Fire and Iron
What is Dead May Never Die
-Hear me Roar-
Jaime and Bronn paced up and down the lines of siege for the whole morning, continuously checking for gaps in their security, and silently for once, both thinking about their own business. Jamie about Cersei, as seemed to be the case more often than not, and Bronn about the gold he would get once the high garden idiots realized they couldn't hold the castle for much longer, not with the airtight security Jaime seemed intent on building.
"Are we done rechecking these for the fifth time?"
"What? We have to make sure the siege is secure. If a single scout gets out of highgarden all of this falls apart" Jamie grabbed his sword when he heard a rustling behind him, to only find one of his men feeding his horse.
"Right" Bronn paced away whistling. From the moment the siege had been mounted it was clear that, despite the seeming obvious reason for it, the former Lord Commander of the kingsguard did not have his heart in it, and at this time he was more than overcompensating. I am going to owe Tyrion a lot of gold if this is about Cersei bloody Lannister.
"Bronn"
"Yes Ser Jaime?"
"We are doing this for the wrong reasons, are we not?"
"When aren't we?"
-The Sword in the Darkness-
Eddison Tollett never expected to end up in this position. He had been at the wall for many days, he had seen many men in power go by, and his fair share of Lord Commanders; and yet he never expected to be sitting in their seat once they were gone. For christ's sakes, his brothers in the watch had been calling him Dolorous Ed, essentially since he got to the wall.
Yet here he was, putting up with all the impossible task it was to man the unmannable wall, with at least the free folk helping the staffing gaps all he had to care for was keeping the wall intact as long as humanly possible, definitely better said than done.
"Lord Commander" one of the brothers stuck his head inside the door of the small office "someone is approaching the wall"
"You know how to open the door, don't you?" Ed huffed, it was true that a lot of the brothers were new, but it was getting ridiculous with some of the things they would show to report to him.
"From the other side"
-oOoOo-
Ed thought it was long overdue to have the wall passage sealed, with no more free folk to keep an eye on, and absolutely zero need to go into the frozen wasteland full of angry frozen skeletons, the passage across the wall was a hindrance more than a benefit. Being inside the tunnel, waiting for who knows what that had been spotted to approach did not make him think any differently.
"Who goes there?" the men of the watch left the tunnel with their torches to approach the two individuals going towards them. In front was a girl as best as they could guess, judging by her long hair, dragging a slightly younger boy in a snow sled.
"My name is Brandon Stark, my brother Jon Snow was Lord Commander of the night's watch"
"Brave man, stupidly loyal. My name is Eddison, I am Lord Commander"
"Did Jon…"
"Not dead m'lady, or well, he didn't stay dead. He was in Winterfell last I heard, with your sister. Help her" Ed instructed the men next to him to help drag in the sled where Bran was laying, and to provide them with new clothes and food, having been north he knew what someone coming back would want the most "how did you survive? We barely made it out alive from beyond the wall"
"You would not believe it if we told you"
"Believe you me, at this point I would believe anything"
-Fire and Iron/Hear me Roar-
"Well?"
"In your wife's defense, I might have overextended the urgency of the situation. Euron showed in a single ship, one that will probably remain at port for a while"
"Which still means my home is that of that pirate"
Yara smirked, seeing as she was the utmost living embodiment of a pirate, sword, ship and eyepatch, it made her laugh that the ironborn were called that at all times "one worst than myself, I assure you"
"So what is it that I can do for you, less worst pirate"
"What you counseled many years ago. Swear fealty to Daenerys Targaryen and I'll be on my merry way, and you'll have one less pirate to deal with"
Reginald turned towards his wife, whose intense green eyes were telling him all he needed to know about his next steps "Is that all?"
"That is all. Pledge that the west will not fight against her when we march for Kings Landing, and you will not be blamed for any of your less reputable family's misdeeds" Dyana tightened her grip on the man's arm, and like a soldier receiving his marching orders he agreed immediately "will my family keep the rock?"
"Stay away from the battle, or better yet help us, and the Lannisters can very well keep the mountain that shits gold"
When Yara and Reginald shook hands, which in all honesty felt like shaking Lady Dyana's hand through a proxy, a man in crimson armor and a white cloak barged through the door, the incessant ringing of the warning bells behind him "my lord—"
"For fucks sakes"
-Hear Me Roar-
Bronn found Jaime Lannister in the same place he had been sitting in since the had returned, on the large oak chair that sat overlooking the mighty castle they were laying siege to. One could be blamed for assuming Jaime could see through the rock, at Lady Olenna Tyrell giving the Lannisters the middle finger more often than not during the day.
"Still doubting?"
"We are wrong, yet here we sit" Jaime, who at this time had slipped off his golden hand in favor of giving his healed stub some air, had never felt this lost, and so far from himself "I lay siege to a castle of a woman whose family I helped murder"
"Helped? You were not there"
"And that makes me an accomplice. I did not stop Cersei. She killed Margaery, she killed Loras, she killed Mace Tyrell, she is responsible for the death of my son—"
"Now he's your son?"
"They're all dead now, what does it matter if I'm their father" the conflicted Lannister took a swig from his wineskin, never losing sight of the highest tower in the castle, where Lady Olenna's quarters were located "they're all dead, and here I am, alive, laying siege to their last grieving family member, to their home"
"You can very easily dismantle the siege. Your family pays their time" Bronn used his hand to gesture towards the large grouping of soldiers, though Jaime did not turn to look "your family pays my time, and believe me I too rather be elsewhere"
"It's simply not —"
His words got caught off when the loud blaring of a horn came from where his furthest scout was placed. Typically this would not be alarming, the scouts were green boys frightened of their own shadows, what made it alarming was the loud thundering resounding on the ground, something big was heading their way.
As he slipped his golden hand on, Jaime realized how poorly executed this apparently well placed siege could be. To their backs a large castle full of well fed and well rested men, to their right, mountains that would take too long to ride through, to their left a dense forest, and ahead the thundering sound.
Before orders could be issued, a sound that only could be compared to the beating of sails to the wind rose behind them. A great big shadow rose above that of Highgarden, a shadow that wasted no time in hailing fire upon the siege weapons and equipment wagons near the walls of the castle.
Lannister soldiers began running as far and fast as they could, and yet they too began realizing there was nowhere to run. Past the mountains another thundering sound came, one that came accompanied with a warcry of history, a chanting only heard–and feared–in Essos. Thousands of men in horses stood at the edge of the mountain, and hundreds of perfectly organized garrisons of Unsullied snuck past the field that was their only way out. Above the air the hissing of the angry dragon above them made more than one man lose their lunch, or soil their pants.
What finally did Jaime and Bronn in was the doors of Highgarden flying open, a few men in horses stepped out, escorting a smaller individual whose hair, bright white in contrast with the blazing sun and holding orange tinges against the blazing fire background, made her unmistakable.
"You were saying" Bronn's hand was on his sword, his knees were crouched, analyzing every possible exit around him, and finding none.
"That it might just be that simple, to be wrong, and then be stopped"
-Winter is Coming/We Stand Together-
"Lord Frey, we were not expecting you" Roslyn was the first to notice the figure standing at the door of the dining hall, her husband and his nieces too engrossed in speaking with the little boy who was, at this point, wearing half his breakfast.
"My apologies, I didn't mean to disturb" Steffon walked in with a large woman in armor and a smaller man with a bright red leather uniform "these two have come to see Lady Stark"
"Lady Brienne, how good to see you well" Sansa smiled, widely than most of those in the room had seen in a while, and welcomed the newcomers to their table "Podrick"
"M'Lady"
"I trust your way here was not too troubled?"
"Getting out of Riverrun was, as Podrick puts it, a piece of cake" Brienne kept her hand on her sword, ready to spring into action as most northerners seemed to do while staying in the Twins "Arya?"
"How—how do you know my sister?"
"Not too long before I camped in Winterfell to try and keep you safe, I tried to help Arya get away from Sandor Clegane"
"And took the bloody hound down to near death. My congratulations on your skill Lady Brienne" Arya tipped her cup towards the warrior, making sure to keep it away from baby Hoster who seemed intent on getting his hands on everything.
"My mission would've been complete if you had come with me after Lady Arya"
"Sansa is the Lady. And we had different paths to follow, and yet here we are"
"That is true"
"Lady Sansa" Steffon Frey stepped behind the two women, a kind smile on his face "may we speak for a moment?"
"Of course Lord Frey. If you'll excuse me" Sansa stood up from the table and followed the young lord out the door, the suspicious stare of her uncle Edmure following closely until they were out of sight, and even then it felt as if he could still see her "what may I help you with?"
"You seem to have a better handle on this being head of a house thing, I was wondering if you would be open to helping me run the twins" Steffon linked his arms behind his back and pulled as welcoming a smile as he was able "it would seem fitting to have your help"
"How so?"
"You lost your home, and it lost its way. But now its yours again, and seemingly prospering, that's something the Frey name could use"
-Fire and Iron/Hear me Roar-
"That's quite the entrance you made my lady"
"That's quite the siege you've mounted my lord" Dany smirked towards the commander of the Lannister forces, not oblivious to the many scared men her troops were rounding up "It is also my understanding that a Queen should be addressed as your grace, Ser Jaime"
"My queen lives in Kings Landing"
"That is bull and you know it" on a galloping stallion arrived Tyrion, smirking at his older brother for his foolishness.
"My dear brother. How goes exile?"
"Apparently better than serving Cersei" with the help of the special harness on the horse, Tyrion made his way down to the ground, no longer cutting such an imposing figure "I am sorry, for what happened to Tommen. He was a good boy"
"And he was a horrible king. He is in a better place now"
"Such seems to be your family's prerogative to breed horrendous rulers" Daenerys statement was loaded with daring Jaime to say anything about her father, whose crimes seemed to be rivaled only by those of his sister "but you would know about those, wouldn't you Set Jaime?"
"I would know about how to kill those rulers"
"that works for us, seeing as Cersei Lannister fits the bill" Danys voice held steel and anger, and yet Jaime could tell that if she wanted to she could be more vicious about it all "but I could not ask this of you, so I will ask for your surrender, because I know there is no option for you here"
Jaime turned on his axis, looking around at the men who were surrounded by the unsullied guard, the whole thing cordoned with Dothraki on horses, and a garrison of Tyrel soldiers marching out the massive castle doors. Bronn, whose situation was no better being held at lance point by a man who looked to be commanding the Unsullied, shrugged: he had told Jaime he had better things to do than sit out here, though being here wasn't better.
"We officially surrender to you, your grace" Jaime dropped his golden sword on the ground, other soldiers behind him who still held swords at all followed suit.
-Fire and Iron/We Do Not Sow/Hear me Roar-
"How could he have possibly known I was coming here. For all he knows I was headed to Pyke, or the edge of the fucking world" Yara smacked her sword into the table before the soldier could finish delivering the ever so familiar situation.
"My Lord, there is a large squadron of soldiers approaching Casterly Rock"
Victarion stopped pacing to turn and look at the rushed man "Wait soldiers–on foot?" the man nodded repeatedly which only added to Victarion's discomfort "Euron's ship was too damaged to move, but he could not have gotten that many men, that soon"
Yara turned to the door, while Victarion headed to prepare his ship, where men were barging in to move Reginald and his family out of the rock, somewhere safe and far. The captain of the escorting party began relaying the news that the men marching to the doors were not flying a banner, but they were definitely forewarned of how and when to attack the rock.
"Lady Greyjoy, it is a pity that our meeting must end like this" Reginald put his wax sigil on a couple of letters, and handed them to the captain of his household "however, you have my word, and that of the West. We'll stand aside from the fight, and assist if needed" the final scroll was turned towards her, where a space for her signature was left "if you please, your grace?"
Yara signed and sealed the scroll, wishing the Lannisters a safe trip to wherever they were headed, and proceeded to where she could see the invading force.
It was hard to not recognize who it was, mostly after being forced to live with those men for so much time. They may not be flying a flag, but the head of the column was terribly indistinguishable–hate them as she may, it was hard to miss Euron Greyjoy accompanied by Daario Naharis.
-Winter is Coming/We Stand Together-
"My lady?"
Sansa turned her head from the overwhelming pile of scrolls that laid on the table, Steffon Frey sitting next to her, surprisingly lax, sleeves rolled up and hair mussed from stress. The handmaid that came up to her was holding a raven scroll, and ran out of the room before Sansa could thank her.
"The world doesn't and because Sansa Stark takes a break"
"I hardly call this a break Lord Frey" Sansa smiled and broke the seal on the scroll, hardly paying attention to the sigil, assuming that it came from the maester at Winterfell.
Dear Lady Sansa,
I hope this letter finds you well, and soon. I write to inform you, before anyone else does, that I've made it home. I have much to tell you, and much we need to speak of.
A Stark needs to stay in Winterfell, so I assume I will see you soon—don't worry, I still remember how to light a fire.
-Brandon Stark
Sansa reread the letter once, then twice, and ran out of the room as quickly as manners allowed, without really listening to the young Frey, to find Arya and Brienne. The war continued returning family home instead of spreading them apart, could it really be possible for something to go their way for once?
-Fire and Iron/We Do Not Sow-
The walls of Casterly Rock didn't hold for long, it had been remarkable that the held at all, seeing as the skeleton crew that was manning the castle was barely worthy of its name. Ironically for the fleeing ironborn, the surrender of the bulk of the Lannister army in highgarden presented a huge problem of logistics for them now.
"That no good son of a bitch" Yara smashed her way through every door and barrel in her way to Iron Victory, at this point she was begging to run into the commander of the second sons, or her uncle, or any of their lackeys for that matter if it meant she could get her frustration out in a violent way. By the time she had arrived, all of the available ships had left port, Iron Victory the last ship docked.
"Yara, if we are going to leave, we need to leave now" the sinking feeling that they were quickly tightening their own noose by not leaving kept increasing, and the battle hardened man began realizing the direness of their situation "Yara?"
"If they're here, if that no good traitor is here, where is Obara Martell?"
"What in the name of the drowned god are you talking about, we need to leave"
"No, you don't understand. If she's with them then I need to know, I need to get the Martells away from my wife. If she's not, we need to save her, she's heir apparent to Dorne and too important to leave with them"
"Yara they won't tell you where she is, if she were with them she would have rode with them"
"You're smarter than I ever gave you credit for, brother" Yara and Victarion drew their weapons at the sound of men pouring out of the castle, the insane ironborn at the head of the group "missed me?"
The men on the ship began lifting rope and dropping the sails to leave, just keeping enough hold to allow their captain and their queen to hitch a ride before it's too late. Due to the small space only so many men could try to attack the Greyjoys, and yet it seemed they would pursue them relentlessly.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity but was probably only seconds, Victarion and Yara found themselves faced with Euron, who they both knew was no slouch in his combat prowess. Ultimately, they were between a rock and a hard place, or more literally, between a watery grave and an insane madman.
"Yara you need to leave"
Euron cackled loudly and smacked the blunt of his axe into the side of his brothers leg, wanting to pronounce the suffering as long as he could. Victarion rammed Euron into the dock floor, giving Yara the clearest opportunity to flee into Iron Victory.
"LEAV—omph" Euron punched his brother to get him off his body, in this game the important piece was Yara, Victarion was expendable.
The ironborn captain tried to paw for his axe, blood blocking his vision. For a split second, Yara's world slowed to a halt, trying to find a way to fix what was about to happen. With a sadistic smile on his face, Euron wiped the blood on his face and picked up Victarion's axe.
"You will regret crossing me Yara" without a second thought the sharp glinting axe slammed into Victarion's back, crunching through his black cloak and his glinting iron armor—fitting with Euron's cruelty, Victarion would die slowly, drowning in his own blood.
Her uncles grey eyes looked at her, blood spewing out of his mouth, his breathing coming out ragged. The truth of his mortality was catching up with Victarion in these last seconds, and with what little energy he had left, he mouthed "Run"
In the same slow motion Yara turned towards the last rope that docked Iron Victory, using it to climb into the ship while ordering the men to have her sail away. Euron ripped out the axe from his dying brothers back, and half heartedly threw it at the retreating back of his niece, embedding it into the side of the retreating ship.
The very last thing Yara saw, as they rapidly escaped from the docks of Casterly Rock was Victarion Greyjoy's body being tossed into the water, his blood tainting the water around him red for a small second before he sank under, the ironborn crew at the docks seemingly cheering over something Euron held in his hand.
What is dead may never die.
Don't kill me. Hope you liked it!
FYI: Here's the new hopeful update schedule, Tuesdays and Fridays at 11:00PM.
IN MY DEFENSE THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO GO UP AT 11 BUT SNOW AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION WEREN'T HAVING IT!
Thank you once again for the comments and the love, I shall see you all next week!
IronDragon