AN- Hey guys, another chapter here. Sorry for the wait time, school has been hectic plus I have had a really bad cold. Also, I want to talk about the whole Jon parents thing. Even though I personally believe that R+L=J is true, for this story Ned is Jon's father, while Ashara Dayne is his mother. Anyways, remember to R&R, and I hope you enjoy!
Honor thy Family
Essos- Daenerys Targaryen sat in her tent, her husband Drogo on her right. The time since she had received her dragons had been prosperous. She had named the two smaller ones Viserion and Rhaegal after her brothers, and the largest one Aerys, after her father. With her husband's horde of Dothraki, they had managed to sack the city of Quarth. After that, they had made their way to Astapor, where not only did they acquire 8,000 Unsullied, but also received the services of Ser Barristan Selmy. Now they were in front of the city of Yunkai, meeting with the captains of the mercenary group the Second Sons.
"So you're the mother of dragons. I could have sworn I fucked you in pleasure house once." Mero, the commander of the group, says.
"Please, there is no need for this. I have invited you here under good faith. I want to make you an offer." Daenerys says, as Grey Worm, the leader of the Unsullied, and Ser Jorah have to restrain themselves from cutting Mero's tongue out.
"We fight for Yunkai. If we break our contract no one will hire us again." Another captain says.
"Who said anything about fighting, or breaking your contract?" Dany says with a smirk.
"What are you saying?" Mero asks.
"You can return to the slavers, and tell them you convinced me to take their original offer of ships and gold. After that, you can fight for me when I take back the Seven Kingdoms. With your company added I would have 20,000 men under my control." Dany says.
"Even with an army of that size, you would still lack siege weapons." Daario Naharis, a lieutenant, points out.
"Then tell the Wise Masters that I also require siege weapons along with the ships. My family has old allies in Westeros who have fought for me and will do so again, as well as new friends who wish to see my family rule again." Daenerys answers back.
"And what is in it for us?" Mero says.
"You get to live, and I won't cut off your cock for insulting my wife." Drogo says in Dothraki. Daario seems to be the only one of the mercenaries to understand the Khal.
"Gold, castles, and lordships of your choosing." Daenerys says.
"Fine, you have a deal." Mero says. He and the other mercenaries exit the tent.
"My queen, are you sure it is wise to trust such men?" Barristan asks.
"I trust their greed. I need all the men I can get. Three out of the four men who led the rebellion are dead, and Westeros is in a civil war. Now is the time to strike." Daenerys says, standing up and walking towards where her dragons are being kept. Drogo follows his wife, leaving Ser Jorah and Ser Barristan in the tent.
"She's right. If she is going to take the Iron Throne, now is the time." Jorah says.
"Aye, but she still has many obstacles. The Baratheon brothers, Robb Stark, and the Lannisters will stand in her way." Barristan says.
"Many stood in Aegon Targaryen's way, I believe we both know how that went." Jorah says, ending the conversation.
Lannisport- Arya walked down the streets of the city, side by side with Tywin Lannister. She was wearing a well made tunic and breeches, and had Needle strapped to her side. They looked at the many sights of the city. The vendors trying to sell their products, swindlers trying to scam people, and the occasional whore.
"Great, it's a smaller King's Landing, except without the backstabbing." She thinks to herself. Tywin looks over at her, and decides to break the silence between them.
"Where did you get your sword?" Tywin asks. Arya turns to face him, surprised by the question.
"My brother Jon gave it to me." Arya answers.
"Jon, he's the one I saw earlier, correct?" Tywin questions, and Arya nods.
"Yes, my lord. He came to Casterly Rock with me to be my sworn shield." She says. Tywin looks down at the young girl, surprised that this was the reason Jon was at the rock.
"Your sworn shield? Is he that competent a warrior?" He asks. Arya nods her head rapidly, eager to support her favorite brother.
"Indeed. He is a better fighter than Robb or Theon, and when he sparred with Atticus they were almost even." She replies. Tywin nods, knowing that holding your own against Atticus was an impressive thing. After all, Tywin's heir had been raised among the Kingsguard.
"I see, that is an impressive thing. Your eldest brother is said to be quite the warrior, and he even fights in the vanguard." Tywin says. Arya nods her head, as she had heard the stories of her brother's bravery in combat.
"Yes, but you do not blame me for his actions, do you?" She asks. Tywin shakes his head and scoffs.
"Of course not, only a fool would do something like that." He answers. Arya stops walking and glares at him.
"You say that, yet the king you support publicly beats and humiliates my sister." She says bitterly.
"I have heard stories of this, that is true." Tywin responds.
"I ask that you try to keep this from happening, my lord. I love my sister, even with how naive she could be. I have a hard time sleeping knowing that she is at the mercy of both Joffrey and Cersei. I know first hand how cruel they can be." Arya says. Tywin sighs and nods.
"Yes, word spread fast of your incident at the Crossroads Inn, and Atticus told me of what my daughter did to you. I will do everything in my power to prevent harm from befalling your sister. You have my word." He says. Arya smiles and nods appreciatively.
"Thank you, my lord." She says. As they continue their walk through the city, a large group of young children runs past towards them.
"Urchins, hold on to your valuables, my lord and lady." One of the guards says. Arya nods and holds onto Needle and her necklace. The young jostle and bump into Arya, but leave Tywin alone.
"Well, I wouldn't risk stealing from Lord Tywin either." Arya thinks to herself. After the children leave, Tywin looks over at Arya.
"You're bleeding" He says. Arya looks confused at first, but then notices a cut on one of her fingers.
"Well, they are called cutpurses." She says, as she sucks the blood off the finger. She looks at her finger, but there is no cut visible.
"How about I take you to the one spot in the city with only a few people? It's where I like to fish." Tywin suggests, breaking Arya from her trance. She nods her head, and Tywin gives a small smile and begins to lead her to the fishing spot.
Casterly Rock- Atticus was practicing in the training yard, sparring with Jon. As the two parried each others attacks, a rather large group of guards and servants watches. Jon manages to disarm Atticus, knocking the blunted greatsword the heir to Casterly Rock uses for training to the ground. Atticus then grabs Jon's sword arm, and manages to pull the bastard's bastard sword away. As Jon goes to pick up his sword, Atticus stops him.
"Try using mine." He says, as he prepares to use Jon's longsword. Jon picks up the great sword, and prepares to fight.
"I can't say I have much experience with a great sword." Jon says, as he parries a blow from Atticus.
"Versatility is a warrior's greatest weapon." Atticus says, deflecting a blow from Jon. The two are interrupted when two guards walk up to Atticus.
"My Lord, riders bearing King Joffrey's sigil approach the castle" One of them says. Atticus and Jon share a look, before they both head down to the gate, grabbing their real swords as they go. Most of the guards follow, as Jon and Atticus exit the gate. Sandor joins them, his hand on his sword.
"What the fuck do these cunts want?" The Hound says. Atticus shrugs, and Jon sighs.
"There are only ten men, so this isn't an attack." Jon says. The riders arrive, and Atticus glares at the person he immediately recognizes as Lancel Lannister.
"Ser Lancel, you have ten seconds to give me a good reason on why I shouldn't kill you and your men." Atticus says, and Lancel dismounts his horse and walks over him, and hands him a letter.
"My lord, this is a letter from your uncle, Tyrion Lannister, acting Hand of the King" The young knight says. Atticus grabs the letter and opens it. He reads the contents, a look of confusion on his face.
"I don't see how Lady Catelyn Stark heading to the Stormlands is of any concern to me I still don't have a reason not to kill you, do you have anything else." He replies. Lancel, who knows that this is no idle threat, nods his head rapidly.
"Yes my lord! Lord Tyrion has sent this with us." Lancel says, fear in his voice. His men bring out a blade that surprises both Jon and Atticus. It is Ice, the ancestral Valyrian steel greatsword of House Stark. The blade is at first handed to Atticus, who almost immediately gives it to Jon.
"Lancel, leave now." Atticus says. Lancel looks apprehensive at first, but when Jon pulls Ice a tiny bit out of its sheath, he backs away quickly and mounts his horse, and leaves without a second wasted. Atticus sighs as he, Jon, and Sandor walk back inside the gates.
"Why did your uncle send us Ice?" Jon asks.
"To give me an excuse to go to the Stormlands." Atticus responds grimly.
"Why the fuck would he want that?" Sandor questions. Atticus sighs before answering.
"No besides Renly and his commanders know how many men he has. Some say sixty thousand, others say one hundred thousand, and I have even heard rumors of him having two hundred thousand. No one can get a good count because of how large the camp is. The only way that someone could find just by looking is by going through the entire camp." He explains.
"Let me guess, you have a good mind for numbers, don't you?" Jon japes, and Atticus gives a "so so" gesture. Before they can continue the conversation, Tywin and Arya arrive from Lannisport, the latter holding a large basket full of fish.
"Seems someone enjoyed their trip." Atticus says with a smile. Arya sets down the basket and nods.
"It was lots of fun, the fishing was the best. We caught so many!" She says. Atticus smiles and kisses her on the forehead.
"Good to know that my grandfather treated you well, sweet wolf. Jon, you can explain the current situation to Arya." He says. Tywin walks over, and clears his throat to get Atticus's attention.
"I'll bring these fish to the kitchen. Come on Jon, you can tell me on the way." Arya says, as she picks up the basket and walks away, Jon in tow. Sandor sighs and goes off to drink, leaving Atticus and Tywin alone.
"I assume you already know of Tyrion's plans." Tywin says.
"Aye, he wants me to go to the Stormlands and be a spy." Atticus says.
"That is the plan. Will you follow through with it?" The older Lannister asks. Atticus sighs, and then answers.
"Fine, I will. While I hate the idea of Joffrey being king, I can't say that Renly would be a good ruler either." Atticus says. Tywin looks at him surprised.
"Really, isn't that Renly's claim to the throne?" He asks.
"A man wears armor, and people believe he is a warrior. A man is charming and witty, and people believe he is wise. A man says he would be a good king, and people believe him." Atticus responds. Tywin nods, agreeing with his grandson.
"True, but he still has an army. I need you to find out how many men follow him. Bring the sword to Catelyn Stark, but don't forget your mission." Tywin says.
"I'll leave in tomorrow days. I should also bring Arya and Jon. It would be suspicious if I didn't." Atticus says. Tywin nods, and turns to walk away.
"Good, I am going to return to my host at Harrenhal. Don't fail me, Atticus." The old lion says and leaves. Atticus sighs and walks toward the kitchen so he can tell Jon and Arya about the trip.
Later- Atticus, Arya, and Jon sat in the dining hall, eating the fish Arya and Tywin had caught. As they ate, both Atticus and Jon noticed how Arya barely touched her food, only occasionally handing pieces to Visenya .
"Arya, are you feeling alright?" Jon asks, deciding to voice his concerns.
"Of course...just not very hungry." She responds.
"Are you sure? You sounded very excited for dinner." Atticus says, giving an uneasy smile as he takes a sip of wine. Arya scowls and punches him in the arm, causing Jon to laugh.
"I'm fine. I'm just a little nervous about seeing my mother, that's all" She says, but the two bastards roll their eyes, unconvinced. Arya huffs and stands up. She walks away, making Atticus sigh.
"Well, I guess I should go get ready too. See you in the morning." He says, leaving the table. Jon nods and finishes eating the fish, handing the scraps of the meal to Ghost.
Next Day- Arya wakes up very early the next day, covered in sweat. She sits up, and looks out the window, and sees how it is still dark out. She stands up, and has to lean against the wall to hold herself up.
"Joy! Ellia!" She yells. The two handmaidens run into the room, and help support Arya.
"My lady, what is wrong?" Joy asks, as Arya starts coughing into her hand. Arya pulls her hand away from her mouth, and the handmaidens gasp when they see it has blood on it.
"I'll get the Maester." Ellia says, and runs off to get help.
A Few Hours Later- Atticus and Jon were waiting outside Arya's room as the Maester, the former pacing back and forth nervously while the latter was in a seat, his foot bouncing up and down nervously. After a few minutes, the Maester walks out of the room.
"How is she?" Jon asks, standing up.
"I have seen this sickness before. It is usually contracted from infected meat that is too bloody. While it is dangerous, if we can keep her cool and hydrated she should be fine." He says, causing Jon and Atticus to sigh in relief.
"Good. How long will this last?" Atticus asks. The Maester sighs before answering.
"I'm not sure, some cases have been known to last a few months, others a few days." He says. Before they can continue the conversation, Gerion and Genna walk over. After the situation is explained to them, Gerion decides to speak.
"I hate to be the devil's advocate Atticus, but you still need to go to the Stormlands." He says.
"But, I can't just leave Arya here. Last time I did that she was almost killed!" Atticus says.
"Go Atticus, we'll keep her safe." Jon says. Atticus clenches his fists so hard his knuckles turn white, until he relents and sighs.
"Fine, but I'm going to see her first." He says, and the others nod. Atticus walks into the room, and his heartbreaks at the site. Arya sleeps in her bed, a moist towel on her forehead, and three blankets on her as her nude body. If the situation were less serious, Atticus would have been blushing. Her breath is ragged as Atticus makes his way over to her, brushing a hand over her pale, sickly looking cheek.
"I'll be back soon, sweet wolf." He says, leaning down to kiss her forehead. He stands up, and leaves the room, making his way to his room. He straps on his armor, grabs both his swords, and then heads to the courtyard where his horse is waiting for him, with Ice and its sheath strapped to the saddle.
"My lord, are you ready?" One of the ten guards Atticus is bringing with him asks.
"Yes, let's go." Atticus says, as he and the guards begin their journey to the Stormlands.
AN- Another chapter done. First of all, that "cold" I had is actually Strep Throat. Besides that, I reread some of the story, and I realized I didn't give the proper web name to where the inspiration for Brightroar is from. It is in the archives of as the book version of Ice. Just imagine the sword with the changes I mentioned in chapter five. Anyways, remember to R&R, and I hope you enjoyed!