personal6

Chapter 29

Through the eyes of a wolf

Jon POV

The fallen leaves crunched below my paws. The taste of blood and raw meat was still in my mouth as I slowly and quietly moved through the woods of the mountains. With my hunger satisfied, I went back, but I heard footsteps before I neared the camp. Taking in the scent of the woods, I could smell sweat, leather, and even horses. It was too far from the camp to be any of my companions.

Slowly and silently, I sneaked towards the scent. The sun was just rising, but I could see many men walking towards the camp. In a semi-circle, they moved with caution. I could smell the blood coming from their weapons. Looking at them, I knew they were on the hunt, but not for animals but my companions.

The taste of blood and raw meat still lingered in my mouth when I woke up. I knew what I saw. I saw through the eyes of Ghost again. Closing my eyes and remembering what I witnessed, I quickly bolted out of my tent.

"Wake up!" I yelled. "The mountain clans are coming. Wake up!"

"What are you yelling about, boy?" One of the knights asks, getting out of the tent.

"The mountain clans, I saw them. Dozens of them," I explain to them quickly. "We need to prepare. They are coming."

"Bloody hells," Another Knight yells and dons a chest plate and a helm in one smooth move.

As everyone got up and readied their swords, a sound of hooves was heard. There was no need to say anything else. Everyone knew they were coming. I drew my sword and went close to Tyrion, who looked around still with chained hands.

"How many you said you saw?" Bronn asks.

"Dozens," I answer.

"Well shit, stay close to little lording at all times, boy," Bronn orders me.

"You should worry about yourself," I reply.

Bronn didn't have time to respond as riders were upon us. The first to come towards me ended with his head cut by my sword. The second one tried to swing his ax at me from his horse, but I quickly dodged it and cut his arm off. The third man that wanted to kill me ended with my sword at his chest. After the fourth one, I had some time to breathe and look around.

Tyrion was behind me, ser Lyn Corbray utilized his men well, brutally cutting down the mountain clan members. It was a fast attack, and if I hadn't warned about it, it would have gone a different way. Still, Lyn Corbray lost six men, and two of my guard were killed too. It just wasn't enough time to get dressed in full plate armor and prepare ourselves.

I saw as Tyrion's two guards were turned into mincemeat by a giant of a man. The mountain savage was wielding a giant ax. He was the fifth man that came after me, and he was more skilled than any other before him. The only good thing was that he wasn't on a horse.

This ax flew fast at me. Barely managing to dodge it, I swung my sword at savage's chest. He blocked my strikes and managed to kick at my unprotected ankle. He made me stumble a few times, but still, I managed to leave a nasty cut on his chest before Ghost ripped his neck wide open. The savages looked surprised but strangely delighted. It was a strange expression of a dead man.

Looking at the end of the fight, I saw Bronn kneeling by his friend. As I was going to offer assistance, I saw him put his knife through his friend's neck. I stop abruptly, shocked at what I just witnessed. But I knew it was not the time to question him. I only had so many allies in this journey.

…

Looking at Bronn, I gathered my courage and was about to approach him when I accidentally bumped at one of ser Lyn Corbray men. His eyes were locked on me, and as I was about to apologize, he gripped me by my shirt.

"Look where you are going, bastard," The man, the name I didn't bother to remember, says. "You think because you got some achievements in the last battle, you can walk over us, true knights?"

"I would let the boy go if I was you," Bronn remarks.

"Don't order me around, sellsword," Still, the man let me go.

"Ah, the Vale, the kingdom of true knights and honor," Tyrion comments.

"There are plenty of knights like him in this world," Bronn replies. "Insignificant, a knight that nobody cares about and only for lords to use them in the frontlines."

"So no better than a sellsword?" Tyrion asks.

"No, worse. At least sellswords get paid," Bronn answers with a laugh.

"At least they don't kill their friends," I respond with bitterness in my voice.

"Oh, you saw that?" Bronn asks.

"Yes, even if he was injured, the battle was over. He could have gotten treated," I answer.

"Oh, you think I killed him because he was injured?" Bronn asks. "Don't be ridiculous. The man tried to work under ser Lyn Corbray. Thinking that I wouldn't notice him speaking to him. He probably felt that he could get a better reward from the knight of the Vale."

"But that no reason for him to be killed," I reply.

"No, but he decided to work behind my back," Bronn explains. "I don't like that kind of thing. If I was not careful, he could have backstabbed me. That isn't something I would like to happen, so he had to go."

"Wasn't he a friend to you?" I ask.

"A friend? I don't believe in those kind fairytales," Bronn answers. "You shouldn't either. As a bastard, you will be an easy target to exploit. With your skill in arms, many lords will like for you to be under them. Then when they are done with you, they would dismiss you, speaking lightly. There won't be any friends that will be by your side then. Your brothers in arms won't even look at you. So you should realize it now, in this world, you are alone, power is law, and the coin is all you should care about."

I turned away, not willing to listen to any more of his words. What did I expect from a sellsword?

…

After tirelessly marching through day and night, we were getting close to Bloody Gate. I was keeping close to Tyrion. Bronn and the rest of my guards were behind me while ser Lyn Corbray led from the front.

As night fell, I requested to take a rest. I didn't know why ser Lyn Corbray was in a hurry, but even my horse was tired and could no longer go any further. Ser Lyn's men were tired too, but they didn't voice it. Ser Lyn only agreed when Tyrion told them that he would have to be carried if we didn't rest tonight.

"You saved their lives, yet a prisoner has more say than you," Tyrion comments as I prepare our tents.

"I am bastard, and you are a Lannister," I reply. "Even if you are a dwarf, you still have a name of Lannister. It is more accessible for some people to take the word of true born than from a bastard, no matter how true its words were."

"Or nobody wanted to carry a dwarf," Tyrion responds with a laugh.

"We are nearing the Bloody Gate. From there, you are on your own, Tyrion," I tell him.

"I know," Tyrion responds. "Thank you for taking care of me for this long, at least."

"Don't worry about it," I reply, finishing Tyrion's tent.

"If I survive this, I own you are a big one," Tyrion says. "And Lannisters always pays their debt."

With those words, he looked at Ser Lyn and his men. I could see anger and frustration in his eyes, even if it was there for just a moment. I knew these eyes. I had them too once.

Eddard POV

"So you are saying it was Lord Baelish who organized all of this?" I ask Edmure for confirmation.

"Yes, one of my guards overheard him talking about how he wanted to get me out of King's Landing," Edmure nods and confirms it. "The acolyte that bought poison also worked for Baelish."

"But there isn't any other, more direct evidence?" I ask.

"No, there isn't," Edmure confirms my suspicion.

"Then, there is nothing I can do," I tell him.

"No, you can do nothing," Edmure repeats.

"We can't dismiss the idea that Lord Baelish is working with Lannisters," I inform him.

"I am sorry, Ned, there isn't much I can do to help you with this anymore," Edmure apologizes to me.

"You can keep my girls safe," I reply.

"Won't you reconsider? Come with me, forget about the King's order, and let's go home," Edmure pleads.

"You know I can't do that," I respond.

"You going to die. It isn't much you can do there," Edmure explains.

"I know, but I must try," I reply. "Take care of my girls."

"My Lord, ser, we are ready," Vayon Poole informs us after entering the room.

"Very well, thank you, Vayon," I reply to my steward.

"So this is it then," Edmure says with a bitter smile. "Let's go, Vayon. There isn't much time till the night."

I looked as they left. Poole's family was going with Edmure. They should be safe with twenty guards, eight of house Stark and twelve of Edmure's. It shouldn't be a long journey, and I don't have time to worry about them.

The King is going for a hunt today. It was the last time I could persuade him from doing so. But I didn't hold much hope in it. I had to find out why Jon Arryn was killed. Only then will I be able to confront Baelish and Lannisters.

Bran POV

The moonlight was coming through my window as the old Nan was telling one of her stories. The long night, where children were born in darkness and died in it. I have heard it many times by now, but it never stops being terrifying. Maybe because there wasn't anyone else to listen to it with, it became even scarier.

Arya, who liked the stories too, wasn't here anymore. Robb was too busy acting as a lord to stay with me and listen to them. Mother would disapprove of Rickon of it. So I was the only one who would listen to old Nan.

"I had a dream last night," I say to old Nan.

"Everyone dreams," Old Nan replies.

"But mine felt so real," I tell her. "I dream that I was a wolf, my wolf. I was running in the woods, hunting rabbits and squirrels."

"You are a wolf, young one," Old Nan replies. "All Starks are wolves. Even if they don't know of it yet."

"But I was a real one," I grumble.

"You are a real wolf," Old Nan responds. "Have you heard of the story of the warg king?"

"I have," I reply.

It was a story of old before Starks were kings of all North. Warg king was allied with children of the forest. He was ruling over Sea Dragon Point. The Kings of Winter defeated them, killing his beast, sons, and greenseers but keeping his daughters alive. Later the King of Winter married them to his sons. It was a legend I heard many times from old Nan.

"It's just a legend," I tell her.

"Every legend comes from history. Every story has some truth in them. It is up to you to believe them or not," Old Nan explains. "Let me tell it one more time before you have forgotten it."

And so I listened to the story once more.