Jaehaerys Targaryen awoke to find his sworn shield looking down on him, their faces no more than a few inches apart. The bearded knight's face softened, and his scars seemed to shake in the torchlight. Stepping back, he grabbed a linen bandage and cut off a piece of it with his knife. Jaehaerys realized he could only see out of his left eye - his right was swollen shut. The wound, he thought with horror, remembering Rooney's final act. Did he take my eye? The boy felt his face and let out a cry when he touched his bandaged cheek. Closing both eyes, he knew he could feel his right one still there, but he couldn't see anything with it. He hoped that was only temporary. I don't want to be blind.
"Thought we lost you," the knight said, reaching for the soiled bandage and untying it. "Why did you wander off like that, Jae?" There wasn't anger in his voice, just disappointment. Those few words cut through Jaehaerys' heart worse than Rooney's blade could have.
"I… saw the forest burning," the boy croaked. Ser William handed him a glass of water. "I wanted to see what happened… and I found Rooney waiting for me."
"Who's Rooney?" the knight asked. He's dead, then, Jaehaerys knew.
"One of the pirates from Mudtown."
"He gave you that wound?"
"He did." But what I did to him was much worse.
William Selmy nodded and placed the new bandage over Jaehaerys' cheek, just below his right eye. "We cleaned your wound with boiled wine. I pray that will stay the infection, but there is little else we can do, even if the wound does become corrupted. Our maester is dead. This is a bad place to be without a maester. We cannot stay here. We're leaving, soon as you can walk."
Jaehaerys' heart began to beat faster. "But… where's Daeron? Is he still alive?"
Ser William turned away from Jaehaerys, fumbling with his gloves. Stiffly, he spoke, "Get some rest, my prince. When you are strong enough, we will be on our way."
The knight strode off into the darkness without another word.
Jaehaerys' cheek was burning. His head felt empty, and his chest was heavy. Try as he might, he couldn't sleep. What if Daeron is gone? I should see him one last time. I have to. He tried to rise, but found his strength had not returned. The boy shouted into the darkness for someone, anyone, and a few moments later, Rhaena appeared, pale-faced and meek. In her hand was a cup of water, which she gave to Jae.
"Are you feeling better?" she asked.
"Where's Daeron?" I don't have time to play games with her too.
She sighed and shook her head. "Gone," was the only word that escaped her lips.
"Dead?"
"Perhaps."
"What do you mean?"
"They disappeared in the night, Jae. While you were unconscious. Ser Merrik and Daeron vanished… into thin air. We sent two men down into the bowels of this place looking for them, but they found nothing. They went mad, Jae. Found them wandering in the dark a few hours ago. One was covered in blood, and the other had his throat slit. They were babbling incoherently. They went insane like that one who stabbed out his own eyes." The memory of that caused Jaehaerys' wound to sting.
"Are you sure Ser Merrik took Daeron down there?"
Rhaena shrugged. In the torchlight, Jaehaerys could see the dried tears on her cheeks. "Guards were posted by the exit to the jungle. No one saw them leave that way."
"Then I'm going after them." Jaehaerys sat up, ignoring the lightness in his head. "Where's my sword?"
"You aren't going anywhere, Jae."
"I'm finding my brother."
"Do you even know where we are, brother?"
"Yeen."
She nodded. "Uncle Jason told me about Yeen once, a long time ago. Some of Nymeria's ten thousand ships stopped here, after she and the surviving Rhoynar fled from Valyrian dragonlords who sought to enslave them. Later, when she sent a boat down the Zamoyos to see how everyone was doing, they found Yeen abandoned. Hundreds of men, women, and children had vanished… without any sign of struggle. This is an evil place, Jae. It has always been so. There's something here that isn't right. I've felt it in my bones, like I'm being watched. What if something came and took Daeron…?"
"You're sounding like Sweetgums now. Those are just stories."
"Those people vanished, Jae. That's not a story. They died. And now Daeron and Ser Merrik…"
"They are not gone. I'll find them." Jaehaerys used all of his strength to get himself to his feet. His cut was burning, causing his eyes to water.
"You're not strong enough," Rhaena pleaded. "And you'll go insane, like the others."
"I will not." I am not so weak, Jae thought fiercely. "Where is my sword?!"
"Here," came a voice from beyond the darkness. Ser William stepped out from behind the atramentous veil, a scabbard between his hands. "But you aren't taking it deeper into this place. We are leaving, not going further in."
Jaehaerys' face flushed with anger. Don't any of them want to find Daeron? Don't they care? "Ser, you serve my family, do you not? You took orders from my lady mother, when she was still with us."
"I did," replied the knight.
"Then you will listen to me. You are my sworn shield, and I am your squire, but I am also the head of my house. My mother and father are gone, and I am nearly a man grown. I now command my family's knights and household guards, including you, Ser. You will listen to what I tell you: we are going down there to find my brother. I will not be told otherwise."
"It's dangerous," the man tried to say.
"Aye, so you best join me, Ser."
Jaehaerys reached for his blade, unsheathed it, and took a torch from the nearby wall. Ser William followed him, cautiously. I've insulted his pride. He won't like this. But he doesn't have to. He must know he can't tell me what to do anymore. Things have changed. They left Rhaena behind and walked on, their boots clapping noisily on the dark stone beneath them. It was not long before they came upon the body of one of the men who had gone after Ser Merrik and Daeron. He was lying face down, unmoving. A line of bloody footprints led away from the dead man, back towards the camp. What did they see? What happened to them? Jaehaerys chanced a look back at his sworn shield, and Ser William raised an eyebrow.
"We found them pacing in the darkness and babbling in some unknown tongue, if it was one at all. When we tried to bring them back to camp, they both attacked us and began screaming… so loud, their voices echoing off the stone… I killed that one; the other man fled that way. He's still out there, so keep your guard up, if you insist on going further."
Jaehaerys raised his sword and crept on. He wasn't about to turn around now. There was water dripping somewhere in the distance, each splash echoing several times before another dropped. The place smelled of salt and water, though Jaehaerys didn't see any pools anywhere. On they went through the massive rooms, so wide the light from Jae's torch couldn't shine on both walls. Jaehaerys felt like something was watching him again, and he was reminded of that shape he had seen in the other building. A trick of the eyes, he assured himself. There was nothing there. There's nothing here. Yeen is an abandoned ruin.
Outside of the torchlight, the air was as black as tar, and the smell of salt grew stronger as the two moved forward. It was getting colder, and soon Jaehaerys began to shiver. There was no blood this far down, no more footprints for them to follow. Jaehaerys kept his wits about him, knowing that the insane man was out there somewhere, probably stalking them, waiting to make his move. The boy gulped.
They reached a door not long after, and what Jaehaerys saw there made him drop his sword his hand began to shake so much. As he went to pick it up, Ser William darted forward and knelt down next to the pool of blood.
"Merrik's," he murmured.
I know. That's his helm. The knight held up the steel helm, which was dripping with blood. "My prince," he said as carefully as he could, "this is a sign. We should turn back."
"Is it his blood?"
"No way to tell."
Daeron… could Daeron have been wounded, and he was carrying him, and somehow he lost his helm? Jaehaerys knew what was more likely than that: something was hunting them, and it succeeded. The realization caused Jaehaerys to drop his sword again, lurch forward, and vomit all over the stones next to the pool of blood.
I must see for myself, he told himself, as much as he didn't want to. What if they aren't dead? Wiping his mouth, Jae grasped his sword again and bade them onwards. "We go on, Ser."
There was a drum beating, in the distance, deep down in the bowels of the ruins. Yet when Jae asked Ser William Selmy if he could hear it, the knight shook his head and said he could hear nothing. That frightened the boy. Am I hearing things? Or is he lying?
Past the door, the smell of salt grew stronger still, to the point where Jaehaerys could taste it on the air. That was when they found the water; half the room beyond lay submerged under a black pool. Nothing grew here. No moss, no seaweed; there weren't any fish so far as Jae could see, either. All was still, but not for lack of living things; Jaehaerys could feel the tension in the room, thick enough to cut with a knife. Into the room the two walked, their boots clanging loudly on the floor. There were steps, descending into the water, and nothing else. Ruins surrounded the pool on all sides, broken bits of rock crumbling inwards towards the blackness. Jaehaerys took the steps all the way down to the water's edge, crouched, and stuck a finger into the water.
The chill that befell him almost made him fall forward, but Ser William caught him and pulled him back. "What was it? What happened?!"
"It's so… cold," Jae said, detached. "W-we have to find them before they freeze…"
"This is a dead end, Jae. They couldn't have gone anywhere else."
"I know."
"The knight pulled him back, up the steps, towards the door.
"Daeron! Daeron! Ser Merrik!" Jaehaerys screamed desperately as he was being pulled back. His voice echoed thrice and then was lost. That was when Jaehaerys realized the drum had stopped beating. He held his breath, waiting for a reply. Goosebumps covered his body, and he knew something was watching him. "Daeron! Daeron!" he tried again, and this time, Jaehaerys thought he saw movement on the edge of the blackness, weird shapes crawling and moving and gliding across the stones and water, towards him. My mind is playing tricks on me. There's nothing there.
Still, the way his body was reacting, the way he was feeling, wasn't natural. He felt sick. His wound was burning. He was cold, shivering, near catatonic. He wanted to fall in that pool and drown. The boy turned to Ser William, whose face was covered in sweat as he looked this way and that, his eyes darting wildly. Something made those men go insane. If we don't leave now, we'll end up just like them.
"Ser William," Jae spoke at last, watching the dark, impossible shapes curl and slither on the edge of sight, despite them not making any sounds. "We should go."
"Yes, we should. We must…" the knight muttered. There was unease in his voice. The first time I've ever heard that. That scared Jaehaerys. If this place was causing Ser William Selmy, a renowned, fearless knight, to feel dread, what hope did Jae have of maintaining his sanity?
"They're dead," the boy stated. "We cannot save them anymore."
The man nodded, helped Jaehaerys to his feet, and without a second thought, the two sprinted back to camp.
They were meant to be seventeen upon departing Yeen, but the seven Lysene sellswords stole away in the night, to leave the ten to die. Only Ser William and three of the household guards weren't injured or sick. It was a miserable group, weak and ready to give up, Jaehaerys knew. One more attack, and they would be broken. I'm already broken, he thought, feeling his wound. He felt suffocated, confined, useless. How can anybody live here? This place is beating me down.
Ser William led the group, with the captured pirate in tow. Ser Edric took the rear. He had taken to his cups since his wound, and he stumbled onwards with the most sickly members of the group in the back. Jaehaerys had never seen a knight drink so much, and he knew that Ser Edric wasn't drinking just because of his wound. I wonder what Rhaena thinks of his behavior.
The group returned to the river and began following it out to the sea. The going was slow, for the wounded and sick outnumbered the healthy. The morning was grey and foggy, and mosquitoes buzzed everywhere, hungry for blood. Jaehaerys was too tired to swat them away.
"I gave Cossenello ten days," Ser William was saying. "If we didn't return in ten, I said, he should leave us."
"How long has it been?" Jae asked.
"Five days. It'll be tight, but I think we can get there before Cossenello leaves. To be honest, I think he'll wait longer, even if we don't get there in time. He doesn't have anywhere else to go. We'll chance the river when we get a little farther ahead. Xhorre's not far, isn't that right?" he asked the pirate, shaking the man into awareness.
"Yeah… Xhorre's just north of Yeen. Everyone knows."
Ser William continued, "Once we pass Xhorre, we'll find a boat and ride the current out."
"But aren't there pirates patrolling the rivers?" Jae asked.
"Not so many as before, kid. There's a war brewin'. Everyone's getting ready," the pirate coughed. "Big things 'bout to go down."
"We'll chance it," Ser William repeated. "There's nowhere safe in this wretched place. We may as well take the fastest way out. By foot, we may be hunted down by pirates or brindled men or the native animals before we can reach the shore."
They trudged on through the mud and fog. Jaehaerys kept his distance from Rhaena. We'll have to deal with Daeron later… not now, not here. He wasn't looking forward to that conversation with her. He missed Daeron as much as Rhaena, but Jae couldn't face her sorrow again, not after all he had been through. I just want to get home and forget any of this ever happened. He found himself missing his dragon egg, that last comfort of his childhood, more and more. Ever since Rooney had thrown it into the sea, Jae had felt like he had been forced to grow up. And while he wanted to be a knight, wanted to be a warrior like Ser William, a part of him wanted to stay just as he had been back in Lys, and back home in King's Landing. He found a certain innocent allure in the past.
"Careful now!" the pirate whispered, and the group came to a stop. "Fighting up ahead."
"It's over," Ser William said, straining his eyes. "All I see are bodies."
"Bodies in the mud," the pirate nodded. "The war's already begun."
"Lucky we missed it," said the knight.
It was an eerie scene, the battlefield. Bodies appeared out of the fog with sudden clarity as the group tiptoed on; many of them were sliced to pieces, their organs spilt out onto the sand and mud. Jaehaerys saw tattooed lizards feasting on one pirate to the right, but when the group reached the corpse, the animals bolted off. It was strangely quiet; not even the bugs or birds were singing here.
There was a man with half of his face cleaved off, sinking in a pile of quicksand next to the river, blood slowly trickling down his forehead. There were dozens of bodies. What were they fighting for, Jaehaerys wondered. What would lead men to such butchery? He found it funny how in all the stories his uncle Jason and others had told him, they never mentioned the actual ugliness of war, the gritty details of what dead and dying men looked like. Jaehaerys had seen quite a few dead bodies since his journey from Lys back home, but this scene, of all of them, made him feel the most sick. He had to look away. Their guts, the blood, the bloated bodies, the corpses half-gnawed by feral beasts of the jungle, and the smell… he would have wretched had he no discipline.
Rooney and his group were probably supposed to take part in this battle. They weren't chasing us after all, the squire realized. It was just luck that we found each other again. He was not sorry he was the one to strike the killing blow on that sallow-faced monster; the silver-haired boy only regretted that he hadn't been able to see Rooney take his last breath.
"Fresh tracks," Ser William observed a few minutes later. "More fighting's going on up ahead, most likely."
"Aye," said the pirate. "This ain't the end, not even close. I 'spect they're gonna fight the big one tonight. Xhorre'll win, I'd bet my life on that."
Jaehaerys, who had witnessed the savagery of the Mudtown pirates firsthand, was not so sure. "Why?"
"Xhorre's the only city in Sothoryos. Mudtown's a tiny cesspit. More pirates in Xhorre."
"We were captured by Xhorre pirates, but when we met a group from Mudtown on the river, the Mudtown pirates won the fight. They seemed like much better fighters."
"That don't matter when you're outnumbered ten to one, heh!" the pirate cackled. "Been waiting for this for a long time. You don't even know. Mudtown's been a thorn in our side for too long. We're going to wipe 'em out."
"What about the slaves?"
"Most will be put to the sword or sold on the Basilisk Isles, if they're lucky."
Anger surged through Jaehaerys veins. The way these pirates talk about slaves… they don't see them as people. They're the savages, the true monsters, not the brindled men. He wanted to decapitate that pirate and had to restrain himself. That concerned the boy. Ever since he'd come to Sothoryos, he had less and less control over his emotions. He didn't know why. I don't want it to be like that. He wanted Ser William's discipline.
By noon, the fog was lessening. The signs of battle were everywhere now. Bodies, footprints in the mud, signs of burning, destroyed boats covered the ground. Ser William took Jaehaerys out hunting, and though the boy was not very good with a bow, they managed to catch a few colorful birds, which the group roasted over a fire. With food fresh in their bellies (and more wine in Ser Edric's), they took to the river again. However, almost as soon as they were back on the path, Ser William raised his gloved hand, and everyone stopped.
"Mudtown boys," the pirate whispered. "Up ahead, moving through the trees."
Jaehaerys saw them. There were a dozen or so crawling through the dense foliage. The pirates didn't notice Jaehaerys' group; they were focused on something else, as if they were stalking prey. Ser William led the group around behind the pirates to hide behind some trees, though Jaehaerys and him stayed out far enough to keep an eye on the pirates.
"That's the Boneman," Jaehaerys told the knight. "The one in the bronze armor!"
It was him, without doubt. The Boneman wore that same skull over his face - the giant ape skull - and in his hand was a curved blade of Valyrian steel. Jaehaerys' wound was burning again. He ignored the pain. Ser William let them pass.
"It's going down," the pirate told the group. "We have to go around if we want to miss it."
Jaehaerys didn't want to trust the pirate. He wants to get free anyway he can. What if he's leading us into a trap? "Ser, lead us around, but don't listen to our captive. He could be leading us into a trap. Remember, he's from Xhorre too."
"Hey, you little shit, I'm just trying to save all our skins. D'ya really think I have any chance of surviving if you get into a fight and die? No way. I need you to stay alive, as much as I need to stay alive myself."
"Enough." Ser William stood and drew his sword. So did Jaehaerys and the other men. "Follow me."
He cut a path for them through the jungle, behind where the Boneman and his men went. The journey through the thick forest was treacherous and slow, made slower by the wounded men and Ser William's cautiousness. He made sure there were no tattooed lizards are giant apes waiting to ambush them. Most of all, he made sure there were no pirates.
Yet, there were pirates. Not in the thick jungle, but just outside it. The group could hear their fighting, the clashing of steel, the screaming, just on the other side of the trees. It was as if they were passing through a dream. Where the jungle eased up ahead, more fighting was unfolding, bloody and personal and too spread out for them to continue ahead. They were surrounded on all sides by pirates. There was no going back, no going forward. The forest on all sides of them squeezed them in. I don't want to stay here, Jaehaerys thought. There are foul beasts that lurk in this forest. His eyes began to twitch at the thought of that. The pirates weren't that close - not close enough to see Jaehaerys' group unless they came marching into the forest. But it was unsettling enough that the boy could see them fighting in the distance, that he could hear them. He felt vulnerable.
"We'll stay here for now," Ser William commanded. "Stay quiet and don't draw attention to yourselves. I don't want them to know we're here."
Most collapsed onto the ground, exhausted or sick. Two men went looking for supper, bows and arrows in their hands. Ser William tended to Ser Edric's wound. Rhaena sat alone on a rock, her head in her hands. Jaehaerys' sword was still drawn. He stood, adrenaline pumping through his veins.
"This ain't the big one," the captive pirate was saying. He was struggling with his bindings half-heartedly and kneeling in the foliage. "Not enough. No, the big one'll be a spectacle. You'll want to see that, heh. Hundreds and thousands will die…!" There was hunger in his eyes. Jaehaerys' belly rumbled.
A few minutes later, one of the guards returned. "Found a cave," he said. "Could use that as shelter until the battle's over."
"Take me there," Ser William said, standing up. "Come on, everyone."
They followed the guard east, where a mound sprouted up from the dirt. It was covered in bushes and moss, and gnarled, blackened trees grew around its opening, like broken teeth. Its entrance was wide enough to fit fifteen horsemen riding abreast comfortably.
"Are there any beasts lairing inside?" asked William Selmy. "Did you check to make sure it's safe?"
The man looked embarrassed. "I… uh, well no, Ser."
"Go do that."
The group stood apprehensive, most of their swords drawn. The battle shouldn't take long. We won't stay here long. He found himself longing for Cossenello's ship, and that almost made him laugh. He hated boats, hated being on the sea. He often got seasick. But that would be a thousand times better than where they were right now. I don't want to sleep in some creepy cave tonight.
From inside, a scream echoed. A flash of orange flickered on the rocks, and Jaehaerys could smell burning hair. Then came the guard, sprinting - a blazing fireball. He was shrieking unceasingly, and as soon as he got out of the cave, he fell to the ground and rolled around hopelessly. Soon, he stopped moving altogether. He's dead. Just like that.
The group instinctively took several steps back, their swords raised. Jaehaerys thought he knew what was in there. His heart was beating in his throat. He could taste iron. The cooked man's skin had become black and red, and his eyes had begun leaking down his cheeks. Jaehaerys' stomach was twisting in knots. There's only one thing that could have done that to a man.
They heard it first: the sound of leathern wings magnified by the enclosed cave. The wind was rising; it was a furnace wind, hot enough to make Jaehaerys' cheeks flush. Swiftly came the beast, its spiked scales gleaming argent and ebon. Jaehaerys felt a lump in his throat. He's so big. Twice the size of the wyverns. Big enough to ride.
The dragon came screaming out of the cave and took to the air, breathing flames at the trees in its path. Jaehaerys fell backwards in awe as the beast's belly coasted right over his head. Landing hard on the ground, he felt his right wrist snap and winced in pain. Still, he kept his eyes on the dragon above him and watched it until it was out of sight.
"Seven hells…" Ser Edric muttered.
The others were talking amongst themselves in hushed whispers. Ser Edric stood still, gaping, sweat running down his brow. Rhaena looked stricken. Jaehaerys sat up and felt his wrist gingerly. Broken, he knew. Could I have worse luck?! That was his sword hand, a hand he'd need to use while hunting with bow and arrow. Without it, he was naked, defenseless, like Rhaena. Jae cursed silently for letting himself suffer such an injury.
Above them, the trees crackled and burned, flaming leaves and branches falling like snow around them. The heat of the dragon lingered, beyond the burning trees. It was something that stayed with them, a presence as much as a feeling. The heat was burning Jaehaerys' wound below his eye. He felt lightheaded, felt like his skin was going to fall off.
"Everyone inside the cave," Ser William instructed. "That beast will have drawn the attention of the pirates. We have to hide, now."
"I'm not going in there!" one guard shouted. "What if the dragon comes back?! We're going to be its next meal."
Fire cannot kill a dragon, Jaehaerys reminded himself. Rhaena and I are dragons. But the others…
"Lookit what we got 'ere," came a voice from behind. The group saw a small band of pirates wading through the forest. They were shirtless, bronze-skinned, holding swords and axes, and covered in blood. "Looks like yer the ones that woke the dragon, eh? Always thought we had one of those around these parts. Now I gotta see him wit' me own eyes! What a show!" The pirate next to him clanked his hand axes together enthusiastically.
The blade in the pirate captain's hand was a curved scimitar, made of Valyrian steel, dripping with blood. He pointed it at the group and smiled, his gold teeth sparkling.
"Turn around," Ser William said unhappily, "and I won't kill you."
"Or we could stay," replied the pirate. "Yer not killin' us either way. There's ten of us, and less of you. I like them odds."
Ser William glanced back at Ser Edric, and then at Jaehaerys. We're all wounded and sick. There's no way we can beat them. He tried to hold his sword with his broken hand and found he couldn't. Moving the blade over to his left hand, Jaehaerys realized he could barely hold the weight at all, let alone swing or parry with it. The horror of that realization, that their group would have even less men able to fight now, was enough to make Jaehaerys cry. Hot tears seeped down his cheeks. He didn't wipe them away.
Ahead, the pirates charged Ser William and the others. Rhaena ran back towards Jaehaerys, while the two knights and four guards rushed the pirates, screaming 'Fire and Blood!'.
"Why aren't you going with them?" Rhaena asked him.
"My wrist," he said miserably, showing her his twisted arm. "I broke it when the dragon came out. I can't hold a sword."
"Gods, Jae, we're outnumbered as it is!" the girl yelled.
"I know."
All he could do was watch, and pray that Ser William had enough skill to kill the men. And indeed, at first, it appeared like that was the case. He took out the first two pirates who rushed him with his first two slashes. One took a pirate in the neck, the other had his belly opened with a single blur of silver. But the others in the group were not faring so well. Jaehaerys saw two guards go down to the man with the Valyrian steel sword, while Ser Edric was barely able to kill the first pirate he dueled against before collapsing in exhaustion. That left three against seven. Poor odds, even for knights. I have to help, Jaehaerys thought. But if I go in there, I'll just get myself killed. And then another voice spoke up: you're going to die either way. If you sit back and watch, they'll kill you anyways. Wouldn't you rather go out as a warrior, as a knight?
Jaehaerys Targaryen unsheathed his knife and ran forward. He saw Ser Edric parrying the pirate captain's blade, while the last guard and Ser William had their backs to one another and fought like Jae had never seen men fight. Their desperation gave them the edge, and the pirates who charged them lost arms and hands and parts of their face when they got too close. The pirates fell screaming, blood spraying from their open wounds, left to moan out their last breaths in the mud and moss.
Jaehaerys ran up behind a pirate who was pacing in front of Ser William, and knifed him in the back of the neck. His thrust was weak with his left hand, but the blade was sharp, and it went through skin and muscle. The pirate fell, choking on blood, and Jaehaerys finished him easily with a slice across the throat.
The boy scampered from dying pirate to dying pirate, putting them out of their misery (and removing the threats they presented), as Ser William and the last guard turned to face the pirate captain, who was still locked in blows with Ser Edric. Ser Edric was faltering, slowing. The wound in his chest had limited his dexterity and strength, and it was not long before the pirate disarmed him and sent him to his knees. The pirate cackled with glee, wiped sweat from his eyes, and slammed the blade down towards the drunken knight.
Ser William Selmy was there to meet it, his own blade blocking the death blow not an inch from Ser Edric's neck.
"So ya want to die next, eh?" asked the pirate.
"I could ask you the same thing." Ser William flashed a smirk.
"Hehe, yer arrogant. I'll turn that smile into a red grin!"
"You may try." Ser William brought his sword to his chest and stepped forward. "But I will let my blade speak for me."
The two locked blades, steel banging against steel. Sparks flew. Around them, the jungle burned. Dead and dying men bled into the mud. Those who survived watched in awe. Ser William's slices were graceful and quick, and he jumped from one foot to the next, as if he was dancing around the pirate. The pirate was fast, but his speed lacked focus, and soon he was tired out. Ser William, in his armor, had more stamina. He easily blocked the attacks and pushed the pirate back with a merciless flurry of blows so quick the pirate's eyes bulged and he let out a cry of fright. He knows he's going to die, Jaehaerys thought with glee.
The pirate kicked Ser William in the knee, causing the knight to stumble back. Then he rushed the man and used his weight to try to knock the man over. William Selmy would not go down so effortlessly, however, and he pushed the pirate off of him. The two raised their blades and brought them together again. This time, Ser William's sword shattered, its steel splintering into a thousand pieces. Before anyone could run forward to save the knight, the pirate brought his superior Valyrian steel down upon the man. It sliced through his shoulder blade and lodged in his chest, cutting through his steel armor like a knife through jelly.
"Nooooo!" Jaehaerys screamed.
The pirate began laughing. Ser Edric tried to stand, tried to find his blade. The household guard was running forward. Everything seemed to slow down. Jaehaerys didn't remember when he started running. His knife was in his hand, raised. I'll kill him, I'll kill him, I'll kill him! Tears were streaming down the squire's cheeks, burning his wound.
Ser William sank to a knee. Bright blood flowed out over his armor, but he didn't so much as make a sound. He looked up at the pirate, who was trying to slice further into the knight's shoulder. Ser William grasped the blade and raised it up out of his wound. Blood pooled under his glove where his hand was being cut from Valyrian steel edge. Still, he did not cry or even grunt in pain. With one hand, he had enough strength to rip the blade out of him, even as the pirate was trying to hold it down with both of his.
Jaehaerys saw Ser William pull his knife out from his belt and stand. "Why are you laughing?" he asked the pirate. "I thought you were going to give me a red smile."
"Oh I will," the pirate boasted. "You're already dead, old man."
"That's where you're wrong," Ser William stated coldly. He whipped his knife around and cut the pirate across the face, opening both of his cheeks to flap uselessly in the wind. Soon the pirate's face was covered in blood, his teeth stained crimson. He screamed, dropped his sword and lurched back. Ser William caught him by the shoulder, held him up, looked him in the eye, and then lodged his knife in the pirate, just where the man's throat met his lower jaw. The pirate's eyes bulged and went white, and he fell lifelessly to the ground.
"Ser William!" Jaehaerys cried, reaching his sworn shield. The knight had collapsed and was holding his wound, which was spurting torrents of blood.
"J-jaehaerys…" the man said softly.
"I-I'm sorry! I should have… been there to save you."
The knight laughed. "Don't worry about it… my prince. It was me who was supposed to die for you… not the other way around… Looks like things are… working out just how I'd hoped…"
"I don't want anyone to die," Jaehaerys sobbed, tears running so thick he could barely see.
"I wish the world were like that…" Ser William breathed. He laid his head back. "Where's our captive?"
Everyone looked around, but there was no sign of the captured Xhorre man. "Gone," said Ser Edric.
"That is not surprising…" Ser William coughed. "You must go now… get to Cossenello. Follow the river to the coast… his ship is anchored there… flying black sails. Lady Jyanna we named it. Take it home, Jae… get to safety…"
"I don't want to leave you," the boy cried.
"We can't take him," Ser Edric said, his voice sober and sad. "The wound is mortal. And we cannot stay here. The forest is burning around us."
Jaehaerys knew that. The trees were on fire, and soon that would spread. They would be trapped. They had to leave. I don't want to leave him. I can't. I'm his squire I failed him. Shame washed over Jaehaerys, and his tears came fresh again.
"It's time…" Ser William said. "Go. Tell my family I died protecting my prince… please…"
"I will," Jaehaerys promised, clasping the knight's bloody hand. "I'm sorry I couldn't be as brave and strong as you, Ser."
He spat up blood. "H-ha…! Y-you aren't a knight, Jaehaerys. Not yet, anyways…"
Ser William Selmy struggled to his feet. Jaehaerys stood back in awe, not sure what was going on. When the man stood, he used a nearby tree as support. Blood was falling from his body like rainwater, and he had become inhumanly pale. He doesn't have long.
"Your sword," he groaned, and Jaehaerys handed him his blade. "Sorry, but mine's broken." He took the steel and held it up to his face, inspecting it. Satisfied, he nodded and looked Jaehaerys in the eyes. "Kneel," he commanded the boy.
"Wh-what?!"
"Kneel, Jae. P-please… I can't… wait…"
Realization dawned in Jaehaerys' mind. The squire dropped to one knee. He's going to… The blade touched Jaehaerys' right shoulder, and the boy shuddered.
"Jaehaerys, of House Targaryen," he said slowly, "in the name of the Warrior I charge you to be brave." Then, he moved the blade to Jaehaerys' left shoulder. "In the name of the Father I charge you to be just." The blade returned to his right shoulder. "In the name of the Mother I charge you to defend the young and innocent." Then, back to the left. "In the name of the Maid I charge you to protect all women."
When it was over, Jaehaerys was crying again, though this time in pride and love of the knight who had raised him into the man he now was. He stood up and embraced Ser William. "I will not forget you, Ser. I will make sure your honor and courage is never forgotten."
"Protect them now," said Ser William. "Bring everyone else home."
"I will, Ser."
The knight closed his eyes and smiled. Jae felt the man fall from his arms, as lifeless as the pirate had not but a few minutes before.
The four remaining members of the group reached the coast of Sothoryos two days later. They were able to avoid the pirates, mostly because the fighting between the two sides had taken them south of Yeen. The waterways were cleared, and they took an abandoned boat they found all the way to the sea.
It was there that the tired men and Rhaena beheld something they had not expected to see. There was indeed a great pirate galley anchored off the coast, just where Ser William had promised it would be. Its black sails danced with flames, and smoke rose in dark plumes from the deck. The air smelled of brimstone and salt
"Cossenello's ship," Ser Edric said, pointing. "Gods… it's been set aflame."
There was no saving the ship, Jaehaerys could see. It was burning down to the hull, and it had been burning for some time. "What did this?" he asked. "Pirates?"
"I don't know why pirates would do that. And if they did, where is their ship? How did they get on board?"
Our one way home, burned. Something wasn't right. The pirates didn't even know that this ship was secretly being used by Cossenello. He had been flying pirate flags up until the ship had been consumed. No, this had to have been the doing of someone else.
Jae saw the shadow before he heard the wings. A graceful, bird-like shape extended across the sea, howling like a volcano. There flew the dragon, Neryalax, as Daeron had named him. He burned the ship. Did he know we were supposed to take it home? Is he trying to keep us here?
Heat rose in Jaehaerys' cheeks. His wound itched. He wished he could see out of his right eye, wished his wrist was healed. I want to tame him. I want to capture that dragon. By all rights, he should have had a dragon. He was a Targaryen prince. He had been given an egg. Only, it had never hatched. That was all luck, all misfortune. Sometimes you have to make your own luck, he told himself. "I'm going to catch that dragon and tame it," he said to the others, suddenly, pointing at the beast that was circling the pirate ship.
"That's madness, Jae," said his sister.
"I am the blood of the dragon," he reminded her. "Plus, if we want to get another ship back home, we're going to need a dragon on our side. We no longer have enough men to storm a galley and commandeer it back home. We'll need some real firepower. I'm going to ride that dragon into Xhorre and take their best ship home. All of you, and my dragon, are coming with me. I will protect you all, as is my duty. This is the only way." He looked at the three individually and collectively.
There was doubt on their faces. It was like they thought he was insane. I am the blood of the dragon, he thought stubbornly. If anyone can tame that dragon it's me.
"And how do you plan about doing that?" asked Ser Edric. "Pardon me, my prince, but I don't know how one tames a dragon."
Jaehaerys racked his brain, trying to come up with an answer. Of all the stories Uncle Jason and my father told me about dragons, they never once mentioned how exactly they're supposed to be tamed. Doubt found its way into Jae's mind then, for only a moment. And then he remembered he was a knight, a Targaryen, a prince. "I'll think of something," he said. "I have the blood of old Valyria coursing through my veins. Dragons are intelligent creatures. Some maesters think they are even smarter than men. Let's put that to the test. If he knows I am the blood of the dragon, he will let me ride him. I have no doubt about that."
