So the format went wonky when I first posted this chapter. I didn't realize until someone pointed it out over the comments. And of course, I was at work and unable to fix it but now it is.
Several days had passed since Robb's first full moon. Dacey and Griffin were sitting outside of the cave when Myrcella returned from getting water. The pair were compiling a list of supplies they were in need of. When they had been in the mountains overlooking the large valley, the group had seen several villages scattered in the distance. With winter on the way the villages would be celebrating the harvest and autumn with markets and festivals. It would be easy for strangers to wander in and remain unnoticed. At least that's what Dacey had said. With the turmoil and wars that had rocked the Seven Kingdoms who knew what could actually be waiting in the villages. For all Myrcella knew they might be like the hamlet that had been put to the sword by the Mountain and his men.
"Myrcella should come with us." She heard Dacey state.
"Wait, what?" Myrcella set down her waterskins. Dacey turned to Myrcella.
"You heard me. You are going to come with Griffin and I." Myrcella felt excitement bubble in her stomach.
"Are you sure that it should be me? What about Toby or Jay, or Petey?"
"Toby and Jay are too obvious. It's clear they're Northmen. Petey." Dacey snorted and shook her head. "Petey is a sweet boy, but he can be a bit too troublesome. Robb obviously can't go and neither can Greatjon, he can't talk but he's still a bit too noticeable. So that leaves you."
"Well then when do we leave?" Myrcella asked excitedly. Her excitement was dimmed a short time later when Dacey informed the rest about their plans.
"Absolutely not." Robb said firmly. "It's too dangerous for Myrcella to go. Take Greatjon instead." Greatjon nodded and thumped his chest in agreement.
"Because a giant mute Northman with the world's worst temper, missing two and a half fingers is less noticeable than a tiny woman?" Greatjon glared down at Dacey, who met his glare just as fiercely before turning her back to him to stare down Robb.
"We're not askin for your permission. And while I'm glad you're finally gettin out of that head of yours Robb Stark. You said it yourself, you aren't a king anymore. You don't have the right to say where Myrcella can and can't go." There was a glint in Robb's eyes that made Myrcella jump between the pair.
"Perhaps I should have a say!" Myrcella spoke calmly, pushing the pair apart before facing Robb. "I'm going." She stated. "If you want to stop me then you'll just have to tie me up. Except, you can't because we have the shirts on our backs and very little else. You barely even have a shirt!" It was true, most of Robb's clothing had become little more than rags since his transformation.
"Myrcella, do you remember how you were treated when you were captured outside Braavos? They way they talked about you, degraded you?" Robb asked, reaching out and gently grabbing her shoulder. Yes, Myrcella remembered every minute. The way the sailors would stare hungrily at her, the comments they had made to her about what they would do to her body if she wasn't a valuable hostage to their King. Myrcella nodded. "You are a beautiful woman. Men will notice you and they could try and do to you what those sailors wanted to do." Myrcella pushed Robb's hand from her shoulder. Part of her appreciated his concern for her safety and the need to protect her, but it was unnecessary.
"I will never forget what I had to endure on that ship. But I was alone then, surrounded by my enemy. Now I'm surrounded by friends. I understand your fears, Robb, I do. I grew up in King's Landing, I know the horrors of the world even if I've only experienced a few firsthand. Growing up in court, I had to learn how to be invisible. To be the silent princess that a person could forget was even in the room. Especially with the likes of Joffrey running around. I know how to be in the background and I'm good at it. I'm going with Dacey and Griffin. It will likely take us several days but we will return. You'll just have to deal with it." She said coldly before turning her back to Robb and walking to grab her satchel from the cave. Robb cursed under his breath and stomped off into the woods. He was still gone when the three of them left. Myrcella sighed and cursed the stubbornness of Northmen.
They had ended up traveling farther into the valley than originally planned, having to stop in three small villages to get the supplies. It had been strange to be among other people once again, especially simple common folk. She had spent the last several moons with only the others, before that she had been surrounded by an army, and even before her time as a hostage she never had mingled with those below her station. No one in the villages gave her, Dacey, or Griffin a second look, putting to rest all of Robb's concerns. Myrcella knew it was petty but she couldn't wait to rub it in his face. They were just more faceless travelers, sure every so often a man or boy would give Myrcella a second look but nothing came of it.
An unexpected perk of being practically invisible was that they were able to listen to the gossip about what had been happening in the rest of the Seven Kingdoms. Joffrey had indeed been murdered at his own wedding, supposedly by Tyrion Lannister and Sansa Stark who had also apparently been married recently. Sansa Stark had disappeared during the chaos leaving Tyrion to face his trial alone. The news made Myrcella's head spin. She silently thanked the Old Gods and the New that she wasn't in King's Landing. Myrcella was currently wandering through the stalls of a small market in the village they were currently in. Soon they would begin the journey back to the cave. Griffin had gone to the village tavern and Dacey was bartering nearby for some grain. In this village unlike the others they had traveled to there were several artisans selling their wares, the Redfort lay several leagues south east so this particular village had a bit more trade than the others. Myrcella stopped at one particular vendor who was selling leather bound books and journals. Myrcella lifted one of the books flipping through the empty pages when another item caught her eye. A writing slate similar to the one she had used as a child to learn her letters. Her mind instantly went to the Greatjon. He needed an easier way to communicate with the lot of them that wasn't just waving his arms around and everyone trying to guess what he had to say. Apparently, in Essos there was an entire language made up of hand-signs. Unfortunately, they had no one who knew the sign-language and the chances of meeting someone who did were rather bleak.
"How much for the slate and chalk?" Myrcella asked the merchant. He looked her up and down.
"Five silver stags." He grunted. Myrcella stared at him. She only had one stag and a handful of coppers left.
"What about just the slate?"
"Then it's three silver stags." The merchant replied bluntly, staring at Myrcella. For a moment his eyes moved to her chest. "Or you can give me that necklace." Myrcella reached up and grabbed her pendent. She hadn't even realized it had fallen out of her shirt. It was certainly worth more than a writing slate and chalk. She had spent the past several days watching Griffin and Dacey barter. She could surely do it herself.
"It's a family heirloom. I can't part with it for just a writing slate."
"Then it's the three silver stags."
"But I could part with it for say, the slate, some chalk and pencils, and the journal I was looking at. After all this is gold." She said, pulling the necklace off her neck and letting it dangle before the merchant. He stared at her then the necklace, then back at Myrcella.
"Is that a lion on there?" He asked. Myrcella felt her heart studded for a moment and fought to keep her features blank.
"I don't know. I always thought it was a Shadow Cat or something. I think it was a prize taken during the Blackfyre Rebellion, that's what my Mum said anyway." Myrcella drawled, trying to hide her anxiousness. The merchant still couldn't take his eyes off the swinging pendent. Myrcella just wanted the man to agree to take the stupid thing and stop asking questions. Since she had found it in the fire after Maggy the Frogg's home had vanished it felt off, like some of Maggy's strange darkness clung to the necklace, it made Myrcella wish that she had left it in the embers. The comfort once found in the familiar weight was long gone. The merchant finally reached out and took the necklace.
"You got a deal lass." Myrcella grinned as the man wrapped up the slate, journal, chalk, and pencils. He handed her the parcel and Myrcella tucked it in her bag.
"Pleasure doing business." She stated before practically skipping off to find Dacey. Soon after, Dacey had the last of what they needed along with a fresh loaf of bread for the journey to the cave. It was still warm from the baker's oven. Dacey held it up and Myrcella tore off a small piece.
"The baker's wife kept staring so I told her I had to sell my hair to feed my family during the war before fleeing the Riverland's. She started crying, the baker was embarrassed so he gave me it for free." Myrcella took a bite and treasured the flakey goodness. "Worth the small deception I'd say." Myrcella nodded in agreement. They met Griffin outside the small tavern at the edge of town. The only new piece of news he brought was that apparently Petyr Baelish had returned to the Vale and implemented more taxes. A bit of news that was not met with any enthusiasm. Apparently, the taxes were being raised at unfair rates for many of the small folk who would be left with next to nothing in their stores for the coming Winter. Many had protested but were ignored by the tax collectors from both the Eyrie and King's Landing.
After hearing what Griffin had heard in the tavern, the trio set out for the journey back to the caves. The next day, Dacey, Griffin, and Myrcella were resting on the side of the road, eating the last of the bread Dacey had been given. The supplies they had purchased using the last of everyone's combined coin lay packed beside them. Myrcella's gift to Greatjon and the sketchbook were carefully nestled inside her satchel. Dacey hadn't been too happy when Myrcella told her she had used her necklace to pay for the items. But Myrcella had assured her friend that the merchant had no clue as to the true nature of the necklace.
"I told him it was a trinket in the family since the Blackfyre rebellion. I even said I thought the lioness on it was a shadow cat. Besides, now the Greatjon will be able to communicate better."
Voices from down the road quickly drew the trio's attention, drawing Myrcella out of her thoughts. Myrcella quickly threw her hood back up as two riders trotted around the bend and stopped before them. It was obvious that the two riders were highborn, but they were trying to appear low born. The clothes on the leader looked worn, but if you looked close enough it was obvious that the materials were fine castle quality, the obvious castle forged sword that hung from his waist. The second rider, a page or a squire probably looked a bit more the part of a commoner. But not by much. There was something about the first rider that pawed at Myrcella's memory. She knew him from somewhere.
"Good day fellow travelers." The lead man said, swinging down from his horse, his eyes dancing over them before settling on Myrcella. Myrcella felt her skin crawl and pulled her cloak closer. This man was looking at her like she was a piece of meat. "Are you in need of any assistance?"
"Many thanks, Ser. But my daughters and I are only resting a bit before continuing our journey." Griffin stated calmly using the story the three had come up with back at the caves before setting out, subtly moving in front of Myrcella trying to block his view. The man laughed and threw his cape over his shoulder, revealing the badge on his breast. Myrcella paled, she recognized the quartered shield bearing the sigil's of house Aryn, house Waynwood, and the vassal house Hardyng. There was only one person this man could possibly be; Ser Harrold Hardyng, known as Harry the Heir to some and Harry the Arse to others. He was the unofficial heir to the Vale. Rumor had it he whored just as much as Robert Baratheon. The only times Myrcella had seen Ser Harrold before was during various tourneys in Kings Landing. That had been was she was still a little girl, unflowered. Surely he wouldn't recognize her.
"Forgive me my good man. I didn't realize that," He pointed at Dacey, "Was a woman." He laughed again. Dacey stiffened at her hand fell to where her axe rested under her cloak. "Your other girl though. I haven't seen such a beauty in a long time." He flashed a pearly white grin at Myrcella. If he expected Myrcella to swoon at him, this sorry excuse for a knight had another thing coming. "My companion and I are returning from the Redfort on business for the Lady Waynwood. You should accompany us back to the Eyrie. I'm sure we could find a position there for such a fair maid." Oh, Myrcella could just guess what kind of position he had in mind. She was about to decline when Dacey stood abruptly.
"We're going in the opposite direction. And I won't have you touching my little sister, ser. She's not one of your cheap whores"
"Teach your daughter so respect old man." Ser Hardyng growled, his hand wrapping around the pommel of his sword. Griffin sighed and turned to Myrcella.
"You may want to run for cover." Just as Dacey pulled her axe from behind her cloak and launched herself at the knight with a yell. Harold Hardyng was not expecting Dacey to be such a superior fighter. The lady of Bear Island and the knight fought viciously. The man's squire fumbled for his own sword, falling off his horse in the process only to find Griffin's sword at his neck.
"Now lad, don't be doing anything stupid." The older man stated calmly taking the squire's sword and tossing it to the side. The young man looked ready to piss himself. In fact, it appeared that he did piss himself. Dacey cried out as Hardyng managed to kick her shin. Myrcella didn't even think before grabbing a near by rock and hurling it with all her might at the knight's head. The rock collided with a crack and the man buckled. Dacey pinned him, the blade of her axe pressed against his throat.
"Pathetic." She growled. Before smashing the butt of the weapon into his forehead. Effectively knocking the heir apparent of the Vale unconscious.
After debating on what to do with the knight and his squire. The trio settled on releasing the horses and tying the two men to a tree. Someone would come along eventually and probably untie them. Hopefully, Myrcella, Dacey, and Griffin would be far way when that happened. Just to ensure a clean escape, they talked loudly about traveling to Gulltown.
"You bitch. Do you have any idea who I am?" Harold growled as Myrcella followed Dacey's instructions to tighten the ropes. Myrcella glanced up.
"You are and arrogant, self-entitled fool who thinks he has some importance in this world because of the family you were born to and the fact that you have a cock between your legs. The knight narrowed his eyes at her.
"You're no farmers daughter… No.. You are of noble blood. Your accent is from the Crownlands. I can hear it in your voice." Myrcella paled, then glaring back at the knight she pulled his heavy coin purse from his belt. Then knelt down, removed his boots, and pulled off the man's pants, leaving Ser Hardyng naked from the waist down save for his smallclothes.
"Thank you for the trousers and coin, they will be put to good use." The man was turning an alarming shade of red. Myrcella couldn't help but giggle as she ran to help Dacey gather the rest of their things.
"You're actually taking the man's pants?" Dacey asked incredulously.
"Yes. All his coin too."
"Seven Hells."
Dacey, Griffin, and Myrcella moved quickly through the woods. Doubling back every so often to make sure that no one was following. Someone must have found the trussed-up knight and squire by now. Finally, after crossing another freezing stream Griffin had them stop.
"They shouldn't be able to track us now. Our trail will be too complicated."
"We should still be careful getting back to the cave. Take a less direct route than the one we took to get down into the villages." Dacey replied. Myrcella breathlessly collapsed against a tree.
"Why can't things go bloody right for once and not end with us running?" She gasped, clutching her side. "Just once. No running, is that too much to ask?"
"Apparently." Dacey groaned. "We best get moving."
"I don't suppose we could downplay that whole incident with Ser Hardyng?" Myrcella asked hopefully.
"Nope." Griffin stated. "Especially not when you took his pants and coin." Myrcella cursed.
"It was just bad luck. Nothing to worry about." Dacey stated. "One incident in the days we've been gone. Besides that, prick will probably make up an outlandish story to avoid admitting he was beaten by a woman."
Even moving at a fast pace, it took the trio three more days to make it back to the caves. When the familiar cliff face loomed above them Myrcella couldn't help but sigh in relief. It was good to be back. Petey, Toby, Jay, and Greatjon were all sitting around the fire when they exited the tree line. For one heart stopping moment Myrcella thought that Robb had left, but then he was striding out of the cave towards them and Myrcella's fear all but disappeared. Dacey stepped forward and shoved one of the packs of supplies at Robb. He caught it with ease.
"You were supposed to be back yesterday." He stated. Ignoring the pack in his hands. "We were worried." Robb looked over at Myrcella. From the fire someone, probably Jay, grumbled under his breath.
"He was the one that worried." Robb shot the man a venomous look. Hearing what he had said loud and clear. Myrcella couldn't help but feel warm and fuzzy at the thought of Robb being worried. He really was starting to come out of the shell that had formed when the witch had healed him.
"We had to go a bit farther then planned." Dacey shrugged. "We had no problems in the villages, got all that we needed and more." Myrcella moved past Dacey and Robb who continued to bicker. And took a seat by the fire next to Greatjon. Reaching into her satchel she pulled out the parcel containing the writing slate and unwrapped it holding it out to the giant Northman.
"I got this for you. So, you can communicate easier." Greatjon looked at the slate then slowly reached and took it from her, Myrcella pulled the chalk pieces out too and handed them to him. Myrcella swore that the lord was looking a bit misty eyed. Then he turned and pulled Myrcella into a bone-crushing hug that pushed the air from her lungs.
"You're welcome." Myrcella wheezed when Greatjon finally released her. Dacey joined her on her other side, Robb sitting across from them as they all began to sort through what they had bought.
"So, no one noticed or recognized you. I'm sorry about what I said, I should have had more faith in you three." Dacey and Griffin both turned to Myrcella looking at her expectantly.
"Why do I have to tell him?" Myrcella asked crossly.
"Because you're the one who had to take trophy's." Griffin stated.
"What happened?" Robb's voice was hard and that glint in his golden eyes was back. Myrcella fidgeted in her seat.
"Well… In the towns we had no trouble. On the way back on the roads we may have had a bit." Myrcella hesitated a moment, then told the story about crossing paths with the knight. Robb was visibly pale when she ended her tale. Before he could say anything more Myrcella pulled the stolen pants and coins out and tossed them to him. "Let's just say we were both right and leave everything at that and look, new pants!" Robb shut his eyes for a moment and sighed.
"I can't stop you from going into the villages. I realize that, but promise me Myrcella, you'll be more careful when on the roads."
"It's probably best if we stay away from the village outside the Redfort in the future anyway." Griffin added, "Takes too long to travel their and it's just too close to a Lord's seat to take the risk anyway."
"Griffin's right. And I may have gone a bit too far in taking the man's pants. But I don't regret it. He was an utter ass." Myrcella stated
"Oh, a complete ass. Just because my hair's gone doesn't mean I'm not a woman anymore." Dacey growled, snapping a stick an tossing it into the fire. Greatjon slapped a hand to his knee, getting everyone's attention, written on his new slate, messy and barely legible were the words, both right, both wrong. He was right, Robb and Myrcella had both been right and both had been wrong. It was in the past now. Myrcella looked over at Robb and once again found him staring at her. She blushed, and looked away ready to help the others begin to prepare dinner.
Here we go chapter 6. Hope everyone is staying healthy and following social distancing guidelines. I'm an essential worker so I haven't been able to work on this as much as I have liked but I was finally able to finish this chapter.