Hey guys, time for the next chapter.
Thanks for the reviews and the suggestions, a lot of them were great.
And to address in the elephant from last chapter, yes, the Targaryen Dynasty was only around 300 years, not over a thousand. That was a typo. I meant to type 'hundreds', not 'thousands'. Sometimes the fingers type the wrong thing. Overall, I fixed that typo and now it says hundreds, not thousands. Sorry for that.
And now without further ado.
.
"Will you woman really know what we want?" asked Fred.
"Yeah" said George as she watched the woman paint odd markings on the back of a naked man "She doesn't seem all knowing"
"We don't have much choice" said Jorah "There aren't many leads for us to take. And she seems to be among the more knowing of this city"
After the Dwarves attacked Xaro Xhoan Daxos' manor and someone stole the dragons, Daenerys sent Jorah, Starkiller and the Twins to find them while she and Xaro questioned the Thirteen.
"Think we should wait?" asked George.
"The longer we wait, the longer the dragons remain with their captor" said Starkiller "The faster we act, the less risk we take"
"Alright" said Fred.
"We'll go talk to her" said George "We're people people"
Fred and George walked over to talk to Quaithe, leaving Jorah and Starkiller alone.
"...I should of been there for her" said Jorah.
"It's pointless to dwell on the past" said Starkiller.
"Is it? I knew there was a danger in staying in this city the instant Khaleesi of Xaro Xhoan Daxos' offer for marriage"
"I feel like this is less about her being in danger and more you being jealous"
Jorah turned and gave Starkiller a glare before straightening up "Well she is in danger now. Her dragons stolen, her servants killed, and we're in the center of enemies"
"Someone is defiantly helping her enemies" said Starkiller "While I was walking, I came upon one of the Dwarves named Gormr Doursmith talking to a robed man. They said there ally would help them steal the dragons"
"As you told me and Daenerys" said Jorah "She would be dead if not for you and the wizards"
"My protection is limited" said Starkiller "I can't stand with her twenty-four seven"
"Twenty-four seven?" asked Jorah.
Starkiller rolled his eyes. He forgot time worked differently here "Twenty-four hours, seven days"
Jorah nodded "I told her we should leave this city, but she won't abandon her dragons"
"They are her children" said Starkiller "And they'll grow to be war machines for her"
"You don't sound worry" said Jorah.
"I've handled worse than dragons" said Starkiller.
"Then you haven't seen a grown dragon" said Jorah.
Before more could be said, the Weasley Twins came back.
"We didn't get anything off her" said Fred.
"She kept talking in riddles" said George.
"Absolute loon, that one" said Fred.
Starkiller rolled his eyes. "Let me talk to her"
Starkiller walked past the twins and came to a halt behind Quaithe.
"Galen Marek the Starkiller" said Quaithe without looking at Starkiller "Son of the Jedis Kento and Mallie Marek. Secret Apprentice of Darth Vader"
Starkiller kept his eyes leveled.
"You are not surprised" stated Quaithe.
"I simply don't care" said Starkiller "What my history is and who knows it is of little consequence to me"
"As you say" said Quaithe.
"It also wouldn't be surprising for you to know where the dragons are"
"I do"
"Where?" said Starkiller, a hint of danger in his voice.
Quaithe, however, remained unnerved. "Much has happened since the lion brought his warriors to this world. The complex web of conflict grows with each arrival, you among them"
"...So it really wasn't just me and the twins" said Starkiller "Others are coming to this land. Why?"
"It is not for me to say" said Quaithe.
"Then tell me this" said Starkiller "Those Dwarves. And this Gormr Doursmith. They are from another world too"
"It is as you say" said Quaithe.
"What do they want with the dragons?"
Quaithe stopped painting as she stood and faced Starkiller.
"What all want from Dragons. Fire and Blood"
.
Daenerys and her Bloodriders stood among the Thirteen as they talked.
"I did not leave the comforts of my home to come to yours and be called a thief" said the Spice Merchant.
"No one is calling you a thief" said Xaro as he sat next to Daenerys.
"Who is she to accuse us?!" said the Spice Merchant with venom in his voice.
"Please" started Daenerys with stress in her voice "They're my children. I'm begging you"
"Begging us?" said another member of the Thirteen "It wasn't so long ago that you were threatening us"
"Without me the dragons will die!" said Daenerys.
"It will be for the best" said the Spice Merchant "Your dragons will bring the world nothing but death and misery my dear. If I knew where they were I would not tell you"
"You are cruel my friend!" shouted Pyat Pree, one of the Warlocks from the House of Undying "The Mother of Dragons is in the right. She must be reunited with her babies" he then turned to Daenerys "I will help you Khaleesi"
"How?" asked Daenerys.
"I will take you to the House of the Undying" said Pyat Pree "Where I have put them"
Daenerys stayed silent as the words came to her brain "You have my dragons?!"
"When I learned you were coming to our city, I made an arrangement with the King of Qarth" said Pyat Pree.
The members of the Thirteen started laughing at that little sentence.
"He procured them for me" said Pyat Pree.
"But there is no King of Qarth!" said Daenerys.
Xaro Xhoan Daxos then rose "There is now. That was the other half of the arrangement"
Daenerys stared at Xaro Xhoan Daxos in shock as he walked past her and faced the Thirteen "You would keep your gates and your minds closed to everything outside your walls. But Qarth cannot remain the greatest city that ever was if it refused to change" said Xaro as Pyat Pree rose from his seat and walked over to Xaro "I will open Qarth to the world as I have forced it to open itself to me"
"Your ambition is an inspiration" said the Spice Merchant "But like all upstarts you overreach. Three dragons the size of cats and an alliance with a charlatan do not make you a king"
"An upstart and a charlatan" said Xaro "Empires have been built by less. Those are the margins often come to control the center and those in the center make room for them; willingly or otherwise"
Pyat Pree then stepped forth "The Mother of Dragons will be with her babies" he then turned to Daenerys "She will give them her love and they will thrive by her side. Forever"
"Not if we put them and you two to the ground" said the Spice Merchant.
Pyat Pree turned back to the Thirteen "Not with our new friends"
Then out of the shadows came eleven dwarves, each carrying an axe. Before the Thirteen could even react, the Dwarves slammed their axes into the skulls of the Thirteen. Most of them died on impact. Some, including the Spice Merchant, twitched in pain before dropping dead. Daenerys gasped and stared in shock as her Bloodriders stood closer to her, their Arakh's in hand.
Xaro Xhoan Daxos then turned to Daenerys "This could of been your army. Warriors from another realm, strong and able. They are the Dourhand Dwarves. Outcasts among there own kind, they would of fought for you, being an outcast yourself. But now they are mine"
"As long as you keep your end of the bargain" said the head Dwarf.
"Of course Gormr" said Pyat Pree. "With the Mother of Dragons and her children, reviving Skorgrim Dourhand will be of ease"
Daenerys stayed no longer. She turned and ran, her Bloodriders besides her. Where she was going was not of mind yet. All that mattered was leaving the manor and getting to Jorah and Starkiller.
As she reached the top of the steps and ran towards the door, Pyat Pree was standing there smiling, two Dourhand Dwarves standing on each side of him.
As her three Bloodriders stood in front of her, a sword pierced Pyat Pree, a blade of red light cutting down the four Dwarves.
Pyat Pree looked down at Jorah's sword coming out of him as Starkiller pointed his Lightsaber at him.
"A mother should be with her children" said Pree, not even caring that a sword was piercing him. As Jorah pulled his sword back, all that fell were Pyat Pree's clothes.
"Where will you run to Daenerys Stormborn?" they all turned and saw another Pyat Pree standing there "Your dragons wait for you in the House of the Undying. Come see them"
Starkiller immediately pushed his open palm forward and Pyat Pree was forced through the wall.
"That won't keep him down" said Starkiller.
"Come Khaleesi!" shouted Jorah as he pulled Daenerys out the door, her Bloodriders and Starkiller following.
"Where are we going?" asked Daenerys.
"Out of here!" said Starkiller "Fred and George are already escorting your household out of here"
"Where will we hide?!" Daenerys needed to know where to go from here "Will we be able to hide?!"
Before more could be said, they came across Y corridor, one leading to another part of the manor and the other to the exit. And filling up both sides were Dourhand Dwarves charging towards them.
Starkiller started towards one hallway and threw his Lightsaber boomerang style, cutting the Dwarves in half as the Lightsaber came back to him. Jorah, Rakharo, Aggo, and Jhaqo started clashing their swords and Arakhs against the the Dourhand Axes. Jorah stabbed one Dourhand in the face before shifting to another one. Rakharo and the other two Dothraki used their lighter bodies and unique fighting style to throw off the Dourhand. But the Dourhand were skill warriors and their own rights. They were small, but like all Middle-Earth Dwarves they had bodies of harden muscles.
But that didn't matter to Starkiller. He jumped over and landed between Jorah and the Dothraki and the Dourhand and shot Force Lightning out of his hands. The Dourhand Dwarves screamed and all fell to the ground dead except for one.
"You missed one" said Jorah.
"You can't question the dead" said Starkiller as he walked over to the one living Dourhand.
"Fuck you!" shouted the Dwarf. Starkiller ignored him as he punched him square in the face. The Dwarf fell to the ground as Starkiller picked him up.
"We need to get out of here" said Daenerys.
"RWOAR!"
Daenerys and her warriors turned back where they came from and saw two Dourhand Dwarves running towards them, a third one pulling some big creature on a leash. The creature was a big, hulking monster, it was grey skinned and hairless.
"Get the Troll after them!" shouted the Dwarf leading the charge.
Daenerys, Jorah, and all three Dothraki stood in fear as they eyed this Troll run towards them.
Starkiller, however, was of a stronger mind. He dropped the unconscious Dwarf in his hand and put both hands towards the enemy. Lightning shot out as if surrounded the four. All three Dwarves fell dead after several seconds of agonizing pain, but the Troll stood tall.
"Damn" muttered Starkiller. This Troll was of a thicker skin. The Troll ran over to it's attacker and threw a massive fist towards Starkiller. Starkiller stepped to the side as the Troll's fist dented the ground. Starkiller hopped onto the Troll's arm, the Troll trying to shake Starkiller off as Starkiller tossed himself up over the Troll and ignited his Lightsaber. The red blade pierced the top of the Troll's dome and came out of it's chin, a glowing red light beaming out of it's mouth. The Troll made a painful moaning sound as if fell forward, it's dead body loudly pounding the ground.
Starkiller released his Lightsaber's blade as he walked over to Daenerys. "We'll be in trouble if they have more of those things around. Let's go!"
A dumbfounded Daenerys nodded as she followed Starkiller, Jorah holding her hand as her Bloodriders ran besides them.
.
"This is a folly, Lord Brynden" said Yohn Royce.
"I suppose it is" said the Blackfish as he sat across from Lord Royce.
"You would have me march the Knights of the Vale against our Lord's consent" stated Yohn "I will not dishonor years of loyalty to House Arryn by ignoring it's Lord"
"Robin might be it's Lord, but Lysa rules through him" said the Blackfish.
"A mother has every right to rule in her son's stead, considering Robin's age" said Yohn.
"You and I both know Lysa's not in her right mind" said Brynden.
"Gods of course I know that!" said Yohn "Feeding her son at her teat as if he were still a babe in swaddling clothes. Tossing minor criminals out the Moon Door"
"You and I have both seen how Lysa has run things since Jon Arryn's death" said Brynden "When I heard they were burning the Riverlands, I begged her send aid. All she said was that she couldn't even send one sword away from the Vale"
"A folly it is" said Yohn "Did she really threaten Lady Catelyn?"
"Supposedly" said Brynden "Her own sister. I loved those girls as they grew. And Edmure. And Baelish"
"Baelish" spat out Yohn "How did one of Hoster's wards turn into a moneygrubbing whore monger?"
"I still remember that day he challenged Brandon Stark to that duel" said Brynden "The fool loved Cat. He actually believed he could beat him"
"It doesn't matter now" said Yohn "The Mad King burned Brandon Stark and his father Rickard. And Baelish has been whoring around ever since"
"I'm just glad Hoster's not around to see his daughter's madness"
"How is Lord Tully?" asked Yohn.
"Dying a bit every day" said Brynden "Actually put our feud behind him"
"What was that feud about anyway?" asked Yohn.
"I wouldn't marry" said Brynden "Simple as that"
"Not my place to pry" said Yohn "I lost family too. My son Waymar"
"How?"
"I don't know" said Yohn as he collected himself "The last anyone saw him, he headed North of the Wall. A letter at Winterfell says that one of his brothers was with him when he fled south. Before Lord Eddard took his head, they said he was killed by the White Walkers"
Brynden laughed at that "Poor lad probably just saw one of them off Wildlings"
"Doesn't matter what killed him" said Yohn "Doesn't change that he's dead. My other son Robar travels with Renly on his march to King's Landing. How long before he's dead too? How long before Andar leaves to join his brother to war?"
"Your daughter?" asked Brynden.
"All safe for now" said Yohn.
"While Lysa and her boy relax behind the Gates of the Vale, hundreds of children are being butchered by the Mountain. How many could be spared if the Vale joined the war"
Yohn smiled "The good ole days. Back when Robert and Jon were still alive. They grew up in these lands under Jon. Many of the lords remember them fondly. Hell, even of of Robert's bastards live here"
"Mya Stone" said Brynden.
"The man could never stay in one bed could be?" jested Yohn as he and the Blackfish shared a quick laugh.
"You and I both know the Lannisters killed him" said Brynden "And Jon for all we know"
"Aye" said Yohn "And of the three, only Ned lives. A man of honor. And it's that same honor that keeps me home. Armies might be made of men, but it's honor and loyalty that holds them together. And what army would we be if we threw away both?"
Brynden stared hard at Yohn in silence. They stayed silent for a minute before Yohn's eldest son and heir Andar came in, accompanied by Robert's bastard Mya. The girl was a pretty thing though she dressed in men's clothing.
"Father. Lord Tully" said Andar.
"What be it wrong?" asked Brynden.
"I was scouting between the roads. Ever since the Mountain tribes left with the Imp, the roads have been safe. But Lady Arryn has me keeping me eye out in case they return" said Mya "Then I came across three odd men and a woman"
"Lannisters? Sellswords?" asked Yohn.
"Maybe Sellswords, but well..." Mya exchanged odd looks with Andar. "I didn't know what to do with them. One of them tried to attack me with a stick, but his companion stopped that. That one asked for shelter. I considered taking them to the Eyrie for Lady Arryn to question, but she would of killed them. So I took them to Lord Nestor. He told me to take them to you"
"My cousin too busy for trivial matters?" asked a scornful Yohn.
"I'm just the messenger my Lord" said Mya.
"...Bring them in" said Yohn Royce.
Andar stepped out the door to retrieve four men. After several seconds he came back with several guards and the four.
The first man with messy black hair and trimmed facial hair. He wore a black suit a carried a stick in his hand.
The second man had slick hair and scars across his face, ragged clothing draping his body.
The third one, the woman, wore black robes over her slender body. Her hair was pink, of all colors.
The last one was tall. Taller than Gregor Clegane. He was over eight and a half feet tall. He wore a brown, muddy coat and had thick facial hair.
"Seven Hells" muttered Yohn "The man's bigger than the bloody Mountain.
"I ain't that big" said the tall one with a puff of a laugh.
"This isn't the time for jokes Hagrid" said the ragged one "We are strangers to this land. Could you tell us where we are?"
"They won't be of any help Remus" said the black hair one.
"Then where shall we look Sirius?" said Remus.
"Not with Muggles" said this Sirius.
"Boys" said the woman "Let's not fight" she turned Sirius "And we can't be picky"
"...Alright Tonks" said Sirius.
"Apologies" said Remus as he bowed his head to Yohn and Brynden "We are on edge"
"That's okay" said Brynden "These are tough times"
"My name is Remus Lupin" said Remus.
"Sirius Black" said Sirius.
"Nymphadora Tonks" said Tonks "But just call me Tonks"
"Rubeus Hagrid" said Hagrid.
"Brynden Tully" said the Blackfish.
"Lord Yohn Royce" said Yohn.
"Now what brings four interesting people to the Vale of Arryn?" asked Brynden.
"It will be hard to explain" said Lupin.
"...Leave us" said Yohn.
"As you wish father" said Andar. Mya bowed her head with a smile and followed Andar out the door with the guards.
"Could you tell us where we are?" asked Lupin.
"I just told you" said Yohn "The Vale of Arryn. More specifically Runestone, East of the Eyrie"
"None of these names are ringing a bell" said Sirius.
"..." Yohn looked a Sirius's serious face "What man hasn't heard of the Eyrie?!"
"We're foreigners" said Lupin. "We apologies for our blunt nature"
"Pay it no mind" said the Blackfish "Where are you lot from?"
"London" said Sirius.
Brynden and Yohn stared at each other as they let the name sink in before Brynden spoke up again "And where is London?"
"Well that's what we would like to know" said Hagrid.
"Right now we are separated from our home" said Lupin "As odd as this situation may seem, it is the truth. This land, it's culture, it's people. We know nothing of it. And the reverse is most likely the same"
"It wouldn't be a bad idea to get the lay of the land though" said Tonks "Who rules here?"
"In the Vale, Lord Robin Arryn rules" said Yohn. "But for Westeros itself, it has several rulers"
"Explain" said Sirius bluntly.
"...For the last few years, Robert Baratheon ruled as King of the Seven Kingdoms from King's Landing, the Capital of Westeros. But when he died, succession came to conflict. They say that his Queen's children aren't his own. Then Robert's brothers proclaimed themselves as his heirs"
"They both want to be king?" asked Lupin.
"A folly on his younger brother's part" said Yohn.
"And where is the Vale on this little war?" asked Lupin.
"We are neutral" said Yohn "The Houses Stark and Tully are fighting for their lives against Robert's false son and the House Lannister. The Lords of the Vale would join them, but Lady Lysa, Robin's mother, forbids any in the Vale to partake in this war. A folly it is. Ned Stark was like a son to Jon Arryn. He wouldn't of let his wife do"
"...Excuse us" said Lupin. "My group needs to talk"
"Of course" said Yohn "I'll have my men escort you to a room"
Several guards came and escorted the four out of the room. They led them to a vacant room and left right after.
"This is bonkers" said Sirius.
"I know" said Lupin.
Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, before appearing in Westeros, were conversing at 12 Grimmauld Place. It was one of the rare times Lupin wasn't working for the Order of the Phoenix for Dumbledore. Sirius, being the criminal the Wizarding World believed he was, had to stay at his ancestral house for safety. For once, they were fighting. Snape, another member of the Order, reported to them that Harry had a vision of Sirius at the Ministry of Magic. Not long after he again reported Harry and five others were missing. Sirius was trying to leave Grimmauld Place to search for Harry but Lupin was assigned to make sure Sirius didn't do anything stupid. Soon after, Tonks came by with Hagrid. After Dumbledore was removed from Hogwarts, the Ministry decided to capture Dumbledore's loyal man Hagrid. The Half-Giant escaped, thanks to his giant's skin's immunity to spells, and went on the run. Dumbledore had Tonks search out for him and to bring him back to Grimmauld Place. When Hagrid too learned of Harry's disappearance, he joined Sirius's band wagon of looking for him against Lupin and Tonks. But before anything could be decided, the fireplace started smoking grey smoke. They all thought it was a fire and got surrounded by a thick cloud of smoke. When they blew away the smoke, they were no longer at Grimmauld Place. They were on the open road to some medieval country. Then they were found by the Knights of the Vale, who took them to Nestor Royce. When Nestor Royce didn't know what to do with them, he sent them to his cousin, Yohn.
And now they were here.
"I really hope this is some sort of trick being played by Dumbledore" said Tonks.
"Since seems a bit much" said Lupin "Even for Dumbledore"
"...Do you think Harry's here?" asked Sirius.
"What makes you ask that?" asked Tonks.
"Harry disappeared with his friends" said Sirius "They weren't at the Ministry. Nor anywhere at Hogwarts"
"It's not a one hundred percent guarantee" said Lupin "But it's not an impossibility"
"It would explain a few things" said Tonks "Things have been wonky ever since Gringotts disappeared"
"Just like Harry" said Lupin "Just like us"
"Do you really think Harry and em are here?" asked Hagrid.
"Without a doubt" said Sirius.
"But what do we do now?" asked Tonks as her hair changed from pink to violet "We have no way to contact anyone in the order"
"We'll need to make allies then" said Lupin.
"You're not talking about that haughty old man, are ya?" asked Tonks.
"I am" said Lupin "And haughty or not, he's at least polite"
"What about the sour man with him?" asked Tonks.
"He seems alright" said Sirius as he walked towards an open window, the outside being ground level.
"Where are you going?" asked Lupin.
"Out for a walk" said Sirius before he transformed into a big, black dog. Ignoring whatever Lupin shouted, Sirius ran out the door on all fours. He knew what he was doing was stupid. Splitting up was not the brightest thing for one to do in this situation. But Sirius had been on the run for years. Forced to stay shut in Grimmauld Place for months. And now he was outside on the open country where no one was looking for him. It was too tempting.
Sirius kept running through the fields as he passed by farmers and patrolling soldiers. As Sirius looked around, he had to wonder just why he came here. Life was strange.
Being on the run did give Sirius lots of opportunity to perfect his dog persona. He trotted up to a couple of kids playing. Some of them stared at him cautiously, but some of the more braver ones came forward to pet him, the shyer ones coming after. Sirius wagged his tail and smiled in his doggy way as he kept up his act. After being a prisoner of the Dementors and eating rats on the run, playing the dog was easy.
That reminded Sirius, he needed to check on Buckbeak.
The Hippogriff Buckbeak once belonged to Hagrid, but during Harry's Third Year and Hagrid's first year of teaching, Buckbeak scratched Draco Malfoy and was sentenced to death on grounds of harming a student. Buckbeak, however, was saved by Harry and Hermione and given to Sirius to escape from Hogwarts after the Ministry caught him. For over a year the Hippogriff and Sirius were close fugitives and Buckbeak remained with him during his stay at Grimmauld's. Before arriving in Westeros, Buckbeak was injured. Sirius guessed it was by that rot House-Elf Kreacher. Sirius would have to remember to punish him when he gets back.
Sirius licked one of the child's faces then ran off. When the four arrived, Lupin suggested keeping Buckbeak somewhere safe and quickly hid the Hippogriff. And now Sirius journeyed over to where Buckbeak was. Sirius arrived at the woods they stashed Buckbeak in as he trotted in. Thanks to his canine sense of smell, Sirius could sniff out the Hippogriff with ease.
But as Sirius smelled around, he caught an unfamiliar scent. It was the scent of perfume. Sirius tilted his doggy head as he followed the scent, taking one step at a time with his four feet. When Sirius arrived at the source of the smell, he spied two people in a clearing talking.
One was a common looking man in armor, a letter in hand.
The other was a scrawny woman in fancy clothing.
"What does Petyr want?" asked the woman.
"My Lady" bowed the man "Lord Baelish just wishes to make sure you remember to keep up your end"
"Why would I betray my love. I've done everything for Petyr!" said the woman frantically "I killed my husband for Petyr. When Petyr told me to send a letter telling my whore of a sister that the Lannisters killed Jon, I did it without hesitation. What a clever ploy Petyr played. Petyr was always so clever. I told my father for years Petyr was clever and wise. Having his baby would have been an honor. But my father made me drink moon tea and robbed us of our child. But once my father's dead and my sister's dead, nothing will get between me and my Petyr"
Sirius was glad he was a dog, for his human instincts would have made him cuss out something.
"Lord Baelish just wants to play it safe" said the man "Ever since Lord Stark escaped from King's Landing, things have not been going Lord Baelish's ways. You are one of his trusted allies"
"I am aren't I" said the woman as her voice became sickeningly sweet "I would do anything for him"
"Where do the Lords of the Vale stand during this war?" asked the man.
The woman furrowed her brow "They beg me to send their armies out to the field to my sister. Those soldiers are to protect Robin. Nothing else!"
Sirius was starting to piece things together. This woman was plotting with some guy called Petyr and she was conspiring against her family. She was most likely this Lysa Arryn. According to Yohn Royce, she was the reason these Vale people were staying neutral in their little war.
"Does Petyr ask me for anything else?" asked Lysa, apparently hoping for words from her precious Petyr.
"No my Lady"
"Then go back to him Lothor Brune!" said Lysa with scorn in her voice.
Lothor Brune bowed once then turned away, Lysa Arryn heading the opposite direction.
Sirius stayed still as he collected his thoughts. Lupin was right, they needed allies right now. And these Vale people were right now there only hope for quick allies. But this Lysa woman was loonier than Muggle Cartoons from America. And from what Sirius could gather, she killed her husband and wanted her family dead. That wasn't the kind of person Sirius wanted to share a table with.
Then Sirius thought of something. When Yohn Royce was talking he said Jon Arryn wouldn't have done nothing and that the Lords of the Vale wanted to join this war that was apparently going on. That meant Jon Arryn is this Robin Arryn's father and that Lysa woman's husband. If the Lords of the Vale were to learn this, then they wouldn't stay quiet. It was true Sirius had no right in leading people to war, but something told him Harry was wrapped up in this conflict. Whoever these Lannister people were, they weren't good people. And if there the enemy, then Harry would be siding with these Stark people. And these Starks sounded like they needed help.
Sirius quickly acted. He ran towards where Lothor Brune was walking. He ran for a minute before he caught up with the man. When Lothor Brune heard the sound of something behind him, he unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Sirius. All he found was a dog.
As Lothor Brune tilted his head, Sirius quickly acted like a friendly dog, wagging his tail and panting loudly.
Lothor Brune merely grunted and re-sheathed his sword, turning his back to Sirius. As he did that, Sirius shifted back to his human form and pointed his wand at Lothor Brune.
"Incarcerous!"
At once, a thick string of rope shot out of Sirius's wand and circled itself on Lothor Brune. The man gasped as the rope squeezed him before he fell to the ground.
"Seven Hells!" shouted Lothor "What is this?!"
"Sorry about that" said Sirius sarcastically "We need to talk"
.
Boba ignored the sound of Bronn and the Lannister men singing in the background as he read 'A History of Aegon the Conqueror and His Conquest of Westeros'. They were currently relaxing in one of the rooms of the Tower of the Hand. Boba was in the room next to theirs. Tyrion wanted them close by.
When Bronn saw Boba reading, he joked that Tyrion was rubbing off on him. But Boba was always a reader, at least when he was younger. When Boba was still a boy growing under his father, he loved to read and look at blueprints of Starships. There were three things a Bounty Hunter needed to excel at to be a pro in the game. Tools, skills, and wits. Boba had plenty of all three, both before and after Jango's death. When it was time for Tyrion to pay Boba and Bronn for their hard work, they got their standard pay, a bit of extra gold, and books as a side bonus. Bronn gave Boba his books.
Boba took a sip of lemon juice (too early to be drunk) as he flipped the page. From what he got, this book was about House Targaryen after the Doom of Valyria, an event which destroyed House Targaryen's original home Valyria. Nearly a century after this doom, House Targaryen led by Aegon the Conqueror invaded Westeros with their dragons. They destroyed many Houses and united the entire Kingdom, except for Dorne which was able to retain it's independence. They would rule for three hundred years until Robert Baratheon brought House Targaryen to it's end during his Rebellion.
As Boba read, he noted many bright notions that could be helpful in the future. There was wisdom from the past.
"Excuse me"
Boba lazily looked over. At the door was Myrcella, Cersei's second child and only daughter. Behind her were two guards.
"May I come in?" asked the child sweetly.
"Your a princess" said Boba "You can do what you want"
Myrcella smiled as she walked in, her guards following her
"I was looking for my Uncle" said Myrcella as she stood next to Boba, peering at his book "The conquest of Westeros. It's a good book"
"You read?" asked Boba.
"When I do my lessons with the Maesters" said Myrcella as her smiled soften "Joffrey never liked those lessons. Said they were stupid"
"Learning isn't stupid" said Boba "Refusing to learn is stupid. Which is Joffrey in a nutshell"
Myrcella chuckled, though Boba guessed she didn't get the joke.
"Why do you want to see Tyrion?" Boba asked.
"I wanted to give him this" one of her bodyguards handed Myrcella a little pot, who handed it to Boba. Boba look in it a saw a tiny flower growing in it. "It's from my garden. Mother had servants grow most of it, but I grew that one myself. I was told to give it to Joffrey for his Nameday but..."
Boba stared at the child through his visor. He put down his book and the pot on the table in front of him and pulled out two coins out of his pouch.
"Here" Boba tossed the guards a coin each "The Lord Commander is enjoying himself with Lord Tyrion's men. Go enjoy yourselves, I watch the Princess"
The two guards stared at each other, debating whether to accept his offer. It was brief. They bowed at Myrcella and went off into the next room.
"Speak your mind child" said Boba "Nothing you say goes back to Joffrey or your mother"
"...You are kind" said Myrcella as she pulled out a chair and put it alongside Boba's chair. She then seated herself as she faced Boba "My brother. I hear what he does. How he orders men to beat Sansa. Or how he kills all the animals here. He made me and Tommen watch as he shot a rabbit. I never heard a rabbit make such a painful noise. It was awful"
"..."
"I'm sorry" said Myrcella as she collected herself "I shouldn't speak of my brother that way. He's the king"
"He's a monster" said Boba. "You know it. I know it. Your uncle knows it. Everyone outside the Red Keep probably knows it"
"A king shouldn't be cruel" said Myrcella as she lowered her head. "But mother doesn't do anything to stop him"
'Because she's a monster too' was what Boba wanted to say, but Boba wasn't pitting daughter against mother. Not only was that a battlefield Boba wouldn't walk upon, he didn't want to give the golden hair cunt another reason to hate Tyrion.
"I can't speak for your mother. I never knew your father. I can't judge their parenting" said Boba "How old are you?"
"Sixteen"
"Your becoming quite the lady" said Boba "Where I come from, your a man when you turn thirteen"
Myrcella widen her eyes "But men come of age when they reach sixteen"
"Mandalore was different" said Boba.
"Is that where your from?" asked Myrcella.
"...No" said Boba "My father... raised me on Kamino. You wouldn't know it"
"What was your father like?" asked Myrcella, her eyes widen in interest.
"...He was a good man" said Boba "He was the son of farmers. But they were killed by the Death Watch"
"Death Watch?" asked Myrcella.
"...Bad Mandalorians" was all Boba said "My father was taken in my Jaster Mereel, leader of the True Mandalorians"
"Were they good Mandalorians?" Myrcella asked innocently.
"They were better than the Death Watch" said Boba "Jaster made my father the man he was, and my father made me the man I am today"
"What killed him?" asked Myrcella. Boba stared at her. It made sense. Stories like this rarely ended with 'he died peacefully in his bed'.
"...War"
"...I'm sorry" said Myrcella.
"Not your fault" said Boba "But it's the truth"
"...My Uncle Stannis wants to kill Joffrey" said Myrcella "We he try to kill me and Tommen?"
Boba stared at the girl. As he looked at her, he wondered how such an innocent child have come out of Cersei "Your uncle won't let that happen. And he'll most likely hire me to keep it that way"
Myrcella laughed.
Boba rose out of his seat "Come on. I'll take you to your uncle"
Myrcella nodded before getting out of her chair. She followed Boba as they walked up the stairs to Tyrion's chambers.
The reason Tyrion was all alone while Bronn and Boba were enjoying themselves was because he was preparing. Talon Karrde was priority one at the moment.
After Tyrion sent his offer to Karrde, a man named Aves responded. He said Karrde and his subordinates would make arrangements before they gave an answer. Tyrion was using that time to think things over. He had to be careful here. Tyrion got Bronn, Boba, and the Hill Tribes to join him because of money. He got Girorn and his men by playing on their honor. But Karrde was a rogue. Boba never met the man nor did he know how the smuggler did things. From the rumors surrounding Karrde, he supplied both the Rebellion and the Empire, though nothing major as to arouse questions. He wasn't dedicated to either group. What made this war any different? From the Baratheon's point of view, the King was (Correctly) a spawn of incest who didn't deserve the Iron Throne. From the Starks point of view, the King was a Tyrant and the Lannisters were monsters trying to destroy the land. Boba wasn't a blind lackey.
As they reached the top of the steps, Boba halted as Myrcella huffed.
"Wanna wait a minute?" asked Boba.
"No" puffed Myrcella "I'm fine"
Boba nodded before opening the door.
Tyrion was sitting at his table as he read a book, most likely about the great negotiations of Westeros or some dumb title like that. When Tyrion saw his niece, he smiled and rose out of his seat.
"Isn't this a pleasant surprise" said Tyrion as he halted in front of Myrcella. Myrcella smiled as she lowered herself, bringing her face to Tyrion's level to kiss her cheek. "I needed a nice change of pace"
"It's good to see you Uncle" said Myrcella. Most likely Cersei limited her children's time with Tyrion. The cunt.
"Our visits are too few" said Tyrion.
"She brought a gift" said Boba as he handed the potted plant back to Myrcella. She took it from him and passed it on to Tyrion "I grew it myself"
"What a lovely gift" said Tyrion. It was surprising to see such a sarcastic man act humbly pleased "It'll grow bigger than me"
Myrcella laughed at her uncle's jape before straigthening up "Can I ask what your doing?"
"I'm making friends for the crown" said Tyrion with a hint of fun in his voice "The Lannister army is strong, but it never hurts to have a little help"
The Imp was clever. He told her the truth without revealing the true extent of their plans or the desperation in needing allies.
Myrcella smiled "That's good. I don't want anything to happen to our family"
Tyrion returned her smile "Our family will be okay Myrcella. So long as I live you and your brother will live safely"
Myrcella hugged her uncle, which the Imp returned.
"Come now" said Tyrion "I should have you return before your mother hangs me"
Myrcella nodded before looking dreadfully at the steps.
"Oh don't worry" said Tyrion with a smile "I'm sure Boba will carry you down, being a princess and all"
It was lucky for Myrcella that Boba was wearing a helmet, for he shot Tyrion the nastiest glare his face could imagine.
Myrcella looked over at Boba, with her innocent eyes.
Boba sighed. He scooped Myrcella up and carried her bridal style. Myrcella blushed a dark shade of red as Tyrion smiled. He was clearly enjoying this.
"Aren't you coming?"
"Huh" said Tyrion at Boba's question.
"It's rude to not see your niece out the door"
"..." Tyrion stared at Boba, trying very hard not to make a nasty face in front of Myrcella. "Of course"
Boba then walked down the step as he carried Myrcella, Tyrion huffing and puffing behind him. Boba took his sweet time as he took a step one foot at a time, making each step for Tyrion long and exhausting.
It was a good five minutes before they reached the bottom of the steps. Boba put Myrcella down as Tyrion breathes heavily.
"Are you okay uncle?" Myrcella asked Tyrion.
"Never-"(GASP!)"-better"
Boba got the two men that came with Myrcella from the next room. Luckily they weren't drunk, so they were in fit condition to escort the Princess back to her mother.
"Take care my sweet niece" said Tyrion.
"Bye Uncle" she then turned to Boba "Ser Boba"
Tyrion laughed to himself as soon as Myrcella and her guards were out the door.
"You know" started Boba "I could kill you in fifty different ways; disintegration being one of them"
Tyrion stopped laughing at that little comment.
"Forgive me" said Tyrion "It seems our Princess has become fond of you"
"Whoopee" said Boba dryly.
"She's a sweet girl" said Tyrion "She and her brother don't deserve this place"
"Cersei doesn't deserve children like her" said Boba.
"No" said Tyrion "But Cersei's a loving mother"
"Being a loving mother isn't the same as a good mother" said Boba.
"No, Joffrey is living proof of that" said Tyrion as he sat where Boba was reading.
"Not going back up?"
"Gods no!" said Tyrion "You've ruined stairs for me"
Boba allowed himself a small smirk before taking the seat across from Tyrion.
"That girl asked if Stannis was gonna kill her" stated Boba "Do you honestly think your mighty armies can stop all your enemies?"
"No" Tyrion flatly said "Our army is large, but it means nothing if we have to split it against so many enemies. Thanks to my sister and Joffrey, peace with the North is impossible. That peace could of been useful against the Baratheons"
"We don't have peace" said Boba "And we don't have allies"
"Not yet" said Tyrion as he smiled "But I have been thinking about this very hard"
"You got a plan to make Karrde join us?" asked Boba.
"A small one brewing in the back of my head that's growing" said Tyrion "I'll have Karrde join us or I'll join the Night's Watch"
"Wouldn't make that a statement" said Boba "Cersei would ruin your plan just to spite you"
"Where's your standing in this?" asked Tyrion.
Boba shrugged his shoulders "Your money's good. And your enemies aren't invincible"
"Good to know you won't turn your cloak" said Tyrion.
"Han Solo and his Jedi friend are working for the Starks" said Boba with a slight hint of malice in his voice "It'll be a cold day on Tattooine before I join with them over a better deal"
"These Jedi" started Tyrion "Will they be a problem"
Boba stayed silent as he unhooked one of his many trinkets from his belt. He brought it up and ignited it. A blue blade shot out of it, to Tyrion's shock "This belonged to a Jedi. I took it off him after killing him"
Tyrion nodded as he eyes the blue blade.
Boba unlit the Lightsaber as he clipped it back on his belt "I've seen Skywalker. He's good, but I've fought Jedi like him. Besides, Jedi don't kill people like you or those children"
"It's not the Starks that worry me" said Tyrion "They're busy with my father. It's Stannis and Renly that bother me"
"Still no word from Karrde?"
"No"
"It's gonna have to be soon" said Boba "Your plan needs men and it needs to be done soon"
As Boba finished talking, Girorn walked in.
"Lord Tyrion" Girorn saluted as he stopped in front of Tyrion "Karrde has replied. He'll meet with us"
.
Well that's the end of this chapter.
That little scene between Boba, Tyrion, and Myrcella was meant to show that the Lannisters aren't all evil bastards. Some of them are just trying to survive. It's also a reminder that a Lannister loss isn't a one hundred percent win for us, especially to Tyrion fans.
Like I said with Starkiller and Daenerys, don't start asking for Boba and Myrcella. Myrcella is a child to Boba. And he doesn't have time for romance and shit.
I started a plot with the Vale considering it's one of the more important parts of Westeros, considering Lysa's role in Jon Arryn's murder and the importance of the Vale's Knights.
Yes, the Dourhand Dwarves have trolls. That's one of the reason other Dwarves in LOTR don't associate with them.
So to summarize:
A coming war to Qarth.
The start to the Vale's part in the War.
The beginning of Tyrion's efforts to gain allies.
Next chapter finally has a bit more Jon Snow action.
Have any characters, people, or events that you want to appear/meet/happen? Leave a review.
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