oh.. what is this lukewarm response to my previous chapter? ..
is it going bad way? Guess all the debauchery is too much of a turn off and Jaime is a bit out of character. I should have better managed the time line editing.. any ways, the response is always weirder for progress chapters, this chapter, I will try to address most of the concerns readers expressed through reviews. With out further ado..
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When Jon woke up again, there's no one around him. How ever, there's a warm fur covering him on his meager cot, the fire in the grate had burned to cinders.
He had not been sleeping well for two weeks now because of Flame, yesterday night, after Freya worked her magic is the first full night sleep he had in a long while. He pretty much compensated for all the lack of sleep these past days. Even his body felt lethargic.
He could feel that it's long past sunrise. Flame is no where to be seen, yet, in some strange manner, he knew the lion cub is out romping in gods wood.
He sneaked in to his room with out any one noticing him, ordered a bath. He has just about finished getting dressed when there was a knock on his door. Thinking it's Freya, he yanked the door open enthusiastically.
It's Lady Catelyn. Jon's smile vanished from his face in a moment, replaced by trepidation. She did not say any thing for a moment, just checked him from the hair to toes.
"You are unhurt." Lady Catelyn observed. Jon is surprised to note that she sounded more relieved than disappointed.
Lady Lysa passed by in the background. She looked disapprovingly at Jon and Catelyn.
"There are quite wild stories about your escapades, Jon snow. If your bastard army is to be believed, you are Aemon the dragon knight reborn." Lysa said snootily to him.
Lady Catelyn just looked at her sister disapprovingly. Lady Lysa huffed in answer, and swept past them with no further comments.
"Do not mind her." Lady Catelyn told him.
She looked at him once more, raised her hand to cup his cheek. The action is so unexpected, Jon startled. Lady Catelyn took her hand back as if it's burned. He could see the reproach in her eyes.
"I am glad you returned safe." Lady Catelyn told him, Jon felt the urge to pinch him self to check this is not a dream. If he wasn't so shocked by the gesture, he would have done so.
Right on the cue, Jon's stomach rumbled. Catelyn stepped back with a laugh.
"Run along! Rickon and Arya are still at breakfast, I am sure Bran will extend his to listen of your adventures." she told him with a smile.
For some inexplicable reason, Jon felt like crying. It is just such a small gesture, yet, it filled him with so much happiness. It made him feel pathetic, like a whipped dog giving all his loyalty to the master for a single pat.
He arrived at the breakfast table in high spirits regardless. Freya smiled fondly up at him as he took the seat besides her. Rickon jumped from where he was sitting, tried to squeeze between the two looking up at both of them demanding attention.
The wee little shadow cat that was catching all the rats in winter-fell kitches scurried up to the table, rubbed against arya's foot, ran off equally fast in another direction chasing after one illusive thing or another. Arya smirked, jumped after the cat to follow.
Bran grinned up at Jon brightly, asked for the story of how he came across Flame.
By now, he is the favorite of all the Stark children, including Robb who is surreptitiously pretending not to care. Jon gave them the story just in his style, with few sentences, to the point.
"How many kittens did the cat have?" Bran asked.
"Were they cute?" that's sansa.
"How did you know that lion is Flame's father?" Robb asked.
"if you are trying to lie, at least come up with a better one." that's Theon.
"Was there really no echo in the ravine?" that's Sam.
"Rickon." rickon shouted as he jumped off from his precarious position between Freya and Jon, tackled Flame who's trying to sneak under the table – probably to nibble on Jon's shoes.
Flame's generally very submissive. He had no idea what he is going to do once the lion grows. If it's father's size was any thing to go by, he is going to be gigantic.
In time, he answered all their questions. Sam took leave of things to go study, Robb and Theon persevered till the end of his story answering all their questions.
Right now, it happened to be children's most favorite story.
For the first time in his life, Jon appreciated what Lord Stark had done for him. Even as a legalized bastard, he had felt that he did not belong. There is no doubt his life had been better compared to before, even so, he hadn't truly appreciated the roof on his head, fire in his hearth and food on his table.
It is not until he sat shivering in a tree, looking at a pregnant shadow cat eating his horse, a mountain lion roaring at him – he realized the importance of his life. Now that he felt grateful to be alive, all the insults and whispers rolled off him like dew drops of pine leaves.
How ever, with peace, came the new thoughts. When he is sleep deprived he hadn't thought much of what Freya did, but now that he has gotten full night's sleep, his mind wandered back to the little ritual she has done. It felt like witchcraft which ever way he thought.
His younger siblings may have forgotten all about it, but Jon knew better. Sooner or later, it is going to reach ears of his lord father. Not to mention the odd way that almost all his siblings always knew where flame is. If Sam hadn't questioned how he knew where Flame is, he wouldn't even have thought of it.
He put off questioning Freya though. He was back just now, they missed each other too much, every time he saw her now, she clung to him as if he is going to vanish. In fact, it has become so bad, guards of winter-fell joked that he is the pretty lady, Freya is the lord that's chasing him.
That all came to a stop on the day Freya invited him to her forge. Her father had asked for a separate building to build a forge perhaps on the day Billy returned with Reyne's nobility documents confirmed. Their father granted the request, a small broken building of the first keep has become Freya's forge since then.
Jon has taken part in having it built, it's a lot of area, but a pretty dilapidated building, though, it's just as strong as any other building built with granite. Yet, as he entered the building, he can not recognize it at all.
The floor is as smooth as frozen ice on long lake, if there was water on it, he would have slipped. The walls are the same, with fire light shimmering off the walls. It's a clean smooth gray, almost as if it is all built with a single stone.
A girl stood to the corner of the room, alert and ready. Jon knew she is the mute girl Lord Reyne hired as Freya's hand maiden. As soon as he entered, the girl closed and barred the doors. It felt ominous even with out the ridiculously smooth floors, firelight reflecting off the walls as if they are made of glass.
"Please, my lord, take a seat." Freya offered, gesturing at the lone chair in the room.
There is a single chair in front of the fire place, with a low table covered fur, most unusual sword on it. Jon took the seat gingerly, suppressing the dread that's pooling in his stomach. Freya went to the other side, sat on her kneels.
"I have invited you here to day my lord, to hear my confession. I have kept - " Freya began speaking.
"No." Jon said firmly.
"Jon, plea-" Jon cut her off before she can speak any further.
"No. I don't want to hear it. You have once said if it is the entire world on one side, me on the other, you will choose me. Has that changed?" he asked her.
Freya shook her head in no.
"Then I don't want to know what ever it is you are keeping from me, be it a one secret, or a thousand. All I need to know is you love me and you will love till end of time." he said with a finality in his tone.
"I don't want to keep secrets from you, Jon." Freya begged.
"It does not matter." Jon insisted.
"There is a saying. what you know may hurt you, but what you don't know will kill you." Freya said with a small smile. She knew by now Jon is not going to change his mind what ever she may say.
Jon smiled back at her. He suspected she brought him here to confess about witchcraft. What ever sorcery she may have done, he knew Flame could not have been saved otherwise. If he knew for certain that it is sorcery, his honor would demand it he tell his father. He can not imagine consequences for such actions being good.
"All I need to know is you do not wish ill upon me or mine. Now, or ever." Jon said looking in to her eyes.
"Never." Freya said placing a hand on her heart. Jon nodded solemnly in answer.
They sat like that for a minute, looking at each other solemnly, before Jon broke in to a smile.
"Are you feeling better now?" he asked.
Freya sagged where she is sitting.
"not quite. But I will be, given time." she answered.
Jon got up from the chair, joined her on the ground taking her in to his arms, kissing her forehead.
"Why do you not want to know, Jon? Are you not curious?" Freya asked looking in to his dark gray eyes, which upon closer inspection, she noticed looked like ash and dark purple mixed like a cooling fire.
"It matters not, my lady, for I love you regardless." Jon answered, looking in to her yes.
Freya cried and laughed in answer, hugging him fiercely. She pulled back from his embrace only to kiss him, smiling as she did so. It would have evolved in to some thing more too, if there wasn't a loud clang.
They both separated only to look at the mute hand maiden. She looked frightened beyond belief.
"It's okay Tilly. You can take the rest of the day off." Freya told her.
The girl nodded and escaped the forge immediately. Freya and Jon exited the building after an hour, with a smile no one can wipe away.
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Jaime let his mind wander as he stood guard against princess Myrcella's room. His mind wandered the only way it went these days.
When he first fucked Lyanna Stark, it is under the influence of a drug, and burning rage that festered in him as he heard Robert humiliate his sister time and again. He regretted his actions more than any one can imagine. Even so, he is not a stark, he had no intentions of confessing his crimes and going to wall.
Thus, he did the only thing he can do, he tried giving the girl moon-tea, bluffed her with an threat against her little sister. He could see clear as day the girl had written him off as an rapist and murderer. By then, Robert had Just imprisoned Cersei, he was burning with rage again, after hearing his sister beg for Robert to stop for entire night.
Even with all the burning rage, he did not go there wanting to fuck the girl again. Yet, when she offered, believing in his bluff, so willing and submissive, he battled with logic and conscience. At the end of it, he decided it is simply better to play the brute and have her again, for she must believe in his threat if she is to keep her mouth shut. Way too many lives will be lost otherwise.
He did not go to her after that. He had accomplished his purpose of silencing her, there is no need to visit her any more. Yet, he did not account for the loneliness he had to face with out Cersei. She had been his rock, reason to live all these days. He had never been to the whore houses, he did not intend to start now.
If he did not find a place to relieve his stress, he had a feeling he will snap and attack Robert one of these days. As much as he relished his title of king slayer, he did not intend to kill more than one king. More than all these, with Lyanna Stark, he hadn't needed to exit her chambers as soon as he is done.
With Cersei, all their moments are stolen. An hour here and there, but never did he sleep with a warm body in his bed. How ever, with Lyanna Stark, he could just stay there, no husband to come calling, no guards to disturb them, no other man who is going to touch her. In the end, he went back because he would snap otherwise. Before he could even understand what is happening, it has become a habit to wake up in her bed.
That is, until she asked her strange questions. It is then he realized how much of information he is giving to her about courtiers. She may or may not have figured out his identity. The questions about past and Lyanna Stark had shaken him. He had told no one of those experiences, not written about them any where, even he him self had forgotten all about it.
After all, they are but fleeting fancies of a teenage boy, what repercussions could they have, Jaime asked him self. The entire war, his conscience answered back. Perhaps, if he had given those roses to Lyanna as he had planned, it might have been him she has fallen in love with, there would have been no breaking of betrothal. She would have been Lady Baratheon by now, Cersei under the power of mad king.
He shuddered at the thought. A whole war was better than Cersei marrying Rhaegar and coming under influence of mad king. Even so, if the girl is capable of seeing his past, is she capable of knowing his and Cersei's secret? What should he do? What ever people may say about him being an oath breaker, he did not want to kill a girl. He just have to find a way of silencing her other than killing. What ever it is.
So, Jaime Lannister spent the next few hours, guarding his daughter's play room, thinking him self in to knots and more knots. At the end of it all, he hadn't come up with a single solution. When the night came, he could not resist going to his latest haunt either.
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It was easy for Robb to decide to go with Lord Reyne on his journey. He expected his father to object, how ever, he did not. It is as if Ned Stark could see Robb's doubts and insecurities with out him speaking one word. How ever, his mother raised seven-hells about his impromptu world tour, she was eventually convinced by their father to let him be.
That is how his great adventure started out. He hadn't expected much of it save he will be seeing much of essos, by the old gods, he couldn't be more wrong.
"The moment we step out this boat, you are not Robb Stark, I am not Gerald Reyne. Do not forget that for a single moment, young Robb." Lord Reyne told him seriously.
It was a novel experience for Robb to get out and about in Bravos. He is used to being the heir to winter-fell, he hadn't even realized how privileged he had been till he entered an inn in purple harbor. He was served along with every other person in the establishment, that in it self is a novelty. In north, regardless of what time he entered, he and his company had always been served first.
Even so, Robb must say his time in Bravos had been the least exciting, almost tame, compared to what followed next. It all started with Lord Reyne's secret mission.
Once they reached pentos, Lord Reyne left him to his own devices, which he had never done till then. Robb, being the curious lad he is, followed Lord Reyne as best as he is able. Eventually, Lord Reyne slipped past him, not before Robb had a look at what he has bought. Three of very strange looking iron bracelets.
It is sheer coincidence what happened after that. A sell sword named Dario Nahaeris, freshly out of slave fighting rings was looking for men willing to go to asshai. Robb had just about tired of being chaperoned by Lord Reyne every where, when the reason to have come till Pentos is to have an adventure.
Thus, while the entire inn has become silent, he offered him self as a partner in to the sell sword, who has given him a time, and guess what? The bracelet he saw Lord Reyne buying. Nahaeris and him met for three days in a row, postponing their journey day after day till they found a man who can speak the language of asshai and tyroshi, as Dario can only speak broken common tongue, a man who can speak both the languages fluently is appreciated.
It is just Robb's luck that Lord Reyne left his pentoshi house to Robb's care and asked him to stay out of trouble for all of a month and half while he concluded his journey to volantis. Robb quite skill-fully managed to extricate him self out of that journey. Lord Reyne had no reason to believe charming and dutiful Robb Stark will flout his instructions as soon as he left, only to go on a journey to notoriously dangerous Asshai.
Thus, Dario, Robb and scribe went to asshai. Going to asshai is not hard part. No one really cared about their lot to stop them from going to their deaths. Not even the little scribe, who clearly told them payment upon reaching in to asshai, before they conduct their business. It is quite clear he did not believe they will come back alive. After all, they are visiting fire temple, the only way they came out is if they are fire priests them selves.
The translator was supposed to take them to temple, wait back for them outside asshai with a boat. When they entered the temple, there was a ceremony happening inside. At first look, Robb could tell it's the same one Freya has done, a bride marrying a sword. There is no blood involved, the words spoken sounded different. Had the scribe been there with him, he would have had those words translated. Now he only had a nibbling doubt saying Freya has cheated them some how.
Either way, he and Dario had to move on, in to the temple's interior. They followed the instructions given, arrived at the corridor of eggs. By the gods, asshai experimented with a whole lot of dragon eggs, they had to walk on and on and some more to see any dragon eggs that are not gray.
The instructions of Lord Reyne were clear to Dario. He needed to get three dragon eggs, of any three different vibrant colors. There were many gray eggs at temple, but those will not do, for their magic had been sucked out of them.
So they wandered down the long corridor, hiding from the occasional acolyte passing through. They had all but given up hope by the time they reached dead end. Then, there they were, a black, gold and green eggs, in a place of honor, on a most ornate stone basket on a pedestal.
Robb knew with out even any deja vu an alarm is going to ring as soon as they remove the eggs from there. He said as much.
"They are going to come after us like hell hounds." he told Dario.
"We have no choice but to run like hell hounds are after us." Dario answered back.
"If we live, I am taking one of those eggs as payment." Robb answered back.
"first we live, wolf boy." Dario answered back.
They both stood on alert, took out the eggs and placed them in a bag.
Nothing happened at all. No blaring sounds, no glowing lights, nothing. It's all so anti climatic they both relaxed for a moment.
They shouldn't have. Like all things Asshai, even danger came in utter silence. Robb is the first to notice growing shadows in the room.
"Fuck, shadow guards." Dario said as he turned the bag with dragon eggs, started running out on long corridor.
Robb followed suit, there is no sound of foot steps behind them, but even with out any sounds, they can feel the shadows on their back.
Suddenly, there's a shadow warrior forming in front of them. Dario cursed, cut his palm with a dagger, slid his hand on the wall beside him.
It opened in to another corridor. They both turned in to new corridor with out waiting. The shadows pursued them.
Sooner, rather than later, they reached an dead end. Dario spread his blood on the dead end in the hope a door will materialize, but it did not.
He looked helplessly at Robb, pulled out his sword. Hoping for one last miracle, Robb punctured his index finger with a knife, smeared some blood on the dead end.
The blood sank in with out a trace, a door opened for them, just in nick of time too. Both Dario and he jumped through the door, slammed it shut in the face of shadows.
It didn't do much for them though. It's not a corridor but what's appeared to be a storage room. They lighted the torches, looked around.
There seemed to be lot of things in the room. They could hear the scratching and screeching coming from outside. So, they settled in for a long while, cataloging room's contents.
There's lot of gold lying around, some gems too. Robb picked an white round oval, along with a black chain. Dario seemed to be examining what seemed to be weapons.
Eventually Robb moved to his side, examining what caught his interest. It's an axe. There's an inscription on it, but he couldn't read it.
"I don't know if it's not cursed." Dario told him seriously.
After the things they experienced in Asshai, Robb could believe it quite possible the blade is cursed. They picked up stuff that looked valuable, but not important, increasing their loot.
"Look, Wolf boy!" Dario called after a while, picking up a basket and bringing it in to center of the room.
It had whole lot of colorful eggs in it, not the same size of dragon eggs though.
"You think they are dragon eggs too?" he asked.
"I don't know." Robb answered honestly.
"we take them too." Dario answered, putting them in a nearby satchel, tying it up on his back.
Robb just took random stuff that looked valuable and all the books he can find, though there are only two.
The screeching and Scratching stopped coming from outside.
"arms at ready." Dario ordered, Robb nodded in answer.
They opened the door in a flash, rolled outside as far as possible.
They both got up and started running like there's no tomorrow.
The shadows are on them immediately.
"This corridor is not the same." Robb noticed even as he is running.
"Aye." Dario answered, trying to drag is blood sodden hand on the wall on his side.
There was a opening, they both veered in to it as fast as possible, just in nick of time too, the shadow warriors on their back and front converged, entered the opening after them.
They both knew they are doomed before they took all of six steps.
They could hear the crunch of human bones underneath their foot. It is where many came to die, perhaps, they are going die here as well.
They both took out their steel to fight, but it was a futile effort. Two shadow warriors advanced on them, they both fought valiantly. It is as if the they are toying with them, for they knew both of them couldn't get out of here alive.
Robb's blade flew out of his hands. He stepped back, only to fall on his ass. He blindly grasped for any thing, took hold of first thing that he could get his hands on. The shadow swung his blade, Robb parried. It is when he parried he realized what's in his hands. It's a human thigh bone.
The shadow's sword cut clean through the bone. He looked wildly around, for any weapon. He spotted a blade lying on a stone afar, but it did not have pommel, neither did it have a guard. If he had to swing it, he will cut both his hands. Better have injured hands than a body with out head, an inner sarcastic voice that sounded too much like Jon called.
He ran towards the blade before his mind can even process those facts. He picked it up with two hands, swung blindly at the shadow. He struck true. The shadow screeched and vanished. Robb looked disbelievingly at the place where shadow was, as if he couldn't believe it.
He stepped forward, stabbing the shadow fighting Dario in the stomach. It died in the same manner. The two shadows at the door with drew. They both stepped out of the room, Robb with the sword still in hand. It is not until he stepped out he realized how big the sword in his hand is. It's a great sword, with a black color that seemed to absorb all the light reflect none back. It surprisingly weighed nothing to hold, but there is no guard to hold it with.
Dario pulled some thing out of his trinkets, showed Robb. An dragon bone hilt. He tried placing it on the sword, almost as if magic is at work, the sword and the hilt fit together with each other. Robb nodded to him gratefully, took out few rags from his supplies to wrap around his wound. He held the sword to him tightly, started walking out.
Soon, Dario figured a way out, all of a sudden, they are on outside of Asshai, on the stony shore with black sea beating at the beach, nary a boat in the sight. Either their friend bailed out on them, or they are on wrong end of shadow city.
They probably walked miles of of the beach before making camp in one of the caves. They were taking turns keeping watch. Robb must have dozed off on the job, because next they woke, there was a man roughly prodding him with foot.
"Are you Robb Stark?" he asked roughly. His common tongue has slightest hint of northern and pentoshi accent. It sounded strange to his ears. Seeing as they are alive, Robb determined these are friends. He nodded in answer.
"Get up young wolf. You got a ride." the man told him roughly.
Dario woke up by now, as is his habit, held a sword at the ready as soon as he woke.
"I am not going any where with out him." Robb told the man seriously, pointing at Dario.
The northern looking man shrugged in answer, already walking away from them. They both packed as fast as possible, followed the northerner.
"Who hired you?" Robb asked once he is on the ship.
"Technically, you did." the man answered.
"Who are you?" he asked next. For the man looked northern, at the same time, he did not.
"Company of Rose, at your service, Prince Stark." he answered back.
"I am not a prince." Robb said seriously.
"To us, you are." the man answered back.
"not technically, who hired you?" Robb asked.
"Ah, that would be your guardian in pentos. One Gerald Reyne." the man answered.
Robb was too thankful to further question the man's motives, or how Lord Gerald came to know about him. What ever it is, he is glad he is sailing back from Asshai, now his need for adventure quite cured.
He parted ways with Dario after accepting the green dragon egg in payment, giving back the iron bracelet to him. He had quite a few questions about Lord Gerald now. Why is he looking for dragon eggs? If it was money, there was money to be made in other ventures. Had it been not for him finding the black sword, Robb was absolutely sure even with Dario's skill, he would have been buried in skeleton room they found.
He examined the sword once again. He took it out once they reached shore to clean blood, but there was not a drop on it. The edge is jagged when you look close at it, there was not a scratch on it. Robb is absolutely sure there must be some work done to attach the dragon bone hilt, but the hilt and sword mended together as if they were put together by black smiths. It felt like the dragon bone it self is changing shape, but he could be imagining things.
Lord Reyne was waiting for him at the harbor. He looked thunderous. He found out the reason soon enough.
"Company of Rose accepted to provide a passage for you from the shores of Asshai to here, If you were to assume mantle of their leader for their next contract. They are going to fight Khal Savo." Lord Reyne informed him angrily.
"If you loose, your life is forfeit. Company of rose has fiteen hundred. Khal Savo has three thousand." Lord Reyne informed him.
Robb understood Lord Reyne's point. He had to go gallivanting in to the unknown, to chase an adventure knowing how dangerous it is. Lord Reyne had a single job on this journey apart from his original agenda, that is, to keep Robb safe. Even so, Robb felt churlish.
"You did not scold Jon like this, Lord Reyne." Robb informed him childishly. He almost died and came back alive, he is allowed a little bit of childishness. Not to mention he is only fourteen.
"Your brother did not go down to deal with the shadow cat with naught but a kitchen knife in hand." Lord Reyne informed him.
"No. He went down on a cliff towards a mountain lion with a volcano underneath him." Robb snapped back.
Lord Reyne looked like he is going to snarl at him, but at the last moment, he sighed and sat down.
"I am glad you are safe, young Robb. It was insensitive of me to scold you when you have been through such an ordeal and came out alive. It would have been far better if we are not under these circumstances, but now, we have no choice but to over come them. Tomorrow, you can join Company of Rose to discuss your battle plan." Lord Reyne said.
Need less to say, Robb proved to be as good a battle commander as one could get, though the numbers of company of rose reduced from fifteen hundred to twelve hundred, they were able to kill and take Khal savo's khalasar. If Company of Rose called him Prince Stark mockingly, now they did with respect. It is only after battle is over he came to know Lord Reyne offered his life in exchange for Robb's provided they were to loose.
He freed all the slaves in the khalasar, allowing them a choice of joining company of rose as free men, or going back to join any other khalasar of their choosing. After he organized their training and initial payment, Robb took few of the best horses as his due, rest, he gave to company of Rose, who swore they owed him one, if ever he called for arms, they will gladly come to his aide.
Lord Reyne and Robb left Pentos with quite a lot more they came with, set sail to Astapor. Lord Reyne should have known that Robb would get in to trouble as soon as he reached slavers bay with his new found need for adventure, but alas, he stayed comfortable in the belief Robb regretted his choices when he learned of Lord Reyne offering his life in exchange for Robb's.
Folly is youth's privilege. He should have known that. He had been dealing with men and one headstrong daughter for far too long to not have known that. Even so, he did not expect Robb to kill a slave master, flee with a ship full of northern small folk and wildlings in to the night.
The best solution he can come up with is gather his crew as quickly as possible, leave Slaversbay before slave masters came after him. He set sail to Bravos, sent an message to white harbor, prayed hard that Lord Stark will get the message before he reached bravos, Robb Stark will not encounter pirates and loose when he is out on ocean.
The prayers were only half answered. Having only the barest idea about sailing, Robb wandered off on the sea. There were quite a few scuffles on the boat between wildlings and north men. If there is one thing Robb stark learned quite well in past days, it is that problems must be dealt with quickly and completely. Once he beheaded the wildling who was the source of half the problems with naught but any notice, threw him over board, wildling and north men alike listened to him as if he is a god.
It's quite empowering. They drifted off to an island, which had a bit of game, from the flora, Robb recognized it as belonging to thousand islands. They did not stay there for long, if there is one thing he knew about ocean routes, it is that if he sailed straight towards sunset from these islands, he will reach white harbor.
So he set sail, with all his oars men working with surprising amount of discipline. They got used to listening to his orders, surprisingly, quite happy with them too, as they did not starve for food or water during this time. If only it went on like that. On the third day after they set sail, they ran head first in to a storm.
Robb was able to keep the ship afloat, but they lost their course. When the storm passed, sun rose again, they could see a distant icy cliff. They all assumed it is skagos. Robb ordered they sail towards it, knowing what ever rumors about skagos are, they are still stark bannermen, at the very worse, they would be in no more danger than they were on any other island, at best, they would be able to re-provision their ship, be on way to white harbor.
It is a wildling who recognized the place for what it is.
"It's not skagos. It's hard home. We must go back. We will all die if we land." he exclaimed.
"Why?" Robb asked, even as he ordered no oars, mast down.
"Rattle shirt holds the place." The wildling then went on to describe all the horrors that will happen to one who lost to Rattle shirt.
"If I challenge him to single combat, do you think he will accept?" Robb asked.
The wildling looked at him as if he is crazy.
"you are a boy. You will loose." he told him. Robb shrugged in answer.
"who's Rattle shirt?" he asked.
The man pointed out among the men who's standing on the shore.
Robb asked two wildlings who could probably oar back to the ship to accompany him on a canoe to the shore. The ship was anchored quite far, his friends did not get down from the canoe. He found Rattleshirt easily enough.
"I challenge you to a single combat, Rattleshirt." he told the man.
The wildling launched in to a diatribe of what he is going to do to Robb once he won. Robb tuned it out, focused on his opponents movements.
There, he was going to club him in the back. He moved in a flash. His sword cut through bone and flesh alike, Rattle shirt was howling holding a maimed hand. If he had been the boy that left winter-fell, Robb would have given him time to recover and parry. If life has taught him any thing past few days, it is that you die faster if you rely on honor.
So, before Rattle shirt could even muster an response, Robb swung his sword. He beheaded Rattleshirt, cutting through the giant skull in half to take his head. Silence rang around him.
"To the wolf king." the wildling in the canoe shouted.
"To the wolf king." the crowd echoed around him.
Thus, they anchored in hard home, provided the wildlings with quite a bit of fish as the catch. Feasted the night with strange alcohol in the dead leader's tent, with a giant for company.