The Voting is closed!
Alys is going to introduce herself as Alys Snow
This one has been closer than I thought, a nice surprise. I didn… more't really thought it would be that close, but you brought up good arguments for both options here. In the end, Alys is going to introduce herself as Alys Snow now, potentially slightly harming Edward's plans (because you didn't thought he'd bring some random bastard girl to a meeting with the pirate king, right?), but also potentially keeping her safe in a room filled with people who are equal parts greedy and ruthless. If any of them decides that claiming the ransom for a highborn girl is worth the effort, all that is standing between them is Edward and his two followers and he himself is already far from in a good position, because he is in debt to every single one of these. Ah, Alys' storyline in this chapter should be a pleasant one, I cannot wait to flesh out the other pirates a bit better.
The ne… [view original content]
Why yes, of course You know the story, it's for Path of Honour, where I have submitted only one character so far, with this second character being planned to be an addition to my first. Hopefully I get that done today as well, I've been sitting on the character for days now.
Drent took a deep breath, looking at the Storm Princess and her father and he knew, he had to do the right thing here. “It's not true”, he mumbled and Emphryus shot him a sharp glare. “Golton...”, he mumbled, putting a hand against his chest, while both, Argilac and Argella looked at him in surprise, even if it was unlikely that either fully understood his mumbling.
Now slightly furious Drent shook the hand off. “No”, he growled towards the knight and Emphryus sighed, before he looked back at his king and princess. Argella seemed surprised, more so than her father, who, to Drent's relief, was looking more intrigued than angry. “What she just said, it's not true”, he repeated.
Argella raised her eyebrows in surprise and Drent clenched his fists. “You should have seen her, your grace”, he spoke. “A sword in her hand and fury in her eyes. She looked... beautiful. Regal. A leader, a ruler. A queen” He shook his head and the words came more freely now. “So many would have died if not for her. There was no obligation to save them and yet she did it without hesitating”, he explained. “You should have seen her, your grace. She didn't shame you, or this kingdom. If there ever is a queen I shall follow, she's standing here next to you”
He gulped, noticing how loud his voice had gotten, how silent everyone else and how they were all looking at him. The Storm King furrowed his brows, before taking a step towards him. Behind him, Argella was staring at him, wide-eyed, completely baffled and he couldn't tell if this was a good or bad thing.
However, he was able to interpret the look on Argilac's face. The king was looking stern, as he put a hand on Drent's shoulder. “I remember you”, he said. “One of the men I chose to guard my daughter” He glanced over his shoulders, now a smile forming on his face. “You did a good job, soldier”, he spoke, before patting him on the back and fully turning to his daughter again. “You've always been hard on yourself, Gella”, he told her. “But no matter what, you convinced this one”
He glanced at the rest of the soldiers, still standing in the centre of the Great Hall. “What about you?”, he growled. “Do you agree with him?” A brief moment of silence followed, until Edonia stepped forward. “I do!”, she proclaimed loudly. Torrence followed and after him, they all chimed in, everyone but Garen, whom Drent noticed kept silent.
“This is settled then”, Argilac said, a slight smile of pride on his face, as he looked at Argella. She was pale, her fists clenched, as she looked at her soldiers with wide eyes. And yet there was a smile, an expression of reluctantly accepted praise. “I...”, she started, though her father interrupted her gently. “You failed them when they say you failed them”, he spoke. “And it seems you did anything but”
Argella gulped notably, blinking quickly before smiling at her father and then past him, at Drent, if only for a second. “I... understand”, she said, as Argilac grabbed her forearm, raising it high up. “Your princess has returned and as it seems, she has been mightily successful!”, he roared. “So you better bow!”
This time, not a single man in the hall lacked respect. They bowed, all but the king, and even he lowered his head, while Argella looked on, baffled, yet visibly moved. Her eyes met Drent's and she reciprocated his smile, as her lips formed a silent “Thank you”.
Slowly, they got up again and Argilac let go of his daughter. He gave her a hearty pat on the back, before glancing at Drent. “That was brazen”, he whispered, his voice low. “You better get back in line now, maybe I won't take offence to it then” The look in his eyes was stern, yet there was something Drent preferred to interpret as respect. Quickly, and under the judging eyes of Argilac and Emphryus, he hurried back to the rest of the soldiers, finding a place in the front row, between Torrence and Edonia.
The latter flashed him a quick smile. “That was brave”, she complimented him, while Torrence rolled his eyes. “And monumentally stupid”, he whispered. “Could have backfired so badly, that might have been fun to watch” He grinned at this, before they all focussed back on the king.
“Now... with that out of the way, care to introduce me to our guests?”, Argella asked, her voice trying to sound particularly calm, even if it was almost cracking. She had a hard time containing the smile on her face, though there was a hint of concern as well.
Argilac sighed. “Ah, yes”, he spoke and even from afar, Drent saw the smile beneath his beard fading. “You already know Bernard Buckler, the heir to Bronzegate” He glared at the young man, who smiled pridefully, again nodding his head to the princess. “The man to his right is Warrick Fell, heir to Fellwood and the man to his left is Jonathan Errol, second in line to Haystack Hall”
“I could have guessed that much”, Argella chirped, as she stepped around the table, to the free chair next to her father's throne. She looked at the young Errol man, probably a couple years younger than her even, whereas Warrick Fell seemed the oldest of the trio, maybe closer to Drent in age. Both looked considerably less smug than Bernard Buckler, in case of Warrick even almost bored.
“I... um...”, the Storm King stuttered and Argella raised an eyebrow at the rare loss of composure from her father. “Perhaps it is better if we make further introductions in private” A sly smile, as confident as always, reappeared on Argella's face. “Oh, it's that embarrassing?”, she asked and instantly turned to Bernard Buckler.
“You”, she said and Bernard sat firmly. “Why are you here, Bucky?” Bernard's smirk turned into a slight frown, though he quickly regained his composure, giving her a grin most charming, a sight that caused Drent to clench his fists. “Well, my princess, we have been sent on order of your father, each of us accomplished and virtuous, to court you”
Argella's smile faded instantly, while Drent narrowed his eyes. Behind him, he heard Garen softly chuckling, yet he focussed entirely on what was happening at the table now. “That was... very subtle, Bernard”, Warrick Fell mumbled dryly, while Argella glared from each of them to her father. “Are you serious?”, she barked, loud enough for the entire hall to hear it.
Argilac sighed. “And that is why I wanted to deal with this in private”, he groaned, before he took a deep breath, facing his still indignant daughter. “Which is, in fact, what we are going to do, right now” He looked from Argella to the three men. “Gella, with me. You three as well”, he ordered. “And Maester Qoherys”
The tall Valyrian nodded in silence, as he got up from his chair. The three supposed suitors followed his example, while Argella rolled her eyes. “If you think you can decide on this so easily, you're mistaken”, she hissed, though she followed his orders. At last, Landry Swann followed without having gotten the order, remaining at his king's side and if the look the Storm Princess had on her face was any indicator, his protection might be needed.
Before they all left the room, Argilac glanced at Emphryus. “My friend, you deal with the men my daughter brought with her. Make sure they settle in the barracks again”, he ordered and Emphryus saluted. “Baron, you are in charge of the hall. Begin the feast, we shall all join you shortly!”
Schodek grinned at that, before he clapped his hands. “Servants, you heard the man”, he roared, as the Storm King, his daughter and the rest of the entourage left the Great Hall for the deeper rooms. Emphryus meanwhile walked down the stars, glaring daggers at Drent. “You are an idiot”, he whispered as he stood in front of him.
“Are you judging me for this, Ser?”, Drent asked. “You would have done the same in my position” Emphryus gave him a nod. “Yes to both”, he said. “The difference is, I can speak up. I am in the position to do so” Harshly, he grabbed him by the shoulder, before forcing him to turn around. “Now, all of you out in the courtyard. You'll get to rest a bit!”
The soldiers were more than happy to follow his orders, as Drent and Emphryus followed shortly behind them. “I'm not saying you did wrong, but that was a stupid move”, he spoke. “Probably a good thing the king was in a good mood and what you were saying raised his spirits only further” He shook his head. “You're a fine soldier, but have you thought only for a second how badly this could have ended?”
“Doesn't matter”, Drent argued. “I had to do it. Couldn't let her do this to herself” Emphryus sighed. “Look, I don't disagree with the intention, but you were out of line and massively so”, he warned him. “It went well this time, doesn't mean it has to next time, if you choose to be stupid again” He shook his head. “It was admirable, but you have been so fucking lucky right there”, he continued. “Just learn that you don't have to hold her hand all the time”
Having passed through the massive doors of the Great Hall, he turned to the rest of the soldiers, walking past Drent and now leading them towards the barracks, on the far end of the courtyard. Now being at the end of the group, the one standing closest to Drent was also the one he wanted to see the least.
“You know, he's right”, Garen smirked, in a low tone so that the other soldiers couldn't hear him. He was still limping a bit from the injury Drent had accidentally inflicted on him, yet worse than that was his mood, which had gotten fouler than ever before, his comments more mean spirited. If he hadn't hated Drent before the incident, it was certain he did now. “That was pretty stupid of you. You should definitely learn to hide your crush”
Drent raised an eyebrow and remained silent, trying to calm his anger, though it turned out, Garen wasn't finished yet. “I mean, not that this'll be a problem for much longer”, he chuckled. “You think you're something better, we all saw it just now, but in the end, you're a common grunt, not the slightest bit better than any of us” He shrugged. “Your precious Storm Bitch will marry one of these assholes, or all three of them and neither she nor anyone else will waste a thought on you” As the sellsword spoke, Drent clenched his fists, staring at him with anger and frustration...
[Punch Garen][Ignore him]
Willfred
Quickly, Willfred shook his head, even if he knew how barely persuasive he had to seem right now. “It's alright”, he said, lying through his teeth, giving Roger a weak smile. “I'm fine. Didn't sleep too well, but it's nothing” Roger raised an eyebrow. “I see...”, he mumbled in return, the disbelief obvious in his voice. Thankfully though, he decided to leave it at that, instead of pressing a matter Willfred was not yet ready to discuss. He felt relief at this, even if he realized that this relief came from having lied to his own uncle.
Still, he did not muster the strength to come clean and maybe this was for the better. What would Roger think if he'd learn of these nightmares, of the strange feeling that overcame him every time he looked at that box? Would he try to take it away? Willfred knew, he couldn't let this happen.
“So, you have asked for me?”, Willfred continued, as if nothing had happened. Roger gave him a nod. “Yes, that I have”, he said, his voice showing slight disappointment. “I think it is time we talk about this... Willfred, what exactly do you want to achieve here?”
Willfred raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”, he asked and Roger leant forwards on his chair. “It's just, I'm not sure”, he spoke. “Our mission is to support the Rock and, let me be clear, this is something Vashord and I both agree on. It's just, we are worried, boy. You work with the Lady Bellward now and we're afraid you lose sight of our goal”
“Lady Bellward and I have the same goal”, Willfred claimed and Roger shook his head. “That woman is out only for herself”, he said. “She surely doesn't have the Rock's best interests at heart. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she plans for you to take the fall for whatever she is planning to do”
His words were filled with genuine concern and even Willfred had to admit, from Roger's perspective, things likely looked that way. His uncle didn't know Helenys as well, had never met her. Willfred however was convinced that he had found an ally at last. And indeed, her voice at court had given Willfred time so far, time he had used to negotiate with the new lord. He shared Helenys' distrust of the man and his true intentions, but had to admit, he was miles more reasonable than Harris Flowers.
“It's not like that”, Willfred said and Roger shook his head. “It's always like that”, he spoke. “I know people like her, had to deal with them all my life. You're helping her get dirt on the new lord and as far as I know, you have even made some progress, but are you sure this will help the Rock? Are you sure this will help anyone but Lady Bellward?”
“If Lord Petyr cannot be trusted...”, Willfred said and Roger cut him off. “If he can be trusted, you are ruining your only chance at winning his help if you act against him here”, he warned him and Willfred gave him a nod. “You are right about that”, he admitted. “But Lady Helenys has done a lot to help us. If not for her, Vyrwel's thug, that Mullendore, would have thrown us out long ago”
“So, you're hoping for further help?”, Roger asked and to this, Willfred nodded again. “Whatever she can give us, it's clear she hasn't stopped being useful. So far, this has been a fruitful partnership and I hope to get more out of this. Her influence over Vyrwel can open a lot of doors”
Roger shook his head. “Does she have this influence though?”, he asked. “I had a talk with some people and they are sure that she is overplaying her own importance. This is a disaster waiting to blow up” This statement caught Willfred's curiosity. “What do you mean?”, he asked and Roger straightened his back. “My source says Helenys invested heavily in Lord Harris and his wildfire. The entire stock burned down during the raid and the acting lord with it”
“So, you say she's broke?”, Willfred asked and Roger nodded. “I fear she is. The coin she invested in the wildfire is gone and I am not sure if she can recover from this. She's acting like the great benefactor of Raylansfair, but it's only a matter of time until Petyr Vyrwel catches up to this”, he explained. This still did not satisfy him though. “Who is your source?”, he asked.
This time, Roger gulped, looking to the ground. “You gotta believe me there, she knows a lot”, he said and Willfred raised an eyebrow. “Whom?”, he asked again and Roger sighed. “One of the servants”, he admitted. “I... don't think that's all there is to her, aye, she knows too much to be just that. But the things she has told me are incredible. She has been right with all and I have no reason to doubt her on Helenys”
“So, some peasant has warned you about the only ally we have right now?”, Willfred asked and Roger rolled his eyes. “If you put it like that, it sounds crazy”, he complained, to which Willfred raised from his chair. “That's because it is”, he stated. “I at least have reason to trust Helenys, whereas you are literally trusting some peasant”
“As I said, I believe this Saerya is a bit more than that”, Roger explained. “Not like the other servants in the castle. She's too smart, too educated” Willfred sighed. “Right, as if that makes her any bit more trustworthy”, he spoke. “A mysterious peasant's words against a woman who has helped us a lot in the last two months, you expect me to believe any of this?”
“Then go and ask her”, Roger offered. “Go straight to Lady Helenys and confront her about this. Ask her how she plans on helping you, as her how much coin she has left. And watch her closely, boy, this might be the only chance you get at finding out the truth”
As much as he felt angered by Roger's questioning of their ally, Willfred had to admit, this sounded like a reasonable approach. “I actually wanted to meet her before noon”, he revealed. “Might be something I can talk about with her” He shrugged. “Though she won't like this, I guess at this point we've worked too close for her to drop us if I confront her about it. Just asking won't do any harm”
“My thought exactly”, Roger agreed, before he looked out of the window. “Albeit, if you're having a meeting with her scheduled for before noon, you should hurry” Willfred gulped, as his eyes widened. “Wait... is it that late already?”, he asked and Roger gave him a nod. Willfred put a hand onto his slightly aching head. “Fucking hells”, he moaned. “How long have I slept?”
“Too long, I'd say”, Roger stated nonchalantly. “And I'm afraid I haven't made things any better by keeping you here” He raised a finger. “Just, always keep in mind that if she kept this from you, then her real influence over Vyrwel is much smaller than she claims. Consider how far you're willing to trust a woman like that”
Willfred saluted. “Understood”, he spoke. “I'll ask her about this and I gotta say I'm curious what she says. If she's right... well, I still think she can help us, but maybe we have to renegotiate some aspects of our partnership”
Roger patted him on the back, as Willfred turned to the door. “Good boy”, he said and Willfred yawned, feeling the lack of any real rest more than ever. This was a terrible day to meet with Helenys Bellward. The woman had something about a hawk on her. The way she mustered him, watching and assessing his every move, as if she was looking for any sign of weakness, to use against him... Willfred had to admit, as he stepped out of Roger's room and into the hallways, his uncle's distrust against Helenys didn't come from nowhere. And yet, Willfred knew, his mission would have failed already without her and it would have been no one's fault but his own.
Jack was still waiting for him in the hallway. The one-eyed soldier glanced at him. “You're looking even more tired, Ser”, he commented. “Wish to go back to your room?” Willfred shook his head. “I have a long day ahead”, he said and yawned. “Lady Helenys Bellward is waiting for me and we're having a small meal together. After that, I shall speak to General Tallian”
“Can't say I envy you”, Jack mumbled. “But alright. Shall I walk with you?” Willfred smirked, before he shook his head. “I'm not that tired, Jack”, he said. “Don't be worried, I won't just drop down anytime soon” He put a hand onto his shoulder. “But thank you for your concern. Take the morning off, I'll send word to you and Prins once you're needed again”
Jack saluted and Willfred walked past him, down the hallway. Lady Helenys' room was located a floor below his, albeit the room itself was larger than his. As such, he approached the staircase, when he saw a man walking up. He stopped, standing firm as he recognized him. Tanned skin, brown hair, eyes as green as the hand on his tabard.
“Ser Kasyn”, he greeted him and Kasyn Luck smiled as he saw him. “Greetings, Ser Willfred”, he spoke. “Now, this is a coincidence. I was just on my way to speak to you” Willfred raised his eyebrows. “To me? What's the occasion?” Kasyn crossed his arms behind his back. “Just a few questions, nothing too wild”, he assured him. “But it occurred to me that you've been talking to Lord Petyr a lot lately and well, in the name of King Mern, I wanted to learn more about the nature of these talks”
Willfred sighed. A harmless few questions, probably far from it. However, this could be important. Then again, so was his meeting with Helenys and as he looked out of the window at the sun, he knew he was already running late. If anything, the lady wouldn't react kindly to him arriving too late, so he knew, he had to set priorities here.
[Agree to have a talk with Ser Kasyn][Excuse yourself and meet with Helenys]
[Ignore him] While I would love to punch the daylights out of that guy for insulting Argella, is better not to get into more trouble now.
[Agree to have a talk with Ser Kasyn] His questions could give him an insight with Mern's intentions and Kasyn's personality better. While it is very interesting to know that Helenys has lost lots of money with the wildfire, is not something that is that urgent to know.
Drent
Drent took a deep breath, looking at the Storm Princess and her father and he knew, he had to do the right thing here. “It's not tr… moreue”, he mumbled and Emphryus shot him a sharp glare. “Golton...”, he mumbled, putting a hand against his chest, while both, Argilac and Argella looked at him in surprise, even if it was unlikely that either fully understood his mumbling.
Now slightly furious Drent shook the hand off. “No”, he growled towards the knight and Emphryus sighed, before he looked back at his king and princess. Argella seemed surprised, more so than her father, who, to Drent's relief, was looking more intrigued than angry. “What she just said, it's not true”, he repeated.
Argella raised her eyebrows in surprise and Drent clenched his fists. “You should have seen her, your grace”, he spoke. “A sword in her hand and fury in her eyes. She looked... beautiful. Regal. A leader, a ruler. A queen” He shook his head and the words c… [view original content]
Drent
Drent took a deep breath, looking at the Storm Princess and her father and he knew, he had to do the right thing here. “It's not tr… moreue”, he mumbled and Emphryus shot him a sharp glare. “Golton...”, he mumbled, putting a hand against his chest, while both, Argilac and Argella looked at him in surprise, even if it was unlikely that either fully understood his mumbling.
Now slightly furious Drent shook the hand off. “No”, he growled towards the knight and Emphryus sighed, before he looked back at his king and princess. Argella seemed surprised, more so than her father, who, to Drent's relief, was looking more intrigued than angry. “What she just said, it's not true”, he repeated.
Argella raised her eyebrows in surprise and Drent clenched his fists. “You should have seen her, your grace”, he spoke. “A sword in her hand and fury in her eyes. She looked... beautiful. Regal. A leader, a ruler. A queen” He shook his head and the words c… [view original content]
No need to get in trouble once again for losing his temper. Besides, Drent has probably gotten used to Garen's craziness by this point to at least be able to tune him out. Perhaps mentioning the slight to another Stormlander and seeing what they do. =p
[Agree to have a talk with Ser Kasyn]
Helenys is a secondary objective to getting support for the Rock and who better to potentially send support to the Rock than Mern Gardener himself should Ser Kasyn become a friend. Besides I'm sure that if Willfred explained to Helen that he wasn't feeling well and was waylaid it would go over better than slighting a direct representative of the King of the Reach.
Drent
Drent took a deep breath, looking at the Storm Princess and her father and he knew, he had to do the right thing here. “It's not tr… moreue”, he mumbled and Emphryus shot him a sharp glare. “Golton...”, he mumbled, putting a hand against his chest, while both, Argilac and Argella looked at him in surprise, even if it was unlikely that either fully understood his mumbling.
Now slightly furious Drent shook the hand off. “No”, he growled towards the knight and Emphryus sighed, before he looked back at his king and princess. Argella seemed surprised, more so than her father, who, to Drent's relief, was looking more intrigued than angry. “What she just said, it's not true”, he repeated.
Argella raised her eyebrows in surprise and Drent clenched his fists. “You should have seen her, your grace”, he spoke. “A sword in her hand and fury in her eyes. She looked... beautiful. Regal. A leader, a ruler. A queen” He shook his head and the words c… [view original content]
Drent
Drent took a deep breath, looking at the Storm Princess and her father and he knew, he had to do the right thing here. “It's not tr… moreue”, he mumbled and Emphryus shot him a sharp glare. “Golton...”, he mumbled, putting a hand against his chest, while both, Argilac and Argella looked at him in surprise, even if it was unlikely that either fully understood his mumbling.
Now slightly furious Drent shook the hand off. “No”, he growled towards the knight and Emphryus sighed, before he looked back at his king and princess. Argella seemed surprised, more so than her father, who, to Drent's relief, was looking more intrigued than angry. “What she just said, it's not true”, he repeated.
Argella raised her eyebrows in surprise and Drent clenched his fists. “You should have seen her, your grace”, he spoke. “A sword in her hand and fury in her eyes. She looked... beautiful. Regal. A leader, a ruler. A queen” He shook his head and the words c… [view original content]
Drent
Drent took a deep breath, looking at the Storm Princess and her father and he knew, he had to do the right thing here. “It's not tr… moreue”, he mumbled and Emphryus shot him a sharp glare. “Golton...”, he mumbled, putting a hand against his chest, while both, Argilac and Argella looked at him in surprise, even if it was unlikely that either fully understood his mumbling.
Now slightly furious Drent shook the hand off. “No”, he growled towards the knight and Emphryus sighed, before he looked back at his king and princess. Argella seemed surprised, more so than her father, who, to Drent's relief, was looking more intrigued than angry. “What she just said, it's not true”, he repeated.
Argella raised her eyebrows in surprise and Drent clenched his fists. “You should have seen her, your grace”, he spoke. “A sword in her hand and fury in her eyes. She looked... beautiful. Regal. A leader, a ruler. A queen” He shook his head and the words c… [view original content]
Well, I'd say we definitely made the right choice speaking up in defense of Argella, it lead to a glorious and happy moment Of course it's not a good idea to step out of line too often, but this was the right moment to do so, no matter what Emphryus says. I'll much rather have a bold and slightly reckless Drent than a silent grunt whom no one cares about.
[Ignore him] Eh, I don't want to give any attention to that egotistical asshat. He'll never stop talking shit anyway, better not give him the satisfaction of seeing that he got under Drent's skin.
[Agree to have a talk with Ser Kasyn] I'm really interested to get to know Ser Kasyn better, and perhaps learn what exactly is his task in Raylansfair. And while I think Helenys is an important ally to have right now, Ser Kasyn could be even more useful.
Drent
Drent took a deep breath, looking at the Storm Princess and her father and he knew, he had to do the right thing here. “It's not tr… moreue”, he mumbled and Emphryus shot him a sharp glare. “Golton...”, he mumbled, putting a hand against his chest, while both, Argilac and Argella looked at him in surprise, even if it was unlikely that either fully understood his mumbling.
Now slightly furious Drent shook the hand off. “No”, he growled towards the knight and Emphryus sighed, before he looked back at his king and princess. Argella seemed surprised, more so than her father, who, to Drent's relief, was looking more intrigued than angry. “What she just said, it's not true”, he repeated.
Argella raised her eyebrows in surprise and Drent clenched his fists. “You should have seen her, your grace”, he spoke. “A sword in her hand and fury in her eyes. She looked... beautiful. Regal. A leader, a ruler. A queen” He shook his head and the words c… [view original content]
Drent
Drent took a deep breath, looking at the Storm Princess and her father and he knew, he had to do the right thing here. “It's not tr… moreue”, he mumbled and Emphryus shot him a sharp glare. “Golton...”, he mumbled, putting a hand against his chest, while both, Argilac and Argella looked at him in surprise, even if it was unlikely that either fully understood his mumbling.
Now slightly furious Drent shook the hand off. “No”, he growled towards the knight and Emphryus sighed, before he looked back at his king and princess. Argella seemed surprised, more so than her father, who, to Drent's relief, was looking more intrigued than angry. “What she just said, it's not true”, he repeated.
Argella raised her eyebrows in surprise and Drent clenched his fists. “You should have seen her, your grace”, he spoke. “A sword in her hand and fury in her eyes. She looked... beautiful. Regal. A leader, a ruler. A queen” He shook his head and the words c… [view original content]
Drent
Drent took a deep breath, looking at the Storm Princess and her father and he knew, he had to do the right thing here. “It's not tr… moreue”, he mumbled and Emphryus shot him a sharp glare. “Golton...”, he mumbled, putting a hand against his chest, while both, Argilac and Argella looked at him in surprise, even if it was unlikely that either fully understood his mumbling.
Now slightly furious Drent shook the hand off. “No”, he growled towards the knight and Emphryus sighed, before he looked back at his king and princess. Argella seemed surprised, more so than her father, who, to Drent's relief, was looking more intrigued than angry. “What she just said, it's not true”, he repeated.
Argella raised her eyebrows in surprise and Drent clenched his fists. “You should have seen her, your grace”, he spoke. “A sword in her hand and fury in her eyes. She looked... beautiful. Regal. A leader, a ruler. A queen” He shook his head and the words c… [view original content]
About the other choice I will give a vote tomorrow (maybe)
RT:
I'm happy for the outcome but like many characters in the part said Drent today miss a bullet just for a hair breath!
Argella is going to have a nice conversation with her suitors,I'm curious to see how that will end
Roger meet Saerya and the spy for obscure reason told him that Helenys is not anymore the rich merchant that we see during the last book eh? I must admit that I don't see the reason because the targaryen follower should give that hint to the rock faction
Drent
Drent took a deep breath, looking at the Storm Princess and her father and he knew, he had to do the right thing here. “It's not tr… moreue”, he mumbled and Emphryus shot him a sharp glare. “Golton...”, he mumbled, putting a hand against his chest, while both, Argilac and Argella looked at him in surprise, even if it was unlikely that either fully understood his mumbling.
Now slightly furious Drent shook the hand off. “No”, he growled towards the knight and Emphryus sighed, before he looked back at his king and princess. Argella seemed surprised, more so than her father, who, to Drent's relief, was looking more intrigued than angry. “What she just said, it's not true”, he repeated.
Argella raised her eyebrows in surprise and Drent clenched his fists. “You should have seen her, your grace”, he spoke. “A sword in her hand and fury in her eyes. She looked... beautiful. Regal. A leader, a ruler. A queen” He shook his head and the words c… [view original content]
[Punch Garen] Garen has such a punchable face that it would be a real shame not to actually punch it. But damn he is a scumbag and maybe a little bit of toughness is exactly what he needs.
[Excuse yourself and meet with Helenys] Meh, we can always meet with Kasyn some other time. I'd rather prioritize the "ally" that we already have than someone who maybe could possibly become a potential ally.
Drent
Drent took a deep breath, looking at the Storm Princess and her father and he knew, he had to do the right thing here. “It's not tr… moreue”, he mumbled and Emphryus shot him a sharp glare. “Golton...”, he mumbled, putting a hand against his chest, while both, Argilac and Argella looked at him in surprise, even if it was unlikely that either fully understood his mumbling.
Now slightly furious Drent shook the hand off. “No”, he growled towards the knight and Emphryus sighed, before he looked back at his king and princess. Argella seemed surprised, more so than her father, who, to Drent's relief, was looking more intrigued than angry. “What she just said, it's not true”, he repeated.
Argella raised her eyebrows in surprise and Drent clenched his fists. “You should have seen her, your grace”, he spoke. “A sword in her hand and fury in her eyes. She looked... beautiful. Regal. A leader, a ruler. A queen” He shook his head and the words c… [view original content]
Well, I'd say we definitely made the right choice speaking up in defense of Argella, it lead to a glorious and happy moment Of course it's not a good idea to step out of line too often, but this was the right moment to do so, no matter what Emphryus says. I'll much rather have a bold and slightly reckless Drent than a silent grunt whom no one cares about.
Indeed, in this particular case, I would say you made the right choice. There will be few consequences now that Argilac overlooked it, albeit some of the more critical people at court, particularly Garen, are now more likely to see Drent as someone arrogant, who sees himself as more important than he truly is. Of course, it can be argued that their opinion doesn't really matter, compared to the royal favour Argella quite likely owes him for this
Well, I'd say we definitely made the right choice speaking up in defense of Argella, it lead to a glorious and happy moment Of course it's … morenot a good idea to step out of line too often, but this was the right moment to do so, no matter what Emphryus says. I'll much rather have a bold and slightly reckless Drent than a silent grunt whom no one cares about.
[Ignore him] Eh, I don't want to give any attention to that egotistical asshat. He'll never stop talking shit anyway, better not give him the satisfaction of seeing that he got under Drent's skin.
[Agree to have a talk with Ser Kasyn] I'm really interested to get to know Ser Kasyn better, and perhaps learn what exactly is his task in Raylansfair. And while I think Helenys is an important ally to have right now, Ser Kasyn could be even more useful.
About the other choice I will give a vote tomorrow (maybe)
Ah, of course, whenever you want to. It currently seems to shape up to be a rather close vote, so you might very well influence the final outcome here
I'm happy for the outcome but like many characters in the part said Drent today miss a bullet just for a hair breath!
It's true, Drent got lucky. It was an admirable and brave thing to speak up to the king in front of the entire court, pretty much interrupting the princess by doing so, but that doesn't mean it has been a smart move. Many other rulers, even Argilac on a bad day, would have disciplined him for this or worse. He even got lucky twice, since due to the absence of a clear commanding officer responsible for him, the guy usually in charge of automatically disciplining him is currently not available.
Argella is going to have a nice conversation with her suitors,I'm curious to see how that will end
Probably by her having no suitors anymore, that's what she hopes and Argilac fears. You know how she can be when she doesn't like something and this is something she outright hates. Almost makes me sad that there is no way for me to show the conversation. However, other things will be discussed as well and the results of it all will be revealed in time.
Roger meet Saerya and the spy for obscure reason told him that Helenys is not anymore the rich merchant that we see during the last book eh? I must admit that I don't see the reason because the targaryen follower should give that hint to the rock faction
True, true, though Saerya is playing the long game here. It probably means she does not consider Helenys an ally and wants to keep her a small and manageable factor for her operations in Raylansfair. Her full reasons will definitely be hinted at in the future, maybe even outright revealed but when it comes to her, a lot she's doing won't make sense right away. Just, take my word for it, she is always pursuing a goal with every single thing she is doing.
[Ignore him]
About the other choice I will give a vote tomorrow (maybe)
RT:
* I'm happy for the outcome but like many characters … morein the part said Drent today miss a bullet just for a hair breath!
* Argella is going to have a nice conversation with her suitors,I'm curious to see how that will end
* Roger meet Saerya and the spy for obscure reason told him that Helenys is not anymore the rich merchant that we see during the last book eh? I must admit that I don't see the reason because the targaryen follower should give that hint to the rock faction
I'm still hoping for Drent and Garen to patch things up, no matter how unlikely.
Unlikely, yes, but I wouldn't say impossible. A lot of the current situation can be attributed to poor decisions from Book 1, as Garen is one to know how to hold a grudge (and basically ratting him out to Argella hasn't been the most friendly move from Drent to begin with), but given that Tariel is at least seeing something in him, there have to be other sides to him as well. Though getting back into his good graces will require a lot from Drent.
[Ignore him]
I'm still hoping for Drent and Garen to patch things up, no matter how unlikely.
[Excuse yourself and meet with Helenys]
Tardiness is a bad trait to have.
[Ignore him] Drent doesn't want to get into any more hot water than is needed.
[Excuse yourself and meet with Helenys] No need to anger our only friend in town. Plus, Kasyn is going to have to ask some Reachmen for answers. How dare he try to let some Rockman corrupt his purely Reach view of this magnificent Reach town of great, hard working Reachmen and women.
Drent
Drent took a deep breath, looking at the Storm Princess and her father and he knew, he had to do the right thing here. “It's not tr… moreue”, he mumbled and Emphryus shot him a sharp glare. “Golton...”, he mumbled, putting a hand against his chest, while both, Argilac and Argella looked at him in surprise, even if it was unlikely that either fully understood his mumbling.
Now slightly furious Drent shook the hand off. “No”, he growled towards the knight and Emphryus sighed, before he looked back at his king and princess. Argella seemed surprised, more so than her father, who, to Drent's relief, was looking more intrigued than angry. “What she just said, it's not true”, he repeated.
Argella raised her eyebrows in surprise and Drent clenched his fists. “You should have seen her, your grace”, he spoke. “A sword in her hand and fury in her eyes. She looked... beautiful. Regal. A leader, a ruler. A queen” He shook his head and the words c… [view original content]
That's why you make new friends. So you don't have only ONE friend in town. Besides it would be an insult to the Reach to ignore it, if you look it diplomatically.
[Ignore him] Drent doesn't want to get into any more hot water than is needed.
[Excuse yourself and meet with Helenys] No need to anger o… moreur only friend in town. Plus, Kasyn is going to have to ask some Reachmen for answers. How dare he try to let some Rockman corrupt his purely Reach view of this magnificent Reach town of great, hard working Reachmen and women.
[Ignore him]
I'm still hoping for Drent and Garen to patch things up, no matter how unlikely.
[Excuse yourself and meet with Helenys]
Tardiness is a bad trait to have.
[Punch Garen] Let's make our old friend hate this, cause that's what interactive stories are all about.
[Agree to have a talk with Ser Kasyn] Must cause Mullendore as much trouble as possible. This will accomplish it. Or at least, get close to it. Be close with the Reachmen...
Hm. Saerya seems to think Helenys was into the wildfire. Mullendore was too. Very interesting...
Drent
Drent took a deep breath, looking at the Storm Princess and her father and he knew, he had to do the right thing here. “It's not tr… moreue”, he mumbled and Emphryus shot him a sharp glare. “Golton...”, he mumbled, putting a hand against his chest, while both, Argilac and Argella looked at him in surprise, even if it was unlikely that either fully understood his mumbling.
Now slightly furious Drent shook the hand off. “No”, he growled towards the knight and Emphryus sighed, before he looked back at his king and princess. Argella seemed surprised, more so than her father, who, to Drent's relief, was looking more intrigued than angry. “What she just said, it's not true”, he repeated.
Argella raised her eyebrows in surprise and Drent clenched his fists. “You should have seen her, your grace”, he spoke. “A sword in her hand and fury in her eyes. She looked... beautiful. Regal. A leader, a ruler. A queen” He shook his head and the words c… [view original content]
[Ignore him] Nothing to be gained from punching him, it'll just add fuel to the fire.
[Excuse yourself and meet with Helenys] Gotta set priorities.
I really enjoyed that first part with Drent and Argella. I'm so proud of Drent and happy for Argella. I still can't help but loathe these suitors though. XD
Drent
Drent took a deep breath, looking at the Storm Princess and her father and he knew, he had to do the right thing here. “It's not tr… moreue”, he mumbled and Emphryus shot him a sharp glare. “Golton...”, he mumbled, putting a hand against his chest, while both, Argilac and Argella looked at him in surprise, even if it was unlikely that either fully understood his mumbling.
Now slightly furious Drent shook the hand off. “No”, he growled towards the knight and Emphryus sighed, before he looked back at his king and princess. Argella seemed surprised, more so than her father, who, to Drent's relief, was looking more intrigued than angry. “What she just said, it's not true”, he repeated.
Argella raised her eyebrows in surprise and Drent clenched his fists. “You should have seen her, your grace”, he spoke. “A sword in her hand and fury in her eyes. She looked... beautiful. Regal. A leader, a ruler. A queen” He shook his head and the words c… [view original content]
[Ignore him]
I'm still hoping for Drent and Garen to patch things up, no matter how unlikely.
[Excuse yourself and meet with Helenys]
Tardiness is a bad trait to have.
Hm. Saerya seems to think Helenys was into the wildfire. Mullendore was too. Very interesting...
This is actually the reason why Helenys is in Raylansfair at all. It has been a minor detail in Chapter 7, that Harris called for her because of her connections and interest in exotic goods, such as wildfire, so that she can sell it for him and both get filthy rich in the process. She was basically crucial for Harris' big plan to rebuild Raylansfair, along with the wildfire itself, of course. The fact that she is still there after the death of Harris likely means that Petyr sees something of value in her even after the wildfire deal literally went up in flames.
[Punch Garen] Let's make our old friend hate this, cause that's what interactive stories are all about.
[Agree to have a talk with Ser Ka… moresyn] Must cause Mullendore as much trouble as possible. This will accomplish it. Or at least, get close to it. Be close with the Reachmen...
Hm. Saerya seems to think Helenys was into the wildfire. Mullendore was too. Very interesting...
I really enjoyed that first part with Drent and Argella. I'm so proud of Drent and happy for Argella. I still can't help but loathe these suitors though. XD
Ah, I'm very glad you enjoyed this part It was an important one for Drent's development and I'd say he has reason to be proud, as risky as this one was. And well, I expected your opinion about the suitors to stay the same That being said, maybe it helps a bit to know that they themselves are definitely not at Storm's End by their own choice, but they merely follow the orders of their fathers and their king. Admittedly, the title of prince consort they are offered here is nothing to refuse, but at the very least Warrick Fell doesn't even want to be there and would be very okay with the whole betrothal to never happen. Not even Bernard Buckler, who is the most outspoken of the trio, had a choice and possibly would have decided against even attempting to court Argella, though now that the choice has been made for him, he decides to approach the task with confidence. So, they might be a bit misblamed here, as the real betrothal is something that is primarily arranged between Argilac and the Lord Buckler, Errol and Fell, with the suitors getting only a minimal say in the matter.
[Ignore him] Nothing to be gained from punching him, it'll just add fuel to the fire.
[Excuse yourself and meet with Helenys] Gotta set p… moreriorities.
I really enjoyed that first part with Drent and Argella. I'm so proud of Drent and happy for Argella. I still can't help but loathe these suitors though. XD
It isn't anything personal. I more so hate what they represent and their purpose there is, than who they are as people. Plus I'm a bit of a jealous shipper. XD Drent/Argella! Do not threaten it or I shall strongly dislike you!
I really enjoyed that first part with Drent and Argella. I'm so proud of Drent and happy for Argella. I still can't help but loathe these su… moreitors though. XD
Ah, I'm very glad you enjoyed this part It was an important one for Drent's development and I'd say he has reason to be proud, as risky as this one was. And well, I expected your opinion about the suitors to stay the same That being said, maybe it helps a bit to know that they themselves are definitely not at Storm's End by their own choice, but they merely follow the orders of their fathers and their king. Admittedly, the title of prince consort they are offered here is nothing to refuse, but at the very least Warrick Fell doesn't even want to be there and would be very okay with the whole betrothal to never happen. Not even Bernard Buckler, who is the most outspoken of the trio, had a choice and possibly would have decided against even attempting to court Argella, though now t… [view original content]
The first choice was a very decisive one and probably one for the better. Rarely does it lead to good things if someone gives in to aggression. I'm not saying there is never a choice in which punching some jerk won't be the better option, but here, with so many people to witness, it might be advisable to keep things calm. With Willfred meanwhile, this was a very close choice. I don't have a preference there, as both options will lead to an interesting talk in the next part, but was curious which you would pick. The result couldn't have been closer and that comes from a voting that has been very active as well, so I'd say I will find something to do for Kasyn too, even if it won't be in Willfred's storyline.
The next part is hopefully going to be out today. I still have a lot of writing ahead and to make matters more difficult, you might have seen that the forums will be down for maintenance for some time later today. I do not know how long this maintenance is supposed to be, but if it is longer than usual, I might not be able to release the part until tomorrow. Furthermore, of course, time issues. I will try my best, but cannot promise anything. So, this next part is going to include a Sadie PoV, bit also likely a second one, which I have not decided on for now. Richard possibly, as I need to proceed with his storyline to start another important piece of this chapter, from Samantha's PoV. Or maybe Jenna, who offers another puzzle piece to the situation. Well, we'll see. Anyways, last time we have seen Sadie, she really hasn't been in a good situation, surprisingly. Only slowly coping with the loss of her hand and the status of her sister as an addict going cold turkey, she is isolating herself a bit from those around her. One of them, the sellsword Edward Lancaster, wishes to try something against this, taking up the task of teaching her how to fight with her left hand. However, he is not quite known for treating people with softness, so he already announced that he'd pretty much act like a drill sergeant if she takes up on his offer. Though fearing that the resulting beating will be very rough, Sadie accepted and this is where we'll start her next part. Coming for the second PoV, Richard is the most likely, featuring Mathea trying her best to heal Kersea's injuries, or maybe (but unlikely) Jenna learning more about the new Maester of Raylansfair, Eddard, and his apprentice Vali.
Oh boy. This update was very unexpected, wasn't it? I agree with what you said om the other discussion. PM system is good, this linear thing I'm no fan off, and for the love of Bacon, why did they decide to only keep the main post at the first page? It's ridiculous, and not in any way convinient for ANY thread on this website.
The Voting is closed!
Drent is going to ignore Garen
Willfred is going to meet with Helenys
The first choice was a very decisive on… moree and probably one for the better. Rarely does it lead to good things if someone gives in to aggression. I'm not saying there is never a choice in which punching some jerk won't be the better option, but here, with so many people to witness, it might be advisable to keep things calm. With Willfred meanwhile, this was a very close choice. I don't have a preference there, as both options will lead to an interesting talk in the next part, but was curious which you would pick. The result couldn't have been closer and that comes from a voting that has been very active as well, so I'd say I will find something to do for Kasyn too, even if it won't be in Willfred's storyline.
The next part is hopefully going to be out today. I still have a lot of writing ahead and to make matters more difficult, you might hav… [view original content]
Oh man, that update. That has made a lot of things more confusing, those damn linear comments. I hope you are all still around and find your way here, because new parts will of course continue to come as usual. Damn, this will take a lot of time to get used to, especially navigating around, so I hope you all manage to see when a new part comes out
I wonder were you can submit characters now.
Or where are the character lists, is all so confusing for Pete's sake!
This is incredibly confusing, I agree. You have to head back to the first page, I will continue to update the first post. Damn it, they could have at least kept the main post feature. But I will think of an alternative, already having some ideas. Be assured, making the story as accessible and easy to understand as possible remains one of my major goals while writing.
One thing you should do is, quote every comment you reply to by using a > before copying the part of the original post you wish to quote, that makes it slightly less confusing. Still, a major downgrade to how things used to be, I agree.
Oh boy. This update was very unexpected, wasn't it? I agree with what you said om the other discussion. PM system is good, this linear thing… more I'm no fan off, and for the love of Bacon, why did they decide to only keep the main post at the first page? It's ridiculous, and not in any way convinient for ANY thread on this website.
Congrats on making it past 250 pages Liquid. I knew we would get there, but it happened faster than i expected........faster than anyone expected actually. I think even you are a bit confused. Anyway congrats!!!
Dude, what did they do with the forums?! This new visual for the threads looks pretty weird to me. Here I was expecting a normal forum maintenance and they drop this bomb...
Maybe its just me, but I gotta say that this new update was just as bad as all the others. Actually, to me this one was even worse, because now everything is confusing and weird. Hopefully I will get used to this in time, but right now I just feel like this was a huge downgrade.
Hopefully Telltale will change back soon when they see and realize that about 90% of the forum users hated the linear shit and the embedded subforums instead of all games on one page. AND BRING BACK A COLOUR FOR FUCKS SAKE! Why change a good concept, Telltale?
Dude, what did they do with the forums?! This new visual for the threads looks pretty weird to me. Here I was expecting a normal forum main… moretenance and they drop this bomb...
Maybe its just me, but I gotta say that this new update was just as bad as all the others. Actually, to me this one was even worse, because now everything is confusing and weird. Hopefully I will get used to this in time, but right now I just feel like this was a huge downgrade.
I received a message from Liquid saying the newest part is ready, however he is facing some Internet issues which makes posting impossible at this moment. He wants you to know that he will do his best to fix it as soon possible.
If I will get any new update, I will let you all know.
Where am I? What's happening? I was only asleep for a couple hours guys! Was there another Natural Disaster? Are we at war with somebody? But more importantly, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FORUMS??? The main post is now hidden in the deepest depths of the Forums, and now it is nearly impossible to see what message is replying to what! Holy moly guys, this sure is a doozy. At least we finally got to page 276!!! Woot woot everybody!
Alright then, my internet is working again! Thank you Mathea for giving the others this update. The new forum style, well, it's still shitty as hell and I hope there will eventually be a less confusing and bland design. Until then, I hope you all manage to see this new part. Next time I close the voting, I will also have a little something for you, to inform you on how I plan on keeping the main post present even when it is now no longer at the top of the thread.
Sadie
The sword felt unusually heavy in her hand, even if her left arm was used to lift the much heavier weight of a shield. It was an odd feeling, striking with her left, while there was the painful absence of any sensation in her right. That being said this was still better than the feeling she had in the morning, the pain that shouldn't have been there.
It wasn't the first time she held a sword with her left hand and some things were familiar still, even if it was all wrong at the same time. As such, she parried Edward's strike. It was softer than she expected, probably just a first test how much strength she even had left in her. Bringing it down, aiming for her head, she struck upwards, knocking his blade out of the way. A brief wave of confidence flashed through her, as she parried the second strike.
Edward gave her a grin and she noticed only too late that she reciprocated it, way too cocky, especially for her situation. Instantly, she regretted it, as Edward attacked again, this time from her right side. Out of instinct, she raised her right arm and the blunt blade cut through air, where usually her own sword would be. And then, Edward's sword hit her against the forehead.
Stumbling backwards, Sadie tried to put her right hand onto her thumping head. At least one thing she did right, as she used the left one to prevent herself form slamming onto the ground. Half kneeling, she had to pause for a moment until the pain in her head died down. Her smile was gone long before.
“What is it?”, Edward asked. “One little hit and you're out of the game already?” Sadie growled in return, partially tired, partially angry as she indeed jumped back up on her feet. Yet Edward did not wait. He already swung his blade, this time at her left upper arm. Her initial impulse was to parry with the sword in her right hand, yet this time, she quickly realized the error and managed to raise the real blade in her real hand.
Not enough to fully parry the sword, she at least deflected the blow, though the blunt tip still slammed into her ribs, causing her to gasp, then to cough. “Told you I wouldn't go easy on you”, Edward told her, as he nonetheless allowed her to stagger back. “Told you I wouldn't want it any other way”, Sadie replied with a grim tone in her voice.
And so they fought. With each weak blow from her side, each hasty, shoddy parade, each moment where Edward put a second hand onto the hilt of his sword, to attack with greater force, Sadie was made more and more aware of how little she could do. It was... more than she expected, to be honest, but disheartening all the same.
“I don't think I can do this”, she gasped, as Edward had knocked her to the ground once more. There she sat, on her back, legs crossed, staring at the sword lying next to her. Edward was breathing heavily as well, though in his case, it likely came from the fact that after a while it had to be quite exhausting to beat her up. And beaten her up, that's what he had done. Sadie felt every strike, every blow and she knew, this night she'd fall into bed bruised and bloodied. Warm blood was running down her forehead and she could taste it in her mouth.
“Get up!”, Edward ordered her harshly, his voice reminding her of her old drill sergeant. “You're not done here!” She frowned, yet his voice, the commanding tone in it, it forced her to comply, as instinctively as she moved her right arm to strike. It was wrong, all wrong, her strikes clumsy and childish. At the very least parrying worked though, the movement and reflexes weren't fundamentally different from what she was used to do with a shield. Yet she knew, even this would change once she'd strap a shield to her right arm. If she'd ever dare to do it.
Tears streamed down her face, partially out of the physical pain Edward's blows caused her. She felt her ribs, the bruises on her arms and her head was thumping. The rest of her outburst was anger and sorrow, yet with every strike Edward took at her, the anger grew and the sorrow, well, it did not fade, but it took a step back, drowned beneath the far more burning sensation of rage.
With a growl, she took a step towards him as she parried another of his strikes, ramming her knee against his upper leg. The ferocity surprised him, as he groaned,staggering backwards. And then, she was above him, bringing her sword down upon him again and again. As expected, the strikes were weaker than she wanted them to be and lacked any finesse. Though surprised by her attacks, Edward managed to parry them all, with barely any effort.
“Good!”, he complimented her. “Very good!” He knocked her sword aside, grabbing his two-handed and slamming the hilt against her chest, instantly pressing the air from her lungs. Coughing and gasping, Sadie staggered backwards, before sinking to the ground once again, laying down in exhaustion.
Edward was smirking. “Far better than expected”, he said and she raised an eyebrow. “That was better than you expected?”, she asked, almost taking offence at his words. Truth be told, it was better than she expected as well, if only because she hadn't expected anything from herself. The result might not have been much better, as she hadn't laid a single true hit on Edward, but still, more than she would have guessed.
“Well, look here”, a familiar, deep voice sounded from behind her, the man speaking casting a shadow. As she tilted her head a bit to glance over her shoulder, she spotted the large frame of Leonard Hill looming over her. He was clad in his armour, a lion's pelt as a short cloak draped around his shoulders, his arms crossed. Beneath his bearded face, she spotted a smile. “Didn't expect you to be so lively today”
Sadie sighed. “Didn't expect it either”, she admitted, covering her face with her hand. “Might have been a mistake” Edward shook his head. “She did good for the first time”, he spoke and Leo nodded. “So I've seen”, he admitted, before he glanced at his tent. “I want both of you in there in a minute” With this order, he walked away from the scene, leaving Sadie and Edward to regain their breath.
“It was better than expected”, Edward repeated, offering his hand to pull her up. She accepted, staggering towards a nearby crate, which she sat on. He threw her a small linen towel, which she used to wipe away the blood and tears from her face. “It's hopeless”, she mumbled and Edward shook his head.
“It will take some time”, he spoke. “But you're not the first I see who has to learn to fight with the left” He came closer, sitting next to her on the crate. “The man I learned to fight under was a sellsword captain, goes by the name Arstan Kalloway”, he explained. “He lost his right hand years before I first met him and yet he fought better with the left than I do with the right” He patted her on the back and she coughed. “And if that doesn't work for you... I have met a man once. Gunther was his name, though most called him Bladehand, fittingly so”, he spoke. “Another fighter who lost his right hand. He is worth shit with his left, but where some who lost theirs have an iron hand, he wore a blade, like a hook, but far more useful in combat. Admittedly, the man was a savage, unfortunately still is, I presume, but no one can deny his worth in a fight” He smiled. “And what is with those that were born left handed?”
Sadie chuckled dryly, groaning as a new wave of pain flashed through her head. “Wonderful”, she said flatly, before she rose from the crate. “Well, I suppose we shouldn't leave Leo waiting” Edward gave her a wordless nod, as he followed and both entered the commander's tent.
Leo was waiting for them, leaning over his table and looking at a map, one Sadie recognized as showing the Reyne lands. She had seen the same in his tent before. Rhogarn Snow was sitting on a chair next to him and in the corner, leaning against a post, there was a third man, one Sadie only briefly knew, having seen him in Leo's company before, but always from afar. He was older than any person in this tent, almost in his forties probably. With a bald head and a scruffy, black beard, he had something wild about him, his physique only adding to this air of danger that surrounded him. Several iron rings were embedded in the soft tissue of both ears and his muscular build was visible under his black vest.
“Ah, glad you could make it”, Leo spoke, before he glanced at the man. “Sadie, I am not sure if you have met Aklen Pentas before” Sadie shook her head and Aklen glared at her, with a look that she considered equal parts cold and condescending. “Well, you have now”, Leo continued. “Aklen, this is Sadie Wade. Sadie, Aklen is one of my captains, specialized in inter...”
“Torture”, Aklen cut him off with a growl. “Let's not paint this in a better light, Hill” He looked at Sadie. “I'm the guy that you get to meet if you betray the Forgotten”, he explained. “And today, I'm the guy who rides with Leo to Castamere”
“Aklen knows the castle, he served there for a while”, Leo explained and a slight grin formed on Aklen's face. “They didn't pay enough”, he spoke and Leo rolled his eyes. “He and Rhogarn will come with me when we return to the castle. We will have an audience with Mileena Reyne, the Lady of Castamere”
“What does that have to do with me?”, Sadie asked and Leo smiled at her. “I would like to have you by my side there”, he told her. “Aklen knows the castle and Lady Reyne. Rhogarn can negotiate a deal, but you are something neither of them has ever been”
“A cripple?”, Aklen asked dryly and every person in the tent shot him a glare. “A soldier”, Leo replied, not averting his gaze from Aklen, before slowly moving it back to Sadie, who had tensed up. “But more than that, I want you there with me because I think it'll be good for you to do something else than just sulking in your tent”
“I just did”, Sadie answered. “I trained with Edward” Leo gave her a nod. “Aye, but I want a third companion when I leave for Castamere”, he told her. “If you refuse, I'll take Edward with me” Sadie pressed her lips together. “If I come with you, I'll have to leave Melanie without supervision”, she said.
To this, Edward shook his head. “I believe what Leo means to say is, I can take care of that as well”, he offered. “If you want to go, then go. You'll be back before nightfall and until then, I can keep your sister out of trouble. Make sure she won't get anywhere near Gyles” Sadie narrowed her eyes. “Or Blane”, she hissed and Edward smiled. “Or Blane”, he promised, as he gave her a curious look. “So, what do you say?”
[Ride with Leo to Castamere][Stay at the camp]
Richard
“This will hurt a bit”, Mathea said, not for the first time and Kersea once more bit down onto the piece of wood Richard had given her. Cold sweat was running down her forehead, as Mathea leant over her wound. She had stitched her up well, though every time the needle punctured the flesh, Kersea's eyes momentarily widened with pain.
“There, you'll live”, she assured her and Kersea clenched her fists into the bedsheets. The sheets were ruined, of course, stained with blood, but that was beyond the point. Deep down, Richard felt a strange relief that Mathea was able to do something, even if it came to the painful process of cutting away infected flesh, downright cauterizing the wound with a hot knife and sewing the rest back together. It'd leave a gruesome scar just below her ribs, but Kersea herself could be thankful to be still alive”
It was way past sunset already, the darkness looming outside, while it was uncomfortably warm and bright from a dozen candles in the room, which Mathea had insisted on. If anything, Richard had to admit that she could be very strict in her demands, accepting nothing less than what she considered absolutely necessary. Anything to save the life of a woman she barely knew and had even less reason to trust.
“How are you feeling now?”, Richard asked, towards Kersea, who rolled her eyes. Removing the wood from her mouth, she gasped for air. “Did you really just ask this?”, she groaned. “I got a hot knife pressed onto my flesh” She gave Mathea a weak smile. “You would have made a fine butcher, you know that?”, she mumbled. “But thank you... just... thank you”
Mathea smiled in return. “I can give you something against the pain”, she told her. “Milk of the Poppy. Not much, but you will sleep for a bit, deep and dreamless” Weakly, Kersea shook her head. “I never trusted that stuff”, she replied, her voice thin and stressed. “Clayton loved it. Forced us to take it as well when we were wounded and I... well, never could be sure what would happen while I was asleep”
“Clayton?”, Mathea asked and Kersea sighed. “A man I once knew...”, she explained. “Probably dead by now” The name was familiar to Richard as well. She had told her about him, about what he did, his role in the events that led to the current situation and worse, she also told him about the man's fate and that his death was anything but certain. Having a killer of his finesse running around these lands, no matter how crippled, it was one of the thoughts that kept him up at night.
“Will this suffice?”, he asked, spying the work Mathea had done on the wound. The healer gave him a nod. “I am surprised”, she admitted. “It hasn't been as bad as it looked like, albeit that's partially thanks to her” She smiled at Kersea. “It's been a long time since I had a patient like you. Lying still, not twitching, not complaining”, she complimented her. “If you would have moved while I was cutting, this would have been a lot harder”
“Keeping still”, Kersea said. “Keeping silent. I know how this works” She sighed. “If... if we are done here, I would really like to rest for a bit” Richard glanced at the sheets. “I'd have to change them”, he said, but Mathea shook her head. “Not today”, she spoke. “She's exhausted. Let her rest for a bit, change the sheets in the morning”
Finally, she pulled out a set of bandages and Kersea rolled her eyes. “This has to be”, the healer told her sternly, as she began to wrap them around her belly. The area that covered the actual wound was doused in alcohol, a clear, sharp and likely bafflingly strong beverage, the kind that could knock out an ox. Kersea groaned with pain as it touched her freshly stitched up skin, but said nothing.
Mathea noticed Richard questioning glance. “If I'd use anything dirty near the wound, she'd get an infection”, she explained. “Alcohol kills the infection” She smiled thinly. “A little trick I learned from the man who taught me all this”, she added and gave Kersea a nod. “Now we're done. Rest easy. I shall check up on you in two days”
Kersea smiled, as her head sank into the pillow. She closed her eyes and her breaths became more relaxed, as exhaustion finally took its toll. Richard's thoughts wandered to Leonard, who had to hide in the cold toolshed this entire time, wrapped only in a blanket. But it was better this way, surely. Mathea was someone he was willing to trust, now more than ever, but even then, he didn't want to drag her into all this. It was enough that Jenna was involved, but that had been inevitable, really. The last thing he needed was to worry for yet someone else.
Wordlessly, they walked out of the room, after Mathea blew out some of the candles, that was. Carrying one of the remaining ones into the main room, she put it onto the windowsill, as Richard closed the door to Kersea's room. Sighing with relief, Mathea sank down onto the nearest chair, yawning heavily.
“This was bad”, she admitted. “Half of the time, I was sure I'd make a mistake. And a single one could have killed her, one wrong cut” Richard raised an eyebrow. “I didn't know it has been that bad”, he spoke and Mathea gave him a nod. “I didn't want to frighten her”, she revealed. “But this was terrible. Make sure the wound will not reopen. I am not sure if I can do this again, especially not here”
“Sorry for that”, Richard admitted. “I know this put a lot of stress onto you” Mathea shot him a mild glare. “You have no idea”, she spoke in a tired tone. “You told me this was better for her, so I trust you. But Richard, you should think about the situation. If she mustn't be seen by some people in the city, wouldn't it be better if you bring her somewhere else?”
“Where would that be?”, Richard asked and Mathea shrugged. “Lindenhill maybe?”, she asked. “It's close enough. I know a family there that owes me for curing their daughter's cough. They could keep her hidden until she's able to move on by herself”
“Lindenhill might not be far enough”, Richard brought up. He had heard the knews from Jenna, that Lord Vyrwel was in contact with Hern Camberlyng, lord of the neighbouring lands. Besides, he was not willing to drag anyone else into this mess. What little Mathea had learned from the surgery was already dangerous to her.
“Well, I'll be back in two days”, the healer said. “You'll have time to think about it until then. Maybe speak to her as well” She glanced out of the window and Richard put a hand onto her shoulder, noticing how she tensed up. “Let me drive you home”, he offered. “It's faster with the cart and you won't be alone out there”
She shook her head. “That's not it”, she whispered. “I mean, yes, I accept, but someone is coming...” Richard quickly glanced to the nearest thing even resembling a weapon, a long knife on the table. Yet before he was able to reach for it, he heard a familiar mumbling, the voice slurred and barely intelligible, yet clearly not a threat.
“It's Alan”, he groaned, rolling his eyes. “About time he comes home” Mathea sighed. “I was hoping your brother left the city by now”, she admitted. “I bet Oldtown would suit someone like him” It was surprisingly open criticism coming from her, a testimony for how badly Alan had annoyed her.
The door flung open and Richard's brother staggered in, a wide, drunken smile on his face, which only grew wider as he spotted Mathea. “Well, hello there”, he said, raising an eyebrow in a suggestive way, while Mathea sighed. Alan spotted Richard, spreading his arms. “Brother!”, he greeted him loudly, shouting out into the night through the open door. “I wasn't aware you have a guest” He grinned at Mathea, widely and obnoxiously. “Tried to hide her from me, didn't you?”
Mathea crossed her arms, glaring at Alan. “If it's not a problem, I would like to leave now”, she said, looking towards Richard, who in turn stared daggers at his brother. “But why has she been here in the first place?”, Alan asked and Richard narrowed his eyes. “None of your business”, he snarled.
Alan's eyes widened. “Oooh, it's because of that killer, right?”, he asked and Mathea raised an eyebrow, glancing at Richard, who remained silent. “Yeah”, Alan added. “Figured she'd cause more trouble. And it won't stop, you know” He looked at Mathea. “Is she dead?”
“Sleeping”, Mathea replied briefly and Alan shrugged. “What a shame”, he said, as Richard took a step towards him, grabbing him by the collar and lifting him up about an inch. “Where have you been all day?”, he growled and Alan's eyes widened. “Let go of me!”, he demanded sharply and with the initial anger gone as quickly as it came, Richard did so indeed.
Alan took a step back, straightening his coat. “I was drinking”, he said and Richard raised an eyebrow. “The whole day?”, he growled. “And from which coin” Alan, now with a glare on his face as well, took a step towards him. “Mine”, he said and Richard tensed up. “Where have you gotten coin from?”, he asked and Alan shook his head. “Oh, that is none of your bloody business”, he spoke. Richard threw a quick look at Mathea, who seemed visibly uncomfortable with this scene. “If it's not too much an inconvenience, I would really like to go now”, she said.
[Demand an answer from Alan][Don't demand an answer]
Comments
Can I ask what story you're referring to submitting a character for?
Why yes, of course
You know the story, it's for Path of Honour, where I have submitted only one character so far, with this second character being planned to be an addition to my first. Hopefully I get that done today as well, I've been sitting on the character for days now.
Drent
Drent took a deep breath, looking at the Storm Princess and her father and he knew, he had to do the right thing here. “It's not true”, he mumbled and Emphryus shot him a sharp glare. “Golton...”, he mumbled, putting a hand against his chest, while both, Argilac and Argella looked at him in surprise, even if it was unlikely that either fully understood his mumbling.
Now slightly furious Drent shook the hand off. “No”, he growled towards the knight and Emphryus sighed, before he looked back at his king and princess. Argella seemed surprised, more so than her father, who, to Drent's relief, was looking more intrigued than angry. “What she just said, it's not true”, he repeated.
Argella raised her eyebrows in surprise and Drent clenched his fists. “You should have seen her, your grace”, he spoke. “A sword in her hand and fury in her eyes. She looked... beautiful. Regal. A leader, a ruler. A queen” He shook his head and the words came more freely now. “So many would have died if not for her. There was no obligation to save them and yet she did it without hesitating”, he explained. “You should have seen her, your grace. She didn't shame you, or this kingdom. If there ever is a queen I shall follow, she's standing here next to you”
He gulped, noticing how loud his voice had gotten, how silent everyone else and how they were all looking at him. The Storm King furrowed his brows, before taking a step towards him. Behind him, Argella was staring at him, wide-eyed, completely baffled and he couldn't tell if this was a good or bad thing.
However, he was able to interpret the look on Argilac's face. The king was looking stern, as he put a hand on Drent's shoulder. “I remember you”, he said. “One of the men I chose to guard my daughter” He glanced over his shoulders, now a smile forming on his face. “You did a good job, soldier”, he spoke, before patting him on the back and fully turning to his daughter again. “You've always been hard on yourself, Gella”, he told her. “But no matter what, you convinced this one”
He glanced at the rest of the soldiers, still standing in the centre of the Great Hall. “What about you?”, he growled. “Do you agree with him?” A brief moment of silence followed, until Edonia stepped forward. “I do!”, she proclaimed loudly. Torrence followed and after him, they all chimed in, everyone but Garen, whom Drent noticed kept silent.
“This is settled then”, Argilac said, a slight smile of pride on his face, as he looked at Argella. She was pale, her fists clenched, as she looked at her soldiers with wide eyes. And yet there was a smile, an expression of reluctantly accepted praise. “I...”, she started, though her father interrupted her gently. “You failed them when they say you failed them”, he spoke. “And it seems you did anything but”
Argella gulped notably, blinking quickly before smiling at her father and then past him, at Drent, if only for a second. “I... understand”, she said, as Argilac grabbed her forearm, raising it high up. “Your princess has returned and as it seems, she has been mightily successful!”, he roared. “So you better bow!”
This time, not a single man in the hall lacked respect. They bowed, all but the king, and even he lowered his head, while Argella looked on, baffled, yet visibly moved. Her eyes met Drent's and she reciprocated his smile, as her lips formed a silent “Thank you”.
Slowly, they got up again and Argilac let go of his daughter. He gave her a hearty pat on the back, before glancing at Drent. “That was brazen”, he whispered, his voice low. “You better get back in line now, maybe I won't take offence to it then” The look in his eyes was stern, yet there was something Drent preferred to interpret as respect. Quickly, and under the judging eyes of Argilac and Emphryus, he hurried back to the rest of the soldiers, finding a place in the front row, between Torrence and Edonia.
The latter flashed him a quick smile. “That was brave”, she complimented him, while Torrence rolled his eyes. “And monumentally stupid”, he whispered. “Could have backfired so badly, that might have been fun to watch” He grinned at this, before they all focussed back on the king.
“Now... with that out of the way, care to introduce me to our guests?”, Argella asked, her voice trying to sound particularly calm, even if it was almost cracking. She had a hard time containing the smile on her face, though there was a hint of concern as well.
Argilac sighed. “Ah, yes”, he spoke and even from afar, Drent saw the smile beneath his beard fading. “You already know Bernard Buckler, the heir to Bronzegate” He glared at the young man, who smiled pridefully, again nodding his head to the princess. “The man to his right is Warrick Fell, heir to Fellwood and the man to his left is Jonathan Errol, second in line to Haystack Hall”
“I could have guessed that much”, Argella chirped, as she stepped around the table, to the free chair next to her father's throne. She looked at the young Errol man, probably a couple years younger than her even, whereas Warrick Fell seemed the oldest of the trio, maybe closer to Drent in age. Both looked considerably less smug than Bernard Buckler, in case of Warrick even almost bored.
“I... um...”, the Storm King stuttered and Argella raised an eyebrow at the rare loss of composure from her father. “Perhaps it is better if we make further introductions in private” A sly smile, as confident as always, reappeared on Argella's face. “Oh, it's that embarrassing?”, she asked and instantly turned to Bernard Buckler.
“You”, she said and Bernard sat firmly. “Why are you here, Bucky?” Bernard's smirk turned into a slight frown, though he quickly regained his composure, giving her a grin most charming, a sight that caused Drent to clench his fists. “Well, my princess, we have been sent on order of your father, each of us accomplished and virtuous, to court you”
Argella's smile faded instantly, while Drent narrowed his eyes. Behind him, he heard Garen softly chuckling, yet he focussed entirely on what was happening at the table now. “That was... very subtle, Bernard”, Warrick Fell mumbled dryly, while Argella glared from each of them to her father. “Are you serious?”, she barked, loud enough for the entire hall to hear it.
Argilac sighed. “And that is why I wanted to deal with this in private”, he groaned, before he took a deep breath, facing his still indignant daughter. “Which is, in fact, what we are going to do, right now” He looked from Argella to the three men. “Gella, with me. You three as well”, he ordered. “And Maester Qoherys”
The tall Valyrian nodded in silence, as he got up from his chair. The three supposed suitors followed his example, while Argella rolled her eyes. “If you think you can decide on this so easily, you're mistaken”, she hissed, though she followed his orders. At last, Landry Swann followed without having gotten the order, remaining at his king's side and if the look the Storm Princess had on her face was any indicator, his protection might be needed.
Before they all left the room, Argilac glanced at Emphryus. “My friend, you deal with the men my daughter brought with her. Make sure they settle in the barracks again”, he ordered and Emphryus saluted. “Baron, you are in charge of the hall. Begin the feast, we shall all join you shortly!”
Schodek grinned at that, before he clapped his hands. “Servants, you heard the man”, he roared, as the Storm King, his daughter and the rest of the entourage left the Great Hall for the deeper rooms. Emphryus meanwhile walked down the stars, glaring daggers at Drent. “You are an idiot”, he whispered as he stood in front of him.
“Are you judging me for this, Ser?”, Drent asked. “You would have done the same in my position” Emphryus gave him a nod. “Yes to both”, he said. “The difference is, I can speak up. I am in the position to do so” Harshly, he grabbed him by the shoulder, before forcing him to turn around. “Now, all of you out in the courtyard. You'll get to rest a bit!”
The soldiers were more than happy to follow his orders, as Drent and Emphryus followed shortly behind them. “I'm not saying you did wrong, but that was a stupid move”, he spoke. “Probably a good thing the king was in a good mood and what you were saying raised his spirits only further” He shook his head. “You're a fine soldier, but have you thought only for a second how badly this could have ended?”
“Doesn't matter”, Drent argued. “I had to do it. Couldn't let her do this to herself” Emphryus sighed. “Look, I don't disagree with the intention, but you were out of line and massively so”, he warned him. “It went well this time, doesn't mean it has to next time, if you choose to be stupid again” He shook his head. “It was admirable, but you have been so fucking lucky right there”, he continued. “Just learn that you don't have to hold her hand all the time”
Having passed through the massive doors of the Great Hall, he turned to the rest of the soldiers, walking past Drent and now leading them towards the barracks, on the far end of the courtyard. Now being at the end of the group, the one standing closest to Drent was also the one he wanted to see the least.
“You know, he's right”, Garen smirked, in a low tone so that the other soldiers couldn't hear him. He was still limping a bit from the injury Drent had accidentally inflicted on him, yet worse than that was his mood, which had gotten fouler than ever before, his comments more mean spirited. If he hadn't hated Drent before the incident, it was certain he did now. “That was pretty stupid of you. You should definitely learn to hide your crush”
Drent raised an eyebrow and remained silent, trying to calm his anger, though it turned out, Garen wasn't finished yet. “I mean, not that this'll be a problem for much longer”, he chuckled. “You think you're something better, we all saw it just now, but in the end, you're a common grunt, not the slightest bit better than any of us” He shrugged. “Your precious Storm Bitch will marry one of these assholes, or all three of them and neither she nor anyone else will waste a thought on you” As the sellsword spoke, Drent clenched his fists, staring at him with anger and frustration...
[Punch Garen] [Ignore him]
Willfred
Quickly, Willfred shook his head, even if he knew how barely persuasive he had to seem right now. “It's alright”, he said, lying through his teeth, giving Roger a weak smile. “I'm fine. Didn't sleep too well, but it's nothing” Roger raised an eyebrow. “I see...”, he mumbled in return, the disbelief obvious in his voice. Thankfully though, he decided to leave it at that, instead of pressing a matter Willfred was not yet ready to discuss. He felt relief at this, even if he realized that this relief came from having lied to his own uncle.
Still, he did not muster the strength to come clean and maybe this was for the better. What would Roger think if he'd learn of these nightmares, of the strange feeling that overcame him every time he looked at that box? Would he try to take it away? Willfred knew, he couldn't let this happen.
“So, you have asked for me?”, Willfred continued, as if nothing had happened. Roger gave him a nod. “Yes, that I have”, he said, his voice showing slight disappointment. “I think it is time we talk about this... Willfred, what exactly do you want to achieve here?”
Willfred raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”, he asked and Roger leant forwards on his chair. “It's just, I'm not sure”, he spoke. “Our mission is to support the Rock and, let me be clear, this is something Vashord and I both agree on. It's just, we are worried, boy. You work with the Lady Bellward now and we're afraid you lose sight of our goal”
“Lady Bellward and I have the same goal”, Willfred claimed and Roger shook his head. “That woman is out only for herself”, he said. “She surely doesn't have the Rock's best interests at heart. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she plans for you to take the fall for whatever she is planning to do”
His words were filled with genuine concern and even Willfred had to admit, from Roger's perspective, things likely looked that way. His uncle didn't know Helenys as well, had never met her. Willfred however was convinced that he had found an ally at last. And indeed, her voice at court had given Willfred time so far, time he had used to negotiate with the new lord. He shared Helenys' distrust of the man and his true intentions, but had to admit, he was miles more reasonable than Harris Flowers.
“It's not like that”, Willfred said and Roger shook his head. “It's always like that”, he spoke. “I know people like her, had to deal with them all my life. You're helping her get dirt on the new lord and as far as I know, you have even made some progress, but are you sure this will help the Rock? Are you sure this will help anyone but Lady Bellward?”
“If Lord Petyr cannot be trusted...”, Willfred said and Roger cut him off. “If he can be trusted, you are ruining your only chance at winning his help if you act against him here”, he warned him and Willfred gave him a nod. “You are right about that”, he admitted. “But Lady Helenys has done a lot to help us. If not for her, Vyrwel's thug, that Mullendore, would have thrown us out long ago”
“So, you're hoping for further help?”, Roger asked and to this, Willfred nodded again. “Whatever she can give us, it's clear she hasn't stopped being useful. So far, this has been a fruitful partnership and I hope to get more out of this. Her influence over Vyrwel can open a lot of doors”
Roger shook his head. “Does she have this influence though?”, he asked. “I had a talk with some people and they are sure that she is overplaying her own importance. This is a disaster waiting to blow up” This statement caught Willfred's curiosity. “What do you mean?”, he asked and Roger straightened his back. “My source says Helenys invested heavily in Lord Harris and his wildfire. The entire stock burned down during the raid and the acting lord with it”
“So, you say she's broke?”, Willfred asked and Roger nodded. “I fear she is. The coin she invested in the wildfire is gone and I am not sure if she can recover from this. She's acting like the great benefactor of Raylansfair, but it's only a matter of time until Petyr Vyrwel catches up to this”, he explained. This still did not satisfy him though. “Who is your source?”, he asked.
This time, Roger gulped, looking to the ground. “You gotta believe me there, she knows a lot”, he said and Willfred raised an eyebrow. “Whom?”, he asked again and Roger sighed. “One of the servants”, he admitted. “I... don't think that's all there is to her, aye, she knows too much to be just that. But the things she has told me are incredible. She has been right with all and I have no reason to doubt her on Helenys”
“So, some peasant has warned you about the only ally we have right now?”, Willfred asked and Roger rolled his eyes. “If you put it like that, it sounds crazy”, he complained, to which Willfred raised from his chair. “That's because it is”, he stated. “I at least have reason to trust Helenys, whereas you are literally trusting some peasant”
“As I said, I believe this Saerya is a bit more than that”, Roger explained. “Not like the other servants in the castle. She's too smart, too educated” Willfred sighed. “Right, as if that makes her any bit more trustworthy”, he spoke. “A mysterious peasant's words against a woman who has helped us a lot in the last two months, you expect me to believe any of this?”
“Then go and ask her”, Roger offered. “Go straight to Lady Helenys and confront her about this. Ask her how she plans on helping you, as her how much coin she has left. And watch her closely, boy, this might be the only chance you get at finding out the truth”
As much as he felt angered by Roger's questioning of their ally, Willfred had to admit, this sounded like a reasonable approach. “I actually wanted to meet her before noon”, he revealed. “Might be something I can talk about with her” He shrugged. “Though she won't like this, I guess at this point we've worked too close for her to drop us if I confront her about it. Just asking won't do any harm”
“My thought exactly”, Roger agreed, before he looked out of the window. “Albeit, if you're having a meeting with her scheduled for before noon, you should hurry” Willfred gulped, as his eyes widened. “Wait... is it that late already?”, he asked and Roger gave him a nod. Willfred put a hand onto his slightly aching head. “Fucking hells”, he moaned. “How long have I slept?”
“Too long, I'd say”, Roger stated nonchalantly. “And I'm afraid I haven't made things any better by keeping you here” He raised a finger. “Just, always keep in mind that if she kept this from you, then her real influence over Vyrwel is much smaller than she claims. Consider how far you're willing to trust a woman like that”
Willfred saluted. “Understood”, he spoke. “I'll ask her about this and I gotta say I'm curious what she says. If she's right... well, I still think she can help us, but maybe we have to renegotiate some aspects of our partnership”
Roger patted him on the back, as Willfred turned to the door. “Good boy”, he said and Willfred yawned, feeling the lack of any real rest more than ever. This was a terrible day to meet with Helenys Bellward. The woman had something about a hawk on her. The way she mustered him, watching and assessing his every move, as if she was looking for any sign of weakness, to use against him... Willfred had to admit, as he stepped out of Roger's room and into the hallways, his uncle's distrust against Helenys didn't come from nowhere. And yet, Willfred knew, his mission would have failed already without her and it would have been no one's fault but his own.
Jack was still waiting for him in the hallway. The one-eyed soldier glanced at him. “You're looking even more tired, Ser”, he commented. “Wish to go back to your room?” Willfred shook his head. “I have a long day ahead”, he said and yawned. “Lady Helenys Bellward is waiting for me and we're having a small meal together. After that, I shall speak to General Tallian”
“Can't say I envy you”, Jack mumbled. “But alright. Shall I walk with you?” Willfred smirked, before he shook his head. “I'm not that tired, Jack”, he said. “Don't be worried, I won't just drop down anytime soon” He put a hand onto his shoulder. “But thank you for your concern. Take the morning off, I'll send word to you and Prins once you're needed again”
Jack saluted and Willfred walked past him, down the hallway. Lady Helenys' room was located a floor below his, albeit the room itself was larger than his. As such, he approached the staircase, when he saw a man walking up. He stopped, standing firm as he recognized him. Tanned skin, brown hair, eyes as green as the hand on his tabard.
“Ser Kasyn”, he greeted him and Kasyn Luck smiled as he saw him. “Greetings, Ser Willfred”, he spoke. “Now, this is a coincidence. I was just on my way to speak to you” Willfred raised his eyebrows. “To me? What's the occasion?” Kasyn crossed his arms behind his back. “Just a few questions, nothing too wild”, he assured him. “But it occurred to me that you've been talking to Lord Petyr a lot lately and well, in the name of King Mern, I wanted to learn more about the nature of these talks”
Willfred sighed. A harmless few questions, probably far from it. However, this could be important. Then again, so was his meeting with Helenys and as he looked out of the window at the sun, he knew he was already running late. If anything, the lady wouldn't react kindly to him arriving too late, so he knew, he had to set priorities here.
[Agree to have a talk with Ser Kasyn] [Excuse yourself and meet with Helenys]
[Ignore him] While I would love to punch the daylights out of that guy for insulting Argella, is better not to get into more trouble now.
[Agree to have a talk with Ser Kasyn] His questions could give him an insight with Mern's intentions and Kasyn's personality better. While it is very interesting to know that Helenys has lost lots of money with the wildfire, is not something that is that urgent to know.
[Ignore him]
[Excuse yourself and meet with Helenys]
[Ignore him]
I'm still hoping for Drent and Garen to patch things up, no matter how unlikely.
[Excuse yourself and meet with Helenys]
Tardiness is a bad trait to have.
[Ignore Him]
No need to get in trouble once again for losing his temper. Besides, Drent has probably gotten used to Garen's craziness by this point to at least be able to tune him out. Perhaps mentioning the slight to another Stormlander and seeing what they do. =p
[Agree to have a talk with Ser Kasyn]
Helenys is a secondary objective to getting support for the Rock and who better to potentially send support to the Rock than Mern Gardener himself should Ser Kasyn become a friend. Besides I'm sure that if Willfred explained to Helen that he wasn't feeling well and was waylaid it would go over better than slighting a direct representative of the King of the Reach.
[Punch Garen]
[Excuse yourself and meet with Helenys]
[Ignore him]
[Agree to have a talk with Ser Kasyn]
Well, I'd say we definitely made the right choice speaking up in defense of Argella, it lead to a glorious and happy moment
Of course it's not a good idea to step out of line too often, but this was the right moment to do so, no matter what Emphryus says. I'll much rather have a bold and slightly reckless Drent than a silent grunt whom no one cares about.
[Ignore him] Eh, I don't want to give any attention to that egotistical asshat. He'll never stop talking shit anyway, better not give him the satisfaction of seeing that he got under Drent's skin.
[Agree to have a talk with Ser Kasyn] I'm really interested to get to know Ser Kasyn better, and perhaps learn what exactly is his task in Raylansfair. And while I think Helenys is an important ally to have right now, Ser Kasyn could be even more useful.
[Ignore him]
[Excuse yourself and meet with Helenys]
**[Ignore him] **
[Agree to have a talk with Ser Kasyn]
[Ignore him]
About the other choice I will give a vote tomorrow (maybe)
RT:
[Punch Garen] Garen has such a punchable face that it would be a real shame not to actually punch it. But damn he is a scumbag and maybe a little bit of toughness is exactly what he needs.
[Excuse yourself and meet with Helenys] Meh, we can always meet with Kasyn some other time. I'd rather prioritize the "ally" that we already have than someone who maybe could possibly become a potential ally.
Indeed, in this particular case, I would say you made the right choice. There will be few consequences now that Argilac overlooked it, albeit some of the more critical people at court, particularly Garen, are now more likely to see Drent as someone arrogant, who sees himself as more important than he truly is. Of course, it can be argued that their opinion doesn't really matter, compared to the royal favour Argella quite likely owes him for this
Ah, of course, whenever you want to. It currently seems to shape up to be a rather close vote, so you might very well influence the final outcome here
It's true, Drent got lucky. It was an admirable and brave thing to speak up to the king in front of the entire court, pretty much interrupting the princess by doing so, but that doesn't mean it has been a smart move. Many other rulers, even Argilac on a bad day, would have disciplined him for this or worse. He even got lucky twice, since due to the absence of a clear commanding officer responsible for him, the guy usually in charge of automatically disciplining him is currently not available.
Probably by her having no suitors anymore, that's what she hopes and Argilac fears. You know how she can be when she doesn't like something and this is something she outright hates. Almost makes me sad that there is no way for me to show the conversation. However, other things will be discussed as well and the results of it all will be revealed in time.
True, true, though Saerya is playing the long game here. It probably means she does not consider Helenys an ally and wants to keep her a small and manageable factor for her operations in Raylansfair. Her full reasons will definitely be hinted at in the future, maybe even outright revealed but when it comes to her, a lot she's doing won't make sense right away. Just, take my word for it, she is always pursuing a goal with every single thing she is doing.
Unlikely, yes, but I wouldn't say impossible. A lot of the current situation can be attributed to poor decisions from Book 1, as Garen is one to know how to hold a grudge (and basically ratting him out to Argella hasn't been the most friendly move from Drent to begin with), but given that Tariel is at least seeing something in him, there have to be other sides to him as well. Though getting back into his good graces will require a lot from Drent.
[Ignore him] Drent doesn't want to get into any more hot water than is needed.
[Excuse yourself and meet with Helenys] No need to anger our only friend in town. Plus, Kasyn is going to have to ask some Reachmen for answers. How dare he try to let some Rockman corrupt his purely Reach view of this magnificent Reach town of great, hard working Reachmen and women.
That's why you make new friends. So you don't have only ONE friend in town. Besides it would be an insult to the Reach to ignore it, if you look it diplomatically.
So is blowing off an envoy to a King, of a region that you're a guest in. wink
[Punch Garen] Let's make our old friend hate this, cause that's what interactive stories are all about.
[Agree to have a talk with Ser Kasyn] Must cause Mullendore as much trouble as possible. This will accomplish it. Or at least, get close to it. Be close with the Reachmen...
Hm. Saerya seems to think Helenys was into the wildfire. Mullendore was too. Very interesting...
[Ignore him] Nothing to be gained from punching him, it'll just add fuel to the fire.
[Excuse yourself and meet with Helenys] Gotta set priorities.
I really enjoyed that first part with Drent and Argella. I'm so proud of Drent and happy for Argella. I still can't help but loathe these suitors though. XD
I hope so too! Most readers seem to hate him but I actually like Garen. I don't appreciate his words in this particular part but I like him.
This is actually the reason why Helenys is in Raylansfair at all. It has been a minor detail in Chapter 7, that Harris called for her because of her connections and interest in exotic goods, such as wildfire, so that she can sell it for him and both get filthy rich in the process. She was basically crucial for Harris' big plan to rebuild Raylansfair, along with the wildfire itself, of course. The fact that she is still there after the death of Harris likely means that Petyr sees something of value in her even after the wildfire deal literally went up in flames.
Ah, I'm very glad you enjoyed this part
It was an important one for Drent's development and I'd say he has reason to be proud, as risky as this one was. And well, I expected your opinion about the suitors to stay the same 
That being said, maybe it helps a bit to know that they themselves are definitely not at Storm's End by their own choice, but they merely follow the orders of their fathers and their king. Admittedly, the title of prince consort they are offered here is nothing to refuse, but at the very least Warrick Fell doesn't even want to be there and would be very okay with the whole betrothal to never happen. Not even Bernard Buckler, who is the most outspoken of the trio, had a choice and possibly would have decided against even attempting to court Argella, though now that the choice has been made for him, he decides to approach the task with confidence. So, they might be a bit misblamed here, as the real betrothal is something that is primarily arranged between Argilac and the Lord Buckler, Errol and Fell, with the suitors getting only a minimal say in the matter.
It isn't anything personal. I more so hate what they represent and their purpose there is, than who they are as people. Plus I'm a bit of a jealous shipper. XD Drent/Argella! Do not threaten it or I shall strongly dislike you!
The Voting is closed!
Drent is going to ignore Garen
Willfred is going to meet with Helenys
The first choice was a very decisive one and probably one for the better. Rarely does it lead to good things if someone gives in to aggression. I'm not saying there is never a choice in which punching some jerk won't be the better option, but here, with so many people to witness, it might be advisable to keep things calm. With Willfred meanwhile, this was a very close choice. I don't have a preference there, as both options will lead to an interesting talk in the next part, but was curious which you would pick. The result couldn't have been closer and that comes from a voting that has been very active as well, so I'd say I will find something to do for Kasyn too, even if it won't be in Willfred's storyline.
The next part is hopefully going to be out today. I still have a lot of writing ahead and to make matters more difficult, you might have seen that the forums will be down for maintenance for some time later today. I do not know how long this maintenance is supposed to be, but if it is longer than usual, I might not be able to release the part until tomorrow. Furthermore, of course, time issues. I will try my best, but cannot promise anything. So, this next part is going to include a Sadie PoV, bit also likely a second one, which I have not decided on for now. Richard possibly, as I need to proceed with his storyline to start another important piece of this chapter, from Samantha's PoV. Or maybe Jenna, who offers another puzzle piece to the situation. Well, we'll see. Anyways, last time we have seen Sadie, she really hasn't been in a good situation, surprisingly. Only slowly coping with the loss of her hand and the status of her sister as an addict going cold turkey, she is isolating herself a bit from those around her. One of them, the sellsword Edward Lancaster, wishes to try something against this, taking up the task of teaching her how to fight with her left hand. However, he is not quite known for treating people with softness, so he already announced that he'd pretty much act like a drill sergeant if she takes up on his offer. Though fearing that the resulting beating will be very rough, Sadie accepted and this is where we'll start her next part. Coming for the second PoV, Richard is the most likely, featuring Mathea trying her best to heal Kersea's injuries, or maybe (but unlikely) Jenna learning more about the new Maester of Raylansfair, Eddard, and his apprentice Vali.
Oh boy. This update was very unexpected, wasn't it? I agree with what you said om the other discussion. PM system is good, this linear thing I'm no fan off, and for the love of Bacon, why did they decide to only keep the main post at the first page? It's ridiculous, and not in any way convinient for ANY thread on this website.
Oh man, that update. That has made a lot of things more confusing, those damn linear comments. I hope you are all still around and find your way here, because new parts will of course continue to come as usual. Damn, this will take a lot of time to get used to, especially navigating around, so I hope you all manage to see when a new part comes out
I wonder were you can submit characters now.
Or where are the character lists, is all so confusing for Pete's sake!
Go to 1st page, the main post is there.
This is incredibly confusing, I agree. You have to head back to the first page, I will continue to update the first post. Damn it, they could have at least kept the main post feature. But I will think of an alternative, already having some ideas. Be assured, making the story as accessible and easy to understand as possible remains one of my major goals while writing.
One thing you should do is, quote every comment you reply to by using a > before copying the part of the original post you wish to quote, that makes it slightly less confusing. Still, a major downgrade to how things used to be, I agree.
Holy fucking shit. This interface man. I seriously don't know what to make of it. There are positives and negatives but it feels so weird.
Now this thread has 276 pages instead of the 180- something we had. Nonetheless congrats. XD
Congrats on making it past 250 pages Liquid. I knew we would get there, but it happened faster than i expected........faster than anyone expected actually. I think even you are a bit confused. Anyway congrats!!!
Dude, what did they do with the forums?! This new visual for the threads looks pretty weird to me. Here I was expecting a normal forum maintenance and they drop this bomb...
Maybe its just me, but I gotta say that this new update was just as bad as all the others. Actually, to me this one was even worse, because now everything is confusing and weird. Hopefully I will get used to this in time, but right now I just feel like this was a huge downgrade.
Hopefully Telltale will change back soon when they see and realize that about 90% of the forum users hated the linear shit and the embedded subforums instead of all games on one page. AND BRING BACK A COLOUR FOR FUCKS SAKE! Why change a good concept, Telltale?
Hi everyone,
I received a message from Liquid saying the newest part is ready, however he is facing some Internet issues which makes posting impossible at this moment. He wants you to know that he will do his best to fix it as soon possible.
If I will get any new update, I will let you all know.
Where am I? What's happening? I was only asleep for a couple hours guys! Was there another Natural Disaster? Are we at war with somebody? But more importantly, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FORUMS??? The main post is now hidden in the deepest depths of the Forums, and now it is nearly impossible to see what message is replying to what! Holy moly guys, this sure is a doozy. At least we finally got to page 276!!! Woot woot everybody!
Alright then, my internet is working again! Thank you Mathea for giving the others this update. The new forum style, well, it's still shitty as hell and I hope there will eventually be a less confusing and bland design. Until then, I hope you all manage to see this new part. Next time I close the voting, I will also have a little something for you, to inform you on how I plan on keeping the main post present even when it is now no longer at the top of the thread.
Sadie
The sword felt unusually heavy in her hand, even if her left arm was used to lift the much heavier weight of a shield. It was an odd feeling, striking with her left, while there was the painful absence of any sensation in her right. That being said this was still better than the feeling she had in the morning, the pain that shouldn't have been there.
It wasn't the first time she held a sword with her left hand and some things were familiar still, even if it was all wrong at the same time. As such, she parried Edward's strike. It was softer than she expected, probably just a first test how much strength she even had left in her. Bringing it down, aiming for her head, she struck upwards, knocking his blade out of the way. A brief wave of confidence flashed through her, as she parried the second strike.
Edward gave her a grin and she noticed only too late that she reciprocated it, way too cocky, especially for her situation. Instantly, she regretted it, as Edward attacked again, this time from her right side. Out of instinct, she raised her right arm and the blunt blade cut through air, where usually her own sword would be. And then, Edward's sword hit her against the forehead.
Stumbling backwards, Sadie tried to put her right hand onto her thumping head. At least one thing she did right, as she used the left one to prevent herself form slamming onto the ground. Half kneeling, she had to pause for a moment until the pain in her head died down. Her smile was gone long before.
“What is it?”, Edward asked. “One little hit and you're out of the game already?” Sadie growled in return, partially tired, partially angry as she indeed jumped back up on her feet. Yet Edward did not wait. He already swung his blade, this time at her left upper arm. Her initial impulse was to parry with the sword in her right hand, yet this time, she quickly realized the error and managed to raise the real blade in her real hand.
Not enough to fully parry the sword, she at least deflected the blow, though the blunt tip still slammed into her ribs, causing her to gasp, then to cough. “Told you I wouldn't go easy on you”, Edward told her, as he nonetheless allowed her to stagger back. “Told you I wouldn't want it any other way”, Sadie replied with a grim tone in her voice.
And so they fought. With each weak blow from her side, each hasty, shoddy parade, each moment where Edward put a second hand onto the hilt of his sword, to attack with greater force, Sadie was made more and more aware of how little she could do. It was... more than she expected, to be honest, but disheartening all the same.
“I don't think I can do this”, she gasped, as Edward had knocked her to the ground once more. There she sat, on her back, legs crossed, staring at the sword lying next to her. Edward was breathing heavily as well, though in his case, it likely came from the fact that after a while it had to be quite exhausting to beat her up. And beaten her up, that's what he had done. Sadie felt every strike, every blow and she knew, this night she'd fall into bed bruised and bloodied. Warm blood was running down her forehead and she could taste it in her mouth.
“Get up!”, Edward ordered her harshly, his voice reminding her of her old drill sergeant. “You're not done here!” She frowned, yet his voice, the commanding tone in it, it forced her to comply, as instinctively as she moved her right arm to strike. It was wrong, all wrong, her strikes clumsy and childish. At the very least parrying worked though, the movement and reflexes weren't fundamentally different from what she was used to do with a shield. Yet she knew, even this would change once she'd strap a shield to her right arm. If she'd ever dare to do it.
Tears streamed down her face, partially out of the physical pain Edward's blows caused her. She felt her ribs, the bruises on her arms and her head was thumping. The rest of her outburst was anger and sorrow, yet with every strike Edward took at her, the anger grew and the sorrow, well, it did not fade, but it took a step back, drowned beneath the far more burning sensation of rage.
With a growl, she took a step towards him as she parried another of his strikes, ramming her knee against his upper leg. The ferocity surprised him, as he groaned,staggering backwards. And then, she was above him, bringing her sword down upon him again and again. As expected, the strikes were weaker than she wanted them to be and lacked any finesse. Though surprised by her attacks, Edward managed to parry them all, with barely any effort.
“Good!”, he complimented her. “Very good!” He knocked her sword aside, grabbing his two-handed and slamming the hilt against her chest, instantly pressing the air from her lungs. Coughing and gasping, Sadie staggered backwards, before sinking to the ground once again, laying down in exhaustion.
Edward was smirking. “Far better than expected”, he said and she raised an eyebrow. “That was better than you expected?”, she asked, almost taking offence at his words. Truth be told, it was better than she expected as well, if only because she hadn't expected anything from herself. The result might not have been much better, as she hadn't laid a single true hit on Edward, but still, more than she would have guessed.
“Well, look here”, a familiar, deep voice sounded from behind her, the man speaking casting a shadow. As she tilted her head a bit to glance over her shoulder, she spotted the large frame of Leonard Hill looming over her. He was clad in his armour, a lion's pelt as a short cloak draped around his shoulders, his arms crossed. Beneath his bearded face, she spotted a smile. “Didn't expect you to be so lively today”
Sadie sighed. “Didn't expect it either”, she admitted, covering her face with her hand. “Might have been a mistake” Edward shook his head. “She did good for the first time”, he spoke and Leo nodded. “So I've seen”, he admitted, before he glanced at his tent. “I want both of you in there in a minute” With this order, he walked away from the scene, leaving Sadie and Edward to regain their breath.
“It was better than expected”, Edward repeated, offering his hand to pull her up. She accepted, staggering towards a nearby crate, which she sat on. He threw her a small linen towel, which she used to wipe away the blood and tears from her face. “It's hopeless”, she mumbled and Edward shook his head.
“It will take some time”, he spoke. “But you're not the first I see who has to learn to fight with the left” He came closer, sitting next to her on the crate. “The man I learned to fight under was a sellsword captain, goes by the name Arstan Kalloway”, he explained. “He lost his right hand years before I first met him and yet he fought better with the left than I do with the right” He patted her on the back and she coughed. “And if that doesn't work for you... I have met a man once. Gunther was his name, though most called him Bladehand, fittingly so”, he spoke. “Another fighter who lost his right hand. He is worth shit with his left, but where some who lost theirs have an iron hand, he wore a blade, like a hook, but far more useful in combat. Admittedly, the man was a savage, unfortunately still is, I presume, but no one can deny his worth in a fight” He smiled. “And what is with those that were born left handed?”
Sadie chuckled dryly, groaning as a new wave of pain flashed through her head. “Wonderful”, she said flatly, before she rose from the crate. “Well, I suppose we shouldn't leave Leo waiting” Edward gave her a wordless nod, as he followed and both entered the commander's tent.
Leo was waiting for them, leaning over his table and looking at a map, one Sadie recognized as showing the Reyne lands. She had seen the same in his tent before. Rhogarn Snow was sitting on a chair next to him and in the corner, leaning against a post, there was a third man, one Sadie only briefly knew, having seen him in Leo's company before, but always from afar. He was older than any person in this tent, almost in his forties probably. With a bald head and a scruffy, black beard, he had something wild about him, his physique only adding to this air of danger that surrounded him. Several iron rings were embedded in the soft tissue of both ears and his muscular build was visible under his black vest.
“Ah, glad you could make it”, Leo spoke, before he glanced at the man. “Sadie, I am not sure if you have met Aklen Pentas before” Sadie shook her head and Aklen glared at her, with a look that she considered equal parts cold and condescending. “Well, you have now”, Leo continued. “Aklen, this is Sadie Wade. Sadie, Aklen is one of my captains, specialized in inter...”
“Torture”, Aklen cut him off with a growl. “Let's not paint this in a better light, Hill” He looked at Sadie. “I'm the guy that you get to meet if you betray the Forgotten”, he explained. “And today, I'm the guy who rides with Leo to Castamere”
“Aklen knows the castle, he served there for a while”, Leo explained and a slight grin formed on Aklen's face. “They didn't pay enough”, he spoke and Leo rolled his eyes. “He and Rhogarn will come with me when we return to the castle. We will have an audience with Mileena Reyne, the Lady of Castamere”
“What does that have to do with me?”, Sadie asked and Leo smiled at her. “I would like to have you by my side there”, he told her. “Aklen knows the castle and Lady Reyne. Rhogarn can negotiate a deal, but you are something neither of them has ever been”
“A cripple?”, Aklen asked dryly and every person in the tent shot him a glare. “A soldier”, Leo replied, not averting his gaze from Aklen, before slowly moving it back to Sadie, who had tensed up. “But more than that, I want you there with me because I think it'll be good for you to do something else than just sulking in your tent”
“I just did”, Sadie answered. “I trained with Edward” Leo gave her a nod. “Aye, but I want a third companion when I leave for Castamere”, he told her. “If you refuse, I'll take Edward with me” Sadie pressed her lips together. “If I come with you, I'll have to leave Melanie without supervision”, she said.
To this, Edward shook his head. “I believe what Leo means to say is, I can take care of that as well”, he offered. “If you want to go, then go. You'll be back before nightfall and until then, I can keep your sister out of trouble. Make sure she won't get anywhere near Gyles” Sadie narrowed her eyes. “Or Blane”, she hissed and Edward smiled. “Or Blane”, he promised, as he gave her a curious look. “So, what do you say?”
[Ride with Leo to Castamere] [Stay at the camp]
Richard
“This will hurt a bit”, Mathea said, not for the first time and Kersea once more bit down onto the piece of wood Richard had given her. Cold sweat was running down her forehead, as Mathea leant over her wound. She had stitched her up well, though every time the needle punctured the flesh, Kersea's eyes momentarily widened with pain.
“There, you'll live”, she assured her and Kersea clenched her fists into the bedsheets. The sheets were ruined, of course, stained with blood, but that was beyond the point. Deep down, Richard felt a strange relief that Mathea was able to do something, even if it came to the painful process of cutting away infected flesh, downright cauterizing the wound with a hot knife and sewing the rest back together. It'd leave a gruesome scar just below her ribs, but Kersea herself could be thankful to be still alive”
It was way past sunset already, the darkness looming outside, while it was uncomfortably warm and bright from a dozen candles in the room, which Mathea had insisted on. If anything, Richard had to admit that she could be very strict in her demands, accepting nothing less than what she considered absolutely necessary. Anything to save the life of a woman she barely knew and had even less reason to trust.
“How are you feeling now?”, Richard asked, towards Kersea, who rolled her eyes. Removing the wood from her mouth, she gasped for air. “Did you really just ask this?”, she groaned. “I got a hot knife pressed onto my flesh” She gave Mathea a weak smile. “You would have made a fine butcher, you know that?”, she mumbled. “But thank you... just... thank you”
Mathea smiled in return. “I can give you something against the pain”, she told her. “Milk of the Poppy. Not much, but you will sleep for a bit, deep and dreamless” Weakly, Kersea shook her head. “I never trusted that stuff”, she replied, her voice thin and stressed. “Clayton loved it. Forced us to take it as well when we were wounded and I... well, never could be sure what would happen while I was asleep”
“Clayton?”, Mathea asked and Kersea sighed. “A man I once knew...”, she explained. “Probably dead by now” The name was familiar to Richard as well. She had told her about him, about what he did, his role in the events that led to the current situation and worse, she also told him about the man's fate and that his death was anything but certain. Having a killer of his finesse running around these lands, no matter how crippled, it was one of the thoughts that kept him up at night.
“Will this suffice?”, he asked, spying the work Mathea had done on the wound. The healer gave him a nod. “I am surprised”, she admitted. “It hasn't been as bad as it looked like, albeit that's partially thanks to her” She smiled at Kersea. “It's been a long time since I had a patient like you. Lying still, not twitching, not complaining”, she complimented her. “If you would have moved while I was cutting, this would have been a lot harder”
“Keeping still”, Kersea said. “Keeping silent. I know how this works” She sighed. “If... if we are done here, I would really like to rest for a bit” Richard glanced at the sheets. “I'd have to change them”, he said, but Mathea shook her head. “Not today”, she spoke. “She's exhausted. Let her rest for a bit, change the sheets in the morning”
Finally, she pulled out a set of bandages and Kersea rolled her eyes. “This has to be”, the healer told her sternly, as she began to wrap them around her belly. The area that covered the actual wound was doused in alcohol, a clear, sharp and likely bafflingly strong beverage, the kind that could knock out an ox. Kersea groaned with pain as it touched her freshly stitched up skin, but said nothing.
Mathea noticed Richard questioning glance. “If I'd use anything dirty near the wound, she'd get an infection”, she explained. “Alcohol kills the infection” She smiled thinly. “A little trick I learned from the man who taught me all this”, she added and gave Kersea a nod. “Now we're done. Rest easy. I shall check up on you in two days”
Kersea smiled, as her head sank into the pillow. She closed her eyes and her breaths became more relaxed, as exhaustion finally took its toll. Richard's thoughts wandered to Leonard, who had to hide in the cold toolshed this entire time, wrapped only in a blanket. But it was better this way, surely. Mathea was someone he was willing to trust, now more than ever, but even then, he didn't want to drag her into all this. It was enough that Jenna was involved, but that had been inevitable, really. The last thing he needed was to worry for yet someone else.
Wordlessly, they walked out of the room, after Mathea blew out some of the candles, that was. Carrying one of the remaining ones into the main room, she put it onto the windowsill, as Richard closed the door to Kersea's room. Sighing with relief, Mathea sank down onto the nearest chair, yawning heavily.
“This was bad”, she admitted. “Half of the time, I was sure I'd make a mistake. And a single one could have killed her, one wrong cut” Richard raised an eyebrow. “I didn't know it has been that bad”, he spoke and Mathea gave him a nod. “I didn't want to frighten her”, she revealed. “But this was terrible. Make sure the wound will not reopen. I am not sure if I can do this again, especially not here”
“Sorry for that”, Richard admitted. “I know this put a lot of stress onto you” Mathea shot him a mild glare. “You have no idea”, she spoke in a tired tone. “You told me this was better for her, so I trust you. But Richard, you should think about the situation. If she mustn't be seen by some people in the city, wouldn't it be better if you bring her somewhere else?”
“Where would that be?”, Richard asked and Mathea shrugged. “Lindenhill maybe?”, she asked. “It's close enough. I know a family there that owes me for curing their daughter's cough. They could keep her hidden until she's able to move on by herself”
“Lindenhill might not be far enough”, Richard brought up. He had heard the knews from Jenna, that Lord Vyrwel was in contact with Hern Camberlyng, lord of the neighbouring lands. Besides, he was not willing to drag anyone else into this mess. What little Mathea had learned from the surgery was already dangerous to her.
“Well, I'll be back in two days”, the healer said. “You'll have time to think about it until then. Maybe speak to her as well” She glanced out of the window and Richard put a hand onto her shoulder, noticing how she tensed up. “Let me drive you home”, he offered. “It's faster with the cart and you won't be alone out there”
She shook her head. “That's not it”, she whispered. “I mean, yes, I accept, but someone is coming...” Richard quickly glanced to the nearest thing even resembling a weapon, a long knife on the table. Yet before he was able to reach for it, he heard a familiar mumbling, the voice slurred and barely intelligible, yet clearly not a threat.
“It's Alan”, he groaned, rolling his eyes. “About time he comes home” Mathea sighed. “I was hoping your brother left the city by now”, she admitted. “I bet Oldtown would suit someone like him” It was surprisingly open criticism coming from her, a testimony for how badly Alan had annoyed her.
The door flung open and Richard's brother staggered in, a wide, drunken smile on his face, which only grew wider as he spotted Mathea. “Well, hello there”, he said, raising an eyebrow in a suggestive way, while Mathea sighed. Alan spotted Richard, spreading his arms. “Brother!”, he greeted him loudly, shouting out into the night through the open door. “I wasn't aware you have a guest” He grinned at Mathea, widely and obnoxiously. “Tried to hide her from me, didn't you?”
Mathea crossed her arms, glaring at Alan. “If it's not a problem, I would like to leave now”, she said, looking towards Richard, who in turn stared daggers at his brother. “But why has she been here in the first place?”, Alan asked and Richard narrowed his eyes. “None of your business”, he snarled.
Alan's eyes widened. “Oooh, it's because of that killer, right?”, he asked and Mathea raised an eyebrow, glancing at Richard, who remained silent. “Yeah”, Alan added. “Figured she'd cause more trouble. And it won't stop, you know” He looked at Mathea. “Is she dead?”
“Sleeping”, Mathea replied briefly and Alan shrugged. “What a shame”, he said, as Richard took a step towards him, grabbing him by the collar and lifting him up about an inch. “Where have you been all day?”, he growled and Alan's eyes widened. “Let go of me!”, he demanded sharply and with the initial anger gone as quickly as it came, Richard did so indeed.
Alan took a step back, straightening his coat. “I was drinking”, he said and Richard raised an eyebrow. “The whole day?”, he growled. “And from which coin” Alan, now with a glare on his face as well, took a step towards him. “Mine”, he said and Richard tensed up. “Where have you gotten coin from?”, he asked and Alan shook his head. “Oh, that is none of your bloody business”, he spoke. Richard threw a quick look at Mathea, who seemed visibly uncomfortable with this scene. “If it's not too much an inconvenience, I would really like to go now”, she said.
[Demand an answer from Alan] [Don't demand an answer]