I really liked Saltmouth this part! Oh boy was he entertaining. And that surprise at the end, oh boy, he must have some sort of secret knowledge on him if he knows about a unimportant person, at least on paper, like Jenna.
Very happy you enjoy him, that is the most important thing I had fun writing him as well, so that's an added bonus. And well, Vali seems to be well-connected, considering that he knows about Jenna, but then again, Jenna has probably attracted attention from unexpected sources by now. She can't expect to alway be the unassuming girl in the background that no one pays any attention to, not with how much she has influenced. She has been quite instrumental in bringing down Septon Corbin and through that has actually triggered a chain reaction, leading to Harris losing a lot of support and Sherryl finding herself forced to take a more active role (Because originally, it was supposed to be Corbin who had orders to kill Argella). That and her work with a Targaryen spy are some notable traits and it seems Vali has contacts who have brought at least something of importance about Jenna to his ears.
Poor ol Eaton getting replaced with nothing to remember him by. He was too good for this world, and now Quent is sending his least favorite blue haired apprentice to go replace him, funny how things work out.
Actually, in a weird way, Vali is upholding the tradition here. One Archmaester decades before Quent (not his immediate predecessor, but more like the predecessor of his predecessor's predecessor) has done the very same, he sent the wild, arrogant and seemingly untalented Eaton to Raylansfair, which is a big reason why Quent, hard-working and dutiful, felt very bitter about this all. And while Eaton had notable problems in the beginning (such as his lack of healing skills leading to him being unable to save Morna Raylan's life from wounds she could have been able to survive with proper help), he eventually became the best they could hope for. There's no one stopping Vali from eventually becoming similar to him.
Gotta uphold Jaron's morals, or else the whole Yunkai Bros trip is going to be a morally ambiguous party Jaron has to retain to at least some of his knightly morals that made him such a noticeable character in the piss hole named Oldtown.
Hm, you are right, Jaron has certainly more morals than people such as John and Temari have. He has compromised some of his values during his time in Oldtown, but even then, I would say that he remains the least morally ambiguous of his party, when compared to people such as John, Temari and especially Samuel, who used to be a fullblown villain after all. So, I can confirm that Jaron still has a long way to go to become like his new sellsword companions.
Ayden is hitting up the club with the boys, and boy is the wifey going to be upset. I hope we get a happy storyline in Oldtown, where all the families are having the occasional book club meeting to discuss the social issues afflicting their town, and Ayden is there thinking,"Shit, I think I actually miss the criminal life." as the parents drone on and on about Hightower's latest clothing choice at his last ball, and where to get the best milk in the market.
Surely, Taria will not be happy with his hopefully final detour before they settle down for good. Sure, Ayden is not putting himself into too much danger here, but she is very critical of any bit of relation to his old life as a sellsword. Ayden meanwhile, he might actually indeed miss his former profession, yet feels obliged to his young family to stay out of trouble, pick up honest work and make a living without constantly risking his life. If this is truly possible for a man that has spent his entire professional life as a hired killer remains to be seen.
EDIT: Huh, it appears this comment started a new page, what a shame. So, for those directly getting here instead of the part, for whatever reason, take this quick link to get back to the part on Page 278:
[Confront Vali] We gotta catch him while he is still in our grasps. I doubt there will be a better chance than this to get to him, seeing ho… morew he is going to be preoccupied helping Eddard out with their maester stuff. I really liked Saltmouth this part! Oh boy was he entertaining. And that surprise at the end, oh boy, he must have some sort of secret knowledge on him if he knows about a unimportant person, at least on paper, like Jenna. I wonder what two Forresters are doing in Oldtown, and why they are working with the morally dubious Tavner. That along with Aryana and Degore on their hunt for their kid leads me to believe that one of their first stops is going to be in Oldtown. Poor ol Eaton getting replaced with nothing to remember him by. He was too good for this world, and now Quent is sending his least favorite blue haired apprentice to go replace him, funny how things work out.
[Decline to kill Ryder] Gotta uphold Jaron's morals, or… [view original content]
Jenna
She groaned under the heavy weight, as she carried the crate up the stairs, even though Vali was carrying twice the amount without … morecomplaining. Beneath his lanky frame, there was a surprising strength and to be fair, Jenna had never been one to lift heavy weights. As so, she was mostly dragging herself up the stairs, while Vali seemed to do it with ease.
“So, I did not expect to get any help”, the young man said, briefly glancing over his shoulders to give her a bright smile. “And for someone as tiny as you, you make a pretty good job” Jenna raised an eyebrow. “Thanks...”, she mumbled. “I guess?”
He nodded. “Yeah, that was very much a compliment”, he claimed. Jenna pressed her lips together, sighing as she pushed herself up another set of stairs. “Can I ask you something?”, she asked as they stopped in front of Maester Eddard's quarters. She remembered when they still belonged to Eaton and it felt like a lifetime ago that the k… [view original content]
[Report back to Saerya] Vali is a friend, not food
[Decline to kill Ryder] I am done dealing with Samuel Harrington or his nutjob brother, they can go bugger off. I don't care about this secret reason or whatever. More time wasted means bad stuff for our enslaved friends.
or that charlatan Wulvren
Heheheh.
I mentally read Vali's lines with a strong Irish accent, and it's quite amusing.
Jenna
She groaned under the heavy weight, as she carried the crate up the stairs, even though Vali was carrying twice the amount without … morecomplaining. Beneath his lanky frame, there was a surprising strength and to be fair, Jenna had never been one to lift heavy weights. As so, she was mostly dragging herself up the stairs, while Vali seemed to do it with ease.
“So, I did not expect to get any help”, the young man said, briefly glancing over his shoulders to give her a bright smile. “And for someone as tiny as you, you make a pretty good job” Jenna raised an eyebrow. “Thanks...”, she mumbled. “I guess?”
He nodded. “Yeah, that was very much a compliment”, he claimed. Jenna pressed her lips together, sighing as she pushed herself up another set of stairs. “Can I ask you something?”, she asked as they stopped in front of Maester Eddard's quarters. She remembered when they still belonged to Eaton and it felt like a lifetime ago that the k… [view original content]
Not sure if its fair for me to vote, so I'll just change the topic xD Is Jaron aware that Joshawa is hitting on him?
Well, it's always a fair thing to vote here of course, particularly as I was not sure which option you would prefer here. I actually had a hunch you'd pick the other option, seems I was very wrong And well, Jaron is sort of aware that Joshawa is hitting on him (and John simultaneously, while we're at it), but he expected this to happen in a brothel, even if he was certainly caught off guard by the fact that it's a male prostitute doing the flirting. With Joshawa, it has to be expected though. Even when he's doing a completely different task, he would never mind an opportunity for more business.
On a side note, I think Hishi and Joshawa might be the same person. It sounds stupid but I don't know I just have a hunch.
Wouldn't that be quite a twist? It is a very interesting theory and for obvious reasons, it is one I cannot comment too much on, as anything I'd say could be seen as an argument in favour or against it. So, all I can say is, of course there will be an answer to this, as I don't plan to keep Hishi an enigma forever.
By the way, considering you had serious problems with the update, I wanted to ask if this workaround I brought up has helped. Hopefully, no further votes have been spoiled for you
[Report back to Saerya] Better not push our luck with this one. We received satisfactory information which will suffice for now.
[Agree t… moreo kill Ryder] Not sure if its fair for me to vote, so I'll just change the topic xD Is Jaron aware that Joshawa is hitting on him?
On a side note, I think Hishi and Joshawa might be the same person. It sounds stupid but I don't know I just have a hunch.
I am done dealing with Samuel Harrington or his nutjob brother, they can go bugger off. I don't care about this secret reason or whatever
But why? I worked hard on these characters for everyone to enjoy. Do their characters not interest you? Their story? Or is this about Leonard? I'm not trying to be rude, I am just genuinely curious about your input.
[Report back to Saerya] Vali is a friend, not food
[Decline to kill Ryder] I am done dealing with Samuel Harrington or his nutjob brother… more, they can go bugger off. I don't care about this secret reason or whatever. More time wasted means bad stuff for our enslaved friends.
or that charlatan Wulvren
Heheheh.
I mentally read Vali's lines with a strong Irish accent, and it's quite amusing.
I am done dealing with Samuel Harrington or his nutjob brother, they can go bugger off. I don't care about this secret reason or whatever. More time wasted means bad stuff for our enslaved friends.
You bring up one aspect here that hasn't been brought up before, though it might be worth thinking about. Samuel's abilities would undoubtedly be a major asset for Jaron, but they will come at a price. If Jaron hires Samuel, he will likely not pay him in coin (which Samuel has enough of to begin with), but by helping him out with Ryder and Joshawa already confirmed this will mean a little detour, meaning the whole journey to Yunkai, already long and dangerous, will get even longer and more dangerous. Jaron ultimately has to decide if Samuel's help is worth losing potentially crucial time and this is something that will come up in the future.
I mentally read Vali's lines with a strong Irish accent, and it's quite amusing.
Hehe, I can't say I had an irish accent in mind for him, but I must fully agree with you here, it does give him a certain amusing sort of charm. It's a shame there doesn't seem to be any canon examples of such an accent in the show, aside from Littlefinger occasionally seeming to slip into one, if I'm not mistaken. That is something I'd declare canon in a heartbeat.
[Report back to Saerya] Vali is a friend, not food
[Decline to kill Ryder] I am done dealing with Samuel Harrington or his nutjob brother… more, they can go bugger off. I don't care about this secret reason or whatever. More time wasted means bad stuff for our enslaved friends.
or that charlatan Wulvren
Heheheh.
I mentally read Vali's lines with a strong Irish accent, and it's quite amusing.
By the way, considering you had serious problems with the update, I wanted to ask if this workaround I brought up has helped. Hopefully, no further votes have been spoiled for you
Yes, I have been slowly adjusting to it so far. I've been sitting on 'My Bookmarks' page until I see your comment posted. Afterwards, I click on your profile and see what have you commented. I'm always guaranteed to be taken directly to your comment when you post it, with the part being on top (By the way, I REALLY HOPE NO ONE HITS ON RAENNA BECAUSE HER AND SAMUEL NEED TO BE A THING MORE! I'm hoping in her next part people just find out that one of their own notorious criminal has feelings for their potential ally and how would they look at her). Thankfully, no spoilers so far and I hope to god my strategy does not fail me now. Thank you for the help!
@NightShroud18
Not sure if its fair for me to vote, so I'll just change the topic xD Is Jaron aware that Joshawa is hitting on him?
… more
Well, it's always a fair thing to vote here of course, particularly as I was not sure which option you would prefer here. I actually had a hunch you'd pick the other option, seems I was very wrong And well, Jaron is sort of aware that Joshawa is hitting on him (and John simultaneously, while we're at it), but he expected this to happen in a brothel, even if he was certainly caught off guard by the fact that it's a male prostitute doing the flirting. With Joshawa, it has to be expected though. Even when he's doing a completely different task, he would never mind an opportunity for more business.
On a side note, I think Hishi and Joshawa might be the same person. It sounds stupid but I don't know I just have a hunch.
Wouldn't that be quite a twist? It is a very interesting theory and fo… [view original content]
But why? I worked hard on these characters for everyone to enjoy. Do their characters not interest you? Their story? Or is this about Leonard? I'm not trying to be rude, I am just genuinely curious about your input.
Yes, I still hold a grudge on Samuel since he screwed up Leonard so long and the fact that he helped Butterfly for so long. Ryder is just an awful guy, and by going to Samuel we will encounter him, distracting the mission. It's nothing you really did.
Also, I have an irrational hatred of a lot of characters in this story, so don't feel left out!
@InGen_Nate_Kenny
I am done dealing with Samuel Harrington or his nutjob brother, they can go bugger off. I don't care about this secr… moreet reason or whatever
But why? I worked hard on these characters for everyone to enjoy. Do their characters not interest you? Their story? Or is this about Leonard? I'm not trying to be rude, I am just genuinely curious about your input.
Well, I can already reveal one consequence of the first option here. This was very likely Jenna's final part in this chapter. As said, I had to get her storyline to a certain moment before being able to start with Samantha's, albeit she will obviously make an apperance there as well. Jaron meanwhile has made an interesting choice here. As I confirmed, this is not the choice of wether or not he actually kills Ryder, it just shows a tendential willingness to do it in order to advance his true main goal. The last word is not spoken here, albeit at least in short term, this was a smart choice as it will give Jaron a good argument to convince Samuel to help him.
The next part is most likely going to be out today. There is one problem, namely that I am at university tomorrow, meaning if I don't manage to finish the part until heading to bed today, I will need until late tomorrow to finish it. Regardless, I shall try my best to finish it in time today. This next part will lead us back to Ysilla's storyline. Last time we saw her, she made the hard decision to kill one of the Sandstorm rebels that had infiltrated the city, who turned out to be merely a teen. Though this weighed heavily on her, she pushed on, to the brothel of a certain Myriah Watermont, where she suspected her brother, Theodan, to be. Approaching the backrooms of the brothel, she was stopped by two guards, siblings, going by the name of Jenelyne and Allar. They informed her that the backrooms are off limits today, as Meria's spymistress, Absidee of Lys, had a meeting with Myriah. Not bothered with this and unwilling to wait out of concern for Theodan, Ysilla decided to use her status to demand the two to let her through. We'll see in the next part how this will work out.
And finally, as always, the important links. Man, I really do hope the main post will return soon, because this just cannot replace it. Do it, Telltale, come on! At the very least though, I gotta say one thing. I mentioned it before, but while writing the last part, I noticed just how great the update has been for the process of writing itself. Don't get me wrong, I hate the layout, the lack of a main post is a big step back and I doubt I'll ever be a fan of the linear style. But credits where credits are due, the removal of the post length limit is huge and a significant improvement for the writing itself. In the 320 parts I have written for the story before the update, I had to cut material for at least another 10 parts, or even more, by removing a couple lines every time to get into the post length limit. If this would have been kept up, by the end of Book 3 I likely would have written a whole chapter worth of cut content. Whole character interactions had to be sacrificed, choices put in without the explanation and weight I wanted them to have, occasionally things had to be rushed and while you never complained, this was always something that severely upset me. This is no more. And in the end, as much as many of you stand rightfully opposed to the layout changes, I hope the improvement in quality of my writing itself, free of a hard length limit, is enough to make up for it. I know, it is for me, because cutting has always been painful. And you probably haven't noticed it, but the last couple of parts since the update have been a tiny bit longer than the ones before. If only the main post can return soon, it likely won't feel all that terrible anymore. Until then, all I can do is giving you these links every single page, as well as having more fun than ever before while writing, without needing to fear the shitty length limit.
If you are a new reader, allow me to welcome you! Check out the first post on Page 1 to learn more about this!
And for readers new and old, here is a collection of important links you might be interested in:
Ysilla raised an eyebrow at Allar and his sister. “So, you think you can stop me from going in there?”, she asked and without missing a beat, Allar gave her a nod. “That's the plan, yes”, he replied, to which Ysilla gave him a smirk. “Then you should know who I am”, she spoke. “I am Ysilla Sand, daughter of Lord Alester Allyrion. I'm here with Princess Meria's authority, to get my brother back to the castle before it is put on lockdown”
While Jenelyne looked at her with intrigue, it was only the final word that seemed to catch Allar's curiosity. “Lockdown?”, he asked, his voice a low, collected growl. “Just what is happening out there?” Ysilla gulped. “You haven't heard?”, she asked in return. “The Sandstorm is in the city. Suncloaks are trying to find them, but the situation is not under control yet”
Jenelyne and Allar exchanged a glance and finally, the man nodded. “Lady Absidee has to hear about this”, he spoke, while Jenelyne flashed Ysilla a grin. “Didn't know we had a high lady among us”, she chuckled and cockily raised an eyebrow. “M'lady”
Ysilla rolled her eyes. “Can I speak to Absidee now?”, she asked and reluctantly, Allar gave her a nod. “You can”, he confirmed, though his hand darted forwards, as he grabbed her by the shoulder. “But don't cause a scene in there” Ysilla smirked. “You're going to search me now?”, she asked.
Allar's gaze wandered down, before he shook his head and let go of her. “You're unarmed”, he stated and took a step aside. He knocked onto the door, before opening it for Ysilla, who smiled at the siblings, before walking past them into the large room behind. “I would have searched her in your stead”, Jenelyne whispered as Allar, with a sigh of annoyance, slammed the door shut the moment Ysilla was through.
The room behind was spacious and lavish, with a long window front on the wall that opposed her, allowing a view onto a magnificent garden that made up the entire inner courtyard of the brothel, save for a broad colonnade that led around it. The air was refreshingly cool, a notable difference from the heat out in the sun.
Though the room itself was clearly used as an office, it barely felt that way, the closets filled with paper being placed subtly in the background, while a large fountain, likely the reason for the cool air, took most of the attention. It was made out of white marble and taller than Ysilla herself, embroidered with gold, while two small streams of water poured out of each side of a carafe, gently held by the statue of a buxom maiden.
Half hidden behind a red velvet curtain to Ysilla's right were the figures of two people, each sitting on a small settee on opposite sides of a small table. Both female, Ysilla heard bright laughter as she entered the room, though it quickly stopped the moment the two noticed her presence.
“I said I don't want to be disturbed”, one of the women spoke, her voice stern, yet with a melodic tone to it. The second woman said nothing, as Ysilla came closer. “Uh, greetings”, she said as she spotted the two. One of them, the one that had spoken, was sitting next to the wall, leant against it. She was beautiful, with dark olive skin and hair of a slightly lighter brown, her curvy figure hidden beneath a lavish purple dress, low cut to reveal her shoulders and cleavage. She wore jewellery, a red ruby on her finger and two dark green emeralds embedded in her earrings.
The other woman was just barely older, though at least a decade more than Ysilla. Clad in deceptively simple clothes, it actually took her a moment to recognize Absidee of Lys. Having briefly seen the woman at court, Ysilla knew her for her extravagant dresses, yet right now, the woman had switched to a plain grey linen, a piece that covered her whole body and would not attract any attention on the streets. A tattered red shawl was draped around her shoulders and Ysilla could only guess that outside the building, its purpose would be to cover the Lysene woman's most notable feature, the platinum blonde hair, which she wore in a simple braid right now. Fair-skinned and beautiful, the look in her blue eyes was cold at firs, though quickly warmed up as she recognized her.
“Lady Ysilla!”, she greeted her, a curious smile on her face, while the other woman, undoubtedly Myriah Watermont raised an eyebrow. “Myriah, dear, this is Ysilla Sand, Allyrion's bastard” She spoke quickly and with excitement in her voice, though there was also the usual streak that made Ysilla a bit wary of the woman, the hint of snideness she seemed to have with just about anyone. There was a reason why Absidee, beautiful and not without charms, was hardly a popular member at court, from what little she had seen of it so far.
Myriah in return lost the slight hostility of her face, an expression replaced by surprise. “Lady Ysilla, it's an honour”, she said and moved aside on her settee, patting the red seat with a hand. “Sit down and then tell us what leads you here” Ysilla gladly accepted the offer, yet as she sat down, her gaze fell upon the table. There, between two cups of steaming tea, she spotted papers.
While Ysilla had never been to keen about it, her father had made sure she learned how to read long before ever allowing a weapon in her hands. As such, she didn't need more than this glance to realize that these were letters, bearing the sigil of a red skull.
Myriah raised an eyebrow, while Absidee narrowed her eyes. “A less benevolent person would assume you're here to spy for my enemies”, she hissed, though her expression quickly brightened as Ysilla gave her an alarmed look. “I'm just joking, girl”, she assured her. “Albeit your presence here is highly irregular. This is supposed to be a secret meeting with my dear friend”
“And I really don't mean to interrupt you for long”, Ysilla assured her, to which Myriah gave her a reassuring smile. “And nobody means to imply anything else”, she said warmly. “Though don't hold her concern against Dee, this hasn't been the easiest meeting”
Ysilla gulped as Absidee shot her a calculating glare. She could almost see the thoughts that had to flash through the woman's mind. “You are here for your brother”, she stated and impressed by her quick thinking, Ysilla gave her a nod. “That oaf is here, isn't he?”, she asked and slowly, Absidee gave her a nod.
Myriah chuckled. “Dee, it always surprises me when you know this establishment better than I do myself”, she said. “I wasn't aware Ser Theodan is our guest” Absidee gave her a nod. “That's because we had our meeting”, she replied firmly. “But my lovelies have told me about his intentions long before he even reached the building”
“There's more”, Ysilla said. “And this time, I'd be surprised if your... lovelies mentioned anything to you in advance” She kept this statement deliberately ambivalent and Absidee's reaction did not disappoint, as the woman leant forwards, cautiously. “What do you mean?”, she asked, calmly and with interest.
“The Sandstorm”, Ysilla revealed. “They attacked the city. Several people have died and Princess Meria wishes to put the palace under lockdown” This time, she allowed herself a smile, despite the intimidating presence of the spymistress. “That's the reason I am here. Usually, I wouldn't care less for Theodan's mating habits, but I really want him in the castle before the gates are closed, just to be sure he's save”
Absidee gave her a nod and this time, her expression gave nothing away. “Interesting”, she admitted. “Sandstorm so close to the palace” She shook her head and slowly, a wide grin formed on her face, as if Ysilla had told her the best joke she had ever heard. “Splendid!”, she exclaimed. “The people behind the Sandstorm are getting desperate. Jordayne must be truly close”
“Is that what you've been discussing here?”, Ysilla asked, unable to hold back on her curiosity any longer. Absidee rolled her eyes, though Myriah quickly put a hand onto her guests forearm. “Tea, my dear?”, she asked and Ysilla hesitated a moment, before giving her a nod. All the while, she did not avert her gaze from Absidee.
“What would you do in this moment, Myriah?”, Absidee asked, her tone calm, while Myriah rose from the settee, walking around the table to get another cup. “I'd offer her a cup of tea”, the other woman said nonchalantly and Absidee rolled her pale eyes. “You know what I mean”, she snarled and Myriah glanced over her shoulder, smiling. “You are way too paranoid, my dear”, she replied. “Lady Ysilla is not our enemy. Perhaps she could even be a friend in this”
“Perhaps”, Absidee admitted with a nod. “And yet, she saw us. Saw the letter” Myriah turned around again, holding another cup in her hands. “Did she?”, she asked, while Ysilla gulped, not looking away from Absidee's deep gaze. The spymistress was thinking about something and Ysilla knew, she would not like it.
“How much did you see?”, Myriah asked, as she sat down next to her again, filling the cup with tea. Ysilla shook his head. “Really not much”, she said truthfully, though Myriah still continued to look at her, deeply now. “How much?”, she asked and Ysilla sighed. “The red skull is a dead giveaway”, she admitted. “I'm afraid I know whom that stands for. You're conversing with Dagar Manwoody”
Absidee smirked thinly. “I expected you to recognize the sigil, so thank you for not trying to fool me”, she stated. “Not a sigil anyone would spot though, I have to say, your father taught you well” She reached for the tea, drinking a sip of it. “Indeed, I won't deny it”, she continued. “This is a letter from Dagar Manwoody” The spymistress narrowed her eyes still smiling this unsettling, thin smile. “And this is quite a chance meeting, wouldn't you agree?”
Ysilla gulped. “Why do I have the feeling I won't like this?”, she remarked, to which Absidee chuckled, a bright, clear tone. Myriah sighed. “Don't scare the girl, Dee”, she spoke. “Just say what you have in mind for her”
Absidee's smirk grew slightly wider. “Lady Ysilla, what do you know about dragons?”, she asked and Ysilla tensed up. Oh yes, she just knew she would really not like this. “Not very much”, she admitted. “They fly and set the world ablaze” Absidee gave her a nod. “At least that's what they would have done, if the world wouldn't have fought back. Now, there is but three of them left”
Ysilla narrowed her eyes. “You haven't been at the meeting”, she stated. “How do you know?” With this, she caught Absidee almost off guard and the spymistress lost a little bit of her omnipresent aura of confidence. “It surprises me that you have been there”, she admitted. “But mylady, what good would I be at my position if I wouldn't have known about this weeks in advance? Nothing was told which I did not know”
“Then why didn't you tell the princess?”, Ysilla demanded to know. Perhaps it would be wise not to demand too much from this woman, as Absidee was not one she wanted to have against her, but at the same time, her curiosity got the better of her. What she stumbled upon here, it was big and to her own surprise, the spymistress was oddly willing to share information.
“Princess Meria is an old woman”, Absidee explained. “Before worrying her with such a thing, I wanted to be absolutely sure that there is reason to worry. I wanted to make preparations” She put a hand onto the letter on the table. “Such as this one. Yet I am afraid, the Dragonlord made his intentions known before I finished my own task”
“How is Dagar Manwoody of any help to you?”, Ysilla asked, remembering what little her father had told her about Lord Manwoody's brother. The Red Skull, they called him and though Alester Allyrion had always spoken with contempt of him, the man had left a bit of an impression on Ysilla as a child. He was an outcast, a vagrant, more a warrior than any other noble and less noble than the dirtiest drifters in the shadow city. Someone who could surely be impressive in combat, though he was also not quite whom she would consider capable of being of any help against a trio of dragons.
“Dagar is but a piece in my plan”, Absidee revealed. “But the question is not how he can help us, but how you can” Ysilla sighed, having feared this much. Her worry for Theodan had brought here here, when she probably should have been more concerned for Absidee. Now she was caught in the woman's webs and she knew, she had to be careful.
As she shook her head, Absidee's smile appeared again, still not fitting to the situation. “Do you know of the dragon's wroth?”, she asked. “Do you know how their flames burn?” Her smile widened. “I figured not. I saw the Black Dread, when he set the Volantene fleet ablaze. I know what each of us has to lose. And that means, you have an interest in helping me”
“How so?”, Ysilla asked, hesitating to look away from Absidee's glare. And yet, she quickly exchanged a look with Myriah, who seemed notably more supportive. Right now, she was glad to not face the spymistress all by herself. “Be gentle on her”, Myriah warned her friend and Absidee rolled her eyes. “Mylady, if Aegon Targaryen reaches Dorne, what do you think is going to happen?”, she asked.
Ysilla clenched her fists, as she had to imagine it, the stories her stepmother used to tell her and the other children at Godsgrace. Legions of dragonlords, unleashed on the Rhoynar, their armies and cities burned to ash and ten thousand ships forced to flee their flames. Her ancestors had never faced the dragons of Valyria, but many among the Dornish had, those that traced their ancestry back to Nymeria and her people. They had come here, the only place in the world that would take them. Where else could they go now?
“Can we fight them?”, she asked and Absidee shrugged. “Do we have a choice?”, she asked in return. “Consider for a moment, armies fighting dragons. They say when kings play their games, it's the smallfolk that suffers. And yet, against a hopeless enemy, a peasant can desert, there are ways for him to refuse the draft. What choice does a lord have but to fight? What choice does your father have? Your brothers?”
Ysilla glanced down at her shivering hands, a lump in her throat. “I never thought about it from that perspective”, she mumbled, before she narrowed her eyes. “Why are you telling me all this, Lady Absidee? You want something, so spit it out!”
“What I want is Dorne”, the woman replied. “Safe from the Dragonlord. His fires are yet far, but make no mistake, we won't have much time if we want to have a chance of stopping him” Her smile returned in full force, wide and definitely unnerving. “And to be completely honest, I have hoped to bestow this task upon a true Dornish and not some sellsword scum”
“You... you want me to work for you”, Ysilla realized and Absidee gave her an enthusiastic nod. “For Dorne”, she clarified. “For all of us. If that is not enough, just think of your family. What I offer is a simple, yet crucial task and if you succeed, they might just avoid the slaughter Aegon Targaryen means to bring”
Ysilla didn't have to think about it. She gave Absidee a nod, immediately. “For my family”, she confirmed and Absidee's smile turned into a thin smirk. “Then we shall discuss the rest once you are back at the castle, together with the princess” She finished her tea and gave Myriah a charming, genuine and for once not the slightest bit malicious smile. “Dear, it was a wonderful afternoon. Thank you for the information and the tea. Alas, I am afraid I should leave before Captain Razek puts the castle on lockdown” She rose from her chair and turned to the door. “If you could lead Lady Ysilla to her brother... I assume he took the best of your rooms and the best of your girls”
To this, Ysilla rolled her eyes. Of course he did. She and Myriah both followed Absidee to the door and as the spymistress opened it, Jenelyne and Allar were still standing guard in front of it. “Ready to go, m'lady?”, Jenelyne asked and Absidee gave her a nod. “Back to the castle”, she ordered. “With what I have heard today, this should be the safest place in all Dorne in the days to come”
The sellsword woman smiled widely, while her brother had a notable lack of any expression on his face, aside from subtle boredom. “Glad to hear it, m'lady” She gave Ysilla a wink, before accompanying her brother and her employer through the entrance hall. While walking, Absidee pulled the shawl up, over her haid and completely covering her hair. By the time she reached the door, she was indistinguishable from any common woman out on the streets.
“You gotta forgive her”, Myriah said. “I had no idea she means to drag you into this, but Dee is doing what she considers best for Dorne. If you do too, then it'd best to help her out” Ysilla sighed, as she gave her a curious look. “And what are you doing for her?”, she asked. “Or are you merely friends?”
“Both”, Myriah confirmed. “We're friends, but that doesn't mean I can't work for her. You would never imagine what a fascinating couple of contacts I get in my line of work. Some of them whisper of things to come and Absidee is highly interested in these. I made contact with Dagar Manwoody and we both have reason to believe that he can help us find a very important man”
“One who can stop the dragons?”, Ysilla asked and Myriah gave her a nod. “More than any of us at least”, she confirmed, as she turned to the stairs. “Come with me, mylady. If Absidee is right, then your brother can only be in one of my rooms” She smiled as Ysilla walked next to her. “Only the best for Theodan Allyrion. He has become a regular customer in a surprisingly short amount of time”
“I am well aware of that”, Ysilla said and this time, a slight amount of anger flared up in her voice, or at least annoyance. She had dragged him from Essos back to his home and on the final part of the journey, she, of course, had to save his ass again, while he had nothing better to do but to fuck some cheap whore in some... admittedly not very cheap brothel. Didn't change the fact that it was she who had to care for him, over and over again. Her big brother and yet in moments like this, he acted more like a child than even her younger brother had ever done.
“So, this man Absidee wishes to find... anything you can tell me about him?”, she asked, to change the topic. To her disappointment, Myriah shook her head. “About the man himself? Not much. His name is Laryl Callace and he's a scholar, of sorts. I only ever heard the name from Dee and even she's been cautious about telling me too much. If you are to find that man, well, I'm sure she will tell you more in time” She gave Ysilla a genuine smile. “I'm glad you decided to help her, you know. A true Dornish, just as she wanted. Someone with an interest to see this mission succeed”
“Someone who can't build a life anywhere else”, Ysilla mumbled and Myriah gave her a nod. “Doesn't sound that nice the way you put it, but yes”, she agreed. “That is the essence. Absidee finds it hard to trust others, you see. But someone who has a personal stake in seeing this through? She can trust you to actually see this through”
Stopping in front of the door, she turned to Ysilla and put a hand against her chest, keeping her at an arm's length. “Just don't say a word to your brother”, she warned her as she, without knocking, opened the door. Ysilla glanced inside and she already heard the passionate moans of two people, though they stopped the moment she entered the room.
Lying atop a beautiful woman with dark skin and even darker hair was her brother. Theodan looked over his shoulder, noticing her and instantly pushing himself off the whore. “Ysilla!”, he exclaimed, as he grabbed a coat to cover himself. “What... what are you doing here?”
With these words, he got up from the bed, while the whore raised an eyebrow. He was taller than Ysilla and generally her opposite in terms of looks. Dark-haired and with a faint stubble, he was short for the impressive warrior he usually seemed to be and as Ysilla would never tire to point out, he was, despite undoubtedly good-looking, only half as cute as she herself was.
And his confusion was reflected by her anger at a thoroughly terrible day. In this moment, it all came up, the Sandstorm boy, Absidee and her games, the utter relief she felt as she saw him here. And it was relief, and anger, that flared up in her, as she clenched her trembling fists...
Ysilla
Ysilla raised an eyebrow at Allar and his sister. “So, you think you can stop me from going in there?”, she asked and without miss… moreing a beat, Allar gave her a nod. “That's the plan, yes”, he replied, to which Ysilla gave him a smirk. “Then you should know who I am”, she spoke. “I am Ysilla Sand, daughter of Lord Alester Allyrion. I'm here with Princess Meria's authority, to get my brother back to the castle before it is put on lockdown”
While Jenelyne looked at her with intrigue, it was only the final word that seemed to catch Allar's curiosity. “Lockdown?”, he asked, his voice a low, collected growl. “Just what is happening out there?” Ysilla gulped. “You haven't heard?”, she asked in return. “The Sandstorm is in the city. Suncloaks are trying to find them, but the situation is not under control yet”
Jenelyne and Allar exchanged a glance and finally, the man nodded. “Lady Absidee has to hear about this”, he spoke, while Jenel… [view original content]
Ysilla
Ysilla raised an eyebrow at Allar and his sister. “So, you think you can stop me from going in there?”, she asked and without miss… moreing a beat, Allar gave her a nod. “That's the plan, yes”, he replied, to which Ysilla gave him a smirk. “Then you should know who I am”, she spoke. “I am Ysilla Sand, daughter of Lord Alester Allyrion. I'm here with Princess Meria's authority, to get my brother back to the castle before it is put on lockdown”
While Jenelyne looked at her with intrigue, it was only the final word that seemed to catch Allar's curiosity. “Lockdown?”, he asked, his voice a low, collected growl. “Just what is happening out there?” Ysilla gulped. “You haven't heard?”, she asked in return. “The Sandstorm is in the city. Suncloaks are trying to find them, but the situation is not under control yet”
Jenelyne and Allar exchanged a glance and finally, the man nodded. “Lady Absidee has to hear about this”, he spoke, while Jenel… [view original content]
Ysilla
Ysilla raised an eyebrow at Allar and his sister. “So, you think you can stop me from going in there?”, she asked and without miss… moreing a beat, Allar gave her a nod. “That's the plan, yes”, he replied, to which Ysilla gave him a smirk. “Then you should know who I am”, she spoke. “I am Ysilla Sand, daughter of Lord Alester Allyrion. I'm here with Princess Meria's authority, to get my brother back to the castle before it is put on lockdown”
While Jenelyne looked at her with intrigue, it was only the final word that seemed to catch Allar's curiosity. “Lockdown?”, he asked, his voice a low, collected growl. “Just what is happening out there?” Ysilla gulped. “You haven't heard?”, she asked in return. “The Sandstorm is in the city. Suncloaks are trying to find them, but the situation is not under control yet”
Jenelyne and Allar exchanged a glance and finally, the man nodded. “Lady Absidee has to hear about this”, he spoke, while Jenel… [view original content]
Ysilla
Ysilla raised an eyebrow at Allar and his sister. “So, you think you can stop me from going in there?”, she asked and without miss… moreing a beat, Allar gave her a nod. “That's the plan, yes”, he replied, to which Ysilla gave him a smirk. “Then you should know who I am”, she spoke. “I am Ysilla Sand, daughter of Lord Alester Allyrion. I'm here with Princess Meria's authority, to get my brother back to the castle before it is put on lockdown”
While Jenelyne looked at her with intrigue, it was only the final word that seemed to catch Allar's curiosity. “Lockdown?”, he asked, his voice a low, collected growl. “Just what is happening out there?” Ysilla gulped. “You haven't heard?”, she asked in return. “The Sandstorm is in the city. Suncloaks are trying to find them, but the situation is not under control yet”
Jenelyne and Allar exchanged a glance and finally, the man nodded. “Lady Absidee has to hear about this”, he spoke, while Jenel… [view original content]
[Do both] Eh, just sounds like the funniest option Anyway, this was a really interesting part. I'm very much keen to learn more about what exactly is Absidee's agenda here. I do believe she wants the best for Dorne, or at least I hope so, but there must be some reason to it. She isn't from Dorne herself after all, so there must be some other motivation for her to want to protect it. And it doesn't seem like she is very loyal to Meria either, keeping important information from her. Well, nonetheless she is an interesting character for sure. Oh, and #RedSkullHype
Ysilla
Ysilla raised an eyebrow at Allar and his sister. “So, you think you can stop me from going in there?”, she asked and without miss… moreing a beat, Allar gave her a nod. “That's the plan, yes”, he replied, to which Ysilla gave him a smirk. “Then you should know who I am”, she spoke. “I am Ysilla Sand, daughter of Lord Alester Allyrion. I'm here with Princess Meria's authority, to get my brother back to the castle before it is put on lockdown”
While Jenelyne looked at her with intrigue, it was only the final word that seemed to catch Allar's curiosity. “Lockdown?”, he asked, his voice a low, collected growl. “Just what is happening out there?” Ysilla gulped. “You haven't heard?”, she asked in return. “The Sandstorm is in the city. Suncloaks are trying to find them, but the situation is not under control yet”
Jenelyne and Allar exchanged a glance and finally, the man nodded. “Lady Absidee has to hear about this”, he spoke, while Jenel… [view original content]
Dagar Manwoody, the Red Skull, clearly a character to look out for. Wonder if the nickname is a reference to the Marvel character.
Well, WildlingKing can probably give a more definite answer here, being the one to submit Dagar and House Manwoody, but I would be inclined to believe that it is a coincidence. I must actually admit, I only realized the similarity while writing this very part XD At least in terms of personality, there is zero connection between Dagar and Marvel's Red Skull.
[Do both] While he will be confused, it will be a good way for her to express her concern for her brother.
Dagar Manwoody, the Red Skull, clearly a character to look out for. Wonder if the nickname is a reference to the Marvel character.
Anyway, this was a really interesting part. I'm very much keen to learn more about what exactly is Absidee's agenda here. I do believe she wants the best for Dorne, or at least I hope so, but there must be some reason to it. She isn't from Dorne herself after all, so there must be some other motivation for her to want to protect it. And it doesn't seem like she is very loyal to Meria either, keeping important information from her. Well, nonetheless she is an interesting character for sure.
Ah, glad you enjoyed the part! I was excited to introduce Absidee at last, a character who will bring a lot of additional intrigue to the Dorne storyline, even if her main involvement will be with the other Dorne PoV, who will be shown sometime later. Her motivations and loyalties will be a major part of this storyline, as Absidee, being not a Dornish herself, clearly has more complicated reasons to serve Meria. It definitely isn't patriotism, that much should be clear.
Oh, and #RedSkullHype
Now, that is a hashtag I can get behind! I find it kind of hilarious though that this opens a link to the otherwise hidden search function. The forums might be taking some steps towards recovery, but man, moments like this always show they still have miles to go But yeah, Dagar is somewhere on the horizon. I can confirm, it will still take a bit and he definitely won't be the next of your characters to be introduced, but eventually, he is going to come and in my humble opinion, I would say he is going to be worth the hype
[Do both] Eh, just sounds like the funniest option Anyway, this was a really interesting part. I'm very much keen to learn more about what … moreexactly is Absidee's agenda here. I do believe she wants the best for Dorne, or at least I hope so, but there must be some reason to it. She isn't from Dorne herself after all, so there must be some other motivation for her to want to protect it. And it doesn't seem like she is very loyal to Meria either, keeping important information from her. Well, nonetheless she is an interesting character for sure. Oh, and #RedSkullHype
Ysilla
Ysilla raised an eyebrow at Allar and his sister. “So, you think you can stop me from going in there?”, she asked and without miss… moreing a beat, Allar gave her a nod. “That's the plan, yes”, he replied, to which Ysilla gave him a smirk. “Then you should know who I am”, she spoke. “I am Ysilla Sand, daughter of Lord Alester Allyrion. I'm here with Princess Meria's authority, to get my brother back to the castle before it is put on lockdown”
While Jenelyne looked at her with intrigue, it was only the final word that seemed to catch Allar's curiosity. “Lockdown?”, he asked, his voice a low, collected growl. “Just what is happening out there?” Ysilla gulped. “You haven't heard?”, she asked in return. “The Sandstorm is in the city. Suncloaks are trying to find them, but the situation is not under control yet”
Jenelyne and Allar exchanged a glance and finally, the man nodded. “Lady Absidee has to hear about this”, he spoke, while Jenel… [view original content]
[Do both] Like a healthy relationship between brother and sister
RT:
1)Today new characters are all interesting characters!A spymaster and the owner of a brothel that work together for,maybe, save Dorne from the conquest and,in the end,the good for nothing Ysilla's brother!
2)So the spymaster and the brothel owner has contacts with a Manwoody eh? I'm curious to see what they plan with him
3)Ysilla today not only become part of the plans of the spymaster but obtain the job of find a scholar!I'm curious to see what they need that guy for
Ysilla
Ysilla raised an eyebrow at Allar and his sister. “So, you think you can stop me from going in there?”, she asked and without miss… moreing a beat, Allar gave her a nod. “That's the plan, yes”, he replied, to which Ysilla gave him a smirk. “Then you should know who I am”, she spoke. “I am Ysilla Sand, daughter of Lord Alester Allyrion. I'm here with Princess Meria's authority, to get my brother back to the castle before it is put on lockdown”
While Jenelyne looked at her with intrigue, it was only the final word that seemed to catch Allar's curiosity. “Lockdown?”, he asked, his voice a low, collected growl. “Just what is happening out there?” Ysilla gulped. “You haven't heard?”, she asked in return. “The Sandstorm is in the city. Suncloaks are trying to find them, but the situation is not under control yet”
Jenelyne and Allar exchanged a glance and finally, the man nodded. “Lady Absidee has to hear about this”, he spoke, while Jenel… [view original content]
1)Today new characters are all interesting characters!A spymaster and the owner of a brothel that work together for,maybe, save Dorne from the conquest and,in the end,the good for nothing Ysilla's brother!
Glad to hear you find them all to be interesting. Though having the smallest role in the part itself, Theodan is likely going to be the most important for Ysilla's storyline, whereas Absidee and Myriah will appear prominently in the other Sunspear storyline starting in Chapter 4. But I hope they have left at least a bit of an impression here, because I am excited to feature them in future chapters.
2)So the spymaster and the brothel owner has contacts with a Manwoody eh? I'm curious to see what they plan with him
Well, I can confirm that Dagar is not currently living at Kingsgrave, so his position on its own is already of interest to Absidee, who absolutely requires contacts beyond the borders of Dorne to be effective at her job. And if these contacts are dornishmen themselves, whom she is notably more willing to trust on when it comes to giving reliable information, that's all the better. That said, her plans for Dagar are likely more than just an informant.
3)Ysilla today not only become part of the plans of the spymaster but obtain the job of find a scholar!I'm curious to see what they need that guy for
As Ysilla has found out, it is definitely easy to get a job in Dorne's secret service. All that is required of a person is to be of interest to Absidee and she will find a way to make that person useful to her plans. The scholar meanwhile, he is one of the oldest submitted characters, so whatever it is she needs him for, I hope I'll do him justice at last
[Do both] Like a healthy relationship between brother and sister
RT:
1)Today new characters are all interesting characters!A spymaster a… morend the owner of a brothel that work together for,maybe, save Dorne from the conquest and,in the end,the good for nothing Ysilla's brother!
2)So the spymaster and the brothel owner has contacts with a Manwoody eh? I'm curious to see what they plan with him
3)Ysilla today not only become part of the plans of the spymaster but obtain the job of find a scholar!I'm curious to see what they need that guy for
Ysilla
Ysilla raised an eyebrow at Allar and his sister. “So, you think you can stop me from going in there?”, she asked and without miss… moreing a beat, Allar gave her a nod. “That's the plan, yes”, he replied, to which Ysilla gave him a smirk. “Then you should know who I am”, she spoke. “I am Ysilla Sand, daughter of Lord Alester Allyrion. I'm here with Princess Meria's authority, to get my brother back to the castle before it is put on lockdown”
While Jenelyne looked at her with intrigue, it was only the final word that seemed to catch Allar's curiosity. “Lockdown?”, he asked, his voice a low, collected growl. “Just what is happening out there?” Ysilla gulped. “You haven't heard?”, she asked in return. “The Sandstorm is in the city. Suncloaks are trying to find them, but the situation is not under control yet”
Jenelyne and Allar exchanged a glance and finally, the man nodded. “Lady Absidee has to hear about this”, he spoke, while Jenel… [view original content]
Ysilla
Ysilla raised an eyebrow at Allar and his sister. “So, you think you can stop me from going in there?”, she asked and without miss… moreing a beat, Allar gave her a nod. “That's the plan, yes”, he replied, to which Ysilla gave him a smirk. “Then you should know who I am”, she spoke. “I am Ysilla Sand, daughter of Lord Alester Allyrion. I'm here with Princess Meria's authority, to get my brother back to the castle before it is put on lockdown”
While Jenelyne looked at her with intrigue, it was only the final word that seemed to catch Allar's curiosity. “Lockdown?”, he asked, his voice a low, collected growl. “Just what is happening out there?” Ysilla gulped. “You haven't heard?”, she asked in return. “The Sandstorm is in the city. Suncloaks are trying to find them, but the situation is not under control yet”
Jenelyne and Allar exchanged a glance and finally, the man nodded. “Lady Absidee has to hear about this”, he spoke, while Jenel… [view original content]
Ysilla
Ysilla raised an eyebrow at Allar and his sister. “So, you think you can stop me from going in there?”, she asked and without miss… moreing a beat, Allar gave her a nod. “That's the plan, yes”, he replied, to which Ysilla gave him a smirk. “Then you should know who I am”, she spoke. “I am Ysilla Sand, daughter of Lord Alester Allyrion. I'm here with Princess Meria's authority, to get my brother back to the castle before it is put on lockdown”
While Jenelyne looked at her with intrigue, it was only the final word that seemed to catch Allar's curiosity. “Lockdown?”, he asked, his voice a low, collected growl. “Just what is happening out there?” Ysilla gulped. “You haven't heard?”, she asked in return. “The Sandstorm is in the city. Suncloaks are trying to find them, but the situation is not under control yet”
Jenelyne and Allar exchanged a glance and finally, the man nodded. “Lady Absidee has to hear about this”, he spoke, while Jenel… [view original content]
Ysilla
Ysilla raised an eyebrow at Allar and his sister. “So, you think you can stop me from going in there?”, she asked and without miss… moreing a beat, Allar gave her a nod. “That's the plan, yes”, he replied, to which Ysilla gave him a smirk. “Then you should know who I am”, she spoke. “I am Ysilla Sand, daughter of Lord Alester Allyrion. I'm here with Princess Meria's authority, to get my brother back to the castle before it is put on lockdown”
While Jenelyne looked at her with intrigue, it was only the final word that seemed to catch Allar's curiosity. “Lockdown?”, he asked, his voice a low, collected growl. “Just what is happening out there?” Ysilla gulped. “You haven't heard?”, she asked in return. “The Sandstorm is in the city. Suncloaks are trying to find them, but the situation is not under control yet”
Jenelyne and Allar exchanged a glance and finally, the man nodded. “Lady Absidee has to hear about this”, he spoke, while Jenel… [view original content]
That was actually a last minute inclusion, as most middle way options are when it comes to the choices and the moment I put it in, I just knew it would win XD Actually, this is not all too much an untypical interaction between Ysilla and Theodan and I really look forward for future scenes between them. Naturally, Theodan is going to be a very important character for her storyline and one I really look forward to further flesh out in the parts to come
The next part should be out later today. I have debated between two possibilities, one being Edrick in a full-length part, the other being Richard and the final new PoV for Chapter 1. In the end, the latter won, because for the sake of pacing, I have to get Richard's storyline done, so that I can, similar to Jenna's parts, start with Samantha's storyline for this chapter, which is going to be set at the Harking farm. As such, my plans for the next couple of parts include writing Richard and new PoV first, then Edrick, then Garthon, then Kyra and Arthur. I am not sure how well it is all going to work out, but I think I should be done with this chapter somewhere in early December and maybe this time, this assumption is actually going to turn out to be realistic
Coming to recap time, I cannot tell you anything about the new PoV of course, other than the fact that it is a character you know and no, it is not the character you expect to be the new PoV. This time, I am confident to assure you in advance, you won't make a correct guess, because that character is, from what I have shown of them so far, one of the most unlikely choices (inb4 I just jinxed myself and the first guess is the right one). I can assure you though, they are the only one that can tell exactly the kind of storyline I have in mind for that part of the story. Richard though, well, it hasn't been too long since I last featured him, but last time we saw him, he oversaw Mathea doing her magic with Kersea, patching her up properly and likely saving her life. Just as he prepared to escort her back to the city, given that it was already way past sunset, a wild Alan appeared. As it turned out, Alan had been drinking, heavily so and he was even about to spill the beans about Kersea. When Richard asked where he got the coin to buy drinks from, Alan refused to answer, leading to an angry Richard to demand a proper answer. This is right where his next part will begin. It is also going to be his final part in this chapter, though he will have a role to play in Samantha's storyline.
And so I go off to write. The more time I spend with it, the more happy I am about the update. Not about the linear style, mind you, I doubt I'll ever say anything positive about it, but about the tons of smaller features that become visible once I look past it. This next part would have given me serious problems trying to fit it into the old post length limit, but with that asshole either gone or significantly raised (I plan on eventually finding out which of the two it is next time I write a super huge part), I don't have to worry about anything. I'm just going to write and I hope the additional fun such a writing without any worry is giving me will show in the final product If there is one thing I hate though, more than the linear style (which actually has somewhat improved, alright), it is the lack of a main post. A feature cut arbitrarily, hopefully to soon be restored, because well, these links don't hold the same weight.
If you are a new reader, allow me to welcome you! Check out the first post on Page 1 to learn more about this!
And for readers new and old, here is a collection of important links you might be interested in:
This time, I am confident to assure you in advance, you won't make a correct guess, because that character is, from what I have shown of them so far, one of the most unlikely choices
It's Dimitri the Wise, isn't it? I knew he would come back soon!
The Voting is closed!
Ysilla is going to slap Theodan, then hug him
That was actually a last minute inclusion, as most middle way opti… moreons are when it comes to the choices and the moment I put it in, I just knew it would win XD Actually, this is not all too much an untypical interaction between Ysilla and Theodan and I really look forward for future scenes between them. Naturally, Theodan is going to be a very important character for her storyline and one I really look forward to further flesh out in the parts to come
The next part should be out later today. I have debated between two possibilities, one being Edrick in a full-length part, the other being Richard and the final new PoV for Chapter 1. In the end, the latter won, because for the sake of pacing, I have to get Richard's storyline done, so that I can, similar to Jenna's parts, start with Samantha's storyline for this chapter, which is going to be set at the Harking farm. As… [view original content]
The Voting is closed!
Ysilla is going to slap Theodan, then hug him
That was actually a last minute inclusion, as most middle way opti… moreons are when it comes to the choices and the moment I put it in, I just knew it would win XD Actually, this is not all too much an untypical interaction between Ysilla and Theodan and I really look forward for future scenes between them. Naturally, Theodan is going to be a very important character for her storyline and one I really look forward to further flesh out in the parts to come
The next part should be out later today. I have debated between two possibilities, one being Edrick in a full-length part, the other being Richard and the final new PoV for Chapter 1. In the end, the latter won, because for the sake of pacing, I have to get Richard's storyline done, so that I can, similar to Jenna's parts, start with Samantha's storyline for this chapter, which is going to be set at the Harking farm. As… [view original content]
This time, I am confident to assure you in advance, you won't make a correct guess, because that character is, from what I have shown of the… morem so far, one of the most unlikely choices
It's Dimitri the Wise, isn't it? I knew he would come back soon!
Well if you are going to make such a claim, how can I help myself from taking a guess. Since we know there is going to be a second Northern POV, my guess will probably be either Mace Crowl or Jorn Mormont. Since Raenna is probably going to go off on her mission for the King soon, we need some eyes upon Winterfell. Who better than the ward barbarian Mace or smarty mc smart pants Jorn?
The Voting is closed!
Ysilla is going to slap Theodan, then hug him
That was actually a last minute inclusion, as most middle way opti… moreons are when it comes to the choices and the moment I put it in, I just knew it would win XD Actually, this is not all too much an untypical interaction between Ysilla and Theodan and I really look forward for future scenes between them. Naturally, Theodan is going to be a very important character for her storyline and one I really look forward to further flesh out in the parts to come
The next part should be out later today. I have debated between two possibilities, one being Edrick in a full-length part, the other being Richard and the final new PoV for Chapter 1. In the end, the latter won, because for the sake of pacing, I have to get Richard's storyline done, so that I can, similar to Jenna's parts, start with Samantha's storyline for this chapter, which is going to be set at the Harking farm. As… [view original content]
Anger flaring up inside him, Richard grabbed Alan by the collar of his shirt and the sheer force he used seemed to surprise his brother, as he almost lifted him up a bit, before pushing him against the door. “I asked you a question!”, he barked and Alan's eyes widened, with surprise, as well as the hint of fear. It was just a moment, but it felt scarily satisfying.
“Easy, please!”, Alan was quick to say, his voice now sounding notably less confident. “Just don't hurt me!” Richard, realizing what he was doing there and noticing the shocked look on Mathea's face, let go of Alan, who staggered back, pressing himself against the door. “Alright, alright, just calm down!”, he said, now sounding more sober than before, or maybe that was just the fear doing the talking. Alan had always been a coward and it showed in moments such as this.
“I... took it”, Alan admitted and Richard narrowed his eyes. “You took it?”, he growled and Alan stared at the ground in front of his feet. “I figured, I'm doing my part, so some of the coin here should be mine”, he explained. “Took it from the purse up on the closet. After all, I helped on the farm. I'm not your... slave, I deserve my share!”
Richard stared at Alan, speechless for a moment. “Your share...”, he repeated, tonelessly, while anger, more anger than he had ever felt towards a person, formed inside him. “Richard”, Mathea hissed and it was probably the sound of her voice that kept him from doing something he'd later regret. But still, he couldn't get the image out of his head, the grave of his wife and the despair he felt, back then and now. Alan's share...
“Get out”, he mumbled. “Get out and don't come back” Alan's eyes widened. “What?”, he asked in disbelief, as Richard pointed past him, to the door. “You heard me”, he said. “I have enough of you, you stealing, lying cheat. Get out!” Alan gulped. “R- Richard, I... I don't under-”
“You understand me well enough!”, Richard roared. “I said get out of my house! Get out of my life, I don't want to be near you ever again!” His anger burned bright and Alan looked devastated. “Richard, don't...”, he begged, his voice becoming high-pitched and whiny. Though tears did not form in his eyes, his voice made it clear how close he came to it. “Don't do this, please. I am your brother, I can help you, I did so much for you!”
“You did nothing but bring me pain!”, Richard barked at him. “You came, I took you in after all you did and you just keep pushing me, you ungrateful fuck!” As soon as he had said this, he noticed a change on Alan's face. The sorrow faded, even if he still looked shocked and a bit scared. Instead, he reacted with anger to match Richard's.
“You call me ungrateful?”, he barked. “I am your brother! All I did to help you, for what? I saved Jenna's life and yours and that doesn't even matter to you? You throw me out for some coin? That bitch you keep living in my room, she's costing you that amount every single day! And somehow that is okay, but when I take something for myself this one time, you threaten to throw me out?”
He was going to say something else, but Richard's hand darted forwards, slapping him across the face. Alan yelped in surprise, staggering backwards, one hand clutched onto his cheek, the other pushing the door open, perhaps involuntarily. His eyes widened, now tears forming in them. “Get out of my house and never come back!”, Richard roared.
“Richard... Richard, please!”, Alan begged again. “It's dark, it's cold, I don't know where to go, I got nowhere to go, I can't leave, please, I am your brother!” Richard pointed past him and Alan cringed at the gesture. “Out!”, Richard barked without mercy. He was done with Alan, his ungratefulness, the sheer delusion he displayed even just now.
And so, Alan left, turning around and running, quite probably for his life. Richard sighed, as the cold air of the night filled the room. He closed his eyes, his clenched fists shivering, as he took several deep breaths. As he opened his eyes again, his gaze fell upon Mathea, who stared at him silently. Emotionless at first, she eventually managed to give him a reassuring smile. “I would have done the same in your situation”, she admitted and Richard gave her a nod. “He had it coming”, he stated, though a bad feeling remained. Alan was his brother, indeed, even if he had done terrible things. Richard had never before turned his back on family and the thought still scared him.
“Do you want to talk about it?”, Mathea asked and Richard shook his head. “No”, he said, feeling a lump in his throat. “If it's okay, I would like to take you up on the offer now. Walking you home” Mathea smiled thinly. “Very well”, she replied. She was silent, yet he felt her gratefulness. Alan was still somewhere out there, though he would not return, not anytime soon. And yet, Richard knew he hadn't seen the last of his brother. That was Alan, he'd never get rid of him.
Helping her up on his cart, Richard followed and together, they rode into the night, silently at first. It was a dark one and cold, moon and stars hiding behind thick clouds. Somewhere in the distant, a lone wolf howled and Richard shivered at the thought that the beast was still out there, even if it had been calm for the last two months. There had been no killings, no beasts, none but the man sitting in the castle right now. That, and another topic Richard was concerned by.
“I must tell you something”, he said and Mathea glanced at him. It was time. He wouldn't tell her everything, wouldn't involve her in this more than she had to be. But there was one thing she had to know and not telling her would be both, ungrateful and irresponsible. He wasn't sure if he would have told her, but the episode with Alan had caused his emotions to run high. He couldn't keep this one for himself. “It is about the man you know as Rodrik. The Sphynx”
Mathea raised an eyebrow. “I know I am not supposed to trust him”, she stated and Richard shook his head. “That's not it”, he said. “You have no idea how dangerous this man is” He narrowed his eyes. “Kersea knew him”, he told her and now Mathea tilted her head. “She's really more than she seems to be, huh?”, she asked, to which he could only give her a nod. She sighed. “Very well, I will not ask about her”, she promised. “But what is it about Rodrik?”
“You are right that he is no healer”, Richard confirmed. “In Oldtown, he was a torturer. He crippled Ser Lucas and would have likely done the same to...” He cut himself off, before he would let anything about Leonard slip, but Mathea seemed to understand. Pale by nature, what little colour she had in her face faded from it. “I feared such a thing”, she admitted, before clenching her fists. “By the gods, I feared him to be like that”
She looked up, at the path in front of them and as Richard followed her gaze, he spotted Jarow's bridge in the distance. It felt hollow without its lord to guard it. The city as a whole felt hollow. “What are you going to do about him?”, he asked and Mathea gulped. “I can't”, she said, before she gave him a slight smile. “But maybe you can. I assume right that you have something planned, right?”
She was right, of course she was. Tomorrow, they would come over. It would be a long day and they would make all sorts of plans. It was their best chance to change something about the situation in Raylansfair. Perhaps it was their only one. “I don't have hope that I myself can do anything about this”, Mathea said. “I am not like this. No fighter, no schemer. I can mend, I can heal and that is all I will do in this war to come” She gave him a sweet smile. “But you, I feel like you can do more than that”, she spoke. “And so, I put my hope in you”
Richard sighed, as he reciprocated her smile, though he remained silent, knowing fully well that she had placed more trust upon him than he ever had in himself. He had lost Alan, possibly for good and could only add that to a list of problems he had to face. This fight he found himself in, it hadn't even begun.
No Choices for this part
Keat
Standing atop the hill, Keat the Trickster took a deep breath as he looked at his city. A smirk formed on his face at the familiar sight and the even more familiar smell. Oldtown at last. It wasn't a beauty, never was, but it had been home for most of his life, save for that bothersome episode in Raylansfair. And with a purse filled with the Lady Ambassador's coin, he felt confident to return. Most of his creditors were gone. Butterfly had died, or so they claimed on the road, and he had taken a vast part of the underworld with him.
There was only one tiny fragment of concern, as the thief stepped down the hill and towards the bulk of people that entered the northern gates at this time of the day. His siblings, Nalia and Adian. To protect them, he had to leave Oldtown, when the Solvers began to ask questions about him. He had left them with a friend, one whom he trusted more than anyone else in this world, but a lot had happened in the six months he was gone.
One thing that would never change though was the fact that people still barely noticed him. Something Keat had considered a nuisance in his childhood had become his greatest asset as he grew older. Now a man of twenty years, he was glad about the fact that he seemed so common in every sense of the word. Without attracting even the slightest attention, he joined the crowd, pulling his hood down to avoid any chance at appearing suspicious.
And so, he entered the city, walking past guards that were too busy with more promising suspects to even pay attention to him. He grinned as he entered the first main street of his home town. If only they knew, these oafs. The coin he had with him would raise more than just a few eyebrows and he intended to put it to good use. First, he would head home, leaving some coin with his siblings, before paying off his creditors, one by one. Well, those that were still alive, of course, which means he could cross Butterfly off the list. That left Hishi, if she was in the city. Efram Forrester, probably someone he shouldn't keep waiting. Vogero Forios would get his share as well, because Keat didn't want to provoke that man any further. And, lastly, Bannister. Seven Hells, Keat could only hope that Bannister wouldn't find him first, with those beasts of his. They still had his scent and that was the one thing he could not hide.
Keat still knew the way. Slipping out of the crowd again, he left the main street, instead entering familiar alleyways. Some districts of Oldtown kept an illusion of decaying beauty, some semblance of what it used to be. But what good was Hightower's coin if it was wasted, if the city was tearing itself apart between Burned Man and Butterfly? Here, away from the main streets, Oldtown showed its true, rotten face. No illusions, just broken lives and dying dreams. Though amid it all, there was the chance for something greater and men like Keat, they knew how to take advantage of it.
He found his way through the city as if he had never been gone. Smiling, he knew he could close his eyes and still would never lose his way. In Raylansfair, he had been a stranger and in six months, the city never warmed up to him. In Oldtown though, he was home.
Slowly, the streets became even more familiar. He spotted faces he recognized, though few would recognize him and none would stop him. The streets became more wound, the houses smaller, the space between them narrower, their roofs crooked towards each other, drowning out a notable portion of the sunlight.
By now, his instincts kicked in and Keat was glad he hadn't lost any of them. Raylansfair hadn't been a challenge, aside from the episode in the archive. But here, he had to be cautious. Oldtown had never been a safe place and though he was home, he had to watch out for those that might still hold a grudge against him. All he had to do was to get to his small abode, unnoticed.
And so, he began to fasten his pace. In these parts of the city, no one would stop him, no one would ask a question, unless they already had business with him. Darting through the shadows, he kept his head low, now pulling up his hood and putting a hand onto the hilt of his dagger. While he was no fighter, it gave him confidence, in case he'd get into danger.
Just as Keat crossed another street, he heard the one sound he did not want to hear. Not too far away, maybe a couple blocks away, separated only by a handful of houses, he heard a dog howling. Not just anyone, but a deep, vicious mixture of a howl and a roar. In this part of the city, maybe in all Oldtown, there were only two dogs that could produce such a sound and the second one chimed in just seconds later.
Of course, Keat could have continued his path at a steady pace, hoping that their howls weren't directed at him, but he was no fool. He wouldn't take the risk, not with the man that owned them, not considering how much he owed him. As such, he instantly began to run. He only had to get to his house, there was a small path up to the rooftops there and they couldn't follow.
Somewhere behind him, a woman shrieked, as heavy paws dashed over the pavement. Yes, they were there for him, hunting without mercy, as their master trained them for. Those few that were still on the streets here were all smart enough to leave, hiding behind corners or in house entrances. Only briefly, Keat made the mistake of glancing over his shoulder, spotting the large shape of black fur darting around a corner, quickly closing in.
Feeling naked panic rising in him, Keat tried to run faster, yet he heard the two dogs getting closer with every passing second. “Fuck!”, he barked, as he jumped upon a crate and from there up onto a windowsill, which he clung onto with his fingertips. The window behind was closed, of course, yet if he could pull himself up, perhaps there was still a way to escape.
And then, the dogs had reached him. Glancing down, he had to admit that they barely resembled any breed he knew. They were large, almost like grown boars, with black fur, vicious eyes and small, crooked ears. Broad heads and flat snouts made them ugly creatures, heavy-set and armed with strong jaws. They weren't native to Oldtown, but some eastern breed and Keat thought he remembered their master once boasting that they were bred for combat in the arenas of Slaver's Bay. Staring down at these barking, howling monstrosities, he had no problem with imagining this.
His attempt at pulling himself up was interrupted violently, as one of the dogs jumped up, its jaw just barely reaching the tip of his boot, while the other one let out a high-pitched howl. The hound instantly bit down into the boot and while it did not get any of Keat's toes, the sheer force and the additional weight was almost enough to drag him to the ground. Groaning with pain, he clung onto the windowsill, as his boot slid off his foot, dragged down with the hound.
Both beasts instantly sunk their teeth into the leather and a lesser experienced man would have taken this as a chance to flee. But Keat made no mistake. He knew they were still attentive, their vicious devouring of his boot just a display of their power. They shared their masters cruelty, after all. And the message was clear. If he'd try again to pull himself up, they'd bite his foot clean off.
“Barh! Perfh!”, a deep voice echoed through the street, as Keat sighed, his fingers aching and trembling from the strain it put upon them to just keep him up there. But he did not trust the dogs not to maul him to death if he'd let go. They were the sort to do it, as long as their owner did not tell them otherwise.
“Looky here what you have found!”, the man roared. “Sit down and be silent!” Instantly, the two dogs obeyed, letting go of the boot and sitting down, with their master walking up between them. Keat stared down at a tall man with a bushy, black beard and wild hair. Light brown eyes looked up with glee and a crooked smile appeared on his face. The bearded axe strapped over his shoulder seemed out of place for this city, but so did everything about him. Scarred and brutish, Thorrin Bannister was a fearsome man, even more so than the two hounds by his side, and looking the way Keat imagined a wildling raider. “Hello, Keat”, he greeted him. “Didn't think I'd see you here ever again”
Keat gulped. “I always planned to pay you, Thorrin”, he said in return and Bannister shrugged. “You got a weird way of showing this”, he replied and his voice was calm, in stark contrast to his wild appearance and the snarling hounds by his side. “Running away, even hiding your family...” He shook his head. “But you returned... that was quite a mistake. You really thought Barh and Perfh wouldn't get your scent?” He pointed at the ground in front of him. “Get down, now, and we might be able to reach a solution”
Holding his breath, Keat closed his eyes. Back in Oldtown for not even an hour and Bannister had already found him. That man was scary, worse than any other of his creditors. At least Forrester wouldn't have found him this quickly, while Hishi would have given him a chance to talk this out. But Bannister? Those hounds were staring at him with hungry eyes, probably just waiting for their master to give the order. And yet, what choice did he have? He had enough coin to pay him ten times over. And so, he let go.
Landing on his feet, he quickly spun around, to the sight of Thorrin's fist slamming into his face. Pain exploded in his head as he got hit and then again as he slammed against the wall. Warm blood poured out of his nose and tears shot into his eyes, as he, momentarily dazed, would have sunken to the ground if not for Bannister grabbing him by the throat, pushing him against the wall and glaring at him. His backpack and the coin in it painfully pressed into his ribs.
“You betrayed me”, Bannister growled in a low tone. “You stole from me. Then you ran away and I had to wait for my coin for six months!” As he spoke, he grew louder and more angry, while the dogs behind him, sensing their masters emotion grew uneasy, standing up, lowering their heads and presenting their sharp teeth.
Keat shivered by now, because why wouldn't he? This was bad, this was real bad, but he had gotten out of worse. “I left because I needed more time”, he claimed and Bannister raised an eyebrow. “You did?”, he asked in return, his grin widening, revealing his brown teeth. “Keat, you must think me a fool” He put a hand onto his head. “I might look the part, but I am not stupid. I know how it looks when someone runs”, he hissed. “Just one thing I gotta ask myself... why did you return?”
“Had to see my family again”, Keat replied, opting for the truth in this moment. Bannister sighed, though Keat was not done yet. “Besides, I think I can finally pay you”, he continued. This got the man's attention. “You got the coin with you?”, he asked and Keat heard the subtle threat in his voice. As such, he shook his head. “I can get it to you now”, he corrected himself. “Not now, I mean, but very soon. This is why I returned. To repay those I owe”
“So, you don't have it with you...”, Thorrin growled, and his hand reached to the belt, where a small, dirty knife was dangling. He pulled it and pressed it against Keat's cheek, enough to hurt but not enough for him to cause any damage. “What kind of a trick is this, huh?”, he demanded to know. “My dogs got your scent. You cannot run”
“I don't intend to!”, Keat promised. He would have paid him right now if it was anyone but Thorrin Bannister. But this man... this man of all people, he'd gut him just to get the rest of the coin. And he needed it. Vicious and brutal he was, but Bannister was still less dangerous than Hishi or Vogero, with Tavner backing the latter.
“Huh... then what do you got in your backpack?”, Bannister asked and Keat tensed up. “Personal stuff”, he said. “I've been travelling for quite a bit in these last few months” Bannister chuckled at this. “Funny man”, he said. “You're funny” And without warning he slammed the hilt of the knife against his forehead.
Groaning in pain, Keat narrowed his eyes. “Don't bullshit me, Trickster”, Bannister roared. “I want my coin” Placing the knife on his cheek again, he smiled in a jovial way. “But I am not an unreasonable man. I have waited for so long, I can wait a little longer. So, here's my offer... You give me all you have right now. Your fucking backpack and I keep whatever I want from it. We're even, you go your way and we never deal with each other again. Or I give you one last chance. You cannot run again, so I will give you one more week to get me everything you owe me” He gave him a malicious wink. “Entirely your choice, little man”
[Hand over the backpack][Refuse and ask for more time]
Richard could have handled his anger better, but his brother betrayed his trust again, and Alan gave me the impression he didn't do anything that bad. Consequences Alan.
[Refuse and ask for more time] I doubt giving the backpack would solve his debt, but maybe his storyline will be more interesting this way. Didn't expected to be him the new POV.
That Bannister guy is certainly someone you don't wanna anger, or cross paths with.
Richard
Anger flaring up inside him, Richard grabbed Alan by the collar of his shirt and the sheer force he used seemed to surprise his b… morerother, as he almost lifted him up a bit, before pushing him against the door. “I asked you a question!”, he barked and Alan's eyes widened, with surprise, as well as the hint of fear. It was just a moment, but it felt scarily satisfying.
“Easy, please!”, Alan was quick to say, his voice now sounding notably less confident. “Just don't hurt me!” Richard, realizing what he was doing there and noticing the shocked look on Mathea's face, let go of Alan, who staggered back, pressing himself against the door. “Alright, alright, just calm down!”, he said, now sounding more sober than before, or maybe that was just the fear doing the talking. Alan had always been a coward and it showed in moments such as this.
“I... took it”, Alan admitted and Richard narrowed his eyes. “You took it?”, he growled and Alan … [view original content]
Richard could have handled his anger better, but his brother betrayed his trust again, and Alan gave me the impression he didn't do anything that bad. Consequences Alan.
Well, compared to what he did in the past, stealing some money to buy alcohol from isn't too bad when it comes to Alan. However, he made a terrible choice of words when he called it his "share". Keep in mind, Alan cheated Richard out of his share for their father's inheritance, forcing him to live in poverty and indirectly causing the death of his wife in the process and by insensitively picking this choice of words, he proved to Richard that he had learned nothing from his past actions. In itself, this wasn't so bad, but it was the final straw and a long time coming
I doubt giving the backpack would solve his debt, but maybe his storyline will be more interesting this way. Didn't expected to be him the new POV.
Hah, told you this PoV would be a surprise I have quite a lot planned for Keat, exciting things I need a thief fir, albeit the bulk of his storyline, the driving conflict so to say, won't start until Chapter 2. When it comes to the backpack, I'd expect it to settle the debt actually. Keat keeps Maya's coin in there, enough to pay off most of his entire debt not only to Thorrin. The problem is just, if he reveals this now, it is likely Thorrin will take all of it.
That Bannister guy is certainly someone you don't wanna anger, or cross paths with.
That I can wholeheartedly confirm. Thorrin is a very dangerous man to be around and to make things worse, he actually has legit reasons to be angry at Keat. Nobody likes being cheated out of their money. Of course, there's better people to be in debt to. Perhaps the best thing that can be said about Thorrin still is that he has never been a member of the Solvers and was actually disgusted by them, but that is definitely not much wheb compared to his negative traits.
Richard could have handled his anger better, but his brother betrayed his trust again, and Alan gave me the impression he didn't do anything… more that bad. Consequences Alan.
[Refuse and ask for more time] I doubt giving the backpack would solve his debt, but maybe his storyline will be more interesting this way. Didn't expected to be him the new POV.
That Bannister guy is certainly someone you don't wanna anger, or cross paths with.
Well, safe to say I didn't expect things to escalate that badly between Richard and Alan I'm interested to see where will Alan go from here... hopefully he won't fuck over his brother because of this.
[Hand over the backpack] Clearly this Bannister fella is an impatient person, so refusing him might result in him beating the shit out of Keat and taking the coin anyway. I just hope he believes in honor among thieves and doesn't take all of the money if we give the backpack voluntarily.
I also noticed a certain familiar name dropped a couple times, and safe to say I'm hyped
Richard
Anger flaring up inside him, Richard grabbed Alan by the collar of his shirt and the sheer force he used seemed to surprise his b… morerother, as he almost lifted him up a bit, before pushing him against the door. “I asked you a question!”, he barked and Alan's eyes widened, with surprise, as well as the hint of fear. It was just a moment, but it felt scarily satisfying.
“Easy, please!”, Alan was quick to say, his voice now sounding notably less confident. “Just don't hurt me!” Richard, realizing what he was doing there and noticing the shocked look on Mathea's face, let go of Alan, who staggered back, pressing himself against the door. “Alright, alright, just calm down!”, he said, now sounding more sober than before, or maybe that was just the fear doing the talking. Alan had always been a coward and it showed in moments such as this.
“I... took it”, Alan admitted and Richard narrowed his eyes. “You took it?”, he growled and Alan … [view original content]
[Refuse and ask for more time]
Since for some strange reason there is not a choice to accept to have a week for pay the debt I choose the choice that will be less of a problem in the future (since Bannister is not the only person that Keat owe money and the other creditors are people with a bigger influence in the city).And I found this choice more fun and I doubt that you will kill the new PoV in his second part.
RT:
1)This Richard part was one of the best inside all the story! Alan deserve anything that Richard said to him (he is the main cause of Richard's wife death,leave Richard and Hal Recton alone to due during a raid and he don't even care to found an excuse for what he do!He make mistakes that hurt and expect that everyone say that it is fine!)
2)btw what happened with Alan will be for sure a problem in the long run but hey!Let's live in the present!
3)Now Mathea know that the Alley cats are not good people (but that was almost obvious) but she make the smart decision to not be part of the rebellion (even if that doesn't mean she will be safe if everything go wrong)
4)It seems that Samantha storyline will start with the meeting of the Rebellion members!I'm really curious to read it and see again some old faces!
5)Keat the Trickster is the new PoV! If I must be honest I'm not too surprise of your choice because the last time we see him he said that he will come back to Oldtown and you obviously need at least a new PoV for that city after Jaron and John will left it
6)Wow Keat!You really are something because have a debt with so many important people of Oldtown underworld must not be an easy feat!
7)Theodan Ballister seems to be a man with a short temper that you won't like to meet in a dark alley...at least he is a dog person!
8)I'm curious to see Keat meetings with his siblings and discover who protect them in his absence (will be a new character or someone that we don't see for a long time like Samuel (the Puffer one) or ROACH!? XD)
9)In the end you mention another new character called Vogero but he seems to work for Tavner...I think that Vogero is the guy that act as a new crimelord while the merchant is his sponsor and true leader
Richard
Anger flaring up inside him, Richard grabbed Alan by the collar of his shirt and the sheer force he used seemed to surprise his b… morerother, as he almost lifted him up a bit, before pushing him against the door. “I asked you a question!”, he barked and Alan's eyes widened, with surprise, as well as the hint of fear. It was just a moment, but it felt scarily satisfying.
“Easy, please!”, Alan was quick to say, his voice now sounding notably less confident. “Just don't hurt me!” Richard, realizing what he was doing there and noticing the shocked look on Mathea's face, let go of Alan, who staggered back, pressing himself against the door. “Alright, alright, just calm down!”, he said, now sounding more sober than before, or maybe that was just the fear doing the talking. Alan had always been a coward and it showed in moments such as this.
“I... took it”, Alan admitted and Richard narrowed his eyes. “You took it?”, he growled and Alan … [view original content]
Richard
Anger flaring up inside him, Richard grabbed Alan by the collar of his shirt and the sheer force he used seemed to surprise his b… morerother, as he almost lifted him up a bit, before pushing him against the door. “I asked you a question!”, he barked and Alan's eyes widened, with surprise, as well as the hint of fear. It was just a moment, but it felt scarily satisfying.
“Easy, please!”, Alan was quick to say, his voice now sounding notably less confident. “Just don't hurt me!” Richard, realizing what he was doing there and noticing the shocked look on Mathea's face, let go of Alan, who staggered back, pressing himself against the door. “Alright, alright, just calm down!”, he said, now sounding more sober than before, or maybe that was just the fear doing the talking. Alan had always been a coward and it showed in moments such as this.
“I... took it”, Alan admitted and Richard narrowed his eyes. “You took it?”, he growled and Alan … [view original content]
Richard
Anger flaring up inside him, Richard grabbed Alan by the collar of his shirt and the sheer force he used seemed to surprise his b… morerother, as he almost lifted him up a bit, before pushing him against the door. “I asked you a question!”, he barked and Alan's eyes widened, with surprise, as well as the hint of fear. It was just a moment, but it felt scarily satisfying.
“Easy, please!”, Alan was quick to say, his voice now sounding notably less confident. “Just don't hurt me!” Richard, realizing what he was doing there and noticing the shocked look on Mathea's face, let go of Alan, who staggered back, pressing himself against the door. “Alright, alright, just calm down!”, he said, now sounding more sober than before, or maybe that was just the fear doing the talking. Alan had always been a coward and it showed in moments such as this.
“I... took it”, Alan admitted and Richard narrowed his eyes. “You took it?”, he growled and Alan … [view original content]
[Hand over the backpack] Knowing our luck, the backpack would've been stolen later on in time anyway. This way at least we paid of the more difficult of creditors Keat has. I'm sure Keat can find another way to pay back Hishi, Vogero, and Forrester. I got to say I should've seen this coming as we need a Oldtown POV, but you sure did catch me by surprise by doing it so soon. I'm really excited to see what Keat is going to get himself into, and who this mysterious friend he left his siblings with could be.
I knew we shouldn't have gotten angry with Alan. Now he is gone for who knows how long and on Richard's badside. Despite all his flaws, he is a useful guy to have around at times. His basically that wildcard that turns out to be an ace all along. Plus I think there may have been a way to mend their family. Plus, I wasn't sure about telling Mathea about the Alley Cats, but seeing that she isn't going to oppose them puts me a little to ease. I can't wait to see the meeting of the rebels. All they need to do is somehow get Ryler and Arthur in on this and then they'll have a whole new view of the Alley Cats' backstory/weaknesses, as well as the information of Oakheart's treachery. And then there is Kasyn Luck who we have yet to learn more about. All these potential allies that need to be gathered.
Richard
Anger flaring up inside him, Richard grabbed Alan by the collar of his shirt and the sheer force he used seemed to surprise his b… morerother, as he almost lifted him up a bit, before pushing him against the door. “I asked you a question!”, he barked and Alan's eyes widened, with surprise, as well as the hint of fear. It was just a moment, but it felt scarily satisfying.
“Easy, please!”, Alan was quick to say, his voice now sounding notably less confident. “Just don't hurt me!” Richard, realizing what he was doing there and noticing the shocked look on Mathea's face, let go of Alan, who staggered back, pressing himself against the door. “Alright, alright, just calm down!”, he said, now sounding more sober than before, or maybe that was just the fear doing the talking. Alan had always been a coward and it showed in moments such as this.
“I... took it”, Alan admitted and Richard narrowed his eyes. “You took it?”, he growled and Alan … [view original content]
Comments
@Bounden
Very happy you enjoy him, that is the most important thing
I had fun writing him as well, so that's an added bonus. And well, Vali seems to be well-connected, considering that he knows about Jenna, but then again, Jenna has probably attracted attention from unexpected sources by now. She can't expect to alway be the unassuming girl in the background that no one pays any attention to, not with how much she has influenced. She has been quite instrumental in bringing down Septon Corbin and through that has actually triggered a chain reaction, leading to Harris losing a lot of support and Sherryl finding herself forced to take a more active role (Because originally, it was supposed to be Corbin who had orders to kill Argella). That and her work with a Targaryen spy are some notable traits and it seems Vali has contacts who have brought at least something of importance about Jenna to his ears.
Actually, in a weird way, Vali is upholding the tradition here. One Archmaester decades before Quent (not his immediate predecessor, but more like the predecessor of his predecessor's predecessor) has done the very same, he sent the wild, arrogant and seemingly untalented Eaton to Raylansfair, which is a big reason why Quent, hard-working and dutiful, felt very bitter about this all. And while Eaton had notable problems in the beginning (such as his lack of healing skills leading to him being unable to save Morna Raylan's life from wounds she could have been able to survive with proper help), he eventually became the best they could hope for. There's no one stopping Vali from eventually becoming similar to him.
Hm, you are right, Jaron has certainly more morals than people such as John and Temari have. He has compromised some of his values during his time in Oldtown, but even then, I would say that he remains the least morally ambiguous of his party, when compared to people such as John, Temari and especially Samuel, who used to be a fullblown villain after all. So, I can confirm that Jaron still has a long way to go to become like his new sellsword companions.
Surely, Taria will not be happy with his hopefully final detour before they settle down for good. Sure, Ayden is not putting himself into too much danger here, but she is very critical of any bit of relation to his old life as a sellsword. Ayden meanwhile, he might actually indeed miss his former profession, yet feels obliged to his young family to stay out of trouble, pick up honest work and make a living without constantly risking his life. If this is truly possible for a man that has spent his entire professional life as a hired killer remains to be seen.
EDIT: Huh, it appears this comment started a new page, what a shame. So, for those directly getting here instead of the part, for whatever reason, take this quick link to get back to the part on Page 278:
https://telltale.com/community/discussion/comment/2868279#Comment_2868279
[Report back to Saerya]
[Agree to kill Ryder]
[Report back to Saerya] Better not push our luck with this one. We received satisfactory information which will suffice for now.
[Agree to kill Ryder] Not sure if its fair for me to vote, so I'll just change the topic xD Is Jaron aware that Joshawa is hitting on him?
On a side note, I think Hishi and Joshawa might be the same person. It sounds stupid but I don't know I just have a hunch.
[Report back to Saerya] Vali is a friend, not food
[Decline to kill Ryder] I am done dealing with Samuel Harrington or his nutjob brother, they can go bugger off. I don't care about this secret reason or whatever. More time wasted means bad stuff for our enslaved friends.
Heheheh.
I mentally read Vali's lines with a strong Irish accent, and it's quite amusing.
@NightShroud18
Well, it's always a fair thing to vote here of course, particularly as I was not sure which option you would prefer here. I actually had a hunch you'd pick the other option, seems I was very wrong
And well, Jaron is sort of aware that Joshawa is hitting on him (and John simultaneously, while we're at it), but he expected this to happen in a brothel, even if he was certainly caught off guard by the fact that it's a male prostitute doing the flirting. With Joshawa, it has to be expected though. Even when he's doing a completely different task, he would never mind an opportunity for more business.
Wouldn't that be quite a twist? It is a very interesting theory and for obvious reasons, it is one I cannot comment too much on, as anything I'd say could be seen as an argument in favour or against it. So, all I can say is, of course there will be an answer to this, as I don't plan to keep Hishi an enigma forever.
By the way, considering you had serious problems with the update, I wanted to ask if this workaround I brought up has helped. Hopefully, no further votes have been spoiled for you
@InGen_Nate_Kenny
But why?
I worked hard on these characters for everyone to enjoy. Do their characters not interest you? Their story? Or is this about Leonard? I'm not trying to be rude, I am just genuinely curious about your input.
@InGen_Nate_Kenny
You bring up one aspect here that hasn't been brought up before, though it might be worth thinking about. Samuel's abilities would undoubtedly be a major asset for Jaron, but they will come at a price. If Jaron hires Samuel, he will likely not pay him in coin (which Samuel has enough of to begin with), but by helping him out with Ryder and Joshawa already confirmed this will mean a little detour, meaning the whole journey to Yunkai, already long and dangerous, will get even longer and more dangerous. Jaron ultimately has to decide if Samuel's help is worth losing potentially crucial time and this is something that will come up in the future.
Hehe, I can't say I had an irish accent in mind for him, but I must fully agree with you here, it does give him a certain amusing sort of charm. It's a shame there doesn't seem to be any canon examples of such an accent in the show, aside from Littlefinger occasionally seeming to slip into one, if I'm not mistaken. That is something I'd declare canon in a heartbeat.
@LiquidChicagoTed
Yes, I have been slowly adjusting to it so far. I've been sitting on 'My Bookmarks' page until I see your comment posted. Afterwards, I click on your profile and see what have you commented. I'm always guaranteed to be taken directly to your comment when you post it, with the part being on top (By the way, I REALLY HOPE NO ONE HITS ON RAENNA BECAUSE HER AND SAMUEL NEED TO BE A THING MORE! I'm hoping in her next part people just find out that one of their own notorious criminal has feelings for their potential ally and how would they look at her). Thankfully, no spoilers so far and I hope to god my strategy does not fail me now. Thank you for the help!
@NightShroud18
Yes, I still hold a grudge on Samuel since he screwed up Leonard so long and the fact that he helped Butterfly for so long. Ryder is just an awful guy, and by going to Samuel we will encounter him, distracting the mission. It's nothing you really did.
Also, I have an irrational hatred of a lot of characters in this story, so don't feel left out!
The Voting is closed!
Jenna is going to report to Saerya
Jaron is going to accept Joshawa's deal
Well, I can already reveal one consequence of the first option here. This was very likely Jenna's final part in this chapter. As said, I had to get her storyline to a certain moment before being able to start with Samantha's, albeit she will obviously make an apperance there as well. Jaron meanwhile has made an interesting choice here. As I confirmed, this is not the choice of wether or not he actually kills Ryder, it just shows a tendential willingness to do it in order to advance his true main goal. The last word is not spoken here, albeit at least in short term, this was a smart choice as it will give Jaron a good argument to convince Samuel to help him.
The next part is most likely going to be out today. There is one problem, namely that I am at university tomorrow, meaning if I don't manage to finish the part until heading to bed today, I will need until late tomorrow to finish it. Regardless, I shall try my best to finish it in time today. This next part will lead us back to Ysilla's storyline. Last time we saw her, she made the hard decision to kill one of the Sandstorm rebels that had infiltrated the city, who turned out to be merely a teen. Though this weighed heavily on her, she pushed on, to the brothel of a certain Myriah Watermont, where she suspected her brother, Theodan, to be. Approaching the backrooms of the brothel, she was stopped by two guards, siblings, going by the name of Jenelyne and Allar. They informed her that the backrooms are off limits today, as Meria's spymistress, Absidee of Lys, had a meeting with Myriah. Not bothered with this and unwilling to wait out of concern for Theodan, Ysilla decided to use her status to demand the two to let her through. We'll see in the next part how this will work out.
And finally, as always, the important links. Man, I really do hope the main post will return soon, because this just cannot replace it. Do it, Telltale, come on! At the very least though, I gotta say one thing. I mentioned it before, but while writing the last part, I noticed just how great the update has been for the process of writing itself. Don't get me wrong, I hate the layout, the lack of a main post is a big step back and I doubt I'll ever be a fan of the linear style. But credits where credits are due, the removal of the post length limit is huge and a significant improvement for the writing itself. In the 320 parts I have written for the story before the update, I had to cut material for at least another 10 parts, or even more, by removing a couple lines every time to get into the post length limit. If this would have been kept up, by the end of Book 3 I likely would have written a whole chapter worth of cut content. Whole character interactions had to be sacrificed, choices put in without the explanation and weight I wanted them to have, occasionally things had to be rushed and while you never complained, this was always something that severely upset me. This is no more. And in the end, as much as many of you stand rightfully opposed to the layout changes, I hope the improvement in quality of my writing itself, free of a hard length limit, is enough to make up for it. I know, it is for me, because cutting has always been painful. And you probably haven't noticed it, but the last couple of parts since the update have been a tiny bit longer than the ones before. If only the main post can return soon, it likely won't feel all that terrible anymore. Until then, all I can do is giving you these links every single page, as well as having more fun than ever before while writing, without needing to fear the shitty length limit.
If you are a new reader, allow me to welcome you! Check out the first post on Page 1 to learn more about this!
And for readers new and old, here is a collection of important links you might be interested in:
Ysilla
Ysilla raised an eyebrow at Allar and his sister. “So, you think you can stop me from going in there?”, she asked and without missing a beat, Allar gave her a nod. “That's the plan, yes”, he replied, to which Ysilla gave him a smirk. “Then you should know who I am”, she spoke. “I am Ysilla Sand, daughter of Lord Alester Allyrion. I'm here with Princess Meria's authority, to get my brother back to the castle before it is put on lockdown”
While Jenelyne looked at her with intrigue, it was only the final word that seemed to catch Allar's curiosity. “Lockdown?”, he asked, his voice a low, collected growl. “Just what is happening out there?” Ysilla gulped. “You haven't heard?”, she asked in return. “The Sandstorm is in the city. Suncloaks are trying to find them, but the situation is not under control yet”
Jenelyne and Allar exchanged a glance and finally, the man nodded. “Lady Absidee has to hear about this”, he spoke, while Jenelyne flashed Ysilla a grin. “Didn't know we had a high lady among us”, she chuckled and cockily raised an eyebrow. “M'lady”
Ysilla rolled her eyes. “Can I speak to Absidee now?”, she asked and reluctantly, Allar gave her a nod. “You can”, he confirmed, though his hand darted forwards, as he grabbed her by the shoulder. “But don't cause a scene in there” Ysilla smirked. “You're going to search me now?”, she asked.
Allar's gaze wandered down, before he shook his head and let go of her. “You're unarmed”, he stated and took a step aside. He knocked onto the door, before opening it for Ysilla, who smiled at the siblings, before walking past them into the large room behind. “I would have searched her in your stead”, Jenelyne whispered as Allar, with a sigh of annoyance, slammed the door shut the moment Ysilla was through.
The room behind was spacious and lavish, with a long window front on the wall that opposed her, allowing a view onto a magnificent garden that made up the entire inner courtyard of the brothel, save for a broad colonnade that led around it. The air was refreshingly cool, a notable difference from the heat out in the sun.
Though the room itself was clearly used as an office, it barely felt that way, the closets filled with paper being placed subtly in the background, while a large fountain, likely the reason for the cool air, took most of the attention. It was made out of white marble and taller than Ysilla herself, embroidered with gold, while two small streams of water poured out of each side of a carafe, gently held by the statue of a buxom maiden.
Half hidden behind a red velvet curtain to Ysilla's right were the figures of two people, each sitting on a small settee on opposite sides of a small table. Both female, Ysilla heard bright laughter as she entered the room, though it quickly stopped the moment the two noticed her presence.
“I said I don't want to be disturbed”, one of the women spoke, her voice stern, yet with a melodic tone to it. The second woman said nothing, as Ysilla came closer. “Uh, greetings”, she said as she spotted the two. One of them, the one that had spoken, was sitting next to the wall, leant against it. She was beautiful, with dark olive skin and hair of a slightly lighter brown, her curvy figure hidden beneath a lavish purple dress, low cut to reveal her shoulders and cleavage. She wore jewellery, a red ruby on her finger and two dark green emeralds embedded in her earrings.
The other woman was just barely older, though at least a decade more than Ysilla. Clad in deceptively simple clothes, it actually took her a moment to recognize Absidee of Lys. Having briefly seen the woman at court, Ysilla knew her for her extravagant dresses, yet right now, the woman had switched to a plain grey linen, a piece that covered her whole body and would not attract any attention on the streets. A tattered red shawl was draped around her shoulders and Ysilla could only guess that outside the building, its purpose would be to cover the Lysene woman's most notable feature, the platinum blonde hair, which she wore in a simple braid right now. Fair-skinned and beautiful, the look in her blue eyes was cold at firs, though quickly warmed up as she recognized her.
“Lady Ysilla!”, she greeted her, a curious smile on her face, while the other woman, undoubtedly Myriah Watermont raised an eyebrow. “Myriah, dear, this is Ysilla Sand, Allyrion's bastard” She spoke quickly and with excitement in her voice, though there was also the usual streak that made Ysilla a bit wary of the woman, the hint of snideness she seemed to have with just about anyone. There was a reason why Absidee, beautiful and not without charms, was hardly a popular member at court, from what little she had seen of it so far.
Myriah in return lost the slight hostility of her face, an expression replaced by surprise. “Lady Ysilla, it's an honour”, she said and moved aside on her settee, patting the red seat with a hand. “Sit down and then tell us what leads you here” Ysilla gladly accepted the offer, yet as she sat down, her gaze fell upon the table. There, between two cups of steaming tea, she spotted papers.
While Ysilla had never been to keen about it, her father had made sure she learned how to read long before ever allowing a weapon in her hands. As such, she didn't need more than this glance to realize that these were letters, bearing the sigil of a red skull.
Myriah raised an eyebrow, while Absidee narrowed her eyes. “A less benevolent person would assume you're here to spy for my enemies”, she hissed, though her expression quickly brightened as Ysilla gave her an alarmed look. “I'm just joking, girl”, she assured her. “Albeit your presence here is highly irregular. This is supposed to be a secret meeting with my dear friend”
“And I really don't mean to interrupt you for long”, Ysilla assured her, to which Myriah gave her a reassuring smile. “And nobody means to imply anything else”, she said warmly. “Though don't hold her concern against Dee, this hasn't been the easiest meeting”
Ysilla gulped as Absidee shot her a calculating glare. She could almost see the thoughts that had to flash through the woman's mind. “You are here for your brother”, she stated and impressed by her quick thinking, Ysilla gave her a nod. “That oaf is here, isn't he?”, she asked and slowly, Absidee gave her a nod.
Myriah chuckled. “Dee, it always surprises me when you know this establishment better than I do myself”, she said. “I wasn't aware Ser Theodan is our guest” Absidee gave her a nod. “That's because we had our meeting”, she replied firmly. “But my lovelies have told me about his intentions long before he even reached the building”
“There's more”, Ysilla said. “And this time, I'd be surprised if your... lovelies mentioned anything to you in advance” She kept this statement deliberately ambivalent and Absidee's reaction did not disappoint, as the woman leant forwards, cautiously. “What do you mean?”, she asked, calmly and with interest.
“The Sandstorm”, Ysilla revealed. “They attacked the city. Several people have died and Princess Meria wishes to put the palace under lockdown” This time, she allowed herself a smile, despite the intimidating presence of the spymistress. “That's the reason I am here. Usually, I wouldn't care less for Theodan's mating habits, but I really want him in the castle before the gates are closed, just to be sure he's save”
Absidee gave her a nod and this time, her expression gave nothing away. “Interesting”, she admitted. “Sandstorm so close to the palace” She shook her head and slowly, a wide grin formed on her face, as if Ysilla had told her the best joke she had ever heard. “Splendid!”, she exclaimed. “The people behind the Sandstorm are getting desperate. Jordayne must be truly close”
“Is that what you've been discussing here?”, Ysilla asked, unable to hold back on her curiosity any longer. Absidee rolled her eyes, though Myriah quickly put a hand onto her guests forearm. “Tea, my dear?”, she asked and Ysilla hesitated a moment, before giving her a nod. All the while, she did not avert her gaze from Absidee.
“What would you do in this moment, Myriah?”, Absidee asked, her tone calm, while Myriah rose from the settee, walking around the table to get another cup. “I'd offer her a cup of tea”, the other woman said nonchalantly and Absidee rolled her pale eyes. “You know what I mean”, she snarled and Myriah glanced over her shoulder, smiling. “You are way too paranoid, my dear”, she replied. “Lady Ysilla is not our enemy. Perhaps she could even be a friend in this”
“Perhaps”, Absidee admitted with a nod. “And yet, she saw us. Saw the letter” Myriah turned around again, holding another cup in her hands. “Did she?”, she asked, while Ysilla gulped, not looking away from Absidee's deep gaze. The spymistress was thinking about something and Ysilla knew, she would not like it.
“How much did you see?”, Myriah asked, as she sat down next to her again, filling the cup with tea. Ysilla shook his head. “Really not much”, she said truthfully, though Myriah still continued to look at her, deeply now. “How much?”, she asked and Ysilla sighed. “The red skull is a dead giveaway”, she admitted. “I'm afraid I know whom that stands for. You're conversing with Dagar Manwoody”
Absidee smirked thinly. “I expected you to recognize the sigil, so thank you for not trying to fool me”, she stated. “Not a sigil anyone would spot though, I have to say, your father taught you well” She reached for the tea, drinking a sip of it. “Indeed, I won't deny it”, she continued. “This is a letter from Dagar Manwoody” The spymistress narrowed her eyes still smiling this unsettling, thin smile. “And this is quite a chance meeting, wouldn't you agree?”
Ysilla gulped. “Why do I have the feeling I won't like this?”, she remarked, to which Absidee chuckled, a bright, clear tone. Myriah sighed. “Don't scare the girl, Dee”, she spoke. “Just say what you have in mind for her”
Absidee's smirk grew slightly wider. “Lady Ysilla, what do you know about dragons?”, she asked and Ysilla tensed up. Oh yes, she just knew she would really not like this. “Not very much”, she admitted. “They fly and set the world ablaze” Absidee gave her a nod. “At least that's what they would have done, if the world wouldn't have fought back. Now, there is but three of them left”
Ysilla narrowed her eyes. “You haven't been at the meeting”, she stated. “How do you know?” With this, she caught Absidee almost off guard and the spymistress lost a little bit of her omnipresent aura of confidence. “It surprises me that you have been there”, she admitted. “But mylady, what good would I be at my position if I wouldn't have known about this weeks in advance? Nothing was told which I did not know”
“Then why didn't you tell the princess?”, Ysilla demanded to know. Perhaps it would be wise not to demand too much from this woman, as Absidee was not one she wanted to have against her, but at the same time, her curiosity got the better of her. What she stumbled upon here, it was big and to her own surprise, the spymistress was oddly willing to share information.
“Princess Meria is an old woman”, Absidee explained. “Before worrying her with such a thing, I wanted to be absolutely sure that there is reason to worry. I wanted to make preparations” She put a hand onto the letter on the table. “Such as this one. Yet I am afraid, the Dragonlord made his intentions known before I finished my own task”
“How is Dagar Manwoody of any help to you?”, Ysilla asked, remembering what little her father had told her about Lord Manwoody's brother. The Red Skull, they called him and though Alester Allyrion had always spoken with contempt of him, the man had left a bit of an impression on Ysilla as a child. He was an outcast, a vagrant, more a warrior than any other noble and less noble than the dirtiest drifters in the shadow city. Someone who could surely be impressive in combat, though he was also not quite whom she would consider capable of being of any help against a trio of dragons.
“Dagar is but a piece in my plan”, Absidee revealed. “But the question is not how he can help us, but how you can” Ysilla sighed, having feared this much. Her worry for Theodan had brought here here, when she probably should have been more concerned for Absidee. Now she was caught in the woman's webs and she knew, she had to be careful.
As she shook her head, Absidee's smile appeared again, still not fitting to the situation. “Do you know of the dragon's wroth?”, she asked. “Do you know how their flames burn?” Her smile widened. “I figured not. I saw the Black Dread, when he set the Volantene fleet ablaze. I know what each of us has to lose. And that means, you have an interest in helping me”
“How so?”, Ysilla asked, hesitating to look away from Absidee's glare. And yet, she quickly exchanged a look with Myriah, who seemed notably more supportive. Right now, she was glad to not face the spymistress all by herself. “Be gentle on her”, Myriah warned her friend and Absidee rolled her eyes. “Mylady, if Aegon Targaryen reaches Dorne, what do you think is going to happen?”, she asked.
Ysilla clenched her fists, as she had to imagine it, the stories her stepmother used to tell her and the other children at Godsgrace. Legions of dragonlords, unleashed on the Rhoynar, their armies and cities burned to ash and ten thousand ships forced to flee their flames. Her ancestors had never faced the dragons of Valyria, but many among the Dornish had, those that traced their ancestry back to Nymeria and her people. They had come here, the only place in the world that would take them. Where else could they go now?
“Can we fight them?”, she asked and Absidee shrugged. “Do we have a choice?”, she asked in return. “Consider for a moment, armies fighting dragons. They say when kings play their games, it's the smallfolk that suffers. And yet, against a hopeless enemy, a peasant can desert, there are ways for him to refuse the draft. What choice does a lord have but to fight? What choice does your father have? Your brothers?”
Ysilla glanced down at her shivering hands, a lump in her throat. “I never thought about it from that perspective”, she mumbled, before she narrowed her eyes. “Why are you telling me all this, Lady Absidee? You want something, so spit it out!”
“What I want is Dorne”, the woman replied. “Safe from the Dragonlord. His fires are yet far, but make no mistake, we won't have much time if we want to have a chance of stopping him” Her smile returned in full force, wide and definitely unnerving. “And to be completely honest, I have hoped to bestow this task upon a true Dornish and not some sellsword scum”
“You... you want me to work for you”, Ysilla realized and Absidee gave her an enthusiastic nod. “For Dorne”, she clarified. “For all of us. If that is not enough, just think of your family. What I offer is a simple, yet crucial task and if you succeed, they might just avoid the slaughter Aegon Targaryen means to bring”
Ysilla didn't have to think about it. She gave Absidee a nod, immediately. “For my family”, she confirmed and Absidee's smile turned into a thin smirk. “Then we shall discuss the rest once you are back at the castle, together with the princess” She finished her tea and gave Myriah a charming, genuine and for once not the slightest bit malicious smile. “Dear, it was a wonderful afternoon. Thank you for the information and the tea. Alas, I am afraid I should leave before Captain Razek puts the castle on lockdown” She rose from her chair and turned to the door. “If you could lead Lady Ysilla to her brother... I assume he took the best of your rooms and the best of your girls”
To this, Ysilla rolled her eyes. Of course he did. She and Myriah both followed Absidee to the door and as the spymistress opened it, Jenelyne and Allar were still standing guard in front of it. “Ready to go, m'lady?”, Jenelyne asked and Absidee gave her a nod. “Back to the castle”, she ordered. “With what I have heard today, this should be the safest place in all Dorne in the days to come”
The sellsword woman smiled widely, while her brother had a notable lack of any expression on his face, aside from subtle boredom. “Glad to hear it, m'lady” She gave Ysilla a wink, before accompanying her brother and her employer through the entrance hall. While walking, Absidee pulled the shawl up, over her haid and completely covering her hair. By the time she reached the door, she was indistinguishable from any common woman out on the streets.
“You gotta forgive her”, Myriah said. “I had no idea she means to drag you into this, but Dee is doing what she considers best for Dorne. If you do too, then it'd best to help her out” Ysilla sighed, as she gave her a curious look. “And what are you doing for her?”, she asked. “Or are you merely friends?”
“Both”, Myriah confirmed. “We're friends, but that doesn't mean I can't work for her. You would never imagine what a fascinating couple of contacts I get in my line of work. Some of them whisper of things to come and Absidee is highly interested in these. I made contact with Dagar Manwoody and we both have reason to believe that he can help us find a very important man”
“One who can stop the dragons?”, Ysilla asked and Myriah gave her a nod. “More than any of us at least”, she confirmed, as she turned to the stairs. “Come with me, mylady. If Absidee is right, then your brother can only be in one of my rooms” She smiled as Ysilla walked next to her. “Only the best for Theodan Allyrion. He has become a regular customer in a surprisingly short amount of time”
“I am well aware of that”, Ysilla said and this time, a slight amount of anger flared up in her voice, or at least annoyance. She had dragged him from Essos back to his home and on the final part of the journey, she, of course, had to save his ass again, while he had nothing better to do but to fuck some cheap whore in some... admittedly not very cheap brothel. Didn't change the fact that it was she who had to care for him, over and over again. Her big brother and yet in moments like this, he acted more like a child than even her younger brother had ever done.
“So, this man Absidee wishes to find... anything you can tell me about him?”, she asked, to change the topic. To her disappointment, Myriah shook her head. “About the man himself? Not much. His name is Laryl Callace and he's a scholar, of sorts. I only ever heard the name from Dee and even she's been cautious about telling me too much. If you are to find that man, well, I'm sure she will tell you more in time” She gave Ysilla a genuine smile. “I'm glad you decided to help her, you know. A true Dornish, just as she wanted. Someone with an interest to see this mission succeed”
“Someone who can't build a life anywhere else”, Ysilla mumbled and Myriah gave her a nod. “Doesn't sound that nice the way you put it, but yes”, she agreed. “That is the essence. Absidee finds it hard to trust others, you see. But someone who has a personal stake in seeing this through? She can trust you to actually see this through”
Stopping in front of the door, she turned to Ysilla and put a hand against her chest, keeping her at an arm's length. “Just don't say a word to your brother”, she warned her as she, without knocking, opened the door. Ysilla glanced inside and she already heard the passionate moans of two people, though they stopped the moment she entered the room.
Lying atop a beautiful woman with dark skin and even darker hair was her brother. Theodan looked over his shoulder, noticing her and instantly pushing himself off the whore. “Ysilla!”, he exclaimed, as he grabbed a coat to cover himself. “What... what are you doing here?”
With these words, he got up from the bed, while the whore raised an eyebrow. He was taller than Ysilla and generally her opposite in terms of looks. Dark-haired and with a faint stubble, he was short for the impressive warrior he usually seemed to be and as Ysilla would never tire to point out, he was, despite undoubtedly good-looking, only half as cute as she herself was.
And his confusion was reflected by her anger at a thoroughly terrible day. In this moment, it all came up, the Sandstorm boy, Absidee and her games, the utter relief she felt as she saw him here. And it was relief, and anger, that flared up in her, as she clenched her trembling fists...
[Slap him] [Hug him] [Do both]
[Do both]
[Do both]
[Do both]
[Do both] While he will be confused, it will be a good way for her to express her concern for her brother.
Dagar Manwoody, the Red Skull, clearly a character to look out for. Wonder if the nickname is a reference to the Marvel character.
[Do both] Eh, just sounds like the funniest option
Anyway, this was a really interesting part. I'm very much keen to learn more about what exactly is Absidee's agenda here. I do believe she wants the best for Dorne, or at least I hope so, but there must be some reason to it. She isn't from Dorne herself after all, so there must be some other motivation for her to want to protect it. And it doesn't seem like she is very loyal to Meria either, keeping important information from her. Well, nonetheless she is an interesting character for sure. Oh, and #RedSkullHype 
@Edinosaur23
Well, WildlingKing can probably give a more definite answer here, being the one to submit Dagar and House Manwoody, but I would be inclined to believe that it is a coincidence. I must actually admit, I only realized the similarity while writing this very part XD At least in terms of personality, there is zero connection between Dagar and Marvel's Red Skull.
@WildlingKing
Ah, glad you enjoyed the part! I was excited to introduce Absidee at last, a character who will bring a lot of additional intrigue to the Dorne storyline, even if her main involvement will be with the other Dorne PoV, who will be shown sometime later. Her motivations and loyalties will be a major part of this storyline, as Absidee, being not a Dornish herself, clearly has more complicated reasons to serve Meria. It definitely isn't patriotism, that much should be clear.
Now, that is a hashtag I can get behind! I find it kind of hilarious though that this opens a link to the otherwise hidden search function. The forums might be taking some steps towards recovery, but man, moments like this always show they still have miles to go
But yeah, Dagar is somewhere on the horizon. I can confirm, it will still take a bit and he definitely won't be the next of your characters to be introduced, but eventually, he is going to come and in my humble opinion, I would say he is going to be worth the hype 
[Do both]
[Do both] Like a healthy relationship between brother and sister
RT:
1)Today new characters are all interesting characters!A spymaster and the owner of a brothel that work together for,maybe, save Dorne from the conquest and,in the end,the good for nothing Ysilla's brother!
2)So the spymaster and the brothel owner has contacts with a Manwoody eh? I'm curious to see what they plan with him
3)Ysilla today not only become part of the plans of the spymaster but obtain the job of find a scholar!I'm curious to see what they need that guy for
Glad to hear you find them all to be interesting. Though having the smallest role in the part itself, Theodan is likely going to be the most important for Ysilla's storyline, whereas Absidee and Myriah will appear prominently in the other Sunspear storyline starting in Chapter 4. But I hope they have left at least a bit of an impression here, because I am excited to feature them in future chapters.
Well, I can confirm that Dagar is not currently living at Kingsgrave, so his position on its own is already of interest to Absidee, who absolutely requires contacts beyond the borders of Dorne to be effective at her job. And if these contacts are dornishmen themselves, whom she is notably more willing to trust on when it comes to giving reliable information, that's all the better. That said, her plans for Dagar are likely more than just an informant.
As Ysilla has found out, it is definitely easy to get a job in Dorne's secret service. All that is required of a person is to be of interest to Absidee and she will find a way to make that person useful to her plans. The scholar meanwhile, he is one of the oldest submitted characters, so whatever it is she needs him for, I hope I'll do him justice at last
[Do both] That's going to be really fun.
Also, HEIL HYDRA!
[Do both]
This is how siblings communicate with each other.
[Do both]
[Do both]
[Do both]
[Slap him] Let's just be mean. Don't want to hug and give the wrong impression to the courtesan.
Also, the Red Skull, and a Manwoody. Very interesting. Hope he doesn't run into any wacky shield guys.
The Voting is closed!
Ysilla is going to slap Theodan, then hug him
That was actually a last minute inclusion, as most middle way options are when it comes to the choices and the moment I put it in, I just knew it would win XD Actually, this is not all too much an untypical interaction between Ysilla and Theodan and I really look forward for future scenes between them. Naturally, Theodan is going to be a very important character for her storyline and one I really look forward to further flesh out in the parts to come
The next part should be out later today. I have debated between two possibilities, one being Edrick in a full-length part, the other being Richard and the final new PoV for Chapter 1. In the end, the latter won, because for the sake of pacing, I have to get Richard's storyline done, so that I can, similar to Jenna's parts, start with Samantha's storyline for this chapter, which is going to be set at the Harking farm. As such, my plans for the next couple of parts include writing Richard and new PoV first, then Edrick, then Garthon, then Kyra and Arthur. I am not sure how well it is all going to work out, but I think I should be done with this chapter somewhere in early December and maybe this time, this assumption is actually going to turn out to be realistic
Coming to recap time, I cannot tell you anything about the new PoV of course, other than the fact that it is a character you know and no, it is not the character you expect to be the new PoV. This time, I am confident to assure you in advance, you won't make a correct guess, because that character is, from what I have shown of them so far, one of the most unlikely choices (inb4 I just jinxed myself and the first guess is the right one). I can assure you though, they are the only one that can tell exactly the kind of storyline I have in mind for that part of the story. Richard though, well, it hasn't been too long since I last featured him, but last time we saw him, he oversaw Mathea doing her magic with Kersea, patching her up properly and likely saving her life. Just as he prepared to escort her back to the city, given that it was already way past sunset, a wild Alan appeared. As it turned out, Alan had been drinking, heavily so and he was even about to spill the beans about Kersea. When Richard asked where he got the coin to buy drinks from, Alan refused to answer, leading to an angry Richard to demand a proper answer. This is right where his next part will begin. It is also going to be his final part in this chapter, though he will have a role to play in Samantha's storyline.
And so I go off to write. The more time I spend with it, the more happy I am about the update. Not about the linear style, mind you, I doubt I'll ever say anything positive about it, but about the tons of smaller features that become visible once I look past it. This next part would have given me serious problems trying to fit it into the old post length limit, but with that asshole either gone or significantly raised (I plan on eventually finding out which of the two it is next time I write a super huge part), I don't have to worry about anything. I'm just going to write and I hope the additional fun such a writing without any worry is giving me will show in the final product
If there is one thing I hate though, more than the linear style (which actually has somewhat improved, alright), it is the lack of a main post. A feature cut arbitrarily, hopefully to soon be restored, because well, these links don't hold the same weight.
If you are a new reader, allow me to welcome you! Check out the first post on Page 1 to learn more about this!
And for readers new and old, here is a collection of important links you might be interested in:
It's Dimitri the Wise, isn't it? I knew he would come back soon!
Wow,I really don't expect another new PoV in this chapter! Now I'm really curious to discover who will be the lucky character!
Haha that was actually my first thought too about the new POV. Dimitri the Wise shall always live in our memories. ?
Well if you are going to make such a claim, how can I help myself from taking a guess. Since we know there is going to be a second Northern POV, my guess will probably be either Mace Crowl or Jorn Mormont. Since Raenna is probably going to go off on her mission for the King soon, we need some eyes upon Winterfell. Who better than the ward barbarian Mace or smarty mc smart pants Jorn?
Richard
Anger flaring up inside him, Richard grabbed Alan by the collar of his shirt and the sheer force he used seemed to surprise his brother, as he almost lifted him up a bit, before pushing him against the door. “I asked you a question!”, he barked and Alan's eyes widened, with surprise, as well as the hint of fear. It was just a moment, but it felt scarily satisfying.
“Easy, please!”, Alan was quick to say, his voice now sounding notably less confident. “Just don't hurt me!” Richard, realizing what he was doing there and noticing the shocked look on Mathea's face, let go of Alan, who staggered back, pressing himself against the door. “Alright, alright, just calm down!”, he said, now sounding more sober than before, or maybe that was just the fear doing the talking. Alan had always been a coward and it showed in moments such as this.
“I... took it”, Alan admitted and Richard narrowed his eyes. “You took it?”, he growled and Alan stared at the ground in front of his feet. “I figured, I'm doing my part, so some of the coin here should be mine”, he explained. “Took it from the purse up on the closet. After all, I helped on the farm. I'm not your... slave, I deserve my share!”
Richard stared at Alan, speechless for a moment. “Your share...”, he repeated, tonelessly, while anger, more anger than he had ever felt towards a person, formed inside him. “Richard”, Mathea hissed and it was probably the sound of her voice that kept him from doing something he'd later regret. But still, he couldn't get the image out of his head, the grave of his wife and the despair he felt, back then and now. Alan's share...
“Get out”, he mumbled. “Get out and don't come back” Alan's eyes widened. “What?”, he asked in disbelief, as Richard pointed past him, to the door. “You heard me”, he said. “I have enough of you, you stealing, lying cheat. Get out!” Alan gulped. “R- Richard, I... I don't under-”
“You understand me well enough!”, Richard roared. “I said get out of my house! Get out of my life, I don't want to be near you ever again!” His anger burned bright and Alan looked devastated. “Richard, don't...”, he begged, his voice becoming high-pitched and whiny. Though tears did not form in his eyes, his voice made it clear how close he came to it. “Don't do this, please. I am your brother, I can help you, I did so much for you!”
“You did nothing but bring me pain!”, Richard barked at him. “You came, I took you in after all you did and you just keep pushing me, you ungrateful fuck!” As soon as he had said this, he noticed a change on Alan's face. The sorrow faded, even if he still looked shocked and a bit scared. Instead, he reacted with anger to match Richard's.
“You call me ungrateful?”, he barked. “I am your brother! All I did to help you, for what? I saved Jenna's life and yours and that doesn't even matter to you? You throw me out for some coin? That bitch you keep living in my room, she's costing you that amount every single day! And somehow that is okay, but when I take something for myself this one time, you threaten to throw me out?”
He was going to say something else, but Richard's hand darted forwards, slapping him across the face. Alan yelped in surprise, staggering backwards, one hand clutched onto his cheek, the other pushing the door open, perhaps involuntarily. His eyes widened, now tears forming in them. “Get out of my house and never come back!”, Richard roared.
“Richard... Richard, please!”, Alan begged again. “It's dark, it's cold, I don't know where to go, I got nowhere to go, I can't leave, please, I am your brother!” Richard pointed past him and Alan cringed at the gesture. “Out!”, Richard barked without mercy. He was done with Alan, his ungratefulness, the sheer delusion he displayed even just now.
And so, Alan left, turning around and running, quite probably for his life. Richard sighed, as the cold air of the night filled the room. He closed his eyes, his clenched fists shivering, as he took several deep breaths. As he opened his eyes again, his gaze fell upon Mathea, who stared at him silently. Emotionless at first, she eventually managed to give him a reassuring smile. “I would have done the same in your situation”, she admitted and Richard gave her a nod. “He had it coming”, he stated, though a bad feeling remained. Alan was his brother, indeed, even if he had done terrible things. Richard had never before turned his back on family and the thought still scared him.
“Do you want to talk about it?”, Mathea asked and Richard shook his head. “No”, he said, feeling a lump in his throat. “If it's okay, I would like to take you up on the offer now. Walking you home” Mathea smiled thinly. “Very well”, she replied. She was silent, yet he felt her gratefulness. Alan was still somewhere out there, though he would not return, not anytime soon. And yet, Richard knew he hadn't seen the last of his brother. That was Alan, he'd never get rid of him.
Helping her up on his cart, Richard followed and together, they rode into the night, silently at first. It was a dark one and cold, moon and stars hiding behind thick clouds. Somewhere in the distant, a lone wolf howled and Richard shivered at the thought that the beast was still out there, even if it had been calm for the last two months. There had been no killings, no beasts, none but the man sitting in the castle right now. That, and another topic Richard was concerned by.
“I must tell you something”, he said and Mathea glanced at him. It was time. He wouldn't tell her everything, wouldn't involve her in this more than she had to be. But there was one thing she had to know and not telling her would be both, ungrateful and irresponsible. He wasn't sure if he would have told her, but the episode with Alan had caused his emotions to run high. He couldn't keep this one for himself. “It is about the man you know as Rodrik. The Sphynx”
Mathea raised an eyebrow. “I know I am not supposed to trust him”, she stated and Richard shook his head. “That's not it”, he said. “You have no idea how dangerous this man is” He narrowed his eyes. “Kersea knew him”, he told her and now Mathea tilted her head. “She's really more than she seems to be, huh?”, she asked, to which he could only give her a nod. She sighed. “Very well, I will not ask about her”, she promised. “But what is it about Rodrik?”
“You are right that he is no healer”, Richard confirmed. “In Oldtown, he was a torturer. He crippled Ser Lucas and would have likely done the same to...” He cut himself off, before he would let anything about Leonard slip, but Mathea seemed to understand. Pale by nature, what little colour she had in her face faded from it. “I feared such a thing”, she admitted, before clenching her fists. “By the gods, I feared him to be like that”
She looked up, at the path in front of them and as Richard followed her gaze, he spotted Jarow's bridge in the distance. It felt hollow without its lord to guard it. The city as a whole felt hollow. “What are you going to do about him?”, he asked and Mathea gulped. “I can't”, she said, before she gave him a slight smile. “But maybe you can. I assume right that you have something planned, right?”
She was right, of course she was. Tomorrow, they would come over. It would be a long day and they would make all sorts of plans. It was their best chance to change something about the situation in Raylansfair. Perhaps it was their only one. “I don't have hope that I myself can do anything about this”, Mathea said. “I am not like this. No fighter, no schemer. I can mend, I can heal and that is all I will do in this war to come” She gave him a sweet smile. “But you, I feel like you can do more than that”, she spoke. “And so, I put my hope in you”
Richard sighed, as he reciprocated her smile, though he remained silent, knowing fully well that she had placed more trust upon him than he ever had in himself. He had lost Alan, possibly for good and could only add that to a list of problems he had to face. This fight he found himself in, it hadn't even begun.
No Choices for this part
Keat
Standing atop the hill, Keat the Trickster took a deep breath as he looked at his city. A smirk formed on his face at the familiar sight and the even more familiar smell. Oldtown at last. It wasn't a beauty, never was, but it had been home for most of his life, save for that bothersome episode in Raylansfair. And with a purse filled with the Lady Ambassador's coin, he felt confident to return. Most of his creditors were gone. Butterfly had died, or so they claimed on the road, and he had taken a vast part of the underworld with him.
There was only one tiny fragment of concern, as the thief stepped down the hill and towards the bulk of people that entered the northern gates at this time of the day. His siblings, Nalia and Adian. To protect them, he had to leave Oldtown, when the Solvers began to ask questions about him. He had left them with a friend, one whom he trusted more than anyone else in this world, but a lot had happened in the six months he was gone.
One thing that would never change though was the fact that people still barely noticed him. Something Keat had considered a nuisance in his childhood had become his greatest asset as he grew older. Now a man of twenty years, he was glad about the fact that he seemed so common in every sense of the word. Without attracting even the slightest attention, he joined the crowd, pulling his hood down to avoid any chance at appearing suspicious.
And so, he entered the city, walking past guards that were too busy with more promising suspects to even pay attention to him. He grinned as he entered the first main street of his home town. If only they knew, these oafs. The coin he had with him would raise more than just a few eyebrows and he intended to put it to good use. First, he would head home, leaving some coin with his siblings, before paying off his creditors, one by one. Well, those that were still alive, of course, which means he could cross Butterfly off the list. That left Hishi, if she was in the city. Efram Forrester, probably someone he shouldn't keep waiting. Vogero Forios would get his share as well, because Keat didn't want to provoke that man any further. And, lastly, Bannister. Seven Hells, Keat could only hope that Bannister wouldn't find him first, with those beasts of his. They still had his scent and that was the one thing he could not hide.
Keat still knew the way. Slipping out of the crowd again, he left the main street, instead entering familiar alleyways. Some districts of Oldtown kept an illusion of decaying beauty, some semblance of what it used to be. But what good was Hightower's coin if it was wasted, if the city was tearing itself apart between Burned Man and Butterfly? Here, away from the main streets, Oldtown showed its true, rotten face. No illusions, just broken lives and dying dreams. Though amid it all, there was the chance for something greater and men like Keat, they knew how to take advantage of it.
He found his way through the city as if he had never been gone. Smiling, he knew he could close his eyes and still would never lose his way. In Raylansfair, he had been a stranger and in six months, the city never warmed up to him. In Oldtown though, he was home.
Slowly, the streets became even more familiar. He spotted faces he recognized, though few would recognize him and none would stop him. The streets became more wound, the houses smaller, the space between them narrower, their roofs crooked towards each other, drowning out a notable portion of the sunlight.
By now, his instincts kicked in and Keat was glad he hadn't lost any of them. Raylansfair hadn't been a challenge, aside from the episode in the archive. But here, he had to be cautious. Oldtown had never been a safe place and though he was home, he had to watch out for those that might still hold a grudge against him. All he had to do was to get to his small abode, unnoticed.
And so, he began to fasten his pace. In these parts of the city, no one would stop him, no one would ask a question, unless they already had business with him. Darting through the shadows, he kept his head low, now pulling up his hood and putting a hand onto the hilt of his dagger. While he was no fighter, it gave him confidence, in case he'd get into danger.
Just as Keat crossed another street, he heard the one sound he did not want to hear. Not too far away, maybe a couple blocks away, separated only by a handful of houses, he heard a dog howling. Not just anyone, but a deep, vicious mixture of a howl and a roar. In this part of the city, maybe in all Oldtown, there were only two dogs that could produce such a sound and the second one chimed in just seconds later.
Of course, Keat could have continued his path at a steady pace, hoping that their howls weren't directed at him, but he was no fool. He wouldn't take the risk, not with the man that owned them, not considering how much he owed him. As such, he instantly began to run. He only had to get to his house, there was a small path up to the rooftops there and they couldn't follow.
Somewhere behind him, a woman shrieked, as heavy paws dashed over the pavement. Yes, they were there for him, hunting without mercy, as their master trained them for. Those few that were still on the streets here were all smart enough to leave, hiding behind corners or in house entrances. Only briefly, Keat made the mistake of glancing over his shoulder, spotting the large shape of black fur darting around a corner, quickly closing in.
Feeling naked panic rising in him, Keat tried to run faster, yet he heard the two dogs getting closer with every passing second. “Fuck!”, he barked, as he jumped upon a crate and from there up onto a windowsill, which he clung onto with his fingertips. The window behind was closed, of course, yet if he could pull himself up, perhaps there was still a way to escape.
And then, the dogs had reached him. Glancing down, he had to admit that they barely resembled any breed he knew. They were large, almost like grown boars, with black fur, vicious eyes and small, crooked ears. Broad heads and flat snouts made them ugly creatures, heavy-set and armed with strong jaws. They weren't native to Oldtown, but some eastern breed and Keat thought he remembered their master once boasting that they were bred for combat in the arenas of Slaver's Bay. Staring down at these barking, howling monstrosities, he had no problem with imagining this.
His attempt at pulling himself up was interrupted violently, as one of the dogs jumped up, its jaw just barely reaching the tip of his boot, while the other one let out a high-pitched howl. The hound instantly bit down into the boot and while it did not get any of Keat's toes, the sheer force and the additional weight was almost enough to drag him to the ground. Groaning with pain, he clung onto the windowsill, as his boot slid off his foot, dragged down with the hound.
Both beasts instantly sunk their teeth into the leather and a lesser experienced man would have taken this as a chance to flee. But Keat made no mistake. He knew they were still attentive, their vicious devouring of his boot just a display of their power. They shared their masters cruelty, after all. And the message was clear. If he'd try again to pull himself up, they'd bite his foot clean off.
“Barh! Perfh!”, a deep voice echoed through the street, as Keat sighed, his fingers aching and trembling from the strain it put upon them to just keep him up there. But he did not trust the dogs not to maul him to death if he'd let go. They were the sort to do it, as long as their owner did not tell them otherwise.
“Looky here what you have found!”, the man roared. “Sit down and be silent!” Instantly, the two dogs obeyed, letting go of the boot and sitting down, with their master walking up between them. Keat stared down at a tall man with a bushy, black beard and wild hair. Light brown eyes looked up with glee and a crooked smile appeared on his face. The bearded axe strapped over his shoulder seemed out of place for this city, but so did everything about him. Scarred and brutish, Thorrin Bannister was a fearsome man, even more so than the two hounds by his side, and looking the way Keat imagined a wildling raider. “Hello, Keat”, he greeted him. “Didn't think I'd see you here ever again”
Keat gulped. “I always planned to pay you, Thorrin”, he said in return and Bannister shrugged. “You got a weird way of showing this”, he replied and his voice was calm, in stark contrast to his wild appearance and the snarling hounds by his side. “Running away, even hiding your family...” He shook his head. “But you returned... that was quite a mistake. You really thought Barh and Perfh wouldn't get your scent?” He pointed at the ground in front of him. “Get down, now, and we might be able to reach a solution”
Holding his breath, Keat closed his eyes. Back in Oldtown for not even an hour and Bannister had already found him. That man was scary, worse than any other of his creditors. At least Forrester wouldn't have found him this quickly, while Hishi would have given him a chance to talk this out. But Bannister? Those hounds were staring at him with hungry eyes, probably just waiting for their master to give the order. And yet, what choice did he have? He had enough coin to pay him ten times over. And so, he let go.
Landing on his feet, he quickly spun around, to the sight of Thorrin's fist slamming into his face. Pain exploded in his head as he got hit and then again as he slammed against the wall. Warm blood poured out of his nose and tears shot into his eyes, as he, momentarily dazed, would have sunken to the ground if not for Bannister grabbing him by the throat, pushing him against the wall and glaring at him. His backpack and the coin in it painfully pressed into his ribs.
“You betrayed me”, Bannister growled in a low tone. “You stole from me. Then you ran away and I had to wait for my coin for six months!” As he spoke, he grew louder and more angry, while the dogs behind him, sensing their masters emotion grew uneasy, standing up, lowering their heads and presenting their sharp teeth.
Keat shivered by now, because why wouldn't he? This was bad, this was real bad, but he had gotten out of worse. “I left because I needed more time”, he claimed and Bannister raised an eyebrow. “You did?”, he asked in return, his grin widening, revealing his brown teeth. “Keat, you must think me a fool” He put a hand onto his head. “I might look the part, but I am not stupid. I know how it looks when someone runs”, he hissed. “Just one thing I gotta ask myself... why did you return?”
“Had to see my family again”, Keat replied, opting for the truth in this moment. Bannister sighed, though Keat was not done yet. “Besides, I think I can finally pay you”, he continued. This got the man's attention. “You got the coin with you?”, he asked and Keat heard the subtle threat in his voice. As such, he shook his head. “I can get it to you now”, he corrected himself. “Not now, I mean, but very soon. This is why I returned. To repay those I owe”
“So, you don't have it with you...”, Thorrin growled, and his hand reached to the belt, where a small, dirty knife was dangling. He pulled it and pressed it against Keat's cheek, enough to hurt but not enough for him to cause any damage. “What kind of a trick is this, huh?”, he demanded to know. “My dogs got your scent. You cannot run”
“I don't intend to!”, Keat promised. He would have paid him right now if it was anyone but Thorrin Bannister. But this man... this man of all people, he'd gut him just to get the rest of the coin. And he needed it. Vicious and brutal he was, but Bannister was still less dangerous than Hishi or Vogero, with Tavner backing the latter.
“Huh... then what do you got in your backpack?”, Bannister asked and Keat tensed up. “Personal stuff”, he said. “I've been travelling for quite a bit in these last few months” Bannister chuckled at this. “Funny man”, he said. “You're funny” And without warning he slammed the hilt of the knife against his forehead.
Groaning in pain, Keat narrowed his eyes. “Don't bullshit me, Trickster”, Bannister roared. “I want my coin” Placing the knife on his cheek again, he smiled in a jovial way. “But I am not an unreasonable man. I have waited for so long, I can wait a little longer. So, here's my offer... You give me all you have right now. Your fucking backpack and I keep whatever I want from it. We're even, you go your way and we never deal with each other again. Or I give you one last chance. You cannot run again, so I will give you one more week to get me everything you owe me” He gave him a malicious wink. “Entirely your choice, little man”
[Hand over the backpack] [Refuse and ask for more time]
Richard could have handled his anger better, but his brother betrayed his trust again, and Alan gave me the impression he didn't do anything that bad. Consequences Alan.
[Refuse and ask for more time] I doubt giving the backpack would solve his debt, but maybe his storyline will be more interesting this way. Didn't expected to be him the new POV.
That Bannister guy is certainly someone you don't wanna anger, or cross paths with.
Well, compared to what he did in the past, stealing some money to buy alcohol from isn't too bad when it comes to Alan. However, he made a terrible choice of words when he called it his "share". Keep in mind, Alan cheated Richard out of his share for their father's inheritance, forcing him to live in poverty and indirectly causing the death of his wife in the process and by insensitively picking this choice of words, he proved to Richard that he had learned nothing from his past actions. In itself, this wasn't so bad, but it was the final straw and a long time coming
Hah, told you this PoV would be a surprise
I have quite a lot planned for Keat, exciting things I need a thief fir, albeit the bulk of his storyline, the driving conflict so to say, won't start until Chapter 2. When it comes to the backpack, I'd expect it to settle the debt actually. Keat keeps Maya's coin in there, enough to pay off most of his entire debt not only to Thorrin. The problem is just, if he reveals this now, it is likely Thorrin will take all of it.
That I can wholeheartedly confirm. Thorrin is a very dangerous man to be around and to make things worse, he actually has legit reasons to be angry at Keat. Nobody likes being cheated out of their money. Of course, there's better people to be in debt to. Perhaps the best thing that can be said about Thorrin still is that he has never been a member of the Solvers and was actually disgusted by them, but that is definitely not much wheb compared to his negative traits.
Well, safe to say I didn't expect things to escalate that badly between Richard and Alan
I'm interested to see where will Alan go from here... hopefully he won't fuck over his brother because of this.
[Hand over the backpack] Clearly this Bannister fella is an impatient person, so refusing him might result in him beating the shit out of Keat and taking the coin anyway. I just hope he believes in honor among thieves and doesn't take all of the money if we give the backpack voluntarily.
I also noticed a certain familiar name dropped a couple times, and safe to say I'm hyped
[Refuse and ask for more time]
Since for some strange reason there is not a choice to accept to have a week for pay the debt I choose the choice that will be less of a problem in the future (since Bannister is not the only person that Keat owe money and the other creditors are people with a bigger influence in the city).And I found this choice more fun and I doubt that you will kill the new PoV in his second part.
RT:
1)This Richard part was one of the best inside all the story! Alan deserve anything that Richard said to him (he is the main cause of Richard's wife death,leave Richard and Hal Recton alone to due during a raid and he don't even care to found an excuse for what he do!He make mistakes that hurt and expect that everyone say that it is fine!)
2)btw what happened with Alan will be for sure a problem in the long run but hey!Let's live in the present!
3)Now Mathea know that the Alley cats are not good people (but that was almost obvious) but she make the smart decision to not be part of the rebellion (even if that doesn't mean she will be safe if everything go wrong)
4)It seems that Samantha storyline will start with the meeting of the Rebellion members!I'm really curious to read it and see again some old faces!
5)Keat the Trickster is the new PoV! If I must be honest I'm not too surprise of your choice because the last time we see him he said that he will come back to Oldtown and you obviously need at least a new PoV for that city after Jaron and John will left it
6)Wow Keat!You really are something because have a debt with so many important people of Oldtown underworld must not be an easy feat!
7)Theodan Ballister seems to be a man with a short temper that you won't like to meet in a dark alley...at least he is a dog person!
8)I'm curious to see Keat meetings with his siblings and discover who protect them in his absence (will be a new character or someone that we don't see for a long time like Samuel (the Puffer one) or ROACH!? XD)
9)In the end you mention another new character called Vogero but he seems to work for Tavner...I think that Vogero is the guy that act as a new crimelord while the merchant is his sponsor and true leader
[Refuse and ask for more time]
[Hand over the Backpack]
[Hand over the backpack] Knowing our luck, the backpack would've been stolen later on in time anyway. This way at least we paid of the more difficult of creditors Keat has. I'm sure Keat can find another way to pay back Hishi, Vogero, and Forrester. I got to say I should've seen this coming as we need a Oldtown POV, but you sure did catch me by surprise by doing it so soon. I'm really excited to see what Keat is going to get himself into, and who this mysterious friend he left his siblings with could be.
I knew we shouldn't have gotten angry with Alan. Now he is gone for who knows how long and on Richard's badside. Despite all his flaws, he is a useful guy to have around at times. His basically that wildcard that turns out to be an ace all along. Plus I think there may have been a way to mend their family. Plus, I wasn't sure about telling Mathea about the Alley Cats, but seeing that she isn't going to oppose them puts me a little to ease. I can't wait to see the meeting of the rebels. All they need to do is somehow get Ryler and Arthur in on this and then they'll have a whole new view of the Alley Cats' backstory/weaknesses, as well as the information of Oakheart's treachery. And then there is Kasyn Luck who we have yet to learn more about. All these potential allies that need to be gathered.