AN:Thanks for reading the last chapter ladies and gentleman. I appreciate the reviews and as for the guests...
coldblue: 1) I suppose there might be some similarities between Harrion and Aerion but they already have much different origins 2) you'll have to wait and see 3) Possibly 4) You'll have to wait and see, there will be differences to canon because of Harry's presence though. I'm not the sort of person who writes a fic only to keep everything exactly the same 5) Magic will develop over the course of the story and manifest in different ways.
Guest: I actually considered having the 'memories' work both ways when I first started writing the story but decided against it. Though the memories Harrion has from his alternate self may not remain entirely canon.
Onto the next chapter.
Harry and Ashara walked barefoot along the edge of the Torrentine, their feet digging into the sand as they ran their hands through the long brown grass along the bank. They'd each finished their daily lessons and training. While they'd invited Arthur along,the older boy declined in favor of spending even more time in the yard. While Harry enjoyed the sword and even seemed to have some talent at it, he wanted to spend time doing other thing as well. He wants to be the first Sword of the Morning in three generations and the single best knight in the realm and he means to spend as much time as he can with blade in hand to ensure that is exactly what happens. So, it was just the two younger children enjoying the warmth of the waning sun. The pair was discussing some of the history Lily taught them recently.
"It's hard to imagine fires so hot they could melt stone," Ashara stated slowly as she looked back into the distance where Starfall was still easily visible, "I can't imagine the walls of Starfall melting like that."
"I know," he said as he beat at the grass around them with a stick, "It must have been horrible, sitting in those halls, thinking yourself untouchable behind within your strong towers only for death to come out of the sky on black wings and do something most would think impossible." Harry spaced out slightly as he spoke. Someday he hoped to see Harrenhal and the testament of what happened when one defied a true dragon.
Ashara looked at him quizzically, "Are you okay?"
Harry nodded shaking himself in the process, "From what my mum said, Harren was a terrible man, feared by many and hated by more but it still seems an awful way to die."
Ashara shook slightly, "Seems the worst sort of way to die."
"Could you imagine seeing a real dragon though? They say Balerion's wings were so wide he could cover whole towns in shadow and his head was so large that he could eat a cow whole." Like all children Harry felt a certain sense of wonderment regarding the legendary beasts.
"But they're gone now," Ashara said sadly, clearly just as disappointed by the simple truth as Harry was, "the last Targaryen dragon died during the reign of Aegon III, and there hasn't been a dragon in the East since the Doom."
"The only dragons left are the Targaryens," And silver hair and purple eyes don't make them nearly as impressive as the winged beasts who won them a throne.
"You know I heard a story from a woman in the village about the Targaryen's during the First Dornish War, want to hear it?" Ashara asked idly as she sat down along the bank of the river and held her feet in the water.
Harry joined her and enjoyed the slight chill of the water as it ran across his skin, "Of course."
She started her tale with a question, "Remember your mum was telling us about how Aegon and Visenya burned every castle in Dorne at least once after Rhaenys was killed upon Meraxes at Hellholt?"
"Every castle save Sunspear," Harry corrected earning him an eye roll from the little girl, "but yes I remember the story, mum did just tell us yesterday." He added the last as though it were obvious.
"Well this woman, Cedra her name was, told me that Rhaenys didn't really die at Hellholt," Ashara said quickly with a childish excitement, "She told me that Rhaenys was taken captive and held within the castle by the Ullers."
"I thought that was only a rumor?" Harry questioned, his mother having stated much the same but claiming it was widely believed to be a lie.
"It is according to most people Harry," Ashara said exasperatedly, "but Cedra said that it was the truth and that isn't where the story ends." She straightened up and looked at Harry square in the eye, "People say that when Princess Deria went to King's Landing with her father's peace terms, the letter immediately convinced him to accept," She waved him off as he made to speak, "I know that the maesters believe the letter might have contained information about Rhaenys being tortured but Cedra told me that it didn't just claim she was still alive but held proof in the form of a bit of her skin and that is why when Aegon released his hold on the letter his hand came away bloody." She said this all in a rush.
Harry looked skeptical at best, "I doubt Aegon would be convinced his sister was alive from just a strip of skin."
Ashara huffed crossing her arms across her chest, "It seems more likely than Aegon simply taking Nymor at his word that Rhaenys was still alive, Harry."
Harry ran a hand through his dark hair, "Hmm, I suppose that is true," he didn't sound entirely convinced but his agreement brought a smile to Ashara's face causing him to smile in turn.
"Glad you see things my way then," Harry just nodded and they fell into silence for a short while, simply enjoying the nature around them. Ashara was staring out at the running current of the river when she spoke to him again, "I heard my father speaking with yours, there's going to be a tourney at Ashford in three months."
"Really?" Harry asked happily to which she nodded slightly, "I've never been to any sort of tourney."
"Me neither," Ashara said glumly bring her knees up and resting them against her chin, "and I doubt my mother will allow me to go to this one either." Harry never discussed tourneys with Ashara, instead doing that almost exclusively with Arthur so he was surprised to hear she had never been. Perhaps we might both go to this one, assuming my parents let me go of course.
"Arlan will have his name in the lists and I'm guessing that Arthur will be fighting in the melee." She explained simply before looking to him, "I won't like being left here alone again, while I love Starfall, it can be quite boring with just my mother and me."
Harry furrowed his brow in confusion, "What makes you think that I will be going to the tourney?"
"Knights and Lords can have more than one squire Harry," Ashara said quietly, "And while your father might not be able to go, no one has any idea who you are. You were a baby the last time any noble saw you." She grew increasingly upset about the idea of being left at Starfall while her brother and Harry were allowed to go off to the tourney.
Harry poked her lightly in the shoulder, regaining her attention at which point he could see just how upset she was about being left alone. Wetness touched her violet eyes as she sniffled lightly, "Sorry, I'm being stupid. I'm just tired of being forced to stay here when my brother and father go off to tourneys."
"You're not being stupid Ash," Harry insisted to which she gave him a look of disbelief, "We'll figure out a way to convince your parents to let you go… of course that is only if I am going too," this caused her to nod firmly, "… but I promise, if you can't go I won't be going either." This bit of news brightened her mood immediately, a wide smile once again breaking out across her face. She hugged him tightly something which surprised him initially before he returned the gesture. She pulled away from the hug and immediately stood up.
"Thank you," She reached out for one of his hands and hefted him to his feet with quite a bit of effort, "Come on, it's starting to get dark and I want to practice some archery before the chill sets in." He laughed slightly at how quickly he managed to change her mood but happy about it nonetheless.
They walked slowly back toward Starfall as the sun drew ever closer to the horizon. Ashara walked a good ten paces in front of him when Harry kicked a bit of sand out and into the grass. He stopped when he heard a voice speak seemingly from nowhere, speaking almost incoherent nonsense, 'Didn't want to wake… sssand…attack… bite… bite… bite.' He looked around curiously trying to be as discreet as he could manage so as not to alert Ashara to his confusion and seeming insanity.
That is when he noticed it in the grass some three feet away from Ashara, black with flecks of yellow along its scales and roughly four feet in length. The voice seems to be coming from the snake… but that can't be possible.
It was at that moment that he was pulled into a memory, one of his bespectacled counterpart looking into a glass enclosure. The reflection looked older than he had in previous memories, and older than Harrion was, for the very first time. He wore clothing far too large for his skinny frame that was held up by what appeared to be a makeshift belt. He was standing in a large room with enclosures cut off by glass.
On the other side of the glass from him sat a large snake. Then 'he' spoke in a hiss, one that Harrion could understand. The snake replied in a hiss but with far more refinement than the black snake nearing him and Ashara. But then by the will of 'his' magic, the glass disappeared with a faint popping noise and the snake slithered out of the building.
As Harrion returned to his own conscious thoughts, it was readily apparent to him that he could speak to snakes. He wanted to curse out loud as he realized his brief lapse of attention allowed the snake to draw closer to them and more importantly Ashara. It rose up fangs bared and a drip of venom falling from the tip, Harry wasn't close enough to stop the snake by conventional means and too panicked to make the conscious effort to move the snake, so he did what came naturally in the situation, 'Ssstop!'
Both Ashara and the black snake looked at him, Ashara in confusion and the snake in what he could only describe as annoyance. 'Human… you kicked sand… bite.' The distraction did serve one important purpose as Ashara noticed the large snake near her leg and jumped back quickly though he noted she didn't shriek or even look particularly fearful. She quickly moved toward Harry and the pair stared at the snake each with a stick in hand. The snake seemed to think better of its situation and left cursing out Harry and Ashara 'humans… wake me from sleep… threaten to attack…only defending self.' They kept a cautious eye on the snake's departure, breathed a mutual sigh of relief and then continued their walk back to the castle.
They took no more than ten steps when Ashara asked the question he knew was coming, "Did you hiss at that snake?" She had her brow furrowed in confusion as she tried to process exactly what she'd just seen.
I could simply tell her the truth or try to pass it off as me simply trying to distract the snake and by some stroke of luck succeeding… but something tells me she wouldn't believe me if I tried to lie. Harry warred with his own thoughts. Perhaps she'll understand… or she could want nothing to do with me like the kids in Oldtown. That thought more than any scared Harry, he would not handle rejection from either Ashara or Arthur well. He spent nearly a minute simply staring ahead blankly as Ashara awaited his answer until finally she tired of his silence and shook his shoulder lightly, "So did you really just hiss at that snake?"
Harry took a shuddering breath as he decided that it couldn't hurt to share this tiny secret with Ashara… despite his serious misgivings about what could come of the admission. He just wouldn't offer up any unnecessary information. He spoke clearly doing his best to betray nothing, quite a task for an eight year old, "Yes, I hissed at the snake."
"Why?" She couldn't understand what would possess him to take that particular course of action.
"It was about to bite you," He began earnestly, "By the time I noticed the snake, it was too far away for me to reach it and I just did the first thing that came to mind."
She started to laugh at him slightly which made him frown in equal parts confusion and anger. As her giggling fit came to an end, she turned and smiled prettily at him, "Thank you for protecting me, even if you decided to call out to the snake instead of me."
Harry breathed an internal sigh of relief. He managed to explain the situation without revealing anything. He was surprised at his luck with the usually inquisitive and intuitive girl. Her next statement proved to be his undoing and the end of his luck though.
Glancing at him at the corner she commented lightly, "It almost seemed like you knew how to speak to the snake. I know I couldn't hiss so… perfectly." He couldn't help the grimace that crossed his face and she turned to him with wide eyes, "You didn't just hiss at it did you?"
"To you, it sounded like a hiss," he looked over and made eye contact, "To me, I simply said the word stop." She didn't speak and seemed to be waiting for him to continue, "I heard the snake before I saw it Ash. It was angry because I accidentally kicked sand on it."
Her reaction was immediate. She leaned in and flicked him on the ear hard, "That is for putting my life in danger to begin with," she then hugged him firmly, "that is for making sure that the snake didn't hurt me." She whispered into his ear.
When they pulled apart he stared at her mouth agape, absolutely shocked by her reaction. She laughed at him again then, "Harry, close your mouth you look like a fish out of water like that." He quickly snapped his mouth shut before chuckling himself as he imagined just how stupid he likely looked.
Ashara was silent for a long moment before her curiosity finally got the better of her, "So you can speak to snakes then?"
Harry nodded minutely, afraid of where this conversation might lead, "Yes, it seems I can talk to snakes."
Ashara started almost bouncing with excitement, a reaction that he hadn't seen from her very often, "That is sooo amazing. But did you know before today?" She finished with a curious lilt to her voice.
Harry knew he should have known better than to believe his friend would think ill of him for his ability but he couldn't help that small niggling of doubt. He couldn't help but match her rising excitement as he finally could talk to somebody about at least one of the oddities about him, "No I definitely didn't know I could talk to snakes before today but I think it is pretty amazing that I can. I wish I hadn't put you in danger to learn about it though."
She waved her hand, "You kept me safe Harry, no harm done." She tapped her chin as she thought, "It might sound strange but maybe we should try and find some snakes along the banks of the river and the coast of the sea. They might be able to tell us some interesting stories or who knows what else… I mean they're snakes… they must have some interesting things to say."
Harry nodded enthusiastically, "We should definitely do that, though the snake who attacked you didn't seem particularly intelligent but…" he rubbed his head sheepishly, "that might be because he only just woke up thanks to me."
Ashara snorted, "I've seen you in the mornings and you aren't very coherent bright and early either." Harry looked mildly offended for a moment before conceding her point with a shrug. It's true. Ashara continued ignoring his look, "So perhaps we should give them at least one more opportunity before deciding if all the snakes in the Kingdoms aren't worthy of talking to?" It was as much a statement as it was a question.
"Seems fair to me," Harry responded with a smile before it disappeared quickly, "We'll keep this just between us for now, right?" He'd considered telling his parents about his abilities more and more of late but couldn't bring himself to do it, yet. He was a child and the things he could do sounded far-fetched to him so he could only imagine what his parents would think. The memories of what had happened to his counterpart when he displayed his magic to his guardians didn't give him any hope either.
Ashara turned to him with a raised eyebrow, "Of course Harry. I promise I won't talk to anyone about it unless they already know." The obvious honesty shining in her big eyes made Harry smile. A sudden light lit up behind those eyes as she continued, "I wonder if you would have been able to speak to the dragons before they died out? Could you imagine? You might have been able to speak to creatures hundreds of years old."
Now that would have been something, just getting to be around when dragons existed would have been a dream come true but to actually speak to one of them. Harry looked wistfully into the distance where the sun was setting in the west, "I suppose we'll never know."
The chatted happily as they entered the town outside of Starfall, though conversation regarding Harry's newfound ability ceased. Ashara smiled happily at him as they walked through the gates into the courtyard, "Come on, there is still time before dinner and I wanted to stick a few arrows in the dummies."
"Have you ever wanted to learn how to use a sword?" Harry asked as they made their way over to the eastern wall where arrows were held in large oaken barrels and bows made of ironwood sat nearby. Ashara quickly pulled hers from the group of them. Despite being smaller than most it was still quite large for the seven year old girl. She knocked an arrow, took a deep breath, pulled back the string with her elbow raised high, took a moment to aim, and loosed the arrow driving the shaft into the chest of the dummy some thirty feet away from them in the yard.
It was only then that she turned to Harry with a small smirk, "No Harry, I don't want to learn how to use a sword… at least not now. The bow is enough for me. And let's be honest, my arms work hard enough at lifting the bow and pulling the string, I doubt I would be much use holding a weighted practice blade."
He laughed with no hint of derision, "That makes sense," he glanced over at where the arrow had made contact with the dummy, "you seem to be good enough with a bow anyway."
She smiled widely, "My thoughts exactly." The pair spent an hour turning the dummy into a pin cushion before entering the castle for their evening meal.
A month later Harry sat in his room at Starfall, staring at the ceiling with a solid black ball in his right hand, sore from a long day of training. He was getting better and he'd become accustomed to the pain most days but he'd taken a rather vicious hit to the thigh by way of Arthur when he failed to block his left side. Harry was beginning to find he didn't like fighting with a shield in hand. His greatest advantage was speed. Both his father and Arthur admitted that Harry was exceptionally light on his feet, with a natural agility that wasn't possible for most children his age. Tomorrow I won't use a shield, or at least not a full sized shield. It only slows me down and takes away what small advantage I might have.
On the other hand, Arthur was quick of foot but also powerful. Even at only two and ten he could best many men with sheer strength, and his tireless training with Harry's father over recent months had yielded impressive results. He hopes to win his first melee in Ashford and I truly believe he will.
But Harry and Ashara still hadn't tried to convince Larra and Ulric she should go as well, so he wasn't even sure he would be attending the tourney. Harry threw the ball in his hand up into the air and allowed it to reach its zenith and begin its descent before he locked his eyes on it and twitched his fingers. Roughly a foot above his hand, the ball stopped dead in its tracks hovering in the air unwaveringly. Harry just let it sit there under his gaze for a long moment, once again wondering why he was capable of such things. He assumed it was because of his counterpart… or past self. I still don't really understand how or why I see the things I do. They'd come less frequently lately and the best part was he no longer suffered nightmares thanks to the confined spaces of Oldtown.
Harry started swiping his thumb from right to left and the ball spun gaining speed as it went. He flexed his fingers and the ball moved upwards, the spinning slowed slightly but he started moving his thumb again. He continued this pattern, moving the ball up and down side to side, but always keeping the ball spinning in the air. After some twenty minutes he could feel himself starting to feel a level of fatigue. It was both similar and different than using muscles for training in the yard. Similar in that he could feel the strain, like a muscle being broken and then strengthened but it didn't affect any one part of his body. It seemed to touch something deeper within him; something that couldn't be seen.
Once he felt the strain he kept going for another twenty minutes, forcing himself past the threshold he could feel pressing upon him. His training with his abilities… his magic… had only progressed better since taking up the sword with his father. He understood now what it took to make himself better and did just that. He finished by hurling the ball with as much speed as he could manage straight at the wall furthest from him, only to stop it mere inches from making contact. This took a great deal of effort on his part, and multiple beads of sweat broke out across his face. He slowly brought the ball back to his hand and as it hovered just above his outstretched finger the door suddenly opened causing him to lose focus and for it to drop heavily into his grasp. I thought I locked that… stupid. He couldn't help but reprimand himself for his lack of attention.
Standing in the doorway looking at him with a raised eyebrow was his father. Reynard looked around the room, pleased to note that his son was better about organization than he'd been as a child. Granted, Harry didn't have nearly as much to clutter his room as Reynard had at his age. He approached Harry's bed and looked at him with a raised eyebrow taking in his sweat lined face, "What were you doing in here all by yourself, wouldn't you rather be outside spending some time with Arthur or Ashara?"
"Arthur is in the yard, and I've already spent hours there today," Harry responded more defensively than he meant to, "and Ashara is spending time with her mother at the moment. I believe they are sowing something." He couldn't help the slight look of distaste that overcame him then.
Reynard laughed at his son's reaction, "Yes, I believe your mother told me much the same. I think she was helping them, in fact. But I imagine Ashara has finished by now." Lily wasn't the level of seamstress that Larra was but knew the craft nonetheless; though, she was far more comfortable in the heat of a forge working the metals, than she ever would be with a piece of silk in hand.
His father sat beside him on the bed, leaning back against the headboard, before speaking, "So why are you sweating nearly as much as if you just finished in the yard again?" He gestured to Harry's sweaty head and the dampness upon the white shirt he wore.
Harry lifted the ball in his hand to for his father's viewing, "I was tossing this ball around father, I didn't even realize how long or hard I was at it." To his mind it was quite the believable lie but his father's scrutinizing eyes had him swallowing drily.
"Harry, our rooms aren't far from yours and I have been there for nearly the past hour and haven't heard a sound from this room," He grabbed the ball from Harry's hand and threw it against the nearest wall where it made quite the loud bang before quickly bouncing back and into his hand. He turned inquisitive eyes back to Harry, "I would have heard a noise that loud, so what really caused you to sweat?" He asked calmly.
Harry shook his head slightly, "I really was throwing the ball against the wall," he shrugged slightly but kept his gaze on his father, "I couldn't say why you couldn't hear it." He'd recently reached the decision that he would tell his parents one way or another, but wanted to do it on his terms with both of them present if possible.
Reynard looked less than convinced but let the matter drop… for now. After all, it wasn't particularly important what caused Harry's current condition. Instead he shifted so he was sitting slightly closer to his son, "So, I'm sure you've heard by now that there is to be a tournament at Ashford in two months' time."
"Yes father, Ashara told me a month ago." Harry said calmly, now slightly more positive he knew where this was going.
"I didn't know Ashara was aware of the tourney," Reynard said lightly before shaking his head, "Anyway, you will be attending the tournament as Arlan's second squire. He will be riding in the lists." He paused, "Now your mother and I won't be able to attend, so I want you to follow Ulric and Arlan's directions to the letter. When it comes to the actual squiring, follow Arthur. You will find no better example of how to behave yourself."
"Neither mother or you will be able to attend?" Harry asked softly. He'd never been away from his parents for any extended period of time and didn't know how he would handle such a situation.
"It is for the best," Reynard comforted, "while you mother might not be from the nobility, she attended enough tourneys and balls during our time courting and our early married life that she could be recognized by the wrong person." He ran a hand through his dark hair, "I have no doubt that Lord Tywin will be in attendance along with his lady wife. While not on intimate terms with either of the pair, she met each multiple times and Tywin is not the sort of person to easily forget a face."
"Is it even safe for me to attend then father?" Harry asked cautiously.
"You have your mother's eyes and my hair Harrion but the rest of you is a balance between us." He shook his head slightly, "Some people might note your similar appearance but are unlikely to make any greater mention of it. They would be more likely to assume you a bastard of the Westerlands than son of an extinct and disgraced noble house."
"And what lie shall we be telling to ensure no one knows me?" Harry never much cared for hiding his identity but understood the necessity.
"The Dornish have always done things differently than the rest of the Kingdoms," Reynard began, "Should anyone actually care enough to ask, Arlan and Ulric will tell people that you are a street urchin who showed great promise with a blade in hand, who they stumbled upon defending another child. They decided your bravery should have been rewarded and made you a squire."
Harry didn't like being given credit for any sort of brave act he didn't actually perform but knew it was pointless to argue. As for the story itself, stranger things have certainly happened. Ser Duncan the Tall went from a street urchin in Flea Bottom to Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.
Reynard started to get up to leave, having delivered the news he meant to. Harry decided now was the time to broach the subject of Ashara's attendance. He squared his shoulders and tightened his jaw, ready to argue even if it might not be the wisest thing to do, "Will Ashara be going too?"
Reynard chuckled as he turned back to his son, "I don't think so Harry. I believe Larra wishes for her to remain here."
"Then I don't want to go." Harry stated firmly.
Reynard frowned, "Harry you are to be Arlan's squire, just because your friend can't go is no reason for you to remain as well. You will be going, nothing more need be discussed on the matter." He turned to leave, thinking that the end of the conversation as Harry was never the sort to argue with either him or Lily.
"I promised," Harry said to Reynard's back loudly, "and I mean to keep that promise." He stood and looked his father in the eye as he once again turned to look at him, "Either Ashara goes as well, or I remain here with you and mother."
"That isn't your decision Harrion," Reynard said softly but with conviction, "Larra and Ulric decide whether their daughter can attend the tourney and we decide whether you do."
"So you would have me called a liar then, force me to go when I'm not truly needed?" He raised his chin in defiance. His father was thoroughly surprised by this argument but couldn't help a small bit of pride in his son considering his absolute dedication to his word.
"A child's promise to another child, made when you weren't free to make the decision." Reynard reasoned with his son even as he began to grow weary of the conversation, "She will forgive you when she realizes it wasn't something you could control."
"You won't even try then?" Harry asked with slightly more volume to his voice, "She is less than a year younger than me, she should attend if I can."
"Enough, Harrion Reyne!" Reynard boomed, causing Harry to look at him wide-eyed. He stepped over to his son and rested a hand on his shoulder, "I shall discuss the matter with Ulric, but should he be unconvinced you will travel to Ashford without Ashara and I will hear no more on the matter."
Harry's emerald eyes locked on his father's blue for a long moment. Reynard gave him a hard look, one that he hoped would bring this to an end but Harry just continued to look at him before finally nodding minutely, "Yes father." I don't look forward to explaining this to Ashara but best to do it now. "I would like to see if I might find Ashara. Hopefully she is done with her sewing." Reynard nodded and let him go, still slightly surprised by the whole exchange but willing to at least discuss the matter with his old friend.
Harry went in search of Ashara around the castle, finding her absent from both Larra's quarters where his mother and the Lady of Starfall were talking among themselves. They informed him they hadn't seen her in nearly half an hour. He spent another twenty minutes looking around their various haunts until he found her within the castle's library, sitting in one of the large comfortable chairs grabbing red grapes from a bowl as she read. The castles maester was pouring over a tome at the other side of the room. Harry had very little interaction with the old man since arriving at the castle as he spent most of his time in his own quarters.
As he approached Ashara noticed him and smiled shifting her body on the large chair so that he might sit beside her as was their habit; he did so with a smile. She offered him a grape which he took and quickly popped into his mouth. He glanced over at the book she was reading. It was a history of the Faith Militant Uprising, she was clearly curious about their most recent lessons from his mother.
She sighed and set the book down on the table beside her, "Your mum does a much better job of bringing history to life than the old maesters who wrote these books." They both heard a huff from the maester on the other side of the room but paid it little mind.
"Of course she does," Harry said as though that were absolutely obvious before frowning slightly as he remembered exactly why it was he sought her out.
"What is it?" She asked noticing his abrupt change in mood.
"My father just told me I will be attending the tourney at Ashford as Arlan's second squire." Harry said quietly.
"Right, we knew you would likely be going to the tourney… but what did you tell him?" Ashara whispered back.
"I told him I didn't wish to go if you wouldn't be going as well," Harry informed her causing a small smile to cross her face that quickly fell as he continued, "but he told me it wasn't my choice and that regardless of whether you attend or not, I will be going to Ashford."
"Right," she said sadly, "I suppose that makes sense but… you promised."
"And it is a promise I want to keep," Harry implored her, "but I have little say in the matter Ash." She nodded slightly, clearly upset with the news that he was likely to break his promise to her, "At least I managed to convince my father to talk to yours about the situation, so you might still be able to come."
This brightened her mood if only slightly, "You're right, there is still a hope."
"You're not mad at me, are you?" He asked cautiously.
Ashara looked at him, searching his eyes for a long moment with an openness that seemed to come far easier to children before finally speaking, "Yes and no," she smiled sadly, "I know that if it were only up to you, you would keep your promise without a second thought but it isn't up to you really." She shrugged her tiny shoulders, "I suppose it was a stupid promise, but I still can't help but feel a bit upset that I might be left alone here for over a month. It isn't a happy thought."
He leaned in and hugged his friend and after a moment's hesitation she returned the gesture, "Everything will work out, and you'll get to come along to Ashford. I'm sure of it." He sounded quite confident even if he didn't feel it in his heart. He made a solemn resolution, one that most children wouldn't even consider. He would endeavor to ensure he was never in a position where he gave a promise he could not keep of his own will. Especially not to her.
Harry dipped out of the way of a slash, it skimmed over the top of his head and he could actually feel the blade of the great sword brush the very tips of his hair. He came up quickly and stabbed outward with the tip of his own blade; Arthur batted it away and brought his sword down in a quick vertical slash at Harry's shoulder. Harry brought his sword up and blocked the blow with a loud clang before it could meet his shoulder. The force of the hit shook Harry all the way to his knees and he had to give a conscious effort to make sure they didn't buckle. He tried to avoid parrying whenever he could, instead dodging, but it was unavoidable in that instance.
Harry no longer tried to fight with a shield, and the results spoke for themselves as he held his own far better with the increased speed it allowed him. Of course, I still haven't even landed a blow on Arthur but… no better day than today. The pair was alone in the yard, early in the morning. Harry usually didn't spend as much time there as the older boy but this morning he'd awoken early and felt the need to join Arthur.
With great effort Harry pushed up with his legs and threw Arthur's blade away from him, though it did little to bother the other boy as he quickly flowed into another attack, a quick strike aimed at Harry's abdomen. He jumped backward, the tip of the sword missing by mere inches. He quickly righted his footwork and guarded against a follow up stab toward his chest. It was at that moment that he managed to find an opening after his long defense and quickly brought his own blade to bear with an over-head slash. But it was only a feint as he changed his direction mid-strike. It was probably his single best move to date and Arthur fell for the initial attack and left his right side open to Harry's blow. Harry felt victory flow through his veins as his weapon make contact with the older boys ribcage and knocked him off balance, while simultaneously eliciting a grunt of pain.
The strike only seemed to spur Arthur onward though, and as Harry tried to push his momentary advantage Arthur countered bringing the padded greave on his forearm up to deflect the next hit before swinging his great-sword in a wide arc that just barely missed Harry's arm. Arthur then closed quickly, using his size to overwhelm the younger boy before grabbing the blade of his sword and leveraging the pommel so that he struck firmly at Harry's chest knocking him over. Harry was simply glad the blow hadn't been directed at his head. Before Harry could rise up to his feet he felt the dull tip of Arthur's sword pushed just below his throat.
They each heard clapping to their left drawing their gazes in that direction where Ulric, Arlan, and Reynard stood with some ten other men. Arthur leaned down and grabbed Harry's hand pulling him to his feet. They both removed the protective gear from their heads to reveal sweat drenched faces. Arthur smiled over at Harry before speaking in his still deepening voice, "Well done, you've grown ever closer to landing a hit since you stopped using a shield. It was good to see you finally manage it."
Harry smiled despite his sense of disappointment, "I failed miserably after that though, I couldn't press my advantage… even a little bit."
"But you had the advantage, even if only for a moment. With more time you'll know how best to take advantage of that moment, particularly with your speed."
Harry chuckled, "My speed? You are faster than I am and you wield a great sword."
Arthur just shook his head kindly, "I am no faster, just experienced Harrion. And as for the great sword, I have been training for years with the weapon in the hopes that one day Dawn will be strapped across my back." Harry had no doubt that Arthur would be the first Dayne since his father's namesake to hold the great-sword and title that went with it.
As they talked, their fathers approached and Ulric addressed them, "A good bout of fighting there boys." They both nodded their recognition, "I would say from the state of you two that you've been out here since near daybreak."
"That is correct father," Arthur answered, "I usually find myself alone that early in the morning but Harrion joined me today."
"I'm surprised," Reynard commented with a smile, "today is your name-day Harry; I would think you wanted to enjoy it away from the yard if you could."
Harry shook his head, "No, I wouldn't want to miss the opportunity to train and I found myself awake earlier than usual so decided I would join Arthur." The truth was Harry awoke in pain from a memory that wasn't his as his counterpart lay broken on the floor, his arm bent at an odd direction and bruises across his body. To Harrion's mind it seemed 'he'd' been punished simply for burning a rasher of bacon while cooking and because it had been 'his' birthday; something which the massively overweight bastard who assaulted him seemed to take as an offense.
Reynard smiled at his son, "Well, Ulric, Arthur, Arlan and I have a present for you." He noticed Arlan pull something out from behind his back covered by a silk purple clothe. Harry took it from him with a quiet thank you and removed the cover. Underneath was a dagger of some eighteen inches from pommel to tip, contained within a black leather scabbard. He pulled out the dagger and he could tell it was a fine piece of craftsmanship, made recently if he were to guess. The blade had a single fuller that led to a cross-guard adorned with a burst of stars in honor of House Dayne. The grip was wrapped in the same black leather as what was used for the scabbard. The pommel was adorned with what appeared to be a lion's claw.
He looked to those around him with a smile, "Thank you, truly. It is a wonderful gift."
Reynard gestured to Arlan and Arthur, "You can thank them for the dagger. You aren't experienced enough yet to carry an edged blade so they recommended this as an alternative."
"Ulric commissioned it and I recommended the design," He leaned down so he was closer to his son, "This is your first true home, so I thought the star bursts appropriate and I couldn't have the sigil of House Reyne placed on the blade so I thought a simple lion's paw was best."
Harry just smiled, "I think it's brilliant."
Everyone seemed happy at his reaction and Reynard quickly straightened up, "Well, you should go bathe before you break your fast otherwise your mother won't be happy, name-day or not." Harry did as his father bid, and a half an hour later found himself sitting beside Arthur and Ashara eating his early morning meal of eggs, bacon, and hash with a bit of honeyed milk to wash it down.
They quickly made their way to their morning lessons, Arthur with the maester while Ashara and Harry went with Larra and Lily. They discussed the laws put in place by Jaehaerys the Conciliator and how his sister-wife, Good Queen Alysanne affected both his lawmaking and overall reign.
"Jaehaerys is widely believed to be the best of the Targaryen monarchs; he put an end to the Faith Militant Uprising his uncle, Maegor the Cruel, exacerbated through violence, he put in place a legal code that is still in place to this day, he commissioned the building of the major roads that connect the Seven Kingdoms, and abolished the lord's right to the first night." Lily paused, "Though the last was at the urging of Queen Alysanne." Harry and Ashara were used to his mother wrapping up the lesson with a summary of the much more detailed things they'd discussed.
"He seems a much better king than Maegor to say the least," commented Harry as he stood to replace the books they'd taken from a shelf.
"And Maegor for all his faults was a much better king than Aegon IV," Larra commented from Lily's side.
"He legitimized his bastards and caused the Blackfyre Rebellions," Harry more stated than asked as he returned to his seat.
"Yes, but the Blackfyre line ended at the Stepstones when Ser Barristan Selmy killed Maelys the Monstrous." Larra replied, "Both your father's were there, and when the pair of you go to Ashford in a week you're likely to see Barristan the Bold with your own eyes."
Harry just smiled and nodded before the words registered in his head, he snapped his eyes over to Ashara whose face had gone blank as well before returning his attention to Larra who was smiling widely at him, "You're father told me of your promise, and I would not have you called a liar on my account. Arthur attended his first tourney at eight when he was younger than either of you." She shook her head, her silver blonde tresses spinning around her head lightly, "It didn't seem fair that I deprive Ashara of the opportunity. I figured your name-day would be the perfect time to tell you."
Harry couldn't be happier that Ashara would be going with to Ashford. She was bouncing with excitement and threw decorum out the window as she rushed her mother and hugged her with a muffled string of thanks. Harry smiled widely as his mother stood and walked to stand beside him, she leaned down and kissed him on the forehead, "I was quite proud of you when your father told me how concerned you were with keeping your word but quite upset when I heard how you voiced that concern." He lowered his eyes sheepishly but she grabbed his chin and brought his eyes up to meet hers, "Larra's reasons have always been because she wants Ashara safe, something that isn't always guaranteed in the throng and bustle of tourneys." She gave him a stern look, "You will look out for her when you are there."
Harry nodded firmly not even seeing it as a question but a simple statement of fact, "I will," then he chuckled slightly, "though I think she is as likely to look out for me as I am for her." Lily only laughed her agreement, as it probably wasn't far from the truth.
When finally they exited their lessons, it was near midday and the pair decided to make their way to the kitchens to see what they might scrounge up before they both went to the yard to train, he more with the sword and her with the bow.
"I'm so happy I get to go to the tourney," Ashara gushed unable to restrain her happiness. She hugged his side even as they continued walking, "It wouldn't have happened if you hadn't talked to your father; every time I tried bringing it up with my parents they waved me off."
"It will be quite the experience for both of us I think," Harry said with a smile remembering what his mother said, "But we will have to be safe."
"Of course," She said with a smile, patting the dagger on his hip with her hand, "You don't think you're the only one with a dagger." She lifted her skirts slightly to show Harry a blade strapped to her ankle, "Father got me the dagger about a year ago, and Arthur taught me how to use it. Mother wasn't happy about it at first but my father managed to convince her that even a seven year old could be attacked and he would be more comfortable if I had some way to defend myself." She lowered her skirts then, "It's quite common in Dorne for women and even young girls to have some sort of blade on them." Harry didn't respond but that bit of information did do quite a bit to calm whatever small nerves his mother had inspired with her warning.
Ashara was unaware of his internal issues as she leaned in to whisper despite being alone as they neared the kitchens, "Want to walk the bank of the river today and try to find a snake to talk to?" Harry just nodded excitedly as they stepped into the kitchen and were able to get some fresh bread, cheese, and fruit from them before heading outside to find a place to eat.
They ate quickly before heading into the yard where they each practiced for a couple of hours. When they finished they both cleaned themselves and Ashara changed herself into a pair of trousers and a light purple shirt before meeting at the gates and heading to the river.
"So, assuming we actually find a snake, what do you want me to ask it?" Harry questioned as they padded through the sand. Harry avoided kicking the sand this time lest he inadvertently put his friend's life in danger again.
Ashara smiled, "Anything… everything. Some of their life is probably quite boring, maybe even most their life… but come on they're snakes, they can get into places where people can't, maybe they've found something that no one else has in who knows how long."
Over the next two hours they encountered three snakes, the first of which was the same one they'd encountered five weeks prior. It attacked them almost immediately and Harry drove his new dagger through its head before it had the chance to bite either of them. They considered bringing it with them as snake was often eaten in Dorne but decided against it as it would greatly worry their mothers to know they were attacked by the poisonous reptile. The second snake they found was a young black adder, not even fully grown and seemingly unable to do anything but complain about a lack of mice around the sandy bank of the river with the same sort of broken speech they'd encountered in the first.
It was the third that proved interesting. It was a water snake they found near the edge of the river. It was older, far older than the others they encountered, and far more refined in its speech.
'Hello,' Harry tried to gain the deep green snakes attention as he neared it as it milled about near the water's edge.
Its head popped up out of the water and slit yellow eyes appraised the two children before it with unblinking interest before looking at Harry with obvious surprise, 'How do you speak the serpent's tongue human?'
'I do not know snake but I can all the same, my friend and I thought it might be interesting to speak with a few of your kind.' Harry moved slightly closer though he gestured for Ashara to remain back in case things took a turn for the worst with this snake.
'Ah, so you have met some of the other snakes that make their home along this river? I pity you. I do my best to avoid them if I can. Tell me speaker of my tongue, what is your name?' The snake swerved its way along the surface of the water and up onto the bank of the river just a few feet from Harry's feet.
'My name is Harrion, and what is yours?' He explained.
'My name is Upir.' The snake coiled its tail up until its four foot body was compacted in a circle only nine inches in diameter, 'Now what would you like to discuss?'
'Upir, out of curiosity why is it you seem so much more…' Harry was cut off by the snake.
'More refined than the other snakes you have met?' Harry nodded, 'I am from a river in the jungles of the land to the east, born there some thirty years ago where I was captured and kept as a pet by one of the many merchants in that city.' The snake made a noise that Harry could only compare to a scoff or snort, 'I have already long outlived any others you would find along this river. My age has allowed me greater intelligence than many of my brethren. On top of which, their speech lacks refinement because they are not so numerous in this area and they stay away from each other, so few have had the opportunity to get past voicing their basic instincts.'
Harry turned to Ashara, "This one is different, older, and been here for some time. He is interesting to say the least."
Ashara nodded with a slightly dazed look on her face, "You know it is both amazing and creepy to sit here and watch you talk with a snake as though it were just some person in Starfall." She sat down in the grass, "but it is much more amazing than creepy."
Harry chuckled and sat down beside her as Upir remained where he'd rested in the sand, 'My friend and I are both inquisitive by nature,' Harry began not sure how to explain why they'd really decided to do this, 'when we learned of this ability of mine, we thought it might be fun to speak with a local snake. See if they might know some bit of history or some secret that we might not know.'
Upir's tongue shot out from his mouth quickly, 'I doubt I could tell you much history that you don't already know of this place. Most snakes do not live so long as humans and my own time here has been spent mostly away from them but secrets… I might have at least one of those that could interest you.'
Harry quickly relayed the information to Ashara and uninhibited glee entered her eyes, "And he would be willing to tell us where this secret is without a price?"
Harry shrugged not having gotten that far, "He's a snake, I can't imagine what treasure or secret he might've found that would interest us and still be of any use to him." Ashara made a motion that clearly indicated he should simply ask.
'What secret might you have that interests us?' Harry asked kindly, not wanting to seem as though he were making demands of the intelligent and so far friendly animal.
Upir rose up extending more of his body from the coil. He gestured his head further down the river, 'Some three miles that way you will find two lone hills along the bank of the river, were you to dive into the river and swim at the point just between these two hills you would find an underwater cave. There is a ship there, an old ship as far as I can tell, and one that might interest you and your companion.' The snake finished by gesturing in Ashara's direction with his head.
Harry bowed his head in thanks, 'Maybe we will search out this wreck in future, though for today,' he looked out to where the sun was setting over the hills behind him, 'we should head back to the castle. Farewell, Upir.'
'Farewell human, be careful should you visit that shipwreck. Not everything in the river is as friendly as me.' With that the snake uncoiled and made his way back toward the river he paused, 'I remain along this stretch of the river most times these days; should you happen upon me again, some form of repayment for my kindness would be appreciated. I am quite the fan of mice when I can get them.'
"So… what did he say?" Ashara asked as Harry stood up and helped her to her feet.
"There is a shipwreck in the river about three miles from here, an old shipwreck as far as he could tell. And he wouldn't be against me bringing him some mice if I could." He finished with a bit of a smirk as he looked to Ashara. He could see the eagerness in her eyes, her desire to go there now and see what they might find. If he was being honest with himself he wanted to go as well, but the sun was nearly down and their parents wouldn't appreciating them missing dinner let alone returning to the castle far later than that.
Ashara seemed to reach the same conclusion as she shuffled her feet before turning toward Starfall and heading in that direction, she grabbed his hand as she went. He couldn't help but notice how soft her smaller hand felt in his despite her time spent using the bow. "We can't go today, but we will soon." Ashara stated as she released his hand and let him walk of his own volition, "even if we have to wait until after the tourney." Harry had absolutely no disagreement with that decision.
They talked excitedly about what they might find when they went to search out the shipwreck until they arrived back to the castle. They only had just enough to time to wash up from their adventure before the evening meal without being late.
Their dinner consisted of snake grilled over a spit and spiced beautifully. Ashara and Harry shared a grin when they realized they could have very easily provided the evenings meal had they simply returned after their run in with the black and yellow snake. Arthur noticed the look but only raised an eyebrow before returning to his meal.
The snake was served with roasted leeks, shallots and carrots all grilled together and bit of Dornish red wine. Both Harry and Ashara were allowed a little more than usual given it was his name-day. For dessert Lily had gone to the kitchens herself and baked a tart that she knew Harry enjoyed. He found the honey filled cookie treat to be absolutely delicious and thanked his mother profusely both before and after his two slices of the tart.
When everyone was thoroughly satisfied with their meal the dishes were cleared and Harry made his way toward his room with Ashara just behind him. As they passed her room he bid her goodnight but she grabbed his arm before he could leave, "Wait here for a second?" She seemed… nervous almost, something he wasn't accustomed to seeing from her. Harry merely nodded his assent.
It only took a few moments before she reappeared from the other side of the doorway hiding something behind her back. Ashara shuffled her feet momentarily before suddenly thrusting whatever was in her hand in his direction with a mumbled, "For your name-day." She didn't look at him and he could see a slight tinge of red on her cheeks.
He took it the item in her proffered hand with a small smile though she didn't see it. The item wasn't wrapped and soft to the touch, silk fabric in fact. He unfurled the object and found himself looking at a deep red shirt, accented with lines of gold and silver near the wrists, neck and hem of the shirt. In detail, wrapped around the right arm of the shirt, was a black snake with green eyes.
Ashara broke his silent observation as a rush of words left her mouth, "It isn't much, I know, but I wanted to do something that would have your house colors on it but knew it wasn't safe to put the Reyne lion on it, so I decided on a snake instead because you can talk to them and all but I hope someday I might be able to make you one with your actual sigil on it but…"
Harry cut her off by leaning in and giving her a warm hug, one that he hoped conveyed how much her gift meant to him, "So you made this yourself?"
She nodded into his shoulder where she still hugged him, "The times I've been with my mother sewing, I've been working on this. I messed up the first try terribly, but I took my time with this one and I think it came out good."
"I think it's brilliant, thank you." The simple statement made her smile widely, her violet eyes shining with unrestrained satisfaction. She gave him one more hug far shorter than the one previous, and whispered her goodnight before heading into her room.
Harry walked slowly to his own quarters with Ashara's gift in hand, still with a slight smile on his face as he looked at it. A few short minutes later, he passed his parent's quarters and stopped momentarily, the smile on his face finally falling away completely.
He'd considered it for some time now and decided that now was the time to tell them, for better or worse, about his oddness. He hesitated a moment before walking further down the hall to his own room where he deposited the shirt in his hand before returning to the oaken door that barred entrance to his parent's quarters.
He took a deep breath before knocking firmly four times. There was a bustle on the other side of the door before, a few seconds later, his father's face came into view as the door opened. He wore only a loose white shirt and a pair of trousers with the laces undone. His mother stood further in the room, wearing a green robe.
His father noticed the look of concentration on his face immediately, "What is it Harry?"
"There is something I would like to tell you both." He couldn't keep the slight bit of nervousness from his voice. Reynard gave a small smile in the hopes of alleviating whatever caused Harry's distress before walking with him into the room. The older Reyne grabbed Lily's hand and pulled her to the bed where they both sat at its edge and gave Harry their undivided attention as he moved to stand in front of them.
"Alright Harry, what is it you want to tell us?" His mother asked with disguised concern. She couldn't imagine what would cause their son's current mood.
"I've been wanting to tell you this for a long time," Harry began, "I kept it a secret because I didn't even understand it at the time." They both furrowed their brows in confusion but waited for him to continue in silence. He spoke haltingly, "I… I can do things… things that don't make sense… things that no one else I know can do. I have done for… quite some time now." He looked away momentarily expecting some sort of reaction only to receive none. He returned his gaze to his parents who were looking at him expectantly, no longer with looks of confusion but with the hint of understanding.
Reynard hugged Lily's waist before speaking to Harry, "Please, continue son."
Harry nodded slightly, "The first vivid memory I have of doing something truly… odd was in Oldtown." He paused momentarily and took another breath, "That time with Alyse when all of the other kids said I pushed her out of the street when I wasn't even near her, I said I didn't know how it happened… or even what actually happened… but I lied." He finished sheepishly, not comfortable admitting his wrongdoing to his parents so he glossed over it and continued in a rush, "They were picking on her and I didn't like it, something just rose up inside me and suddenly it pushed outward and she went flying through the air and out of the way of the horse bearing down on her, and then she landed… as gently as a feather."
"So there was more truth to what the other children said than you let us believe, huh Harry?" Lily asked calmly to which he just nodded slowly, unsure how they might respond.
Lily and Reynard shared a look before his father spoke firmly, "We've always thought there was something different about you." Harry couldn't keep the absolute shock from his face, "We were only in Oldtown to try and acquire some sort of understanding about the things that seemed to happen around you." Reynard smiled slightly, "Trust me when I say that isn't the first time something unexplainable happened because of you. When you're older we'll explain in more detail but for now just know we had a feeling there was something unique about you."
"Did you learn anything?" Harry asked with a hint of excitement.
Lily shook her head, "No, Harry you seem entirely unique," both of his parents opened their arms for him to come sit by their side, "Our perfect, unique little boy." He quickly rushed into their embrace with a sense of immense relief. He knew he should have trusted his parents with his secret, but he'd seen the way his counterpart was treated thanks to the same gift. He'd felt that pain, and he had no interest in feeling that kind of rejection from his own parents. In the end, the loving nature of the pair and their stark differences from the horse-like woman and piggish man did a great deal to convince him telling them was the right thing.
They simply sat together in silence, as a family, for a few minutes until Reynard broke the moment, "Harry," he looked up to his father, "there haven't been any incidents with your abilities… your magic since we left Oldtown, do you know why?"
"Yes," Harry straightened up and looked around the room for something small and that he might use to demonstrate. He noticed his mother's hairbrush on her bureau nearby and focused. He twitched his fingers and it lifted from the flat surface and zoomed across the room and into his outstretched hand. Neither of his parents noticed the brush move at first and as a result stared in wide-eyed astonishment as it came to rest in his hands.
A mixture of emotion crossed their faces but it came to rest on what he could only describe as pride. Lily grabbed the hairbrush from his hand and set it beside her, "You've been learning to control it, that's why you haven't had any more incidents?"
Harry nodded as sudden realization dawned in Reynard's eyes, "That day when you were sweating in your room with the ball in hand, you weren't throwing it but moving it about without even touching it."
"It's how I've developed control," Harry said with a shrug, "it seems to work the same way as swordplay; the more I practice and exercise the muscles, the easier it becomes to control."
"Have you told anyone else about this Harry?" Lily asked nervously. After all, not everyone would be nearly as accepting of his difference. Some might try to take advantage of such ability while others might condemn it much the way the Faith condemns other forms of magic.
"Not about this specifically," Harry said evasively, unable to hold his mother's gaze.
"Harrion, what else are you capable of? And who knows about it?" His mother demanded of him.
Harry spoke quietly, "I can speak to snakes, and Ashara knows because she was there when I found out. A snake was about to attack her along the bank of the river and I called out but not in the Common Tongue."
Lily hummed to herself, "So that's why she decided to embroider your shirt with a snake."
She then looked over to Reynard and they seemed to share a conversation with mere looks after which, his father spoke, "We're glad you protected Ashara but it could be dangerous should you allow too many people to know your secret."
"Ashara would never tell anyone," Harry insisted but his father raised his hand to stop him.
"Maybe not intentionally but children let things slip that they don't mean to," he sighed, "There is no changing what's done, and while I don't think Ashara will ever tell anyone your secret, it would be best to keep this to yourself in the future." He noticed the frown that crossed Harry's face, "Not because it is anything to be ashamed of but because not everyone will react well to the information."
Harry contemplated his father's words with his brow furrowed before speaking slowly, "I think I understand."
"Good," Lily leaned in and kissed him on his forehead as his father gave his shoulder a firm squeeze, "Thank you for telling us the truth of this Harry, we've always had our suspicions but it is good to know for sure." He gave his mother a small smile which made her chuckled slightly. "Now it's getting late and you should be in bed. We can discuss it more thoroughly tomorrow." She patted him on his back, urging him up.
Harry stood and made his way to the door and with a final goodnight to his parents made his way back to his own room. As he lay down in bed he felt a sense of contentment knowing that his parents reacted even better than he'd hoped.