I'm not sure how people will react to this story. I know some people do not like OC's in GoT simply because there are already so many characters, but I could not think of any characters that were like mine and plus be able to do what I have done with their homelands. So, I have created an oc, and I am sorry to the people who do not like them. I will, however, only create the OC's from her island. All other characters I will make sure exist already, so do not fear of me doing something like that.
WARNINGS: I am more of a TV GoT fan than a book one. I have read the first two books and I'm in the middle of the third. I do not want to pass where it is on the TV and ruin it for me. However, I will be looking into the areas my character will go to so that it will be as accurate as possible. I will be changing certain things that happen to characters in the books, but the culture and history I will be keeping the same. If I do happen to get something wrong, I would be more than happy for a correction.
I hope you all enjoy.
"Ma I don't want to go."
Mother ignores me, finishing up the braid to get the rest of my hair out of my face.
"You must. We know you will come home. You are our future to our people. If you are not strong enough, then who is?" She pats my hair down and sits in front of me on the ground as I am. Her face is worn. She is not a warrior like many of our people. She chose to further our line, and made it her goal to have as many children as possible. I am her seventh child, and I have three siblings still after me. She has been having trouble conceiving now, her body finally catching up to her.
I tug at her braid, staring at the silver twined between the golden brown threads. I remember my mother used to be beautiful, but living as we do does not keep beauty. Father has been mostly honest to mother, but still fathered two bastards himself. Mother didn't seem to care much, appearing to be more angry at the women than anything. But she was proud of father when she found out one was a female master warrior, and takes care of that child as if her own.
The title of Master is our most coveted title. When one earns that title they have the right to do as they please with their life. But the title is hard earned. There are only twenty-two masters out of the four hundred and sixty-seven people on Skagos. Most are warriors, but some are scholars and masters of their trade.
"You have a gift from the gods. You must use it," mother instructed, laying a kiss on my forehead. "You are our family's legacy."
"You don't know that," I murmur. "It might be someone else."
"The Master of Sight has declared it."
"No, she described someone like me, not me. My sight doesn't even work that well. It comes at the most inconvenient times."
Mother smiles, shaking her head at me in amusement. I wish she would take me more seriously.
"This journey will teach you," she continues on. I bite my lip and nod, staring towards the ground.
What I cannot tell her is I am afraid. It would be dishonorable not only to myself, but to my mother. Skagosi never show fear, and it is a miracle to see a Skagosi child past ten cry unless in so much pain they do not realize what they are doing.
"Mainlanders hate us. Why can't we just save ourselves and leave them to rot?" I mutter scornfully.
We bend the knee to the Starks, but mockingly. Only House Magnar ever has to deal with them, thank the gods. I come from House Crowl, and we give our fealty to our current leader from House Skane, not the god forsaken Starks of Winterfell.
The northerner's don't understand our way of life, mocking our culture and calling us savages. They say we're cannibals and lechers, rapist with no morals. They do not even respect us enough to give us a proper welcome when we're forced to visit them, and call us Skaggs with disgust barely hidden on their faces.
Some of those rumors are true, I'll admit. But what they don't understand is that it's true only for them.
We will rape their women in war, and strip apart their men in the battlefield. But we will never hurt our own. Yes, we fight each other. Passion runs through our veins, and war seems to soothe it like a babe at their mother's breast. But after our fight amongst each other all of us will be walking home, unlike in the case of mainlanders.
"Even though we hate them, the gods do not. Leave the judging to the gods Dakna, leave it to them," my mother reprimanded.
I nodded contrite, holding my tongue. When I feel like enough time has passed I ask her, "What warriors are coming with me?"
"Warrior Amerka will lead the warriors. Naman will also be there, in case Amerka needs guidance." I take a breath in, staring at my mother in surprise.
"Amerka? She will lead? I thought she was training to be a Master?"
"If this mission works she will be a master. It would be much faster for her."
Amerka and I used to be close friends before she took the path of a warrior and I of the sight. Time pulled us apart, but I still feel fond of her as I'm sure she is of me. She has been single minded these past few years, set on being the youngest Master Warrior in history. Nothing could pull her from it, not even family.
"Now your father met with Amerka, and he told me to tell you she is very different from the person you once knew. Do not get your hopes up Dakna."
I turn my face away, knowing that she is reading me as we speak. She's always been able to do it, I've never been able to keep anything from her because of that.
"Now all of your siblings are outside ready to say goodbye. Get that sad look off your face, be strong."
My brows raise in surprise and I arrange my expression. I have not seen my two oldest brothers in years. Both of them are warriors who guard the coast, and there are very few trips to visit family when in that line of work. My oldest sister I haven't seen in almost two. She took the path of the scholar, although lately I've heard my parents talk about her wish to come home and start a family. My parents were relieved, with her being three and twenty. They did not want to force her to come home.
Sure enough all of them are there, lined up in a row probably by father's demand. Lana, my third oldest sister, does not look happy about it. A scowl is on her face. It disappears when she sees me.
"Nana! How are you?" She runs to me, almost knocking me over. My siblings laugh as I stumble, before falling to the ground despite my valiant efforts. She places kisses all over my cheeks and forehead, making me turn red in the face.
"Lana!" I complain. "I'm five and ten, not a child! Stop treating me so."
She grins, helping me up off the floor and rubbing the dirt off my traveling clothes. Mother made them especially for this journey. The wool is thick, meant to keep me warm in The Lands of Always Winter. I have a thinner set in my pack for my southron travels.
"But you will always be little to me dear sister." I roll my eyes before walking over to the youngest, Manark. He grins, both of his front teeth missing. He rubs his sleeve across his face to wipe the snot away and I make a note to watch what he does with that arm around me.
"When will you be back?" he asks, staring up at me. "Will you be back in ten moons? Twenty?"
"I do not know," I murmur. I don't even know if I will even make this journey alive. If not, I must instruct Amerka with the knowledge I have. Maybe where I will fail she will succeed.
My second oldest sister is much more reserved with her goodbyes. Holding me to her as her son attempts to tug a dark curl of mine out of the braid mother put it in. She kisses my cheek chastely and wishes me well, mentioning that her husband could not make it because he had to hold his post on the eastern side.
The rest of my siblings follow, one after another until they have all said their goodbyes. My traveling party has arrived by the end of it. When I see them the fear assaults me once more, but I make sure to keep my face blank. I have never gone across the Bay of Seals, and the thought of it frightens me. I do not know what to expect, how different the land will be across the waters.
"Do me proud, me daughter," my father demands, wrapping an arm around me and kissing the top of my head. He's a big brute of a man, with one of the longest beards I've ever seen. I remember laughing with my sisters when I was younger, joking that under all that beard laid a normal man. He's the epitome of what the mainlanders fear, appearing vicious with a scowl always on his brows. His height is five hands taller than the average man. Many of my brothers have his characteristics, which both my parents are happy for. Even one of my sisters do, the one younger than me.
Too bad I know father's secret, that when around only us he will play and laugh just like a child. The scowl finally coming off his battle worn and scarred cheeks.
I do not tell him that I'll miss him, and neither does he. My hug to him tells him all he needs to know. He gives me another kiss atop my head and lets me go. The tears want to fall, but I hold them steadily, forcing myself to think of other things like the fact that I will be a Master of Sight if I complete this journey. The thought reinvigorates me, and I give my family a smile before hopping up onto my horse.
I glance to the right and notice Skad, a warrior turned scholar. It's rare to switch a trade so late training, so he was the talk of the island for almost eleven moons. He is still brought up even now.
"Don't forget ta' cover yer face when meeting the Lord o' Winterfell. It won' do ta ave' em' think we're a bunch a pretty, sweet faced girls," my father warns. The warrior's chuckle around me and father loosens his tight expression.
Our people do not mind beauty, and males like to find a beautiful woman to marry and brag about. But when it comes to the mainlanders we want them to think we're all ugly brutes. We want no lords coming our way in search of women. We need ours.
"Of course pa. I'll keep my hood up at the cost." He nods, and I can see him swallow roughly behind his thick beard, before slapping my horse on the rear into a canter. I turn to see my family, watching as they diminish in size until they disappear from view.
My courage leaves along with them.
Right now I know it sounds really AU, but I promise it will start getting more GoT starting with the next chapter. This one was more to introduce my character.
Re:edited: 11/28/15