A Song of Ice, Fire & the Dead
…
Chapter 31: Enter the White Wolf
"So, what exactly happened in there?" Yennefer asked Aegon and his companions. "You said Alice had gone missing and you followed into the wardrobe in your room, is that correct?" she prodded.
"Yes, and we found ourselves in another world," Saeko said to the sorceress before beginning the tale of what happened.
Yennefer, Ermion, Cerys and Crach listened with interest as Saeko and her companions related the tale of the wintery land they'd found themselves in and the strange characters who lived there.
"Interesting," Crach muttered stroking his beard with one hand. "When I bought that wardrobe from Oxenfurt, I was told that it once belonged to a mage who played around with portals and magic," he said.
"If what Lady Saeko and her companions say is true, then it may very well have been used a portal gateway of some kind," Ermion stated. "I'd be interested in studying it," he mused thoughtfully.
"That aside, it's good to see you found your little Alice and have returned safe and sound," Crach said to Saeko who nodded in agreement.
"Indeed," Aegon said as he laid a gentle hand on Alice's shoulder. "Hopefully next time, she won't go running off into the unknown," he added looking at the little girl who smiled shyly in response.
"In any case, today's the day we send Bran into paradise," Crach then announced.
"Into paradise? What does that mean?" Saya asked.
"I believe, Jarl Crach means that it is the High King's funeral service followed by the wake," Aegon told Saya who gave an "Ah," of understanding.
"I would be honoured if you and your companions joined us for the service and the wake," Crach said to Aegon and his friends.
"We would be delighted to, Jarl Crach," Aegon said with a bow of his head.
"Indeed. Funerals in Skellige are often a spectacle to see," Yennefer commented. "And I believe I should be expecting someone to arrive very soon," she then said vaguely.
"Oh? Who might that be, Lady Yennefer?" Cerys asked.
"An old and very dear… friend," Yennefer said with a smile pulling at the corner of her lips and she looked at Saeko and added, "He will be very interested in meeting you and your friends. He'll want to know what you know about Ciri."
"We will be glad to tell your friend what know of Ciri, but like we told you, we don't know where Ciri is right now," the indigo haired samurai replied.
"I know, but he'll want to know either way. Simply tell him what you told me, and he should be satisfied," Yennefer said. "Is that all?" she asked looking at everyone and when she received no reply, she then left the room with a slight swish of her skirt going across the stone flagged floor.
Ermion gave a slight sniff of disdain before saying, "I will need to help prepare Bran's funeral pyre. I will see you all at the Harbour." He then left the room.
Cerys then looked at Aegon and his friends and said to them, "C'mon. We have some time before the service. Might be we could get something to nibble on from the kitchens." Crach's daughter then led Aegon and his comrades to the kitchen where they received a simple breakfast of fried bacon, sausages, and bread. It was a simple but very filling meal, for most of the food was being prepared for the wake so the cooks in the kitchen were working hard to prepare the food on time for the feast.
"What could we expect from the wake?" Saya asked as she chewed on a piece of bacon as she and her friends sat with Cerys at a table in the corner of the kitchen.
"Well, with Skelligans, you can expect a lot of drinking and even some gob slapping," Cerys said.
"Gob slapping?" Saya repeated.
"Brawling and fighting," Cerys clarified before continuing. "During which those who wish to make a claim to the throne present themselves by putting their weapons in front of my father. Hjalmar has already presented his claim to my father before he left for Undvik," she said.
"Who else would make a claim to the throne of Skellige?" Saeko asked.
"Well, practically all the eldest sons of the all the Jarls of Skellige will make their claim to become High King," Cerys said. "Afterwards, each of them goes forth to do some mighty deed to prove their worthiness, then comes the Kingsmoot where the claimants return to make their cases to the jarls who will decide which of the claimants become High King of Skellige," she explained.
"Could anyone make a claim to the throne of Skellige?" Aegon asked.
"Anyone can, though it's usually the sons of the Jarls who would present their claim, but almost anyone can," Cerys replied before she looked at Aegon intently and asked, "Are you thinking of making a claim yourself?"
"Maybe," Aegon said jestingly before he looked at Cerys and added, "And I'll wager you are as well." The blush that spread across Cerys's face told everyone at the table what they wanted to know.
"Why would you want to make a claim to the throne?" Saya asked looking at Crach's daughter in surprise.
Cerys looked off to the side as if embarrassed at being put on the spot before reluctantly answering Saya's question.
"It's just… everything always seems to stay the same on Skellige," she began slowly as though she worried what her answer might bring. "We go and out raid the coasts of the Continent, bringing back plunder, loot and spoils, as we've done for all our lives living in Skellige," she then said.
"A people that live only for plunder and the spoils of war have no real future," Saeko said wisely.
"Exactly!" Cerys said excited to see someone agreed with her. "And during times we don't go out to raid, we drink and quarrel with each other, often coming to blows with one another," she added sounding more confident of her opinion.
"And you think you can change such things?" Aegon asked.
"I don't think. I know I can!" Cerys boasted folding her arms over her chest.
"What would be your feat to prove yourself?" Saeko then asked.
"One of the jarls, Udalryk of Clan Brokvar on Spikeroog, suffers terribly," Cerys said. "He claims to be given visions from the gods who command him to mutilate himself as punishment for what he did years as a boy to his own brother," she explained.
"And you believe it to be something else?" Saya asked.
"Aye, the gods of Skellige may be cruel at times, but to the extent of what Udalryk does to himself?" Cerys shook her head and vehemently said, "Even the Goddess Freya would not be so cruel as to command a man to mutilate and scar himself so deeply for so many years!"
"The Gods often demand terrible prices for insults or slights," Aegon said thoughtfully. "But I would have to see this Udalryk before making any judgements," he added.
"If you'd seen him as I have so often, you would agree that something possesses him," Cerys said grimly. She then sighed and added, "In any case, it's almost time for the lighting of Bran's funeral pyre then it'll be a few hours before the wake."
"Indeed," Saeko agreed. "It should be interesting to see a Skelligan funeral," she mused as she and her friends rose from the table and prepared to leave Kaer Trolde for the harbour.
…
An hour later, Aegon and his companions stood amidst the crowd of onlookers, watching the preparation of the king's funeral pyre. From what Aegon could see, King Bran's body was laid to rest on a wooden ship with oil drenched wood surrounding him, along with some worldly possessions such as a sword, shield and other items. Ermion led the service, perch atop a flight of wooden steps alongside Jarl Crach and Cerys.
"It's like a Viking funeral, right down to the wooden ship," Saya whispered to Saeko who nodded in agreement. The samurai then saw a young woman approach the pyre, climbing aboard and resting beside the king's body.
"His wife? His daughter?" Saya asked as she noticed this too.
"Perhaps a mistress," Aegon put in as the ship was the cast off the port and drifted towards the open sea. Jarl Crach, armed with a longbow and arrow, stepped forth. Lighting the arrow head in a nearby brazier, the Jarl took aim with his bow, pulling the bowstring until it strained against its moorings before releasing it.
With an audible twang, the burning arrow streaked through the air like a comet in the sky before hitting the ship. Smoke began to rise as the oil and wood were set alight and tongues of flame rose forth, engulfing the ship in fire.
"Very much like a Viking funeral," Saya said grimly as she hugged Alice closely, not letting the little see the burning ship that continued to drift out to sea.
"Reminds of the way my house would burn their deceased ones, albeit without the burning ship and someone living joining them on the pyre," Aegon said dryly.
Then a small discreet cough caught their attention. Saeko turned around and saw Yennefer standing behind them, and standing beside her was a taller man with snowy white hair, pale features and well-armed and armoured. But it was the man's eyes that stood out to Saeko most distinctly; they were a shade of golden amber like that of a wolf's eyes, but the pupils weren't round. Instead they were vertical slits like a cat or a viper's eyes.
Saeko and her friends must've been gawking like idiots as Yennefer then spoke with an amused look in her eyes. "Saeko, Aegon, Alice, Saya, this is Geralt, the friend I spoke of," she told. Geralt glanced at Yennefer a little before speaking, his voice harsh, raspy and quiet.
"Greetings. I was told you knew Ciri," Geralt said to them bluntly.
Aegon swallowed a lump in his throat before replying, "We did, Ser Geralt. It was Ciri who brought us to this world."
"You're not from this world," Geralt said rather than asked.
"No, we're not," Saeko confirmed. "Our world was in throes of ruin when Ciri came to our world and she travelled with us for a time," she said.
"And then the Wild Hunt appeared, giving chase," Saya told Geralt. "In her haste, Ciri brought us here, although we were separated in the act," she said.
"We were even separated from our other companions," Aegon then added.
"So there were others who knew Ciri with your?" Geralt asked. "Where are they now?" he asked.
"A merchant named Gaunter O'Dimm informed us that the rest of our companions were in the city of Novigrad," Saeko replied. "Maybe you have seen them in your travels?" she asked hopefully.
"Maybe if you describe them to me, I could think whether I've met them or not," Geralt said folding his thick arms over his broad chest.
"Well, two of them are boys; Takashi Komuro and Kohta Hirano," Saya began. "Takashi is the taller and skinnier of them, while Kohta is shorter and chubbier and he wears spectacles," she said. "Takashi has dark brown hair, while Kohta's is more black in colour," she added.
"It's ringing a bell," Geralt muttered as his bestial eyes narrowed in contemplation. "What about the others? Any distinguishing features you can tell me?" he asked.
"Well, there's Shizuka Marikawa," Saeko replied. "She's as tall or slightly taller than I am; long blonde hair, golden hazel eyes and… very well endowed," she said.
"Well endowed?" Geralt raised an eyebrow as did Yennefer. "Just how well endowed?" he asked dryly.
"Biggest pair of breasts you will have seen in your life," Aegon said seriously.
"Yeah, think I've met someone like that in Novigrad," Geralt said nodding his head in thought. "Was she at all ditzy and a bit airheaded?" he asked knowingly.
"You've met her then," Saya said dryly.
"Yeah, I did," Geralt confessed. "Helped her get out of a small jam, involving some very handsy temple guard soldiers thinking she was a strumpet with the way she looked," he explained.
"Was she hurt?" Aegon asked in concern.
"No. I made the guards rethink their choice to try their luck with your friend Shizuka and I walked her home afterwards," Geralt replied. "I didn't see this Takashi or Kohta at her home, but they may still be there," he said.
"There was also Rei and Asami," Saya then said. "Rei's a little shorter than Saeko, with orange-brown hair and armed with a spear," she added. "Asami has short-cut golden brown hair and wearing a navy-blue uniform," she also put in.
"Haven't seen anyone matching that description, but if I met your friend Shizuka in Novigrad, chances are the others are around too," Geralt said.
"So they may still be there," Saya said with a smile of relief on her face.
"Maybe, but things are a little grim in Novigrad at the moment," Geralt said vaguely.
"What do you mean? Are our friends in danger?" Saeko asked, concern in her voice.
"For the moment, no. But if they're associating with anyone who practices magic, or is suspected of magic, then your friends may be in danger," Geralt said. "The Church of the Eternal Fire and the Redanian Witch Hunters are hunting down all the mages in the North, and even those who simply practice alchemy are captured and burned at the stake on suspicion of witchcraft," he added.
Aegon and his companions looked at each other with worry on their faces. "We have to get to Novigrad before anything happens to them!" Aegon then said resolutely.
"And how do you plan to get there?" Geralt asked seriously.
"Saeko and I are raising money to hire a ship to take us to Novigrad, but it's slow going," Aegon admitted.
Geralt hummed in thought before saying, "From the looks of it, you and your friend appear to be warriors, or are your weapons for show?" he asked.
"I was training for knighthood, and Saeko has trained in the art of swordsmanship since she was old enough to walk by her father," Aegon said for him and Saeko. "We've done some small jobs since we landed in Skellige, but we do need money to hire a ship to take use to Novigrad," he added.
Geralt looked at Yennefer who smiled and nodded at him. The white haired man then looked at Aegon and his compatriots and said to them, "Well, since you need money to hire a ship and at some point I'll be making may way back to the Continent, I have a proposition for you all."
"Let's hear it," Saeko said in a business-like tone.
"My caste and job is a Witcher, a monster slayer for hire," Geralt began. "Witchers such as myself do more than simply hunt and slay monsters. We also lift curses, get rid of enchantments, even track down and rescue people who have gone missing," he said.
"So, you're like a knight of some kind?" Saya asked.
"Not quite. I was knighted by the Queen of Rivia but due to circumstance I am no longer in her service," Geralt said with a ghost of a smile on his bearded lips.
"So, that aside, are you offering to take Saeko and I as your apprentices?" Aegon asked realising what the Witcher was offering.
"Exactly that," Geralt confirmed. "Witcher don't have apprentices so to speak, but you two seem capable enough and it would help if I had a pair of warriors watching my back during a hunt," he said.
Aegon looked at his companions, all of whom nodded at him encouragingly. Looking at the Witcher, Aegon said to the man, "We accept your offer, Ser Geralt."
Geralt held out a gauntleted hand to shake, "Geralt of Rivia."
"Aegon Targaryen, Sixth of his name," Aegon said shaking hands with the Witcher.
"Saeko Busujima, daughter of Master Hayate Busujima," Saeko said offering her hand to shake the Witcher's which he took.
"Saya Takagi and this is Alice Maresato," Saya introduced herself and Alice.
"A pleasure to meet you all," Geralt said as he gave that ghost of a smile again. "And if I didn't say, I will now; thank you for looking after Ciri and protecting her from being taken by the Wild Hunt," he stated.
"It was no trouble," Saeko said with a respectful bow of her head. "We did what any good person should've done," she added.
"Still, I thank you for what you've done," Geralt said to them. "Now, we have a few hours before the Wake begins, and it's time we see the armourer," he added.
"The armourer? Why would we need to see him?" Aegon asked.
Geralt's lip curled in amusement before he replied, "If you and your friend are going to go on monster hunts with me, you're both going to need something appropriate to wear hunting monsters than what you're wearing now."
"What kind of armour do you have in mind for us?" Saeko asked, a curious expression on her face.
"I have some diagrams of Witcher armour from different Schools, I'll show them to you both when we see the armourer," Geralt said to the samurai before looking at Yennefer and whispered in her ear. Yennefer nodded after the Witcher finished whispering to her and she looked at Saeko and her friends and spoke to them.
"If you'll excuse me, I need to change into something a little more appropriate for the wake. I recommend you all do the same," she advised them before turning on her heel and sauntered off.
Geralt stared after the sorceress before looking at the foursome and said, "Alright. Let's go see the armourer now, by the night's end, we should have some appropriate armour for you two," he said to Saeko and Aegon.
Geralt then led Aegon and his companions toward the road that would take them to Kaer Trolde to see the armourer.
TO BE CONTINUED…
A/N: There! The thirty-first chapter of this story is done and dusted! I hope you all enjoyed it and now Geralt the White Wolf himself has entered the story and taken Aegon and Saeko as his apprentices and is even getting them fitted with Witcher armour. I'm thinking Saeko gets fitted with the Cat School armour and Aegon gets fitted with the Griffin School armour.
In other news, I've been thinking about writing another Highschool of the Dead/Game of Thrones crossover. I'm not abandoning this one, I've far too much work into it to give up now, but this idea of mine is sort of an alternate universe of what I have in mind.
The premise is that a few months before the Tourney of Harrenhal, a small fleet of ships from Yi Ti (Or an OC version of Japan) arrives in Westeros led by Daimyo Souichiro Takagi, his wife Lady Yuriko Takagi and their vassals. After winning the (dubious) favour of the Mad King Aerys, Lord Takagi and his faction settle themselves in the Crownlands and Souichiro himself becomes a powerful player in the Game of Thrones in a rapid amount of time.
Among Souichiro's vassals is his friend/teacher Master Hayate Busujima, a master swordsman/samurai who proves his martial prowess and honour during the Tourney of Harrenhal by winning the archery contest, the melee and the joust, even unhorsing Prince Rhaegar Targaryen. Master Busujima even wins the admiration and affection of Lady Ashara Dayne of Starfall and she gives him a "farewell gift," after the tourney. Months later, Master Busujima receives a letter from Ashara informing him that she has given birth to a daughter who he claims as his own and names her Saeko and even marries Ashara.
And when Robert's Rebellion kicks off, Lord Takagi and his men side with the Loyalists and it goes a little differently in that both Rhaegar AND Robert die at the Trident; after Rhaegar falls mortally wounded, Master Hayate steps forward and challenges Robert and quickly cuts him down with one stroke of his sword. On his deathbed, Rhaegar decrees that his daughter Rhaenys is to ascend the Iron Throne and the rebels be pardoned.
Afterwards, Lord Takagi and his men quickly secure Kings Landing before the Lannisters can get there and the Mad King is 'disposed of' with an official story being that in a fit of madness, Aerys drank a pitcher full of Wildfyre thinking he would turn into a dragon to burn all his enemies to ash.
After that debacle, Lord Takagi and Master Busujima travel with Ned Stark into Dorne to retrieve Lyanna Stark and it's through Master Busujima that Arthur Dayne and his sworn brothers stand down and let Ned pass to see his sister and Master Busujima is instrumental in saving Lyanna's life ensuring that she lives to see her son with Rhaegar Jahaerys Targaryen grow into a man.
Lord Takagi is then installed as Lord Regent until Rhaenys is old enough to ascend the Iron Throne and he does much to improve the Seven Kingdoms.
Jump forward some fifteen or some years later, Rhaenys prepared to ascend the Iron Throne, but there is unrest in Westeros as the more conservative lords think that it should be Prince Aegon who should rule, but Prince Aegon refuses the Iron Throne and even Prince Jahaerys (Jon to his closest friends and family) refuses the throne as well. The unhappy lords of Westeros have better luck with Prince Viserys who seems to have inherited his father's madness.
I could go on, but you get the gist of the idea I have. So, should I commit to this idea and write it? It's banging around in my head and it mightn't come to fruition, but I have to admit there is an appeal to the idea, so should I write it? Let me know in your review or PM me if you think I should or shouldn't.
And that's about all I have right now, so I'll leave this here and see you all in the next one.
Be kind to one another,
Angry lil' elf.