Disclaimer: I do not own the world of A Song of Ice and Fire and I'm not George RR Martin.
Author note: Thanks to everyone who has read and followed/favorited this story. From here on out I'll try to post once a week at least. Please review readers!
Sceonn: Thanks for the review! This fix actually take place about 50 years before Robert's Rebellion and 70 before the War of the Five kings.
Without further ado...
Chapter 2
228 AC
13 months later
Benjen Stark
I rode behind Sir Alec Sand as we approach Norvos with the Second Sons. We had be campaigning against Volantis these past six months. Now we were returning as victors to collect our bonus before collecting a new contract. The city sat atop a large hill surrounded by dark forest of pine, oak, and beech, next to the river Noyne. Often we passed walled villages on the old Valyrian road as we made our way to the south-west gate that we would camp without.
Sir Alec came to a stop atop the last hill before the city and I rode up next to him looking upon the clearing below.
" Is that a khalasar outside the gate?" I ask Sir Alec, staring in awe at the size of it as it took up a good third of the clearing in view.
"It appears so. Around 30,000 I'd say. Looks like you'll finally get to she one up close, if Corm isn't an idiot and pisses off the Khal." He replies as he knees his horse forward.
I knee my horse to follow him with a smile on my face. Despite having been in Essos almost a year, I had yet to see a Dothraki horde yet. We had two Dothraki within the company, and I had paid one of them, Zollo, to teach me their language. Sir Alex thought I was little crazy, but went with it, teaching me the Valyrian dialects of the Free Cities.
Outside the gate, Commander Corm ordered everyone to set up camp while he and two of the other Sons went within to talk to the ruling council. I set about finding me a spot near the southern edge to set up my tent. Sir Alec followed, setting up next to me, as I prepared a camp fire. I sat down on the folding tripod I carried with me as he handed me a bowl of lamb stew from the cooks. I nodded my thanks and dig in.
"You've got watch in an hour." Sir Alec tells me as we're eating.
"Thanks." I say as I finish my bowl and head to the water wagon to clean up a bit.
Three hours later I'm standing watch on the side of the camp that meets the road, a majority of the camp had entered the city to spend their pay on drinks and whores. Something I still haven't had the nerve to do, despite most not caring how my face looked, but more on the coin in my purse. Sighing I stand watching the Dothraki across from me, who appeared to be celebrating, if the dancing, singing and fucking was a correct indication.
"One of the Khal's kos has married a Norvoshi merchant's daughter as a part of the payment for them not to be raided this time around." Zollo says coming up next to me with a horn of ale in his hand. He's a short man, being a head shorter than my 6'2"height, but one of the best horsemen I knew.
" Interesting wedding." Was all I could reply as I watch the events in the setting sun's light. All at once I see everyone stop and watch something beyond my view. Next thing I know a large man on a chestnut stallion and what appeared to be a bald woman on a blue roan mare gallop off down the road into the night.
"The bedding ceremony. The groom takes his bride off into the plains or as best he can find for their wedding night ." Zollo informs me, as we watch the rest of the khalasar start to dance and sing again.
" I wonder how he feels about marrying a bald woman?" I jest with Zollo.
"Only the Great Stallion knows, though I prefer women with long hair that I can wrap my hands in!" he laughs, then downs his drink walking away.
I'm hand off my post an hour later when I see a group of young Dothraki wander from their camp towards the city just as a group of Sons are leaving it. Next thing I know the Sons are drawing swords and attacking. I rush towards them, drawing my sword. I get to them just as Rells swings to behead a unbraided Dothraki boy, I block the cut and kick him back.
"What is the meaning of this?!" I shout, blocking attacks from two of the other five Sons that are attacking.
The three sons move to grab their companions, wrestling them to the ground. "They saw them and thought they would have a little fun, is what they said." One of the three, Pulo a former pit fighter, said as he held Rells down.
Just then Commander Corm appears from the Second Sons camp with five more men. "What happened here?" he demands.
Kneeling to bandage a leg wound on one of the other Dothraki I tell him what I saw. Then I turn to the unbraided boy and ask in Dothraki, " Are you wounded?"
He looks at me in shock and replies, " I have a cut on my side, but is nothing."
"What's he saying, Stark?" demands Commander Corm as he has Rells and the other two tied up and halled back to camp.
I move around to the boy's side and begin wrapping a bandage that one of the me handed me around him saying, "He's got a pretty deep cut on his side, Sir. That's what he was telling me."
"Emi, go to the Dothraki camp and fetch the Khal if you can. I'll need to fix this now if we do the want us to end in a blood battle right here." He commands of the other Dothraki in the Sons, who takes off running towards their camp.
" What's your name?" I ask the boy as I bandaged him, he looked about ten and two.
"Arrokko, son of Khal Tihollo." He replies try to not so pain.
All I could think upon hearing that is fuck. Not only had Rells attacked a group of Dothraki children, he fucking attacked the Khalakka. We would be lucky if the Khal didn't just decided to kill us all. I finished tightening the bandages when I final got the nerve to ask Arrokko, " Why did you and your companions leave the camp this late?"
He offered me his hand to I could assist him in standing when he replied, "We wanted to see what the inside of the city looked like other than Vaes Dothrak. We were supposed to stay with the camp, but decided it was worth the risk. I guess we were wrong."
"Arrokko, don't be telling this stranger everything." The youth with the leg wound told him in Dothraki.
"If it wasn't for this stranger my family would be preparing me for my final ride, Dharo." Arrokko growled back. "Jergo, Mharo how dare you?" he asked the other two youths who were standing off to the side, watching everything.
" We are fine, Khalakka. Though the Khal approaches." One of the youths replied, which I do do not know.
Looking towards the Dothraki camp I see he is correct in a group was approaching us. The man leading the group was bare chested with black stripes painted upon his shoulders, carrying a arakh in his right hand. Behind him was a group of twenty other warriors also carrying unsheathed weapons. This was already not going well.
Once the leader, who I now assumed was the Khal Tihollo, had got close to the group Arrokko approached him bowing his head. I could not hear what they were say for they talked in low tones. After a few moments, the Khal Tihollo moved past his son walked towards the commander who was standing next to me.
Stopping a few feet away, Khal Tihollo points at me saying in Dothraki, "My son says you speak our tongue. I would ask you to repeat my words to your Commander in whatever tongue he understands."
"It would be my honor, Great Khal." I say. Them inform my Commander of what he said.
"Tell your Commander I want the three men who attacked my son and his companions to punish as I wish. Tell him I also want one of the chests of gold he collected today and five of his best horses. If my demands are not met by sun rise, I will order my men to attack and kill everyone." Khal Tihollo says seriously, anger apparent on his face even in the flickering torch light.
I repeat the demands to Commander Corm, who cussing explicitly. Then replies, "Inform the Great Khal, that it will be done. Let him know we will meet him here at sunrise with everything."
I nodded then turn and translate it to Khal Tihollo. The Khal agrees and then says to me, " According to my son, you stopped the blow that would have ended him. I would like to reward you for this, with a horse from my herd of your choice as long as it's not mine or my khaleesi's after the exchange tomorrow."
"I would be honored, Great Khal Tihollo." I tell him. I then turn and follow the Commander back to our camp.
"Stark, your dismissed till an hour before dawn. I'll send someone to collect you then." Commander Corm told me as he entered the paymaster's tent.
"Yes, Sir." I said, then headed off to my tent to get some sleep while I could.
"Stark, get up." I hear someone say outside my tent as they kicked my feet through the canvas.
" I'm waking." I said as I start getting up. I step out of my tent belting my sword on. The man seeing I was up, told me to meet the Commander as soon as possible then walked off. I walked off to the nearest water wagon and washed my face , then collected a couple sausages with a heel of bread as I made my way to the Commander's tent.
"Stark, you're here. Good. We are just about ready to meet those damn savages. Sean just went to collect the horses then we'll head to road." Commander Corm said. I did not care for what he called the Dothraki.
"Anything you need me to do, Commander?" I ask, though I could honestly care less. I had noticed Corm was nothing more than a brute. I honestly had hoped he would die in our campaign against Volantis.
"Help Runis with the chest." He said pointing to a man stand next to a small iron bond chest. Nodding I walked over to the man, getting there just as Sean, our horsemaster, appeared with a string of horses. We grabbed the chest and started heading towards the road in front of the rest.
Runis and I stopped on our side of the road from three Dothraki men we appeared to be waiting for us. As soon as we set down the chest, one ran off into the camp to alert the Khal. I watched as Commander Corm arrived with the guards escorting Rells and the two others. Then Sean came behind him with the string of five horses, when I noticed my stallion was one of them.
"Sean, why do you have my horse?" I asked approaching him, with my hand on my sword.
"The Commander told me to add yours to Rells, Eram, and Dram's mounts. He said it was your ideal." Sean stutters, backing away from me.
I turn and walk towards the Commander a few feet away demanding, " Why is my horse among those to be given?"
"Since you fucking love the savages, learning their language an all I figured you would love to give your stallion to them, cause I'm not giving them one of mine." Commander Corm states as he motions for two Sons to grab me.
I turn and swing with my left fist at the one closest to me hitting him with a glancing blow to the face as I unsheathe my sword with my right. The man staggers back, as the other man attacks me from my other side, swinging at my head. I kick out with my right leg, hitting him above the knee as he caught me on the nose, breaking it. The man feel to the ground cursing, as I swung around to meet the other one with my sword, who reacts a moment too late as I slice of his hand. He falls to the ground screaming as I turn back to the second one and kick him in the head, knocking him out. I then advance on Commander Corm, who now holds a great sword in his hands.
We begin to circle each other, slowly testing each others defenses looking for holes. I scratch his calf, he nicks my shield arm, back and forth we trade blows until I see it. Moving in quickly I slip sword under his guard and slice his chest from right shoulder to left hip. Roaring he staggers back as I press on breaking his defense, as I slice his sword arm, then the back of his right knee causing him to fall to his knees.
"Your nothing more than a Scarred Wolf whose family couldn't even stand the sight to look at, let alone find a woman." Corm gasps as he tries to stand and swing his sword at me.
I bat his sword away lazily saying, "A Scarred Wolf I may be, but at least I never killed a woman who refused to bed me."
Screaming he tries to attack me one more time, I move easily around him and slice off his head. Sword still in hand I walk over to my stallion and untie him. "Go get Corm's stallion." I tell Sean, who runs off to do so. Kicking Corm's head back next to his body, I walk over to were Khal Tihollo is standing looking into the chest of gold that Runis had opened for his inspection.
"Forgive me, Great Khal for the slightly delay we are collecting the appropriate fifth horse now for your gift. There was a slight misunderstanding." I tell Khal Tihollo.
He looks at me and says, "Scarred Wolf, I would have done the same if a man tried to steal what's mine. You handled yourself with strength and without fear. If you wish to leave these weaklings, you have a place within my khalasar."
"You honor me greatly by this, Great Khal." I say to Khal Tihollo, bowing to him. Sean approaches with all of the horses, as the Khal's men begin to carry the chest and drag the men off.
"Grreat Khaal, if I maaay present this horsses to you." Sean stutters in Meerenish Valyrian. I repeat the message to Khal Tihollo, who accepts them and has another warrior leads them off to his camp.
"We plan to move out as soon as we break camp. You can come collect the horse I owe you now if you choose." Khal Tihollo tells me.
"I wish to accept your offer to ride with your khalasar, Great Khal." I say to him. To be true I never cared much for riding with the Second Sons, and after this I knew it was time to leave before I caught a knife in my back.
"Then come, Scarred Wolf and be welcome at my fire. Collect your belongings and meet us as soon as possible." Khal Tihollo says cheerfully.
Bowing I turn and head towards Sir Alec who is directing some of the Second Sons to deal with Corm's body. He turns to me smiling as I walk up, and tosses me Corm's coin purse.
"That's yours, along with any other belongings you want." He tells me as he clasps my shoulder.
"I am leaving the Sons as soon as I am packed." I say to him, not wanting to delay.
"I knew you probably would after this, Benjen. Come let's get the healer to look at you then I'll help you pack." He says sighing as he leads me towards the camp healer.
We stop at Corm's tent for me to go through his stuff quickly to see if anything interest me. I collect a box of jewelry he had along with a small sack of coins. The rest I tell Sir Alec to let the men go through, I decided to take the two pack horses with me.
At the healer's tent they cauterize my arm would, then bandage it with a poultice and straighten my nose. I almost passed out from that, but mange to stay awake, barely. I head off to the paymaster's to collect, then pack.
Sometime later, my stallion and now three pack horses are saddled and packed, and I'm dressed in a clean tunic and shirt. Sir Alec holds the string of pack horses as I mount up, then I reach for the lead and tie it to my saddle. I then grab a letter from my saddle bag and hand it to Sir Alec.
"If you can will you send this on the next merchant ship to the North when you get to the coast? I do not know where Khal Tihollo intends to take the khalasar and my family shod know of what's happened." I ask him.
" I would be glad to, Benjen. Watch yourself out there. May the Seven guide you." He says grapsing my arm.
"And may the Old Gods watch over you." I reply as I grasps his. Then I spur my stallion and ride off to the Dothraki camp.