The Loyal Soldier
Ulwyck Tiddle knocked lightly on the door of the guest chamber, and proceeded to open it. Stepping in, he saw his littl… moree sister Gwyneth sitting quietly at a chair in the middle of the room, surrounded by several handmaidens working on her hair and makeup. She looked outstandingly beautiful, and was dressed in a flamboyant white dress, made by the best tailors of the King.
Behind Gwyneth and the handmaidens stood their older brother Lewyn, leaning against the wall next to a small window, a relaxed expression on his face. "Brother," Gwyneth managed to say from the middle of the handmaidens, a meek tone on her voice. "Good afternoon, sister," Ulwyck replied quietly, while walking past her and approaching Lewyn. "And brother," he added coldly as he looked at Lewyn, who nodded lightly as a response.
"I'm almost surprised to see that you left your very important duties at the town guard to come and see your sister's weddi… [view original content]
And Jamison will tell Garret what happened back in Vaith. Not the most active voting this one, I imagine because of the holiday season. That's alright though, we got a result nonetheless, and this wasn't the most important voting anyway.
And the reason I want to close this voting already is because the next two parts are done. They'll be Verro and Valor PoVs, and I'll post them right away. Last time we saw Verro he was still in Lemonwood, now ruled by Efran Sand. Despite the uncertainty of the situation Verro was getting kind of comfortable living in Lemonwood, which made leaving with Nesila a hard choice for him, but he did it nonetheless. And last we saw Valor he and the Fallen Dragons had taken over Salt Shore. He had a little conversation with Lord Gargalen's three daughters, and pondered on what should be their next move. Then he was informed about a fight on the courtyard, and what he found there was one of his men, Tregor Vhassyn, having beaten bloody one of the unarmed Gargalen men. Valor decided to discipline Tregor publicly, in front of his own men and the Gargalen's.
Verro, Nesila and Zaltha had left Lemonwood two days ago, and followed the Greenblood to west. They had ridden past many villages and farm houses, some of them abandoned, others full of life. On the northern coast they had often spotted what seemed to be new villages set up by the Rhoynar. They obviously used the same materials as the Dornish – that being mostly mud and reed – but their style of building was very distinct from the local. There were also a lot of riverboats sailing the Greenblood up and down, most of them pole boats clearly made and occupied by the Rhoynar.
"Do you know how long this river goes on?" Verro asked apathetically from Nesila, but instead it was Zaltha who answered. "I have studied maps, and those claim that Greenblood is over three hundred miles long," he said with his calm and deep voice. "After that it branches to two more rivers, Vaith and Scourge, which are both almost equally long."
"We'll cross the river near Godsgrace and keep following the Scourge," Nesila said determinedly. "That should be easy, but after that we need to cross the desert to reach the Red Mountains."
"I'm so glad I traded living in Lemonwood for this," Verro muttered sarcastically, and Nesila shot him a glare. "You should be," she stated confidently. "Sooner or later Efran's rule will crumble, and you don't want to be there to witness it."
"If you say so," Verro replied tiredly. It was just couple hours until the sundown, and they saw another village ahead of them. "We'll spend the night here," Nesila decided as they approached it, and Zaltha mumbled something in agreement.
They rode to the center of the village and dismounted their horses. The few villagers who were outside looked at them quietly, and Verro noticed four horses tied to the fence next to the small farmlands. Then the door of one of the houses was kicked open, and out walked three men with loaded crossbows, which they pointed directly at Verro, Nesila and Zaltha. Behind the crossbowmen came a man in sturdy armor and flashy yellow cape. Probably a knight.
"Put down your weapons," the knight commanded sternly. Verro was quick to obey, but Nesila and Zaltha hesitated for a moment. "Put them down, now," the knight repeated. "Obey, and there will be no need for violence."
With a sigh Nesila put her blade down, and Zaltha quickly followed her example. Then the knight approached them, a stern and intrigued look in his eyes. "Three foreigners," he said after having eyed them for a moment. "You wouldn't happen to be coming from Lemonwood?" The knight asked calmly, a subtle smirk on his face.
"Tell us who you are first, and maybe we'll answer," Nesila spat, to which the knight chuckled. "You aren't exactly in a position to make demands, lady," he said with an amused tone. "But as you wish, I am Ser Dallin Dalt, and there are my soldiers. Now, your turn."
"I am Nesila Stallosis, a sellsword," Nesila responded with a defeated tone, glancing at Verro and Zaltha as she spoke. "Just Verro, also a sellsword," Verro muttered, keeping is gaze down, and lastly Zaltha spoke. "I am Zaltha Qo, exiled prince from the Summer Isles."
"Two foreign sellswords and an exile... sounds like the kind of people my nephew would hire," Ser Dallin said with a sigh. "You do know Efran Sand, don't you?"
"Yes, we do," Nesila admitted immediately. "However, we no longer work for him, in fact we are trying to get away from him." Ser Dallin eyed them silently for a while, a pondering look on his face.
"A crueler man would punish you in my position," he finally said, a subtle hint of anger in his words. "After all, you helped a dishonorable and murderous usurper overthrow my brother and take over the ancestral home of my family." As he said this, the look on Dallin's eyes was cold and emotionless. "A sellsword doesn't have the luxury of considering about things like honor, or family for that matter," Zaltha responded, his tone equally cold and emotionless. "If you want to punish us, just do it."
"Well, perhaps we could discuss about it first," Verro intervened with an alarmed tone, which made Dallin chuckle coldly. "At least one of you has the sense to see the reality of your situation," he said smoothly.
"We are at your mercy, I understand that," Zaltha snapped strictly. "I simply don't fear you, and I will accept death if that is what you have in mind."
"What good would that do me?" Dallin asked with a sigh, simultaneously gesturing for the crossbowmen to lower their weapons. "You can go and find a new life somewhere else, I don't care. However, before that, you might have useful information for me. Does Efran have any hostages? Are any of my family still alive?"
"He killed Darin immediately after taking over the castle," Nesila started, and immediately Verro could see how crushing these news were for Dallin. "Danwell is also dead, because he openly denied Efran's rule when brought in front of him at the great hall. The rest should be alive, locked in the dungeons."
"Damn you Danwell, stubborn as always," Dallin cursed quietly, a mix of sadness and anger in his words. The knight let out a deep sigh and slowly built up his confidence again before speaking up. "How many men does Efran have now, approximately?" He asked calmly.
The three of them glanced at each other for a moment, until Nesila decided to speak up. "He has lost a lot of support after taking over," she started with a sigh. "A lot of the sellswords, as well as the Ironborn, left almost immediately after the battle. Right now... I'd say he has a couple hundred men under his command."
"Good," Dallin said quietly, a spark of determination in his eyes. "Good, we might have a chance after all."
"So, you're planning to take Lemonwood back?" Nesila asked nonchalantly, and Dallin nodded. "With your three crossbowmen here?" She asked with a dry chuckle.
"The majority of our army is back at Desertstone," Dallin explained calmly. "So, why are you here then?" Verro dared to ask, and Dallin flashed him a small smirk. "To keep an eye out for people like you," he answered smoothly. "Anyway, you have cooperated and answered my questions, which I'm thankful for. You can continue your journey as you please. Then again, if you are interested, I could also hire you to fight against Efran."
"As tempting as that sounds, we have to decline," Nesila said with a sigh, turning to look at Zaltha and Verro. "Right?" She asked, and Zaltha immediately nodded. Verro was unsure though. He had grown to like both Nesila and Zaltha, but what they were offering was a journey with a questionable destination and uncertain chance of success. Ser Dallin on the other hand offered something tangible, a job that Verro knew he could. And if they would win, perhaps he could after all have the stable and calm life in Lemonwood he had already got a taste of.
[Continue with Nesila] [Go with Dallin]
-
Valor
Valor Veltaris walked in front of Tregor Vhassyn with calm steps, both the Fallen Dragons and the Gargalen men looking at him. "Why are we here, Tregor Vhassyn?" He asked sternly, and the Qohorik warrior hesitated for a moment, glancing around for support, but everyone stayed silent.
"We are here to fight Princess Nymeria's war," he finally answered, and Valor nodded. "Correct," he said calmly. "And Princess Nymeria is fighting her war to conquer and unite, not to destroy or bring chaos. That is the example we should follow. Do you understand?"
"But commander..." Tregor protested, but Valor was quick to cut him off. "Do you understand?" He asked again strictly, and Tregor turned his gaze down in a defeated manner. "I understand, commander," he muttered.
"Say it louder, so everyone can hear," Valor commanded, and Tregor turned his gaze up with a sigh, looking Valor to the eyes. "I understand, commander," he repeated, this time much louder.
"Good," Valor said nonchalantly. "You can consider this as a warning, but make trouble like this again, and you will be punished. That is all, you are dismissed." Tregor bowed hastily to his commander, and quickly stormed off the courtyard. Valor turned to look at the rest of the troops. "Everyone back to their duties," he commanded calmly, and the men quickly obeyed. With a quiet sigh Valor walked back inside the keep.
-
Valor sat comfortably on the soft settee of the lord's chamber, eyeing at Lord Jorvian Gargalen's wife and son. Lady Delena couldn't be more than couple years older that Gabby Gargalen, meaning that she definitely wasn't Jorvian's first wife. And Jeremie Gargalen, he was just a young and innocent boy, no more than four years old. Yet he will one day be the lord of this place.
"I received a raven from Godsgrace earlier today," Valor said calmly, and Delena nodded with a gulp, clearly frightened by the Valyrian commander's presence. "There is no need to be afraid, sweet lady," Valor said with a soft and gentle tone, though it didn't do much to relax Delena. "Anyway, this message from Princess Nymeria, it summons me and my men to Godsgrace. I must obey her call, but obviously I can't leave without taking certain steps to secure my back. In other words, I will have to take hostages. Jeremie as Jorvian's heir will be the most valuable hostage." Delena immediately shook her head for this.
"Please no," she pleaded weakly. "He is too young, you can't take him."
"I'm afraid I have to," Valor said with a sigh. "However, if you wish, you can also come. I believe that would be the best for both you and the child."
"We are going to Godsgrace?" Jeremie asked with nervous curiosity, and his mother put an arm around him and kissed him on the forehead. "Yes, darling, we will go together," she said with a soothing tone.
"I am grateful for your cooperation," Valor said with a relieved tone, and Delena shot him with a glare. "What choice do I have?" She hissed, keeping her voice low enough not to scare the boy. Valor raised his right hand in a calming manner, an emphatic look in his eyes. "I am sorry this has to be done, I truly am," he said, but Delena just sighed and turned her eyes to little Jeremie again. After a moment of silence, Valor dared to speak up again. "There is one more thing I wanted to ask from you, mylady."
"Ask then," Delena hissed quietly, still keeping her eyes away from Valor. "It's about Jeremie's sisters," he said. "I need to leave at least one of them here, to keep the place in order. Which one of them do you think I should trust with this task?"
Delena chuckled at his question. "Do you trust me to give you a truthful answer to that?" She asked quietly, now looking Valor straight to the eyes. "I do," Valor simply answered, with quiet confidence in his words.
"Well, I can at least tell you not to trust Gabby," Delena said with a sigh. "She is furiously loyal to her father, but that often leads her to be too reckless and thoughtless with her actions."
"Aye, I saw that from the way she went about defending this city," Valor replied with a smirk, which Delena didn't reciprocate. "So, I will take her with me," he quickly continued. "What about Eli and Bridget?"
"They are both harder to read than their older sister," Delena admitted quietly. "It's your decision of course, but personally I'd leave Bridget here and take Eli. Bridget has always been a smart and humble girl, whereas Eli... well, she is a bastard, always striving to prove herself to be just as much a Gargalen as her sisters."
"And that could lead her to do something reckless," Valor deduced quietly, and Delena nodded. "But she would also be the less valuable hostage," he added with a sigh.
"As I said, it is your decision," Delena said, and Valor nodded. "Indeed. Thank you for your cooperation and advice, mylady," he said as he stood up from the settee. "Prepare yourself and your son for the journey, we will leave early tomorrow." With these words Valor left the lord's chambers.
He would take Gabby with him, that much was clear, but he still had a decision to make with the other daughters of Jorvian. Valor made his way to the second floor of the keep, where he knew the quarters of the daughters to be. At first he arrived to the door of Eli Sand's chambers, which were guarded by two of his men. They let him pass without questions, and as he opened the door, he saw Eli sitting quietly by the window.
"May I disturb you for a moment?" Valor asked politely, and Eli looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Oh no, I'm way too busy for that," she answered sarcastically, and Valor chuckled as he stepped in and closed the door. He took the seat next to the table, and sat down with a sigh. "I've come to... discuss with you about something," he said calmly, eyeing Eli as he spoke.
"Discuss?" She asked sternly. "What is there to discuss?"
"I'll be leaving soon, and the Fallen Dragons leave with me," he informed the girl. "Princess Nymeria has summoned us to Godsgrace, so that is where I must go. I'll be taking Jeremie with me, as well as his mother, and Gabby."
"To make sure we won't stab you in the back," Eli concluded, and Valor nodded with a smirk. "Yes, to make sure you won't stab me in the back," he confirmed smoothly. "Though I do need one of you to stay here as well, to make sure things stay in order. You see, in order for hostages to be worth anything, there needs to be someone to blackmail with them. If we took all of you, what would stop the common soldiers of this city from taking up arms and coming after us?"
"You think they would put the family of their lord in danger?" Eli asked with narrowed eyes, and Valor nodded. "The common people don't usually care about their noble overlords nearly as much as those lords would like to think," he said with a soft chuckle. "They stay in line because the noble lords appear powerful, but there is nothing powerful about a bunch of prisoners."
"So, have you come here to ask me keep the people of Salt Shore in line?" Eli asked curiously, and Valor shrugged. "Perhaps," he said quietly. "Do you think you'd be up for the task?"
"Yes," she answered confidently, and Valor raised his eyebrow in surprise. "You seem pretty sure about it," he observed, to which Eli nodded. "Because I am," she said strictly. "I know the people of Salt Shore far better than either of my sisters. I often visit the taverns and markets of the city and speak with the common people. I respect them and they respect me."
"That is good to hear," Valor said, standing up from his chair and starting to walk back towards the door. "Wait, are you leaving me in charge or not?" Eli asked with a confused tone, and Valor flashed her a smirk. "I haven't made that decision yet," he simply said as he stepped out of the room, and closed the door behind him. Then, he made his way to the other end of the corridor, to the door of Bridget Gargalen's chambers. Stepping past the guards, he opened the door and stepped in.
Bridget was sitting in front of the mirror, brushing her luscious black hair, clad only in her white chemise. Noticing the door opening, she put down the brush, and turned towards Valor, intense gaze in her wide blue eyes. For a moment Valor could only marvel at the beauty and majestic body of Bridget, before finding his composure again and sitting down at the chair next to the bed, turning his eyes away from her for a moment.
"What are you doing here, Lord Valor?" Bridget asked, her voice tense but still sweet and polite. "I just have a couple questions for you, mylady," Valor explained calmly. Bridget smiled shyly, standing up and grabbing a silky dressing gown to cover herself with. "Fine then, silver hair, ask your questions," she said playfully, sitting on the bed next to Valor.
"Nymeria has summoned the Fallen Dragons to Godsgrace," he started with a sigh. "We will leave tomorrow, and we will take Jeremie, Delena and Gabby with us. I'm also considering taking either you or your bastard sister Eli, but I am not sure yet whom should I take, and whom should I leave here to take charge of the city."
"Ah, I see," Bridget said with a relaxed tone, leaning seductively on her left arm. "I assume you came here to ask if I'd be capable of keeping this place in order in your absence."
"Something like that, yes," Valor replied with a small nod. Bridget took a moment with her answer, her gaze lingering on Valor. "To be honest, I never really saw myself as a leader," she finally said, taking in a deep breath. "Then again, I do believe the people of Salt Shore to have respect for me. They see me as the beautiful and innocent daughter of their lord, a symbol of purity if you will. But if I'm honest, I can't tell how they would react to me giving them commands."
"I imagine they could accept that," Valor replied softly, to which Bridget shrugged in a carefree manner. "Maybe, though I do think Eli would still be the one better suited for the job," she said quietly. "But that's just my opinion. Was there something more you wanted to ask?" she asked, a sweet and seductive smile on her face.
Valor hesitated, taking in a deep breath. He looked at Bridget, at her delicate face and shapely body, and for a moment he was almost overtaken by the instinct to make a move on this beautiful woman. However, he managed to keep himself in check, and simply flashed her a friendly smile. "That's all, mylady," he said with a polite and professional tone as he stood up.
"Let me know when you've made your decision," Bridget chirped as Valor approached the door, and he turned to look at her once more. "I will," he said quietly, before turning away again and opening the door. Walking out and starting to make his way towards his chambers, Valor saw from the windows that the sun was already setting. Time to make the decision.
[Leave Eli in Salt Shore] [Leave Bridget in Salt Shore]
That... was very quick writing. Seems like the ending of the chapter approaches faster than I thought and despite the looming feeling of dread I undeniably have, I can only approve of this
[Continue with Nesila]
This here is the easy choice of the part. I made Verro's previous decision to leave with Nesila with utmost certainty, seeing only positives in it. Staying with Efran would have been suicide, as this encounter with Dallin proves. But even then, I'd rather stay with her now, seeing how she and Verro have become quite friendly with each other, as opposed to be drafted into yet another assault on Lemonwood. This has never been his war and I'd rather have him leaving with his friends instead. On top of that, I still remember that I have quite a negative opinion on Dallin. He is a coward and a major reason for Dianna's current situation, when he retreated from battle against Bjorn and his Ironborn. I mean, he's better than Efran, I give him that, but that's about it. I wish him success in Lemonwood, but not enough to have Verro go with him. Nope, going with Nesila is where it's at for me.
[Leave Bridget in Salt Shore]
This is by far the harder choice out of the two. See, the Master of Ships (also known as me) kinda ships it. That'd mean, I'd prefer having Bridget with Valor and there are even other arguments speaking in that favour, because as she herself said, she is not as capable at leading and might have the men disobey her. Might even change my vote, gotta see how the others vote on that one, if there's a tie I'll change it for sure. Thing is, Bridget might be the less capable leader when compared to Eli, but she is perfectly reliable, I trust her with doing absolutely nothing that puts her family in danger. But my main reason for picking this is that I am not sure we can trust Eli and that mainly comes with how readily she announced herself to be up for leading Salt Shore during the absence of the other Gargalan's. As a very slimy man once said, sometimes when I try to understand a person's motives, I like to play a little game. I assume the worst. What's the worst reason Eli could have for suggesting this? She's a bastard, means Valor taking away every trueborn Gargalen would grant her a unique chance. I don't want to imply she would be capable of doing that, but just imagine for a moment she gives in to the temptation of power. Ordering the men to attack Valor, forcing him to execute the trueborn Gargalen's, leaving her as Jorvian's only remaining heiress. Bastards rarely get such a chance and who knows, when the power is so close, she might do something foolish, as Delena told him she might. She didn't necessarily made such an impression on me, but Bridget made the more trustworthy and reliable impression. I'm still a bit torn here, which happens way too often, so as with the latest Isabella choice, I am hesitating and observing. We'll see, I'll let you know if I decide to change my vote
Verro
Verro, Nesila and Zaltha had left Lemonwood two days ago, and followed the Greenblood to west. They had ridden past many villages a… morend farm houses, some of them abandoned, others full of life. On the northern coast they had often spotted what seemed to be new villages set up by the Rhoynar. They obviously used the same materials as the Dornish – that being mostly mud and reed – but their style of building was very distinct from the local. There were also a lot of riverboats sailing the Greenblood up and down, most of them pole boats clearly made and occupied by the Rhoynar.
"Do you know how long this river goes on?" Verro asked apathetically from Nesila, but instead it was Zaltha who answered. "I have studied maps, and those claim that Greenblood is over three hundred miles long," he said with his calm and deep voice. "After that it branches to two more rivers, Vaith and Scourge, which are both almost equally long."
"We'll cross… [view original content]
[Continue with Nesila]
We didn't vote for him to leave Lemonwood to avoid the battle, just so he could turn around, leave his new friends, and go into battle in Lemonwood. Plus, we still aren't sure if Verro's previous leg injury is completely healed yet. There is no need to put him in unnecessary danger. Plus, I want to see what this new journey with Nesila will bring.
[Leave Eli in Salt Shore]
This was a harder choice for me. Eli seems like a more capable ruler. However, Liquid made some good points regarding why we shouldn't leave her in charge. I might change this vote later.
Verro
Verro, Nesila and Zaltha had left Lemonwood two days ago, and followed the Greenblood to west. They had ridden past many villages a… morend farm houses, some of them abandoned, others full of life. On the northern coast they had often spotted what seemed to be new villages set up by the Rhoynar. They obviously used the same materials as the Dornish – that being mostly mud and reed – but their style of building was very distinct from the local. There were also a lot of riverboats sailing the Greenblood up and down, most of them pole boats clearly made and occupied by the Rhoynar.
"Do you know how long this river goes on?" Verro asked apathetically from Nesila, but instead it was Zaltha who answered. "I have studied maps, and those claim that Greenblood is over three hundred miles long," he said with his calm and deep voice. "After that it branches to two more rivers, Vaith and Scourge, which are both almost equally long."
"We'll cross… [view original content]
That... was very quick writing. Seems like the ending of the chapter approaches faster than I thought and despite the looming feeling of dread I undeniably have, I can only approve of this
Hehe, the holidays and lack of uni assignments have really increased my writing motivation And in general I feel like the second quarter of a chapter is always the hardest to write, because it's mostly build up for the second half of the chapter. But now that we are past that phase the climax of the chapter (and the book) starts to finally be within my grasp, which has also made very motivated. In fact, I already have a couple more parts almost ready
This here is the easy choice of the part. I made Verro's previous decision to leave with Nesila with utmost certainty, seeing only positives in it. Staying with Efran would have been suicide, as this encounter with Dallin proves. But even then, I'd rather stay with her now, seeing how she and Verro have become quite friendly with each other, as opposed to be drafted into yet another assault on Lemonwood. This has never been his war and I'd rather have him leaving with his friends instead. On top of that, I still remember that I have quite a negative opinion on Dallin. He is a coward and a major reason for Dianna's current situation, when he retreated from battle against Bjorn and his Ironborn. I mean, he's better than Efran, I give him that, but that's about it. I wish him success in Lemonwood, but not enough to have Verro go with him. Nope, going with Nesila is where it's at for me.
Yeah, this choice wasn't originally even going to be here, but I figured I should at least give you the choice to join Dallin if you want, even if I saw it as quite unlikely. And I think Dallin retreating from the battle against Bjorn's crew was the last time we saw him, so it's quite understandable that you don't have the best opinion on him Personally he justifies his actions by thinking that he needed to survive so he could continue the war against Efran. But yeah, it was definitely a major dick move from him to leave Dianna at the mercy of the Ironborn.
This is by far the harder choice out of the two. See, the Master of Ships (also known as me) kinda ships it. That'd mean, I'd prefer having Bridget with Valor and there are even other arguments speaking in that favour, because as she herself said, she is not as capable at leading and might have the men disobey her. Might even change my vote, gotta see how the others vote on that one, if there's a tie I'll change it for sure. Thing is, Bridget might be the less capable leader when compared to Eli, but she is perfectly reliable, I trust her with doing absolutely nothing that puts her family in danger. But my main reason for picking this is that I am not sure we can trust Eli and that mainly comes with how readily she announced herself to be up for leading Salt Shore during the absence of the other Gargalan's. As a very slimy man once said, sometimes when I try to understand a person's motives, I like to play a little game. I assume the worst. What's the worst reason Eli could have for suggesting this? She's a bastard, means Valor taking away every trueborn Gargalen would grant her a unique chance. I don't want to imply she would be capable of doing that, but just imagine for a moment she gives in to the temptation of power. Ordering the men to attack Valor, forcing him to execute the trueborn Gargalen's, leaving her as Jorvian's only remaining heiress. Bastards rarely get such a chance and who knows, when the power is so close, she might do something foolish, as Delena told him she might. She didn't necessarily made such an impression on me, but Bridget made the more trustworthy and reliable impression. I'm still a bit torn here, which happens way too often, so as with the latest Isabella choice, I am hesitating and observing. We'll see, I'll let you know if I decide to change my vote
Haha, I like that you're already shipping Valor and Bridget But yeah, this is a complicated choice for sure, as there are so many factors to consider. Who is more capable at keeping Salt Shore in order? Who is more likely to betray Valor (or even their own family)? Who is more valuable as a hostage? Anyway, you do have some good reasoning for your choice there, though there certainly are good reasons for choosing the other option as well.
That... was very quick writing. Seems like the ending of the chapter approaches faster than I thought and despite the looming feeling of dre… moread I undeniably have, I can only approve of this
[Continue with Nesila]
This here is the easy choice of the part. I made Verro's previous decision to leave with Nesila with utmost certainty, seeing only positives in it. Staying with Efran would have been suicide, as this encounter with Dallin proves. But even then, I'd rather stay with her now, seeing how she and Verro have become quite friendly with each other, as opposed to be drafted into yet another assault on Lemonwood. This has never been his war and I'd rather have him leaving with his friends instead. On top of that, I still remember that I have quite a negative opinion on Dallin. He is a coward and a major reason for Dianna's current situation, when he retreated from battle against Bjorn and his Ironborn. I mean, he's better than Efran, I … [view original content]
We didn't vote for him to leave Lemonwood to avoid the battle, just so he could turn around, leave his new friends, and go into battle in Lemonwood. Plus, we still aren't sure if Verro's previous leg injury is completely healed yet. There is no need to put him in unnecessary danger. Plus, I want to see what this new journey with Nesila will bring.
Yeah, like I said to Liquid, this choice to go with Dallin was a very last minute add, and I never really expected you to choose it As for Verro's leg, it's in good enough health for him to travel without it bothering him (though it should be mentioned that they are traveling by horse, which definitely makes it easier), but getting in combat again could indeed potentially tarnish the healing process and break his leg.
[Continue with Nesila]
We didn't vote for him to leave Lemonwood to avoid the battle, just so he could turn around, leave his new friends, … moreand go into battle in Lemonwood. Plus, we still aren't sure if Verro's previous leg injury is completely healed yet. There is no need to put him in unnecessary danger. Plus, I want to see what this new journey with Nesila will bring.
[Leave Eli in Salt Shore]
This was a harder choice for me. Eli seems like a more capable ruler. However, Liquid made some good points regarding why we shouldn't leave her in charge. I might change this vote later.
Verro
Verro, Nesila and Zaltha had left Lemonwood two days ago, and followed the Greenblood to west. They had ridden past many villages a… morend farm houses, some of them abandoned, others full of life. On the northern coast they had often spotted what seemed to be new villages set up by the Rhoynar. They obviously used the same materials as the Dornish – that being mostly mud and reed – but their style of building was very distinct from the local. There were also a lot of riverboats sailing the Greenblood up and down, most of them pole boats clearly made and occupied by the Rhoynar.
"Do you know how long this river goes on?" Verro asked apathetically from Nesila, but instead it was Zaltha who answered. "I have studied maps, and those claim that Greenblood is over three hundred miles long," he said with his calm and deep voice. "After that it branches to two more rivers, Vaith and Scourge, which are both almost equally long."
"We'll cross… [view original content]
Man Wildling, you did come out with these parts quick! I have no clue how you do it plus draw the portraits which I am guessing the recent Garret one was done around the same time as these parts and it was really well done by the way. Overall I must say the speed and quality of these parts are awesome for sure!
[Continue with Nesila]
While the chance of seeing Efran from the other side and his reaction to it almost made me choose to go with Dallin, I decided to agree with the others here. We decided to go down this Neslia path and I think we should see it through.
[Leave Eli in Salt Shore]
This choice was definitely tougher for me and is what made me wait this long to vote. With that said, I think keeping Eli in Salt Shore is for the best. While I think Eli would be the one more likely to take a big risk here, I don't think she would actually do it even still. Even if her plan worked to perfection and all the trueborn Gargalen's are killed, I still can't see her being rewarded by becoming the heiress of Salt Shore. Her father would be irate with her and I definitely don't see Nymeria rewarding her for basically killing her entire family so I believe it should be safe to keep Eli in Salt Shore. Plus Liquid brought up an interesting possibility with Valor and Bridget and I want to see if that goes anywhere
Verro
Verro, Nesila and Zaltha had left Lemonwood two days ago, and followed the Greenblood to west. They had ridden past many villages a… morend farm houses, some of them abandoned, others full of life. On the northern coast they had often spotted what seemed to be new villages set up by the Rhoynar. They obviously used the same materials as the Dornish – that being mostly mud and reed – but their style of building was very distinct from the local. There were also a lot of riverboats sailing the Greenblood up and down, most of them pole boats clearly made and occupied by the Rhoynar.
"Do you know how long this river goes on?" Verro asked apathetically from Nesila, but instead it was Zaltha who answered. "I have studied maps, and those claim that Greenblood is over three hundred miles long," he said with his calm and deep voice. "After that it branches to two more rivers, Vaith and Scourge, which are both almost equally long."
"We'll cross… [view original content]
Man Wildling, you did come out with these parts quick! I have no clue how you do it plus draw the portraits which I am guessing the recent Garret one was done around the same time as these parts and it was really well done by the way. Overall I must say the speed and quality of these parts are awesome for sure!
Yeah, I've really managed to pick up my writing phase during the holiday season, and if I manage to keep it up we should be done with Book 1 in like a month Anyway, I'm glad you're enjoying the parts and the portraits! I actually have one more of both already done, but I'll probably wait and keep the voting open at least until tomorrow, since I imagine most people are pretty busy today.
This choice was definitely tougher for me and is what made me wait this long to vote. With that said, I think keeping Eli in Salt Shore is for the best. While I think Eli would be the one more likely to take a big risk here, I don't think she would actually do it even still. Even if her plan worked to perfection and all the trueborn Gargalen's are killed, I still can't see her being rewarded by becoming the heiress of Salt Shore. Her father would be irate with her and I definitely don't see Nymeria rewarding her for basically killing her entire family so I believe it should be safe to keep Eli in Salt Shore. Plus Liquid brought up an interesting possibility with Valor and Bridget and I want to see if that goes anywhere
Yeah, that's a good point. Getting rid of all the trueborns would seem like a good opportunity for a bastard, but chances are it wouldn't really work that well for Eli in the end And you're definitely right when it comes to Nymeria, not only would she not reward Eli for getting the other Gargalen's killed, she'd make sure to punish her for it. And ah, looks like a new ship truly has set sail with this part Should we call it Valget? Or Brilor?
Man Wildling, you did come out with these parts quick! I have no clue how you do it plus draw the portraits which I am guessing the recent G… morearret one was done around the same time as these parts and it was really well done by the way. Overall I must say the speed and quality of these parts are awesome for sure!
[Continue with Nesila]
While the chance of seeing Efran from the other side and his reaction to it almost made me choose to go with Dallin, I decided to agree with the others here. We decided to go down this Neslia path and I think we should see it through.
[Leave Eli in Salt Shore]
This choice was definitely tougher for me and is what made me wait this long to vote. With that said, I think keeping Eli in Salt Shore is for the best. While I think Eli would be the one more likely to take a big risk here, I don't think she would actually do it even still. Even if her plan worked to perfection and all the trueborn Gargalen's a… [view original content]
Hehe, the holidays and lack of uni assignments have really increased my writing motivation And in general I feel like the second quarter of a chapter is always the hardest to write, because it's mostly build up for the second half of the chapter. But now that we are past that phase the climax of the chapter (and the book) starts to finally be within my grasp, which has also made very motivated. In fact, I already have a couple more parts almost ready
That is a feeling I can only agree with, the second quarter is always a bit of a drag, due to how much build up it needs to bring up, with only few possibilities for pay off. That being said, I enjoyed the last parts tremendously, so you still did it right. The final parts of this chapter will likely have me permanently at the edge of my seat, worried sick, the whole deal. I'm not a religious man, but I would hereby like to pray to every god willing to listen. Aside from the Great Other, that guy can fuck himself
Yeah, this choice wasn't originally even going to be here, but I figured I should at least give you the choice to join Dallin if you want, even if I saw it as quite unlikely. And I think Dallin retreating from the battle against Bjorn's crew was the last time we saw him, so it's quite understandable that you don't have the best opinion on him Personally he justifies his actions by thinking that he needed to survive so he could continue the war against Efran. But yeah, it was definitely a major dick move from him to leave Dianna at the mercy of the Ironborn.
True, I can see why the choice is there, I mean, technically Verro has at least some reason to leave with Dallin, even if it would be quite a dickmove to poor Nesila. Speaking of, I actually checked if her last name has been mentioned before, but that has apparently not been the case yet, given I still have this theory that her missing brother is none other than Norano, Kortney's deceased lover and teacher. Gotta keep my eyes open, that might be yet another piece in this puzzle When it comes to Dallin, I guess part of my dislike for him comes due to Dianna being a PoV character and therefore inherently more sympathetic than him, but I believe his men could have made a difference in the fight against Bjorn. And in the end, he hasn't done shit to help Lemonwood with his troops either, it seems he waited until the city fell to Efran before making his move. I wonder if he hoped for Efran to execute every Dalt he could get his hands on, leaving him as the sole survivor of his family and therefore the new Lord Dalt. Surely though, if he would have defeated the Ironborn and then moved to defend Lemonwood with his surviving men and Dianna's, Efran might have failed at taking the city.
Haha, I like that you're already shipping Valor and Bridget But yeah, this is a complicated choice for sure, as there are so many factors to consider. Who is more capable at keeping Salt Shore in order? Who is more likely to betray Valor (or even their own family)? Who is more valuable as a hostage? Anyway, you do have some good reasoning for your choice there, though there certainly are good reasons for choosing the other option as well.
How could I possibly not ship it? I build ships about as fast as Euron. Gotta replace them faster than professional ship murderer Aisha can burn them, though I am positive that at least the Valor and Bridget ship (I propose Brilor as its name) is in no danger from her. When it comes to the choice, I see that currently, the other option is winning and well, I am okay with that too. I am still almost about to change my vote too, but think I ultimately won't do it. Beyond the ship, I see the reasons to take Bridget and I am almost certain I have more distrust towards Eli than she deserves, as she most likely won't be capable of provoking the death of her family. It's just, when it comes to that, I put Valor's safety first and while I am almost sure that I have no reason to be worried about this, I cannot fully rule it out and as such, I feel a bit more confident with taking Eli and leaving Bridget. Thankfully, I am glad I like both outcomes here and I have a feeling I'll ultimately enjoy having more of Bridget in Valor's storyline as well. Since it seems Bridget is winning, I am curious what is going to happen and what would have happened if we would have taken Eli, though that is probably a question better asked after this chapter is over.
That... was very quick writing. Seems like the ending of the chapter approaches faster than I thought and despite the looming feeling of dre… moread I undeniably have, I can only approve of this
Hehe, the holidays and lack of uni assignments have really increased my writing motivation And in general I feel like the second quarter of a chapter is always the hardest to write, because it's mostly build up for the second half of the chapter. But now that we are past that phase the climax of the chapter (and the book) starts to finally be within my grasp, which has also made very motivated. In fact, I already have a couple more parts almost ready
This here is the easy choice of the part. I made Verro's previous decision to leave with Nesila with utmost certainty, seeing only positives in it. Staying with Efran would have been suicide, as this encounter with Dallin proves. But even then, I'd rather stay with her now, seeing how she and V… [view original content]
So, Verro will continue with Nesila, as expected So, Verro will now truly leave this whole Lemowood situation behind, following Nesila to whole new adventures.
And Valor will leave Eli Sand in Salt Shore, taking Bridget Gargalen with him. We'll see in time what kind of consequences this will have, but at the very least it will give more scenes for Bridget, which I kinda like
And next up we'll have a Kortney part, which is already done and will be posted very soon after this. As you know, the siege of Kingsgrave ended as the Wyl army led by Wallace Wyl rode in to crush the Blackmont forces. The Wyl's were of course there by the orders of King Yorick, to establish an alliance between the Yronwood's and Manwoody's. With the Wyl's there was also a young Stormlander knight named Jared Lonmouth, whom Ser Joran was familiar with. Though Joran was initially disappointed to see Jared with the Wyl's, he came to the conclusion that the young lad could help them save Kortney, and Myke let him approach the man. As said, the part is ready, and will be posted very soon
-
And this time I have you a portrait of Bridget Gargalen:
Kortney walked quietly through the crowded corridors of Kingsgrave, glancing behind her every few seconds. Someone was following her, she was sure of it. Suddenly she took a quick turn to the corridor next to the kitchens. No one else was there, so Kortney could easily spot who was following her. As she stopped on her tracks and turned around, she saw a skinny young soldier stepping into the corridor after her. With a couple of quick and aggressive steps Kortney approached him, pulling the knife from her sleeve and putting it on the soldier's throat before he could react in any way. His blue eyes widened in shock, and he raised his hands to yield.
"Did Larry send you?" Kortney asked quietly, still keeping the knife on his throat. "No," the soldier answered with an alarmed tone, and to Kortney's surprise the soldier's voice revealed that he wasn't a he at all, but a young woman. "Myke sent me," she explained hastily, and Kortney removed the knife from her throat. "Explain," she said strictly.
"My name is Raina, I infiltrated the castle together with Myke and Joran, to save you," she said with a gulp. "I was following you because Myke asked me to keep an eye on you."
"You scared me shitless," Kortney muttered with a sigh, to which Raina chuckled. "I could say the same, mylady," she replied lightheartedly. "Anyway, this Larry you spoke of, is he a problem?"
"Could be," Kortney admitted quietly, glancing around her to make absolutely sure no one was overhearing their conversation. "I'll just be honest and tell you that I've killed a couple of his friends recently, so he is a bit angry with me."
Raina nodded silently to her words, looking a bit taken aback. "It was self-defense, in both cases," Kortney clarified. "Yeah, I understand," Raina said with a nod. "To be honest, I didn't expect you to be this... capable," she said with a small chuckle.
"It's the only way to survive here," Kortney replied grimly. "Anyway, it's better if we are not seen together... you can still keep an eye on me if you have to." With these words Kortney walked away from Raina, without looking back.
-
The great hall was filled with Manwoody and Wyl soldiers. Prince Arvin sat on his father's throne, Wallace and Wynton Wyl standing right next to it. Accompanied by loud cheers and laughter, the shackled and bruised Blackmont commander was dragged in front of the throne, and pushed down on his knees.
"Kegan Drinkwater," Arvin said with a slightly amused tone as he looked at the man. "That is your name, correct?" For a moment the man stayed silent, until one of the Manwoody soldiers smacked him on the back of his head. "Correct," he finally muttered, and Arvin nodded with a satisfied smirk.
"You are one of the Drinkwater's of Vulture's Roost, right?" He now asked, and Kegan nodded. "Your brother Lewyn is the Lord of Vulture's Roost if I understand correctly. Do you think he would be willing to pay a ransom for you, Ser Kegan?"
"Possibly," Kegan muttered, a sad smirk forming on his face. "I wouldn't count on it though."
"Perhaps we'd have a better luck with your king then," Arvin suggested. "Benedict Blackmont surely would pay a handsome price to get back his loyal commander." To this Ser Kegan outright laughed, even if his laughter was completely devoid of any joy. "Good luck with that," he said in a mocking tone.
"Well if no one cares enough to pay for your life, then perhaps no one will care if I kill you," Arvin threatened coldly, but Kegan didn't even flinch at his words. "Do it then, boy," he prompted sternly, and Kortney could see the anger taking over Arvin's eyes. Before the prince could respond though, Wallace Wyl whispered something into his ear. After a moment of consideration, Arvin spoke up again. "It is your lucky day, Ser Kegan," he said, a touch of frustration in his words. "We will grant you safe passage back to Blackmont, as long as you bring King Benedict a message from us."
"A message?" Kegan muttered, and Arvin nodded with a malicious grin on his face. "You will tell him that his alliance with King Garrison Fowler must come to an end at once, and that he shall not send any more troops east of the Wide Way, or take part in our conflict against House Fowler in any other way. If he agrees to these terms, we will leave his kingdom in peace. If he fails to meet them, his kingdom will burn." Arvin said these last words with intense hatred in his voice, clenching his fists as he spoke. "Can you deliver this message, Ser Kegan?"
"Aye, I can deliver it," Kegan responded with a small sigh. "Good. Now, take him away," Arvin commanded strictly, and so the soldiers dragged Ser Kegan out of the great hall. Just then, someone tapped Kortney lightly on her shoulder. As she turned around, she saw Raina again.
"Kortney, we need to go," she whispered with an urgent tone, to which Kortney raised an eyebrow. "There's no time to explain, just come," Raina muttered, and Kortney gave her a small nod. And so, she followed her quietly out of the great hall. Raina led them to the western tower, where the guest chambers were located. They stopped in front of one of the doors, and after glancing at both directions, Raina opened it, and they stepped inside.
It was one of the smaller guest chambers, though still comfortable and finely decorated. In the middle of the room was a small wooden table, and by it sat two men, one notably younger than the other. Kortney recognized the older man as Ser Joran Storm, a Connington bastard and a loyal servant of House Caron.
"It is good to see you, Kortney," Joran said softly, a tense smile forming on his face. Kortney nodded silently, unable to smile herself. Instead, she gazed suspiciously at the younger bald man sitting next to Joran. "This is Ser Jared Lonmouth," Joran was quick to introduce. "He is going to help us."
"Some people call me Ser Looselips, say that I talk too much," Jared said with a relaxed tone, a smirk on his face and an intense gaze on his piercing blue eyes. "Anyway, Joran is telling me you've been tortured and kept here by Albin against your own will. Is that right?"
"Yes, it is," Kortney answered sternly, and Jared gave her a nod. "I could see the sick bastard doing something like that," he said nonchalantly. "There's a reason they call him 'the Mad', after all."
Suddenly the door was opened again, and everyone in the room shifted their attention towards it. This time in walked Myke, who immediately approached Kortney. He hugged her briefly, a relieved expression on his face. "We are going to get you out of here, my sweet child," he assured, and now Kortney managed to smile, even if just briefly.
"You're Ser Myke of the Marches, right?" Jared asked, and Myke nodded sternly, and the Lonmouth knight continued. "I've heard of you, about how Lord Trevas Caron praises you as the greatest hero of the Dornish Marches."
"I haven't heard of you," Myke replied dryly, to which the young knight let out a cynical laughter. "Aye, I'm just poor old Ser Looselips, I wouldn't expect real heroes to have heard of me. Then again, I have personally met with both King Arlan Durrandon and King Yorick Yronwood, something not even many heroes can claim. Undeserved, I know. Surely it is you, Ser Myke of the Marches, who would've deserved such an honor."
"I have met King Arlan, back when he was still a prince, and I wouldn't care to meet the Bloodroyal," Myke replied with a sigh. "But we are not here to discuss these things now, are we? Tell me, can you help us take Kortney out of this place?"
"Your friend believes I can," Jared said with a grin, nodding towards Joran. "And the truth is, yes, I can probably help you. However, if you expect me to just go and have a little chat with Wallace Wyl, who will then just make the Manwoody's agree to it, you're mistaken. We are not here to cause unnecessary trouble with King Albin, so if his mistress is to be freed, it must be done in secrecy. Understand?"
"We understand," Joran quickly responded, which brought a grin on Jared's face. "That's what I like to hear," he said cheerfully.
"What is the plan then?" Myke asked impatiently, and Jared looked at him with a sharp glare. "Kingsgrave was under siege for weeks, and now there are two armies sheltering here," he started calmly. "Food and supplies are running low, meaning that there will be several carts coming in and out of the castle every day for some time, fetching crops and bread from the nearby farms. These carts are each guarded by six soldiers – three from Manwoody and three from Wyl. Now, you could take the role of the three Manwoody soldiers, while I will choose three men that I trust among the Wyl troops. And meanwhile the girl can hide in the cart. That is what I can offer, take it or leave it."
For a moment no one said anything, until Joran cleared his throat and spoke up. "I am in favor of this plan," he said confidently, looking at Myke as he spoke. "This is probably the best chance we'll get, I say we take it."
Myke stayed quiet for a moment, a serious and pondering look in his eyes. "Alright then. If you say we can trust the Lonmouth, then I'm willing to trust your judgement," he said quietly. Then he turned towards Kortney. "However, this is not just our choice to make," he said, putting his hand on Kortney's shoulder. "Kortney, do you think we should do this?"
Kortney noticed everyone shifting their attention to her, and she gulped. She didn't know what to think of Jared Lonmouth, but his plan seemed to make sense at least, and she didn't know what other way would there be. But can I trust this man?
Yeah, I've really managed to pick up my writing phase during the holiday season, and if I manage to keep it up we should be done with Book 1 in like a month Anyway, I'm glad you're enjoying the parts and the portraits! I actually have one more of both already done, but I'll probably wait and keep the voting open at least until tomorrow, since I imagine most people are pretty busy today.
Yeah you really have! I mean you always put parts out quickly but two straight double PoV and another PoV part done plus the portraits in such short time has to be some kind of record
Yeah, that's a good point. Getting rid of all the trueborns would seem like a good opportunity for a bastard, but chances are it wouldn't really work that well for Eli in the end And you're definitely right when it comes to Nymeria, not only would she not reward Eli for getting the other Gargalen's killed, she'd make sure to punish her for it. And ah, looks like a new ship truly has set sail with this part Should we call it Valget? Or Brilor?
That's what I'm hoping at least! Eli doesn't seem like she would make such a decision but she is still a pretty new so there could be plenty I don't know about her yet. It sure seems that way, this story has a fleet of ships no doubt But I think Brilor sounds pretty good to me
Man Wildling, you did come out with these parts quick! I have no clue how you do it plus draw the portraits which I am guessing the recent G… morearret one was done around the same time as these parts and it was really well done by the way. Overall I must say the speed and quality of these parts are awesome for sure!
Yeah, I've really managed to pick up my writing phase during the holiday season, and if I manage to keep it up we should be done with Book 1 in like a month Anyway, I'm glad you're enjoying the parts and the portraits! I actually have one more of both already done, but I'll probably wait and keep the voting open at least until tomorrow, since I imagine most people are pretty busy today.
This choice was definitely tougher for me and is what made me wait this long to vote. With that said, I think keeping Eli in Salt Shore is for the best. While I think Eli would be the one more likely to take a big risk here, I don't think… [view original content]
Well it is safe to say this is a really tough decision and one I may change when I see some of the other choices and their reasons but at this point this is without a doubt the best opportunity that Kortney has to get out of Kingsgrave and potentially the only one especially with Kortney having Myke and the others there to help her. The longer Myke and the others are there, the more of a chance they have to be exposed so I definitely believe that Kortney has to take this chance. I can admit though that going along with the plan of someone who calls themselves "Ser Looselips" may not be the best option but at the same time, I don't believe Jared really has anything to gain by ratting out Kortney to the Manwoody's so while I still believe this is a huge risk, I believe this is a risk that Kortney has to take or she might not ever get another one.
Kortney
Kortney walked quietly through the crowded corridors of Kingsgrave, glancing behind her every few seconds. Someone was following … moreher, she was sure of it. Suddenly she took a quick turn to the corridor next to the kitchens. No one else was there, so Kortney could easily spot who was following her. As she stopped on her tracks and turned around, she saw a skinny young soldier stepping into the corridor after her. With a couple of quick and aggressive steps Kortney approached him, pulling the knife from her sleeve and putting it on the soldier's throat before he could react in any way. His blue eyes widened in shock, and he raised his hands to yield.
"Did Larry send you?" Kortney asked quietly, still keeping the knife on his throat. "No," the soldier answered with an alarmed tone, and to Kortney's surprise the soldier's voice revealed that he wasn't a he at all, but a young woman. "Myke sent me," she explained hastily, and Kortney … [view original content]
Kortney
Kortney walked quietly through the crowded corridors of Kingsgrave, glancing behind her every few seconds. Someone was following … moreher, she was sure of it. Suddenly she took a quick turn to the corridor next to the kitchens. No one else was there, so Kortney could easily spot who was following her. As she stopped on her tracks and turned around, she saw a skinny young soldier stepping into the corridor after her. With a couple of quick and aggressive steps Kortney approached him, pulling the knife from her sleeve and putting it on the soldier's throat before he could react in any way. His blue eyes widened in shock, and he raised his hands to yield.
"Did Larry send you?" Kortney asked quietly, still keeping the knife on his throat. "No," the soldier answered with an alarmed tone, and to Kortney's surprise the soldier's voice revealed that he wasn't a he at all, but a young woman. "Myke sent me," she explained hastily, and Kortney … [view original content]
Kortney
Kortney walked quietly through the crowded corridors of Kingsgrave, glancing behind her every few seconds. Someone was following … moreher, she was sure of it. Suddenly she took a quick turn to the corridor next to the kitchens. No one else was there, so Kortney could easily spot who was following her. As she stopped on her tracks and turned around, she saw a skinny young soldier stepping into the corridor after her. With a couple of quick and aggressive steps Kortney approached him, pulling the knife from her sleeve and putting it on the soldier's throat before he could react in any way. His blue eyes widened in shock, and he raised his hands to yield.
"Did Larry send you?" Kortney asked quietly, still keeping the knife on his throat. "No," the soldier answered with an alarmed tone, and to Kortney's surprise the soldier's voice revealed that he wasn't a he at all, but a young woman. "Myke sent me," she explained hastily, and Kortney … [view original content]
Kortney
Kortney walked quietly through the crowded corridors of Kingsgrave, glancing behind her every few seconds. Someone was following … moreher, she was sure of it. Suddenly she took a quick turn to the corridor next to the kitchens. No one else was there, so Kortney could easily spot who was following her. As she stopped on her tracks and turned around, she saw a skinny young soldier stepping into the corridor after her. With a couple of quick and aggressive steps Kortney approached him, pulling the knife from her sleeve and putting it on the soldier's throat before he could react in any way. His blue eyes widened in shock, and he raised his hands to yield.
"Did Larry send you?" Kortney asked quietly, still keeping the knife on his throat. "No," the soldier answered with an alarmed tone, and to Kortney's surprise the soldier's voice revealed that he wasn't a he at all, but a young woman. "Myke sent me," she explained hastily, and Kortney … [view original content]
Grrr, Arvin is definitely a douche. Not so much evil or mad like his father, but when I read him in this part, I could not help but think how he's a massive jerk. If that guy is truly the alternative to Albin, then House Manwoody is in for only some marginal improvement after getting rid of the mad king. Here's hoping it won't come to that, but really, Arvin gave me a bad first, second and third impression and he's probably the kind of guy who'd look a lot better with a brick repeatedly smashed into his face. Only good thing I can say about him is that he intends to let Kegan go. Any man that is nice to Gwen is a friend of mine, so my good friend Kegan lives to see another day, hooray!
However, I guess I know what the Manwoody's intend. Thing is, it's probably not even their plan, but Yorick's. My initial idea that he plans to pick off the Red Mountain kingdoms one by one seems to come true, as the Manwoody's and Wyl's are likely going to march on Skyreach next. We know there is also going to be conflict between House Fowler and Martell in Book 2, so I gotta wonder if Garrison will find himself in two wars at once next book. It's kinda too late for a full Manwoody-Fowler war in the remains of Book 1, so I guess that'll be Book 2 material. You'll never hear me saying that I'm glad we did not send Gwen to Skyreach, but if those Manwoody bastards get involved with the Fowlers, then there might be at least one particular type of danger we actually avoided for her. Bad for the Fowler's though, Garrison's scheming really backfired onto him. Despite this being partially his fault, I cannot help but feel sorry for him. One thing I had to think about is his lie, which brought House Blackmont into the war to begin with and it might actually be uncovered here. After all, Arvin knows the Manwoody's never attacked House Blackmont and initially focussed solely onto House Fowler, so Benedict is at least bound to become suspicious if he learns about this detail.
[Accept Jared's plan]
So, I definitely would never make the mistake of trusting Jared with everything. He did not give me a bad impression, actually I think he might be a character I could grow to like quite a lot if he is not planning to double cross Myke and Kortney. However, I really don't think he is. After all, why would he first offer them a way out and then turn on them? Sure, some people would be capable of doing that for shits and giggles (and you know which particular worst character I would like to use as the negative example), but Jared kinda gave me a positive first impression. Doesn't have to mean much, but I think he deserves a chance, as I see potential for him to actually turn out as a decent guy. And beyond that, the problem here is, he might be the only choice they have. It's not as if Kortney has dozens of alternative to choose from, in which case I must admit there might be better ideas than Jared's, but he is, as of now, the only person who actually has an idea that could work. So, for once I am doing something I would normally never even consider and that is giving someone the benefit of the doubt.
Kortney
Kortney walked quietly through the crowded corridors of Kingsgrave, glancing behind her every few seconds. Someone was following … moreher, she was sure of it. Suddenly she took a quick turn to the corridor next to the kitchens. No one else was there, so Kortney could easily spot who was following her. As she stopped on her tracks and turned around, she saw a skinny young soldier stepping into the corridor after her. With a couple of quick and aggressive steps Kortney approached him, pulling the knife from her sleeve and putting it on the soldier's throat before he could react in any way. His blue eyes widened in shock, and he raised his hands to yield.
"Did Larry send you?" Kortney asked quietly, still keeping the knife on his throat. "No," the soldier answered with an alarmed tone, and to Kortney's surprise the soldier's voice revealed that he wasn't a he at all, but a young woman. "Myke sent me," she explained hastily, and Kortney … [view original content]
Grrr, Arvin is definitely a douche. Not so much evil or mad like his father, but when I read him in this part, I could not help but think how he's a massive jerk. If that guy is truly the alternative to Albin, then House Manwoody is in for only some marginal improvement after getting rid of the mad king. Here's hoping it won't come to that, but really, Arvin gave me a bad first, second and third impression and he's probably the kind of guy who'd look a lot better with a brick repeatedly smashed into his face. Only good thing I can say about him is that he intends to let Kegan go. Any man that is nice to Gwen is a friend of mine, so my good friend Kegan lives to see another day, hooray!
Well, Arvin is about as good of a person as you would expect from the son of Albin the Mad You're right though, he isn't really mad like his father, but he has picked up plenty of his jerkiness. Arvin does have two younger half-brothers as well, so he isn't the only alternative for Albin, but obviously the most likely right now. In Book 1 Arvin has had a pretty small role, but Book 2 will definitely develop him further than just first impressions And yeah, Kegan will indeed live on, and return to Blackmont. Had Albin been on Arvin's place here though, well, let's just say Kegan would've been less lucky.
However, I guess I know what the Manwoody's intend. Thing is, it's probably not even their plan, but Yorick's. My initial idea that he plans to pick off the Red Mountain kingdoms one by one seems to come true, as the Manwoody's and Wyl's are likely going to march on Skyreach next. We know there is also going to be conflict between House Fowler and Martell in Book 2, so I gotta wonder if Garrison will find himself in two wars at once next book. It's kinda too late for a full Manwoody-Fowler war in the remains of Book 1, so I guess that'll be Book 2 material. You'll never hear me saying that I'm glad we did not send Gwen to Skyreach, but if those Manwoody bastards get involved with the Fowlers, then there might be at least one particular type of danger we actually avoided for her. Bad for the Fowler's though, Garrison's scheming really backfired onto him. Despite this being partially his fault, I cannot help but feel sorry for him. One thing I had to think about is his lie, which brought House Blackmont into the war to begin with and it might actually be uncovered here. After all, Arvin knows the Manwoody's never attacked House Blackmont and initially focussed solely onto House Fowler, so Benedict is at least bound to become suspicious if he learns about this detail.
Yeah, Yorick's strategy so far seems to have been to ally with his neighbors (so he can later make them kneel), with Argim manipulating Levor in Ghost Hill, Wyl's marching to Kingsgrave, and Obara trying to get Isabella to marry Prince Trevyr. Manwoody's were the ones that Yorick clearly was the most succesful with, so he is probably going to use them now as a weapon against the Fowler's. But yeah, poor Fowler's will be stuck between two conflicts. Garrison is a smart and capable king, but this is definitely the hardest challenge he has ever faced. As for Garrison's lie that pulled Blackmont's into the conflict, well Arvin does indeed know that Manwoody's didn't raid the Blackmont villages, but he doesn't really even know that that was the initial motivation for Blackmont's allying with Fowler's. After all, Albin has claimed rule over all of Red Mountains, which could by itself be seen as enough of a reason for Benedict and Garrison allying against him. So, right now it seems like Garrison's false flag operation will fade into history.
Grrr, Arvin is definitely a douche. Not so much evil or mad like his father, but when I read him in this part, I could not help but think ho… morew he's a massive jerk. If that guy is truly the alternative to Albin, then House Manwoody is in for only some marginal improvement after getting rid of the mad king. Here's hoping it won't come to that, but really, Arvin gave me a bad first, second and third impression and he's probably the kind of guy who'd look a lot better with a brick repeatedly smashed into his face. Only good thing I can say about him is that he intends to let Kegan go. Any man that is nice to Gwen is a friend of mine, so my good friend Kegan lives to see another day, hooray!
However, I guess I know what the Manwoody's intend. Thing is, it's probably not even their plan, but Yorick's. My initial idea that he plans to pick off the Red Mountain kingdoms one by one seems to come true, as the Manwoody's and Wyl's are likely going to … [view original content]
And Kortney will accept Jared's plan. Well, we'll see later on how well the plan works, that's all I'll say for now.
There are two reasons why I'm closing the voting already. One, I want to avoid a tie, and two, the next part is already done. And that next part will be a Nealia PoV. Last time we saw her, she arrived to Godsgrace with Tryden and the Rose Company. As they made their way to one of the inns of the town, they bumped into a guy named Fenn, who was familiar with Tryden and invited him to drink with him. Nealia also decided to join them, and that's where we'll continue!
Walking past a table of four Rhoynar women warriors who were speaking to each other in their native language, Nealia made it to the table that Tryden, Broden and Fenn had sat down to. Taking a seat, Nealia immediately noticed Fenn's eyes darting to her, and she also noticed the massive greatsword leaning on the wall behind him.
"Now, who is this pretty girl?" Fenn asked with a playful tone, staring at Nealia with hungry eyes. "I didn't know Tryden had such a good taste when it comes to women. Hells, I wouldn't mind getting to know you a bit better, lady..."
"Nealia Sand," Nealia concluded. "And I'm not interested, sorry," she added nonchalantly.
"Ouch," Fenn reacted with a small chuckle. "That's quite harsh, mylady, at least give me a chance."
"Don't take it personally, mate," Broden spoke up with his blunt tone. "This one's a cuntlicker, you see," he said cheekily, and Nealia shot him a cold glare. "Fuck you, Broden," she hissed, to which the bald man just grinned behind his bushy beard, while Fenn laughed and poured wine for all of them.
"Anyway, where's that Braavosi cunt who usually follows you like a damn shadow?" Fenn asked lightheartedly from Tryden, and a tense silence followed. Nealia clenched her teeth and turned her gaze down, trying to suppress the memory of Illor dying on her arms. "Illor died during our latest mission," Tryden answered quietly, and for a moment the grin disappeared from Fenn's face. "Ah, I'm sorry to hear that," he muttered awkwardly. "For Illor," he then said, raising his goblet for a toast. Tryden and Broden did the same and repeated the words quietly, and while Nealia raised her goblet as well, she couldn't bring herself to saying Illor's name out loud.
"So, what have you been up to, Fenn?" Tryden quickly changed the topic, and a smile returned to Fenn's face as he leaned back with a sigh, putting his arms behind his head. "Ah, where should I begin, my friend?"
"How about from the day you left the Rose Company?" Tryden asked sharply, a hint of frustration in his words. Fenn nodded calmly, a subtle smirk on his face. "Aye, fair enough," he started, leaning forward again, his gaze shifting from Tryden to Broden to Nealia. "First, I traveled to Stonegate, since it was close by. Lord Marcant was hiring men to hunt down some bandits on his lands. That man is a self-righteous fucking prick, but he paid well enough so I had no complaints."
"How interesting," Tryden quipped sarcastically, to which Fenn frowned. "It's about to get interesting, you impatient whoreson," he cussed, and Tryden nodded in a calming manner. "Go on then," he urged with a tired sigh.
"So, as we hunted down these bandits, few of them led us north of the Greenbelt, and deep into the domain of King Albin Manwoody," Fenn continued his story with an intense tone. "More specifically to the lands of House Safyre, and that was where we found the bandits, but not in the way we expected. Naked corpses in the woods, hearts ripped out of their chests, strange symbols drawn to the rocks and trees with their blood. If we had just found them dead we'd probably been thankful for someone else doing our job for us, but this was just... appalling."
"Sounds like the work of some demon worshippers," Broden deduced with a disgusted tone on his voice, and Fenn nodded. "Aye, something like that," he said, shaking his head slightly. "Anyway, we made it to Safyre Hall and met with Lord Joachim Safyre, who told us that these killings had been happening regularly for over a year. Some suspected that the man behind them was Ser Mordekhai Crusher, the infamous cousin of King Albin. Joachim however seemed convinced that these killings were the work of his exiled uncle, a man named Ajax Safyre."
"So, did Lord Safyre hire you to solve the problem?" Tryden asked with a mildly interested tone, and a small smirk formed on Fenn's face. "Oh, he certainly wanted to. And I was tempted to accept his generous offer too, I admit," he said, taking in a deep breath. "However, no amount of gold is worth dying for, and that whole situation stank of death. Bandits, soldiers, knights, all that I can handle, but I'd prefer to keep my distance from any demons, or Mordekhai Crusher for that matter. That said, my visit to Safyre Hall wasn't completely wasted. I got to taste the lord's sister, if you know what I mean. Carolyn Safyre, ah, now that is a woman to worship."
"I'm sure you're proud," Tryden said dryly, and Fenn shrugged sluggishly. "Aye, I guess I am," he said with a smirk. "But enough about me, what have you been up to, my Reachman friend?"
"Well, we had a job at Lemonwood recently," Tryden answered. "Helped a man named Efran Sand take over the city."
"I heard about him a while ago," Fenn said with an intrigued tone. "The Bandit Lord they called him, apparently he was hiring a lot of men."
"He was," Tryden confirmed calmly. "However, most of those men left him after the city was taken, and I doubt he's going to hold it for long. So, we came here for a new contract. I assume your intentions are very similar."
"That's right, Tryden," Fenn responded cheerfully, raising his goblet again. "We're the dogs of war, you and me, following the smell of blood wherever it takes us."
"Personally I prefer the smell of gold, the blood is just a necessity," Tryden replied smoothly, to which Fenn let out a mocking laughter, violently smacking his goblet against the table. "Cut the shit, bastard," he growled with an amused tone. "You're a killer just like me, and you enjoy it just like me, just admit it. No one gives a shit if your father was some fancy knight with a shining armor and a code of honor, because you are an opportunistic killer for hire, and that's it."
"Alright, I admit it," Tryden said coldly, a hint of anger in his words. "I enjoy my line of work. Is that a problem?"
"No one said it was a problem," Fenn replied gleefully. "Just wanted to make it clear that you're not any better than me, old friend." Tryden let out a frustrated sigh, and for a moment no one said anything, until finally Broden spoke up.
"So, Fenn, do you believe this Rhoynar princess has any chance of winning the war?" He asked, and Fenn just shrugged. "Fuck if I know," he said with a chuckle. "But knowing her goals, she will be needing a lot of warriors in the coming years, and that's good for me."
"But wouldn't it be better to avoid working for her if she is just going to lose in the end?" Broden asked sternly. "I don't see why," Fenn answered without hesitation. "You just said you worked for the Bandit Lord because he was hiring, and left when he had nothing more to offer. I don't care if this Nymeria is going to win or not, I'm just here to get paid for as long as her war lasts." With these words Fenn gulped down the rest of his wine, a drunken and satisfied grin on his face.
As they all stayed quiet for a moment, Nealia noticed Tryden looking towards the door of the inn with narrowed eyes. She turned to look as well, and saw two men walking in and starting to approach their table. One of them was a tall and muscular warrior with a flowing light brown hair and short stubble beard. The other man was equally tall, but older and dressed in simple dark robes, sporting a thick brown beard that covered his lower face.
"Long time no see, Tryden Flowers," the bearded man said as he got closer to the table, a subtle smirk on his face. "I was told you and your company just arrived to Godsgrace, and I am delight to see it is true."
"Edd Prally... what in seven hells are you doing here?" Tryden asked with a genuinely surprised tone on his voice, to which the bearded man chuckled softly. "I am serving the Princess now, old friend," he answered calmly. "I heard earlier that you had taken a contract from King Lucifer, so I certainly wasn't expecting to see you here."
"Lucifer paid me, I did what he asked me to do, our contract is over," Tryden stated sternly, and Edd Prally raised his hands up in a calming manner. "Worry not, I am not here to judge you," he said with a friendly tone. "I am simply glad that we don't have to be enemies in this war."
"If your princess has the coin to pay us," Tryden replied sharply, and Edd nodded. "You should come to meet her tomorrow and find out," he suggested, his eyes now shifting to Nealia. "I also see the reports of King Vorian's bastard daughter traveling with the Rose Company are true. You are invited to come and meet Nymeria as well, Princess Nealia."
Nealia gulped, managing to only give this strange man a tense nod. "See you tomorrow, come before noon," Edd said with a smirk, before turning around and walking out of the inn with his warrior.
"So, who was that fucker?" Fenn asked with a drunken chuckle, and Nealia turned her eyes to Tryden as well, the same question in her mind. "Edd Prally, he is a spymaster," Tryden answered with a quiet sigh. "He's helped me many times, given me information that has landed the Rose Company some great contracts. He was always out for himself, so I never expected him to ally with Princess Nymeria, or any ruler for that matter."
"Why do you think he has done it?" Broden asked with a frown. Tryden took in a deep breath, considering his answer for a moment. "I do remember him telling me once that he would like to see Dorne united under one ruler," he said with a quiet and pondering tone. "So, he must believe Nymeria is actually capable of achieving that."
"And do you trust his judgement?" Broden asked quietly. Tryden let out a sigh and closed his eyes for a moment, before turning his gaze to Broden and nodding. "I do," he said grimly. "I do."
-
Tryden, Broden, Nealia and the White Elephant walked in through the gates of the castle, seeing the orange sun-and-spear banners of House Martell and Nymeria hanging on the walls, side by side with the black-and-red banners of House Allyrion. The courtyard was crowded with soldiers of both houses, as well as of other vassals of the Martell's.
An older Rhoynar man approached them, clearly a warrior, clad in chainmail and carrying a sword on his belt. "Who are you?" The man asked with a humorless tone, his narrowed eyes shifting from Tryden to the White Elephant.
"I am Tryden Flowers, leader of the Rose Company, and these are my friends," Tryden answered with a charming and confident tone. "We have been summoned here by Edd Prally, to meet Princess Nymeria. Ser..."
"I am Varyn of Chroyane, the general of Her Grace's armies," the man introduced himself sternly. "Follow me," he said nonchalantly, turning around. They made their way inside the keep, and soon arrived to large wooden doors guarded by four soldiers. They all saluted Varyn, and opened the doors for him. Inside was a large council room, and a long table right in the middle of it. On the table laid a large map of Dorne, and on the map were standing several wooden pieces, painted in different colors.
Nealia's eyes first went to the woman standing right next to the map, who had to be Princess Nymeria, dressed in a regal red dress, and wearing a golden circlet in her head. Beside her was a man about the same age, obviously Prince Mors, dressed in an orange silk tunic and a golden cloak, his black hair tied to a bun. Close to them was Edd Prally in his simple clothes, as well as two guards in gilded armors, one of them a man and another a woman. At the very end of the table sat a young and chubby woman with sandy yellow hair, dressed almost as regally as the Princess, but in the colors of House Allyrion.
"I assume you are the sellsword leader that Edd told me about," Nymeria said calmly, a tense look in her eyes as she gazed at Tryden. Tryden nodded, stepped closer, and kneeled. "Princess Nymeria and Prince Mors, it is an honor to meet you," he said quietly, keeping his gaze down. "I am Tryden Flowers, leader of the Rose Company."
"Stand," Nymeria commanded, and Tryden quickly got back up on his feet. Nymeria eyed him for a moment, before walking past him, and looking at the rest of them. "And who are your companions?" She asked calmly.
The White Elephant was the first to speak up. "I am the White Elephant," he said with his strong and stoic voice. "I have traveled everywhere in this world, from Braavos to Yi Ti, and many times I have heard of the great tragedy that your people faced. For that I am sorry, but I can see that you are determined to raise your people back to glory, and carve yourself a new empire on this land. I am willing to serve you and to help you realize your dream, Princess Nymeria, for a modest payment."
The Princess looked pleased with the White Elephant's words, and gave him an approving nod, before turning to Broden and Nealia. "I am Broden, the second-in-command of the Rose Company," Broden said bluntly, a touch of enmity in his words. As the Princess turned her eyes to Nealia, she took in a deep breath.
"And you must be Nealia Sand, the bastard daughter of King Vorian Dayne," Nymeria said before Nealia could even speak up. "Yes," she answered sternly, glancing at Tryden.
"It is an honor to have you here," Nymeria said with a smile, but her words rang hollow. She walked back to her husband and sat down. "Edd has told me that you and your company are one of the finest warriors in Dorne," she said, looking at Tryden again. "And as it happens, I am in need of great warriors. The armies of Dryland, Vaith and Gargalen are on their way here, and in less than a week there will be a great battle. I can offer you great riches, but I must warn you that this battle is going to claim many lives, and victory isn't a certainty."
"Sounds like a good time," Tryden replied smoothly, and Nymeria raised her eyebrow. "So, will your company fight for me?" She asked strictly. Tryden took a moment, a hint of uncertainty in his eyes, until finally he nodded. "We will fight for you in this battle," he said with a small sigh. "I make no promises beyond that."
"Good enough," Nymeria said nonchalantly. "General Varyn, you may make the contracts with them."
-
Nealia opened the door of the inn with a sigh, walking in with the White Elephant coming right after her. Tryden and Broden had stayed in the castle to negotiate of the payment with the general. Nealia had little interest for it though, since it had never been the coin that drove her to this path as a sellsword. She saw Manda, Lien, Ying and Sarina looking at her from their table, and decided to approach.
"So, will we fight for the Princess?" Sarina asked with an excited tone, and Nealia nodded. "We will," she answered quietly, looking at Lien and Ying as she spoke. "There will be a battle very soon, and it shall be a great battle if what Nymeria says is true."
"I've seen great battles before, I am ready," Manda said confidently, but even she looked slightly concerned. Nealia turned her gaze down, her mind returning to Lemonwood, and Illor dying in her arms. Who will I have to bury after this battle? She thought grimly as she looked at her friends, and Lien clearly recognized the concern in her eyes.
"We will all look after each other in the battlefield," she said with an encouraging tone, and Nealia turned her eyes to look at her. Lien looked beautiful and confident as always, her lips forming a small smile. "Isn't that right?" She asked, and her sister nodded quietly.
"Yes," Manda also said, a stern and determined tone on her voice. "Yes," Nealia repeated quietly.
"The White Elephant always says that battlefield is where we find our truest friends," Sarina said, a more serious tone on her voice than usually. "So, here is to friendship," she said, raising her cup, and the rest of them followed the example.
"To friendship," they all repeated, and drank their wine. After this Sarina stood up from her chair. "I'll go talk with White Elephant," she said sweetly, before walking away. After this silence lingered around the table for a while. Finally, Manda cleared her throat. "I think I could go get some fresh air," she said, giving a knowing look at Ying, who nodded subtly. Together they stood up and walked out, leaving Nealia and Lien alone at the table.
"I'm sorry Lien," Nealia said grimly, and Lien raised an eyebrow. "Don't be," she said with a soft tone. "You miss your family, you want to be reunited with them, I can understand that. You owe me nothing, Nealia, and I can only be thankful for the time we've had together, wherever you choose to go."
Nealia let out a wistful sigh, looking Lien to the eyes. "If I decide to leave, know that it is not an easy choice for me," she said quietly, and Lien grabbed her hand gently. "There is a time for everything, Nealia, and if a time comes for us to say farewell, then we will say farewell. But that time is not now, for now we are together. Let us enjoy it for as long as it lasts."
Nealia gulped, nodding to Lien's words. A part of her wanted to ask if Lien would be willing to come to Starfall with her after this battle, but she wasn't sure if she could ask something like that from her. She had felt useless herself in Starfall before she left, but at least for her going back would mean serving her family, and being with her family. What would it mean for Lien? Nothing, she would be there because of her, but it would drag her away from her own life, her own freedom, and perhaps even her own sister. Can I ask that from her?
This new speed is truly wonderful! No, really, it seems we're way closer to the end of the chapter than I thought and well, you know how much I anticipate it. With Nealia in particular, I have no idea where you will end her storyline, whereas some of the others at least give me an idea for possible outcomes. I guess she won't head to Starfall before Book 2 starts, but her chapter here could end with several different endings and I am very curious what it will be.
Now, this was also not only a very interesting part, but also one that moved into a direction I did not expect. Tryden actually changed his opinion, that is, I must say, admirable. For how determined he has been to not work with her, it means something that he was able to admit that he might have been wrong there and to change his opinion. So, as much as this will cause problems for Nealia in particular, I think Tryden made the right choice for himself and since I like him as well, I am okay with it. As long as Nealia does not have to fight her own family, I am fine with it, though this likely means she has to leave the Rose Company at some point. For now though, well, congratulations to Tryden for making a good call and I hope the fallout that could happen due to this can be kept as small as possible. We'll see, I believe that will be a Book 2 issue to deal with.
[Ask Lien to come to Starfall]
How could I ever sink a ship of mine? Well, I kinda did before, but never like this, so yeah, I'm pretty sure you did not expect me to choose anything else, eh? Nealien shall sail on. And well, I definitely hoped this decision did not have to be made, as Tryden seemed more inclined to work for House Dayne than Martell. Now though, a choice has to be made and I believe Lien would like to remain by Nealia's side, if she just asks. Ultimately, and I think this is important to take into account, this will be her choice and not Nealia's, means all Nealia would do is to give Lien the opportunity to make this choice, which I believe is only right. If Nealia never offers it to her, she essentially takes the choice away from Lien and in a way, I don't think that would be very fair to her. Wether she decides to leave with Nealia or stay with her sister, she should be given the opportunity to choose what she believes will make her more happy. Nealia for sure would be more happy with Lien around, so the way I see it, if Lien decides to stay with her, that is great for both, if she decides that staying with her sister and friends will be more important to her, at least she will do what she sees as the best for her. Either way, giving her the choice sounds like the right thing to do.
Nealia
Walking past a table of four Rhoynar women warriors who were speaking to each other in their native language, Nealia made it to th… moree table that Tryden, Broden and Fenn had sat down to. Taking a seat, Nealia immediately noticed Fenn's eyes darting to her, and she also noticed the massive greatsword leaning on the wall behind him.
"Now, who is this pretty girl?" Fenn asked with a playful tone, staring at Nealia with hungry eyes. "I didn't know Tryden had such a good taste when it comes to women. Hells, I wouldn't mind getting to know you a bit better, lady..."
"Nealia Sand," Nealia concluded. "And I'm not interested, sorry," she added nonchalantly.
"Ouch," Fenn reacted with a small chuckle. "That's quite harsh, mylady, at least give me a chance."
"Don't take it personally, mate," Broden spoke up with his blunt tone. "This one's a cuntlicker, you see," he said cheekily, and Nealia shot him a cold glare. "Fuck you, Broden," s… [view original content]
Another great part! I really enjoyed getting to learn a bit about Fenn here, he clearly seems to be a pretty interesting character and I definitely liked hearing about what is going on around Dorne from his point of view. I also must say I am really intrigued about House Safyre as well since it sounds like they have quite the backstory! As far as the choice goes, this is definitely a tough one since it will put Lien in a tough decision but like Liquid, I feel it wouldn't be fair to her if we didn't give a choice so I am going to vote to [Ask Lien to come to Starfall] With the choice, Nealia won't have any regrets and it will be the best way for Nealia to see what she has with Lien and Lien chooses not to go then Nealia at least knows she done all she could do here.
WIth all of this said though, I definitely am worried for Nealia since she will soon by one of the PoV's in very serious danger with the upcoming Martell-Dryland battle fast approaching which has the potential to be a very gruesome battle and I am definitely hoping she can safe here. Speaking of that battle, man I am really hyped for it This will be quite the epic battle and it will be quite interesting how many losses Nymeria's army ends up taking since the Dryland army is still very much intact. Anyway I'm getting sidetracked this was a great part and I look forward to the next one!
Nealia
Walking past a table of four Rhoynar women warriors who were speaking to each other in their native language, Nealia made it to th… moree table that Tryden, Broden and Fenn had sat down to. Taking a seat, Nealia immediately noticed Fenn's eyes darting to her, and she also noticed the massive greatsword leaning on the wall behind him.
"Now, who is this pretty girl?" Fenn asked with a playful tone, staring at Nealia with hungry eyes. "I didn't know Tryden had such a good taste when it comes to women. Hells, I wouldn't mind getting to know you a bit better, lady..."
"Nealia Sand," Nealia concluded. "And I'm not interested, sorry," she added nonchalantly.
"Ouch," Fenn reacted with a small chuckle. "That's quite harsh, mylady, at least give me a chance."
"Don't take it personally, mate," Broden spoke up with his blunt tone. "This one's a cuntlicker, you see," he said cheekily, and Nealia shot him a cold glare. "Fuck you, Broden," s… [view original content]
[Ask Lien to come to Starfall] While Lien would interpret it as her wanting to be a servant, it will also remind her how much she means to her. The clash between the children of the sun and the exiles from across the sea is coming.
Why I'm not surprised Albin would have let The Great Other followers to do things in his realm, or simply ignorant of what his vassals are doing.
Nealia
Walking past a table of four Rhoynar women warriors who were speaking to each other in their native language, Nealia made it to th… moree table that Tryden, Broden and Fenn had sat down to. Taking a seat, Nealia immediately noticed Fenn's eyes darting to her, and she also noticed the massive greatsword leaning on the wall behind him.
"Now, who is this pretty girl?" Fenn asked with a playful tone, staring at Nealia with hungry eyes. "I didn't know Tryden had such a good taste when it comes to women. Hells, I wouldn't mind getting to know you a bit better, lady..."
"Nealia Sand," Nealia concluded. "And I'm not interested, sorry," she added nonchalantly.
"Ouch," Fenn reacted with a small chuckle. "That's quite harsh, mylady, at least give me a chance."
"Don't take it personally, mate," Broden spoke up with his blunt tone. "This one's a cuntlicker, you see," he said cheekily, and Nealia shot him a cold glare. "Fuck you, Broden," s… [view original content]
Nealia
Walking past a table of four Rhoynar women warriors who were speaking to each other in their native language, Nealia made it to th… moree table that Tryden, Broden and Fenn had sat down to. Taking a seat, Nealia immediately noticed Fenn's eyes darting to her, and she also noticed the massive greatsword leaning on the wall behind him.
"Now, who is this pretty girl?" Fenn asked with a playful tone, staring at Nealia with hungry eyes. "I didn't know Tryden had such a good taste when it comes to women. Hells, I wouldn't mind getting to know you a bit better, lady..."
"Nealia Sand," Nealia concluded. "And I'm not interested, sorry," she added nonchalantly.
"Ouch," Fenn reacted with a small chuckle. "That's quite harsh, mylady, at least give me a chance."
"Don't take it personally, mate," Broden spoke up with his blunt tone. "This one's a cuntlicker, you see," he said cheekily, and Nealia shot him a cold glare. "Fuck you, Broden," s… [view original content]
Man, this part was awesome for me to read! Fenn was acting just like I thought he would, I love it how the guy is always cussing too, ah, what a charming fellow. It was really interesting to read about some of what Fenn was doing since he left the company, he even witnessed some pretty dark shit. I also love his "connection" to House Safyre, though I imagine he won't be a welcomed if he ever goes that way. I'm intrigued about them though, for the Lord to think his own uncle was behind the blood rituals and all. I also really liked to see Tryden, Broden and Fenn together, gotta say they make a good trio. Broden's remark about Nealia was golden though, got me cracking up While I'm not sure if Fenn will re-join the company or not, here's hoping for more interactions between them.
[Ask Lien to come to Starfall] Like Liquid stated, we should at least give Lien the opportunity to make the choice for herself.
I don't know if this is old news since I don't remember seeing it before, but I just noticed that you gave a title to next book's prologue: "Crimes of the King". I'm actually very intrigued and curious by this choice here, wonder what it'll be about and which King is it referring to...
This new speed is truly wonderful! No, really, it seems we're way closer to the end of the chapter than I thought and well, you know how much I anticipate it. With Nealia in particular, I have no idea where you will end her storyline, whereas some of the others at least give me an idea for possible outcomes. I guess she won't head to Starfall before Book 2 starts, but her chapter here could end with several different endings and I am very curious what it will be.
Indeed, we are getting closer to the end, but there is still plenty to go through. That said, if I manage to keep up the pace even close to what it's been lately, I think I'll be able to finish Book 1 somewhere around early February. I'm of course really excited to conclude the storylines of this book, and hope to do it in an entertaining and satisfying way, but I'm equally hyped for the storylines of Book 2. Lots of interesting developments coming, that much I can promise
Now, this was also not only a very interesting part, but also one that moved into a direction I did not expect. Tryden actually changed his opinion, that is, I must say, admirable. For how determined he has been to not work with her, it means something that he was able to admit that he might have been wrong there and to change his opinion. So, as much as this will cause problems for Nealia in particular, I think Tryden made the right choice for himself and since I like him as well, I am okay with it. As long as Nealia does not have to fight her own family, I am fine with it, though this likely means she has to leave the Rose Company at some point. For now though, well, congratulations to Tryden for making a good call and I hope the fallout that could happen due to this can be kept as small as possible. We'll see, I believe that will be a Book 2 issue to deal with.
Glad you enjoyed it! As for Tryden, yeah, he is always ready to change his mind if he is provided with some sort of evidence that he may be wrong. In this situation it was Edd Prally's endorsement for Nymeria that changed his mind, at least to some degree. He is still not 100% sure about it, but he is at least willing to give Nymeria a chance.
This new speed is truly wonderful! No, really, it seems we're way closer to the end of the chapter than I thought and well, you know how muc… moreh I anticipate it. With Nealia in particular, I have no idea where you will end her storyline, whereas some of the others at least give me an idea for possible outcomes. I guess she won't head to Starfall before Book 2 starts, but her chapter here could end with several different endings and I am very curious what it will be.
Now, this was also not only a very interesting part, but also one that moved into a direction I did not expect. Tryden actually changed his opinion, that is, I must say, admirable. For how determined he has been to not work with her, it means something that he was able to admit that he might have been wrong there and to change his opinion. So, as much as this will cause problems for Nealia in particular, I think Tryden made the right choice for himself and since I like him as well… [view original content]
Indeed, we are getting closer to the end, but there is still plenty to go through. That said, if I manage to keep up the pace even close to what it's been lately, I think I'll be able to finish Book 1 somewhere around early February. I'm of course really excited to conclude the storylines of this book, and hope to do it in an entertaining and satisfying way, but I'm equally hyped for the storylines of Book 2. Lots of interesting developments coming, that much I can promise
Early February! Aaaaah, I am not prepared Even with the current speed, I never would have thought we'd be that close. Out of curiosity, is there any storyline that is actually finished already or does each PoV get at least one more part? Why is there no word to combine the feelings of being excited and terrified? Terricited? Cause that is how I feel. And hype, always hype. I can hardly imagine what is going to happen, because as it is right now, a majority of the storylines seems so open that almost anything can happen in the next few parts
Glad you enjoyed it! As for Tryden, yeah, he is always ready to change his mind if he is provided with some sort of evidence that he may be wrong. In this situation it was Edd Prally's endorsement for Nymeria that changed his mind, at least to some degree. He is still not 100% sure about it, but he is at least willing to give Nymeria a chance.
Well, I don't think he will regret it, if he manages to survive the battles to come. But well, being a sellsword, he would have chosen to fight in some war somewhere in either way, so it's not as if working for Nym is more dangerous for him than any other war, probably even a tiny bit less as we at least know she is eventually going to succeed. The one I believe this will be bad for is Nealia and in a way, this could be bad for Tryden as well, but not in the kind that could harm him. If she does not end up leaving the company before the time skip, I could see her becoming one of his most trusted and important sellswords by the time we see her again, so if she decides to side with her family in the conflict, he'd likely feel quite betrayed. Might even result in a fight and I really dread this possibility.
By the way, I noticed I kinda forgot to comment on one new revelation of this part, the murders Fenn was sent to investigate. And damn, I should have known that there's more of this utter pest that are the Great Other worshippers. Dorne seems to be their favourite playground at the time and well, while I have grown a little bit cautious when it comes to the R'hllor worshippers (especially fanatics such as Minesa, but also the potential harm the more well intentioned Desi or Dalia could still cause), it is safe to say I fully side with them here, these people must be hunted down. It seems there's more than just Aisha, Wesley and Valerie, with this Ajax Safyre being mentioned. It might be a bit too early to say for sure if he has done the murders and I'll wait with that until we actually meet the man, but it seems likely there is a Great Other connection to them and I am surprisingly willing to give Wesley, of all people, the benefit of the doubt here. Sure, he's a ruthless and remorseless killer, but never actually struck me as a serial killer such as the one that is implied to have commited these murders, not because he is not capable, but because I always saw him as lacking the passion for random murder most serial killers have, due to what I perceive as a general lack of passion. I take him as someone who kills if angered (or just mildly annoyed) and if ordered by his king or god, but not as someone who goes out of his way to kill random people, even if they are bandits. The absolute same actually applies to Aisha, with the additional factor being that she is too smug and arrogant to stain her own hands, whereas Valerie, capable and willing, has been located in Vaith for years. That leaves only someone else and I have the feeling that as bad as Gwen's situation is with three complete monsters around her, I should be thankful that fourth evil nutjob hasn't crossed her path yet. At the same time, I have the feeling that if she remains somewhat connected to this R'hllor/Great Other storyline (and after her experiences so far, I see this as very likely), this might change.
This new speed is truly wonderful! No, really, it seems we're way closer to the end of the chapter than I thought and well, you know how muc… moreh I anticipate it. With Nealia in particular, I have no idea where you will end her storyline, whereas some of the others at least give me an idea for possible outcomes. I guess she won't head to Starfall before Book 2 starts, but her chapter here could end with several different endings and I am very curious what it will be.
Indeed, we are getting closer to the end, but there is still plenty to go through. That said, if I manage to keep up the pace even close to what it's been lately, I think I'll be able to finish Book 1 somewhere around early February. I'm of course really excited to conclude the storylines of this book, and hope to do it in an entertaining and satisfying way, but I'm equally hyped for the storylines of Book 2. Lots of interesting developments coming, that much I can promise
… [view original content]
Nealia
Walking past a table of four Rhoynar women warriors who were speaking to each other in their native language, Nealia made it to th… moree table that Tryden, Broden and Fenn had sat down to. Taking a seat, Nealia immediately noticed Fenn's eyes darting to her, and she also noticed the massive greatsword leaning on the wall behind him.
"Now, who is this pretty girl?" Fenn asked with a playful tone, staring at Nealia with hungry eyes. "I didn't know Tryden had such a good taste when it comes to women. Hells, I wouldn't mind getting to know you a bit better, lady..."
"Nealia Sand," Nealia concluded. "And I'm not interested, sorry," she added nonchalantly.
"Ouch," Fenn reacted with a small chuckle. "That's quite harsh, mylady, at least give me a chance."
"Don't take it personally, mate," Broden spoke up with his blunt tone. "This one's a cuntlicker, you see," he said cheekily, and Nealia shot him a cold glare. "Fuck you, Broden," s… [view original content]
Another great part! I really enjoyed getting to learn a bit about Fenn here, he clearly seems to be a pretty interesting character and I definitely liked hearing about what is going on around Dorne from his point of view. I also must say I am really intrigued about House Safyre as well since it sounds like they have quite the backstory!
Thank you, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it! And yeah, Fenn is definitely a fun character to write, so you can expect to see more of him in the future. House Safyre as well, though you'll probably have to wait until Book 2 to learn more about them.
WIth all of this said though, I definitely am worried for Nealia since she will soon by one of the PoV's in very serious danger with the upcoming Martell-Dryland battle fast approaching which has the potential to be a very gruesome battle and I am definitely hoping she can safe here. Speaking of that battle, man I am really hyped for it This will be quite the epic battle and it will be quite interesting how many losses Nymeria's army ends up taking since the Dryland army is still very much intact. Anyway I'm getting sidetracked this was a great part and I look forward to the next one!
Indeed, I'd say it will be the bloodiest battle of Book 1, and I am excited to get to write it. It should also be quite different from the battles we've seen so far, which have been mostly either assaults on a city or just small skirmishes. Now, the Martell-Dryland battle won't exactly be a generic pitched battle, but something closer to it than what we've had so far
Man, this part was awesome for me to read! Fenn was acting just like I thought he would, I love it how the guy is always cussing too, ah, what a charming fellow. It was really interesting to read about some of what Fenn was doing since he left the company, he even witnessed some pretty dark shit. I also love his "connection" to House Safyre, though I imagine he won't be a welcomed if he ever goes that way. I'm intrigued about them though, for the Lord to think his own uncle was behind the blood rituals and all. I also really liked to see Tryden, Broden and Fenn together, gotta say they make a good trio. Broden's remark about Nealia was golden though, got me cracking up While I'm not sure if Fenn will re-join the company or not, here's hoping for more interactions between them.
Hehe, I'm certainly pleased to see you're satisfied with my portrayal of Fenn! He's a really fun character to write, and we'll be seeing a lot more of him in the future. As for the Safyre's, we'll definitely see them and learn more about them in Book 2, but Fenn most likely won't be involved with that stuff And yeah, Fenn is quite similar to Tryden in many ways, but at the same time they do have their differences as well, which makes for a pretty nice dynamic between them, and Broden too of course There will for sure be more interaction between them though, because whether Fenn re-joins the company or not, he will at least fight alongside them in this coming battle.
I don't know if this is old news since I don't remember seeing it before, but I just noticed that you gave a title to next book's prologue: "Crimes of the King". I'm actually very intrigued and curious by this choice here, wonder what it'll be about and which King is it referring to...
No, not exactly old news, it's been there couple days now and you're probably the first one who noticed it (or at least mentioned it) I added it there because I've recently done some early planning/writing on that prologue, and came up with the title in the process. I hate to tease you like this, knowing it will surely take over a month, perhaps closer to two before we get there, but I have a feeling you especially are going to enjoy this prologue
Early February! Aaaaah, I am not prepared Even with the current speed, I never would have thought we'd be that close. Out of curiosity, is there any storyline that is actually finished already or does each PoV get at least one more part? Why is there no word to combine the feelings of being excited and terrified? Terricited? Cause that is how I feel. And hype, always hype. I can hardly imagine what is going to happen, because as it is right now, a majority of the storylines seems so open that almost anything can happen in the next few parts
Well, I should probably repeat that this is only if I manage to keep up the current pace, and chances are it'll take slightly longer than that That said, I am 100% convinced that Book 1 will be done before the end of February at least, unless something unthinkable happens. And no, there is no storyline yet that would've been completely finished, though there are few PoVs that only have one or two parts left.
By the way, I noticed I kinda forgot to comment on one new revelation of this part, the murders Fenn was sent to investigate. And damn, I should have known that there's more of this utter pest that are the Great Other worshippers. Dorne seems to be their favourite playground at the time and well, while I have grown a little bit cautious when it comes to the R'hllor worshippers (especially fanatics such as Minesa, but also the potential harm the more well intentioned Desi or Dalia could still cause), it is safe to say I fully side with them here, these people must be hunted down. It seems there's more than just Aisha, Wesley and Valerie, with this Ajax Safyre being mentioned. It might be a bit too early to say for sure if he has done the murders and I'll wait with that until we actually meet the man, but it seems likely there is a Great Other connection to them and I am surprisingly willing to give Wesley, of all people, the benefit of the doubt here. Sure, he's a ruthless and remorseless killer, but never actually struck me as a serial killer such as the one that is implied to have commited these murders, not because he is not capable, but because I always saw him as lacking the passion for random murder most serial killers have, due to what I perceive as a general lack of passion. I take him as someone who kills if angered (or just mildly annoyed) and if ordered by his king or god, but not as someone who goes out of his way to kill random people, even if they are bandits. The absolute same actually applies to Aisha, with the additional factor being that she is too smug and arrogant to stain her own hands, whereas Valerie, capable and willing, has been located in Vaith for years. That leaves only someone else and I have the feeling that as bad as Gwen's situation is with three complete monsters around her, I should be thankful that fourth evil nutjob hasn't crossed her path yet. At the same time, I have the feeling that if she remains somewhat connected to this R'hllor/Great Other storyline (and after her experiences so far, I see this as very likely), this might change.
Indeed, more work of GO worshippers was brought to surface in this part. These news do come from the lands of House Manwoody, and from a time where we have no knowledge of Mordekhai's whereabouts, so he certainly is a likely suspect. That said, it could well be that he had help, and it is likely there are still some GO worshippers in Dorne that we haven't seen yet. For the most part they try to stay hidden after all. As for Ajax, well, he must've done something messed up for his nephew to suspect him of these murders, and we'll probably learn more about it in the future.
Nealia
Walking past a table of four Rhoynar women warriors who were speaking to each other in their native language, Nealia made it to th… moree table that Tryden, Broden and Fenn had sat down to. Taking a seat, Nealia immediately noticed Fenn's eyes darting to her, and she also noticed the massive greatsword leaning on the wall behind him.
"Now, who is this pretty girl?" Fenn asked with a playful tone, staring at Nealia with hungry eyes. "I didn't know Tryden had such a good taste when it comes to women. Hells, I wouldn't mind getting to know you a bit better, lady..."
"Nealia Sand," Nealia concluded. "And I'm not interested, sorry," she added nonchalantly.
"Ouch," Fenn reacted with a small chuckle. "That's quite harsh, mylady, at least give me a chance."
"Don't take it personally, mate," Broden spoke up with his blunt tone. "This one's a cuntlicker, you see," he said cheekily, and Nealia shot him a cold glare. "Fuck you, Broden," s… [view original content]
Nealia
Walking past a table of four Rhoynar women warriors who were speaking to each other in their native language, Nealia made it to th… moree table that Tryden, Broden and Fenn had sat down to. Taking a seat, Nealia immediately noticed Fenn's eyes darting to her, and she also noticed the massive greatsword leaning on the wall behind him.
"Now, who is this pretty girl?" Fenn asked with a playful tone, staring at Nealia with hungry eyes. "I didn't know Tryden had such a good taste when it comes to women. Hells, I wouldn't mind getting to know you a bit better, lady..."
"Nealia Sand," Nealia concluded. "And I'm not interested, sorry," she added nonchalantly.
"Ouch," Fenn reacted with a small chuckle. "That's quite harsh, mylady, at least give me a chance."
"Don't take it personally, mate," Broden spoke up with his blunt tone. "This one's a cuntlicker, you see," he said cheekily, and Nealia shot him a cold glare. "Fuck you, Broden," s… [view original content]
Thank you, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it! And yeah, Fenn is definitely a fun character to write, so you can expect to see more of him in the future. House Safyre as well, though you'll probably have to wait until Book 2 to learn more about them.
You're welcome and I am definitely excited to learn more of these characters in the future
Indeed, I'd say it will be the bloodiest battle of Book 1, and I am excited to get to write it. It should also be quite different from the battles we've seen so far, which have been mostly either assaults on a city or just small skirmishes. Now, the Martell-Dryland battle won't exactly be a generic pitched battle, but something closer to it than what we've had so far
Oh man I am definitely looking forward to this! Admittedly though it is also a very dangerous place for many of our favorite characters so I will be looking forward to the battle but nervous all the same I just realized something though, we have other battles coming as well with Naemon, Malcolm and Alester potentially battling Karsan Taller and the Martell troops potentially taking back Lemonwood if we see that one happen also. Plus other huge stuff like Kortney hopefully escaping Kingsgrave unharmed and maybe the Great Other vs R'hllor battle which that in particular is probably book 2 material if I had to guess. On a lighter note, we also have Jamison and Isabella's wedding if everything goes to plan! I am probably forgetting some stuff as well but man the ending of book one sounds like it's going to be a fun ride!
@CM3434 (forgot to use the reply )
Another great part! I really enjoyed getting to learn a bit about Fenn here, he clearly seems to be… more a pretty interesting character and I definitely liked hearing about what is going on around Dorne from his point of view. I also must say I am really intrigued about House Safyre as well since it sounds like they have quite the backstory!
Thank you, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it! And yeah, Fenn is definitely a fun character to write, so you can expect to see more of him in the future. House Safyre as well, though you'll probably have to wait until Book 2 to learn more about them.
WIth all of this said though, I definitely am worried for Nealia since she will soon by one of the PoV's in very serious danger with the upcoming Martell-Dryland battle fast approaching which has the potential to be a very gruesome battle and I am definitely hoping she can safe here. Speaking of that battle, man… [view original content]
And Nealia will ask Lien to come to Starfall. As many of you brought up, effectively it's just giving Lien the option to do it if she wants to. And considering that Nealia hasn't even made the final decision about going to Starfall herself, this choice obviously isn't final in terms of Lien's future plans either.
Next up, I have an Ortheg part ready. However, it's a part without a choice, so I'll try to get a part for another PoV done as well before posting. This other part will be either a Dianna part or a Dalia part, depending which one I get done faster Anyway, I guess I should recap all these three PoVs briefly. Ortheg has started his training in Yronwood, but recently he visited the Oracle and the Seven Messengers, asking them about his future and about his late father Prince Andrey. At the end of his last part he was training with his half-sister Tanya, but he was a bit distracted because he was thinking about the meeting with the Oracle. Tanya asked if something was bothering Ortheg, and he decided to tell her that he went to see the Oracle. Dalia on the other hand has left Vaith with her daughter Desirea, as well as Kris Vaith, Mother Minesa and Belan the Brave. They are going after Valerie, and whichever other servants of GO they can find. And Dianna, along with Lysera, is still captured by the Ironborn crew led by Bjorn Harlaw. They have been sailing from Lemonwood towards Brimstone, where the Ironborn are planning to raid.
Anyway, I'll try my best to get it done today, but it might go for tomorrow
Comments
[Say that you don't want to talk about it]
I just don't think that this is something that Jamison would be eager to discuss.
Voting is closed!
And Jamison will tell Garret what happened back in Vaith. Not the most active voting this one, I imagine because of the holiday season. That's alright though, we got a result nonetheless, and this wasn't the most important voting anyway.
And the reason I want to close this voting already is because the next two parts are done. They'll be Verro and Valor PoVs, and I'll post them right away. Last time we saw Verro he was still in Lemonwood, now ruled by Efran Sand. Despite the uncertainty of the situation Verro was getting kind of comfortable living in Lemonwood, which made leaving with Nesila a hard choice for him, but he did it nonetheless. And last we saw Valor he and the Fallen Dragons had taken over Salt Shore. He had a little conversation with Lord Gargalen's three daughters, and pondered on what should be their next move. Then he was informed about a fight on the courtyard, and what he found there was one of his men, Tregor Vhassyn, having beaten bloody one of the unarmed Gargalen men. Valor decided to discipline Tregor publicly, in front of his own men and the Gargalen's.
-
Also, here is a portrait of Garret Dayne:
Verro
Verro, Nesila and Zaltha had left Lemonwood two days ago, and followed the Greenblood to west. They had ridden past many villages and farm houses, some of them abandoned, others full of life. On the northern coast they had often spotted what seemed to be new villages set up by the Rhoynar. They obviously used the same materials as the Dornish – that being mostly mud and reed – but their style of building was very distinct from the local. There were also a lot of riverboats sailing the Greenblood up and down, most of them pole boats clearly made and occupied by the Rhoynar.
"Do you know how long this river goes on?" Verro asked apathetically from Nesila, but instead it was Zaltha who answered. "I have studied maps, and those claim that Greenblood is over three hundred miles long," he said with his calm and deep voice. "After that it branches to two more rivers, Vaith and Scourge, which are both almost equally long."
"We'll cross the river near Godsgrace and keep following the Scourge," Nesila said determinedly. "That should be easy, but after that we need to cross the desert to reach the Red Mountains."
"I'm so glad I traded living in Lemonwood for this," Verro muttered sarcastically, and Nesila shot him a glare. "You should be," she stated confidently. "Sooner or later Efran's rule will crumble, and you don't want to be there to witness it."
"If you say so," Verro replied tiredly. It was just couple hours until the sundown, and they saw another village ahead of them. "We'll spend the night here," Nesila decided as they approached it, and Zaltha mumbled something in agreement.
They rode to the center of the village and dismounted their horses. The few villagers who were outside looked at them quietly, and Verro noticed four horses tied to the fence next to the small farmlands. Then the door of one of the houses was kicked open, and out walked three men with loaded crossbows, which they pointed directly at Verro, Nesila and Zaltha. Behind the crossbowmen came a man in sturdy armor and flashy yellow cape. Probably a knight.
"Put down your weapons," the knight commanded sternly. Verro was quick to obey, but Nesila and Zaltha hesitated for a moment. "Put them down, now," the knight repeated. "Obey, and there will be no need for violence."
With a sigh Nesila put her blade down, and Zaltha quickly followed her example. Then the knight approached them, a stern and intrigued look in his eyes. "Three foreigners," he said after having eyed them for a moment. "You wouldn't happen to be coming from Lemonwood?" The knight asked calmly, a subtle smirk on his face.
"Tell us who you are first, and maybe we'll answer," Nesila spat, to which the knight chuckled. "You aren't exactly in a position to make demands, lady," he said with an amused tone. "But as you wish, I am Ser Dallin Dalt, and there are my soldiers. Now, your turn."
"I am Nesila Stallosis, a sellsword," Nesila responded with a defeated tone, glancing at Verro and Zaltha as she spoke. "Just Verro, also a sellsword," Verro muttered, keeping is gaze down, and lastly Zaltha spoke. "I am Zaltha Qo, exiled prince from the Summer Isles."
"Two foreign sellswords and an exile... sounds like the kind of people my nephew would hire," Ser Dallin said with a sigh. "You do know Efran Sand, don't you?"
"Yes, we do," Nesila admitted immediately. "However, we no longer work for him, in fact we are trying to get away from him." Ser Dallin eyed them silently for a while, a pondering look on his face.
"A crueler man would punish you in my position," he finally said, a subtle hint of anger in his words. "After all, you helped a dishonorable and murderous usurper overthrow my brother and take over the ancestral home of my family." As he said this, the look on Dallin's eyes was cold and emotionless. "A sellsword doesn't have the luxury of considering about things like honor, or family for that matter," Zaltha responded, his tone equally cold and emotionless. "If you want to punish us, just do it."
"Well, perhaps we could discuss about it first," Verro intervened with an alarmed tone, which made Dallin chuckle coldly. "At least one of you has the sense to see the reality of your situation," he said smoothly.
"We are at your mercy, I understand that," Zaltha snapped strictly. "I simply don't fear you, and I will accept death if that is what you have in mind."
"What good would that do me?" Dallin asked with a sigh, simultaneously gesturing for the crossbowmen to lower their weapons. "You can go and find a new life somewhere else, I don't care. However, before that, you might have useful information for me. Does Efran have any hostages? Are any of my family still alive?"
"He killed Darin immediately after taking over the castle," Nesila started, and immediately Verro could see how crushing these news were for Dallin. "Danwell is also dead, because he openly denied Efran's rule when brought in front of him at the great hall. The rest should be alive, locked in the dungeons."
"Damn you Danwell, stubborn as always," Dallin cursed quietly, a mix of sadness and anger in his words. The knight let out a deep sigh and slowly built up his confidence again before speaking up. "How many men does Efran have now, approximately?" He asked calmly.
The three of them glanced at each other for a moment, until Nesila decided to speak up. "He has lost a lot of support after taking over," she started with a sigh. "A lot of the sellswords, as well as the Ironborn, left almost immediately after the battle. Right now... I'd say he has a couple hundred men under his command."
"Good," Dallin said quietly, a spark of determination in his eyes. "Good, we might have a chance after all."
"So, you're planning to take Lemonwood back?" Nesila asked nonchalantly, and Dallin nodded. "With your three crossbowmen here?" She asked with a dry chuckle.
"The majority of our army is back at Desertstone," Dallin explained calmly. "So, why are you here then?" Verro dared to ask, and Dallin flashed him a small smirk. "To keep an eye out for people like you," he answered smoothly. "Anyway, you have cooperated and answered my questions, which I'm thankful for. You can continue your journey as you please. Then again, if you are interested, I could also hire you to fight against Efran."
"As tempting as that sounds, we have to decline," Nesila said with a sigh, turning to look at Zaltha and Verro. "Right?" She asked, and Zaltha immediately nodded. Verro was unsure though. He had grown to like both Nesila and Zaltha, but what they were offering was a journey with a questionable destination and uncertain chance of success. Ser Dallin on the other hand offered something tangible, a job that Verro knew he could. And if they would win, perhaps he could after all have the stable and calm life in Lemonwood he had already got a taste of.
[Continue with Nesila] [Go with Dallin]
-
Valor
Valor Veltaris walked in front of Tregor Vhassyn with calm steps, both the Fallen Dragons and the Gargalen men looking at him. "Why are we here, Tregor Vhassyn?" He asked sternly, and the Qohorik warrior hesitated for a moment, glancing around for support, but everyone stayed silent.
"We are here to fight Princess Nymeria's war," he finally answered, and Valor nodded. "Correct," he said calmly. "And Princess Nymeria is fighting her war to conquer and unite, not to destroy or bring chaos. That is the example we should follow. Do you understand?"
"But commander..." Tregor protested, but Valor was quick to cut him off. "Do you understand?" He asked again strictly, and Tregor turned his gaze down in a defeated manner. "I understand, commander," he muttered.
"Say it louder, so everyone can hear," Valor commanded, and Tregor turned his gaze up with a sigh, looking Valor to the eyes. "I understand, commander," he repeated, this time much louder.
"Good," Valor said nonchalantly. "You can consider this as a warning, but make trouble like this again, and you will be punished. That is all, you are dismissed." Tregor bowed hastily to his commander, and quickly stormed off the courtyard. Valor turned to look at the rest of the troops. "Everyone back to their duties," he commanded calmly, and the men quickly obeyed. With a quiet sigh Valor walked back inside the keep.
-
Valor sat comfortably on the soft settee of the lord's chamber, eyeing at Lord Jorvian Gargalen's wife and son. Lady Delena couldn't be more than couple years older that Gabby Gargalen, meaning that she definitely wasn't Jorvian's first wife. And Jeremie Gargalen, he was just a young and innocent boy, no more than four years old. Yet he will one day be the lord of this place.
"I received a raven from Godsgrace earlier today," Valor said calmly, and Delena nodded with a gulp, clearly frightened by the Valyrian commander's presence. "There is no need to be afraid, sweet lady," Valor said with a soft and gentle tone, though it didn't do much to relax Delena. "Anyway, this message from Princess Nymeria, it summons me and my men to Godsgrace. I must obey her call, but obviously I can't leave without taking certain steps to secure my back. In other words, I will have to take hostages. Jeremie as Jorvian's heir will be the most valuable hostage." Delena immediately shook her head for this.
"Please no," she pleaded weakly. "He is too young, you can't take him."
"I'm afraid I have to," Valor said with a sigh. "However, if you wish, you can also come. I believe that would be the best for both you and the child."
"We are going to Godsgrace?" Jeremie asked with nervous curiosity, and his mother put an arm around him and kissed him on the forehead. "Yes, darling, we will go together," she said with a soothing tone.
"I am grateful for your cooperation," Valor said with a relieved tone, and Delena shot him with a glare. "What choice do I have?" She hissed, keeping her voice low enough not to scare the boy. Valor raised his right hand in a calming manner, an emphatic look in his eyes. "I am sorry this has to be done, I truly am," he said, but Delena just sighed and turned her eyes to little Jeremie again. After a moment of silence, Valor dared to speak up again. "There is one more thing I wanted to ask from you, mylady."
"Ask then," Delena hissed quietly, still keeping her eyes away from Valor. "It's about Jeremie's sisters," he said. "I need to leave at least one of them here, to keep the place in order. Which one of them do you think I should trust with this task?"
Delena chuckled at his question. "Do you trust me to give you a truthful answer to that?" She asked quietly, now looking Valor straight to the eyes. "I do," Valor simply answered, with quiet confidence in his words.
"Well, I can at least tell you not to trust Gabby," Delena said with a sigh. "She is furiously loyal to her father, but that often leads her to be too reckless and thoughtless with her actions."
"Aye, I saw that from the way she went about defending this city," Valor replied with a smirk, which Delena didn't reciprocate. "So, I will take her with me," he quickly continued. "What about Eli and Bridget?"
"They are both harder to read than their older sister," Delena admitted quietly. "It's your decision of course, but personally I'd leave Bridget here and take Eli. Bridget has always been a smart and humble girl, whereas Eli... well, she is a bastard, always striving to prove herself to be just as much a Gargalen as her sisters."
"And that could lead her to do something reckless," Valor deduced quietly, and Delena nodded. "But she would also be the less valuable hostage," he added with a sigh.
"As I said, it is your decision," Delena said, and Valor nodded. "Indeed. Thank you for your cooperation and advice, mylady," he said as he stood up from the settee. "Prepare yourself and your son for the journey, we will leave early tomorrow." With these words Valor left the lord's chambers.
He would take Gabby with him, that much was clear, but he still had a decision to make with the other daughters of Jorvian. Valor made his way to the second floor of the keep, where he knew the quarters of the daughters to be. At first he arrived to the door of Eli Sand's chambers, which were guarded by two of his men. They let him pass without questions, and as he opened the door, he saw Eli sitting quietly by the window.
"May I disturb you for a moment?" Valor asked politely, and Eli looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Oh no, I'm way too busy for that," she answered sarcastically, and Valor chuckled as he stepped in and closed the door. He took the seat next to the table, and sat down with a sigh. "I've come to... discuss with you about something," he said calmly, eyeing Eli as he spoke.
"Discuss?" She asked sternly. "What is there to discuss?"
"I'll be leaving soon, and the Fallen Dragons leave with me," he informed the girl. "Princess Nymeria has summoned us to Godsgrace, so that is where I must go. I'll be taking Jeremie with me, as well as his mother, and Gabby."
"To make sure we won't stab you in the back," Eli concluded, and Valor nodded with a smirk. "Yes, to make sure you won't stab me in the back," he confirmed smoothly. "Though I do need one of you to stay here as well, to make sure things stay in order. You see, in order for hostages to be worth anything, there needs to be someone to blackmail with them. If we took all of you, what would stop the common soldiers of this city from taking up arms and coming after us?"
"You think they would put the family of their lord in danger?" Eli asked with narrowed eyes, and Valor nodded. "The common people don't usually care about their noble overlords nearly as much as those lords would like to think," he said with a soft chuckle. "They stay in line because the noble lords appear powerful, but there is nothing powerful about a bunch of prisoners."
"So, have you come here to ask me keep the people of Salt Shore in line?" Eli asked curiously, and Valor shrugged. "Perhaps," he said quietly. "Do you think you'd be up for the task?"
"Yes," she answered confidently, and Valor raised his eyebrow in surprise. "You seem pretty sure about it," he observed, to which Eli nodded. "Because I am," she said strictly. "I know the people of Salt Shore far better than either of my sisters. I often visit the taverns and markets of the city and speak with the common people. I respect them and they respect me."
"That is good to hear," Valor said, standing up from his chair and starting to walk back towards the door. "Wait, are you leaving me in charge or not?" Eli asked with a confused tone, and Valor flashed her a smirk. "I haven't made that decision yet," he simply said as he stepped out of the room, and closed the door behind him. Then, he made his way to the other end of the corridor, to the door of Bridget Gargalen's chambers. Stepping past the guards, he opened the door and stepped in.
Bridget was sitting in front of the mirror, brushing her luscious black hair, clad only in her white chemise. Noticing the door opening, she put down the brush, and turned towards Valor, intense gaze in her wide blue eyes. For a moment Valor could only marvel at the beauty and majestic body of Bridget, before finding his composure again and sitting down at the chair next to the bed, turning his eyes away from her for a moment.
"What are you doing here, Lord Valor?" Bridget asked, her voice tense but still sweet and polite. "I just have a couple questions for you, mylady," Valor explained calmly. Bridget smiled shyly, standing up and grabbing a silky dressing gown to cover herself with. "Fine then, silver hair, ask your questions," she said playfully, sitting on the bed next to Valor.
"Nymeria has summoned the Fallen Dragons to Godsgrace," he started with a sigh. "We will leave tomorrow, and we will take Jeremie, Delena and Gabby with us. I'm also considering taking either you or your bastard sister Eli, but I am not sure yet whom should I take, and whom should I leave here to take charge of the city."
"Ah, I see," Bridget said with a relaxed tone, leaning seductively on her left arm. "I assume you came here to ask if I'd be capable of keeping this place in order in your absence."
"Something like that, yes," Valor replied with a small nod. Bridget took a moment with her answer, her gaze lingering on Valor. "To be honest, I never really saw myself as a leader," she finally said, taking in a deep breath. "Then again, I do believe the people of Salt Shore to have respect for me. They see me as the beautiful and innocent daughter of their lord, a symbol of purity if you will. But if I'm honest, I can't tell how they would react to me giving them commands."
"I imagine they could accept that," Valor replied softly, to which Bridget shrugged in a carefree manner. "Maybe, though I do think Eli would still be the one better suited for the job," she said quietly. "But that's just my opinion. Was there something more you wanted to ask?" she asked, a sweet and seductive smile on her face.
Valor hesitated, taking in a deep breath. He looked at Bridget, at her delicate face and shapely body, and for a moment he was almost overtaken by the instinct to make a move on this beautiful woman. However, he managed to keep himself in check, and simply flashed her a friendly smile. "That's all, mylady," he said with a polite and professional tone as he stood up.
"Let me know when you've made your decision," Bridget chirped as Valor approached the door, and he turned to look at her once more. "I will," he said quietly, before turning away again and opening the door. Walking out and starting to make his way towards his chambers, Valor saw from the windows that the sun was already setting. Time to make the decision.
[Leave Eli in Salt Shore] [Leave Bridget in Salt Shore]
That... was very quick writing. Seems like the ending of the chapter approaches faster than I thought and despite the looming feeling of dread I undeniably have, I can only approve of this
[Continue with Nesila]
This here is the easy choice of the part. I made Verro's previous decision to leave with Nesila with utmost certainty, seeing only positives in it. Staying with Efran would have been suicide, as this encounter with Dallin proves. But even then, I'd rather stay with her now, seeing how she and Verro have become quite friendly with each other, as opposed to be drafted into yet another assault on Lemonwood. This has never been his war and I'd rather have him leaving with his friends instead. On top of that, I still remember that I have quite a negative opinion on Dallin. He is a coward and a major reason for Dianna's current situation, when he retreated from battle against Bjorn and his Ironborn. I mean, he's better than Efran, I give him that, but that's about it. I wish him success in Lemonwood, but not enough to have Verro go with him. Nope, going with Nesila is where it's at for me.
[Leave Bridget in Salt Shore]
This is by far the harder choice out of the two. See, the Master of Ships (also known as me) kinda ships it. That'd mean, I'd prefer having Bridget with Valor and there are even other arguments speaking in that favour, because as she herself said, she is not as capable at leading and might have the men disobey her. Might even change my vote, gotta see how the others vote on that one, if there's a tie I'll change it for sure. Thing is, Bridget might be the less capable leader when compared to Eli, but she is perfectly reliable, I trust her with doing absolutely nothing that puts her family in danger. But my main reason for picking this is that I am not sure we can trust Eli and that mainly comes with how readily she announced herself to be up for leading Salt Shore during the absence of the other Gargalan's. As a very slimy man once said, sometimes when I try to understand a person's motives, I like to play a little game. I assume the worst. What's the worst reason Eli could have for suggesting this? She's a bastard, means Valor taking away every trueborn Gargalen would grant her a unique chance. I don't want to imply she would be capable of doing that, but just imagine for a moment she gives in to the temptation of power. Ordering the men to attack Valor, forcing him to execute the trueborn Gargalen's, leaving her as Jorvian's only remaining heiress. Bastards rarely get such a chance and who knows, when the power is so close, she might do something foolish, as Delena told him she might. She didn't necessarily made such an impression on me, but Bridget made the more trustworthy and reliable impression. I'm still a bit torn here, which happens way too often, so as with the latest Isabella choice, I am hesitating and observing. We'll see, I'll let you know if I decide to change my vote
[Continue with Nesila]
We didn't vote for him to leave Lemonwood to avoid the battle, just so he could turn around, leave his new friends, and go into battle in Lemonwood. Plus, we still aren't sure if Verro's previous leg injury is completely healed yet. There is no need to put him in unnecessary danger. Plus, I want to see what this new journey with Nesila will bring.
[Leave Eli in Salt Shore]
This was a harder choice for me. Eli seems like a more capable ruler. However, Liquid made some good points regarding why we shouldn't leave her in charge. I might change this vote later.
Hehe, the holidays and lack of uni assignments have really increased my writing motivation
And in general I feel like the second quarter of a chapter is always the hardest to write, because it's mostly build up for the second half of the chapter. But now that we are past that phase the climax of the chapter (and the book) starts to finally be within my grasp, which has also made very motivated. In fact, I already have a couple more parts almost ready 
Yeah, this choice wasn't originally even going to be here, but I figured I should at least give you the choice to join Dallin if you want, even if I saw it as quite unlikely. And I think Dallin retreating from the battle against Bjorn's crew was the last time we saw him, so it's quite understandable that you don't have the best opinion on him
Personally he justifies his actions by thinking that he needed to survive so he could continue the war against Efran. But yeah, it was definitely a major dick move from him to leave Dianna at the mercy of the Ironborn.
Haha, I like that you're already shipping Valor and Bridget
But yeah, this is a complicated choice for sure, as there are so many factors to consider. Who is more capable at keeping Salt Shore in order? Who is more likely to betray Valor (or even their own family)? Who is more valuable as a hostage? Anyway, you do have some good reasoning for your choice there, though there certainly are good reasons for choosing the other option as well.
Yeah, like I said to Liquid, this choice to go with Dallin was a very last minute add, and I never really expected you to choose it
As for Verro's leg, it's in good enough health for him to travel without it bothering him (though it should be mentioned that they are traveling by horse, which definitely makes it easier), but getting in combat again could indeed potentially tarnish the healing process and break his leg.
[Continue with Nesila]
[Leave Eli in Salt Shore]
Edit: Double post, sorry.
Man Wildling, you did come out with these parts quick! I have no clue how you do it plus draw the portraits which I am guessing the recent Garret one was done around the same time as these parts and it was really well done by the way. Overall I must say the speed and quality of these parts are awesome for sure!
[Continue with Nesila]
While the chance of seeing Efran from the other side and his reaction to it almost made me choose to go with Dallin, I decided to agree with the others here. We decided to go down this Neslia path and I think we should see it through.
[Leave Eli in Salt Shore]
This choice was definitely tougher for me and is what made me wait this long to vote. With that said, I think keeping Eli in Salt Shore is for the best. While I think Eli would be the one more likely to take a big risk here, I don't think she would actually do it even still. Even if her plan worked to perfection and all the trueborn Gargalen's are killed, I still can't see her being rewarded by becoming the heiress of Salt Shore. Her father would be irate with her and I definitely don't see Nymeria rewarding her for basically killing her entire family so I believe it should be safe to keep Eli in Salt Shore. Plus Liquid brought up an interesting possibility with Valor and Bridget and I want to see if that goes anywhere
Yeah, I've really managed to pick up my writing phase during the holiday season, and if I manage to keep it up we should be done with Book 1 in like a month
Anyway, I'm glad you're enjoying the parts and the portraits! I actually have one more of both already done, but I'll probably wait and keep the voting open at least until tomorrow, since I imagine most people are pretty busy today.
Yeah, that's a good point. Getting rid of all the trueborns would seem like a good opportunity for a bastard, but chances are it wouldn't really work that well for Eli in the end
And you're definitely right when it comes to Nymeria, not only would she not reward Eli for getting the other Gargalen's killed, she'd make sure to punish her for it. And ah, looks like a new ship truly has set sail with this part 
Should we call it Valget? Or Brilor? 
[Continue with Nesila]
[Leave Eli in Salt Shore]
That is a feeling I can only agree with, the second quarter is always a bit of a drag, due to how much build up it needs to bring up, with only few possibilities for pay off. That being said, I enjoyed the last parts tremendously, so you still did it right. The final parts of this chapter will likely have me permanently at the edge of my seat, worried sick, the whole deal. I'm not a religious man, but I would hereby like to pray to every god willing to listen. Aside from the Great Other, that guy can fuck himself
True, I can see why the choice is there, I mean, technically Verro has at least some reason to leave with Dallin, even if it would be quite a dickmove to poor Nesila. Speaking of, I actually checked if her last name has been mentioned before, but that has apparently not been the case yet, given I still have this theory that her missing brother is none other than Norano, Kortney's deceased lover and teacher. Gotta keep my eyes open, that might be yet another piece in this puzzle
When it comes to Dallin, I guess part of my dislike for him comes due to Dianna being a PoV character and therefore inherently more sympathetic than him, but I believe his men could have made a difference in the fight against Bjorn. And in the end, he hasn't done shit to help Lemonwood with his troops either, it seems he waited until the city fell to Efran before making his move. I wonder if he hoped for Efran to execute every Dalt he could get his hands on, leaving him as the sole survivor of his family and therefore the new Lord Dalt. Surely though, if he would have defeated the Ironborn and then moved to defend Lemonwood with his surviving men and Dianna's, Efran might have failed at taking the city.
How could I possibly not ship it? I build ships about as fast as Euron. Gotta replace them faster than professional ship murderer Aisha can burn them, though I am positive that at least the Valor and Bridget ship (I propose Brilor as its name) is in no danger from her. When it comes to the choice, I see that currently, the other option is winning and well, I am okay with that too. I am still almost about to change my vote too, but think I ultimately won't do it. Beyond the ship, I see the reasons to take Bridget and I am almost certain I have more distrust towards Eli than she deserves, as she most likely won't be capable of provoking the death of her family. It's just, when it comes to that, I put Valor's safety first and while I am almost sure that I have no reason to be worried about this, I cannot fully rule it out and as such, I feel a bit more confident with taking Eli and leaving Bridget. Thankfully, I am glad I like both outcomes here and I have a feeling I'll ultimately enjoy having more of Bridget in Valor's storyline as well. Since it seems Bridget is winning, I am curious what is going to happen and what would have happened if we would have taken Eli, though that is probably a question better asked after this chapter is over.
Since everybody is going this way, might as well ride the wave
[Continue with Nesila]
[Leave Eli in Salt Shore]
Voting is closed!
So, Verro will continue with Nesila, as expected
So, Verro will now truly leave this whole Lemowood situation behind, following Nesila to whole new adventures.
And Valor will leave Eli Sand in Salt Shore, taking Bridget Gargalen with him. We'll see in time what kind of consequences this will have, but at the very least it will give more scenes for Bridget, which I kinda like
And next up we'll have a Kortney part, which is already done and will be posted very soon after this. As you know, the siege of Kingsgrave ended as the Wyl army led by Wallace Wyl rode in to crush the Blackmont forces. The Wyl's were of course there by the orders of King Yorick, to establish an alliance between the Yronwood's and Manwoody's. With the Wyl's there was also a young Stormlander knight named Jared Lonmouth, whom Ser Joran was familiar with. Though Joran was initially disappointed to see Jared with the Wyl's, he came to the conclusion that the young lad could help them save Kortney, and Myke let him approach the man. As said, the part is ready, and will be posted very soon
-
And this time I have you a portrait of Bridget Gargalen:
Kortney
Kortney walked quietly through the crowded corridors of Kingsgrave, glancing behind her every few seconds. Someone was following her, she was sure of it. Suddenly she took a quick turn to the corridor next to the kitchens. No one else was there, so Kortney could easily spot who was following her. As she stopped on her tracks and turned around, she saw a skinny young soldier stepping into the corridor after her. With a couple of quick and aggressive steps Kortney approached him, pulling the knife from her sleeve and putting it on the soldier's throat before he could react in any way. His blue eyes widened in shock, and he raised his hands to yield.
"Did Larry send you?" Kortney asked quietly, still keeping the knife on his throat. "No," the soldier answered with an alarmed tone, and to Kortney's surprise the soldier's voice revealed that he wasn't a he at all, but a young woman. "Myke sent me," she explained hastily, and Kortney removed the knife from her throat. "Explain," she said strictly.
"My name is Raina, I infiltrated the castle together with Myke and Joran, to save you," she said with a gulp. "I was following you because Myke asked me to keep an eye on you."
"You scared me shitless," Kortney muttered with a sigh, to which Raina chuckled. "I could say the same, mylady," she replied lightheartedly. "Anyway, this Larry you spoke of, is he a problem?"
"Could be," Kortney admitted quietly, glancing around her to make absolutely sure no one was overhearing their conversation. "I'll just be honest and tell you that I've killed a couple of his friends recently, so he is a bit angry with me."
Raina nodded silently to her words, looking a bit taken aback. "It was self-defense, in both cases," Kortney clarified. "Yeah, I understand," Raina said with a nod. "To be honest, I didn't expect you to be this... capable," she said with a small chuckle.
"It's the only way to survive here," Kortney replied grimly. "Anyway, it's better if we are not seen together... you can still keep an eye on me if you have to." With these words Kortney walked away from Raina, without looking back.
-
The great hall was filled with Manwoody and Wyl soldiers. Prince Arvin sat on his father's throne, Wallace and Wynton Wyl standing right next to it. Accompanied by loud cheers and laughter, the shackled and bruised Blackmont commander was dragged in front of the throne, and pushed down on his knees.
"Kegan Drinkwater," Arvin said with a slightly amused tone as he looked at the man. "That is your name, correct?" For a moment the man stayed silent, until one of the Manwoody soldiers smacked him on the back of his head. "Correct," he finally muttered, and Arvin nodded with a satisfied smirk.
"You are one of the Drinkwater's of Vulture's Roost, right?" He now asked, and Kegan nodded. "Your brother Lewyn is the Lord of Vulture's Roost if I understand correctly. Do you think he would be willing to pay a ransom for you, Ser Kegan?"
"Possibly," Kegan muttered, a sad smirk forming on his face. "I wouldn't count on it though."
"Perhaps we'd have a better luck with your king then," Arvin suggested. "Benedict Blackmont surely would pay a handsome price to get back his loyal commander." To this Ser Kegan outright laughed, even if his laughter was completely devoid of any joy. "Good luck with that," he said in a mocking tone.
"Well if no one cares enough to pay for your life, then perhaps no one will care if I kill you," Arvin threatened coldly, but Kegan didn't even flinch at his words. "Do it then, boy," he prompted sternly, and Kortney could see the anger taking over Arvin's eyes. Before the prince could respond though, Wallace Wyl whispered something into his ear. After a moment of consideration, Arvin spoke up again. "It is your lucky day, Ser Kegan," he said, a touch of frustration in his words. "We will grant you safe passage back to Blackmont, as long as you bring King Benedict a message from us."
"A message?" Kegan muttered, and Arvin nodded with a malicious grin on his face. "You will tell him that his alliance with King Garrison Fowler must come to an end at once, and that he shall not send any more troops east of the Wide Way, or take part in our conflict against House Fowler in any other way. If he agrees to these terms, we will leave his kingdom in peace. If he fails to meet them, his kingdom will burn." Arvin said these last words with intense hatred in his voice, clenching his fists as he spoke. "Can you deliver this message, Ser Kegan?"
"Aye, I can deliver it," Kegan responded with a small sigh. "Good. Now, take him away," Arvin commanded strictly, and so the soldiers dragged Ser Kegan out of the great hall. Just then, someone tapped Kortney lightly on her shoulder. As she turned around, she saw Raina again.
"Kortney, we need to go," she whispered with an urgent tone, to which Kortney raised an eyebrow. "There's no time to explain, just come," Raina muttered, and Kortney gave her a small nod. And so, she followed her quietly out of the great hall. Raina led them to the western tower, where the guest chambers were located. They stopped in front of one of the doors, and after glancing at both directions, Raina opened it, and they stepped inside.
It was one of the smaller guest chambers, though still comfortable and finely decorated. In the middle of the room was a small wooden table, and by it sat two men, one notably younger than the other. Kortney recognized the older man as Ser Joran Storm, a Connington bastard and a loyal servant of House Caron.
"It is good to see you, Kortney," Joran said softly, a tense smile forming on his face. Kortney nodded silently, unable to smile herself. Instead, she gazed suspiciously at the younger bald man sitting next to Joran. "This is Ser Jared Lonmouth," Joran was quick to introduce. "He is going to help us."
"Some people call me Ser Looselips, say that I talk too much," Jared said with a relaxed tone, a smirk on his face and an intense gaze on his piercing blue eyes. "Anyway, Joran is telling me you've been tortured and kept here by Albin against your own will. Is that right?"
"Yes, it is," Kortney answered sternly, and Jared gave her a nod. "I could see the sick bastard doing something like that," he said nonchalantly. "There's a reason they call him 'the Mad', after all."
Suddenly the door was opened again, and everyone in the room shifted their attention towards it. This time in walked Myke, who immediately approached Kortney. He hugged her briefly, a relieved expression on his face. "We are going to get you out of here, my sweet child," he assured, and now Kortney managed to smile, even if just briefly.
"You're Ser Myke of the Marches, right?" Jared asked, and Myke nodded sternly, and the Lonmouth knight continued. "I've heard of you, about how Lord Trevas Caron praises you as the greatest hero of the Dornish Marches."
"I haven't heard of you," Myke replied dryly, to which the young knight let out a cynical laughter. "Aye, I'm just poor old Ser Looselips, I wouldn't expect real heroes to have heard of me. Then again, I have personally met with both King Arlan Durrandon and King Yorick Yronwood, something not even many heroes can claim. Undeserved, I know. Surely it is you, Ser Myke of the Marches, who would've deserved such an honor."
"I have met King Arlan, back when he was still a prince, and I wouldn't care to meet the Bloodroyal," Myke replied with a sigh. "But we are not here to discuss these things now, are we? Tell me, can you help us take Kortney out of this place?"
"Your friend believes I can," Jared said with a grin, nodding towards Joran. "And the truth is, yes, I can probably help you. However, if you expect me to just go and have a little chat with Wallace Wyl, who will then just make the Manwoody's agree to it, you're mistaken. We are not here to cause unnecessary trouble with King Albin, so if his mistress is to be freed, it must be done in secrecy. Understand?"
"We understand," Joran quickly responded, which brought a grin on Jared's face. "That's what I like to hear," he said cheerfully.
"What is the plan then?" Myke asked impatiently, and Jared looked at him with a sharp glare. "Kingsgrave was under siege for weeks, and now there are two armies sheltering here," he started calmly. "Food and supplies are running low, meaning that there will be several carts coming in and out of the castle every day for some time, fetching crops and bread from the nearby farms. These carts are each guarded by six soldiers – three from Manwoody and three from Wyl. Now, you could take the role of the three Manwoody soldiers, while I will choose three men that I trust among the Wyl troops. And meanwhile the girl can hide in the cart. That is what I can offer, take it or leave it."
For a moment no one said anything, until Joran cleared his throat and spoke up. "I am in favor of this plan," he said confidently, looking at Myke as he spoke. "This is probably the best chance we'll get, I say we take it."
Myke stayed quiet for a moment, a serious and pondering look in his eyes. "Alright then. If you say we can trust the Lonmouth, then I'm willing to trust your judgement," he said quietly. Then he turned towards Kortney. "However, this is not just our choice to make," he said, putting his hand on Kortney's shoulder. "Kortney, do you think we should do this?"
Kortney noticed everyone shifting their attention to her, and she gulped. She didn't know what to think of Jared Lonmouth, but his plan seemed to make sense at least, and she didn't know what other way would there be. But can I trust this man?
[Accept Jared's plan] [Decline Jared's plan]
Yeah you really have! I mean you always put parts out quickly but two straight double PoV and another PoV part done plus the portraits in such short time has to be some kind of record
That's what I'm hoping at least! Eli doesn't seem like she would make such a decision but she is still a pretty new so there could be plenty I don't know about her yet. It sure seems that way, this story has a fleet of ships no doubt
But I think Brilor sounds pretty good to me 
[Accept Jared's plan]
Well it is safe to say this is a really tough decision and one I may change when I see some of the other choices and their reasons but at this point this is without a doubt the best opportunity that Kortney has to get out of Kingsgrave and potentially the only one especially with Kortney having Myke and the others there to help her. The longer Myke and the others are there, the more of a chance they have to be exposed so I definitely believe that Kortney has to take this chance. I can admit though that going along with the plan of someone who calls themselves "Ser Looselips" may not be the best option but at the same time, I don't believe Jared really has anything to gain by ratting out Kortney to the Manwoody's so while I still believe this is a huge risk, I believe this is a risk that Kortney has to take or she might not ever get another one.
[Accept Jared's plan]
[Decline Jared's plan]
His nickname of Ser Looselips is a little too concerning to me.
[Decline Jared's plan]
Grrr, Arvin is definitely a douche. Not so much evil or mad like his father, but when I read him in this part, I could not help but think how he's a massive jerk. If that guy is truly the alternative to Albin, then House Manwoody is in for only some marginal improvement after getting rid of the mad king. Here's hoping it won't come to that, but really, Arvin gave me a bad first, second and third impression and he's probably the kind of guy who'd look a lot better with a brick repeatedly smashed into his face. Only good thing I can say about him is that he intends to let Kegan go. Any man that is nice to Gwen is a friend of mine, so my good friend Kegan lives to see another day, hooray!
However, I guess I know what the Manwoody's intend. Thing is, it's probably not even their plan, but Yorick's. My initial idea that he plans to pick off the Red Mountain kingdoms one by one seems to come true, as the Manwoody's and Wyl's are likely going to march on Skyreach next. We know there is also going to be conflict between House Fowler and Martell in Book 2, so I gotta wonder if Garrison will find himself in two wars at once next book. It's kinda too late for a full Manwoody-Fowler war in the remains of Book 1, so I guess that'll be Book 2 material. You'll never hear me saying that I'm glad we did not send Gwen to Skyreach, but if those Manwoody bastards get involved with the Fowlers, then there might be at least one particular type of danger we actually avoided for her. Bad for the Fowler's though, Garrison's scheming really backfired onto him. Despite this being partially his fault, I cannot help but feel sorry for him. One thing I had to think about is his lie, which brought House Blackmont into the war to begin with and it might actually be uncovered here. After all, Arvin knows the Manwoody's never attacked House Blackmont and initially focussed solely onto House Fowler, so Benedict is at least bound to become suspicious if he learns about this detail.
[Accept Jared's plan]
So, I definitely would never make the mistake of trusting Jared with everything. He did not give me a bad impression, actually I think he might be a character I could grow to like quite a lot if he is not planning to double cross Myke and Kortney. However, I really don't think he is. After all, why would he first offer them a way out and then turn on them? Sure, some people would be capable of doing that for shits and giggles (and you know which particular worst character I would like to use as the negative example), but Jared kinda gave me a positive first impression. Doesn't have to mean much, but I think he deserves a chance, as I see potential for him to actually turn out as a decent guy. And beyond that, the problem here is, he might be the only choice they have. It's not as if Kortney has dozens of alternative to choose from, in which case I must admit there might be better ideas than Jared's, but he is, as of now, the only person who actually has an idea that could work. So, for once I am doing something I would normally never even consider and that is giving someone the benefit of the doubt.
Well, Arvin is about as good of a person as you would expect from the son of Albin the Mad
You're right though, he isn't really mad like his father, but he has picked up plenty of his jerkiness. Arvin does have two younger half-brothers as well, so he isn't the only alternative for Albin, but obviously the most likely right now. In Book 1 Arvin has had a pretty small role, but Book 2 will definitely develop him further than just first impressions 
And yeah, Kegan will indeed live on, and return to Blackmont. Had Albin been on Arvin's place here though, well, let's just say Kegan would've been less lucky.
Yeah, Yorick's strategy so far seems to have been to ally with his neighbors (so he can later make them kneel), with Argim manipulating Levor in Ghost Hill, Wyl's marching to Kingsgrave, and Obara trying to get Isabella to marry Prince Trevyr. Manwoody's were the ones that Yorick clearly was the most succesful with, so he is probably going to use them now as a weapon against the Fowler's. But yeah, poor Fowler's will be stuck between two conflicts. Garrison is a smart and capable king, but this is definitely the hardest challenge he has ever faced. As for Garrison's lie that pulled Blackmont's into the conflict, well Arvin does indeed know that Manwoody's didn't raid the Blackmont villages, but he doesn't really even know that that was the initial motivation for Blackmont's allying with Fowler's. After all, Albin has claimed rule over all of Red Mountains, which could by itself be seen as enough of a reason for Benedict and Garrison allying against him. So, right now it seems like Garrison's false flag operation will fade into history.
Voting is closed!
And Kortney will accept Jared's plan. Well, we'll see later on how well the plan works, that's all I'll say for now.
There are two reasons why I'm closing the voting already. One, I want to avoid a tie, and two, the next part is already done. And that next part will be a Nealia PoV. Last time we saw her, she arrived to Godsgrace with Tryden and the Rose Company. As they made their way to one of the inns of the town, they bumped into a guy named Fenn, who was familiar with Tryden and invited him to drink with him. Nealia also decided to join them, and that's where we'll continue!
Nealia
Walking past a table of four Rhoynar women warriors who were speaking to each other in their native language, Nealia made it to the table that Tryden, Broden and Fenn had sat down to. Taking a seat, Nealia immediately noticed Fenn's eyes darting to her, and she also noticed the massive greatsword leaning on the wall behind him.
"Now, who is this pretty girl?" Fenn asked with a playful tone, staring at Nealia with hungry eyes. "I didn't know Tryden had such a good taste when it comes to women. Hells, I wouldn't mind getting to know you a bit better, lady..."
"Nealia Sand," Nealia concluded. "And I'm not interested, sorry," she added nonchalantly.
"Ouch," Fenn reacted with a small chuckle. "That's quite harsh, mylady, at least give me a chance."
"Don't take it personally, mate," Broden spoke up with his blunt tone. "This one's a cuntlicker, you see," he said cheekily, and Nealia shot him a cold glare. "Fuck you, Broden," she hissed, to which the bald man just grinned behind his bushy beard, while Fenn laughed and poured wine for all of them.
"Anyway, where's that Braavosi cunt who usually follows you like a damn shadow?" Fenn asked lightheartedly from Tryden, and a tense silence followed. Nealia clenched her teeth and turned her gaze down, trying to suppress the memory of Illor dying on her arms. "Illor died during our latest mission," Tryden answered quietly, and for a moment the grin disappeared from Fenn's face. "Ah, I'm sorry to hear that," he muttered awkwardly. "For Illor," he then said, raising his goblet for a toast. Tryden and Broden did the same and repeated the words quietly, and while Nealia raised her goblet as well, she couldn't bring herself to saying Illor's name out loud.
"So, what have you been up to, Fenn?" Tryden quickly changed the topic, and a smile returned to Fenn's face as he leaned back with a sigh, putting his arms behind his head. "Ah, where should I begin, my friend?"
"How about from the day you left the Rose Company?" Tryden asked sharply, a hint of frustration in his words. Fenn nodded calmly, a subtle smirk on his face. "Aye, fair enough," he started, leaning forward again, his gaze shifting from Tryden to Broden to Nealia. "First, I traveled to Stonegate, since it was close by. Lord Marcant was hiring men to hunt down some bandits on his lands. That man is a self-righteous fucking prick, but he paid well enough so I had no complaints."
"How interesting," Tryden quipped sarcastically, to which Fenn frowned. "It's about to get interesting, you impatient whoreson," he cussed, and Tryden nodded in a calming manner. "Go on then," he urged with a tired sigh.
"So, as we hunted down these bandits, few of them led us north of the Greenbelt, and deep into the domain of King Albin Manwoody," Fenn continued his story with an intense tone. "More specifically to the lands of House Safyre, and that was where we found the bandits, but not in the way we expected. Naked corpses in the woods, hearts ripped out of their chests, strange symbols drawn to the rocks and trees with their blood. If we had just found them dead we'd probably been thankful for someone else doing our job for us, but this was just... appalling."
"Sounds like the work of some demon worshippers," Broden deduced with a disgusted tone on his voice, and Fenn nodded. "Aye, something like that," he said, shaking his head slightly. "Anyway, we made it to Safyre Hall and met with Lord Joachim Safyre, who told us that these killings had been happening regularly for over a year. Some suspected that the man behind them was Ser Mordekhai Crusher, the infamous cousin of King Albin. Joachim however seemed convinced that these killings were the work of his exiled uncle, a man named Ajax Safyre."
"So, did Lord Safyre hire you to solve the problem?" Tryden asked with a mildly interested tone, and a small smirk formed on Fenn's face. "Oh, he certainly wanted to. And I was tempted to accept his generous offer too, I admit," he said, taking in a deep breath. "However, no amount of gold is worth dying for, and that whole situation stank of death. Bandits, soldiers, knights, all that I can handle, but I'd prefer to keep my distance from any demons, or Mordekhai Crusher for that matter. That said, my visit to Safyre Hall wasn't completely wasted. I got to taste the lord's sister, if you know what I mean. Carolyn Safyre, ah, now that is a woman to worship."
"I'm sure you're proud," Tryden said dryly, and Fenn shrugged sluggishly. "Aye, I guess I am," he said with a smirk. "But enough about me, what have you been up to, my Reachman friend?"
"Well, we had a job at Lemonwood recently," Tryden answered. "Helped a man named Efran Sand take over the city."
"I heard about him a while ago," Fenn said with an intrigued tone. "The Bandit Lord they called him, apparently he was hiring a lot of men."
"He was," Tryden confirmed calmly. "However, most of those men left him after the city was taken, and I doubt he's going to hold it for long. So, we came here for a new contract. I assume your intentions are very similar."
"That's right, Tryden," Fenn responded cheerfully, raising his goblet again. "We're the dogs of war, you and me, following the smell of blood wherever it takes us."
"Personally I prefer the smell of gold, the blood is just a necessity," Tryden replied smoothly, to which Fenn let out a mocking laughter, violently smacking his goblet against the table. "Cut the shit, bastard," he growled with an amused tone. "You're a killer just like me, and you enjoy it just like me, just admit it. No one gives a shit if your father was some fancy knight with a shining armor and a code of honor, because you are an opportunistic killer for hire, and that's it."
"Alright, I admit it," Tryden said coldly, a hint of anger in his words. "I enjoy my line of work. Is that a problem?"
"No one said it was a problem," Fenn replied gleefully. "Just wanted to make it clear that you're not any better than me, old friend." Tryden let out a frustrated sigh, and for a moment no one said anything, until finally Broden spoke up.
"So, Fenn, do you believe this Rhoynar princess has any chance of winning the war?" He asked, and Fenn just shrugged. "Fuck if I know," he said with a chuckle. "But knowing her goals, she will be needing a lot of warriors in the coming years, and that's good for me."
"But wouldn't it be better to avoid working for her if she is just going to lose in the end?" Broden asked sternly. "I don't see why," Fenn answered without hesitation. "You just said you worked for the Bandit Lord because he was hiring, and left when he had nothing more to offer. I don't care if this Nymeria is going to win or not, I'm just here to get paid for as long as her war lasts." With these words Fenn gulped down the rest of his wine, a drunken and satisfied grin on his face.
As they all stayed quiet for a moment, Nealia noticed Tryden looking towards the door of the inn with narrowed eyes. She turned to look as well, and saw two men walking in and starting to approach their table. One of them was a tall and muscular warrior with a flowing light brown hair and short stubble beard. The other man was equally tall, but older and dressed in simple dark robes, sporting a thick brown beard that covered his lower face.
"Long time no see, Tryden Flowers," the bearded man said as he got closer to the table, a subtle smirk on his face. "I was told you and your company just arrived to Godsgrace, and I am delight to see it is true."
"Edd Prally... what in seven hells are you doing here?" Tryden asked with a genuinely surprised tone on his voice, to which the bearded man chuckled softly. "I am serving the Princess now, old friend," he answered calmly. "I heard earlier that you had taken a contract from King Lucifer, so I certainly wasn't expecting to see you here."
"Lucifer paid me, I did what he asked me to do, our contract is over," Tryden stated sternly, and Edd Prally raised his hands up in a calming manner. "Worry not, I am not here to judge you," he said with a friendly tone. "I am simply glad that we don't have to be enemies in this war."
"If your princess has the coin to pay us," Tryden replied sharply, and Edd nodded. "You should come to meet her tomorrow and find out," he suggested, his eyes now shifting to Nealia. "I also see the reports of King Vorian's bastard daughter traveling with the Rose Company are true. You are invited to come and meet Nymeria as well, Princess Nealia."
Nealia gulped, managing to only give this strange man a tense nod. "See you tomorrow, come before noon," Edd said with a smirk, before turning around and walking out of the inn with his warrior.
"So, who was that fucker?" Fenn asked with a drunken chuckle, and Nealia turned her eyes to Tryden as well, the same question in her mind. "Edd Prally, he is a spymaster," Tryden answered with a quiet sigh. "He's helped me many times, given me information that has landed the Rose Company some great contracts. He was always out for himself, so I never expected him to ally with Princess Nymeria, or any ruler for that matter."
"Why do you think he has done it?" Broden asked with a frown. Tryden took in a deep breath, considering his answer for a moment. "I do remember him telling me once that he would like to see Dorne united under one ruler," he said with a quiet and pondering tone. "So, he must believe Nymeria is actually capable of achieving that."
"And do you trust his judgement?" Broden asked quietly. Tryden let out a sigh and closed his eyes for a moment, before turning his gaze to Broden and nodding. "I do," he said grimly. "I do."
-
Tryden, Broden, Nealia and the White Elephant walked in through the gates of the castle, seeing the orange sun-and-spear banners of House Martell and Nymeria hanging on the walls, side by side with the black-and-red banners of House Allyrion. The courtyard was crowded with soldiers of both houses, as well as of other vassals of the Martell's.
An older Rhoynar man approached them, clearly a warrior, clad in chainmail and carrying a sword on his belt. "Who are you?" The man asked with a humorless tone, his narrowed eyes shifting from Tryden to the White Elephant.
"I am Tryden Flowers, leader of the Rose Company, and these are my friends," Tryden answered with a charming and confident tone. "We have been summoned here by Edd Prally, to meet Princess Nymeria. Ser..."
"I am Varyn of Chroyane, the general of Her Grace's armies," the man introduced himself sternly. "Follow me," he said nonchalantly, turning around. They made their way inside the keep, and soon arrived to large wooden doors guarded by four soldiers. They all saluted Varyn, and opened the doors for him. Inside was a large council room, and a long table right in the middle of it. On the table laid a large map of Dorne, and on the map were standing several wooden pieces, painted in different colors.
Nealia's eyes first went to the woman standing right next to the map, who had to be Princess Nymeria, dressed in a regal red dress, and wearing a golden circlet in her head. Beside her was a man about the same age, obviously Prince Mors, dressed in an orange silk tunic and a golden cloak, his black hair tied to a bun. Close to them was Edd Prally in his simple clothes, as well as two guards in gilded armors, one of them a man and another a woman. At the very end of the table sat a young and chubby woman with sandy yellow hair, dressed almost as regally as the Princess, but in the colors of House Allyrion.
"I assume you are the sellsword leader that Edd told me about," Nymeria said calmly, a tense look in her eyes as she gazed at Tryden. Tryden nodded, stepped closer, and kneeled. "Princess Nymeria and Prince Mors, it is an honor to meet you," he said quietly, keeping his gaze down. "I am Tryden Flowers, leader of the Rose Company."
"Stand," Nymeria commanded, and Tryden quickly got back up on his feet. Nymeria eyed him for a moment, before walking past him, and looking at the rest of them. "And who are your companions?" She asked calmly.
The White Elephant was the first to speak up. "I am the White Elephant," he said with his strong and stoic voice. "I have traveled everywhere in this world, from Braavos to Yi Ti, and many times I have heard of the great tragedy that your people faced. For that I am sorry, but I can see that you are determined to raise your people back to glory, and carve yourself a new empire on this land. I am willing to serve you and to help you realize your dream, Princess Nymeria, for a modest payment."
The Princess looked pleased with the White Elephant's words, and gave him an approving nod, before turning to Broden and Nealia. "I am Broden, the second-in-command of the Rose Company," Broden said bluntly, a touch of enmity in his words. As the Princess turned her eyes to Nealia, she took in a deep breath.
"And you must be Nealia Sand, the bastard daughter of King Vorian Dayne," Nymeria said before Nealia could even speak up. "Yes," she answered sternly, glancing at Tryden.
"It is an honor to have you here," Nymeria said with a smile, but her words rang hollow. She walked back to her husband and sat down. "Edd has told me that you and your company are one of the finest warriors in Dorne," she said, looking at Tryden again. "And as it happens, I am in need of great warriors. The armies of Dryland, Vaith and Gargalen are on their way here, and in less than a week there will be a great battle. I can offer you great riches, but I must warn you that this battle is going to claim many lives, and victory isn't a certainty."
"Sounds like a good time," Tryden replied smoothly, and Nymeria raised her eyebrow. "So, will your company fight for me?" She asked strictly. Tryden took a moment, a hint of uncertainty in his eyes, until finally he nodded. "We will fight for you in this battle," he said with a small sigh. "I make no promises beyond that."
"Good enough," Nymeria said nonchalantly. "General Varyn, you may make the contracts with them."
-
Nealia opened the door of the inn with a sigh, walking in with the White Elephant coming right after her. Tryden and Broden had stayed in the castle to negotiate of the payment with the general. Nealia had little interest for it though, since it had never been the coin that drove her to this path as a sellsword. She saw Manda, Lien, Ying and Sarina looking at her from their table, and decided to approach.
"So, will we fight for the Princess?" Sarina asked with an excited tone, and Nealia nodded. "We will," she answered quietly, looking at Lien and Ying as she spoke. "There will be a battle very soon, and it shall be a great battle if what Nymeria says is true."
"I've seen great battles before, I am ready," Manda said confidently, but even she looked slightly concerned. Nealia turned her gaze down, her mind returning to Lemonwood, and Illor dying in her arms. Who will I have to bury after this battle? She thought grimly as she looked at her friends, and Lien clearly recognized the concern in her eyes.
"We will all look after each other in the battlefield," she said with an encouraging tone, and Nealia turned her eyes to look at her. Lien looked beautiful and confident as always, her lips forming a small smile. "Isn't that right?" She asked, and her sister nodded quietly.
"Yes," Manda also said, a stern and determined tone on her voice. "Yes," Nealia repeated quietly.
"The White Elephant always says that battlefield is where we find our truest friends," Sarina said, a more serious tone on her voice than usually. "So, here is to friendship," she said, raising her cup, and the rest of them followed the example.
"To friendship," they all repeated, and drank their wine. After this Sarina stood up from her chair. "I'll go talk with White Elephant," she said sweetly, before walking away. After this silence lingered around the table for a while. Finally, Manda cleared her throat. "I think I could go get some fresh air," she said, giving a knowing look at Ying, who nodded subtly. Together they stood up and walked out, leaving Nealia and Lien alone at the table.
"I'm sorry Lien," Nealia said grimly, and Lien raised an eyebrow. "Don't be," she said with a soft tone. "You miss your family, you want to be reunited with them, I can understand that. You owe me nothing, Nealia, and I can only be thankful for the time we've had together, wherever you choose to go."
Nealia let out a wistful sigh, looking Lien to the eyes. "If I decide to leave, know that it is not an easy choice for me," she said quietly, and Lien grabbed her hand gently. "There is a time for everything, Nealia, and if a time comes for us to say farewell, then we will say farewell. But that time is not now, for now we are together. Let us enjoy it for as long as it lasts."
Nealia gulped, nodding to Lien's words. A part of her wanted to ask if Lien would be willing to come to Starfall with her after this battle, but she wasn't sure if she could ask something like that from her. She had felt useless herself in Starfall before she left, but at least for her going back would mean serving her family, and being with her family. What would it mean for Lien? Nothing, she would be there because of her, but it would drag her away from her own life, her own freedom, and perhaps even her own sister. Can I ask that from her?
[Ask Lien to come to Starfall] [Don't ask]
This new speed is truly wonderful! No, really, it seems we're way closer to the end of the chapter than I thought and well, you know how much I anticipate it. With Nealia in particular, I have no idea where you will end her storyline, whereas some of the others at least give me an idea for possible outcomes. I guess she won't head to Starfall before Book 2 starts, but her chapter here could end with several different endings and I am very curious what it will be.
Now, this was also not only a very interesting part, but also one that moved into a direction I did not expect. Tryden actually changed his opinion, that is, I must say, admirable. For how determined he has been to not work with her, it means something that he was able to admit that he might have been wrong there and to change his opinion. So, as much as this will cause problems for Nealia in particular, I think Tryden made the right choice for himself and since I like him as well, I am okay with it. As long as Nealia does not have to fight her own family, I am fine with it, though this likely means she has to leave the Rose Company at some point. For now though, well, congratulations to Tryden for making a good call and I hope the fallout that could happen due to this can be kept as small as possible. We'll see, I believe that will be a Book 2 issue to deal with.
[Ask Lien to come to Starfall]
How could I ever sink a ship of mine? Well, I kinda did before, but never like this, so yeah, I'm pretty sure you did not expect me to choose anything else, eh? Nealien shall sail on. And well, I definitely hoped this decision did not have to be made, as Tryden seemed more inclined to work for House Dayne than Martell. Now though, a choice has to be made and I believe Lien would like to remain by Nealia's side, if she just asks. Ultimately, and I think this is important to take into account, this will be her choice and not Nealia's, means all Nealia would do is to give Lien the opportunity to make this choice, which I believe is only right. If Nealia never offers it to her, she essentially takes the choice away from Lien and in a way, I don't think that would be very fair to her. Wether she decides to leave with Nealia or stay with her sister, she should be given the opportunity to choose what she believes will make her more happy. Nealia for sure would be more happy with Lien around, so the way I see it, if Lien decides to stay with her, that is great for both, if she decides that staying with her sister and friends will be more important to her, at least she will do what she sees as the best for her. Either way, giving her the choice sounds like the right thing to do.
Another great part! I really enjoyed getting to learn a bit about Fenn here, he clearly seems to be a pretty interesting character and I definitely liked hearing about what is going on around Dorne from his point of view. I also must say I am really intrigued about House Safyre as well since it sounds like they have quite the backstory! As far as the choice goes, this is definitely a tough one since it will put Lien in a tough decision but like Liquid, I feel it wouldn't be fair to her if we didn't give a choice so I am going to vote to [Ask Lien to come to Starfall] With the choice, Nealia won't have any regrets and it will be the best way for Nealia to see what she has with Lien and Lien chooses not to go then Nealia at least knows she done all she could do here.
WIth all of this said though, I definitely am worried for Nealia since she will soon by one of the PoV's in very serious danger with the upcoming Martell-Dryland battle fast approaching which has the potential to be a very gruesome battle and I am definitely hoping she can safe here. Speaking of that battle, man I am really hyped for it
This will be quite the epic battle and it will be quite interesting how many losses Nymeria's army ends up taking since the Dryland army is still very much intact. Anyway I'm getting sidetracked 
this was a great part and I look forward to the next one!
[Ask Lien to come to Starfall] While Lien would interpret it as her wanting to be a servant, it will also remind her how much she means to her. The clash between the children of the sun and the exiles from across the sea is coming.
Why I'm not surprised Albin would have let The Great Other followers to do things in his realm, or simply ignorant of what his vassals are doing.
[Ask Lien to come to Starfall]
Man, this part was awesome for me to read!
Fenn was acting just like I thought he would, I love it how the guy is always cussing too, ah, what a charming fellow. It was really interesting to read about some of what Fenn was doing since he left the company, he even witnessed some pretty dark shit. I also love his "connection" to House Safyre, though I imagine he won't be a welcomed if he ever goes that way. I'm intrigued about them though, for the Lord to think his own uncle was behind the blood rituals and all. I also really liked to see Tryden, Broden and Fenn together, gotta say they make a good trio. Broden's remark about Nealia was golden though, got me cracking up 
While I'm not sure if Fenn will re-join the company or not, here's hoping for more interactions between them.
[Ask Lien to come to Starfall] Like Liquid stated, we should at least give Lien the opportunity to make the choice for herself.
I don't know if this is old news since I don't remember seeing it before, but I just noticed that you gave a title to next book's prologue: "Crimes of the King". I'm actually very intrigued and curious by this choice here, wonder what it'll be about and which King is it referring to...
Indeed, we are getting closer to the end, but there is still plenty to go through. That said, if I manage to keep up the pace even close to what it's been lately, I think I'll be able to finish Book 1 somewhere around early February. I'm of course really excited to conclude the storylines of this book, and hope to do it in an entertaining and satisfying way, but I'm equally hyped for the storylines of Book 2. Lots of interesting developments coming, that much I can promise
Glad you enjoyed it!
As for Tryden, yeah, he is always ready to change his mind if he is provided with some sort of evidence that he may be wrong. In this situation it was Edd Prally's endorsement for Nymeria that changed his mind, at least to some degree. He is still not 100% sure about it, but he is at least willing to give Nymeria a chance.
Early February! Aaaaah, I am not prepared
Even with the current speed, I never would have thought we'd be that close. Out of curiosity, is there any storyline that is actually finished already or does each PoV get at least one more part? Why is there no word to combine the feelings of being excited and terrified? Terricited? Cause that is how I feel. And hype, always hype. I can hardly imagine what is going to happen, because as it is right now, a majority of the storylines seems so open that almost anything can happen in the next few parts
Well, I don't think he will regret it, if he manages to survive the battles to come. But well, being a sellsword, he would have chosen to fight in some war somewhere in either way, so it's not as if working for Nym is more dangerous for him than any other war, probably even a tiny bit less as we at least know she is eventually going to succeed. The one I believe this will be bad for is Nealia and in a way, this could be bad for Tryden as well, but not in the kind that could harm him. If she does not end up leaving the company before the time skip, I could see her becoming one of his most trusted and important sellswords by the time we see her again, so if she decides to side with her family in the conflict, he'd likely feel quite betrayed. Might even result in a fight and I really dread this possibility.
By the way, I noticed I kinda forgot to comment on one new revelation of this part, the murders Fenn was sent to investigate. And damn, I should have known that there's more of this utter pest that are the Great Other worshippers. Dorne seems to be their favourite playground at the time and well, while I have grown a little bit cautious when it comes to the R'hllor worshippers (especially fanatics such as Minesa, but also the potential harm the more well intentioned Desi or Dalia could still cause), it is safe to say I fully side with them here, these people must be hunted down. It seems there's more than just Aisha, Wesley and Valerie, with this Ajax Safyre being mentioned. It might be a bit too early to say for sure if he has done the murders and I'll wait with that until we actually meet the man, but it seems likely there is a Great Other connection to them and I am surprisingly willing to give Wesley, of all people, the benefit of the doubt here. Sure, he's a ruthless and remorseless killer, but never actually struck me as a serial killer such as the one that is implied to have commited these murders, not because he is not capable, but because I always saw him as lacking the passion for random murder most serial killers have, due to what I perceive as a general lack of passion. I take him as someone who kills if angered (or just mildly annoyed) and if ordered by his king or god, but not as someone who goes out of his way to kill random people, even if they are bandits. The absolute same actually applies to Aisha, with the additional factor being that she is too smug and arrogant to stain her own hands, whereas Valerie, capable and willing, has been located in Vaith for years. That leaves only someone else and I have the feeling that as bad as Gwen's situation is with three complete monsters around her, I should be thankful that fourth evil nutjob hasn't crossed her path yet. At the same time, I have the feeling that if she remains somewhat connected to this R'hllor/Great Other storyline (and after her experiences so far, I see this as very likely), this might change.
[Don't ask]
@CM3434 (forgot to use the reply
)
Thank you, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it!
And yeah, Fenn is definitely a fun character to write, so you can expect to see more of him in the future. House Safyre as well, though you'll probably have to wait until Book 2 to learn more about them.
Indeed, I'd say it will be the bloodiest battle of Book 1, and I am excited to get to write it. It should also be quite different from the battles we've seen so far, which have been mostly either assaults on a city or just small skirmishes. Now, the Martell-Dryland battle won't exactly be a generic pitched battle, but something closer to it than what we've had so far
@Javier Raviolli (I forgot to use the reply)
Hehe, I'm certainly pleased to see you're satisfied with my portrayal of Fenn!
He's a really fun character to write, and we'll be seeing a lot more of him in the future. As for the Safyre's, we'll definitely see them and learn more about them in Book 2, but Fenn most likely won't be involved with that stuff 
And yeah, Fenn is quite similar to Tryden in many ways, but at the same time they do have their differences as well, which makes for a pretty nice dynamic between them, and Broden too of course 
There will for sure be more interaction between them though, because whether Fenn re-joins the company or not, he will at least fight alongside them in this coming battle.
No, not exactly old news, it's been there couple days now and you're probably the first one who noticed it (or at least mentioned it)
I added it there because I've recently done some early planning/writing on that prologue, and came up with the title in the process. I hate to tease you like this, knowing it will surely take over a month, perhaps closer to two before we get there, but I have a feeling you especially are going to enjoy this prologue 
@LiquidChicagoTed
Well, I should probably repeat that this is only if I manage to keep up the current pace, and chances are it'll take slightly longer than that
That said, I am 100% convinced that Book 1 will be done before the end of February at least, unless something unthinkable happens. And no, there is no storyline yet that would've been completely finished, though there are few PoVs that only have one or two parts left.
Indeed, more work of GO worshippers was brought to surface in this part. These news do come from the lands of House Manwoody, and from a time where we have no knowledge of Mordekhai's whereabouts, so he certainly is a likely suspect. That said, it could well be that he had help, and it is likely there are still some GO worshippers in Dorne that we haven't seen yet. For the most part they try to stay hidden after all. As for Ajax, well, he must've done something messed up for his nephew to suspect him of these murders, and we'll probably learn more about it in the future.
edit: Mordekhai is a suspect, not Albin
[Don't ask]
[Don't ask]
You're welcome and I am definitely excited to learn more of these characters in the future
Oh man I am definitely looking forward to this! Admittedly though it is also a very dangerous place for many of our favorite characters so I will be looking forward to the battle but nervous all the same
I just realized something though, we have other battles coming as well with Naemon, Malcolm and Alester potentially battling Karsan Taller and the Martell troops potentially taking back Lemonwood if we see that one happen also. Plus other huge stuff like Kortney hopefully escaping Kingsgrave unharmed and maybe the Great Other vs R'hllor battle which that in particular is probably book 2 material if I had to guess. On a lighter note, we also have Jamison and Isabella's wedding if everything goes to plan! I am probably forgetting some stuff as well but man the ending of book one sounds like it's going to be a fun ride!
Voting is closed!
And Nealia will ask Lien to come to Starfall. As many of you brought up, effectively it's just giving Lien the option to do it if she wants to. And considering that Nealia hasn't even made the final decision about going to Starfall herself, this choice obviously isn't final in terms of Lien's future plans either.
Next up, I have an Ortheg part ready. However, it's a part without a choice, so I'll try to get a part for another PoV done as well before posting. This other part will be either a Dianna part or a Dalia part, depending which one I get done faster
Anyway, I guess I should recap all these three PoVs briefly. Ortheg has started his training in Yronwood, but recently he visited the Oracle and the Seven Messengers, asking them about his future and about his late father Prince Andrey. At the end of his last part he was training with his half-sister Tanya, but he was a bit distracted because he was thinking about the meeting with the Oracle. Tanya asked if something was bothering Ortheg, and he decided to tell her that he went to see the Oracle. Dalia on the other hand has left Vaith with her daughter Desirea, as well as Kris Vaith, Mother Minesa and Belan the Brave. They are going after Valerie, and whichever other servants of GO they can find. And Dianna, along with Lysera, is still captured by the Ironborn crew led by Bjorn Harlaw. They have been sailing from Lemonwood towards Brimstone, where the Ironborn are planning to raid.
Anyway, I'll try my best to get it done today, but it might go for tomorrow