to have convinced Samuel and the sellsword even managed to give him a slight smile in return. “It's good to hear this”, he said, with genuine relief in his voice. “I don't know what we're going to find in there, but I don't think I'll make it without your help”
His hand moved to the knife hidden beneath his sleeve, the one Joshawa allowed him to keep, before he turned to the door. For a moment, he hesitated, before he grabbed the doorknob, pushing it open in a rush, nearly jumping into the room as Jaron struggled to keep up with him. He almost ran into t… [view original content]
Jaron
Though he knew it was the right thing to do, to support the man that had helped him so much, the actual words were a bit muffled wh… moreen they left Jaron's mouth. “I'm with you”, he assured him and Samuel raised an eyebrow in slight disbelief. “If you say so”, he replied and Jaron put a hand onto his shoulder. “I'm with you”, he repeated, this time more strongly.
Finally, he seemed to have convinced Samuel and the sellsword even managed to give him a slight smile in return. “It's good to hear this”, he said, with genuine relief in his voice. “I don't know what we're going to find in there, but I don't think I'll make it without your help”
His hand moved to the knife hidden beneath his sleeve, the one Joshawa allowed him to keep, before he turned to the door. For a moment, he hesitated, before he grabbed the doorknob, pushing it open in a rush, nearly jumping into the room as Jaron struggled to keep up with him. He almost ran into t… [view original content]
[Accept Lanford's offer] Did Jaron not promise the Burned Man he would leave Oldtown with Harpy? Bloody get to it! There's nothing here for you!
Samuel's situation sucks. No revenge and no answers. I have to think that the most painful thing about this for him is that he doesn't understand why Ryder killed their family. Honestly I just want Samuel and Raenna to reunite. Though they were only together a short time, I really enjoyed their relationship.
It's actually been a while since we saw Raenna and I don't quite remember her situation. Could you remind me, Liquid?
Jaron
Though he knew it was the right thing to do, to support the man that had helped him so much, the actual words were a bit muffled wh… moreen they left Jaron's mouth. “I'm with you”, he assured him and Samuel raised an eyebrow in slight disbelief. “If you say so”, he replied and Jaron put a hand onto his shoulder. “I'm with you”, he repeated, this time more strongly.
Finally, he seemed to have convinced Samuel and the sellsword even managed to give him a slight smile in return. “It's good to hear this”, he said, with genuine relief in his voice. “I don't know what we're going to find in there, but I don't think I'll make it without your help”
His hand moved to the knife hidden beneath his sleeve, the one Joshawa allowed him to keep, before he turned to the door. For a moment, he hesitated, before he grabbed the doorknob, pushing it open in a rush, nearly jumping into the room as Jaron struggled to keep up with him. He almost ran into t… [view original content]
Did Jaron not promise the Burned Man he would leave Oldtown with Harpy? Bloody get to it! There's nothing here for you!
Indeed he promised this, you remember correctly. Of course, the general situation has changed since then, but this can very much be taken as a reason for him to choose this. If it wins, and it almost certainly will at this point, then he is likely going to be motivated by his earlier promise as well.
Samuel's situation sucks. No revenge and no answers. I have to think that the most painful thing about this for him is that he doesn't understand why Ryder killed their family. Honestly I just want Samuel and Raenna to reunite. Though they were only together a short time, I really enjoyed their relationship.
Aye, this is indeed a terrible situation for him. He got no answers, no revenge and even had to face the fact that despite all the training and all the bad things he did, he is still not good enough to defeat Ryder. This little taunt at the very end made things only worse. Coping with this is going to be a lot of work. When it comes to Samuel and Raenna, I cannot say much that wouldn't be a spoiler in some capacity. The only thing I can say is, I enjoyed writing them as well and I have written them for a reason. There has been a spark between them, but for now, both will travel into different directions, with Raenna heading north and Samuel's journey leading him east. Patience will be required there, as it is unlikely they will unite in the near future.
It's actually been a while since we saw Raenna and I don't quite remember her situation. Could you remind me, Liquid?
Of course I can She was the first PoV to have her storyline ended in this chapter, so it's only natural that some details might be a bit blurry by now. However, this new situation she is in will be very important to her storyline in Book 2. You probably remember that she got into a fight with Alysanne in the lighthouse, resulting in her being pushed down the tower and presumed dead. However, she survived thanks to Brandon Snow, the sellsword she had freed in Chapter 6, below the Hightower. He took her and Kersea's sister Briar out of the city, assuming Kersea, Ando and Ellena dead. Once Raenna woke up, she noticed that they were on a carriage and Brandon eventually revealed his secret to her. He is not just some random bastard, but the half-brother of King Torrhen Stark, the King in the North. He is also not a sellsword, but basically a secret agent in service of his brother. He and his men, including Ando, were sent south, to Oldtown, after they learned of Butterfly's habit to test the loyalty of his assassins by ordering them to take out random families in the North, at the other end of Westeros. Such a thing happened to Kersea and also to Samantha, to give you some additional info. To stop this, Brandon and co. travelled to Oldtown, where they posed as sellswords. They began to work with Mullendore, not knowing of his secret and eventually, they were imprisoned by him, once he realized that they hunt for Butterfly. By the time Raenna found them in Chapter 6, only he and Ando were still alive. Anyway, back to the present day, since she saved his life, he saved hers as well and he took her and Briar away from Mullendore. Currently, the three are headed north, to Winterfell, where Brandon intends to introduce Raenna to his half-brother, so that she might be able to put her unique talents to use in service of the king. He himself described this as a way for her to do something good with the skills she was taught, which is a possibility that Raenna was quite intrigued by.
[Accept Lanford's offer] Did Jaron not promise the Burned Man he would leave Oldtown with Harpy? Bloody get to it! There's nothing here for … moreyou!
Samuel's situation sucks. No revenge and no answers. I have to think that the most painful thing about this for him is that he doesn't understand why Ryder killed their family. Honestly I just want Samuel and Raenna to reunite. Though they were only together a short time, I really enjoyed their relationship.
It's actually been a while since we saw Raenna and I don't quite remember her situation. Could you remind me, Liquid?
I kind of expected this choice to win At the same time, one thing I can already say, this won't affect Jaron's immediate future. His next goal is going to be finding Harpy. Of course, this is going to be a majorly difficult goal and nothing to be done in a chapter or two. Depending on your choices and Jaron's survival, it might very well play a part in his future though. For now, this was more a character building choice, but nonetheless one I saw as fitting to end his Book 1 storyline with. Jaron has underwent some development in the past chapters as you've undoubtedly noticed and this development is not at its end yet
The next part is hopefully going to be out today. I cannot promise it for sure, I'm afraid, mostly because I just returned home after spending the afternoon with my mother again. Good news on that end, she might get transferred to a hospital very close to home in the near future, meaning spending some time with her won't require hours of driving anymore. Anyways, I'll try my very best to finish this next part today, as a lot is written already. This next part will conclude Sadie's storyline for Book 1. In general, not many parts are left and I hope I'll be able to finish Book 1 in the very early July. I hope you are as excited as I am So, last time we saw Sadie wasn't too long ago to be honest. On the urge of her healer, Wylie, she decided to leave her room and meet with Leo, who has offered help in getting her sister back from the sleazy innkeeper/panderer Gyles Gomblinger. She found him together with his cousin Tythan, Gyles, two of his officers (Edward and Rhogarn) and a familiar face (or two), in form of Walder Waters, also known as Two-Face, the disfigured captain of the guard of Castamere. To everyone's massive surprise, it turned out Two-Face is kind of a dick, when he began to mock Sadie for her missing hand, something that unsurprisingly affected her heavily. To shut him up, she contemplated just punching him, though you decided against it. Given her generally light-headed feeling due to the recent loss of a lot of blood, this was probably not a bad choice. Anyways, her next part will start right where the last one ended.
I have returned with the full recovery! Sorry about that. I had to undergo emergency surgery due to an 'accident' which broke my nose and made it in such a way where I couldn't breath anymore. After the surgery, I had silicon shoved up my nostrils which still blocked my breathing, but it was necessary to keep my bones in place. It lasted for a week and it was extremely annoying, since I had to rely on my mouth to breath everywhere. But just yesterday I managed to remove the silicon and I can breath much better. I caught up with everything and I can't wait to give my thoughts.
This part was honestly very depressing but I still loved it. This is the first time in the story where Samuel has lost a fight and after twenty years of hard work, he couldn't get anything he hoped for. No answers or explanations. Samuel had plenty of advantages, he had back up, he was prepared but his emotions got the better of him and left himself open for plenty of attacks. Ryder didn't even kill him, he absolutely humiliated Samuel in every way and he still pushed him away, effectively telling him he's not even worth killing .
Although, I did think Samuel was going to kill Donna. You know Ryder killed everyone Samuel cared about, so I thought Samuel would kill the one person who Ryder cares about. He didn't thankfully, it shows how Samuel progressed as a character to prove he isn't a sociopath and takes no joy in senseless acts. Even with Samuel's dirty tactics in fighting he still came up short against Ryder, because they are both that good. I half expected Samuel to just stand back up and have one final rush against Ryder before getting knocked down again, since Samuel isn't the type to quit or let go.
Its absolutely amazing how the fight played out without any swords, Ryder didn't even have armour on. I really am wondering what he hopes to achieve and his true goals at Essos. Samuel won't rest until he kills him, that's for sure. There is no one that can talk him down from this one, especially after that fight. However, Ryder is at a disadvantage since Samuel pretty much roamed everywhere at least once, picking up massive experience. It almost feels like Ryder is luring in Samuel onto a trap and I can't wait to see his true motives. I was thinking maybe they will resolve this back at the North, to finish it where it all began but it is fair that we are taking the arc to somewhere new.
[Accept Lanford's offer] I don't really get the meaning of this choice. Will Lanford assist Jaron in the escape out of Oldtown? If it is, it is awfully nice of him. And hell, won't Erik be opposed to this because he hasn't gotten paid? I mean Jaron is pretty much on the road to rescue Harpy as soon as he hears of her capture, but does this choice affect how fast or how he rescues her? I really don't get it. One thing I do know, that he needs to get the help from Samuel on this one. Their goals kind of align and they are going the same place, and they haven't ended their relationship on bad terms, so I'm hoping for a partnership to perhaps deepen their friendship. As for Farris, he sure does keep his word, he might be going for Mullendore's position since his best friend just vacated his post. Farris did seem cool about Ryder leaving, which was kind of awkward.
My only criticism though is this: Is Samuel seriously just gonna bounce out of prison in a month? I mean, this is Samuel Fucking Harrington, the Fang of Shadows, the most dreaded blade in Oldtown and the most wanted mercenary in the country. I thought he would stand trail for every crime he has committed in front of the people. He would have contacts so he can bust out or escape or something like that. But how does Ryder decide he just keeps in the most dangerous man in the city and just lets him go? I don't think that's how it works, to me it feels like a plot hole.
None the less, I loved this part in every way. The fight, the confrontation, the build up, the conclusion I loved it all! I can not wait for Book 2 to explore the possibilities of how this revenge arc plays out! Best of luck dear friend, and thank you so much for all of this, its amazing!
Jaron
Though he knew it was the right thing to do, to support the man that had helped him so much, the actual words were a bit muffled wh… moreen they left Jaron's mouth. “I'm with you”, he assured him and Samuel raised an eyebrow in slight disbelief. “If you say so”, he replied and Jaron put a hand onto his shoulder. “I'm with you”, he repeated, this time more strongly.
Finally, he seemed to have convinced Samuel and the sellsword even managed to give him a slight smile in return. “It's good to hear this”, he said, with genuine relief in his voice. “I don't know what we're going to find in there, but I don't think I'll make it without your help”
His hand moved to the knife hidden beneath his sleeve, the one Joshawa allowed him to keep, before he turned to the door. For a moment, he hesitated, before he grabbed the doorknob, pushing it open in a rush, nearly jumping into the room as Jaron struggled to keep up with him. He almost ran into t… [view original content]
Though anger was boiling in her veins, Sadie forced herself to remain calm. As calm as possible at least. Even then, she couldn't contain a vicious glare into the direction of the disfigured man. The stump was thumping with pain, as if it reflected the anger she felt and without her being able to control it, tears shot into her eyes.
Two-Face noticed this, as he raised an eyebrow, his lips forming a slight smirk, its condescending nature worse than anything he could have said. Gyles however did not remain silent. Having noticed how distraught she was at Two-Face's words, he leant onto the table, closer towards her, while uncomfortable silence engulfed the table.
“Oh, what is it?”, the fat man spat. “Did he hurt your cripple feelings?” Still trying to hold back, Sadie clenched her fist as she looked at him, her eyes widely opened. By now, she wasn't sure if anger was the predominant emotion she felt. Gyles' ugly face formed a crooked, malicious smile. “Heh, that's funny. I remember you being so smug when you broke into Mother's room. Guess you won't break into any rooms ever again. Or do much with your ruined life”
It was in this moment that Leo's hand moved forwards. Grabbing Gyles by the collar, he slammed the fat innkeeper's face onto the table, before yanking him across it, face first, all in the process of a single second. Gyles fell to the ground right next to Sadie, moaning in pain and holding his bloodied face.
Sadie didn't feel satisfaction, even though she probably should have. Their words have been too fresh for that. Everything has been too fresh for that and even seeing that smile wiped off Gyles' face didn't help. All she knew was that he was right.
“I hope that settles it”, Leo growled in cold anger. “Anyone else wants to say something? Tythan?” Tythan raised an eyebrow. “Cousin, is that really nece...”, he began, though Leo cut him off. “Nothing? Good!”, he barked. “Two-Face, if I ever catch you insulting her again, you'll get it worse than Gyles just did”
Behind Sadie, who was staring from Leo to the wounded Gyles, who was still moaning with pain, Two-Face chuckled. “Was that an insult?”, he asked and Sadie turned to him, tears in her eyes. He grinned. “I can see it in your eyes, crippled girl”, he hissed. “There's a lot of anger behind the sadness. You want to punch me straight in the face. That'd be fair” Still grinning, he presented it, first turning the disfigured side towards her, then the normal one. “You could even choose one”
However, Sadie forced herself to shake her head, though she had to bite down onto her lower lip in the process. “I'm used to be called a freak”, he growled. “If I'd react like a fucking pansy anytime I hear something, I would have thrown myself at my own blade long ago” He glanced at the bandaged stump where her hand used to be and Sadie felt uncomfortable by his stare. “The fat man is right, you know. The sooner you accept that and stop being bothered by it, the better, crippled girl”
“Sadie”, Sadie hissed, now taking irregular breaths, as she focussed onto onto the red lion on his tabard, not looking him into the disfigured face. “My name is Sadie” Two-Face's chest raised as he chuckled. “Crippled girl”, he replied calmly. “If you want to be anything else to me, you better give me a reason. As long as you'll act like a weak fucking cripple the world is going to treat you like one. Until then, men like me will make fun of you and men like him, they'll take it a bit too far”
Gyles' moans, now getting louder, caused the man to stop talking, as Sadie turned away from him, thankful for the distraction. Seven, she shouldn't have come here. She wasn't ready and she knew it now. Wylie's soothing presence was not enough to calm her. Neither was the support Leo had just given her. It was nothing. She was nothing.
“What the fuck, Leo!”, Gyles managed to utter, glaring at the sellsword leader, who towered above him. “Have you forgotten who fucking pays you, you ingrate bastard? You Lannister's are all the same!” Leo replied by coldly kicking the man against the chest, forcing him back onto the ground, gasping for air and shutting him up again.
“Gyles”, Leo growled, as he knelt down next to the man and his voice was as calm as it was threatening. Even in her current state of mind, Sadie was glad Leo wasn't talking to her right now. “You know me as a man of peace”, he continued. “But I will absolutely end you if you ever call me a Lannister again” He glanced at Sadie. “Now apologize to the lady”
Despite his pain and fear, Gyles' face formed a look of surprise and slight defiance. “You damn... I'll absolutely not...!”, he began to protest. Any sign of resistance left him the moment Leo merely picked him up with one hand. He pushed him towards Sadie, who was still tensed up and not moving.
Gyles clenched his fists. He looked at her, blood flowing down his smashed nose, as his glance moved to the stump of her right arm. This time, he did not smile. “I... would like to apologize”, he stuttered, his words as fake as his calm demeanour. She could see his anger, but also his fear of the massive sellsword just next to him. Leo rolled his eyes, though he patted Gyles on the back, a gesture that caused the other man to gulp.
“Good”, Leo complimented him. “Now learn your lesson. And Two-Face...” The disfigured man grinned at being addressed. “Don't think you're able to toss me around like that fat coward”, he replied and Leo raised an eyebrow. “Don't be so sure of it, old friend”, he replied.
Two-Face sighed. “Well, the girl knows what I meant”, he growled and Sadie closed her eyes as once again, he was the centre of the attention. Right now, there was nothing she wanted to do more than to curl up somewhere and be left alone, without anyone staring at her. She couldn't decide what was worse, their mockery or their pity. Thought here might be one thing she wanted right now.
“My sister”, she whispered meekly, as she gave Leo a pleading look. “I want to see her” Leo's satisfied look faded and the one he gave her instead left a sour taste in her mouth. It wasn't quite pity. Guilt? Sadie felt her breath to go faster. Just what happened to Melanie? Finally, he pulled himself together and gave her a nod. “Aye”, he agreed. “You have waited long enough. Just follow me”
As he said this, Tythan Lannister cleared his throat. “Cousin, this is important”, he urged him and Leo sent him a glare, so hateful that Sadie instinctively took a step away from him. “Why don't you go and eat shit, Tythan”, he barked. “If I ask for your opinion, you'll know it. Until then, be lucky I allow you to be here”
Without flinching, the Lannister knight reciprocated Leo's glare, if somewhat less hateful. “We have a common goal”, he said and Leo raised an eyebrow. “Would be a first”, he replied. Now, Tythan sighed. “It's about the people of Maybros. Surely this topic is more important than that woman's sister. At least some of us think that way”
With this, he caught Leo off guard and the hateful glare got even worse. “Don't you dare presenting yourself as a champion of the people”, Leo growled in a low tone. “I've been working my ass off, for you, for your fucking house and now for these people. After your kind fucked them over, you won't get to champion them. You won't take that from me, Lannister”
He looked at Edward, who saluted instantly. “Edward will lead the negotiations in my stead. Rhogarn, you will come with us”, he ordered, before he looked at Gyles, in the same way one would look at a mangy rat. “And you will lead the way” Finally, he turned his attention to Wylie, whom he gave a respectful nod. “Master Wylie, will you accompany us?”
Sadie's nervousness grew only stronger as the old man nodded in return. “That might be better”, he agreed and she gulped. Why was Wylie's presence necessary? Before she was able to voice this concern, the group started to move, leaving Two-Face, Edward and Tythan behind.
Still feeling light-headed, Sadie was quickly thankful for Wylie's presence, when he grabbed her good arm, supporting her, while simultaneously supporting himself with his staff. Meanwhile, Leo was walking in front of her. Rhogarn Snow meanwhile was directly behind Gyles, who led them.
“My mother is still agitated by your little trick before the battle”, Gyles said, as he led them through the taproom and into the deeper parts of the Golden Gyles. He glared over his shoulder, his gaze finding Sadie between Leo and Rhogarn. “I'm talking to you”
Sadie sighed, though feeling dizzy, she was in no mood to argue or even just listen to him. “My apologies to your mother”, she mumbled. “I didn't mean to scare her” Gyles narrowed his eyes, though Leo quickly turned around to her. “Wait a little with the apologies”, he told her. “I don't think you have to”
Now, she gave him an alarmed look. “Why?”, she asked sharply. “Could somebody please tell me what happened?” By now, she would have sank to the ground if not for Wylie. Her legs felt weak, tired and aching already, her head was thumping and all of this was only a fragment of the pain the wound still caused her and the dread she only barely managed to ignore.
Leo sighed. “It's... not all that easy”, he replied. “Your sister is alive, but... you have to see her. I don't think I can explain it” He became silent again, but instead, Gyles chuckled slightly. “We're there”, he said, as he turned into another hallway.
Sadie spotted a large door at the end of it, probably the largest in the entire building, as well as the heaviest. There were no other doors to the side, so Sadie fully focussed onto the intimating one she was heading to. And to the equally intimidating man in front of it. At least she was sure this... thing was a man. At least as tall as Leo, it was a twisted figure, standing hunched and with one shoulder notably higher than the other. Its facial features were hidden beneath a sack, with only dull, blue eyes visible.
The grin on Gyles' face returned, as he approached the figure. “William!”, he said and the person, now almost certainly a man, stood straight. Leo sighed. “William Gering”, he mumbled. “He guards the girls, a task Gyles never trusted any of my men with”
Sadie gulped as the man's gaze fell upon her. It was emotionless, but not of a cold way. This man was confused, as if he barely understood a thing of what happened around him. “Why is he wearing the sack?”, she asked, before she frowned. “Do I want to know?”
Leo shrugged. “Never saw him without it”, he revealed. “I think he's Gyles' pet or something like that” Gyles glared at him. “My cousin”, he answered. “And my most trusted guard. Not the kind that beats me bloody”
“Figures”, Leo replied, as they stopped in front of the hooded man, who gave them a clouded look. Gyles grinned at him, though it was a malicious one. “William!”, he barked. “Open the door. These people are friends, they want to see one of the girls”
At the sound of the innkeeper's booming voice, William cowered for a moment. Then, he nodded silently, hurrying to the door, which he opened with a large key from his belt. Gyles glared at him the entire time, not grinning when the hooded man wasn't looking at him. In this moment, he reminded Sadie of a little boy who was toying with a dying insect.
A sudden pain flared up in her head and instinctively, she moved the bandaged right arm to her forehead, cringing at the even stronger pain as she touched the wound where her hand used to be. Staggering backwards, Rhogarn put a hand onto her shoulder to stop her from falling. “Are you sure you want to do this?”, he asked.
His words made it only worse. “I have to know what happened”, she hissed and pointed at Gyles. “If anything happened to Melanie...”, she spat and the innkeeper shrugged. “Define happened”, he chuckled, before he looked at Leo. “Do I have your word that you'll prevent her from killing me?”
Without missing a beat, Leo shook his head. “If she's going to kill you, it's because you had it coming”, he growled. “But let her be the judge of that” He attempted to head into the part of the building Gyles' servant had just opened, when Sadie grabbed his upper arm. She noticed how tensed up he was and more than anything, this was what worried her. What could possibly concern him this much? This was the same man that didn't even flinch to take on that beast, that monster that killed Dan, that...
Tears shot into her eyes and she let go of the sellsword again. Softly, Wylie put a hand onto her shoulder. “We are ready whenever you are”, he mumbled and his calm, soothing voice was enough for her to pull herself together. “Show me”, she ordered towards Gyles and to her surprise, the man followed without a question or snide remark.
As soon as she entered this part of the building, she noticed the strange smell. It was sweet, almost sickly so, yet sharp at the same time, a smell pleasant and abhorrent at the same time. It lay above everything else and burned in her eyes, yet she also noticed slight scents of human waste, of despair and grief.
There were several closed doors to each side of the hallway and Gyles quickly headed toward one of them. With a grin, he knocked at the door. There was no answer and after a second, he merely opened it, revealing a small room behind. The smell grew stronger, as Sadie's eyes adjusted to the dim light behind. It was a poor room, containing merely a bed, a tiny chest and a chair. And a woman. A shocked gasp came out of Sadie's throat.
It was no wonder that nobody in this building had recognized Sadie so far. Last time she had seen Melanie, her sister had looked younger than she truly was, yet both still looked somewhat alike. Though only four years separated them, Melanie had looked way younger. Now, she could pass for Sadie's older sister. She had gotten thin, gaunt even. Her brown hair was a mess, her skin pale and the eyes lying deep in their holes, staring aimlessly and though Sadie was standing right there, the first person Melanie looked at was Gyles.
“Hello, Melanie”, Gyles greeted her. She did not reply. Instead, she tilted her head sideways, staring at his hand, which had moved into his pocket. Her breaths became faster, before all of a sudden, she noticed her big sister, who had taken a hesitant step towards her.
“Sadie...?”, she gasped and in this moment, Sadie lost control over herself. Not minding the aching wound and taking away even the most basic care, she rushed to her sister, throwing her arms around her, a gesture Melanie reciprocated, if slowly.
Pain flared up in her right arm, but that was not the cause of the tears that shot into her eyes and she ignored it. Sobbing, she buried her head in her younger sister's shoulder. For just a second, nothing else mattered. The pain, the loss, the feeling of dread that hit her whenever she thought of her future, it was gone. The blame, the guilt, the regret, she ignored it.
It was a second that was gone too soon and when these feelings returned, they came back with a vengeance, when Melanie separated from her again. Staring at her in disbelief, her sister seemed more confused than happy at her presence. “Sadie what are you doing here?”, she asked, as she heavily reached for her sister's right forearm. A brief, involuntary groan of pain came out of Sadie's throat and it was then that Melanie threw a look down at her.
“What... oh gods...”, she gasped, her eyes widened. “What...” She let go of Sadie, who clenched her teeth as the worst pain she had felt since she woke up burned through her entire right side. Through a veil of tears, she noticed that her sister turned to Gyles instead. “What took you so long?”, she asked, in an accusing tone. Her voice was paced quicker than Sadie remembered and it was also notably thinner. “Gyles, you wanted to be here two days ago. My rations... I have nothing left, I...”
Gyles raised his hands to calm her down. “Easy, my dear”, he spoke. “There have been some problems in the city lately. Nothing you should worry your pretty head about. I'm here now. So is your sister, but most importantly, so is your ration” And for the first time since she had seen her again, a wide smile flashed across Melanie's face, one that made her look only more tired.
Through the pain that prevented almost any rational thought, Sadie noticed how Gyles' hand moved into the inner pocket of his coat, as a terrible realization dawned upon her. What happened to Melanie, it was likely equally horrible than what happened to herself. This was not the sister she had lost.
“Rhogarn”, Leo growled and instantly, the Northerner was there, pushing Gyles against the wall, one hand on his, slowly removing it from the pocket. In it was not a weapon, but a small bag. Melanie was barely looking at her sister, her gaze was fixed on exactly this bag.
“What have you done...?”, Sadie mumbled, as she staggered back to her feet, dragging herself between Melanie and Gyles. Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed that her sister's smile faded. Gyles however, he grinned at her, a petty, triumphant grin.
“It's a mixture of foreign herbs and spices. Poppy is involved as well”, Leo explained behind her and Gyles nodded. “There are several ways to inject it, but they all cause the same, more or less. The body and mind relax. Carnal desires are aroused. You last longer”, the innkeeper continued. “But most importantly, it leaves you craving for more and more, until it is all you can think about”
“This is how he keeps them obedient”, Rhogarn mumbled, as Sadie finally realized what this monster did to her sister. “She's addicted”, she concluded and Gyles nodded. “Heavily so”, he explained, as Sadie stumbled into his direction.
For a second, her feet gave in beneath her and she fell into Rhogarn, who caught her gently. As she leant against him, her remaining hand found the hilt of his dagger, though before she was able to pull it, he had grabbed her wrist, as a growl, angry, desperate, tired and in utter agony left her throat. She was staring at Gyles with shock, speechless about this wicked trick. For a moment, there was only murder on her mind.
With a grin, Gyles put the bag into his pocket and behind her, Sadie noticed Melanie's sharp gasp. “Melly, wait outside”, Gyles ordered. “Go to the old man while me and your sister have a talk” Almost instantly, the girl jumped up, rushing out of the room, eager to follow his order.
“Now...”, Gyles said, as Rhogarn gave Sadie a concerned look, as she struggled to escape his strong grip, struggled to stay conscious. “As I was saying, your sister is an addict. I supply her with a personal mixture, her and many of the other girls. Those that used to be trouble. I can even understand that you want me dead for it, but well, that has been business. I won't apologize”
“You're a dead man”, Sadie managed to utter and Gyles shook his head. “Think again”, he said. “I got her hooked on it. I did this more times than I remember. Hundreds probably. I know how to get someone addicted from it. I also know how to undo these effects” He shrugged. “Of course, you can try to kill me, but I don't intend to just allow you. Besides, you're broken body is no threat to me. So, instead of taking your revenge, why don't we just... work together?”
For a second, disbelief formed on Sadie's face. “You got to be kidding me...”, she stuttered and Gyles shook his head. “I am serious”, he assured her. “You spare my life and I won't be harmed and in return, I make sure that your sister gets off my mixture again, that she fully recovers. I doubt anyone but me could make sure that she does so without ruining what's left of her life. You may not like me, but I am the expert on this”
Sadie
Though anger was boiling in her veins, Sadie forced herself to remain calm. As calm as possible at least. Even then, she couldn't c… moreontain a vicious glare into the direction of the disfigured man. The stump was thumping with pain, as if it reflected the anger she felt and without her being able to control it, tears shot into her eyes.
Two-Face noticed this, as he raised an eyebrow, his lips forming a slight smirk, its condescending nature worse than anything he could have said. Gyles however did not remain silent. Having noticed how distraught she was at Two-Face's words, he leant onto the table, closer towards her, while uncomfortable silence engulfed the table.
“Oh, what is it?”, the fat man spat. “Did he hurt your cripple feelings?” Still trying to hold back, Sadie clenched her fist as she looked at him, her eyes widely opened. By now, she wasn't sure if anger was the predominant emotion she felt. Gyles' ugly face formed a cr… [view original content]
I have returned with the full recovery! Sorry about that. I had to undergo emergency surgery due to an 'accident' which broke my nose and made it in such a way where I couldn't breath anymore. After the surgery, I had silicon shoved up my nostrils which still blocked my breathing, but it was necessary to keep my bones in place. It lasted for a week and it was extremely annoying, since I had to rely on my mouth to breath everywhere. But just yesterday I managed to remove the silicon and I can breath much better. I caught up with everything and I can't wait to give my thoughts.
Aw man, I know exactly how awful that feels. Last year, I've gotten surgery done on my nose to correct my nasal septum which had been slightly displaced after an accident. Though I only had stuff in my nose for three days, I know exactly how annoying that can be. I had intense headaches during that time and could barely concentrate on anything. In your case, it sounds even more painful, so I can only imagine how much worse it had to be. I am sorry you had to go through this, but I am happy to har that you have recovered already.
This part was honestly very depressing but I still loved it. This is the first time in the story where Samuel has lost a fight and after twenty years of hard work, he couldn't get anything he hoped for. No answers or explanations. Samuel had plenty of advantages, he had back up, he was prepared but his emotions got the better of him and left himself open for plenty of attacks. Ryder didn't even kill him, he absolutely humiliated Samuel in every way and he still pushed him away, effectively telling him he's not even worth killing .
Aye, this is the first fight in the story proper we have seen Samuel losing. Probably not his first defeat, but the most crushing one at that. This is what he has been working for, what he has dedicated his entire life up to this point to and now he realized that after all that happened, he is still not good enough. His biggest flaw was not only mere skill, I'd rank him more as Ryder's equal in these regards, but the fact that he fought way too emotional and had no control over his feelings in this part. He is so used to be a naturally calm and stoic person that such an emotional situation confused him greatly and this played a big factor in why Ryder could not only defeat, but also humiliate him.
Although, I did think Samuel was going to kill Donna. You know Ryder killed everyone Samuel cared about, so I thought Samuel would kill the one person who Ryder cares about. He didn't thankfully, it shows how Samuel progressed as a character to prove he isn't a sociopath and takes no joy in senseless acts. Even with Samuel's dirty tactics in fighting he still came up short against Ryder, because they are both that good. I half expected Samuel to just stand back up and have one final rush against Ryder before getting knocked down again, since Samuel isn't the type to quit or let go.
It's safe to say, the Samuel we first met in Chapter 3 would have killed her without a second thought simply to hurt Ryder. It shows his development from a guy that is more or less clearly a villain to an anti-hero. By now, he has changed to the point where he would probably still kill Ryder without hesitating, but he has standards and won't go as low as to harm Ryder's loved ones. And yeah, I originally have thought of a final charge at Ryder, but ultimately thought that it would show far more that Samuek is indeed absolutely defeated. In this very moment, he had no will to fight anymore, as his greatest fear became true.
Its absolutely amazing how the fight played out without any swords, Ryder didn't even have armour on. I really am wondering what he hopes to achieve and his true goals at Essos. Samuel won't rest until he kills him, that's for sure. There is no one that can talk him down from this one, especially after that fight. However, Ryder is at a disadvantage since Samuel pretty much roamed everywhere at least once, picking up massive experience. It almost feels like Ryder is luring in Samuel onto a trap and I can't wait to see his true motives. I was thinking maybe they will resolve this back at the North, to finish it where it all began but it is fair that we are taking the arc to somewhere new.
Ah, I am glad to hear this! My original concept for the fight included swords, but I realized how unrealistic it would be if guests in the Thousand Shades of Flowers were just allowed to wield weapons. It also helped me with writing a brutal, bloody fight without the need to permanently harm one or both of the Harrington brothers. When it comes to Ryder's disadvantage, actually it's not all that much, as you might think. Ryder has lived in Oldtown, the largest city in Westeros. People from all over the known world get there at some point, so there is never a shortage at new techniques to learn. I'd say, in that way Ryder even has an advantage over Samuel.
I don't really get the meaning of this choice. Will Lanford assist Jaron in the escape out of Oldtown? If it is, it is awfully nice of him. And hell, won't Erik be opposed to this because he hasn't gotten paid? I mean Jaron is pretty much on the road to rescue Harpy as soon as he hears of her capture, but does this choice affect how fast or how he rescues her? I really don't get it. One thing I do know, that he needs to get the help from Samuel on this one. Their goals kind of align and they are going the same place, and they haven't ended their relationship on bad terms, so I'm hoping for a partnership to perhaps deepen their friendship. As for Farris, he sure does keep his word, he might be going for Mullendore's position since his best friend just vacated his post. Farris did seem cool about Ryder leaving, which was kind of awkward.
Nah, this is actually just a choice similar to the Burned Man choice from a while ago, where Jaron got to decide if he promises to leave Oldtown or not. Consider it a character building choice, but in this case, Jaron would also feel obliged to keep his word to Lanford. The Burned Man is dead and Jaron might not feel all that guilty if he breaks his earlier promise to him. It also decides his stance on a possible Oldtown return in the future, if he makes it that far. It likely won't have much influence on his next goal, which is to save Harpy. However, Samuel is surely a possible candidate to help. Jaron kept up with him, supported him and therefore won a loyal ally. Since they have to travel into the same direction, they might end up as travel buddies. When it comes to Farris, he might indeed have his eyes at the position as commander of the city guard. He's basically the only one left at this point. And well, you can bet that he and Ryder will have a long conversation later on. For now, he was too relieved that his friend is alive and protest about his decision.
My only criticism though is this: Is Samuel seriously just gonna bounce out of prison in a month? I mean, this is Samuel Fucking Harrington, the Fang of Shadows, the most dreaded blade in Oldtown and the most wanted mercenary in the country. I thought he would stand trail for every crime he has committed in front of the people. He would have contacts so he can bust out or escape or something like that. But how does Ryder decide he just keeps in the most dangerous man in the city and just lets him go? I don't think that's how it works, to me it feels like a plot hole.
Well, this is very much Ryder's choice. He has unfinished business with Samuel and does not want him to rot away in a prison forever, or to die through some nameless hangman's axe. If he'd want that, he would have ordered his execution. Instead, he gives him an utter slap on the wrist, which at the same time is a slap to the face for Samuel's victims. However, considering that he plans to leave the city, he is not bothered by this. This is personal between them and though he jokingly said it in his final words to his brother, he actually doesn't want to wait another twenty years, or want to rely on some shady contacts (and to be fair, with the Solver's being in utter chaos, a majority of Samuel's contacts has gotten worthless), so he decided his final act as a captain of the city guard would be to ensure that his brother gets sent on the road that will lead to them having a rematch.
None the less, I loved this part in every way. The fight, the confrontation, the build up, the conclusion I loved it all! I can not wait for Book 2 to explore the possibilities of how this revenge arc plays out! Best of luck dear friend, and thank you so much for all of this, its amazing!
Thank you, thank you I was looking forward for your reaction to this part, as I know you have waited for it a very long time. It is nice to hear that I did not disappoint. Here's hoping that I will be able to make this whole storyline even more developed in Book 2. I also hope you are going to enjoy the Harrington storyline in Book 2 as much as you enjoy it in Book 1, hopefully even more. I'm having a lot planned still
I have returned with the full recovery! Sorry about that. I had to undergo emergency surgery due to an 'accident' which broke my nose and ma… morede it in such a way where I couldn't breath anymore. After the surgery, I had silicon shoved up my nostrils which still blocked my breathing, but it was necessary to keep my bones in place. It lasted for a week and it was extremely annoying, since I had to rely on my mouth to breath everywhere. But just yesterday I managed to remove the silicon and I can breath much better. I caught up with everything and I can't wait to give my thoughts.
This part was honestly very depressing but I still loved it. This is the first time in the story where Samuel has lost a fight and after twenty years of hard work, he couldn't get anything he hoped for. No answers or explanations. Samuel had plenty of advantages, he had back up, he was prepared but his emotions got the better of him and left himself open for plenty of… [view original content]
[Agree to work with Gyles] As much as it disgusts me, she's in no condition to fight him, and she knows nothing of treating addictions, so once she's better, hopefully they can leave and let him rot for all they care.
Two-Face has a point, in the same way Jaimie Lannister eventually accepted his handicaps and limitations, in a way, he felt better.
Sadie
Though anger was boiling in her veins, Sadie forced herself to remain calm. As calm as possible at least. Even then, she couldn't c… moreontain a vicious glare into the direction of the disfigured man. The stump was thumping with pain, as if it reflected the anger she felt and without her being able to control it, tears shot into her eyes.
Two-Face noticed this, as he raised an eyebrow, his lips forming a slight smirk, its condescending nature worse than anything he could have said. Gyles however did not remain silent. Having noticed how distraught she was at Two-Face's words, he leant onto the table, closer towards her, while uncomfortable silence engulfed the table.
“Oh, what is it?”, the fat man spat. “Did he hurt your cripple feelings?” Still trying to hold back, Sadie clenched her fist as she looked at him, her eyes widely opened. By now, she wasn't sure if anger was the predominant emotion she felt. Gyles' ugly face formed a cr… [view original content]
Edit: [Try to kill him] While I obviously think that Sadie won't even manage to touch Gyles I decide to change my choice because I can't see Sadie,just after discover her sister condition, decide to work together with the man responsible of it. While I suppose that obviously the process will be much longer I think that Wyle can manage to reach the same results of Gyles (even if probably will be much harder fix the relationship between Sadie and Melanie)
RT:
Hey Liquid!With this last Sadie part you end for this book all the storylines outside Raylainsfair (except,maybe,the epilogue)!
Damn!I should have choice to punch Two Face! Next time that I will find choice to punch someone I will take it!Even if it is something like [Punch the King]!
Part of me would have been interested to read more about Maybros situation but I understand that this was the right time to finally discover what happened to Sadie's sister
The first new character of the day is a big good looking guy with a sack in the head but let me guess,he is the one of the family that use a chainsaw as a weapon am I right?XD
And today we discover that Gyles is a man that really care for the well beings of his workers
Finally Sadie meet her sister,sadly she is not in a good shape and I doubt that will be something easy rebuild the relationship between them (expecially since it seems for Melanie that her family leave her be taken to be a prostitute and a drug addict,and she still don't know that her parents are dead and Sadie had to kill her mother!)
I'm curious to read in what kind of position Sadie will be after timeskip and what Gyles mean to "work" for him (maybe he want to use her as a cripple prostitute or maybe..oh no..THAT can be even worse!)
Sadie
Though anger was boiling in her veins, Sadie forced herself to remain calm. As calm as possible at least. Even then, she couldn't c… moreontain a vicious glare into the direction of the disfigured man. The stump was thumping with pain, as if it reflected the anger she felt and without her being able to control it, tears shot into her eyes.
Two-Face noticed this, as he raised an eyebrow, his lips forming a slight smirk, its condescending nature worse than anything he could have said. Gyles however did not remain silent. Having noticed how distraught she was at Two-Face's words, he leant onto the table, closer towards her, while uncomfortable silence engulfed the table.
“Oh, what is it?”, the fat man spat. “Did he hurt your cripple feelings?” Still trying to hold back, Sadie clenched her fist as she looked at him, her eyes widely opened. By now, she wasn't sure if anger was the predominant emotion she felt. Gyles' ugly face formed a cr… [view original content]
This choice probably won't win, but I'll pick [Try to kill him] anyway. Gyles is scum, and scum like him can never be trusted... I really doubt he knows of a cure, and if there really is a cure there certainly are other ways to find it.
[Try to kill him] Why not? Working with Gyles is only going to lead to betrayal. Plus, Gyles isn't the only man in the world who can help with addiction. I'm sure Wylie could be able to help her, and this way Sadie is in debt to Leo and can continue her adventures with him and his mercenary crew.
Sadie
Though anger was boiling in her veins, Sadie forced herself to remain calm. As calm as possible at least. Even then, she couldn't c… moreontain a vicious glare into the direction of the disfigured man. The stump was thumping with pain, as if it reflected the anger she felt and without her being able to control it, tears shot into her eyes.
Two-Face noticed this, as he raised an eyebrow, his lips forming a slight smirk, its condescending nature worse than anything he could have said. Gyles however did not remain silent. Having noticed how distraught she was at Two-Face's words, he leant onto the table, closer towards her, while uncomfortable silence engulfed the table.
“Oh, what is it?”, the fat man spat. “Did he hurt your cripple feelings?” Still trying to hold back, Sadie clenched her fist as she looked at him, her eyes widely opened. By now, she wasn't sure if anger was the predominant emotion she felt. Gyles' ugly face formed a cr… [view original content]
Two-Face has a point, in the same way Jaimie Lannister eventually accepted his handicaps and limitations, in a way, he felt better.
Aye, that was sort of Two-Face's intention. Obviously being as badly disfigured as he is, he knows a thing or two about being limited in life and being looked down upon. He's just a bit of a jerk when it comes to convey this message. But undoubtedly, if Sadie actually learns to accept her new situation and learns how to live with it, she'll be on a good way to recovery.
Hey Liquid!With this last Sadie part you end for this book all the storylines outside Raylainsfair (except,maybe,the epilogue)!
Aye, indeed! Now, there will be six Raylansfair PoV's still left, likely in four parts and then Book 1 will be over. This was sort of the plan to end Book 1 with a wall of Raylansfair parts. And at least two of these will be quite the game changer, as you can probably imagine
Damn!I should have choice to punch Two Face! Next time that I will find choice to punch someone I will take it!Even if it is something like [Punch the King]!
Yep, that is always going to be a good option. Although, depending on the king, it might indeed be a good choice. Argilac Durrandon for example is a warrior at heart. He appreciates a good punch. Harren meanwhile... eh, there would be wiser options than that In general though, violence is not always the right choice, but in some occasions, it can lead to a more beneficial outcome.
Part of me would have been interested to read more about Maybros situation but I understand that this was the right time to finally discover what happened to Sadie's sister
I would have loved to show more of Maybros as well. In retrospect, I probably should have started Sadie's storyline a bit earlier to really explore the city and its people. But well, this chapter had to deal with too much already. There's Sadie's new situation and her beginning to deal with the loss she suffered, there's the set-up of the Book 2 storyline and most importantly, being reunited ith her sister, there was simply no room to show a lot of Maybros as well.
The first new character of the day is a big good looking guy with a sack in the head but let me guess,he is the one of the family that use a chainsaw as a weapon am I right?XD
Careful, don't spread the Maybros Chainsaw Massacre leaks from Book 2 But yeah, William would not be too out of place in a hillbilly slasher movie. He's going to be the last character to be introduced in Book 1 and probably not a very major character in Book 2, but I still hope to develop him better there. Between the utter scum that is Gyles and the abusive hag that is his mother, William might be the least horrible member of the family though, even if that doesn't mean much.
And today we discover that Gyles is a man that really care for the well beings of his workers
Aye, a really kind man, is he not? He's even supplying them with drugs to keep them obedient. Really, he's a guy with plenty of hateable qualities already, but this is arguably his lowest point yet. Keeping sex slaves is one thing. Keeping blindly obedient sex slaves who barely have a will of their own, that is a whole different case entirely.
Finally Sadie meet her sister,sadly she is not in a good shape and I doubt that will be something easy rebuild the relationship between them (expecially since it seems for Melanie that her family leave her be taken to be a prostitute and a drug addict,and she still don't know that her parents are dead and Sadie had to kill her mother!)
Yeah, if there is any character in this story that has more problems than Sadie herself, it's Melanie. She is not only forced into prostitution and drug abuse, she also has no idea what happened to her family or why it took Sadie so long to find her. She doesn't know a thing about what happened to her mother, or Sadie's involvement in this and right now, she's in no condition to even fully process it.
I'm curious to read in what kind of position Sadie will be after timeskip and what Gyles mean to "work" for him (maybe he want to use her as a cripple prostitute or maybe..oh no..THAT can be even worse!)
Well... no, I can confirm that is absolutely not Gyles' intention. I mean, I am sure this is a fetish and if there's money to be made, he wouldn't hesitate in the slightest to exploit Sadie as he did with countless other girls, but he is not a stupid man. He knows exactly that if he even tries to do this, Leo is going to end him. It would suffice for him to bring it up and he'd be dead in a heartbeat. Leo is already really fed up with him and utterly disgusted, so Gyles has to be really careful with his words and actions from now on. No, it's not that Sadie would work for him, she would work with him to get Melanie off these drugs. In return, Gyles would avoid the revenge Sadie undoubtedly would love to take. In his mind, it's basically a deal, his life gets spared, so Melanie's gets saved.
Edit:
[Try to kill him] While I obviously think that Sadie won't even manage to touch Gyles I decide to change my choice because I can't se… moree Sadie,just after discover her sister condition, decide to work together with the man responsible of it. While I suppose that obviously the process will be much longer I think that Wyle can manage to reach the same results of Gyles (even if probably will be much harder fix the relationship between Sadie and Melanie)
RT:
* Hey Liquid!With this last Sadie part you end for this book all the storylines outside Raylainsfair (except,maybe,the epilogue)!
* Damn!I should have choice to punch Two Face! Next time that I will find choice to punch someone I will take it!Even if it is something like [Punch the King]!
* Part of me would have been interested to read more about Maybros situation but I understand that this was the right time to finally discover what happened to Sadie's sister
* The first new c… [view original content]
Well, a cure in this case would be withdrawal. What Melanie has been given is basically a drug and she is heavily addicted to it. It is also a dangerous drug and Gyles has a lot of knowledge about it. Probably, he's even the one who invented this particular drug, by mixing several narcotic substances together. He is certainly not the only person in the world who knows about withdrawal, but there might be particular things to look out for which he could know more about than any other. That said, I fully agree with you, Gyles is scum. In terms of sheer jerkishness, he's worse than many of the outright villainous characters in the story.
This choice probably won't win, but I'll pick [Try to kill him] anyway. Gyles is scum, and scum like him can never be trusted... I really doubt he knows of a cure, and if there really is a cure there certainly are other ways to find it.
Sadie
Though anger was boiling in her veins, Sadie forced herself to remain calm. As calm as possible at least. Even then, she couldn't c… moreontain a vicious glare into the direction of the disfigured man. The stump was thumping with pain, as if it reflected the anger she felt and without her being able to control it, tears shot into her eyes.
Two-Face noticed this, as he raised an eyebrow, his lips forming a slight smirk, its condescending nature worse than anything he could have said. Gyles however did not remain silent. Having noticed how distraught she was at Two-Face's words, he leant onto the table, closer towards her, while uncomfortable silence engulfed the table.
“Oh, what is it?”, the fat man spat. “Did he hurt your cripple feelings?” Still trying to hold back, Sadie clenched her fist as she looked at him, her eyes widely opened. By now, she wasn't sure if anger was the predominant emotion she felt. Gyles' ugly face formed a cr… [view original content]
[Try to kill him] Fuck it, I don't trust Gyles in the slightest. He is rotten to the core, and showing him mercy now will only mean that he'll fuck us over later. Besides, I have a feeling Wylie for example could do just as good job getting Melanie off the drugs, if not better.
Sadie
Though anger was boiling in her veins, Sadie forced herself to remain calm. As calm as possible at least. Even then, she couldn't c… moreontain a vicious glare into the direction of the disfigured man. The stump was thumping with pain, as if it reflected the anger she felt and without her being able to control it, tears shot into her eyes.
Two-Face noticed this, as he raised an eyebrow, his lips forming a slight smirk, its condescending nature worse than anything he could have said. Gyles however did not remain silent. Having noticed how distraught she was at Two-Face's words, he leant onto the table, closer towards her, while uncomfortable silence engulfed the table.
“Oh, what is it?”, the fat man spat. “Did he hurt your cripple feelings?” Still trying to hold back, Sadie clenched her fist as she looked at him, her eyes widely opened. By now, she wasn't sure if anger was the predominant emotion she felt. Gyles' ugly face formed a cr… [view original content]
Why not? Because the word Try is part of the choice. Tell me Bounden how many times has the choice actually worked with the word try in it. If it was an immediate success then it should be Kill him. In my opinion this choice is actually a disguised Fail to kill him. That's a pretty good reason don't you think?
[Try to kill him] Why not? Working with Gyles is only going to lead to betrayal. Plus, Gyles isn't the only man in the world who can help wi… moreth addiction. I'm sure Wylie could be able to help her, and this way Sadie is in debt to Leo and can continue her adventures with him and his mercenary crew.
Well Lord EAA,I suppose that everyone that chose that choice just don't trust Gyles...I doubt that there is someone among us that really believe that Sadie (without an arm and a a weapon) will manage to kill Gyles (expecially when Leo and Rhogarn are there to stop her)
Why not? Because the word Try is part of the choice. Tell me Bounden how many times has the choice actually worked with the word try in it. … moreIf it was an immediate success then it should be Kill him. In my opinion this choice is actually a disguised Fail to kill him. That's a pretty good reason don't you think?
No, it's not that Sadie would work for him, she would work with him to get Melanie off these drugs. In return, Gyles would avoid the revenge Sadie undoubtedly would love to take. In his mind, it's basically a deal, his life gets spared, so Melanie's gets saved.
Surprise of the surprises,a deal with Gyles can maybe be a good choice
Hey Liquid!With this last Sadie part you end for this book all the storylines outside Raylainsfair (except,maybe,the epilogue)!
Aye,… more indeed! Now, there will be six Raylansfair PoV's still left, likely in four parts and then Book 1 will be over. This was sort of the plan to end Book 1 with a wall of Raylansfair parts. And at least two of these will be quite the game changer, as you can probably imagine
Damn!I should have choice to punch Two Face! Next time that I will find choice to punch someone I will take it!Even if it is something like [Punch the King]!
Yep, that is always going to be a good option. Although, depending on the king, it might indeed be a good choice. Argilac Durrandon for example is a warrior at heart. He appreciates a good punch. Harren meanwhile... eh, there would be wiser options than that In general though, violence is not always the right choice, but in some occasions, it can lead to a more benef… [view original content]
Spot on! I don't want to work with a scum bag like Gyles, and there is no option to decline without trying to murder him in the process. I am not naive enough to believe Sadie can kill Gyles. Let alone with Leo and his men right next to her. I don't believe Leo is going to hold a grudge with Sadie's little murder tantrum, especially after seeing what kind of scumbag Gyles is and what he did to her sister. So I don't see any downsides to this option, besides getting on Gyles' badside, but I am pretty sure that horseshit doesn't have a good side.
Well Lord EAA,I suppose that everyone that chose that choice just don't trust Gyles...I doubt that there is someone among us that really be… morelieve that Sadie (without an arm and a a weapon) will manage to kill Gyles (expecially when Leo and Rhogarn are there to stop her)
Comments
Man I don't know how its possible but I think you've improved.
Ah, you certainly managed to drop them before the next part! It looks like it'll be another all-nighter for me, so I am very happy that these are here before I post the part. This is awesome and I am happy to see them
Now, as always, I enjoy these a lot. It's a highlight to see a new set of drawings and well, considering how every new set seems to be better than the one before, it's probably no surprise that this one even features one of my favourites ever. More about that in a moment. First of all, let's start with Daemion. He is one of these characters I myself haven't really imagined while writing. I mean, I obviouly know his description, but he never really left much of an image to me so far. Given that I plan to increase his role in Book 2, this is bound to change and his drawing is going to be of great use. It is also one of the best of this set, though not quite enough to beat my favourite. He looks intimidating, yet in a different way than, say, the Moggy. Clearly the kind of guy I'd imagine as part of a good city guard and while the guard of Raylansfair is far from a perfect fighting troupe, he is clearly their best and I love that drawing. Next... well, it might be a first, but I gotta leave some tiny criticism there. The girl's name is Edith, not Editha
A minor detail, nothing that really bothers me, but I think I should point it out. Other than that, I enjoy her a lot here. She's one of the newest characters of the story, but I think given her position, she's important enough to justify a drawing already. And well, I have a very clear image of her in my head and your drawing fits perfectly! I love stuff like her Vyrel wardrobe, or the fact that she somehow manages to simultaneously look like her father and nothing like him. It fits her, especially given her personality. Then we have the Wicked Witch of the Westerlands, Sanyse Gomblinger. It's confession time, I can never get her name right. Whenever writing it, I have to double check to make sure it's not Senyse 
While I doubt the drawing is going to help with that, I nonetheless enjoy it tremendously. She, like her son, is one of the most ugly characters in the story, inside and out and together with the next drawing, she's also among the eldest, so I guess this has been quite the challenge to draw her. Needless to say, you've been up for it and you hit the nail with her. She' repulsive, exactly as she should be. This is a stark contrast to the next character, one of my favourite drawings so far. One of Tolkien's blue wizards, it seems 
As a matter of fact, I know Gandalf has been a bit of an inspiration for his submission and the drawings gives me these vibes as well. It's literally everything about this drawing I love so much. There is this stance, the dignified expression, the robe, that epic beard, the look in his eyes, you truly did one of your best drawings so far with him. In fact, this drawing gave me some much appreciated inspiration for some future Wylie stuff. He is a fascinating character and I think now, his role in the story is going to be even better. After such praise, it seems a bit odd to comment on Blane, whom I loved as well, but he's not quite my favourite 
With him I especially like the facial features, they seem to be especially fine and detailed. In general, I think he and Wylie are among the most quality work you have drawn for FoT so far (save for the portraits of course). And this entire set is wonderful. Really, I cannot thank you enough 
Jaron
Though he knew it was the right thing to do, to support the man that had helped him so much, the actual words were a bit muffled when they left Jaron's mouth. “I'm with you”, he assured him and Samuel raised an eyebrow in slight disbelief. “If you say so”, he replied and Jaron put a hand onto his shoulder. “I'm with you”, he repeated, this time more strongly.
Finally, he seemed to have convinced Samuel and the sellsword even managed to give him a slight smile in return. “It's good to hear this”, he said, with genuine relief in his voice. “I don't know what we're going to find in there, but I don't think I'll make it without your help”
His hand moved to the knife hidden beneath his sleeve, the one Joshawa allowed him to keep, before he turned to the door. For a moment, he hesitated, before he grabbed the doorknob, pushing it open in a rush, nearly jumping into the room as Jaron struggled to keep up with him. He almost ran into the sellsword, as Samuel stopped, frozen in place, staring into the room.
It was as luxurious as the entire building, with walls painted red and a slightly darker carpet covering the entire floor. Gold adorned the walls and the metal at the large windows. They were open, allowing refreshing air to pour into the room, while several candles provided a cozy atmosphere and warmth. There was a table, holding a plate full of fruit, but the centre of the room was taken by a large bed, worthy of a king.
Two people were lying in it, half-dressed and wide-eyed. The woman was a beauty, hair a shade of gold, with emerald green eyes and seductively soft skin. Not quite undressed yet, her ample chest was exposed, though she had pulled the covers up the moment Samuel rushed into the room.
The man meanwhile was wearing only his pants, his naked chest showing scars and impressive muscles. He was a bit taller than Samuel, broader though undeniably his brother. Though a few years separated them at most, the man's full beard made him look a good ten years older than the sellsword. Other than that, they were the same. Facial features that were unremarkable, perhaps even plain, yet far from ugly, with black hair and deep blue eyes.
Samuel was breathing heavily now, his fists clenched, as he glared at the man in helpless fury. “Ryder”, he gasped, his voice shivering with emotion despite the visible attempt to calm himself. Jaron gulped as he stood next to him and slowly, Ryder realized who was standing there.
“Samuel...”, the man mumbled in disbelief, though this quickly turned to something resembling fear as Samuel pulled the dagger from his sleeve. It wasn't fear for his life, Jaron had seen that one before. No, what he saw in Ryder Harrington's eyes was something else, something that confused him greatly.
“I have come to take your life”, Samuel whispered, his voice stressed. He looked desperate, like a man at the end of a long journey. Anger disfigured his features and on the usually calm, plain mask that was his face, it had a terrifying effect, as rage and fury were embedded on it with nothing to diminish their effects. Jaron had seen rage like this before, though on Harpy's beautiful face, it hadn't looked even nearly as pure as it looked on Samuel's.
“I have come to make you pay”, Samuel now said, his voice getting slightly louder, higher, as he stared at his brother in complete shock, without even blinking. He clearly wasn't the type to cry, though his voice showed that he was holding back tears by now.
“For Father. For Mother. For Anna and Cedrick”, he growled, as he took a step forwards, helplessly pointing the dagger at his brother at the other end of the room. Ryder just stared at his brother, completely dumbfounded, perhaps shocked that the confrontation he had likely expected was finally there. The woman meanwhile showed a purer form of fear.
“Ryder, who is this man?”, she asked, her voice warm like honey, yet stressed, as she moved away from him, to the corner of the bed. Ryder answered without even looking at her. “Donna, this is my brother”, he said. “Samuel...” Now, the hint of tears appeared in his eyes. “Samuel”
His gaze wandered to Jaron, but Samuel's angry growl quickly caused him to snap his attention back to the true danger. “He does not matter”, the sellsword barked. “Neither does your whore. It's only you and me”
Ryder narrowed his eyes. “Donna, please leave us”, he said softly and the woman gave him a concerned look. “He's going to kill you”, she hissed, her melodic voice stained with fear and Ryder shook his head. “He is going to try”, he replied, before he looked back at his brother.
Samuel said nothing, instead he visibly tensed up, clutching the knife tightly, his fingers twitching around the hilt. Ryder sighed, as he gave the woman a kiss on the cheek. “Go now, my flower”, he urge her, as tears formed in her eyes. “Ryder, don't...”, she gasped, as he softly moved a hand through her hair. “Don't be afraid for me”, he assured her.
Though clearly not convinced, Donna only needed to take a look at Samuel, ready for anything, to pull herself together. “If a fight breaks out here...”, she said in a warning tone, as she removed the covers, pulling her dress up before rising from the bed. She approached Samuel, who barely even looked at her, safe for a single, angry glare.
Still, she approached him. “If a fight breaks out here”, she repeated. “You're going to die. There's guards. Think about that” Though he now glared almost solely at her, Donna still continued to come closer. “Don't do that”, she urged him. “Ryder is not a bad man. He's...”
Jaron reacted quickly before Samuel could slap her across the face, catching his arm and giving him a stern, silent glare. He felt uneasy at this entire situation. It wasn't only his doubt about Ryder's guilt, now only reinforced by Donna's plea. It was the feeling that he was a complete stranger in a situation that was so private that he felt at the entirely wrong place. This was between Samuel and Ryder. Yet here he was.
His glare clearing momentarily, Samuel broke free of his grip, lowering his arm again, while Donna gulped in relief. “Leave”, the sellsword barked and she narrowed her eyes. “I'll inform Lanford about this”, she warned him and Samuel shrugged. “They know”, he replied nonchalantly. “They have chosen their side”
Concern flashed over Donna's face and she looked over her shoulder towards Ryder, who had risen from the bed. He gave her a gentle nod, followed by a weary smile. “Don't be afraid for me, my rose”, he told her, before he looked at Samuel again. With a reluctant sigh, she moved aside, quickly rushing out of the room.
“Decent of you to let her go”, Ryder said and Samuel began to breathe faster again. “She means a lot to me. And given your reputation, I doubted you'd spare her. I was afraid for her. Now... now I'm just glad she got out”
“Shut up about your whore”, Samuel mumbled and as he spoke, he looked away from his brother. Jaron however, he focussed closely on Ryder, who in turn gave him a questioning look again. “I thought you'd came alone”, he said and Samuel tensed up. “He is an ally”, he replied. “But he is not the one you should be worried about”
Ryder glanced at Jaron's arm, still damaged from the past fights, as he nodded. “I can see that”, he answered, before he focussed back onto his brother. “Twenty years”, he said. “A long time to hold a grudge” Samuel's breaths became even faster, though he was still holding back and by now, he only looked at the dagger in his hand instead of his brother. “Father. Mother. Anna. Cedrick”, he said. “You murdered them in cold blood and then you ran away like a coward!”
“I ran away”, Ryder confirmed. “And I waited for you. I knew you'd come. You'd get your revenge” He glanced at the table. “If you're strong enough” Samuel gulped and by now, it was clear how much he struggled to keep back. “Why did you kill them?”, he asked.
Though the sellsword did not see the gesture, Jaron noticed how Ryder's expression turned even more dour. “There is a lot you would never understand”, he said. “Yet I chose this path. You live for a purpose, Samuel. It pains me that it comes to this, but after all the lives you have taken to get here, I doubt I can just talk you down. Now we shall see how strong you truly are”
“Samuel!”, Jaron yelled, as he noticed how Ryder looked at the small knife on the table, next to the pile of fruit. It was a simple thing, made of gold and not suite for a fight, yet probably enough to negate any advantage Samuel would get from his weapon. The sellsword pulled himself together, going into the offensive, yet his brother was quick enough to grab the small weapon to defend himself.
Samuel made the first strike, though Ryder dodged quickly, before attempting a counterattack. Having expected this, Samuel grabbed his forearm, pushing him against the table and trying to impale him with the dagger. As expected, he did not succeed at this, as Ryder grabbed his brother's arm, leaving them locked in a struggling position, both preventing the other from attacking, as they tried to break free.
Larger and stronger, Ryder pushed his brother back, as Jaron looked on, unable to even find an opening to intervene. The two brothers moved quickly, with Samuel pulling Ryder back, kicking him against the lower leg in the process. In return Ryder managed to break free from his brother's grip and the soft metal of his knife sliced across Samuel's upper arm.
Roaring with anger now, Samuel threw a punch with his free hand, right into Ryder's face. He hit, though received another cut, as Ryder instinctively raised his blade, the steel entering the skin on Samuel's forearm. A groan of pain came out of the sellsword's throat, whereas Ryder, now bleeding out of his nose, remained silent.
As he raised his knife again, Jaron finally saw an opportunity to intervene. He charged at Ryder, grabbing his arm and heavily pulling it back, applying painful pressure onto the limb for a moment, enough for the man to drop the knife and frown in pain. He let go of Samuel's hand, though gave his brother a heavy punch in the face at the same time.
With Samuel staggering and struggling to remain standing, Ryder turned to Jaron, cold fury in his glare. “This is not your fight”, he barked, as he delivered a punch into his gut, pressing the air out of Jaron's lungs. His eyes widened, as he moaned painfully. Instantly, he let go of Ryder's arm, which the man used to get behind him, grabbing him with one arm around the neck and squeezing heavily, effectively choking him. Jaron gasped for air, as Ryder's arms around his neck choked the life out of him. Blood rushed into his head, as he gagged, struggling against the stronger man, in an attempt to break free.
Finally, Samuel rose from the ground again, still firmly holding his dagger, which he pointed at Ryder. Jaron heard the deep breath the man was taking, as he himself was feeling more and more light-headed the less he was able to breather. With him as a human shield, Samuel was effectively prevented from attacking and despite his fury, he hesitated.
Then however, Jaron used his remaining strength to raise his elbow, slamming it right into Ryder's face. He heard a crunch as he hit the damaged nose, followed by an angry howl. But it also caused the grip around his throat to lessen, enough for him to break free. Taking a deep breath, relief filled Jaron, though it didn't last long, as Ryder grabbed him by the back of the head, yanking him backwards, before slamming him face-first into the wood.
Going to the ground again, Jaron felt blood running down his forehead, clouding his vision, muffling his senses, causing him to see everything in a blur. Next to him, still standing, Ryder spread his arms, while Samuel charged at him. The sellsword was still clinging onto his knife and he used to to strike at his brother.
As expected, Ryder managed to grab the knife and he also parried the punch Samuel threw at him with his free hand. What caught him off guard though was the heavy kick between the legs, which he received without even expecting it.
Jaron's sight cleared just in time to spot Ryder stumbling to the ground, with Samuel on top. The sellsword was still holding his knife and he raised it above his head, before bringing it down onto his brother. Ryder had to use both hands to hold against it, though being stronger, he quickly pushed Samuel away and punched him into the ribs.
Frowning with pain, Samuel was pushed to the side and now, Ryder wasted no time to get on top of him. But just as he prepared to punch his brother, the knife cut upwards, hitting him in the face and slicing through his cheek. Ryder fell into Jaron's direction and their gazes met. For the first time, Jaron noticed surprise on Ryder's face, as one of his hands clutched to the deep cut that had opened his cheek. Then, surprise changed to anger.
The guardsman jumped up, just as his brother did the same. Once again, Samuel attacked, though Ryder grabbed the hand holding the knife at the wrist, kicking his brother against the lower leg, before swiftly pushing the free hand aside to land a heavy blow against the man's face.
It was the sort of punch he put all his strength into. Even Samuel was stunned by this power. Jaron himself, he could have intervened, if not for the dizzy state of confusion his head wound had left him in. He was barely able to process the fact that Ryder threw another punch at his brother, then another, then another, all the while screaming in rage.
Samuel sank against the bed, having long since dropped the knife, as Ryder finally stopped. His body moved to the side, revealing the bruised face of Samuel Harrington, his head hanging low in both, pain and defeat. It was there that Jaron's gaze fell upon the knife, Ryder's knife, the small golden one, which he had dropped in the early stages of their fight. Without even thinking twice, his hand extended, reaching for the weapon...
And all of a sudden, the door got kicked open. In the doorframe stood none other than Farris Flowers, sword in hand, a dozen men behind him. He had held his word after all. The anger on the guard captain's face faded as he noticed the scenery. A relieved smile formed on his face, as he and half of his men entered the room. Behind them, Jaron spotted Lanford, a grim look on his face.
A grin formed on Ryder's bloodied face, as he let go of his brother. By now, Jaron saw tears streaming down Samuel's face, freely and without holding back. He didn't look like the famed Fang of Shadows, the most dreaded blade in Oldtown. Right now, he seemed like a grieving man, a man who had been deprived of his sole purpose. A man who had lost.
“Took you long enough”, Ryder said, as he weakly patted Farris onto the shoulder. The captain's smile turned into a grin. “You should get someone looking at that cut”, he replied. “But I'm glad you have the situation under control. He put up a fight?”
This time, Ryder shook his head. “Barely”, he lied and Jaron felt anger rising inside him. “Oh, well, he tried, that he did, but it wasn't much. It wasn't enough” His wounds proved him wrong and he almost sank into his friends arms. “Is Donna okay?”, he asked and Farris rolled his eyes. “She's fine, gods damn it”, the man barked in return. “So, what now?”
Jaron sighed, as a new wave of pain flashed through his aching head. He... needed rest. Yet at the same time, he was afraid of what would happen if he would lose consciousness here. The city guard... the image that kept repeating in his head was about Mullendore and his corrupt guardsmen in Tanner's Alley. These men, were they truly any different? His gaze fell upon Samuel, who weakly looked at him, before slightly shaking his bruised head.
“This one's alright”, Lanford intervened, pointing at Jaron. “Kid's been through enough. He had no idea what he'd get himself into here” Weakly, Jaron managed to raise his eyebrows in surprise, though Ryder merely glared at him. “He did try to fight. He tried to help my brother in killing me”
“Aye, but he failed”, Lanford argued. “We have tolerated your men in here, have tolerated you and your liking to Donna. We'll continue to do so, but you leave that one to us, to me” He extended his hand and with a sigh, Ryder shook it. “And Samuel?”, Farris asked.
A slight smirk appeared on Ryder's face, though it held no happiness, or even just triumph. He approached his defeated brother again. “Take him into custody”, he ordered. “For a month. Treat him well during this time. Then release him, give him back his belongings and let him go”
Farris' eyes widened. “He tried to kill you!”, he barked and Ryder gave him a nod. “And I won't press any charges”, he answered, as he knelt down next to Samuel. “As it turns out, my little brother is far away from being any threat to me”
Weakly, Samuel tried to throw another punch at the man, yet Ryder caught the fist without any effort. After any resistance had left the sellsword's body again, he let go of the hand an it sank to the ground. “You have put up a fight, but you haven't given enough”, Ryder said. “For twenty years in the making, this I very disappointing”
“I'm going... to kill you”, Samuel managed to gasp and Ryder shook his head. “This is all you care for”, he growled. “No answers, no talk, just senseless violence and death. You proved this for all to see, Fang of Shadows” He rose from the ground, as he sighed. “You will be brought into custody and I will leave Oldtown. This time, I'll head east. Come find me when you feel ready and then, you shall get the fight you so desperately yearn for. Just don't expect a different outcome” He turned around, giving Farris a nod. “Take him”, he ordered, before he threw one last look at his brother. “I see you in twenty years”
As the guards approached Samuel, the sellsword began to breathe heavily. “Why did you kill them?”, he yelled. “Ryder, why? WHY?” But Ryder had already gone, without giving an answer. Two guards grabbed Samuel, who was too wounded to fight back, as they dragged him out of the room. Farris and the rest of the men followed, while Jaron, tired, dizzy, bleeding and feeling generally numb, was left behind. Together with Lanford.
“So, boy”, the older man said, as he crouched down next to Jaron. “You're feeling okay?” Weakly, Jaron managed to shake his head and Lanford smirked. “Roughed you up pretty badly, huh?”, he chuckled. “You probably want to know why I saved you from these people”
After Jaron nodded, Lanford sank to the ground sitting next to him now. “Partially, it's for Harpy's sake”, he admitted. “I have always respected that woman. But I also want to make you an offer” Jaron raised an eyebrow. “An offer?”, he asked and Lanford nodded. “Aye”, he confirmed. “I'm not Butterfly. I give you a choice”
“What is it?”, Jaron uttered. “I'm going to be frank about it, I want you and Harpy gone from this city”, Lanford replied in an instant. “You're nothing but trouble in the Oldtown to come, the Oldtown Hishi envisions. Finish your business here, then move on. Never come back”
His bluntness caught Jaron by surprise. “And if I refuse?”, he asked. This time, Lanford smiled. “You can stay as long as you want”, he revealed. “But think about it. The Burned Man is dead. The Solvers are headless, but still powerful. New groups will fight for control over this city. And don't expect me or Hishi to protect you. There is no place for you in the Oldtown of tomorrow. If you remain here, I can't guarantee for anything” He shrugged. “As said, your choice. Stay here, try to rebuild what was lost at your own peril. Or leave, never return and start anew. You gotta live with the consequences”
[Accept Lanford's offer] [Refuse Lanford's offer]
[Accept Lanford's offer] I suppose this is a acceptable course of action, a gang war, if you think about it, is brewing in Oldtown, and while we need eyes on the situation, its not worthy to risk his life in this fight between Hishi and Mullendore, especially now that he's away.
And there's the impending Targaryen threat, while the only major battle of The Conquest at the region was north of Highgarden, I wouldn't be surprised if refugees from other parts of The Reach flocked to Oldtown, which will only complicate things even more.
Is Garthon's storyline already over? because I want to know which are Mullendore's and Harren's plans.
How many parts until we finally meet the Kings?
[Refuse Lanford's offer]
Wow, what a great part! I was on edge the whole fight between Samuel and his brother, I was loudly cheering for him while reading... A shame he couldn't at least defeat Ryder.
As for the choice, I'm going with [Accept Lanford's offer], there's nothing left for them in Oldtown, best thing they can do is try to get a new start in a place where there's less enemies... though I'm pretty sure Harpy won't like this.
[Accept Lanford's offer] Just grab Harpy and leave this shithole already!
[Accept Lanford's offer] Well,since we know that Abbas and Bakr have enslaved Harpy (together with Janae and Behara) there is no reason for Jaron to remain at Oldtown;he has to rescue his girlfriend from unknown (for him) kidnappers!
RT:
[Refuse Lanford's offer]
I like Jaron in Oldtown, he's always been in Oldtown and he shall stay in Oldtown. And besides, Jaron's gotta wait for Samuel to get out of prison.
You bring up a good point there! As the largest city in Westeros at the time, Oldtown is only natural to attract refugees from all over the Kingdom once the war comes closer. Given that it is already crowded and filled with desperate people, these things will make the situation even more explosive.
I'm afraid yes, he only has one part in this chapter. And for now, this will be all about Mullendore's and Harren's plans, as Mullendore won't reveal the details to a mere footsoldier. However, Harren's interlude could give you more answers and of course, there will be Book 2 to give you a full overview of what they plan and how they want to achieve it. Be assured, this is something I wish to reveal in its entirety before Book 2 ends.
Currently, I have planned for seven more PoV's to have parts in this chapter, but since some of them won't have much to do anymore, I'll probably be able to put two PoV's into a single part. I'd say the total amount of parts left in Book 1, until the Interlude, is probably around 5, maybe 4. The PoV's who will have parts left in this chapter are Sadie, Jenna, Samantha, Richard, John, Arthur and Lucas. There will also be an epilogue before the Interlude, but it might already give you a glimpse of what you wish for
All in all, I hope to start and likely finish the interlude in July. Not requiring any votes (because the Interlude won't have any choices) will make it easier for me to push out the parts faster, probably every two days if I truly have the time to write that quickly.
I am glad to hear you liked it! Originally, it was planned to end slightly differently and I was not sure if this version of the fight would live up to the expectations, but it's nice to hear that you enjoyed it so much. And that people cheer for Samuel now, that as well, given that he started as anything but a sympathetic character
Well... Harpy might have more urgent problems than that. Actually, she might have left Oldtown already, if not entirely by her choice. In Janae's latest part (and only in this chapter), Abbas knocked her out and took her with him, with plans to sell her back to the man she and the Burned Man escaped from over a decade ago, a Great Master named Razdal zo Yunzak. This is going to be a very important part of Book 2. Though aside from that, Harpy would actually prefer to leave Oldtown and would have loved to do so years ago. It was only the Burned Man's stubbornness and her loyalty and love for him that kept her there.
Ah, don't you worry, Good Guy Abbas is way ahead of you when it comes to that
That is true and it is likely that once Jaron figures out she has been taken out of the city, he is going to leave in either way. This choice however will majorly determine his opinion on Oldtown in general, if a return would be possible for him and things like that. Though for the time being, figuring out what happened to Harpy is going to be a lot of work and it won't drive him out of the city immediately. He knows Abbas and Bakr and should he find out that they have been responsible for this, he likely knows where to head as well.
Very good, I am happy to hear this! The revenge plot between the Harrington brothers is not over yet and I wasn't sure if this relatively open end for Book 1 would be satisfying, but be assured, I plan to bring it to a conclusion in the future. For now, I am really glad I managed to write an enjoyable part regardless of the conclusion
I can confirm, you will learn it eventually. One reason for me to not end this subplot in Book 1 is because I had no way to show Ryder's side of the story. You know little about him, aside from his murderous past, his seemingly decent present, his fondness for Donna and him being so good in hand-to-hand combat that he managed to take down Samuel (whose specialty, to be fair, is swordplay). Book 2 will change this, as Ryder will have some major interaction with a PoV character and should get a chance to reveal his reasons and motivations.
Aye, Ryder has said it, Samuel lives for a purpose. If he truly wanted him dead, he could have done so twenty years ago. Now, he is probably anticipating a real fight between them, maybe even as equals. Though to not make it too easy for him, he will leave Oldtown and move on. It won't be easy for him to leave his life there behind, but he is driven by a specific goal and it includes giving Samuel a chance to catch up to him.
Jaron is probably going to have my favourite introduction of all the PoV's in the next chapter. There will be a small timeskip of two months for every PoV save Edrick (who already had his during his journey from the Frostborn lands to the Green Fork) and Jaron... well, he won't exactly be in a happy place next time we see him. Of course he will have investigated this already during this timeskip, but things won't be all that easy, as his next part will surely reveal.
Ah, you know she is
Donna is, as you can expect, one of the characters whom I will expand on in the next book, where I hope to show more of the Thousand Shades of Flowers in general.
He is indeed a lucky man, as he is one of the best candidates for that promotion left in the city. With Mullendore gone and his right hand man at the guard just having quitted the position, Farris might have to step up. He's probably not quite happy about this though, he's the kind of the guy who prefers to be a mid-ranking officer instead of a leader.
Hishi has high ambitions, that I can reveal. Naturally, these plans are quite mysteriou for now, but I will develop and reveal them more in Book 2. And you are right, with Mullendore and the Burned Man out of the way, new factions will rise to power. People who have been too afraid to get into crime out of fear for Butterfly, people who worked for Butterfly or the Burned Man, ambitious newcomers who expand their business into Oldtown and naturally, Lord Hightower himself, who might get a chance to regain control over Oldtown.
Well, in that case I am afraid that keeping Jaron in Oldtown forever is unlikely. He loves Harpy and once he finds out that she is no longer in the city, going after her is going to be his primary desire, even if this sounds easier than it truly will be. However, he and Samuel might indeed be able to work together some more. They have both reason to travel to Essos after all, even if their goals and journeys might not align entirely. However, this choice will play a role in how Jaron sees Oldtown and his time there in general. Should he survive his journey (again, choices), a return to Oldtown could be up on the table.
Oh man, this was a very emotional part. Not so much for Jaron, but for Samuel. We've seen him mostly as this calm and pragmatic badass so far in the story, but this part truly showed another side of him. And I could feel his disappointment when Ryder beat him and left without even giving any answers. It would probably be better for Samuel's own sake if he gave up on trying to kill his brother, but I doubt that's going to happen.
[Accept Lanford's offer] Yes, I want Jaron out of Oldtown!
Don't get me wrong, his storyline there has been awesome, but I feel like at this point he is pushing his luck if he stays there. And we of course know that Harpy has been captured by Abbas and Bakr, so it's unlikely he'd want to stay anyway.
Ah, yes, this was very much Samuel's part here. Well, this entire chapter mainly served to wrap up his revenge story at least here in Oldtown. Jaron's next chapter should put the focus back onto him and his feelings though. For now, this was the first time Samuel was truly emotional. Even his flirting with Raenna was relatively calm, though it can be guessed that he merely kept his emotions in line during their interactions. With Ryder, he truly and utterly lost his cool and this was also a big reason why he was beaten so thoroughly. You are also right, it would be a lot better for him to give up on his revenge, but after twenty years of having this goal, he has a truly unhealthy obsession with it and he is always in danger of being consumed by this vengeance. The severe disappointment of having lost and not even gotten any answer made it only worse.
Hehe, I knew you'd be happy for a choice to get him out of there. I very much enjoyed writing Jaron in Oldtown, but at this point, the city has gotten more dangerous than ever, with the few forces who kept the violence in line being gone. Naturally, Harpy being taken by Abbas and Bakr is a major plot point for him. His main goal will be to find her and it is likely that he will quickly find out that she has been taken out of the city. Once he learns about that, staying in Oldtown would be a very unlikley thing for him to do.
[Accept Lanford's offer]
[Accept Lanford's offer]
[Refuse Lanford's offer] Nah. He's goin' to leave soon anyway, I know. But I'm sure Jaron had the time of his life during his Oldtown-time.
Also, this from your answer to The_Not_Chosen_One:
Cannot wait for my man to join.
[Accept Lanford's offer]
[Accept Lanford's offer] Did Jaron not promise the Burned Man he would leave Oldtown with Harpy? Bloody get to it! There's nothing here for you!
Samuel's situation sucks. No revenge and no answers. I have to think that the most painful thing about this for him is that he doesn't understand why Ryder killed their family. Honestly I just want Samuel and Raenna to reunite. Though they were only together a short time, I really enjoyed their relationship.
It's actually been a while since we saw Raenna and I don't quite remember her situation. Could you remind me, Liquid?
Indeed he promised this, you remember correctly. Of course, the general situation has changed since then, but this can very much be taken as a reason for him to choose this. If it wins, and it almost certainly will at this point, then he is likely going to be motivated by his earlier promise as well.
Aye, this is indeed a terrible situation for him. He got no answers, no revenge and even had to face the fact that despite all the training and all the bad things he did, he is still not good enough to defeat Ryder. This little taunt at the very end made things only worse. Coping with this is going to be a lot of work. When it comes to Samuel and Raenna, I cannot say much that wouldn't be a spoiler in some capacity. The only thing I can say is, I enjoyed writing them as well and I have written them for a reason. There has been a spark between them, but for now, both will travel into different directions, with Raenna heading north and Samuel's journey leading him east. Patience will be required there, as it is unlikely they will unite in the near future.
Of course I can
She was the first PoV to have her storyline ended in this chapter, so it's only natural that some details might be a bit blurry by now. However, this new situation she is in will be very important to her storyline in Book 2. You probably remember that she got into a fight with Alysanne in the lighthouse, resulting in her being pushed down the tower and presumed dead. However, she survived thanks to Brandon Snow, the sellsword she had freed in Chapter 6, below the Hightower. He took her and Kersea's sister Briar out of the city, assuming Kersea, Ando and Ellena dead. Once Raenna woke up, she noticed that they were on a carriage and Brandon eventually revealed his secret to her. He is not just some random bastard, but the half-brother of King Torrhen Stark, the King in the North. He is also not a sellsword, but basically a secret agent in service of his brother. He and his men, including Ando, were sent south, to Oldtown, after they learned of Butterfly's habit to test the loyalty of his assassins by ordering them to take out random families in the North, at the other end of Westeros. Such a thing happened to Kersea and also to Samantha, to give you some additional info. To stop this, Brandon and co. travelled to Oldtown, where they posed as sellswords. They began to work with Mullendore, not knowing of his secret and eventually, they were imprisoned by him, once he realized that they hunt for Butterfly. By the time Raenna found them in Chapter 6, only he and Ando were still alive. Anyway, back to the present day, since she saved his life, he saved hers as well and he took her and Briar away from Mullendore. Currently, the three are headed north, to Winterfell, where Brandon intends to introduce Raenna to his half-brother, so that she might be able to put her unique talents to use in service of the king. He himself described this as a way for her to do something good with the skills she was taught, which is a possibility that Raenna was quite intrigued by.
The Voting is closed!
Jaron is going to accept Lanford's offer
I kind of expected this choice to win
At the same time, one thing I can already say, this won't affect Jaron's immediate future. His next goal is going to be finding Harpy. Of course, this is going to be a majorly difficult goal and nothing to be done in a chapter or two. Depending on your choices and Jaron's survival, it might very well play a part in his future though. For now, this was more a character building choice, but nonetheless one I saw as fitting to end his Book 1 storyline with. Jaron has underwent some development in the past chapters as you've undoubtedly noticed and this development is not at its end yet 
The next part is hopefully going to be out today. I cannot promise it for sure, I'm afraid, mostly because I just returned home after spending the afternoon with my mother again. Good news on that end, she might get transferred to a hospital very close to home in the near future, meaning spending some time with her won't require hours of driving anymore. Anyways, I'll try my very best to finish this next part today, as a lot is written already. This next part will conclude Sadie's storyline for Book 1. In general, not many parts are left and I hope I'll be able to finish Book 1 in the very early July. I hope you are as excited as I am
So, last time we saw Sadie wasn't too long ago to be honest. On the urge of her healer, Wylie, she decided to leave her room and meet with Leo, who has offered help in getting her sister back from the sleazy innkeeper/panderer Gyles Gomblinger. She found him together with his cousin Tythan, Gyles, two of his officers (Edward and Rhogarn) and a familiar face (or two), in form of Walder Waters, also known as Two-Face, the disfigured captain of the guard of Castamere. To everyone's massive surprise, it turned out Two-Face is kind of a dick, when he began to mock Sadie for her missing hand, something that unsurprisingly affected her heavily. To shut him up, she contemplated just punching him, though you decided against it. Given her generally light-headed feeling due to the recent loss of a lot of blood, this was probably not a bad choice. Anyways, her next part will start right where the last one ended.
I have returned with the full recovery! Sorry about that. I had to undergo emergency surgery due to an 'accident' which broke my nose and made it in such a way where I couldn't breath anymore. After the surgery, I had silicon shoved up my nostrils which still blocked my breathing, but it was necessary to keep my bones in place. It lasted for a week and it was extremely annoying, since I had to rely on my mouth to breath everywhere. But just yesterday I managed to remove the silicon and I can breath much better. I caught up with everything and I can't wait to give my thoughts.
This part was honestly very depressing but I still loved it. This is the first time in the story where Samuel has lost a fight and after twenty years of hard work, he couldn't get anything he hoped for. No answers or explanations. Samuel had plenty of advantages, he had back up, he was prepared but his emotions got the better of him and left himself open for plenty of attacks. Ryder didn't even kill him, he absolutely humiliated Samuel in every way and he still pushed him away, effectively telling him he's not even worth killing .
Although, I did think Samuel was going to kill Donna. You know Ryder killed everyone Samuel cared about, so I thought Samuel would kill the one person who Ryder cares about. He didn't thankfully, it shows how Samuel progressed as a character to prove he isn't a sociopath and takes no joy in senseless acts. Even with Samuel's dirty tactics in fighting he still came up short against Ryder, because they are both that good. I half expected Samuel to just stand back up and have one final rush against Ryder before getting knocked down again, since Samuel isn't the type to quit or let go.
Its absolutely amazing how the fight played out without any swords, Ryder didn't even have armour on. I really am wondering what he hopes to achieve and his true goals at Essos. Samuel won't rest until he kills him, that's for sure. There is no one that can talk him down from this one, especially after that fight. However, Ryder is at a disadvantage since Samuel pretty much roamed everywhere at least once, picking up massive experience. It almost feels like Ryder is luring in Samuel onto a trap and I can't wait to see his true motives. I was thinking maybe they will resolve this back at the North, to finish it where it all began but it is fair that we are taking the arc to somewhere new.
[Accept Lanford's offer] I don't really get the meaning of this choice. Will Lanford assist Jaron in the escape out of Oldtown? If it is, it is awfully nice of him. And hell, won't Erik be opposed to this because he hasn't gotten paid? I mean Jaron is pretty much on the road to rescue Harpy as soon as he hears of her capture, but does this choice affect how fast or how he rescues her? I really don't get it. One thing I do know, that he needs to get the help from Samuel on this one. Their goals kind of align and they are going the same place, and they haven't ended their relationship on bad terms, so I'm hoping for a partnership to perhaps deepen their friendship. As for Farris, he sure does keep his word, he might be going for Mullendore's position since his best friend just vacated his post. Farris did seem cool about Ryder leaving, which was kind of awkward.
My only criticism though is this: Is Samuel seriously just gonna bounce out of prison in a month? I mean, this is Samuel Fucking Harrington, the Fang of Shadows, the most dreaded blade in Oldtown and the most wanted mercenary in the country. I thought he would stand trail for every crime he has committed in front of the people. He would have contacts so he can bust out or escape or something like that. But how does Ryder decide he just keeps in the most dangerous man in the city and just lets him go? I don't think that's how it works, to me it feels like a plot hole.
None the less, I loved this part in every way. The fight, the confrontation, the build up, the conclusion I loved it all! I can not wait for Book 2 to explore the possibilities of how this revenge arc plays out! Best of luck dear friend, and thank you so much for all of this, its amazing!
Sadie
Though anger was boiling in her veins, Sadie forced herself to remain calm. As calm as possible at least. Even then, she couldn't contain a vicious glare into the direction of the disfigured man. The stump was thumping with pain, as if it reflected the anger she felt and without her being able to control it, tears shot into her eyes.
Two-Face noticed this, as he raised an eyebrow, his lips forming a slight smirk, its condescending nature worse than anything he could have said. Gyles however did not remain silent. Having noticed how distraught she was at Two-Face's words, he leant onto the table, closer towards her, while uncomfortable silence engulfed the table.
“Oh, what is it?”, the fat man spat. “Did he hurt your cripple feelings?” Still trying to hold back, Sadie clenched her fist as she looked at him, her eyes widely opened. By now, she wasn't sure if anger was the predominant emotion she felt. Gyles' ugly face formed a crooked, malicious smile. “Heh, that's funny. I remember you being so smug when you broke into Mother's room. Guess you won't break into any rooms ever again. Or do much with your ruined life”
It was in this moment that Leo's hand moved forwards. Grabbing Gyles by the collar, he slammed the fat innkeeper's face onto the table, before yanking him across it, face first, all in the process of a single second. Gyles fell to the ground right next to Sadie, moaning in pain and holding his bloodied face.
Sadie didn't feel satisfaction, even though she probably should have. Their words have been too fresh for that. Everything has been too fresh for that and even seeing that smile wiped off Gyles' face didn't help. All she knew was that he was right.
“I hope that settles it”, Leo growled in cold anger. “Anyone else wants to say something? Tythan?” Tythan raised an eyebrow. “Cousin, is that really nece...”, he began, though Leo cut him off. “Nothing? Good!”, he barked. “Two-Face, if I ever catch you insulting her again, you'll get it worse than Gyles just did”
Behind Sadie, who was staring from Leo to the wounded Gyles, who was still moaning with pain, Two-Face chuckled. “Was that an insult?”, he asked and Sadie turned to him, tears in her eyes. He grinned. “I can see it in your eyes, crippled girl”, he hissed. “There's a lot of anger behind the sadness. You want to punch me straight in the face. That'd be fair” Still grinning, he presented it, first turning the disfigured side towards her, then the normal one. “You could even choose one”
However, Sadie forced herself to shake her head, though she had to bite down onto her lower lip in the process. “I'm used to be called a freak”, he growled. “If I'd react like a fucking pansy anytime I hear something, I would have thrown myself at my own blade long ago” He glanced at the bandaged stump where her hand used to be and Sadie felt uncomfortable by his stare. “The fat man is right, you know. The sooner you accept that and stop being bothered by it, the better, crippled girl”
“Sadie”, Sadie hissed, now taking irregular breaths, as she focussed onto onto the red lion on his tabard, not looking him into the disfigured face. “My name is Sadie” Two-Face's chest raised as he chuckled. “Crippled girl”, he replied calmly. “If you want to be anything else to me, you better give me a reason. As long as you'll act like a weak fucking cripple the world is going to treat you like one. Until then, men like me will make fun of you and men like him, they'll take it a bit too far”
Gyles' moans, now getting louder, caused the man to stop talking, as Sadie turned away from him, thankful for the distraction. Seven, she shouldn't have come here. She wasn't ready and she knew it now. Wylie's soothing presence was not enough to calm her. Neither was the support Leo had just given her. It was nothing. She was nothing.
“What the fuck, Leo!”, Gyles managed to utter, glaring at the sellsword leader, who towered above him. “Have you forgotten who fucking pays you, you ingrate bastard? You Lannister's are all the same!” Leo replied by coldly kicking the man against the chest, forcing him back onto the ground, gasping for air and shutting him up again.
“Gyles”, Leo growled, as he knelt down next to the man and his voice was as calm as it was threatening. Even in her current state of mind, Sadie was glad Leo wasn't talking to her right now. “You know me as a man of peace”, he continued. “But I will absolutely end you if you ever call me a Lannister again” He glanced at Sadie. “Now apologize to the lady”
Despite his pain and fear, Gyles' face formed a look of surprise and slight defiance. “You damn... I'll absolutely not...!”, he began to protest. Any sign of resistance left him the moment Leo merely picked him up with one hand. He pushed him towards Sadie, who was still tensed up and not moving.
Gyles clenched his fists. He looked at her, blood flowing down his smashed nose, as his glance moved to the stump of her right arm. This time, he did not smile. “I... would like to apologize”, he stuttered, his words as fake as his calm demeanour. She could see his anger, but also his fear of the massive sellsword just next to him. Leo rolled his eyes, though he patted Gyles on the back, a gesture that caused the other man to gulp.
“Good”, Leo complimented him. “Now learn your lesson. And Two-Face...” The disfigured man grinned at being addressed. “Don't think you're able to toss me around like that fat coward”, he replied and Leo raised an eyebrow. “Don't be so sure of it, old friend”, he replied.
Two-Face sighed. “Well, the girl knows what I meant”, he growled and Sadie closed her eyes as once again, he was the centre of the attention. Right now, there was nothing she wanted to do more than to curl up somewhere and be left alone, without anyone staring at her. She couldn't decide what was worse, their mockery or their pity. Thought here might be one thing she wanted right now.
“My sister”, she whispered meekly, as she gave Leo a pleading look. “I want to see her” Leo's satisfied look faded and the one he gave her instead left a sour taste in her mouth. It wasn't quite pity. Guilt? Sadie felt her breath to go faster. Just what happened to Melanie? Finally, he pulled himself together and gave her a nod. “Aye”, he agreed. “You have waited long enough. Just follow me”
As he said this, Tythan Lannister cleared his throat. “Cousin, this is important”, he urged him and Leo sent him a glare, so hateful that Sadie instinctively took a step away from him. “Why don't you go and eat shit, Tythan”, he barked. “If I ask for your opinion, you'll know it. Until then, be lucky I allow you to be here”
Without flinching, the Lannister knight reciprocated Leo's glare, if somewhat less hateful. “We have a common goal”, he said and Leo raised an eyebrow. “Would be a first”, he replied. Now, Tythan sighed. “It's about the people of Maybros. Surely this topic is more important than that woman's sister. At least some of us think that way”
With this, he caught Leo off guard and the hateful glare got even worse. “Don't you dare presenting yourself as a champion of the people”, Leo growled in a low tone. “I've been working my ass off, for you, for your fucking house and now for these people. After your kind fucked them over, you won't get to champion them. You won't take that from me, Lannister”
He looked at Edward, who saluted instantly. “Edward will lead the negotiations in my stead. Rhogarn, you will come with us”, he ordered, before he looked at Gyles, in the same way one would look at a mangy rat. “And you will lead the way” Finally, he turned his attention to Wylie, whom he gave a respectful nod. “Master Wylie, will you accompany us?”
Sadie's nervousness grew only stronger as the old man nodded in return. “That might be better”, he agreed and she gulped. Why was Wylie's presence necessary? Before she was able to voice this concern, the group started to move, leaving Two-Face, Edward and Tythan behind.
Still feeling light-headed, Sadie was quickly thankful for Wylie's presence, when he grabbed her good arm, supporting her, while simultaneously supporting himself with his staff. Meanwhile, Leo was walking in front of her. Rhogarn Snow meanwhile was directly behind Gyles, who led them.
“My mother is still agitated by your little trick before the battle”, Gyles said, as he led them through the taproom and into the deeper parts of the Golden Gyles. He glared over his shoulder, his gaze finding Sadie between Leo and Rhogarn. “I'm talking to you”
Sadie sighed, though feeling dizzy, she was in no mood to argue or even just listen to him. “My apologies to your mother”, she mumbled. “I didn't mean to scare her” Gyles narrowed his eyes, though Leo quickly turned around to her. “Wait a little with the apologies”, he told her. “I don't think you have to”
Now, she gave him an alarmed look. “Why?”, she asked sharply. “Could somebody please tell me what happened?” By now, she would have sank to the ground if not for Wylie. Her legs felt weak, tired and aching already, her head was thumping and all of this was only a fragment of the pain the wound still caused her and the dread she only barely managed to ignore.
Leo sighed. “It's... not all that easy”, he replied. “Your sister is alive, but... you have to see her. I don't think I can explain it” He became silent again, but instead, Gyles chuckled slightly. “We're there”, he said, as he turned into another hallway.
Sadie spotted a large door at the end of it, probably the largest in the entire building, as well as the heaviest. There were no other doors to the side, so Sadie fully focussed onto the intimating one she was heading to. And to the equally intimidating man in front of it. At least she was sure this... thing was a man. At least as tall as Leo, it was a twisted figure, standing hunched and with one shoulder notably higher than the other. Its facial features were hidden beneath a sack, with only dull, blue eyes visible.
The grin on Gyles' face returned, as he approached the figure. “William!”, he said and the person, now almost certainly a man, stood straight. Leo sighed. “William Gering”, he mumbled. “He guards the girls, a task Gyles never trusted any of my men with”
Sadie gulped as the man's gaze fell upon her. It was emotionless, but not of a cold way. This man was confused, as if he barely understood a thing of what happened around him. “Why is he wearing the sack?”, she asked, before she frowned. “Do I want to know?”
Leo shrugged. “Never saw him without it”, he revealed. “I think he's Gyles' pet or something like that” Gyles glared at him. “My cousin”, he answered. “And my most trusted guard. Not the kind that beats me bloody”
“Figures”, Leo replied, as they stopped in front of the hooded man, who gave them a clouded look. Gyles grinned at him, though it was a malicious one. “William!”, he barked. “Open the door. These people are friends, they want to see one of the girls”
At the sound of the innkeeper's booming voice, William cowered for a moment. Then, he nodded silently, hurrying to the door, which he opened with a large key from his belt. Gyles glared at him the entire time, not grinning when the hooded man wasn't looking at him. In this moment, he reminded Sadie of a little boy who was toying with a dying insect.
A sudden pain flared up in her head and instinctively, she moved the bandaged right arm to her forehead, cringing at the even stronger pain as she touched the wound where her hand used to be. Staggering backwards, Rhogarn put a hand onto her shoulder to stop her from falling. “Are you sure you want to do this?”, he asked.
His words made it only worse. “I have to know what happened”, she hissed and pointed at Gyles. “If anything happened to Melanie...”, she spat and the innkeeper shrugged. “Define happened”, he chuckled, before he looked at Leo. “Do I have your word that you'll prevent her from killing me?”
Without missing a beat, Leo shook his head. “If she's going to kill you, it's because you had it coming”, he growled. “But let her be the judge of that” He attempted to head into the part of the building Gyles' servant had just opened, when Sadie grabbed his upper arm. She noticed how tensed up he was and more than anything, this was what worried her. What could possibly concern him this much? This was the same man that didn't even flinch to take on that beast, that monster that killed Dan, that...
Tears shot into her eyes and she let go of the sellsword again. Softly, Wylie put a hand onto her shoulder. “We are ready whenever you are”, he mumbled and his calm, soothing voice was enough for her to pull herself together. “Show me”, she ordered towards Gyles and to her surprise, the man followed without a question or snide remark.
As soon as she entered this part of the building, she noticed the strange smell. It was sweet, almost sickly so, yet sharp at the same time, a smell pleasant and abhorrent at the same time. It lay above everything else and burned in her eyes, yet she also noticed slight scents of human waste, of despair and grief.
There were several closed doors to each side of the hallway and Gyles quickly headed toward one of them. With a grin, he knocked at the door. There was no answer and after a second, he merely opened it, revealing a small room behind. The smell grew stronger, as Sadie's eyes adjusted to the dim light behind. It was a poor room, containing merely a bed, a tiny chest and a chair. And a woman. A shocked gasp came out of Sadie's throat.
It was no wonder that nobody in this building had recognized Sadie so far. Last time she had seen Melanie, her sister had looked younger than she truly was, yet both still looked somewhat alike. Though only four years separated them, Melanie had looked way younger. Now, she could pass for Sadie's older sister. She had gotten thin, gaunt even. Her brown hair was a mess, her skin pale and the eyes lying deep in their holes, staring aimlessly and though Sadie was standing right there, the first person Melanie looked at was Gyles.
“Hello, Melanie”, Gyles greeted her. She did not reply. Instead, she tilted her head sideways, staring at his hand, which had moved into his pocket. Her breaths became faster, before all of a sudden, she noticed her big sister, who had taken a hesitant step towards her.
“Sadie...?”, she gasped and in this moment, Sadie lost control over herself. Not minding the aching wound and taking away even the most basic care, she rushed to her sister, throwing her arms around her, a gesture Melanie reciprocated, if slowly.
Pain flared up in her right arm, but that was not the cause of the tears that shot into her eyes and she ignored it. Sobbing, she buried her head in her younger sister's shoulder. For just a second, nothing else mattered. The pain, the loss, the feeling of dread that hit her whenever she thought of her future, it was gone. The blame, the guilt, the regret, she ignored it.
It was a second that was gone too soon and when these feelings returned, they came back with a vengeance, when Melanie separated from her again. Staring at her in disbelief, her sister seemed more confused than happy at her presence. “Sadie what are you doing here?”, she asked, as she heavily reached for her sister's right forearm. A brief, involuntary groan of pain came out of Sadie's throat and it was then that Melanie threw a look down at her.
“What... oh gods...”, she gasped, her eyes widened. “What...” She let go of Sadie, who clenched her teeth as the worst pain she had felt since she woke up burned through her entire right side. Through a veil of tears, she noticed that her sister turned to Gyles instead. “What took you so long?”, she asked, in an accusing tone. Her voice was paced quicker than Sadie remembered and it was also notably thinner. “Gyles, you wanted to be here two days ago. My rations... I have nothing left, I...”
Gyles raised his hands to calm her down. “Easy, my dear”, he spoke. “There have been some problems in the city lately. Nothing you should worry your pretty head about. I'm here now. So is your sister, but most importantly, so is your ration” And for the first time since she had seen her again, a wide smile flashed across Melanie's face, one that made her look only more tired.
Through the pain that prevented almost any rational thought, Sadie noticed how Gyles' hand moved into the inner pocket of his coat, as a terrible realization dawned upon her. What happened to Melanie, it was likely equally horrible than what happened to herself. This was not the sister she had lost.
“Rhogarn”, Leo growled and instantly, the Northerner was there, pushing Gyles against the wall, one hand on his, slowly removing it from the pocket. In it was not a weapon, but a small bag. Melanie was barely looking at her sister, her gaze was fixed on exactly this bag.
“What have you done...?”, Sadie mumbled, as she staggered back to her feet, dragging herself between Melanie and Gyles. Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed that her sister's smile faded. Gyles however, he grinned at her, a petty, triumphant grin.
“It's a mixture of foreign herbs and spices. Poppy is involved as well”, Leo explained behind her and Gyles nodded. “There are several ways to inject it, but they all cause the same, more or less. The body and mind relax. Carnal desires are aroused. You last longer”, the innkeeper continued. “But most importantly, it leaves you craving for more and more, until it is all you can think about”
“This is how he keeps them obedient”, Rhogarn mumbled, as Sadie finally realized what this monster did to her sister. “She's addicted”, she concluded and Gyles nodded. “Heavily so”, he explained, as Sadie stumbled into his direction.
For a second, her feet gave in beneath her and she fell into Rhogarn, who caught her gently. As she leant against him, her remaining hand found the hilt of his dagger, though before she was able to pull it, he had grabbed her wrist, as a growl, angry, desperate, tired and in utter agony left her throat. She was staring at Gyles with shock, speechless about this wicked trick. For a moment, there was only murder on her mind.
With a grin, Gyles put the bag into his pocket and behind her, Sadie noticed Melanie's sharp gasp. “Melly, wait outside”, Gyles ordered. “Go to the old man while me and your sister have a talk” Almost instantly, the girl jumped up, rushing out of the room, eager to follow his order.
“Now...”, Gyles said, as Rhogarn gave Sadie a concerned look, as she struggled to escape his strong grip, struggled to stay conscious. “As I was saying, your sister is an addict. I supply her with a personal mixture, her and many of the other girls. Those that used to be trouble. I can even understand that you want me dead for it, but well, that has been business. I won't apologize”
“You're a dead man”, Sadie managed to utter and Gyles shook his head. “Think again”, he said. “I got her hooked on it. I did this more times than I remember. Hundreds probably. I know how to get someone addicted from it. I also know how to undo these effects” He shrugged. “Of course, you can try to kill me, but I don't intend to just allow you. Besides, you're broken body is no threat to me. So, instead of taking your revenge, why don't we just... work together?”
For a second, disbelief formed on Sadie's face. “You got to be kidding me...”, she stuttered and Gyles shook his head. “I am serious”, he assured her. “You spare my life and I won't be harmed and in return, I make sure that your sister gets off my mixture again, that she fully recovers. I doubt anyone but me could make sure that she does so without ruining what's left of her life. You may not like me, but I am the expert on this”
[Agree to work with Gyles] [Try to kill him]
[Agree to work with Gyles]
Diplomacy!!
Aw man, I know exactly how awful that feels. Last year, I've gotten surgery done on my nose to correct my nasal septum which had been slightly displaced after an accident. Though I only had stuff in my nose for three days, I know exactly how annoying that can be. I had intense headaches during that time and could barely concentrate on anything. In your case, it sounds even more painful, so I can only imagine how much worse it had to be. I am sorry you had to go through this, but I am happy to har that you have recovered already.
Aye, this is the first fight in the story proper we have seen Samuel losing. Probably not his first defeat, but the most crushing one at that. This is what he has been working for, what he has dedicated his entire life up to this point to and now he realized that after all that happened, he is still not good enough. His biggest flaw was not only mere skill, I'd rank him more as Ryder's equal in these regards, but the fact that he fought way too emotional and had no control over his feelings in this part. He is so used to be a naturally calm and stoic person that such an emotional situation confused him greatly and this played a big factor in why Ryder could not only defeat, but also humiliate him.
It's safe to say, the Samuel we first met in Chapter 3 would have killed her without a second thought simply to hurt Ryder. It shows his development from a guy that is more or less clearly a villain to an anti-hero. By now, he has changed to the point where he would probably still kill Ryder without hesitating, but he has standards and won't go as low as to harm Ryder's loved ones. And yeah, I originally have thought of a final charge at Ryder, but ultimately thought that it would show far more that Samuek is indeed absolutely defeated. In this very moment, he had no will to fight anymore, as his greatest fear became true.
Ah, I am glad to hear this! My original concept for the fight included swords, but I realized how unrealistic it would be if guests in the Thousand Shades of Flowers were just allowed to wield weapons. It also helped me with writing a brutal, bloody fight without the need to permanently harm one or both of the Harrington brothers. When it comes to Ryder's disadvantage, actually it's not all that much, as you might think. Ryder has lived in Oldtown, the largest city in Westeros. People from all over the known world get there at some point, so there is never a shortage at new techniques to learn. I'd say, in that way Ryder even has an advantage over Samuel.
Nah, this is actually just a choice similar to the Burned Man choice from a while ago, where Jaron got to decide if he promises to leave Oldtown or not. Consider it a character building choice, but in this case, Jaron would also feel obliged to keep his word to Lanford. The Burned Man is dead and Jaron might not feel all that guilty if he breaks his earlier promise to him. It also decides his stance on a possible Oldtown return in the future, if he makes it that far. It likely won't have much influence on his next goal, which is to save Harpy. However, Samuel is surely a possible candidate to help. Jaron kept up with him, supported him and therefore won a loyal ally. Since they have to travel into the same direction, they might end up as travel buddies. When it comes to Farris, he might indeed have his eyes at the position as commander of the city guard. He's basically the only one left at this point. And well, you can bet that he and Ryder will have a long conversation later on. For now, he was too relieved that his friend is alive and protest about his decision.
Well, this is very much Ryder's choice. He has unfinished business with Samuel and does not want him to rot away in a prison forever, or to die through some nameless hangman's axe. If he'd want that, he would have ordered his execution. Instead, he gives him an utter slap on the wrist, which at the same time is a slap to the face for Samuel's victims. However, considering that he plans to leave the city, he is not bothered by this. This is personal between them and though he jokingly said it in his final words to his brother, he actually doesn't want to wait another twenty years, or want to rely on some shady contacts (and to be fair, with the Solver's being in utter chaos, a majority of Samuel's contacts has gotten worthless), so he decided his final act as a captain of the city guard would be to ensure that his brother gets sent on the road that will lead to them having a rematch.
Thank you, thank you
I was looking forward for your reaction to this part, as I know you have waited for it a very long time. It is nice to hear that I did not disappoint. Here's hoping that I will be able to make this whole storyline even more developed in Book 2. I also hope you are going to enjoy the Harrington storyline in Book 2 as much as you enjoy it in Book 1, hopefully even more. I'm having a lot planned still 
[Agree to work with Gyles] As much as it disgusts me, she's in no condition to fight him, and she knows nothing of treating addictions, so once she's better, hopefully they can leave and let him rot for all they care.
Two-Face has a point, in the same way Jaimie Lannister eventually accepted his handicaps and limitations, in a way, he felt better.
Edit:
[Try to kill him] While I obviously think that Sadie won't even manage to touch Gyles I decide to change my choice because I can't see Sadie,just after discover her sister condition, decide to work together with the man responsible of it. While I suppose that obviously the process will be much longer I think that Wyle can manage to reach the same results of Gyles (even if probably will be much harder fix the relationship between Sadie and Melanie)
RT:
This choice probably won't win, but I'll pick [Try to kill him] anyway. Gyles is scum, and scum like him can never be trusted... I really doubt he knows of a cure, and if there really is a cure there certainly are other ways to find it.
[Try to kill him] Why not? Working with Gyles is only going to lead to betrayal. Plus, Gyles isn't the only man in the world who can help with addiction. I'm sure Wylie could be able to help her, and this way Sadie is in debt to Leo and can continue her adventures with him and his mercenary crew.
Aye, that was sort of Two-Face's intention. Obviously being as badly disfigured as he is, he knows a thing or two about being limited in life and being looked down upon. He's just a bit of a jerk when it comes to convey this message. But undoubtedly, if Sadie actually learns to accept her new situation and learns how to live with it, she'll be on a good way to recovery.
Aye, indeed! Now, there will be six Raylansfair PoV's still left, likely in four parts and then Book 1 will be over. This was sort of the plan to end Book 1 with a wall of Raylansfair parts. And at least two of these will be quite the game changer, as you can probably imagine
Yep, that is always going to be a good option. Although, depending on the king, it might indeed be a good choice. Argilac Durrandon for example is a warrior at heart. He appreciates a good punch. Harren meanwhile... eh, there would be wiser options than that
In general though, violence is not always the right choice, but in some occasions, it can lead to a more beneficial outcome.
I would have loved to show more of Maybros as well. In retrospect, I probably should have started Sadie's storyline a bit earlier to really explore the city and its people. But well, this chapter had to deal with too much already. There's Sadie's new situation and her beginning to deal with the loss she suffered, there's the set-up of the Book 2 storyline and most importantly, being reunited ith her sister, there was simply no room to show a lot of Maybros as well.
Careful, don't spread the Maybros Chainsaw Massacre leaks from Book 2
But yeah, William would not be too out of place in a hillbilly slasher movie. He's going to be the last character to be introduced in Book 1 and probably not a very major character in Book 2, but I still hope to develop him better there. Between the utter scum that is Gyles and the abusive hag that is his mother, William might be the least horrible member of the family though, even if that doesn't mean much.
Aye, a really kind man, is he not? He's even supplying them with drugs to keep them obedient. Really, he's a guy with plenty of hateable qualities already, but this is arguably his lowest point yet. Keeping sex slaves is one thing. Keeping blindly obedient sex slaves who barely have a will of their own, that is a whole different case entirely.
Yeah, if there is any character in this story that has more problems than Sadie herself, it's Melanie. She is not only forced into prostitution and drug abuse, she also has no idea what happened to her family or why it took Sadie so long to find her. She doesn't know a thing about what happened to her mother, or Sadie's involvement in this and right now, she's in no condition to even fully process it.
Well... no, I can confirm that is absolutely not Gyles' intention. I mean, I am sure this is a fetish and if there's money to be made, he wouldn't hesitate in the slightest to exploit Sadie as he did with countless other girls, but he is not a stupid man. He knows exactly that if he even tries to do this, Leo is going to end him. It would suffice for him to bring it up and he'd be dead in a heartbeat. Leo is already really fed up with him and utterly disgusted, so Gyles has to be really careful with his words and actions from now on. No, it's not that Sadie would work for him, she would work with him to get Melanie off these drugs. In return, Gyles would avoid the revenge Sadie undoubtedly would love to take. In his mind, it's basically a deal, his life gets spared, so Melanie's gets saved.
Well, a cure in this case would be withdrawal. What Melanie has been given is basically a drug and she is heavily addicted to it. It is also a dangerous drug and Gyles has a lot of knowledge about it. Probably, he's even the one who invented this particular drug, by mixing several narcotic substances together. He is certainly not the only person in the world who knows about withdrawal, but there might be particular things to look out for which he could know more about than any other. That said, I fully agree with you, Gyles is scum. In terms of sheer jerkishness, he's worse than many of the outright villainous characters in the story.
[Try to kill him] I don't believe him at all.
[Try to kill him] Fuck it, I don't trust Gyles in the slightest. He is rotten to the core, and showing him mercy now will only mean that he'll fuck us over later. Besides, I have a feeling Wylie for example could do just as good job getting Melanie off the drugs, if not better.
Why not? Because the word Try is part of the choice. Tell me Bounden how many times has the choice actually worked with the word try in it. If it was an immediate success then it should be Kill him. In my opinion this choice is actually a disguised Fail to kill him. That's a pretty good reason don't you think?
Well Lord EAA,I suppose that everyone that chose that choice just don't trust Gyles...I doubt that there is someone among us that really believe that Sadie (without an arm and a a weapon) will manage to kill Gyles (expecially when Leo and Rhogarn are there to stop her)
Surprise of the surprises,a deal with Gyles can maybe be a good choice
Spot on! I don't want to work with a scum bag like Gyles, and there is no option to decline without trying to murder him in the process. I am not naive enough to believe Sadie can kill Gyles. Let alone with Leo and his men right next to her. I don't believe Leo is going to hold a grudge with Sadie's little murder tantrum, especially after seeing what kind of scumbag Gyles is and what he did to her sister. So I don't see any downsides to this option, besides getting on Gyles' badside, but I am pretty sure that horseshit doesn't have a good side.