Robert
The town smelled of salt, the same as the Bay of Crabs to the east, shimmering green and blue in the morning sun. The ship which had brought them here, Fury swayed in the waters, docked in the port of the Saltpans. The ship was bigger that it couldn't take them further upriver in the Trident and so they needed to dock her here. Looking at his men unloading the things and horses down from the ship Robert thought as if he had made a wrong decision by choosing the war galley Fury for this voyage. With three hundred oars, three decks and three huge masts with the one in the middle towering over the ones on the sides, the flagship of the Baratheon fleet seemed the perfect choice for this voyage. The deck above her oars was covered completely with scorpions. Topside she had catapults mounted fore and aft. Fury was formidable and swift and that's why his brother Stannis had chosen the war galley especially for this voyage. In the place of her usual golden colored sails with the crowned stag of House Baratheon painted on them there were plain white sails used by the commoners and merchants as to never really attract any eyes of the others. A slender ship would've taken them straight to Riverrun by the Trident and would've saved a good time for them, but then a slender ship couldn't have brought all these men and the horses for their journey by land.
The Lord of Storm's End wasn't a man of patience. So when the men finished unloading their things Robert started their journey to Riverrun without wasting any time. Cersei had to say something about his decision but Robert was not ready to hear it. His wife muttered some curses under her breath until the children got to her. He knew they all were tired but still they had to do it. The sea had already stolen a good amount of time away from them and he wasn't ready to do it with the land too.
Saltpans was a small town truly. A small castle dominated the town; no more than a holdfast, really, a single tall square keep with a bailey and a curtain wall. Most of the shops and inns and alehouses around the harbor were filled with a good number of people. The crew and the servants of the ships which were already docked in the Port before Fury brought them here, thought Robert looking at the men laughing and singing in the inns and alehouses. Most of the buildings looked inhabited but some of the buildings here and there stood half broken and burnt. The folks of Saltpans looked at their big party with curious eyes but the sights of noble Lords were not so rare in ports, so their curiousness died as quickly as they started to mount their horses with their banners streaming in the sea breeze.
They began their journey north along the Trident. The river was only an accustomed channel here, not the true mighty one he'd seen with Ned when they had come down from the Eyrie to see the Grand Tourney of Harrenhal. Robert could remember the time even now after all those terrible things that had started from there. He could remember the journey down from the Eyrie with Ned. Gods, they had a good time in that journey away from Jon's eyes. He could remember the first time he had seen Lyanna, the memory had enlightened him too much once but now it had turned sour. He could remember the Tourney alive with knights from throughout the Seven Kingdoms. He remembered his drinking competition with Richard Lonmouth. He remembered the seven sided melee in which he won by unhorsing most of his competitors. He had never felt so alive than being in a fight and it came to him naturally. He remembered Rhaegar unhorsing people left and right just like he'd done in the melee. He had been jesting with Jon and the Old Lord Eon Hunter when Rhaegar destroyed the entire thing by crowing Lyanna as his Queen of Love and Beauty and in turn shaming his wife and Houses Stark and Baratheon. Robert had wanted nothing more than to knock him down from the horse and beat him bloody, the Gods knew he had wanted to do that so badly. Yet both Jon and Ned's face stopped him from doing so. Manners, Jon had taught him that and he had somehow held his smiling composure and brushed off his insult with a jest, as gently as he could. But Robert knew he may get the chance again. He will avenge Ned's death no matter what. And if he was to die in the attempt he would die gladly, but no matter what he would drag Rhaegar all the way to hell along with him before ripping his heart out and drinking from his skull with the stranger himself.
The river began to widen out as they moved further towards the land away from the Bay of Crabs. They kept their journey along the banks of the Trident. They stayed close to the water, passing fields and farms riding hard and fast in their way. The sounds made by the hooves of the horses even reminded him of Ned, the rides they would have when they were still some young adventurous boys. They never had any secrets between them(except Ned's romance with Ashara Dayne back at Harrenhal). In another life they would've been brothers bound by blood or they would have even shared a grandchild in the future, if Ned and his family had been alive or at least his son alone. Robert could remember the boy just like he had remembered Ned. It had been too easy for him to remember the little boy who looked so much like his childhood friend but with his mother's dark hair. Ned's son had been so afraid to meet him for the first time that he chose to hide behind his mother at every chance that at last Ned had to pick him up and introduce him to them all by himself. But as time passed by the children grew normal with each other and enjoyed each others' company to the fullest. Watching them play they had thought that both their sons would become friends like they'd been along with Jon's son and that their children would succeed where they had failed, binding their houses together by blood. Andrew and Argella had been as perfect as they had thought them to be and the filthy Dragonspawn managed to mess up that as well.
Robert always wondered about Ned's son, about what had happened to him or what cruelties the Targaryens might've inflicted upon the little boy. He couldn't really think about it. Rhaegar never even gave their bodies back for a proper funeral they deserved. No one deserves an end like that. Maybe he would make Rhaegar's end just like that. He would leave him there alive on the battlefield, cutting off his hands and legs and then leaving him for the crows and dogs to do the rest.
The journey was by far a pleasant one without much troubles. The sun was well and warm. The air was light and heavy with the scent of flowers, and the woods here had a gentle beauty unlike the evergreen rainforests in the Stormlands. They saw some pole boats passing through the waters of the Trident. By midday the party of the stormlanders reduced their pace and continued their trip for sometime before stopping for their meal.
They had brought a good amount of supplies for this journey as they weren't sure of how long this was going to take. They dined on rich ham and seared trout with bread and hard cheese. The desserts were too rich for his like. Cersei had ordered to bring different types of cakes along with fruits like melons and peaches just for Argella, since their daughter always had a big love for sweets. When they finished their meal they wasted no time before getting on their horses and continuing their journey.
With every passing day their supplies started to grow down. By the fourth day their food ran out and they had to hunt for their food. Robert enjoyed every minute of the hunt along with his son and Lords. They brought down an aurochs on the first day of their hunt and it had managed to serve as their food for the entire day.
By the fifth day they had gained a good distance from their start off from Saltpans. The Trident grew wider and wider as they moved further north as it neared the ford from where the Trident split into its three different forks- The Red Fork, the Blue Fork and the Green Fork. Their initial plan was to meet up with Jon Arryn and the knights of the Vale in the crossroads inn and then making their journey together to Riverrun.
On the sixth day they came upon the Inn at the crossroads. It was near dark when they reached it, at the crossroads north of the great confluence of the Trident. Taking west from here, it was an easy ride down the River road to Riverrun. The eastern High road was wilder and more dangerous, climbing through rocky foothills and thick forests into the Mountains of the Moon, past high passes and deep chasms to the Vale of Arryn and the stony Fingers beyond. Robert had made that journey with Jon and Ned when they came for the Tourney of Harrenhal seventeen years before.
The inn was a sprawling three-story structure of pale stone, the biggest one in the Riverlands. Outside, the men were shouting and cursing as they were putting up tents and pavilions to spend the night while some of them unloaded the wagons. Horses were being taken to the stables. Robert found the familiar banners of the blue falcon of the Arryns, the black iron studs on a bronze field, bordered with runes, the banner of House Royce and the broken black wheel, on a green field which indicated the presence of the Waynwoods. He could also make out some of the other banners flowing in the evening air as well. Growing up in the Eyrie had made him somewhat closer to the Houses of the Vale. He could see the silver arrows of House Hunter and the three red hearts clutched by three ravens in a white field, the banner of House Corbray and a dozen more banners streamed from seperate poles as well. Jon must've brought most of his lords as well, Robert thought as he saw the crossroads filled with the shouts of men and the neighs of horses. He himself had brought most of his bannermen to his son's marriage. Even that was for good as well, so that they could grow up their friendship between their Kingdoms, not only between their families.
When Robert and his party finally came to stop in front of the Inn, he was greeted by a familiar voice he had known very well. "It's good to see you again, Lord Robert," Lord Yohn Royce said approaching him with a smile, a pair of guards with brown cloaks trailing him.
Robert gave him a wide smile as he dismounted his destrier and embraced the older man in a hug, greeting him. "It's good to see you too, Lord Royce," Robert said and he meant the every word he said. It was good to see the old friends back, always.
When the other lords and the men saw him they came to greet him at once. Robert greeted them back as well regaling some old jests which made the crossroads filled with the sounds of laughter. Stableboys came from the stables to see to their horses Once they were done with the greetings and welcomings Robert asked Lord Royce to take him to Jon Arryn. His men joined with the Valemen, helping them to put up the tents and Lord Yohn Royce led Robert and his family inside the inn.
They entered the common room and found his foster father, the man who had been like a father to him, Jon Arryn seated with Lords Hunter and Waynwood and the others surrounding him. He hasn't even changed a bit even though it had been quite a time since Robert had seen him. When Jon saw him, his foster father stood up at once. The years had done nothing to diminish his grace and ease. Jon Arryn, as great a lord as any the Eyrie had ever known, walked towards him, proudly and gracefully. When he reached him Robert couldn't help but to smile at him as if he was still the little boy who was sent to the Eyrie to foster with Lord Jon Arryn. His foster father gave a warm smile back at him and pulled him to a hug. Robert felt his strong arms around him just like the same way they had felt around him years before with only one difference. Back then Ned had been there to share Jon's hugs with him.
Author's Notes: So the next chapter guys. The very first of the many, many awaiting reunions. Tell me about it in the comments. It means so much to me. I'll try to answer all of your comments. If I missed anything don't hesitate to give me a heads up.
Replies to Guest readers: To Deathodreary: Thanks for the comments mate. I'm glad that you like this story. As for the answer for your question, well what can I say, Fate has a certain way of destroying plans, right. Let's wait and watch what plans it has for Andrew.