Chapter Six

289 AL

Roderick took a long sharp breath. He began to choke uncontrollably bringing up a mixture of blood and seawater which ran down his chin onto his chest. He forced his eyes open, the light was blinding at first but soon his eyes adjusted.

Ned, The Red Priest and the Greatjon all kneeled around him.

"Are you all dead too?" Roderick asked in a surprised tone.

He had thought he would never see any of them again. He was certain he had died upon the flaming deck of the Winterwind. The one eyed man had taken Bloodlust and thrust the blade into his stomach and out through his back. He wondered for a moment if it had been a Nightmare.

"No lad. We are amongst the living... As are you. Our Lord is generous and It would seem he is not finished with y-"

Suddenly the priest was interrupted by the familiar bellowing voice of The Greatjon.

"Roddy... Is that really you?" His voice was shaking and Roddy was certain he could see tears amongst the blood stains that were splattered across the Giants cheeks.

"Aye" he muttered unable to form any other words. He leaned up and saw Seamus on the sand beside him barely conscious. The ageing warriors face was covered in weeping cuts and burns and his armour was thick with dry clotted blood. Suddenly the reality of the situation dawned on him. He raised his hands to his stomach and ran them over his chainmail shirt. A tear had appeared in the links revealing a large gaping wound in the centre of his stomach. He began to panic as the scene of the fight slowly returned to him in flash backs. He remembered the ice cold feeling as the blade cut through him and he recalled how Seamus had cannoned into him, pulling him from the blade and sending them both tumbling overboard into the raging sea below.

"What in seven hells happened out there?" Demanded Ned, the fury in his tone was evident. Roddy tried to form words to describe the images that were flashing through his mind but soon Seamus spoke for him.

"Ambush my Lord... The Winterwind is lost and the Northmen and the crew slaughtered" the man began to cough violently spraying flecks of blood onto the sand beside him.

"I would have the name of the man who put a blade in my Right Hand!"Demanded Ned shouting at the top of his voice.

The response was barely a whisper as the man began to loose consciousness before them.

"Euron Crows Eye"

Tears began to well up in Roddy's eyes as he gazed down upon the dying man. Their eyes met for a moment and the mans lips began to move and a faint whisper came from them.

"Don't cry for me my Lord. I'm going to see your Father" His eyes rolled to the back of his head and suddenly the sound of his rasping breaths grew silent.

"By the old gods, the Greyjoy's will pay for this!".

Ned departed from the beach with haste towards Lordsport followed by his advisors. The Greatjon remained at his side as he lay on the sand considering Seamus's last words.

"My father..." Roderick muttered, The only words he could form as pure exhaustion began to over come him.

Lord Umber scooped Roddy up into his arms carefully. As he began to drift into a deep slumber he vaguely heard the Greatjon mutter something under his breath.

"He was the greatest man I ever met...".


It had been three long days by the time Roddy awoke. He raised himself from the small wooden cot and soon realised he was naked below the furs. He scanned his surroundings and when he noticed he was alone he raised himself from the cot, moving swiftly across the tent towards a makeshift dresser and mirror which were the only other pieces of furniture in the small tent.

He examined himself in the mirror, he noticed his wound had been washed and stitched. He ran a finger across the soft scar tissue which had begun to form around the area. To his amazement the wound was completely painless.

As he examined his face he noticed he wore a dark brooding look that he had never recognised on himself before. It was befitting of the way he felt, it was as though a part of his soul had been torn away and replaced with bitter cold emptiness. He knew he had cheated death and this would be his eternal punishment.

Roddy could no longer stand the sight of the wound. He began to dress quickly. His armor had been cleaned and repaired but still Bloodlust was missing. Once his cloak was pinned with the crossed long axe symbol he departed hastily from the room in an attempt to escape the dark thoughts that haunted him.

He emerged onto a large camp site. Soft sand crunched beneath his boots and he could hear distant waves crashing against the rocks, Roddy soon realised they were still on the Isle of Pike. The camp was alive with movement. Hundreds of soldiers scurried towards the shoreline where they cramped around a large wooden structure that had been erected.

As a young squire boy raced close by Roderick grabbed ahold of his arm stopping him instantly.

"What is happening here?" He demanded.

"The hanging is today" responded the squire, his voice full of terror as his eyes fell upon the pin on Roddy's chest.

"Who?"he quizzed desperate for answers.

"The Kraken boy" he looked to the ground with a solemn look upon his face as he spoke "an innocent child..."

"Who ordered this madness!" Roderick demanded, his temper was slowly beginning to bubble.

"The Warden of the North"

The words shocked Roddy. He did not believe his Liege Lord would be capable of such a crime.

"Take me to him" Roderick ordered and the young squire obeyed without question, leading him through the sea of bodies towards the Commanders Tent.

As he arrived the guard at the entrance began to announce him.

"Roddy the Right, Righthand of Lord Stark".

Roddy burst through the flap before Ned could respond. He realised Ned was alone in room. He was sat at a table drowning his sorrows with Wine, half a dozen empty flagons littered the table.

Ned stood as he spotted his youngest advisor standing the entrance and gestured for him to come closer. Roddy marched across the room and slumped onto the stool opposite him.

"My Lord what is the meaning of this!" Roderick demanded coldly letting his temper get the better off him. Ned grimaced as he sensed the coldness in his tone.

"Roderick you have to understand... Lord Balon must pay for this. His attack upon you was a direct attack upon me. Such a spineless act of cruelty can not go unpunished!" Ned pleaded desperate to convince him.

"You would punish an innocent boy for the sins of the father?" Roderick argued unconvinced by the arguement.

"A Lord must make such decisions in times of war lad" Ned responded. Roderick was certain somebody else was behind this plot, Lord Starks words sounded rehearsed and foreign coming from his mouth. He scowled and after a moments pause he spoke again.

"Where is the boy?" Lord Stark sighed and stood from his seat, he gestured for Roddy to follow him leading the way out of the tent. He led him towards a smaller tent just a short distance to the south. The entrance was guarded by six heavily armed Stark soldiers.

"All this for one boy?" Roderick asked, He was certain these men could be put to better use elsewhere.

"Better to be safe than sorry" Ned replied softly, Those were the first words He had spoken during the time that Roddy truly agreed with. Ned led the way inside. Once Roddy's eyes adjusted to his surroundings he was shocked by what he saw. A young child, Barely the age of Lord Stark's eldest son lay sprawled out sleeping upon a straw matress. The childs hands and feet were chained to the bed posts with heavy iron mannacles. The child had curly brown hair that fell to his shoulders. His youthful face was bruised from where the guards had beaten him and his large brown eyes were Red and puffy, a clear sign he had been crying. Pity oozed from within him and he felt a desperate need to protect the boy.

"Have you taken leave of your senses!" He shouted at the disgraced man opposite from him. Ned seemed to ignore the comment instead he began to explain his reasoning.

"After i found you on the beach, I went to Lord Balon and demanded that the Winterwind be returned. He laughed and refused telling me that his brother had paid the Iron Price for it. So now Lord Balon will pay the iron price fo-"

"Then why is his brother not before us? This child has caused me no harm. You will not commit this crime in my name!" Shouted Roderick cutting in before Ned could finish his tale.

"I will do what duty commands!" Lord Stark argued shouting now.

"I would remind you Lord Stark that we are not those kind of men. We are Men of the North not some Dothraki savages from across the Narrow Sea!" Roddy argued back with added ferocity.

"Watch your tounge boy" Ned responded coldy moving his hand Toward the hilt of his Valyrian Steel Longsword that hung from his belt. Roderick knew his Lord would not listen to reason, so instead he shot him a look of disgust and turned to depart from the tent.


Roderick pulled his hood low to avoid attention as he jostled through the crowd of soldiers to get into position at the foot of the make shift Gallows which were heavily guarded with Stark Men. A path began to clear through the crowd and one of the guards from the tent approached, leading the young boy whos features were obscured by the Sack upon his hangman began to tie his noose from the rope that dangled above a barrel that had been placed in the centre of the gallows.

As he grew closer Roderick could hear the protests of the young Lordling. his high pitched screams seemed to drown out all other noise.

"Please somebody help me!" The boy called to the crowd "Please i dont want to die!". In that moment Roderick made a decision.

"Not today little one" He whispered under his breath quiet enough for only him to hear. The guard marched the boy up the steps and lifted him by his waist placing him upon the barrell. The other Stark guards positioned around the Gallows all looked on with unease. Roderick knew this would work in his advantage, This meant they would not stand in his way. The hangman lowered the noose around the Young boys neck and removed the sack upon his head. Lord Stark began to ascend the steps onto the scaffold. He stopped before the boy and began to speak.

"I, Eddard Stark Lord of Winterfell and Warden in the North sentence you to die by hanging. Do you have any last words?" The boy sobbed uncontrollably unable to form speech so after a short while Ned nodded to the hang man and he kicked the barrel from underneath him.

Suddenly Roddy was moving, He bounded up the steps towards the flailing child. As he moved past Ned he reached for the Sword at his Lord's hip drawing it from its scabbard before he could react. The executioner turned to confront him but Roddy was quick to act. He kicked the the man in his mid drift sending him tumbling from the scaffold into the gathered crowd below. Roddy swung Ice cutting through the rope like a hot knife through butter bringing the young boy tumbling down onto the wooden planks with a thud. All fell silent around them as Roddy dropped the sword and kneeled at the Boy's side. He scooped the relieved child into his arms and carried him down the steps from the clearing. To his suprise nobody opposed him and a path was cleared back towards the camp. As he walked he held the boy tight and whispered in his ear.

"Dont worry little Kraken, Nobody will ever harm you while i am around".