DAVOS

The Onion Knight. His greatest feat that had earned him his greatest reward, and cost him dearly, nonetheless as he flexed his his half-fingered left hand, he thought it well worth it. Stannis Baratheon, who had taken the first joint from each of his fingers for smuggling, but left him the rest of his hand and gave him land and status for smuggling supplies into Storm's End when it was under siege, was a tough man, but a good one.

Stannis could perhaps be blinded to the fact that not every man was like himself, though. And despite having lived three and thirty years, Davos thought Stannis still belabored under the impression that others ought to be more like him, or at least endeavor to do so if they were not, like Davos did.

Davos meanwhile from his years of smuggling had learned that this was not a detriment, but often a hidden blessing to keep the long voyages interesting. He also found it a challenge to figure out the blind spots of a potential foe or purchaser-reading a person so unlike you and outwitting them was half the sport in smuggling. But since he'd become a knight with honor like his liege's, he had tried to put that aside. Though he still recalled it enough to try and make use of the skill if the situation called for it. And this was a situation which called for it.

His latest orders from the King were that he were to take in the legitimized bastard son of Eddard Stark, on whom Stannis held a slight grudge for receiving praise at relieving the siege at Storm's End, while Stannis had received no thanks whatsoever in even holding Storm's End at all.

"I know not why my brother continues to insult me in this manner!" he huffed a little loudly from his solar of his private house in the capital that he took use of when staying in King's Landing on business as Master of Ships. The King, his brother, seemed to think that since Stannis' seat at Dragonstone were but an "easy journey" for his brother, it not necessary to provide accomodations within the Red Keep itself, which further strained the relations between the two men.

"I think he has done you a great service, milord."

"Do you?" and that habit of Stannis' for grinding his teeth made an appearance.

"Indeed. Did not this boy earn his legitimization through the preservation of the life of his trueborn siblings? Or did the rumors speak falsely?" Davos had heard the stories rumored all through

Stannis admitted gruffly, "It is what was proclaimed."

"Then it appears your brother can recognize when two people might have enough in common. Mayhaps this son of Lord Stark's likewise holds to your opinion on the value of getting what one earns.

"I'll soon discover this for myself. If he be all that..."

Lord Stark's arrival at the great house with his legitimized son occurred scarecely after the arrival of the letter. Never had Davos seen a son look so alike his father, and he could easily see why the Lord would take the child in and raise him alongside his trueborn children-whom Davos had heard tell of more resembled their mother than him. The boy came dressed in Stark colors, but with the inverse colors of his sigil in the form of his full-grown pet dog. Aye, if the Lord had seen to giving him such a pet, he truly did favor the boy. After the Lord and his son's heartfelt departure, the young man reported to Stannis like a young sailor might before his captain.

In these first moments, the boy made a favorable impression upon Davos. In many ways, actually the boy reminded him of a younger and slightly more vulnerable version of Stannis he had met when he first had come under his employ. That siege had toughened Stannis to hard-wrought steel. In that moment wondered if the same fate lay in store for Jon Stark, under Stannis' supervision. Neither the boy nor Stannis spoke at first, both simply staring at one another and trying to read each other from across the room before. Davos felt both were likely to make wrong impressions of the other, if allowed to continue on in this silence. At long last, Stannis finally broke the silence.

"I have been commanded by his grace, my brother, to take you on as a ward and teach you the ways of ship and sea."

"His grace suggested as much to my father, my lord, after my lord father told him of his plans that he would like for me one day to have the ability to lead a navy. The King even complimented your skill."

"That's a lie. I will not tolerate lies to be spoken in my presence. My brother never compliments myself."

"I speak truly, my lord. To quoth him, he said to my lord father, "whom better to teach your son than the man who destroyed the Iron Fleet?"."

Davos noticed that news of his brother's regard for his naval prowess did not please the man, likely because he heard it not from the man himself, but through another. Despite his steel exterior, Davos could see straight through his lord to the child he had like been before he'd met him. A second son, always desiring a way for recognition, only to never recieving it, contenting himself to the lesson he should not desire recognition for his achievements, though he did. Looking to his elder brother's recognition once his parents' had died. Stannis most likely thought that child long dead, starved out of affection during the siege-but Davos could still catch hints of it's minimal existence from time to time. Now was one of those times.

"Do you yourself believe what my brother has told you?"

"Aye, my lord. I learned all about your plan of Fair Isle and capture of Old Wyk in my lessons as a child."

"You're still a child, boy if you think that. I myself did not destroy the Iron Fleet alone and would not have it said so. I had the support of all the captains sworn to me, whom put their trust in me as their commander to lead them true. This I did, but without the loyalty and respect of those captains, such as Ser Davos here, I am sure you would have heard a very different story from my brother's lips. Never undervalue the contributions of others, do you understand me, boy?"

Davos noticed within the lad a slight bristle at being called, boy, but he was smart enough not to make mention of the offense, and merely nodded in agreement.

"What do you know about a ship?"

"You tie a sail to a mast and the wind pushes it across the waves, my lord."

Stannis did not seem amused at the cheek of the Stark and said as much. He then rose and walked over to one of the shelves of books along the walls of his house and looking for a title eventually pulled out one and tossed it to the lad, who caught it.

"I presume you know how to read, boy?"

"Why wouldn't I, my lord?" The boy took offense at the suggestion he might be unable.

"Ser Davos here cannot read, though he is not so well sired as you. Once you have read this book in its entirety from cover to cover and can satisfy to me your knowledge, I will then take over your instruction. Until that time, Ser Davos here shall take you aboard his vessel."

"I'm to live aboard ship?" asked the boy incredulously.

Stannis snorted slightly before saying darkly, "Where else do you think to learn about one, 'neath the ground?"

It was then that they were interrupted by a messenger from the King, who delivered a written message. Stannis read the lines on the page with ease and then took himself aside, to speak with him in some sense of privacy.

"Ser Davos, I need not remind you to see to it that he earns his right to stay aboard the ship."

"No, my lord," replied Davos.

"Keep the boy close. Don't let him out of your sight. I have been summoned by my brother to the palace on most urgent business. I will see you on the morrow to hear more of the lad," and with that said, Lord Stannis dismissed them.

Davos then took the boy and his few belongings down to the docks. The white dog following loyally behind them as they did so.

As they walked through the streets of the city, Davos observed to the boy, "You'll have to leave the dog, boy. He'll be a distraction aboard ship."

The lad was determined, "Ghost stays with me, and he is no dog."

Davos put aside the lad's refusal to part with his pet, it reminding him of his own sons' stubbornness at first and deciding to return to it at a later point. Instead he asked, "What is he then? A wolf?"

The boy elucidated as they dodged the crowded streets, "Aye, a direwolf. The living embodiment of my house's sigil. All my siblings have one. A gigantic she-wolf was found in the Wolfswood and came to Winterfell to give birth to a litter."

Queer tale to explain a dog to a boy, but Davos decided that he'd allow the lad some vestige of his family. He'd want his sons to have as much. Doubting the nature of the beast though, he simply added, "I heard they were larger."

"He is just a pup," was the lad's only reply.

Then deciding that if the boy truly wanted his pet aboard he'd give him his first test, "If he grows any larger you'll have to cut your rations to feed him, or work twice as much to earn his place aboard ship."

"I will work and so will he," was the boy's stoic response.

Davos chuckled at the thought-a dog earn his keep? He would love to see that day! But the boy had replied rightly, though it remained to be seen if there was more than just wind behind his words. Good naturedly he added, "Aye, I believe you will."

After finding Jon Stark a hammock to sleep in below decks he then set a bucket and brush before the boy and told him that his first lesson about ships would be in maintenance.

"A ship is only as good as her weakest part. And when a ship has been sitting at port is when she is the most vulnerable to damages and disrepair. Ships are not made for port, and fare not well in them. For it is not so much the use of a ship's parts, but the under use of them which wears them out the quickest. Before setting sail you must always check that every part is in good working order-for once you have left port, if anything were to break on your journey, it could mean life or death out there on the seas. You understand boy?"

The lad was if anything, respectful as he said, "Aye, Ser."

"The first step to maintaining a good ship is cleanliness. Now, I want you to scrub the rear deck before this evening's meal. Were you working alone I'd ask for only half, but since you have your wolf to help you, I see no reason why it should take you two any more time than it would to do half as much."

He then left the lad and his pet at it, while he met with his second in command, his son Matthos, who informed him of the status of the ship in his own compartments.

"Who's the boy?" asked his dark haired son as he took a seat Davos had offered.

"He's Lord Stark's legitimized bastard. Apparently he is to learn about ships with Lord Stannis so he might one day be an admiral of his father's ships."

Matthos looked confused at this news, "The North has a fleet?"

"Apparently it will," said Davos.

Just then a deckhand came to them to announce that two Goldcloaks had boarded without permission, requiring his presence atop deck to speak with him. Davos immediately wondered what the Goldcloaks could be desire of him. He soon found the two men, who looked little better than thugs with cloth of gold draped from their armor.

"Captain Davos, by the order of the Queen, The traitor Lord Stannis' ward, Jon Stark, is required to come with us."

Traitor? Just exactly what had happened in the Red Keep in the last few hours? Davos shot subtle looks to his deckhands, telling them to be ready at a moment's notice. He would not fail his lord's command to keep the boy-especially if the Queen was falsely accusing his liege a traitor. It had to be false, Stannis would not move against his brother. The Queen must have seized power!

In the meanwhile he bought his deckhands some time by continuing to drag out the conversation. "Sers, you are aware that I am under command to see to it that his ward begins his naval education, do you not?"

"He may continue it ashore. The Queen desires the boy, captain."

"When does the Queen order Goldcloaks? What has happened to the King?"

"The King has taken ill. It appears the Targaryeon legacy lives through him and his treacherous brothers. The boy, captain."

Upon hearing that, Davos gave the signal and his deckhands took the Goldcloaks by surprise, knocking them out with only a little bit of a scuffle. They then unceremoniously tossed them into the waters of the bay. These would not be the only men, there would be more of them. And if they reported true, the Lord Stannis was a prisoner of the Red Keep. He could hardly sneak into the Keep with his deckhands, nor could he stay in port a moment longer before likely joining his lord in where'er the Queen had placed him, and then who would come to his lord's aide, or tell the world of her unjust claims? He'd have to sail for Dragonstone and gather the support of Lady Selyse the rest of the fleet, and then he would return for his lord.