A Son of Ice and Fire

Chapter 8: A dream of home

Tuffnut

"Can we just leave already?" It had been over a week since the fight and I didn't want to stay in these retching pits any longer than we needed to. Ruff was sat on the bench opposite sharpening her sword, then proceeded to do the same with the dagger she hid in her belt.

"Not until you're healed brother. It's going to be a long trip, you need to be at full strength." Ruff smiled at me, then returned her gaze to her blade.

"I'm fine." I got up a started waving my wrist in her direction, as if I was holding a sword, "If only a had a blade, I could take you for sure."

"Oh, you think so do you?" Ruff chuckled, "At full strength it might take me a minute, but like this, it would only take me seconds."

My shoulder was still weak, so I wouldn't be able to use my mace properly for another few weeks but the wound in my back was almost fully healed.

"We need to leave soon, before they try to force us to fight again. I might not be able to fight with Macey, but I can still wield a sword."

"Don't know why you gave your weapon a name brother, pretty pathetic if you ask me."

"A weapon is only as good as the person who swings it. To use a weapon, you must know the weapon, how can you know it if it doesn't have a name."

"Anyone who didn't know you would think you are somewhat wise brother," Ruffnut giggled.

"He does have a point y'know. Maybe I should give mine a name," The red-haired men bobbed his head around the corner and seemed rather upbeat as he joined the conversation, "sorry for listening in, but if you are planning to break out of here, I can help."

"Help, how can you help Dagur?" Now I was interested

"I've been here far longer than either of you, I know the best chance we have of getting out of here."

"And that is?" Ruff snarled, clearly unconvinced by the man's bravado.

"I'll tell you, just promise me you will not tell anyone who I am when we get back to Westeros, that's where you're headed right?" This was the first time I'd seen the man show any sign of fear. What was he hiding?

"How'd you know that?"

"Ear for accents, I've been all over the world, I've had to learn a few things. Now do you promise me?"

"Yes, we promise," Ruff snapped, "Now how do we get out of this shithole?"

Dagur had explained the plan. I wanted to leave soon but I didn't expect it to be tonight. It was either today, or wait another two weeks, and we for sure wasn't about to do that. Apparently every two weeks, there was a travelling show in town and so there were less guards on duty than usual. Although he had made it out to be some masterplan, it wasn't half as complicated as he made out. Dagur would go to the lower levels and release the slave fighters, there was only two or three men guarding it anyway, so he said he'd have it covered. This would provide the necessary distraction for me and Ruff to make our move. We would take the other end, get rid of the remaining guards, and clear the way to the exit. Our only obstacle would be the main warden of the arena. He was a grubby little man with a thin mustache, hopefully we wouldn't have to deal with that tonight. Killing the warden and taking his keys, that was our way out. There was no way this would go to plan, but it was all we had.

"Get some sleep sister, it's going to be a long night."

Ruffnut

"You ready to do this brother?" I slid my dagger into my belt and then picked up my sword. I picked up my pack, which unfortunately for me had to hold my brother's stupid mace. Tuff's shoulder was still in pain, so he asked me to carry it. I had heard Dagur laugh when Tuff had asked me to do it earlier, but I just couldn't see my brother leaving this city without that damn weapon.

"'To the end, brother. 'To the end."

The screams and shouts all around signaled we were on. The two guards guarding the door at this end of the corridor paled as they saw us sprinting towards them swords in hand. They barely had time to unsheathe their swords before our blades were plunged into them, impaling them on the wooden doors behind. I gave a nod to Tuff and we withdrew our blades. As the men fell, we pushed the door open and headed down the stairs, backs to the wall as we reached the bottom. I peeped around the corner, narrowly avoiding the eyes of the ten guards sprinting towards the screams. After watching them pass, we snuck around the corner and creeped our way up to the exit. It was now unguarded, that was a surprise. Something definitely doesn't feel right.

"I'll check the warden's office, maybe he left his keys in there," Dagur had mentioned that it was next to the exit, it was worth a shot, "check the gate is locked, let's hope we can get lucky."

I moved into the office, rummaging through the drawers at the slightest chance of finding the keys. Then I felt it. The cold steel pinned to my neck. I could feel the man's breath on the back of my neck as he shoved me out of the room, his blade still pressed against my neck.

"Tuff stop," I managed to squeeze out, before the man dug the blade deeper into the skin. I could feel it cutting now, it was probably drawing blood. The man walked us over to face Tuff, my brother with his back to the locked gate as he stared the man down.

"You were the ones who asked me to let you fight, to earn your keep here." The warden's voice was deep and gritty. "I treated you well. No handcuffs. No whipping. I even let you keep your own weapons."

"Like you would have let us leave if we asked you." I grunted.

"Well, no. But we had something great going on here, why'd you have to ruin it doing something stupid like this.

"Listen to me, we can work this out."

"No, you listen to me. Step 1, drop your pack."

Reluctantly I slid the pack off my shoulder and kicked it to the side

"Good. Step 2, drop your sword."

He must have been staring at Tuff, as my brother placed his sword on the ground in front of him and then pushed it to the warden's feet.

"Don't hurt her," Tuff pleaded.

"Hurt her," the man started laughing, "No, I'm not going to hurt her. She is going to watch as I slice her brother up piece by piece, until there's nothing left of him. She will be locked in one of these cells for the rest of her life reliving it. Now boy, turn around and place your hands up or I will slice her throat."

"Don't do it Tuff, don't worry about me, just kill this bastard," I pleaded. Tuff would die for me, I knew he would, but I wouldn't let him, I'd end this bastard myself before he even got close to Tuff."

Tuff smiled at me, then sunk to his knees, "Always knew you would be the death of me sister." How could he joke at a time like this?

I reached for my waist to find my dagger, but before I could make the move, I heard a short gargle, and the clanging of metal landing on the stone. I felt the man's grasp release and I span round to find the warden falling to the floor, a dagger planted in the side of his neck.

"You didn't think I would leave you guys hanging did you?" Dagur grinned and retrieved his blade from the man's neck. It was so unlike me, but I just jumped towards him, hugging him as if he was family, as if he was Finn.

"Thank you Dagur, are you all right?"

"Seemingly better than you," he joked, "We better get going."

"Yes, of course," I stuttered, letting him go. I knelt and ripped the keys off the warden's belt and unlocked the gate. We are free.

Out onto the main street, we stayed low, sticking to the shadows, sticking to the edges, and trying to remain undetected. Through every alley or backstreet we could find, the three of us snuck through the city towards the docks. It took time, and it was nearly daybreak when we finally caught sight of the water.

"Do you know which one will take us home," I turned to ask Dagur.

"Not exactly, but I do see that a certain friend seems to be in town." Dagur grinned, pointing to the boat at the far end. It was a nice vessel, that was for sure. It was relatively large, and the white sail was painted with the image of a golden sun.

"Who does it belong to? Some lord or lady?" I asked.

"Just a trader, I've procured a few obscure items for him in the past, let's just say that he owes me one."

"Then let's go," I pressured, "the last thing I want to do is get caught in the open."

Within a few minutes, we had reached the end of the docks and silently climbed aboard the ship. I trusted Dagur, but my hand didn't leave the hilt of my sword. A loud creak of wood on the ship must have startled the ship's captain, or woke him up more likely, as he warily made his way up the stairs to face us on the deck. I wonder what he thought to see three people stood on his deck in the middle of the night.

"Who is it? What are you doing on my ship," he growled.

"Johann, my friend," Dagur cheered.

"Dagur," the man groaned in a sarcastic tone, "How lovely to see you again."

"I thought you said he was an old friend," I shot a glare over at our new 'companion'.

"Are you planning on introducing me to your friends, Dagur, or are we just going to stand here staring at each other like fools." The trader was a short man, with a long black beard tied at the end, a wide mustache, extending past the edges of his face and messy hair. He was dressed in fine silks, wearing the pin of a golden sun, matching the sail of his ship.

"This is Tuff, and this is Ruff," he smiled while hovering his finger in our direction.

"Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorston. Oh, I do apologize." He turned to us and offered a light bow, "My lord, my lady, welcome aboard my ship."

"My lady?" Dagur turned to look at me.

"Long story my friend, one day I'll tell you," I smiled, looking back to him. "Johann would you be able to take us home?"

"Of course, my lady, we will set sail at dawn. Make yourself at home, we'll be back in Westeros before you even know it." The man offered another leisurely bow, before returning down to the lower levels of his boat, leaving the three of us stood standing aimlessly on the deck.

"See, told you everything would be fine. If you need new clothes, weapons or to be smuggled somewhere you're not supposed to be, Johann's your man." Dagur stood there proudly, still looking slightly perplexed at how well all had turned out.

"Weapons," Tuff's mouth opened, and his hands started shaking, "Macey, where's Macey?"

It was only then that I realised I had left the pack at the exits to the pits, where the warden had made me drop it.

"Tuff I'm so …" I started, but before I could finish, Tuff's frown turned into a wide grin.

"… MACEY!" Tuff cheered, as he rushed past me towards Dagur.

I turned to the side to see Dagur pulling my pack off of his shoulder and holding Tuff's mace out.

"How did you…" I started asking.

"… I saw you drop it back there in the pits, I could hardly let the man leave Essos without his mace, could I?" Dagur quipped, smiling as he handed the weapon over to Tuff, who hugged it as if it were a newborn child.

"What would we do without you," I joked, smiling after seeing Dagur's grin .

"Not going home, that's for sure," he smirked.

It was true, If I had have ended him in the ring, we would not be here, not be out of the pits, not on the boat, and definitely not on our way home.