Arya Stark
Yermak
The gates of the great palace opened as Lirio walked in, the big captain escorted them through the streets with some of his crew, the city was full of freed slaves from every place, there was no whips or chains that could hurt the people, how Braavos used to be, until the Iron bank noticed how good inversion was slavery.
"Jory, keep Arya with you in every moment" Jon whispered, his gaze analyzing every window and every guard, with each passing day the good boy she met became more cautious, he stopped talking the first month of journey, he barely ate something, at first, she thought that it was because of the seasickness, but when they got used to it Jon didn't eat anything.
Until she talked to him one day, she needed to make him change his mind, they were alone. She could still remember that conversation.
"You can't sit and wait to die in a boat!" she yelled punching him in the chest.
"There's nothing else that we can do, Arya, I failed them all, they… they are dead and I'm alive, that's not right." His voice was weaker then, maybe because he was hungry or because he was really depressed.
"Well, you want to die, then you should grab that sword and use it, end this suffering now, but remember, if you die, you'll leave me alone." She replied bitterly, Jon's gaze was fixed on the valyrian steel sword, his eyes were just like hers, grey, and full of emotions, they were full of melancholy, the living memory of her father's brother and sister.
"Instead of thinking about your death you should be thinking about how taking revenge frim those who had wronged us and our family, we are Starks, maybe the last Starks… I'm weak Jon, I learned some things with Syrio Forel, but I'm still weak… I wish that could have been as strong as you, or Robb, but I'm not, I need you." Tears started to fall from her grey eyes.
Jon wrapped his arms around her then, she buried her face in his chest. "I want to kill them all, I need to kill them all…" she said between sobs.
Her memory got interrupted when a foreign man ambushed Jon and hugged him, he was as big as captain Lirio, but his beard was shorter and he had more hair in his head.
"The squire that became king!" the man said with a loud laugh and slapping Jon's back.
"I'm just a knight now, Vogonos, that's why you see me here." Jon replied with a subtle smile, the first smile she saw coming out if his mouth that wasn't caused by her or Jory.
"I heard the news, my friend, but now you have an opportunity to gather some forces and get your revenge." The man said, he was more serious this time.
"Come my friends, my king wants to see you." He made a gesture with his arm inviting them to walk inti the throne room.
The throne was amazingly beautiful, it had stained glass windows that showed an Iron mask, and broken chains, a ref carpet made it's way from the throne, over a few steps and the directly to the entrance. Despite that it didn't had more luxuries, not like the red keep.
"Welcome my friends, I'm afraid that I can't stand up to receive you in a proper way, my health has been a little delicate lately." The man sitting on the throne said, his voice was soft and calm, he looked delicate for being a king, at least in comparison with king Robert. He wore an Iron mask, gloves and a white and blue tunic that covered every part of his body, even his hair.
Jon snow
The leper king, the man sitting in front of him looked like an old man, he didn't look like a warrior, but his green eyes showed the experience that he had, they were the only thing that Jon saw, looking into the eyes was a way to see a man's soul.
"I didn't plan to have a Targaryen guest, my friend Vogonos told me that you refuse my invitation, but I assume that destiny is stronger than any man's will" the king said with his sift voice, "My name is king Balwek, I met your father once, you look like him." He added.
Jon was a mute now, Arthur never talked a lot about his father, at least he never talked about his journeys. He bend the knee immediately and lowered his head, his gaze fixed on the red carpet. "Your Grace" he said with a deep voice, he needed to look strong, no one would like to see a beaten dog looking for some help.
A loud laugh rang in the throne room then, it came from behind the iron mask. "You don't need to do that here, not in my city." Balwek then got up with a lot of difficulty and walked towards Jon, he took him by the arm to make him stand up. "I used to be a slave, trust me when I tell you that subjugation isn't my favourite word." He looked at Arya and Jory. "You and your partners look tired, come you'll stay in the palace, make sure to take some rest and then we will eat, but do not expect a feast my friend, there's no need for that."
They spend the afternoon recovering from their journey, Jon slept and got a bath, despite of that he remained thinking in just one thing, killing, he never liked killing, but he needed revenge, not for his honor, for his family, for Robb and Sansa and Bran and Rickon, for every man and woman that got killed in that wedding.
A knock on the door brought him back to the real world then. He got ready for the dinner with king Balwek and walked towards the great hall, he found Arya and Jory on the way. The food was delicious, but anything was better that the ship's food. He sat next to Balwek while Arya and Jory sat with Vogonos, the knight had a particular skill with knifes, drinking competitions and jokes.
"I'm happy to see that you're enjoying the food and company" Balwek told him with his gaze fixed on Arya who was trying to imitate Vogonos with a knife trick, Jory was laughing, something that Jon saw a few times in Winterfell.
"I'm happy to be your guest, your grace" Jon replied lowering his head, "You have saved my cousin with your hospitality."
The king's hand lingered on the cop of wine for a moment and Jon noticed it, his fingers dancing at the rhythm of the music. "We need to talk about it, boy" he let out a long sigh then, "My spies had been talking about some things happening in your land. They had reported that the Iron Throne knows where you are."
Jon couldn't believe it, Tywin Lannister wouldn't rest until he could see his head on a spike. "But how? I… I thought that we were safe here." He said naively and frustrated at the same time.
"I thought the same boy, but the spider's little birds are everywhere." The king said making Jon feel disgusted with the thought of Lord Varys. "But I can make you a proposition, one that will brought you back to your family, but you'll need to listen carefully. Have you ever heard about the house of black and white?" the king asked him.
Jon never heard a name like that, but it made him feel insecure.
"It is in Braavos, a temple for the Many faced god." The king took a short pause his eyes fixed on Jon, "and the headquarters of the faceless men" he said with a knowing look.
"why would you send us there? There's nothing there for us" Jon said confused with the course that the conversation took.
"Yes, a dragon lord like you doesn't need an assassin, but what about those who can't defend themselves?" Balwek said as he directed his gaze towards Arya.
"You want me to send my family to Braavos?" Jon felt offended with Balwek's proposition.
"The girl trained with Syrio Forel, the first sword of the sealord of Braavos, I'm offering you the opportunity to let her exploit her abilities in a safe place, a place where there's no little birds or lions to harm her." The king said. "Your father was just like you, a man of honor who made mistakes, everybody knows that, what I'm proposing will be beneficial for your campaign, would you prefer to have a faceless man by your side or one cutting your throat while you're sleeping?."
"You need to ask her first, your grace, but I warn you, she's as stubborn as my mother used to be." Jon said warily "and if we do this, you need to guarantee that she would be safe there." Jon didn't want to send Arya away, but he needed to gather forces and traveling with her across Essos would be dangerous for her.
"My contact has already talked with her, she has already accepted, you will not see her leave because she thinks that you don't know about this, maybe she will leave you a letter, maybe not, but I can assure you this, if something happens to your blood, I will ride with you to burn Braavos to the ground." The king said pointing his finger to Jon.
Jon didn't know how to feel, stopping Arya was impossible he learned that when she asked him to train with swords in Winterfell, but Balwek's words kept ringing in his head, he had a point, but did he really wanted to leave Arya behind?
"You'll have to learn to live with the burden of your decisions , boy, you must face your situation and do what you must to survive, to return to your home without being an outlaw." Balwek said with his soft voice. "We must protect the innocent in the darkest hour, I'll send you with a caravan to Yunkai, you'll join the Stormcrows." He commanded.
"But I'm a knight, not a sellsword who can be bought by slavers, I thought that you despised slavery…" Jon replied but the king quickly cut him off.
"Yes, I grew as a Slave I fought slavery and built this city, but I have plans for the Good masters, and you can help me with them. A knight commanding five hundred riders and a dragon." The king chuckled "it sounds like a story that I could tell a kid to make him sleep."
"And what do you plan to do in Yunkai?" Jon asked confused.
"Tomorrow you'll meet a man named Daario Naharis, he has blue hair and a blue beard, you'll recognize him easily, now, what I propose you is to betray the good masters of Yunkai and joining forces with your aunt's army, She has already taken Astapor and is planning to march on Yunkai soon enough."
Jon was speechless, he couldn't imagine himself meeting his aunt a stranger that doesn't know him and wouldn't recognize him either, he didn't had the Targaryen colors, but Caraxes was enough evidence to be recognized.
"What you're offering is dangerous, maybe it's a tramp, but I'll do it, it looks like there's no place where I can feel safe." Jon said bitterly, he thought about Tywin Lannister and felt the bitterness on his mouth, he drank the arbor red to make the bad taste disappear.
He didn't sleep that night, he walked outside looking at the full moon, Caraxes and Ghost were there too, both creatures growing with each passing day and more connected between them and with him.
Caraxes was loosing his white scales and red scales were taking their place, a red dragon, his family sigil. Family, Love, sigil, sometimes he felt that Ghost's fur was his sigil, white as snow, Jon Snow, Aemon Targaryen, bastard or rightful heir. He didn't want to choose, why should he? He grew up and gained the respect of the people with his actions, not with his name, he had no name then, he was a bastard fighting to free Lord Stark, 'uncle Ned' Jon said for himself, the man never smiled, but Jon always knew that he saved him and loved him just like he loved his children.
The memories ignited something inside him, he felt how fire started to melt the snow inside him, both, Caraxes and Ghost were looking at him like asking what did he want.
"I want to kill them, kill them all" tears falling from his eyes as he looked down to hide them his eyes almost closed, "For uncle Ned and aunt Cat, for Robb, Sansa, Dacey and Lyra." He said crying. He needed someone to warm his bed that night, but he couldn't think in someone else, he was alone now, just his dragon and wolf would stay no matter what.
Caraxes rested his head on his shoulder and Ghost did the same on his legs, they were strong together.
The next morning Arya wasn't there anymore, Jory delivered her letter looking ashamed for letting her go. The letter revealed that Arya changed more than what he thought, the little girl saw the opportunity to have revenge and took it with no second thoughts, just like him, Arya changed.
He and Jory went to the market where Daario Naharis was waiting for them, Ghost walked by his side with Lady and Caraxes was flying high above them, there was many men with colored hair, but only three had blue hair, a young boy with amethyst eyes and his companion a man with auburn roots, they didn't look like mercenaries, but the last one they found looked like one, he was playing with a Stiletto that had a woman sculpted in his hilt, that was the man they where looking for.
"Daario Naharis?" Jon asked trying to sound older.
"ah! It's you boy, and your friend, you have found me, finally." Daario replied with a smirk.
"When are we leaving?" Jory asked.
"The company has already left the city, we shall join to the caravan soon enough." The sellsword replied.
"Can I ask you something, Daario Naharis?" Jon asked politely.
"What do you need to know my friend?"
"Can we trust you?" Jon asked plainly
"Never trust a sellsword my friend" Daario replied with a smirk as he mounted his horse."I only fight for gold and love, and you're not my type, boy" he chuckled.
"Gold and love then…" Jon chuckled shaking his head.