Redemption

by LMEM

Arya and Gendry reunite after the war is over. Arya the Adventurer describes her voyage into the Sunset Sea to Gendry.

21. Chapter 21 Returning Home

Redemption 21 - Returning Home

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Notes:

Here is the maritime adventure story that I promised. It also includes the usual light humor, fluff, and romance to which I am addicted. Thank you for indulging my fantasy. I hope you enjoy it!

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Previously:

After more than two years in the North, the Baratheons reluctantly decided that it was time to return to the Stormlands. Minisa was too young to even remember Storm's End and Gendry needed to reacquaint himself with his vassals. Capable Ser Davos had been running the kingdom in his absence, but the Lord of the Stormlands owed it to his bannermen to take charge again. Arya told the family that she would set the process in motion by contacting Lord Manderly and asking him to send a message to Captain Randyll on Nymeria, requesting passage back to King's Landing. The seasoned traveler's extended and pleasant interlude in her childhood home was coming to an end.

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Nymeria returns to King's Landing:

Several turns of the moon before the Baratheons decided to travel south, Jon had returned to Hardhome and his wife Mornah, as he had also been away for a long time. There were the expected tearful farewells, and Arya vowed that they would board Nymeria in a few years and sail directly to Hardhome to visit him now that the wildling city was on the regular shipping routes. Jon was pleased, as he had enjoyed an extended reunion with his favorite sister. He had the opportunity to spend time with his family and was pleased that Arya was living a full life. Both Jon and Arya were dismayed that their sister did not have a life partner, but Lady Sansa insisted that her experiences with men had soured her to the idea of marriage, and she was convinced that if she married, her likely mate would mainly be interested in holding power over both her and the kingdom. Sansa stated that she was quite content being the Queen of the North and enjoying her freedom.

Over dinner one evening, Arya announced that she had sent a raven to White Harbor, asking Lord Manderly to send a message to Captain Randyll aboard Nymeria, requesting their present location and when they could expect them to arrive at White Harbor. Lyarra excitedly said that she would also send a letter to Tybero with the news. During her sojourn in the North, Lyarra had regularly sent letters about her adventures to her favorite sailor, via the Lady Manderly in the port of White Harbor. The letters found Nymeria from time to time, and an amused Captain Randyll read them to the self-conscious lad in front of the other members of his watch. Tybero's messmates had jolly fun teasing the young deckhand about his "betrothed", the "little lady sea wolf".

Following Lyarra's declaration, her brother Ned started hooting and making lip-smacking sounds. Lyarra scowled and threw a dinner roll that hit him square on the nose, earning a scolding from proper Lady Sansa, but the boy just laughed. The younger wolf girl had been bragging to her friends that a handsome teenage sailor was in love with her. Arya smiled about her daughter's fantasies, but Gendry was uneasy. Ever since Lyarra's "courtesan" game at Storm's End, he had been nervous about his forward daughter's behavior.

Another pair of travelers were preparing to leave Winterfell: Renwick and Hargrove were going to have to say farewell to their lovers. Earlier, when it became apparent that the Baratheon contingent was planning on an extended sojourn in the North, the sailors left their shared chamber in the castle proper and moved into the homes of their significant others in the staff village. Both women were widows and were pleased to have men around the house again. Although neither old salt had shared quarters with a woman since leaving their mothers so long ago, they easily adjusted to the domestic life of a landsman. Having spent more than forty years aboard a ship doing every required mundane chore, such as swabbing decks, polishing brass, mending clothes, and assisting in the galley, they never complained when asked to help around the house. The flagstones outside the front door were always swept clean, and their companions were most pleased with their neat habits. The neighboring goodwives, however, were jealous because their men were rather disinclined to do household chores and groused when asked to chip in.

Renwick and Hargrove were popular individuals in Winterfell's staff quarters for their remarkable facial hair, mariners' apparel and jewelry, and wealth of exciting tales of their amazing voyage of discovery with the Northerners' own beloved Lady Arya. Some of the smallfolk disbelieved the stories, deeming them flights of fantasy, but those that held the 'wolf princess' in high esteem did not doubt the sailors' words. In any case, the children of Winterfell were supremely entertained by the unique visitors.

As they had been 'married' to the sea for most of their lives, the seamen had never realized how much toil was regularly required to keep a woman happy, both around the house and in the bedroom. Trained well to do their jobs, they dutifully completed all their obligations, but by the end of their long sojourn in Winterfell, both Renwick and Hargrove were ready and eager to resume a bachelor's life again.

When it was finally time to leave Winterfell, Sansa decided to accompany the Baratheons to White Harbor and visit her familiar bannermen, House Manderly. Sansa was also curious to see Nymeria, having only briefly glimpsed the ship so long ago before it carried Arya away. At the time, Sansa had unhappily accepted the fact that she might never see her sister again. Now in White Harbor, Lya and Ned cheerfully took her on a tour of the carrack and enthusiastically explained all that they knew about sailing. Aunt Sansa was quite exhausted after being dragged from the bow to the stern, and from the main deck down the companionway to the hold and back again, and afterwards needed a day to recover her strength.

Upon reaching White Harbor, Wylis Manderly greeted his liege lady and welcomed the Baratheons again. He was pleased to see an older Lyarra and japed with her about her age and size. The travelers had a few days of respite whilst the crew of Nymeria prepared for the journey. Eventually it was time for the expected sad farewells between the Queen of the North and Arya's family. The sisters were tearful because there was no certainty that they would share another reunion. Little Minisa had been ecstatic to meet and even travel with her aunt, who doted on the niece that so resembled her, and was sorry to part from Sansa. After some emotional discussion on the dock, Arya reluctantly agreed to consider sending Minisa back on a visit to Winterfell when she was older.

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Lyarra was the first of the Baratheon family to board the ship, eagerly skipping up the gangplank. The eyes of young Tybero, now a more experienced seaman, were caught by the sight of the familiar girl, who emulated her lady mother in the choice of her attire. At almost 12 years old, Lyarra was obviously approaching maturity, and her womanly curves were beginning to appear, as confirmed by the suggestive comments from Tybero's shipmate Polonus. Clad in a form-fitting leather outfit, the girlchild resembled Lady Arya in her youth, according to the few remaining crewmembers who sailed with her so long ago.

Strolling confidently across the deck, Lyarra set her eyes on the startled boy, who was in the process of coiling a rope. The girl smiled as she approached him and noted that he was still as handsome as she remembered. Tybero lowered his eyes as he dropped the coil and bowed and kissed her hand, muttering, "Milady." As his lips touched her flesh, they both felt a startling magnetic attraction. Lya was so surprised by the reaction that she did not even protest his formal greeting. The youths stared at each other, confused, but excited by their shared emotions.

Lyarra tried to shrug off her sudden loss of composure and enquired, "Ty, did you get my messages?"

The boy blushed, "Captain Randyll read them to me at first, but eventually he taught me my letters." Tybero did not mention how his shipmates snickered about the posts from his "betrothed". The lad continued, "Er, I meant to write you back Lya, but I never got around to it."

Lyarra frowned and lightly punched him in the shoulder, offering, "I would really have appreciated a letter from you, Ty." Staring at her wide and welcoming grey eyes, Tybero realized that the girl really cared for him, and he was dismayed and felt guilty about being so remiss in his communication.

At that moment, Lady Arya was the next to bounce up the gangplank. The sea wolf was delighted to have Nymeria's deck under her boots again, and she was followed by her reluctant husband. Lastly, stalwart old Renwick and Hargrove patiently herded the excited younger children aboard. Arya spied Tybero, realizing that he was now a very comely lad. At seventeen namedays, the youth sported a lithe, muscular figure with broad shoulders, narrow waist, and not an ounce of fat. His head was covered with thick brown curls, and his cheeks were smooth, as his beard was so wispy that he shaved it close. Ty's eyes were bright blue under long girlish lashes, and Arya chuckled to herself, I'll wager that starry-eyed maidens at every port of call swoon for him. But then she remembered that her own daughter was likely one of those girls and experienced a twinge of anxiety. Shaking off her misgivings, Arya recalled how she had interacted with the boy on the voyage north and chirped, so oblivious in her enthusiasm on returning to the sea that she did not notice how the youths were staring oddly at each other, "Ah, Tybero, well met! Lyarra and I will impress you with our improved knife-throwing skills. I hope that you have been practicing."

Tybero, still distracted by the discovery of his emotional connection with Lyarra, slowly nodded at the beautiful wolf princess and finally found his voice, "Aye, milady, I can still best most members of my watch and welcome your competition."

The Baratheons shared greetings with all their familiar shipmates, met new ones, and then went below to arrange their living quarters. Burly sailors had wrestled their sea chests aboard earlier and the travelers excitedly prepared for the journey home.

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The next evening, Tybero observed Lyarra leaning over the railing of the bow, transfixed by the unexpected sight of a strange pale light shining within the waves as they broke against the ship as it gently plowed through the water. He approached and smiled upon viewing her enchanted face whilst pointing at the sea and exclaiming, "Isn't this beautiful, Ty?! It is like magic!"

Captain Randyll, fascinated by the natural world, had informed the curious young sailor that a natural philosopher had explained how the phosphorescence was actually caused by tiny marine creatures that emitted a cold chemical light when agitated. Rather than burden the girl with the mundane truth, he heartily agreed, "Aye, it is beautiful. I am always pleased when the glowing waves greet the ship." However, Tybero was not looking over the rail as he spoke but was staring at Lyarra's expansive smile and flashing grey irises, whilst thinking, the wonders of the sea may be lovely, but you are by far the most beautiful sight for my eyes.

Lyarra noticed Tybero's intent gaze and impulsively hugged him tightly around his waist, laying her head on his chest whilst murmuring, "I am so happy that you are still on Nymeria, Ty. I really liked exploring in the North, but I was hoping to sail with you again someday."

Tybero could not help but encircle her slim torso with his arms and bury his face in her wind-mussed hair. He softly replied, "I am glad that you are here also. I have missed you, Lya." As far as he was concerned, his mates could tease him as much as they wanted; the affection of this young girl was most important to him.

The following afternoon, Tybero was in the duty watch, sitting cross-legged on the deck with his back to the main mast, constructing eye splices with heavy ropes meant to replace worn standing rigging. Lyarra discovered him there and asked what he was doing. When he had explained his task, she exclaimed, "Let me help you! You taught me about splicing on our trip north." The girl proudly pulled out her recently gifted rope knife and fid, both implements firmly encased in an ornate leather sheath hanging from her belt and embossed with the snarling direwolf and prancing stag sigils. All the impressive objects had been created by her talented father. The precious tools were permanently attached to the sheath with lanyards that ended in two-strand eye splices that she had woven herself from strong cords whilst in White Harbor. It was a beautiful sailor's knife, constructed out of weirwood and polished steel, with a stout and sharp blade, and the smoothly tapered fid, necessary for separating strands of rope, was carved from ivory. Lord Baratheon had proudly murmured, "This is for you, my little sea wolf," when he presented it to her, and her heart almost burst with happiness.

Tybero pointed out the eye splices would be finished with leather coverings to prevent chafing before being installed and demonstrated the process for her. Then he took a fresh rope end and showed her how to tie a three-strand eye splice. The lad placed his strong nut-brown hands over her smaller and more refined fingers and there it was again, that spark of excitement as their skin touched. The youths immediately made eye contact and the sailor found himself getting lost in Lyarra's large grey eyes. The girl realized that, with Tybero's back to the mast, a large coil of ropes on one side and the apple barrel on the other, they were partially hidden from view. Lyarra bent forward and put one hand on his chest, softly asking, "Ty, do you want to kiss me?"

The smitten boy emotionally choked out, "Aye, Lya!" in a rough voice. Lyarra raised her face, closed her eyes, and puckered her lips expectantly. Staring first at her fluttering eyelashes and pink cheeks, Tybero nervously brushed her moist lips with his dry ones and sighed, "I am so blessed!" She returned the pressure and her hands slid around to his broad back. As their lips tenderly met, he embraced the girl and his hands slowly wandered on their own volition down her back to settle on her narrow waist. He was all too aware of her widening hips, and he could not help but reflect on her developing feminine form.

Lyarra pressed her torso closer and realized that Tybero was aroused. She suddenly blurted out, "Oh my! Ty, you have a sword in your breeches!" The lad froze and leaned back, instantly aware that what they are doing was totally inappropriate and improper. Lyarra appeared confused and asked with alarm in her voice, "Is something wrong?"

Sweating, shaking, and waving his arms, Tybero confessed, "Lya, it is obvious that we have strong feelings for each other, but we should not be doing this! You are too young, and besides, I do not want to dishonor you or your family. As much as I want to kiss you, we cannot continue!"

Lyarra was obviously disappointed, but she reached out to tap a finger on his chest, enquiring, "Are you saying that you love me?"

Tybero dropped his head and broke the eye contact, sighing, "Aye. I fear that you own my heart."

Lyarra grinned and shifted forward to peck his cheek and continue with a laugh, "Then I expect you to wait for me to grow up!" The practical girl then held up the rope end and demanded, "Now show me how to make that splice!"

Rope work was not the only skill that Lyarra intended to practice whilst on board the ship. The girl possessed the instincts of an artisan, which she inherited from her father, Gendry the smith. At Storm's End and Winterfell, under the direction of father, she had begun to work with steel and had almost completed an entire breastplate. She was hoping to continue her apprenticeship whilst sailing, but alas, Lya discovered that she could not craft armor using Nymeria's small, limited forge. However, she did learn how to fashion nails, support braces, and other useful hardware for shipboard repairs. Unfortunately, the ambitious girl found the work tedious and uninspiring. On a more positive note, her favorite sailor Tybero began to teach her how to carve and engrave scrimshaw and their friendship continued to grow.

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Cruising swiftly through the blue waters of The Bite three days out of White Harbor, Nymeria was on a starboard tack making for the Narrow Sea, the first leg of her long voyage home. Her sails were filled by a moderate southeastern breeze and the passengers were enjoying the sunny skies and mild weather. Arya was strolling along the deck in a most pleasant mood, for she enjoyed hearing the wind flapping rhythmically in the sails, the waves gently slapping the hull, the creaking of the rigging, and the singsong voices of the sailors at work. The former adventurer was never bored by the familiar sounds of a ship at sea, and she always found them to be comforting.

The wolf princess observed that her children were also on deck and Ned was proudly explaining all he knew about Nymeria and the art of sailing to his younger sister Minisa, who had been too young on the journey north to appreciate the experience. Her oldest child Lyarra loved sailing as much as Arya and usually could be seen eagerly inspecting the passing coastline and imagining that she was viewing the mysterious landscapes along the Saffron Straits and the Jade Sea that her mother had described as she put her to bed. However, this afternoon Lyarra was walking slowly along the port rail and gently tapping it with one hand whilst wearing a dreamy and unfocused expression on her face and occasionally sighing quietly. This behavior puzzled Arya because Lyarra was walking on the low side of the cruising ship, which was more awkward and dangerous than the high side. Her daughter was wise to the ways of the sea and was obviously distracted. Arya approached the girl and ventured, "A penny for your thoughts, Lya."

Lyarra slowly turned to face her mother and smiled, "Mother, I think I am in love with Tybero, and he has confessed his love for me."

The wolf princess was surprised for a moment and became reflective. Ned and Minisa still called her 'Mama', but Arya could not remember exactly when her older daughter had begun calling her 'Mother', often pronounced 'Mu-THUR!' with a tone of exasperation and accompanied with rolling eyes. She looked closely at her eldest. Approaching her twelfth nameday and clad in a tunic and tight leather breeches similar to her own usual outfit, Arya realized that Lyarra was beginning to exhibit curves, and appeared mature enough to cause passing sailors to take a second glance at her small, but shapely bottom. Arya had to admit to herself that the girl was growing up and probably experiencing her first real crush. Lady Baratheon returned the smile and japed, "So my previous analysis was correct, and you are eager to become a 'sailor's wife' now?"

Lyarra's eyes flashed with obvious annoyance at her mother's reminder of the embarrassing memory from the journey north as she retorted, "I am too old to be fooled by that nonsense, Mother, but mayhaps Tybero and I are meant for each other!"

The sea wolf bit her lip to prevent her from immediately responding that Tybero was a common sailor, officially an 'able-bodied seaman', but not even a midshipman in training to be a captain or a master, and she was the scion of a Great House and expected to wed a high lord or prince. Arya herself had rebelled when her lord father had said such words to her so long ago. Besides, it was at the forge in Harrenhal when she first had any inkling that a lowborn, humble apprentice armorer was the one male who could complete her life. Arya found herself in an awkward position and simply sighed, telling her naïve and imaginative daughter, "You are too young to really recognize true love, Lya, so just be cautious. I would hate to see you have your heart broken." She intended to have a talk with Tybero as soon as possible.

Obviously ignoring her mother's words, Lyarra's dreamy expression returned, and she replied, "Have no fear, Mother, Tybero loves me too much to break my heart." Now she really needed to have a talk with the young sailor! Arya also decided to increase her daughter's training sessions with blades and archery, reckoning that the less free time she had, the less likely she would find trouble.

Gendry noticed his wife and eldest daughter in an earnest discussion and afterwards asked, "Why is Lya so preoccupied? Is there a problem?"

Arya sighed, "Not really. There is not really anything to be worried about; Lyarra simply thinks she is in love." Gendry appeared confused and Arya added, "Do you remember the young sailor who gave her the earring? Well, there still seems to be some attraction between them."

Now Gendry frowned at the unwelcome memory and replied, "I do not think that I am comfortable with this turn of events. Should we intercede?"

Lady Baratheon studied her husband and ventured, "You know, Gendry, Lya in appearance and attitude resembles me, but besides inheriting your black hair, she also possesses your romantic heart." Gendry was about to argue, but Arya smiled, "I recall your attentive, sometimes overbearing, behavior when we were with the Brotherhood, and realized later that you were falling in love with me, even though I was younger and clueless at the time." Gendry could not help but grin at the memory; he had been so captivated with the angry and strongminded wolf girl. Arya pressed on, " Later, in Winterfell, on the night before the battle, you muttered my name like a prayer, which convinced me of your love. Then you proved it again with that passionate proposal that I had to turn down. I knew I hurt you, but I was just not ready."

Gendry nodded and appeared less confused, but wanted confirmation, "So, what are you saying?"

Arya concluded, "I am the impulsive explorer, and you have always been the more conventionally romantic one. Lyarra possesses traits from both of us. She is looking for love and adventure."

"What should we do?" Gendry asked in a troubled voice.

Arya sighed again, "Leave it to me. I shall talk to the boy. He is older and should have more sense." Arya did just that, but the conversation was short and to the point. She quite reasonably advised Tybero not to mislead the impressionable girl, then calmly described how she would disembowel him if he dishonored her precious daughter. Considerably chastened, the terrified lad gulped and nodded his agreement before the dangerous warrior woman.

Actually, Lyarra did not possess a romantic soul in the usual sense of the word, as her sister Minisa did, for the younger girl had been influenced to read and admire 'Jonquil and Florian' and suchlike fanciful stories by her adored Aunt Sansa. Minisa worshipped and emulated the Queen of the North and was just young and vain enough to be flattered by the frequent comments that she was destined to blossom into a beauty unparalleled in Westeros, the spitting image of her esteemed aunt. Nae, Lyarra merely thought that the love her parents bore for each other was sweet, as indicated by their facial expressions, murmured phrases, and constant touching indicated, and she admired their comfortable relationship. Minisa agreed, and when the sisters discussed and sighed over their observations, Ned rolled his eyes and snorted in disgust at the girls' 'mushy' conversation, proposing that Lyarra needed some sparring practice to clear her mind of such drivel. On the occasions that Lya agreed, she promptly beat her brother to the ground as punishment. Growing up with such formidable sisters, Ned did not stand a chance of winning any arguments, but both girls loved their brother dearly.

Lyarra had witnessed her mother defeating brash fighters in the training yard with her Braavosi sword skills, and smirking as they rose from the dirt, brushing off their clothes and bearing embarrassed expressions. Yet sometimes when her father whispered endearments to his wife, Lya had also seen her warrior mother appear as bashful and innocent as Lady Sansa's handmaidens when the girl had shocked them with scandalous four-letter words. She emulated her mother and wanted to be like her.

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Nymeria at Sea

Approaching Blackwater Bay, Arya made the impulsive decision to avoid King's Landing and sail directly to Storm's End by continuing to travel south on the Narrow Sea. She believed that King's Bran's court, upon her arrival in the capital, would be eager to discuss the betrothals of her offspring, who were technically princesses and a prince of the realm, and she wanted to avoid such nonsense as long as possible. As Nymeria approached Tarth, the plan was to tack westwards into Shipbreaker Bay. A worried Captain Randyll brought Arya to the weather glass in his cabin, nervously commenting, "Milady, I have never seen it so low; the liquid has risen almost to the top of the narrow tube." The next morning a strong breeze arrived out of the north bringing ugly black clouds and alarmingly large rollers sending the stern high on the crests and the bow dangerously low in the troughs. Randyll conferred with Arya and the older seamen and quickly made some decisions to protect the ship and aid their survival. The deck was cleared of any unnecessary equipment and lifelines were strung from bow to stern for any crewmen to attach themselves to if they were required to work during the storm. The normal sails were replaced with heavy canvas and the ship was closed-hauled with reduced sails, mainly to keep Nymeria perpendicular to the following sea. In addition, three sea anchors composed of large canvas cones, open at the narrow end and known as "drogues", were attached to the stern to further prevent the ship from broaching. The carpenter and his assistants descended from the stern and quickly covered the glass of the beautiful windows of the captain's cabin with stout wooden planks to ward off damage from the expected powerful following sea. Randyll grimly stated, "Now we may have a chance to live to tell about this experience, if the gods are disposed to be kindly."

As the storm approached and the rigging began to throb and hum from the strong winds and the hull was pounded by powerful waves, Captain Randyll ordered all the passengers below and sternly warned them not to dare show their faces until receiving word that it was safe to return to the deck. Lord Baratheon was only too happy to gather his offspring and take them to a sheltered location, as his stomach was already churning with discomfort. Arya, an experienced mariner, naturally assisted Randyll in the capacity as commander, and in spite of all Lya's whining, absolutely forbad her bold daughter from helping the crew, stating the conditions above were far too dangerous for her. Old Renwick firmly held the girl in his grip and kept her safe.

Soon they are beset by howling gale-force winds, tremendous waves, and drenching rain. Nymeria ran with the storm, sailing furiously before the wind with the pounding waves at the stern, but the crew's careful preparations prevented the ship from taking on excessive water and the bow never went under the rollers. Captain Randyll muttered to Arya that their one stroke of luck was that the storm had descended from the north and was driving Nymeria south through the open waters of the Narrow Sea, for if the wind had arrived from the east or west, the carrack would have been dashed on the rocks of either Westeros or Essos. The storm was so dangerous that the helmsman of each watch had to be tied to the con for safety.

Finally, after four days, the winds weakened and the skies cleared, revealing that Nymeria was in open waters, and Arya's spyglass revealed islands at some distance to the south. Tapping his chart of the Narrow Sea, Captain Randyll reckoned that the storm had carried them well past Tarth and transported them all the way to the Stepstones. The sturdy carrack was weather-beaten but still intact except for the main mast, which had cracked with a loud shudder on the second day and the upper portion fell to the deck bringing down the main yardarm and a tangle of lines that the crew had to quickly clear from the deck.

The ship was obviously in need of repair before traveling any further, and Arya's spyglass indicated an uninhabited island of indeterminate size, obviously tropical in nature as seen by the dense jungle above the strand of inviting white sand. Captain Randyll found an opening in the coral reef and steered the ship into a quiet lagoon. Nymeria's anchor was dropped, and the crew began to assess damage and repair the splintered main mast. Gendry and the seamen went ashore to find and harvest a suitable replacement in the forest. As a tall, straight specimen of stout Tyroshi cedar was located and obtained, Arya looked beyond the small forest upwards to the arid landscape of the scrub brush-covered hillside and decided to climb the incline and inspect the rest of the island. Faithful Renwick volunteered to accompany her, and Lyarra tagged along.

As the carpenters worked on the new mast, Gendry descended into the hold to inspect the hull, focused on caulking any visible damage to the planking where small leaks had appeared. Since he was no longer cowering below decks in fear of the raging storm, the landsman was determined to contribute to the repairs of Nymeria. Tybero accompanied him as Gendry pressed pieces of frayed hemp rope into the gaps and the sailor followed up by coating the area with hot tar. Young Ned carried the bucket of tar as Tybero wielded the paintbrush.

They worked efficiently in companionable silence for a while and finally Gendry hesitantly eyed the youth and addressed the awkward subject. "My older daughter obviously has some affection for you, lad." Ned immediately snickered, pursed his lips, and started making kissing noises.

Tybero took a swipe at the boy and managed to land a dollop of tar on the tip of Ned's nose. Then he turned his attention to Gendry and blushed, "Aye, milord. I admit that I am fond of the girl, too."

The troubled father paused, then spoke seriously, "Ty, my daughter is a forward and impulsive child. I trust you to keep your wits about you and remain honorable."

The lad's cheeks reddened, and he slowly responded, "I will try to do so, milord."

Gendry sighed, "Lya is much like her mother, and both lasses seem to easily manipulate members of our sex. Please be on your guard." Tybero reflected on her fluttering eyelashes and closed eyelids as she leaned in to kiss him and how much he was besotted with the girl but nodded in agreement.

Finishing the chore and returning topside again, Gendry looked to the island and noted that elderly Renwick was puffing as he laboriously climbed the hill. He also saw that Tybero's eyes were following Lya as she accompanied her mother, checking her blades as she strode forward. In the interest of safety, Gendry decided to suggest that the young sailor join them. "Go on, lad. Ned and I will help the carpenters. First secure a cutlass, though." With an expression of relief, Tybero saluted and eagerly prepared to follow the explorers.

Ned was watching Tybero as he hastily descended into a dinghy and blurted out, "Papa, is Tybero going to marry Lya?"

Gendry sputtered in exasperation, "Ned, your sister is much too young for us to be discussing marriage." He remembered Arya telling him how her lady mother had betrothed her to Elmar Frey, a skinny squire he met at Harrenhal, when she had but ten namedays, and shuddered at the thought.

Ned looked doubtful and replied, "But Renwick says that if they keep on kissing when they think that no one is looking, they will have to wed soon." Before Gendry could respond, Ned inquired curiously, "Papa, is Lya going to have a babe?"

The frazzled father groaned inwardly, seven hells! Will I be required to have 'The Talk' with Ned already?!" He laughed nervously and quickly replied, "Nae, Ned. Motherhood is definitely not in your sister's immediate future! Now let us get back to work." But inside, his mind was screaming, I have to talk to Arya!

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Panting a bit from the heat and a strenuous climb of mayhaps three hundred feet, the explorers reached the sandy apex of the hill and looked around, noting that Nymeria had been anchored in a secluded cove on the north side of the island. From their elevation they now had a commanding view of the surrounding waters. Turning their attention to the south, they were astonished to see that the island was actually a circular ring of hills with a central hidden bay that opened on the west side, and a ship was anchored in the middle of the bay.

Pulling out her spyglass, Arya focused on the ship, observing that it sported a standard mermaid figurehead with an impossibly large bosom, but carried no identifying pennant or flag. The deck was messy and filthy, and the single figure seen on deck was intently watching a dinghy that was being rowed to the mouth of the bay. Inspecting the sailors at the oars of the dinghy, her blood ran cold as she exclaimed, "Pirates!" Suppressing her excitement, the sea wolf noted with interest that the small boat was transporting a sea chest and observed that the rowers turned left at the mouth of the bay and disappeared from view. Arya watched and waited until finally discerning the empty rowboat returning to the ship, and at that moment she and her companions were discovered by a scouting party, scuttling up the hill with signal flags in their hands, and cutlasses in their belts.

Six nefarious and scarred brigands attained the apex of the hill, and their eyes glinted with delight, and they grinned wickedly at the unexpected sight of two comely females and an elderly sailor, who were obviously just as surprised with the sudden encounter. Seizing the initiative, a buccaneer wearing a tricorn hat, red vest over a relatively clean and fluffy white blouse, black and white vertically striped breeches, and weathered knee-length brown boots, whipped out his cutlass and waved it menacingly at Arya, whilst snarling, "Avast, my pretty wenches! Drop your weapons and your breeches and prepare to be boarded or you will surely die before we ravish your cunnies!"

Another pirate, a nasty looking specimen of humanity with a lurid scar across his cheek and a red bandana covering his hair, pointed his cutlass at Lyarra and sneered, "I fancy that precious young lass, mate. No doubt she is a maiden and will squeal when I skewer her! I do favor a tight fuck."

A third brigand, beady-eyed and sporting an aquiline nose, appearing even more disreputable and filthy than the second, gazed at a wide-eyed and winded Renwick, now fumbling for his cutlass, and stated, "I claim the old bugger. He won't put up much of a fight."

Arya coolly sized up her adversaries, thinking, they talk too much! She hesitated for but a moment, as she observed that Tricorn's eye sockets appeared to be unsettling dark circles. Is he wearing kohl eyeliner? Arya wondered, mystified by the notion. Seeing her pause, the likely leader of the group demanded impatiently, "Well, what are you waiting for?! Do you want to die?!"

Motivated by his threatening words, Arya was swiftly spurred into action, retorting, "Not today!" With well-practiced ease she pulled a dagger from her belt and sent it posthaste into the right eye of the obnoxious rogue. Tricorn shrieked in surprise and pain at the sudden, devastating wound, dropped his weapon and fell to his knees, clutching the hilt of the bloody blade with both hands. The two nearby pirates stopped and stared at the unexpected turn of events, and Arya approached them menacingly, now brandishing Needle and her cutlass. Seeing that her daughter appeared to be frozen in shock, she shouted, "Lya, crouch down and aim for the knees!" With the blinding speed of a Faceless Man, Arya pinked first one, then the other, with distracting light wounds to their sword arms as Lyarra rapidly moved in and stabbed them in the knees. Before the other three pirates could join the melee, Arya speedily finished off her beleaguered adversaries with fatal thrusts into their hearts and they were done for. Her young teammate cautiously approached to inspect their bodies with her dagger held forward, ensuring that they were dead.

At that moment, Tricorn grabbed his cutlass and jumped to his feet, screaming in anger and humiliation, having removed the dagger from his eye. With blood running down his cheek, he furiously assailed Arya, driving her back a few steps in reaction to the wild and desperate swings of his cutlass. With their leader occupied, the young girl and the elderly sailor turned their attention to the three remaining grim-faced pirates with blades raised high, who were now alarmingly close. The pair did not have much confidence at the prospect of fighting three wily buccaneers.

Tybero's head appeared at the crest of the hill behind Renwick, and the sharp-eyed warrior woman immediately shouted, "Ty, your sword is needed! Help Lya!" Swiftly assessing the situation, Tybero drew his blade and rushed to confront the pirate nearest the girl, who was now obliged to engage the approaching youth.

Renwick was able to parry the blows of his foe, although his counterattacks were weak. With both men busy, the last pirate looked Lyarra up and down, licked his lips, and sneered his threat, "You are my prize, lass. Drop your weapon if you know what is good for you!" Lya had been warily holding off the cagey rascal with her dagger, but her hand was shaking, and she wore a doubtful expression.

Realizing that Lyarra was in serious danger, both Arya and Tybero began to slash more furiously at their opponents, determined to finish them off quickly and move on to the girl's enemy. As luck would have it, Tybero landed a mortal blow to his foe's torso, and as he groaned and fell to the ground clutching his escaping entrails, the lad dashed to Lyarra's side and deflected her attacker's blade with a clang. Lya used the moment of distraction to throw her dagger at the pirate's chest, but her accuracy was off due to the challenging conditions, and it sunk deeply into his stomach. However, her action gave Tybero the opportunity to aim a killing slice to the man's neck, and that scoundrel was no longer a problem.

Meanwhile, Tricorn was partially blinded, in shock, and weak from loss of blood. As he began to falter, Arya decided to give him mercy and ended his life swiftly at the first chance she had to puncture his heart with Needle.

Renwick was still holding his own, though now down on one knee and avoiding mortal strikes, and he welcomed Tybero's aid in fighting the pirate. Arya ended the skirmish by silently gliding up to the unsuspecting buccaneer from the side and stabbing him through the ribs, puncturing a lung and his heart, and the bloody encounter was over.

Panting from exertion, Arya surveyed the battlefield, ascertaining that all their foes were dead. Then she assessed the butcher's bill for her party. The sea wolf and the young sailor had only sustained superficial cuts on their arms and thighs, but poor Renwick had been dealt a nasty wound on his forearm. As she had been trained, practical Lya proceeded to prepare a temporary bandage by relieving a corpse of his bandana. Then she turned to the youth, who was wiping his cutlass clean and addressing his minor wounds, chirping, "Ty, you were so brave!" and wrapped her arms around his torso, rewarding the surprised lad with a forceful kiss on the lips.

Overwhelmed with affection and relief, Tybero dropped his weapon and returned the kiss whilst intimately gripping her hips. Lyarra's lips parted slightly, and their tongues timidly touched. A bolt of electricity suddenly passed through both of them, causing Tybero to softly moan as the youths embraced even tighter. Barely even conscious of his action, one of the lad's hands slipped down to squeeze Lya's small, firm arse, and now she moaned, thrusting her tongue deeply into his mouth, and their torsos pressed even closer together.

Arya observed the passionate youngsters with some discomfort and indignantly objected, "Lya! Ty! You are both being improper!"

The embarrassed boy immediately removed his hands, but the sea wolf's bold daughter maintained her embrace, loudly retorting, "Mu-THUR! Ty and I are in love, and it is quite appropriate for us to kiss, especially after facing death!"

Tybero blushed and reluctantly withdrew from Lya's arms, whispering, "Mayhaps we should stop right now. We can talk later." Lya slowly nodded, sighed, and released her hold on the young sailor, who then gently kissed the mussed hair on the top of her head. Arya's hard expression revealed her displeasure, but she decided to let it go for the moment. She raised her eyes to search for any other immediate dangers and realized that their vantage point afforded an admirable view of all the nearby waters surrounding the island.

The hilltop was an ideal lookout post, which explained the arrival of the cohort of buccaneers. Arya saw that to the east were a small number of beautiful tropical islands, similar to the one on which she was standing. Then she noticed a ship in the distance, a brigantine sailing on a westward bearing, likely to pass the bay where Nymeria was anchored. Fearing that another pirate attack might be imminent, Arya raised her spyglass and inspected the newcomer. She was relieved to identify the brig as an official Tyroshi patrol ship, distinguished by an image of the Bleeding Tower, the famous landmark in the mouth of the harbor on the island of Tyrosh, painted on her flag and sails. The sea wolf's initial impression was confirmed by the sight of a neat and orderly deck populated by uniformed military figures bearing longbows and broadswords. Arya assumed they were assigned to ferreting out the pirates, smugglers, and unauthorized slavers that frequented the waters near Tyrosh.

Turning her attention back to the ship within the bay, Arya observed a pirate on the deck signaling a request for the lookout party and realized that all the violence had taken place out of view. Reflecting on the nearby Tyroshi brigantine, an idea came to mind. Turning to the youth, she snapped, "Tybero! Jump quickly and put on the garb of the dead sailor that was carrying the signal flags." As soon he had stripped the corpse and attired himself, complete to the bandana covering his curls, Arya ordered, "Now make yourself visible and signal that a Tyroshi patrol ship is approaching from the east. Advise the crew to leave the bay and sail south until the danger is past." The ruse worked and to her relief, soon the buccaneers raised sail and fled in the opposite direction to the small northern cove where Nymeria lay at anchor.

Rushing down the hill, the company made for the dinghies and with all four manning the oars, rowed as quickly as possible back to Nymeria. Renwick puffed, "Milady, the Tyroshi are anchored here already." Hoisting herself over the railing, Arya immediately noticed the Tyroshi commander in conversation with Captain Randyll and Lord Baratheon, ascertaining that the repaired ship was seaworthy, and no rescue was required.

The Tyroshi captain appeared to be very surprised as he turned to witness the arrival of an armed warrior woman in bloodstained leathers. Gendry had the same reaction and rushed to embrace his wife and child and determine that they were not injured. Arya assured him that, save for Renwick's bandaged arm, they were essentially unharmed. Then, twisting around within her relieved husband's hugs and kisses, she hurriedly addressed the Tyroshi mariner, "Captain, there is a pirate ship threatening these waters, presently sailing south out the hidden bay that opens on the west side of this island. My party was attacked by six rogues at the summit of yonder hill, but we were able to defeat them."

Gendry introduced the mariner as Captain Istarion, who instinctively reached out to kiss Arya's hand, but seeing that it was covered in blood, bowed instead, and murmured, "My lady." Glancing at the obviously fierce female fighter's companions, a grizzled old salt, a beardless youth, and a girlchild, all in bloodstained clothing, he blurted out, "My lady, I am astounded! You do appear formidable, but I find it hard to believe that the four of you were victorious over six bloodthirsty buccaneers."

Before Arya could respond, bold Lya, with blood smeared on her cheek, confidently stepped forward and volunteered, "My mother speaks the truth, Captain, we all did our part to defeat the pirates. And we have proof!" Lyarra brandished a dirk she liberated from the belt of a deceased pirate as Tybero displayed another dirk and a bandana.

"And here," Arya added, holding up a tricorn hat, "is the headgear of their likely leader."

Captain Istarion shook his head, amazed at what he had heard. "Do not doubt the Lady, Captain," Randyll grinned, hoping to make things clearer, "You have the signature honor of meeting Arya Stark, also known as 'Arya the Adventurer', who, at the tender age of a mere eighteen namedays, boldly led an expedition on the first circumnavigation of Planetos in this very craft. Common pirates are no match for her skills."

The Tyroshi appeared to be in shock. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "Is that true?" he choked out.

Arya smiled modestly, "Aye, he speaks the truth, but I seek no honor. The voyage was its own reward. After the war, I needed to get away to achieve peace of mind. Fighting the Others and surviving the destruction of King's Landing almost broke me mentally."

Lord Baratheon wore a solemn expression hearing Arya's recollection of those evil times, and Randyll added, "The wolf princess is being modest, she is also known for killing the Night King and ending the danger in the North."

She held out her fabled dagger Catspaw, and the captain gasped, "I should never have questioned your skills, my lady."

"No offense taken, Captain, but I recommend that you make haste to pursue the pirate ship before she takes advantage of the wind in open waters. Right now they are probably dodging islands and cannot gather speed."

Captain Istarion nodded in agreement, "You have the right of it, Lady Arya. We will set out immediately. It has been a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He signaled for his bosun to make ready the longboat and turned to Captain Randyll and Lord Baratheon, "My compliments, gentlemen, and I wish you better luck for the rest of your voyage."

The Tyroshi ship gave chase to the pirates, and Nymeria, with her repairs completed, set sail in the direction that Arya indicated after the duty watch raised her anchor. She was intent on finding where the pirates in the dinghy had deposited the sea chest. Nymeria approached the mouth of the hidden bay, which was actually several hundred feet wide. From this new vantage point, the crew of Nymeria could see the entire circular bay and the ring of hills surrounding it. Tybero leaned close to Lyarra's shoulder and explained, "Captain Randyll says that this island is probably what remains of a volcano that became extinct long ago." Lyarra smiled at him for the insight. Then sharp-eyed Polonus shouted and pointed towards the sea cliff of the southern bluff. In the strong, tropical afternoon sun, the surface of the bare, rocky promontory was rough and rugged, and also partially shaded, but a discerning eye could make out three nondescript sea caves set at water level. As no other landing spots were detected from the ship, the sea wolf surmised that the dinghy had most likely been rowed into one of the caves.

Arya turned to Captain Randyll and announced, "Captain, I intend to helm a ship's boat towards those caves. Renwick, Lyarra, and Tybero will accompany me, as they fought the pirates and have a right to claim first discovery." The company descended into a dinghy and set off for the shore. Approaching the first cave, they saw that the ceiling was quite low. Lyarra held up her lantern at the entrance and they realized that it was small, shallow, and empty. Arya ordered her crew to row to the middle cave and as they drew closer, they could see that the ceiling of this one was about ten feet high, and the width allowed easy passage to a dinghy with oars extended on both sides. Once again, Lyarra held up her lantern at the entrance and the cave appeared to be very deep, for the light did not penetrate very far into the darkness, but waves could be heard slapping the wall far inside.

At Arya's enthusiastic orders, Tybero and Renwick began to row into the interior, and once hidden from sunlight, the crew immediately felt the cool, damp air within. The silence of the cave was only disturbed by the reverberations of the oars slapping the water and their hushed voices echoing off the nearby walls. The stone floor below the crystal-clear water was smooth and flat and was a mere twelve inches beneath the keel of the gliding dinghy. Lyarra held the lantern close to the surface to examine the bottom and shouted excitedly, "Ty, look!" The rocky floor was covered by some soft, green substance that seemed to be moving. The light had revealed that the green substance appeared to be a living thing, an expanse of some kind of animal or plant composed of coin-sized rings of tiny waving arms, each with a small slit in the center. "I have never seen anything like that!" Lya exclaimed, "Ty, do you know what it is?"

Ty smiled, for he was actually familiar with the phenomena. "Captain Randyll told me that they are tiny animals called 'zoanthids' and they are related to coral reefs. Do you remember when Nymeria passed through a gap in the reef to anchor in the lagoon?"

Lyarra nodded expectantly and the boy continued, "The reef is actually a living thing made of tiny animals that make their own rocks to live on and are fixed in place. Well, these animals do not make rock, but are similar in another way. Those arms you see are called 'tentacles', and they reach out to paralyze and capture small swimming animals which they then feed into their mouths. They are actually related to jellyfish too." Ty paused as Lya turned an appreciative smile his way before staring into the water again, and then concluded, "Captain calls this feature a 'carpet of mouths'."

Captain Randyll was an inquisitive man and had once sailed the Stepstones with a passenger who was a natural philosopher. He happily picked the learned man's mind often and was accommodated by the friendly maester. More recently, because he had the amusing task of reading little Lady Lyarra Baratheon's missives to the young sailor Tybero, he came to realize that the boy was curious and clever. Randyll took the youth under his wing, teaching him his letters and anything else he was willing to absorb. Tybero was also well-liked by his messmates, and the captain believed that the lad had the potential to rise to third mate status as he matured. Randyll was amused by the fact that the humble deckhand had the affection of the spirited daughter of the formidable sea wolf herself and was curious to see how the friendship between a baseborn seaman and a princess of the Realm would play out. Knowing that the Baratheons would eventually be traveling home on Nymeria, he hoped that nothing awkward or unpleasant occurred that might make life on the ship uncomfortable.

Lyarra was mesmerized by her discovery and quietly muttered, "Imagine that." She trailed her hand in the water, running her fingers over the living mat, and discovered that it felt slimy and slippery. She also observed that as she touched each animal, it instantly retracted its tentacles and seemed to hunch down in place until her hand was long past. Entranced by the novelty of all she had experienced this day, Lya sat up in the dinghy and caught Arya's eye. "Mother, this is so much fun! I want to stay on Nymeria and travel with Tybero all around the Stepstones and the Narrow Sea. It will be so educational! May I, please?"

Arya became reflective for a moment, fondly contemplating that her brash daughter shared her love of adventure, but then narrowed her eyes and sourly retorted, "The educational part I approve of, Lya, but I am concerned that when you are not being tutored, you will be 'playing maester' with Tybero, and I do not consider that as part of the desired learning process right now. Now lift up that lantern! We need to see what lies ahead!" The determined sea wolf stood up in the bow and peered into the darkness.

Lyarra frowned but dutifully obeyed her mother. But at her first opportunity, she leaned close to Tybero and whispered, "Hmm. I like the idea of 'playing maester'. Should I find you later?"

The startled boy, who had been blushing at Lady Arya's insinuations, looked up to see Lyarra's flashing eyes and impish grin. Even though Ty was becoming more and more hungry for her kisses and her touch, he hissed, "Lya! You are going to get us both in real trouble! Stop it now!"

Enjoying Ty's trepidation, Lya rolled her eyes and pouted, "Where is your sense of adventure? Mayhaps I shall ask Polonus if he wants to see my smallclothes. Your best friend's eyes follow me like those of the stableboys in Winterfell did."

Now Ty unexpectedly felt a twinge of jealousy and growled quietly, "Lya, don't you dare! I'm going to spank you if you don't stop aggravating me!"

The quick-witted girl smirked, "Hah! You just want to touch my arse again. Admit it!"

Outmatched, Tybero groaned, "Lya, let it go. We have to stay focused." He realized that he was infatuated with this girl, but she was making him crazy. Ty felt discomfited but contented at the same time and was totally confused.

They had slowly rowed about fifty feet into the cave and the entrance now seemed strangely small and distant behind them. Suddenly Renwick exclaimed, "I see a wall in front of us!" The cave abruptly came to an end at a small shelf, raised about one foot above the water level. And there, sitting on the shelf, was the chest that the pirates had delivered to the cave. Arya and Lya were the first to jump out of the dinghy and inspected the chest. It was not large, mayhaps three feet wide by two feet deep and about two feet high, but it was sturdily built and hardly weathered. The lid was secured with a massive lock and Arya hurriedly attempted to 'jimmy' it first with Needle, then her dagger, and finally Lyarra's fid. Crouching on her hands and knees on the cold, wet shelf, and having no success, the sea wolf looked up at Tybero and Renwick, and impatiently commanded in her frustration, "Seven hells! Find something that can break this damn lock!"

Both men quickly returned to the dingy and began to rummage around under the seats. Renwick came up with a small hand axe and held it aloft. Arya's expression brightened and she ordered, "Ty, take that and see what you can do." The lithe youth did have some muscle due to his physical livelihood and began to smack the lock with the flat side of the axe. A half dozen powerful blows later, the lock gave way and Arya bent down to remove it and lift the lid. Lyarra raised her lantern high, and the party gave out a collective gasp as the light revealed a bounty of glittering gold and silver coins, bejeweled rings, bracelets, and necklaces, delicately painted brooches, decorated golden chalices and snuffboxes, beautiful garments of valuable Myrish silk, and many scattered loose gemstones.

"By the gods, we are rich!" Renwick choked out and Tybero fell to his knees.

There is a maritime convention regarding how the crew of a ship share in the division of acquired loot, based on rank. Nymeria's lowly deck hands were aware that, even though their shares were miniscule, the treasure was so great that they would receive a significant bonus to their standard pay. The mood on the ship was exuberant and spirits were high as Nymeria set sail for Storm's End. Renwick and Hargrove were assigned to count the coins and list the content of the treasure chest. Surrounded by more wealth than he had ever imagined, Hargrove quipped, "I spent forty years sailing before the mast, and not once did I ever have a sniff of pirate's treasure. And now that I am too old to take advantage of a windfall, I finally receive one!"

Renwick chuckled and patted his companion on the shoulder, "Not to fret, mate. We have shared many good adventures to reflect on, and milady has been a generous benefactor these past years. I for one, have no regrets."

#####

Arya, Lyarra, and Minisa, the only females aboard Nymeria, unpacked and inspected the lovely garments of Myrish silk that had been folded and compressed within the treasure chest. Lyarra found a costume, a pale green halter top with matching pantaloons, that was obviously designed for a petite "harem girl". Holding them up in the sunlight whilst shaking out the creases, Lyarra had an idea and implemented it during the first evening watch that she knew that Tybero was not on duty. As he idled at the bow, enjoying the sunset, she approached him, completely hidden beneath an oversized cloak, and mysteriously bade him to accompany her to her quarters. Upon boarding Nymeria, Lyarra had insisted that, due to her maturity, she required her own personal lodgings apart from the younger children. Her amused and bemused parents arranged for a small storage room to be fitted out with a narrow berth and a small wardrobe, and she successfully acquired her coveted privacy.

Once the door was closed, Lyarra placed her hand on Tybero's chest and gently pushed him down into a sitting position on the pallet. Then she dropped the cloak to the floor and the lad's eyes widened in surprise as he gasped, "Lya!" The girl was attired in the "harem girl" outfit with matching jewelry and make-up, and her application skills had improved since her first attempts with her mother's borrowed cosmetics. Her long raven hair had been freed from its usual braid and had been brushed to a glossy luster, extending down her back and over her shoulders, framing the modest cleavage exposed by the halter top, The awe-struck sailor gaped at the vision of loveliness as she swayed before him, waving her arms and rolling her hips as she had secretly observed her mother doing in her parents' chambers during what Lady Baratheon called "role play time". The silk garments hung loosely on her slim frame and were obviously meant for a more mature figure, but for all that, she was beautiful in Tybero's eyes.

Using a mesmerizing voice meant to hypnotize the listener, Lya droned, "I am the Black Pearl of Braavos, the object of desire for men from all walks of life in that city, who offer mountains of gold for a bit of my attention and kill one another in fits of jealousy." Tybero stared at her open-mouthed, transfixed by her image. "Even the Sea Lord of Braavos has requested my favors," Lya continued, "and merchant kings, sea captains, and generals who I have rejected throw themselves into the sea in despair." Lyarra only recently learned what was actually meant by the reference to a lady's "favors", and at this point in her life the girl still considered the whole process to be "icky". Nevertheless, she found the idea of attaining a boy's affection to be romantic and loved toying with the admiring Tybero.

Now she leaned forward and pressed her lips against Ty's, leaving some paint behind, and backed away before the spellbound sailor could grasp her hips in an attempt to hold her closely. Standing just out of reach, Lya made eye contact and steadily held his gaze, sternly demanding, "Tybero, are you not obsessed with me? Are you willing to do anything to possess me? Offer all your money? Fight the other men who also desire me? Give up everything for me? Tell me now!"

Lyarra's fantasy gamesmanship was too much for the simple sailor. Leaning forward, he firmly seized her bare waist with both hands and pulled her in, pressing her small bosom against his chest and moaned as he peppered her face with kisses, "Yes! Yes! Anything you want! I am yours, Lya!" Overwhelmed by emotion, Ty initiated a fervent, sloppy, deep tongue kiss, and Lya, thrilled by the frantic response she had evoked in the lad, enthusiastically returned his affection.

After several minutes of ardent kissing, both youths found themselves experiencing a strange new emotion, one of intense desire, and Lya leaned back, her face and hair damp with perspiration, and panted, "Ty, take off your tunic." Her hands moved to her back and began to loosen the laces of her halter top.

Tybero's heart was pounding and he was breathing heavily, but as he realized what Lya intended to do, his blood ran cold and he immediately came to his senses in a panic, protesting urgently, "Lya, nae! We have to stop! Your parents have put their trust in us and I promised not to dishonor you!" He stilled her working fingers and drew her hands forward.

Encompassing her smaller hands with his large, rough ones, he gently kissed her lips and leaned back, softly murmuring, "I care for you very much, Lya, and if we continue here, there will only be trouble." Reluctantly, Ty released her and stood up, sadly saying "I should leave."

Ty awkwardly stood in front of her for a moment as his breathing returned to normal and he passed a hand through his damp and rumpled hair, attempting to smooth it down. Lyarra's face expressed obvious disappointment, but she did not protest. Instead, she sighed, "You are probably right. Although I think we could have had fun."

The boy attempted to smile, "I agree. But I prefer not to think about it. I'll see you tomorrow, Lya." He softly kissed her forehead and left the small room, wondering if he was a fool. The young sea wolf pressed her fingers to her lips, reflecting on the most intense kiss she had ever shared with a boy and hope it was not her last one with Tybero.

#####

The carrack Nymeria was plying the open waters of Shipbreaker Bay, tacking swiftly westwards on a broad reach with the wind out of the southeast, Storm's End her destination. The voyage would most likely end within two days under the present conditions, and Captain's Randyll's weather glass indicated that it would remain so. All the passengers, save one, were eager to return home after such a long journey. The lone holdout was the little sea wolf, who had become so acclimated to seafaring that she was loath to return to land. A taste for maritime adventure was not the only reason for Lyarra's desire to remain on shipboard; she had developed a deep affection for the young sailor Tybero and was reluctant to leave his companionship.

For his part, the youth in question was leaning on the bow railing, observing the beautiful sunset directly ahead and reflecting on his unlikely friendship with the high-spirited young noblewoman, convinced that his life would become emptier after her departure. The boy sighed, trying to accept the fact that as a couple they had no future. He knew that both of Lyarra's parents were reasonable people and truly liked him, but there was no way they would approve of a marriage between a common sailor and a princess of the Realm. Tybero was also aware that weddings and babes were the last things on the determined girl's mind, and she only focused on following the life of an adventurer.

As the setting sun reached the horizon and turned the sky and scattered clouds into an expanse of pink, orange, and yellow, Tybero heard footsteps nearby and turned his head slightly, ascertaining that Lyarra had joined him at the rail. He nodded in recognition, and they silently watched the sunset, standing side by side. Eventually Lyarra sighed and leaned against the lad, and his hand immediately went to wrap around her waist and gently drew her closer. A few more quiet minutes passed, and as dusk began to descend, Ty inclined his head and kissed the top of hers, whispering, "I will miss you, Lya. What we have shared means so much to me."

Lya's arm encircled his torso and squeezed his ribs as she looked up into his face with damp eyes, "I also enjoyed our time together and do not know when we will meet again. I don't want to leave Nymeria, but I have no choice." Tybero had no answer and the youngsters just continued to stare into the darkness, comforted a bit by the partial embrace.

Lord and Lady Baratheon were also strolling the deck in the fading light but did not approach the silhouette of the entwined couple. Instead they simply observed the youths: The strapping lad was almost a foot taller than the slender girl beside him, who was beginning to more resemble a woman than a child.

Gendry sighed and turned to his wife, "I know it will be awkward, but should we intercede?"

Arya just shook her head, "Nae. Leave them alone. Lya and Ty do not have many more moments together and will soon be separated by time and distance. Let them enjoy this pleasant evening." Captain Randyll had approached his liege lady and hearing her words, nodded in agreement. The sea wolf flicked her eyes and acknowledged his presence. She paused for a minute, then continued with a smirk, "Still, it would be wise to ensure that neither youth has the opportunity to wander around the ship tonight." Arya rolled her eyes, "So much mischief can occur when children are unchaperoned."

Randyll raised his eyebrows as he recognized Arya's implication, and he replied, "I shall do my part, milady, as will Tybero's messmates."

Arya grinned, "And I may have to put a tether on my pup; she has a knack for finding trouble."

Nymeria finally anchored in deep water a hundred yards from the dock on the rocky shore. The dock was located at the base of a smoothed path that ascended up the steep cliff to Storm's End. Burly sailors pushed wheelbarrows bearing the family's sea chests up the path to the castle as final farewells were traded between the Baratheons and their seafaring friends. However, Lyarra and Tybero were loath to be parted. The young couple embraced tightly and planted soft kisses on each other's faces. With tear-stained cheeks, they promised to write every day and swore to meet again as the entire family began to descend into the longboat one last time. After the passengers debarked, Nymeria was to set sail for King's Landing to drop off some cargo and continue her normal trade route.

As the crew rowed to the dock, Lyarra was still facing the ship, wearing a sorrowful face as she waved farewell to the despondent lad watching her from the deck. Ned snickered and hooted at the sight of his uncharacteristically emotional older sister. Minisa sighed and grasped her mother's arm, whilst gushing, "Mama, isn't that romantic?! Mayhaps I will write a poem about 'the Lady and the Sailor' and send it to Aunt Sansa."

Lord Baratheon appeared perplexed and muttered with a concerned expression, "I do not like this. He has five more namedays than Lya and she is but a child."

Arya smiled wickedly, "You had five more namedays than me when you tried to tickle me out of my smallclothes on the floor of that forge at Acorn Hall."

Gendry's face turned bright red and he protested vehemently, "That is not how I remember what happened between us. At that time, I did not even have the nerve to try to kiss you! In fact, it wasn't even on my mind!"

Lady Baratheon smirked, "You are not telling the truth, husband. I know you wanted to kiss me."

Meanwhile, on Nymeria's deck, Tybero was having a serious discussion with Captain Randyll. The discovery of the pirates' treasure had made the humble young sailor unexpectedly wealthy. Many youths in his position would have planned to be set ashore at one of the Free Cities where they could pursue a dissolute life of pleasure until the money ran out or they were preyed upon by clever grifters. However, Tybero had gone to sea at a very young age and was more comfortable on a ship than on land. He found the concept of becoming a landlubber, even a rich landlubber, unwelcome.

Captain Randyll explained that he would administer the lad's fortune and continue his education, preparing him to eventually become a master or captain of his own merchant vessel someday. Before debarking, Arya had discussed Tybero's lot with Randyll, and remarked, "Randyll, I find it ironic that we discovered the treasure, as I, Lyarra, and even Renwick really have no use for additional wealth." She appeared pensive for a few moments and then smiled, "Long ago my lord husband had the opportunity to rise from the poverty of Flea Bottom because a nobleman arranged for his apprenticeship to a skilled armorer. Mayhaps I can use some of this gold to provide apprenticeship in a variety of trades for other deserving youths. I will discuss this idea with my brother, the King, and his Hand."

Randyll nodded his head in agreement, "That is very generous, milady. Your plan will no doubt improve many lives."

After stepping out of Nymeria's longboat for the last time, the Baratheon family ascended the hill and mentally prepared themselves to resume the less than exciting life of castle-bound landsmen but cherished their memories of travel and adventure. Lyarra, for one, was fiercely determined to return to the sea as soon as the opportunity presented itself. The impatient would-be adventurer would have to wait four more years for that opportunity, and that is where we will take up our story again.

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Notes:

The location of the pirate incident is based on Norman Island in the British Virgin Islands, which is purported to be the model for "Treasure island". I visited there several times long ago. I mentioned this fact earlier in the notes at the end of Chapter 16, "Baratheon Family Time", which also includes Lyarra's first attempt at emulating the Black Pearl. We rowed a dinghy into the sea caves and saw the zoanthids (and the shelf! No treasure, though). I am a retired marine scientist and could not help but sneak in a lesson. My bareboat charter sailing trips in the Virgin Islands were adventures that I will always remember.