Hadrian Morningstar, the Sword of the Morning
Chapter 2: Seagard and Pyke.
The Battle while intense and bloody was for all intents short: the second their war horns sounded the massive castle walls banged open and from them, all the remaining Mallister bannermen descended upon the Ironborn like men possessed. For their part the Ironborn didn't have much of a chance, between the King's men and the Mallister's they were attacked on both sides. The damn squids were so surprised it wasn't even that much of a battle.
"GO MEN…Don't give them second to breath." Shouted Hadrian as he cut down another of the invading Ironborn, bringing his death count to 21. The second he had gotten pulled from his horse he had unsheathed his sword and started hacking and cutting at any Ironborn that came withing his swords reach. By now his shiny silver armor was stained with blood, his beautiful Dawn went from milky white to crimson red.
As he ducked and rolled to dodge the angry spear thrown but one of the enemy men, his eyes never left the lone figure standing in the middle of the village baring orders at the Ironborn marauders. Rodrik Greyjoy cut an imposing figure. He was a wall of pure muscle, not the biggest man in the world but he sure as hell was one of the widest. He was a short of stature, with long grey hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, his faced scarred and had a sporting a thick grey beard, ears pierced with golden rings and his beady black ayes glaring at the battlefield with both greed and anger.
Dressing in a dark grey tunic and breaches with a black and sea green armor over it, the man wielded a Greatsword like it was nothing more than a flimsy fishing spear. As Hadrian jumped to his feet and buried Dawn in the belly of the Ironborn attacking him, he saw Rodrik cleave three men in two with but a single swipe of his sword.
"COME ON, YOU FUCKING TWATS, PREPARE TO MEET THE DROWNED GOD." Screamed Rodrik as he beheaded another soldier, the blood thirsty smile on the Greyjoys face as he downed good man after good man angered Hadrian so much that he could hear the gauntlets strain from the grip he had on his sword.
It was the bloody Greyjoy's fault. All this pain and suffering, all this death could be laid at their feet. They just had to rebel, they had to be kings. He knew the fucking truth, all this was because they wanted to go back to their ways before the dragons conquered. They wanted to pillage and rape like they used to. And what better moment than when the empire was under the control of some fool that if the rumors were true only cared for fighting and fucking.
"This battle has gone on long enough." Thought Hadrian angrily as he kicked a down enemy in the face, making it cave in, and jumped over another as he headed straight towards Rodrik. The man had just used his shield to hit a Mallister soldier in the face when Hadrian collided with him, the force of the hit was so that both Rodrik and Hadrian both fell back a few feet before hitting the ground. because of their warrior training it took both men but few seconds to stand back right up.
"This ends here Greyjoy." Snarled Hadrian as he parried a blow from the Kraken's Greatsword; when he did he felt his whole arm vibrate from the force of the blow. Had he been a lesser man he might have dropped his blade from the pain. He resigned himself to dodging from that point on.
"Hey, I recognized that sword, my father used to tell me stories of it when I was but a babe. Tell me, how proud do you think he'll he be when I present him with the Ancestral Sword of House Dayne and the head of the Sword of the Morning, as a coronation present." Taunted Rodrik as he swung his mighty greatsword again, this time Hadrian was ready and he dodged to the left just as the blade was about to cut him, in the seconds it took for Rodrick to pull his sword back Hadrian had closed the distance and punched him in the face so hard he felt a couple of the man's teeth give away. He tried to bury Dawn in the man's chest but it wasn't to be as he blocked the stab with his shield just in time.
"You're fast little Dayne, I'll give you that, but it won't change anything! Before the day is at its end, I'll be sitting in the Lord's room of the Seagard Castle, you shall be dead and your blade shall be resting at my waist." Snarled Rodrik, before spitting out three of his teeth and rubbing his jaw, the sight of the blood and the pained grimaced made Hadrian smile. He could see that his refusal to respond to his taunts and the pain in his jaw was making the man lose his focus.
"What's the manner little star, too terrified to speak?" Rodrik growled as he tried again to slash at Hadrian, but again his blow was dodged and repaid with a strike to the lower stomach, the blow wasn't strong enough to knock the wind out of the man but it was enough to hurt.
That was what the whole fight was like, Greyjoy taunted and used his stronger frame to deliver powerful hits and Hadrian used his lithe frame to dodge most of them, while hitting back with either his fist or the butt of his sword. Fifth teen minutes into the fight both men were breathing hard and covered in bruises, Rodrik much more so than Hadrian.
"I swear to the Drowned God that once I kill you I'll use your skull as a piss cup." Panted the bleeding and tired Rodrik as he threw his shield off his arms, his last mistake, and grabbed his Greatsword with both hands, by now Harry noticed that the man's blows were coming slowed and weaker. Just like he wanted.
"My name isn't little star, its Hadrian Dayne, the Morningstar and the man responsible for your death." Hadrian finally said as he again dodged another mighty blow from the man's Greatsword, this time spinning himself under the Greyjoy's guard before pulling out the sheath silver dagger that his uncle had added with his armor and in one swift motion stabbed it through the underside of Rodrik Greyjoy's mouth all the way to the top of his skull. The move took less than a fraction of a second, Hadrian was so close that he could see the shocked look on Rodrik's face before the light left his eyes and his body slumped againts him.
The act was so fast and shocking that around him all other fighting had ceased, if but for a moment, so that all the fighters could watch the Greyjoy heir falling to his knees. The man was already dead but the look of shock was still plastered on his face. Hadrian without second thought ripped his dagger out of the man's head and sheathed it without cleaning it.
The death of their leader was the last straw for the invading men, the second their leader fell down dead the rest of the cowardly Ironborn turned tail and started fleeing towards their ships. As the King's and Mallister men slaughtered the fleeing Ironborn Hadrian became aware of the roaring cheers that were coming from all around him. The men were screaming and hollering with joy at having repelled the invasion back towards the water.
Hadrian for his part couldn't be more elated, he had survived his first great battle, not counting the small skirmishes with bandits, with but a couple scratches and bruises. Just before he was hoisted up into the men's arms he grabbed Rodrik's Kraken helm and his Greatsword. Ever since he was a small child he had a penchant for keeping trophies, his aunt found the trait adorable.
The men carried him all over the town as he showed off the bloodied Kraken great helm to all the soldiers boosting their moral and giving them a much needed shot of energy. Before long he was taken before the arriving King Robert and the rest of the war party. The bloodthirsty grin of the King's face was so big Hadrian was afraid for a second the king was about to challenge him to a fight.
'HAHAHA from the looks of you it was a bloody great battle." Roared the King as he eyed his now almost completely crimson armor and blade, thankfully most of the blood came from his enemies rather than himself. Hadrian was put down in front of Robert's party, the men carrying him had fallen to their knees in respect for the King.
"My King, Seagard is yours." Said Hadrian as he knelt before the King before presenting him with the late Rodrik's Kraken helm; the king took it and examined it for a second before roaring a laugh and handing it back to him.
"Like the Ironborn like say, you paid the iron price; the helm, sword and even the armor are yours to do as you please." Commanded King Robert before he walked off towards Castle Seagard, probably to look for some wine and maybe a whore, the Kings reputation as a whore monger was damn well earned. Hadrian could only grin in response before he left to go look for his bloody horse. he had an armor to go pick up. he planned to set it up in his trophy room along with the helm and the greatsword.
It took a full month of battles, both Naval and in land, after they won back Seagard to reach Pyke. First was the naval battle of Fair Isle in where Lord Stannis Baratheon and Lord Paxter Redwyne caught the Iron Fleet being led by Victarion Greyjoy in a trap and smashed them off Fair Isle.
After that came the siege of Greak Wyk in which Stannis used his great naval fleet to subdue the Island and take control of it. That opened the way from the King's War host to take over the Island of Old Wyk and gain a foot hold on the Iron Islands, from their they traveled to Pyke were the last stand in this, short but intense, war was taking place. The self proclaimed King of the Iron Islands Balon Greyjoy was hiding in his fortress on Pyke with his remaining forces.
Hadrian stood to the right of the King as he and the rest of the War Host watched the King's men used a siege engine to break down the mighty stone doors of Castle Pyke. The walls of the Castle wee already cracked and any second now would come down, starting the final battle to the Greyjoy's Rebellion.
Hadiran was standing just to the right of the King, ever since the battle of Seagard and the tale of how he had slaughter Ironborn by the droves before finally slaying the mighty Kraken himself, the King had taken a liking to Harry. He constantly kept him around, talking his ear off concerning either battles, jousting, wine and even whores, for some reason. To the other side of the King, Eddard Stark, Stannis Baratheon, Ser Davos Seaworth, Ser Barristan Selmy and Lord Redwyne were standing watching the cracks forming in the great stone doors of Pyke.
"Hey Morningstar, come here." Called King Robert as he hefted his mighty Warhammer up to his shoulder, he was watching his army prepare to siege the Castle. Hadrian merely took a step forward to stand right next to the King, his armor, now permanently stained red from the blood, shone in the sunlight making him glow red like fire.
"You brought me the bloody helm of Balon's last heir, why don't you go bring me the head of the new one." said the King with a chuckle as he eyed the now red armored knight. Hadrian just gave the King as grim smile before he placed his own owl helm, also stained red from his use of it to bash a Ironborn to death, on his head and started walking towards the front of the invading force.
As he reached the front he recognized some of the people that were part of the first wave of warriors, he saw a couple he either knew or had heard off, like the red priest, Thoros of Myr and Jorah Mormont of Bear Island, son of the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. Hadrian stood right next to them waiting anxiously for the stone walls to fall. the second they did he and the men around him would be the first through the breach.
Twenty minutes later the walls of Pyke collapse and Thoros of Myr and his wildfire coated sword were the first to enter, closely followed by both Hadrian and Jorah. Normally Hadrian would be all business but fighting side by side with the hollering and cackling Thoros, he couldn't help by laugh his ass off as he fought his way through the many rooms and halls of the Castle. Even the dour looking Jorah had a wide grin on his face as the three of them and some other soldiers cut a bloody path through Pyke.
There were entering thought one of the many halls when Hadrian had to used his shield to black a axe that was thrown his way. When he looked up he saw the target the King had set for him, Maron, the current heir of House Greyjoy, glaring at him and the men with him. The man apparently valued speed instead of protection since he was mostly dressed in leather armor and had many small throwing axes strapped all over his chest and waist, while he held a war axe in his hands, behind him stood ten Ironborn raiders all holding different weapons.
"You, the cunt in the red armor, might you be the one they called Morningstar." Snarled Maron as he drew another small axe ready to throw it, Hadrian just nodded before he pulled out his stilled bloodied dagger and showed it to the man.
"I am, and with this, the same dagger I used to take your brother's life,I'll also take yours." Hadrian grimly said before he was forced to use his shield to block the thrown axe, his comment seemed to have infuriated the Ironborn since the second the axe was thrown the men attacked like a herd of wild beast.
It was kind of a pain In the ass to fight all the while dodging or blocking axes but hell, he wasn't a the best warrior of Starfall for nothing. He slew two of the Ironborn before he ran to the end of the hall to engage Maron. By that point the man only had his war axe left and the Ironborn with him were cut down, the only ones left were the two fighting Jorah and Thoros.
While Maron wasn't a bad fighter, compared to his older brother, he was but an amateur; Hadrian guessed that the man spend so much of his time practicing with his throwing axes that he forgot to train with his war axe, because of that the man had almost no endurance with the heavy war axe. By the five minute mark in their fight, the man was breathing heavy and had multiple cuts on his arms, face and chest.
"I'm sorely disappointed, I thought you be better." said Hadrian before with a swift spin he cut the back of Maron's knees, making the man fall to the floor with a scream of pain, the slash wasn't enough to cut the mans legs off but he would never walk again.
"Don't worry, I'll make it quick." Said Hadrian. Then with one powerful thrust he stabbed his dagger in Maron's heart. He then used Dawn to sever the man's head from his shoulders, he idly thought that he scared look frozen on the Greyjoy's face would please the King greatly.
Grabbing Maron's war axe, trophy, and the dead man's head, Jorah, Thoros and him started making their way through the rest of the hallways. Only this time the halls were mostly empty aside from the dead bodies of Ironborn and the King's soldiers, it looked like the fighting was all but done.
They heard sounds of battle coming from what they thought would be the throne room but when they made their way there the battle was over. Robert Baratheon stood tall over the kneeling form of Balon Greyjoy with Eddard Stark and Barristan Selmy standing guard behind him, around them the dead bodies of Balon's guards. Hadrian noticed the shivering and scared form of Balon's youngest and now only, son Theon hiding behind the man's black kraken shape throne.
"Ahh Morningstar, just in time, do you have the package I send you to acquire?" said the King as he slammed his Warhammer next to the kneeling man, making Balon cringe away from the boisterous King and his bloody weapon.
"Of course my King." Said Hadrian as he walked over to the King and threw the severed head in front of the kneeling Balon. He looked away to try tune out the sounds of the wailing man as he cried over the head of his dead son. He knew that he couldn't ignore his King's order but he didn't have to find joy in the sound of a heartbroken father like the King was doing.
"Now, this is over but just in case you ever get it into your little saltwater head to rebel against me again, I'm taking away your last remaining son to be fostered in the North under Lord Stark. When you are on your deathbed the kid will be return so he can take his spot as Lord of House Greyjoy and the Iron Islands." Intoned the King as he motion for Barristan to go grab the now hysterical Theon, all throughout Barristan dragging the screaming child from the room Balon never made a sound, he just stared ahead with a stony emotionless look on his face.
They stayed in Pyke for two week while the remaining rebellion was put to down. The King had to sent Balon's brother way since the two, Victarion and Euron were too much to handle. Hadrian had almost killed Euron for a comment the man had made about his late father. For the act of killing Maron and Rodrik the King gifted Hadrian with four empty chests that he could fill to the brim with spoils from the treasure room in Castle Pyke. A most generous gift, a rare one coming from the King if the shocked look on Barristan face and the jealous look on Stannis face were anything to go by.
He took the opportunity to raid the treasury and take as much gold and jewels as he could, as a bonus, in the pile of gold and silver coins he found a slim but long dagger made from Valyrian Steel. It now adorned his waist on the opposite side of the silver dagger his uncle had gifted him.
At the end of the two weeks Hadrian and his remaining men, he had only lost one thousand men in the war; their bodies had already been sent ahead to Starfall to be buried, were on the road with the rest of the Kings party marching towards Kings Landing.
As they reached the fork in the road where Hadrian and his party were to break off from the rest of the King's party, Eddard called Hadrian to the side so they could have a talk. Hadrian held back a groan; he had tried his hardest to avoid the man since the start of the War. But the man was relentless, every time he turned his head the man was standing there intending to talk. He was sick of it. Now he was stuck since he dint' want to be seen as a disrespectful brat by ignoring the polite request of the Warden of the North.
"Of course Lord Stark." Said Hadrian as he rode his horse to the side of the road, so that his conversation with Ned would be somewhat private, thankfully he had left his armor and daggers back in the carriage that heldhis chests of gold, silver and gems. The man rode over next to him on his brown warhorse; he looked hesitant and nervous as he trotted over.
"Harry…I been meaning to talk to you for a while now but it seems you're pretty good at avoiding me." Said Eddard trying to make a joke to lighten the tense mood, it didn't work. Harry was tired, sore all over and his butt hurt from all the time spend sitting in his saddle, so he wasn't in the mood for jokes, especially coming from this man.
"Lord Stark…" interrupted Hadrian with the most polite tone he could musters, as it was it wasn't much, the tone shouldn't have surprised Lord Stark but it did. There was a time this boy, no this man would have bugged the hell out of him just to hear some stories, now he could barely stand to be in his presence.
"...I'm not slow in the head, I understand that it was a war and you and my father were on opposite sides of it, I also know that he was doing his duty to his prince while you yours to your sister and friend. But as it stands right this second, you're the man responsible for the death of my father." Said Hadrian as he took a deep breath to calm his rising emotions, he was more tired than angry anyway. He was weary from the war he had just gone through and he just wanted to get home, hug his aunt and sleep for a week straight, maybe visit the whorehouse and see that new whore from Volantis that the place had acquired. He heard she had blood red hair. He liked redheads.
"Not only that but you're also the man responsible for breaking my dear aunts heart, so yes, I don't want to talk to you, I can barely resist the urge to grab my sword and take a swing at you." Said Hadrian as he stared hard at the man in front of him for a second before looking down at his saddle, Ned for his part looked like someone had struck him when he mentioned the part about Ashara.
"So I can be polite, I can be respectful and I can even take orders from you, but I won't be your friend, I won't forgive nor forget, the most I can do its be neutral when it comes to you and members of your House, and that's because that's the way my aunt raised me to be." Said Hadrian as he gave the still cringing man a nod and rode away, he rode towards the King to say good bye before he and his men broke off from the main force.
"Ahh Morningstar, I'll guess you'll be heading home now are ya lad" saidthe Kings as he patted Hadrian's shoulder with some affection, he and the King had gotten along well during the war and it looked like the King had found something he liked in the young man. probably his ruthlessness in battle.
"Yes my King, me and my men are heading to Starfall, some of us can't wait to sleep in our own beds or visit the whorehouses now that we got some gold to spend." Joked Hadrian as he gave the King a grin making the man roar in laughter, during the war Hadrian had learned that the way to the Kings good side could be reached with either wine, battle or whores.
"Then I wish you a safe trip and before you go, I want you to know that in a month time I'm throwing a tourney to celebrate the end of the war against the Greyjoys and I expect to see you there." Said the king, and while it didn't sound like the order Hadrian knew it was. It was actually quite the honor being requested for a tourney by the King before anyone even is invited. Hadrian gave the King a big grin and a nod before he turned his whore around to finally head home.
A/N CHAPTER IS DONE.
THANKS FOR ALL THE POSITIVE REVIEWS AND EVEN SOME OF THE NOT SO POSITIVE. EXPECT ANOTHER CHAPTER IN THE NEXT TWO DAYS. SORRY THIS ONE WAS SO SHORT, I WROTE IT IN THE SMALL AMOUNT OF TIME I HAD THE LAPTOP FOR.
ALSO FOR THE PEOPLE WAITING FOR THE MAGIC AND MEMORIES OF HARRY TO RESURFACE, IT WON'T BE FOR A WHILE, AT LEAST UNTIL DANY'S DRAGONS ARE BORN. BUT THEY WILL AND ALONG WILL COME SOME OF HARRY'S TRAITS AND MAYBE EVEN HIS ABILITY TO USE PARSELTONGUE
I STILL HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE PAIRING FOR THIS STORY WILL BE, SO BE PATIENT.
A/N 2 APPARENTLY THE MICROSOFT WORD IN MY BROTHER'S LAPTOP WAS THE TRIAL VERSION THAT JUST RAN OUT, SO I'M GOING TO BE A BIT LATE ON THE THIRD CHAPTER OF THIS STORY, PLUS I DIDN'T GET THE CHANCE TO PROOF READ THE DAMN THING BEFORE I WAS LOCKED OUT FROM DOING IT. FUCK.
ANYWAY I HAVE SOME OTHER STORIES I CAN POST WHILE I FIGURE THIS TRIAL THING OUT. SO HAVE PATIENCE WITH ME PLEASE
ALSO TO THE PEOPLE REVIEWING ABOUT HADRIAN BEING A BRAT BECAUSE OF HIS ATTITUDE TOWARDS NED...COME ON! THE MAN KILLED HIS FATHER! WOULD YOU BE CORDIAL AND NICE TO THE MAN THAT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATH OF YOUR IDOL AND THE HEARTBREAK OF THE PERSON YOU CONSIDERED YOUR MOTHER? I THINK NOT. BUT I'M TRYING TO GET HIM TO THE POINT THAT WHILE HE WON'T FORGET HE MIGHT FORGIVE NED FOR HIS ACTIONS.
I THINK IM POSTING A SUPERMAN STORY NEXT.
REMEMBER TO REVIEW...PLEASE l_l
TILL NEXT TIME SUNA_PUPPET_MASTER OUT!