As we travel I stay quiet. I hear Lady Stark talking about going back to Winterfell. I could hear her all the way at the back of the pack. Tyrion didn't even try to talk to me. I think he's trying to figure out if we're really going back to Winterfell. It is not as cold in The Vale, which is where we are actually heading. One of our stops is in a spot I believe to be foolish, strategically. The Eastern Road is almost completely surrounded by high ground and boulders to hid behind. The hill tribes and Shadowcats are dangerous here. I get off my horse and make sure he is not going to wander off before securing Tyrion's horse. One of the men lifts the tiny man from his horse, and sets him on the ground with a grunt. I step up behind Tyrion as Catelyn Stark speaks.
"Remove his hood." I do the honors and throw it to the man whom removed Tyrion from his horse. The man with the instrument began to play and sing.
"On that eve, the captive Imp downwards from his horse did limp." I roll my eyes and lightly nuge Tyrion towards Lady Stark. "No more would he preen and primp in garb of red and gold."
"Not my type of music, so knock it off song boy." I glare at him. "Keep your lyrics in your own head." The man is taken aback as my attention returns to Lady Stark and Tyrion.
"This isn't the Kingsroad." Tyrion starts. "You said we were riding to Winterfell."
"I did..." Catelyn replies. "Often and loudly." A smirk makes its way to my face.
"Very wise." Tyrion answers back. "They'll be out in droves, looking for me in the wrong place." He turns in a circle trying to make sense of his surroundings. "Word's probably gotten to my father by now. He'll be offering a handsome reward. Everyone knows a Lannister pays his debts. Would you be so good as to untie me?" He slightly raises his bound hands.
"I don't believe that's likely, Tiny Man." I say.
"Why not?" He asks as if it were the simplest thing to understand. "Am I going to run?" I scoff.
"I would hope not. You'd be as good as dead." I reply.
"Exactly, the hill tribes would kill me for my boots." He confirms.
"Unless a Shadowcat ate you first." I chuckle.
"Shadowcats and hill tribes are the least of your concerns." Lady Stark says in a stern voice.
"Ah. The Easter Road." Tyrion finally caught on to where we are. "We're going to the Vale. You're taking me to your sister's to answer for my imagined crimes. Tell me, Lady Stark, when was the last time you saw your sister?"
"Five years ago." She answers.
"She's changed." Tyrion tells her. "She was always a bit touched, but now you might as well kill me here."
"I am not a murderer, Lannister." She says.
"Neither am I!" He tries to deffend himself. "I had nothing to do with the attempt on your son's life."
"At least one woman here believes those words." Lady Stark says, looking to me. "But, the dagger found,-"
"What sort of imbecile arms an assassin with his own blade?" Tyrion deffends once again.
"Exactly what I said, my lady." I speak.
"Should I gag him?" The white haired man asks.
"Why? Am I starting to make sense?" Tyrion asks them in at tone of voice raising in anger. Suddenly a loud thump and some musical notes sound. I look to the musician. He's been hit by something. We all look around to see some men hurling rocks at us. I run back to my horse to grab my sword and shield. I feel much more calm with the metal weapon in my hand. I charge the rocks and sink my blade into one of the attackers. Blood spatters on my face and clothing. Good thing I wear dark colors. I look around for the next attacker and see one charging at me. I shove the man back with my shield and run him through. I kick him off of my blade just in time to react to one of them running up behind me. That man shares the same fate as the others this blade has come across. I deffeat a few more before it's all over.
I look around and see no enemy standing, but we have lost many men ourselves. I make my way down to our smaller group. It's just me, Tyrion, Lady Stark, The white haired man, the musician, one of the men Tyrion had been traveling with at the tavern, and a few other men. As I get closer I hear Tyrion and the man he was traveling with.
"You need a woman." The man says to Tyrion. "Nothing like a woman after a fight." I see Tyrion look my way.
"I'm willing if she is." The Tiny Man says as both of them laugh.
"Not on your life, Tiny Man." I call out as I smile at him.
"You sure?" Tyrion asks in jest. "I hear I'm quite good at pleasing a woman." I shake my head and chuckle to myself as I go over to Lady Stark.
"Are you alright, my lady?" I ask her.
"I'm fine." She speaks in a shaky voice, but she smiles.
Eventually we all mount our horses and ride off towards the Vale once more. I continue to ride next to Tyrion. Mostly silence is heard until we are met by Knights of the Vale. The leader begins addressing Lady Stark.
"You are far from home, Lady Stark." The man says.
"To whom do I speak?" She asks him.
"Ser Vardis Egan, Knight of the Vale." He answers. "Is Lady Arryn expecting your visit?"
"There was no time to send word." Lady Stark tells him.
"May I ask, my lady, why he is with you?" The Knight asks, gesturing towards Tyrion.
"That's why there was no time." Lady Stark repeats. "He is my prisoner."
"He doesn't look like a prisoner." The Knight says commenting on Tyrion's wrists being free of binding. I was going to say something, but Lady Stark beat me to it.
"My sister will decide what he looks like." Lady Stark's words stop the Knight from speaking more than he has to.
"Yes, my lady. She will at that." The Knight then turns his men around and they serve as an escort all the way to see Lady Arryn.
"The Eyrie." I hear Tyrion say. "They say it's impregnable."
"Give me ten good men and some climbing spikes" Tyrion's traveling partner starts. "I'll impregnate the bitch." I laugh and both men look my way.
"I don't understand how you could possibly impregnate anything." I start. "You have such a small foot size for a man of your height." Tyrion joins me in my laughter.
"I like you." The Tiny Man comments. Finally we make it to the Eyrie and dismount. We are then led to where Lady Arryn is. I guide Tyrion to the center of the large room, and stand to his right. Lady Stark stands to the left, a bit further away. I almost cringe at the woman as she nurses her son. I cringe at that because the boy seems too old to be doing so. I can see her panic as her eyes come across Tyrion.
"You bring him here without permission?" Lady Arryn asks her sister. "You pollute my home with his presence?" She looks down at the boy continuing to nurse as his mother speaks to him. "Your aunt has done a bad thing, Robin, a very bad thing. You remember her don't you?" She asks the boy as he pulls away from his mother's breast. The boy looks to Lady Stark without saying a word. "Isn't he beautiful? And strong too. Jon knew it." Lady Arryn says. Tyrion was right. She does seem a bit touched. I look over to Lady Stark, and I see Tyrion do the same. "His last words were 'The seed is strong'. He wanted everyone to know what a good, strong boy his son would grow up to be." I look back to the woman speaking, and I am confused. How did we end up on the topic of her son? "Look at him, the lord of all the Vale." She looks to her son with a proud expression.
"Lysa," Lady Stark calls to her sister to get her attention. "You wrote me about the Lannisters, warning me-"
"To stay away from them!" Lady Arryn interrupts. "Not to bring one here!"
"Mommy?" The boy finally speaks. "Is that the bad man?" I know he's talking about Tyrion.
"It is." His mother confirms. The boy lets out a strange laugh.
"He's little." I fight the urge to roll my eyes at the boy's observation.
"He's Tyrion the Imp of House Lannister." Lady Arryn clarifies. "He killed your father. He murdered the hand of the King!"
"Oh, did I kill him, too?" Tyrion speaks out. "I've been a very busy man."
"You will watch your tongue!" Lady Arryn shouts. "These men are Knights of the Vale. Every one of them loved Jon Arryn. Every one of them would die for me."
"Well, I happen to have the Woman with no Name on my side." He glances up to me and I glare daggers at him. How dare he say such a thing. I look up to Lady Arryn.
"I am not on anyone's side, my lady, I only wish to find the truth." She just stares at me in awe. She's probably wondering why I am even remotely trusting the word of a Lannister.
"Even so," Tyrion adds. "If any harm comes to me, my brother Jaime will see that they do."
"You can't hurt us!" The boy shouts suddenly from his mother's side as he jumps up from the chair. "No one can hurt us here! Tell him mommy! Tell him!" Lady Arryn calms her son down enough for him to sit back down with her.
"Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, my sweet boy." She says. "He's just trying to frighten us. Lannisters are all liars. No one will hurt my baby."
"Mommy?" The boy speaks again. "I want to see the bad man fly." The boy's words confuse me. What is he taking about?
"Perhaps you will, my little love." Lady Arryn tells him.
"This man is my prisoner!" Lady Stark shouts in a stern tone. "I will not have him harmed."
"Ser Vardis," Lady Arryn says. "My sister's guest is weary. Take him down below so he can rest." Tyrion and Lady Stark share a look. "Introduce him to Mord." The Knight grabs Tyrion's collar and drags him off. I turn my attention back to Lady Arryn.
"My lady, I ask that you allow me to guard the Lannister's door." I say as I bow my head in respect to her.
"Why do you wish to protect a man such as he?" She asks me.
"Truthfully, my lady, I do not trust Lannisters. I've turned down many jobs they've offered that would make me rich beyond my wildest dreams." I start. "But I believe in proof. If I am given no definitive proof of whom committed the crime I cannot in good conscience convict them in my own mind, even a Lannister." There is a pause before she gestures for me to follow the Knight roughly escorting the dwarf. "Thank you, my lady."
"Try not to let Mord see you. He's very sensitive about his territory down by the cells." She tells me. I nod and catch up with Lannister and Ser Vardis. I see Tyrion get handed off to a fat man then thrown into a room from down the hall. The fat man says something to him before shutting to door and walking down another hallway. Once the man was out of sight, I rush to the door of the cell.
"Look where your mouth has led you now, Little Lord Lannister." I chuckle, trying to look through the small barred window of the door. Tyrion is sitting on the floor against the wall, and I notice something before he can comment on my new name for him. "Why is it brighter in there than where I am?"
"It seems they've taken an entire wall out.' He answers me. "What are you doing here?"
"What of the view?" I ask, ignoring his own question.
"It would be nicer if I weren't in a cell, Trixie." I can hear the anger and panic in his voice. "Again I ask, what are you doing here?"
"I asked Lady Arryn if I could guard your door."
"Why?"
"So you can listen while I lose my chastity to the fat man." I laugh.
"What?" He seems upset. "I thought I was going to help you with that." I hear the smirk in his voice.
"We'll see, Little Lord. We'll see." I tease as I lean my back on the locked cell door. "I just have to make sure the fat man doesn't spot me down here."
"Hey, you!" I look down the hallway to see the fat man, Mord.
"He's spotted me. I must go, my lord." I say. "I'll see you soon, Tiny Man. Hopefully alive." With that, I run down another hallway, hoping to escape Mord.