Book 1: A Strougle to Speak

by Turband

A side story taking place in south Westeros during The War of the Five Kings, with six new characters Andros, Zhi Mi, Oscur, Aalyson, Joseth and Barlan. Giving the series a new perspective, of people who have relatively no power or voice in the matters of Westeros and their denizens.

13. Joseth IV

The Twins were filled with people, like a plague they were gathering, North men were beastly drunk, while The Twinsers were rather sober, and among all these fools, were Joe and Barlan, drinking away their past, as if there is no tomorrow.

Barlan was more sober than Joseth, even though they were not as drunk as Stark's men. North men were celebrating as if they just conquered Essos itself. as if they were about to own their own personal whore house, their festivity was about to be their doom.

Crossbowmen exited tents and begun shooting bolts, making it rain some would say. A skirmish started, Barland and Joseth were drunk, but ready to fight, as Twins men came right at them, the old duo killed them with swiftness, in their youth they were trained by the same Swordmaster Dao Shi, a strict man from Essos.

Nobody was of enough skill to kill either Joe or Barlan, moving as fast as lightning, they both had great swords, Joe swung his as if it were a normal sword, and Barlan younger than Joe, swung his as if it were a dagger, but it was then when age betrayed Barlan, he was shot in the shoulder with a crossbow bolt.

Barlan was pushed back, he did not mind it, so he rushed to the shooter, but the crossbowman shot again, Joe took notice of this and threw himself against the bolt, he was hit just below his chest between his ribs, another crossbowman came and shot at Barlan in the lower neck. Joe crawled to his friend, Barlan struggled to speak, out of his bloody mouth spurts he seemed to say "brother". then the flame of life that once inhabited inside Barlan was gone forever, Joe turned around, the two crossbowmen were finishing reloading, an arrow was shot at each crossbow, breaking them beyond repair.

A huge man, seemed to be flying or falling with style towards one of the crossbowmen, wielded a club almost his size, the big man struck the crossbowman, thrusting the man backwards about a couple of meters. But the huge man was not alone, almost at the same time of him arrived a lady who seemed to be frozen in the position of some sort of flying kick. Joe has seen these moves before, in his old master Dao Shi.