I own zip, nada, zilch. Mr. Martin is the master mind of the world.
Davos looked at the harbor while the royal fleet anchored itself off the coast of the Arbor and the Black Betha pulled up to the dock. He could see the Redwyne fleet was still in the process of preparing to leave. He could see sails being tended to, hulls getting a last minute cleaning, supplies being loaded, ballistae being installed and troops training on the beach.
He saw a small group of waiting for him on the pier and he debarked to meet with them. The leader, who Davos recognized as Lord Redwyne himself, stepped forward with his wife on his left.
"Greetings Lord Seaworth, I hope you have had a safe journey."
"It was uneventful, which is the best kind of voyage a sailor can hope for. I see you have been busy in recent days." he gestured to the work going on throughout the harbor.
"Indeed. I had hoped to be ready before you arrived, but as I'm sure you are aware, there are somethings that can't be rushed when getting ready to sail."
"True enough, how much longer till you will be ready to leave?"
"Three days at the most, I trust that won't put us behind schedule?"
"No, I had anticipated a slight delay and we had made good time so we will still arriving at Lannisport with ample time for the Westerland fleet and Lord Stark to be ready for us."
"Well in the meantime," interjected Lady Redwyne "the hospitality of the Arbor is yours. We would like to extend an invitation for you to join me and my family this evening."
"I graciously accept. And on the note of family, I have a few passengers that you may be interested in meeting."
His hosts looked over to the ship and smile broke upon their face as they saw their sons walking down the gangplank. Lady Redwyne greeted them both with a fierce hug had and grilled them over their time spent in King's Landing. Davos smiled as the two lordlings where lead away by their mother as she continued to fuss over them. Lord Redwyne gave them both a brief hug then held his left hand out to Davos who took it.
"Thank you for bringing them home my Lord."
"It was my pleasure, too many sons didn't make it home due to the war. I was happy to help them come back to theirs."
The pair of them talked about the coming voyage and the ships they had as they walked up to the waiting carriages and their group mounted them and proceeded to Redwyne Hall.
Robb looked up at the famous Casterly Rock as his men marched past him. Just a brief study of the castle was enough for him to see besieging it would a monsterous task. The walls were a cliff face several hundred feet tall, there was only one gate that was accessed by a causeway and the sheer scale of the castle meant it would be able to hold years worth supply of food, not to mention a large garrison. He was grateful that the war had ended before he was forced to attack it. He looked behind him and saw the new heir of House Lannister riding up to him.
"Lord Stark."
"Lord Lannister."
They sat in silence watching the men march past, Robb could see the relief on the Lannister men when they finally saw their destination.
"Will you take all of your men with you to the Iron Islands?"
Robb didn't look at him as he replied "No, some will be marching north with our reparations."
They lapsed into another bout of silence before Tygret spoke again. "For what it's worth, I am sorry about your father and sister."
"I trust I don't need to tell you how hard it is for me to believe you."
"Not at all, my kin has soiled any type of honor that we had. I doubt our word will be trusted for generations to come. That being said, your father had my respect from the moment I met him."
"I've been told that a lot, yet no one defended him when he was imprisoned"
"It wouldn't have mattered," Robb looked at him sharply "My cousin wanted him removed, he was a threat to her son's ascension to the throne. Granted I don't think she wanted him dead, She was not so naive to think his death would not have consequences. Especially since your father was so highly respected throughout the kingdoms. Joffery on the other hand was, as Tyrion put it, a vicious idiot."
"I wholly agree with him on that."
A rider came up to them at the moment asking them to follow him, saying they had an issue forming at the Lion's gate. Robb and Tyrek followed him past the column to the front where they heard raised voices and saw Lord Blackwood with Lord Tyrion arguing with a weasel faced man standing on the gate's battlements.
"Ser Emmon! For the last time, Lord Tyrion is the new lord of Casterly Rock and the Lord paramount of the Westerlands by order of King Stannis. Now do as Lord Tyrion has commanded and open the gate, now!"
"You expect me to believe that! They made him lord of the Rock? He was all but officially disowned by his father and a disgrace on his house! He is not fit to be lord!"
"Uncle Emmon, you can't really be this dense."
Tyrion didn't look angry, just tired.
"Are you trying to piss of 18,000 soldiers who escorted us here? If they aren't able to collect the reparations them you will have reignited a conflict with the Riverlands, the North, the Reach, and the Stormlands. The only veteran soldiers are those with me, nearly all the knights of the Westerlands are dead or going to the wall. Half of the Lords and their sons are dead, the reputation of House Lannister and the Westerlands is already in shambles. Don't put your vanity before the welfare of our people."
Robb watched the scowl grow on Emmon's face grow, but the men on the wall with him looked to be taking the words of Tyrion seriously.
"Now, would those who want to prevent any further fighting open the gate, and punch those who wish to start the fighting."
"Do you expect any of these men to follow a malformed imp li-"
Emmon was cut off when a guard's steel fist smashed into the side of his face. There were a half dozen more punches thrown before the gate was opened and the man who threw the first punch, a captain judging by the mark on his shoulder, stood in the now open gate.
"Welcome home mi lord"
Tyrion thanked the man and turned to the other three nobles, "Shall we?"
The next week involved a lot of ledgers and counting as the gold was collected to be transported. Emmon Frey and several other Lannisters were sentenced to the wall when they were overheard thinking of ways to get rid of Tyrion.
The week after that the Reachers and Riverlanders left to collect the gold from other houses and return the bones of the lords that had been recovered. The Northern forces for the most part stayed at the Rock while the Lannister fleet readied to sail with a group of three hundred returning home with the gold owed to the north and the new members of the night's watch.
Tyrion during the weeks worked tirelessly to strengthen his position within the family, his aunt proving to be invaluable in helping him on that endeavor.
Before long the fleet was reporting it's readiness to sail and Robb lead his men to Lannisport to await Davos and the other fleets.
Baelish watched as his men heaved another chest onto the ship, they were nearly done and only had a few more to load before they were finished. The weather had slowed their arrival so they were behind schedule but only by a few days. The one good thing about the weather was that the rain prevented anyone from seeing his ship. As well as cover their tracks from their trek to Baelish the last chest was in place he went to the captain.
"Let us be off at once, we have a long voyage ahead of us."
"Not yet"
"What do you mean? We need to leave immediately."
"We need to wait for the tide to come in, we have an hour or so before we can leave."
Baelish fumed but didn't say anything because he knew it was out of their hands and went to his cabin to wait. After about an hour he heard shouts and boots thudding across the deck. He thought that the tide had finally arrived, but when a sellsword barged in and told him to come topside. He complied and went up to ask the captain what happened. That was when he saw the issue. A ship was approaching, with the Baratheon crowned stag gracing the sail.
"We're done for." the captain was grim faced when he said it.
"Not necessarily, a single chest has enough gold to be able to get them to look the other way and buy themselves a new ship."
"With most men I would agree, but with that flag your gold is worthless. It's a Seaworth coming for us."
Baelish squinted at through the rain and felt his face pale at the sight of the Seaworth sigil flying at the top mast. Realizing that there would be no option to bribe their way out, he did the smartest thing he could think of.
He grabbed a bag of gold and a satchel of food before jumping ship and running like hell to the woods, the sellswords followed suit and were half a pace behind him. By the time the sailors had jumped the ship to join them bolts and arrows began to be fired from their pursuers killing three men and injuring a score more. Baelish looked back as he reached the woods and saw what looked to be over two dozen men in baratheon colors jump over the ship's rail lead by two individuals.
One looked to be a knight of Tarth judging by the surcoat he wore over his half plate. The other was clearly the Seaworth, the eldest son of the famed onion knight seemed to look Baelish in the eye before saying something to his men. They responded with a shout and charged after their prey. Baelish turned and ran into the woods, trying to think of a way out of his new predicament.
Four hours later, he still didn't have a clue what to do other than run. He was nearing his wits end, his left boot had a hole in it, his gold was lost when the bag caught on a log and tore open. He was soaked to the bone, cuts on his hands and face after tumbling down a steep hill. The bread in his satchel had turned to a wet mush and the cheese had fallen out. Leaving him with only a few apples and, ironically, an onion.
He stopped when he came across a stream and after listening for any sounds of his pursuers. After not hearing anything he fell to his knees and began drinking from the stream between gulping lungfuls of air. He had began to eat one of his few apples when a voice said his name and made him whip around.
The one who had called him was none other than Dale Seaworth, he was panting but Baelish could tell he was nowhere near as tired as he was.
"Enough of this, you have nowhere to go. By now the Vale lords have been notified of your crimes. You'll find no help here, nor anywhere else in Westeros."
Baelish couldn't argue with that, but he wasn't about to lay down let a Seaworth get the better of him. He had worked hard to get where he had risen. The Seaworths had just smuggled to the right lord and been lackies ever since.
"Then if I am no longer welcomed here just let me be on my way. I have little issue with leaving Westeros. At least in the free cities they don't get offended by people making a profit were they can."
"A profit? That's what you call stealing hundreds of thousands dragons from the King? Even in the free cities and slaver's bay they would not tolerate the likes of you. Now surrender and face your punishment with some dignity."
"Dignity? Is what you call it? I call it foolhardy. Why would I want dignity or honor when all they get you is an early grave. I would rather live a full life in luxury earned by greed." He slumped forward dejectedly, "But it seems that the gods have decided differently."
Dale had approached him with a length of rope in one hand, obviously thinking to bind his prisoners hands. But Baelish had one more card to play. He pulled a knife out of his sleeve and jumped at Dale when he got close enough. Dale however was ready for such a ploy, he sidestepped the lounge and grabbed Baelish's knife hand with his right hand and his shirt with his left. Baelish tried to break free but Dale was raised as a sailor and his grip was unyielding. Then before he could cry out for mercy Dale brought his left arm against Baelish's elbow, forcing it to bend and drove the knife into his chest.
Dale laid the dying man on the ground. After a few moments he breathed his last and laid still. Dale pulled out the knife and took his ring as proof that Baelish was in fact dead. Then he sounded his horn to signal the others to return and began the trek back the way he came.
It had stopped raining and the clouds had cleared up but it was dark again by the time they returned to the ships. His Bosun mate had lead a search of Baelish's ship and had moved all valuables and the gold onto theirs while they had been away. They set sail the next morning to return to KIng's Landing and report that they had done their duty and ensured Baelish been punished for his crimes.
Sandor watched woods as the column of set up camp around some no name landed knight's keep. Lady Stark and her daughter were currently walking through the camp checking on the men and talking with the minor lords they happened across. Something he didn't really understand the point of, but he went along with regardless.
After the battle of King's Landing he had been imprisoned and tried for his part in the Lannister's killing of the Stark household and the imprisonment of Eddard Stark. It had taken a while for him to be brought before the king for his trial due to the change of leadership the kingdom was going through. That and the dozens of others who were tried before him kept also prevented his trial.
By the time he was given a chance to say his piece Baelish had fled the city already, so his testimony was just an addition to the list of Baelish's crimes. The king had pardoned him at the end of his trial, agreeing that he was doing what his lord had commanded him to do as Joffery's sworn shield. However, since he did admit to forsaking his oaths and the killing of Lord Stark's men, his family's keep was taken from him and returned to house Lannister.
Not a big loss for him since he hated the place. All it did was remind him of his brother and the times he would beat him or their sister. After he was freed he tried to think of what to do with himself. He knew returning to the Westerlands was no good and staying in the city was not appealing. That was when he decided that he needed a new purpose since revenge was no longer it. He then made up his mind and went to see the Starks. When he finally was admitted he dropped to one knee in front of them and offered himself as Sansa's shield. After a brief argument they accepted.
Which was why he was now glaring at the woods. He took the protection of the little bird more seriously than he did with Joffery, so when it felt like someone was watching them he started glaring into every shadow trying to figure out who was doing it. He stared into the growing gloom and thought he saw a pair of eyes a couple of times but wasn't certain.
As the night progressed the feeling stayed with him till he finally saw what had been watching them.
The Stark ladies had just finished talking with some men from a place called Tallhart when he saw a pack of wolves appear from the tree line. It had to be the biggest pack of wolves he had ever seen. Granted he hadn't seen many, but he doubted many reached the numbers that this one did.
He drew his sword and put himself between the starks and the encroaching pack, with the nearby men taking up their weapons and falling in beside him. He had started yelling at the men to form a ring around the Ladies a man next to him cursed and Sandor saw why. A massive wolf had walked into the light, easily double the size of the other wolves it stopped at the head of the pack and looked at them with an eerily intelligent gaze. For a moment there was silence until Sansa spoke.
"Nymeria?"
The massive wolf's ears pricked up at the sound of her voice and took a tentative step forward. Sansa came to stand next to Sandor despite her mother's objections.
"Nymeria, it's me Sansa." She began to walk forward, Sandor begrudgingly keeping pace with her, ready to pull her back if it went sour. The pack for the most part stayed still and silent with only a few of them baring their teeth silently.
Once she reached about four paces from the wolf she stopped and knelt, holding out her hand.
"We are heading home, I know Arya would want you to come with us."
The wolf, or Nymeria as Sansa kept calling it, inched forward till it was sniffing her hand. After a moment where he had to stop himself for gutting it right then and there, the wolf licked her face and Sansa hug it around the neck. Sandor just looked on in confusion at the sight and Lady Stark came forward as well to gently brush the wolf who gave a soft whine in response.
The wolf ended up sleeping in the Stark ladies's tent that night with the rest of the pack surrounding the tent outside and Sandor was left shaking his head at the whole situation. Well maybe his new job won't be as mundane as he thought it would be.
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