AN: Thanks as always for the reviews everyone. I try to respond to any questions or concerns but if I missed one let me know. As for guest reviews...
coldblue: First to clear something up, Larra and Ulric are both fine, Reynard is the only one dead. 1) Possibly 2) There is a good chance that Harry will at some point acquire Valyrian swords. 3) Eventually, yes 4) No 5) Not saying he will ever be on it, but probably Master of Laws 6) Probably no 7) Oberyn has already left Oldtown 8) Possibly 9) Probably not 10) Wait and see.
reader: The bandit was already dragged away when Arthur mentioned Harry's relatives. The leg wound will be addressed in the future, not to mention his hands, but sufficed he will not be entirely unaffected by the wounds. Given Robert's nature he would to be known for beating a Kingsguard, not another squire at the end of a melee.
Guest: Right now, they are just basic castle-forged steel longswords.
Harry walked through Starfall's white stone halls numbly, his hand clutching unconsciously to Ashara's slimmer one as she led him along. Arthur had left the two of them in the courtyard, offering his heartfelt condolences before departing in search of his father. Though he schooled his features well, Arthur was clearly affected by the loss of his master-at-arms and the man who had done his utmost to make him the best knight possible.
No words were shared as they drew closer to their destination, the only sound in the otherwise consuming silence was the soft pad of their footfalls on the floor. Ashara kept glancing at him worriedly, and squeezing his hand in an attempt to offer some small comfort. They came to the door to his parent's, no my mother's, quarters. Looking to him one final time, Ashara made to leave but before she could let go, he gave her hand a strong squeeze. He couldn't bring himself to speak at the moment, and hoped that the small gesture would suffice to show his appreciation. Her eyes wet, Ashara gave him a slight, sad smile and nodded toward the door before walking away slowly.
Harry took a deep, shaky breath and wiped at his cheeks to try and remove any of the wetness that might remain there before pushing the door open. His mother was standing with her back to the door, wearing all black just as Ashara. Her usually lustrous, red hair looked dull and it appeared as though her arms were shaking as they stretched outward, holding her weight up against the railing of the balcony in her room.
Larra sat nearby, clearly hoping her company might serve as a small help but being in little better shape herself. She was thinner than he remembered, her skin more pale, and her cheeks more sunken and gaunt, but she was alive. When she looked down at the tiny, softly gurgling bundle in her arms she smiled, brightening slightly and looked far happier than he would have expected of a woman who had spent at least two months on the mend from a strenuous birth.
As the door creaked softly, Larra's eyes snapped up from her infant daughter and found him in the doorway. The smile fell from her face and was replaced by an unmistakable sense of sympathy. She stood and quickly closed the distance between them, placing a hand on his cheek and looking him directly in the eye. Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper, "She needs you right now, Harrion." The Daynes rarely used his proper name. That alone spoke volumes of how his mother must be handling the loss of her husband, "Speak with her." He nodded stiffly to the Lady of Starfall, still finding it hard to deal with the news but knowing that he would need to be strong for his mother's sake. Larra brought his head down level with her own, and gave him a kiss to the forehead in condolence. As she pulled away, he could see a single tear beginning to form in her eye. As Allyria began to softly cry in her arms, the door closed behind her. None of went on in the room drew Lily's attention though.
He approached her slowly, not entirely prepared for the conversation to come, but knowing that she needed him to be there. One of his hands slid along her shoulder as he came to stand beside her. It was only at that contact that her head turned away from her singular focus somewhere out across the running water of the Torrentine. Her usually vivid green eyes appeared dull, muted even as though the light behind them had been somehow snuffed out even as the whites were reddened. In the candle light of the room, he could see the shine of water on her pale, gaunt cheeks. For a moment, there was no recognition in her eyes, as her mind remained in some far off place, focused solely on her grief and loss. Then it came quickly and she was clinging tightly to him, almost desperately though her arms felt weaker than he remembered. She's probably hardly slept or eaten since it happened.
Fresh tears fell from her eyes and began soaking into his shirt where her head rested against his chest and he was glad that he had spent his own tears in Ashara's warm embrace when arriving, otherwise he doubt he would have been able to remain strong for his mother. He brought his arms up to embrace his mother, paying attention to how tightly he squeezed lest he bruise her clearly drained and fragile body. Sobs escaped her strained throat, as her body shook with the extremity of her grief.
He didn't know how long they stood there like that, nor did he care. When it was finally over though, Lily's limbs seemed to lose all of their strength as she leaned into him limply. With little effort, Harry half-carried, half-walked her to the bed and sat her gently against the pillows that rested against the headboard. She watched him, unblinking as he grabbed a chair from the table and sat it beside the bed.
"Ashara told you what happened?" Lily's voice was raspy from lack of use, and sounded… hollow.
Harry shook his head slowly, "She only told me that father is gone," he felt the words freeze in his throat but pushed on anyway, "that he is dead but she didn't tell me how."
Lily swallowed thickly, closing her eyes for a long moment before speaking, "After your departure, Ulric asked that he travel to High Hermitage" this was not at all odd, as Reynard would venture there twice a year at least to inspect the progress of the training done for the Dayne household guard there, "I remained here, to help Ashara with Larra." Her condition had taken a turn for the worst then," She looked blankly at the wall across the room, "I thought it was for the best."
"Mother," Harry said loudly as he reached out to grab her hand, hoping to pull her attention back to the matter at hand instead of the guilt she clearly felt at not being with her husband, "I have no doubt that if father were to choose between you remaining here, or joining him on a journey that ultimately resulted in his… his death, he would choose the former every time."
Their eyes, so very similar, met and she nodded slightly, knowing the truth of his words even if she still wished things could have been different, "He remained at High Hermitage for a month," she told him quietly. Harry found the very idea of such a thing hard to believe, for as long as he could remember his parents hadn't been apart for more than a few days at a time. To think of them apart for a month was a foreign thing, "He sent a raven the day before his return journey to tell me he was coming back earler than intended," she gestured to her left and sitting there was a slip of parchment, crinkled from being gripped too often with tear stains that ran the ink.
"There was a storm," She said haltingly, and Harry felt a cold chill run up his spine. The words spoken to him that night in Maggy's tent coming to the fore of his mind with all the force of a hammer driving into a nail. His mother continued, unaware of his newfound distress, "He took a trading ship that was meant to leave three days earlier than what was originally planned." Merchant ships made their way up to Nightsong where they could then travel to Horn Hill and Vulture's Roost easily. Father must have convinced one of the captains to bring him back on their way back out to the Summer Sea. "If he had taken the ship meant for him, he wouldn't have been in the river when it came up out of the south." Her voice was haunted, barely above a whisper and he had to strain just to hear the words, "It came up quickly, whipping winds, heavy rain, and thunder that shook the castle." She looked at Harry then, and he could see how much this had truly broken her, "Had it not been a merchant ship, he would have been able to reach Starfall before it struck but…" With the size of most merchant vessels, they often moved more slowly through the river to avoid any unexpected shallows.
She took a deep breath, resisting the urge to break out in tears again, and shook her head, "Nothing to be done about it now, it was a merchant ship," Harry squeezed her hand supportively, even as he fought off his own uneasiness, "I stood on the Palestone Tower to try and see out to the river but the rain came too heavily," She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin. Harry had never seen his mother appear so small before, "I waited all the next day, hoping that nothing had happened to him in the storm. But then… then, three men came to Starfall and told Ulric what happened."
"It came on them so fast that they didn't have time to tie up the fore sail. The winds pushed them into rocks near the river bank. It damaged the hull, and collapsed one of the masts, trapping many of the men in the hold of the ship. They started taking on water… quickly." She smiled ever-so-slightly, a small, fond thing, "Apparently, while many abandoned the ship and made for the shore, your father and one of the crewmen freed the men from the hold." Tears threatened to spill yet again as she imagined the events, "It doesn't even surprise me that he swam into the hold trying to make sure all the men had made it out." She frowned in thought, "The crewman helping him said the prop they used to move the mast broke, trapping him below," It sounded a lie to Harry, and he had a feeling his mother had at least a passing thought of the same, but it lasted only a moment as she finished brokenly, "He drowned." She shook her head slightly, "But he saved fifteen others with his life."
"When did this happen, mother?" Harry asked, fearing that he already knew the answer.
Lily furrowed her eyebrows at the question, not sure why he would ask such a thing, but after a moment of hesitation she answered, "A month ago yesterday," she looked at him, "I believe you would have been in Lannisport for the tourney at the time." Harry nodded, staring emptily at their joined hands. A dagger in the rain shall be felt most keenly. If he could go back, and tear the tongue from that wretched woman's mouth. I should have stopped her before she even had the opportunity to start. And then guilt found its way to his heart. By saving Melara, I may have caused my father's death. There was no way of knowing for sure but Harry had little doubt he would worry over that very possibility for years, and even until his last day.
"Were they able to recover father's body? Are we able to properly lay him to rest?" He needed to know for sure. He wanted to see with his own eyes that his father had been taken not by the storm, but by a dagger in the dark.
Lily shook her head slowly, "The current of the river pulled it toward the sea. By the time the storm passed and it was safe to search, any trace of it was lost."
Harry nodded, knowing that he would be able to find it even if it wouldn't be the easiest thing in the world. He stood then and leaned down to place a kiss on the top of his mother's head, she smiled wetly as he leaned down to speak in her ear, "You need to eat and rest, mother." He pulled back to look her in the eye, "I know how painful this is for me, and I know it is far worse for you. But father would not want us to grieve to the detriment of our well-being." The words did little to abate his own grief but he knew that they were true. Lily looked reluctant for a moment, but could see the genuine concern in his eyes and made a noise of agreement in her throat.
He could see a subtle indication of relief behind her eyes and then he understood. His mother needed to see him, to speak to him of this loss, the only other person who might share the same sort of grief. She would never forget, and never replace her husband but now she might at least begin to live again.
He made his way to the door but stopped there before leaving, and spoke firmly with the utmost surety, "I am going to find father's body, and I am going to bring it home." Lily didn't try to stop him, try to convince him that it was too dangerous. She just believed that he would manage it, and had little doubt that it would require the use of his magic but she didn't care.
It was only a short walk before Harry was in his own room for the first time in months. He dropped onto his bed uncaring of his state of dress, and as the emotional turmoil of the last hour caught up with him he fell into a restless sleep filled with the crusted yellowed eyes and raspy voice of a fortune teller he dearly wished he never met.
Arlan, Ulric, Nesio, every household guard, and servant offered their heartfelt sympathies for the loss of his father the next morning, and while he appreciated them in the spirit they were given, his mind was concerned with other matters. I will find my father's body, discover his killer, and determine the reason for the act. Nothing less would be enough when my father did so much for me.
In speaking with Ulric briefly, he learned that all the survivors of the wreck were staying at an inn near Starfall. Harry was heartened by these words. I won't need to hunt down the crewman who 'helped' father in the end.
Currently, Harry was making his way toward Starfall's gate and then down to the town nearby where he intended to use one of the small skiffs to go out in search of the sunken ship that served as his father's watery grave. He had just one of his swords on his hip, and a dagger on the other,
"Harry!" a voice called out from behind him, one that usually provided him much joy but now only brought a touch of irritation to the back of his mind. Ashara rushed to his side, wearing a simple leather jerkin and pair of trousers, while her hair was tied back in a tight braid. Her weirwood bow was on her back, the string pulling the material of her jerkin tight across her chest. She looked as though she were ready for a day roving outside of Starfall. "You're going to try and find the ship." It wasn't a question, and he could see a glint in her eye that told him that she had every intention of coming with him.
He sighed and nodded his head slightly, "I am. Did my mother tell you?"
Ashara huffed from her nose indignantly, "Lily didn't need to tell me anything. I know you, and there is no chance that you are going to allow him to remain beneath the sea somewhere if you can find him and bring his body home." She crossed her arms in front of her and stared into his eyes with her own vivid violet ones challengingly, "I'm coming with you."
He scowled, and pursed his lips in frustration, "Ash," he said with a noticeable strain in his voice, "I can do this on my own."
Her eyes softened and she put a hand on his tense arm, "I have no doubt that you can do it alone, but you shouldn't be alone when you actually find him, because I know you will." She gave him a disarming, mischievous half-smile that he couldn't help but return, "Besides, I've always been a better swimmer than you."
He didn't even try to stop the chuckle that escaped him then, the first since finding out of his father's death. He embraced, tightly molding her shorter, feminine form to his own, "Alright you can come," He laid a gentle kiss on her cheek and whispered softly, "Thank you." He pulled away and noticed the tinge of red on her pale cheeks. It wasn't the first time they had done that to one another, and they both knew better than to tease the other over such things.
Taking her hand, he started walking briskly out of Starfall, "Come along, my Lady," he said cheekily, earning a light hit to the arm, "there is no telling how long this might take, it might even be days." Though, my magic should allow us to manage it today, unless it was pushed all the way out to some deep chasm of the Summer Sea.
While Ashara talked to one of the fisherman along the river's bank, trying to convince him to let them borrow his skiff, Harry quietly performed an Accio spell. He knew that his father's body wouldn't actually come to him, but he did feel a pull on his magic as it strained to do as he intended. He grunted in discomfort as he felt a pull to the north. Well it looks like the ship snagged somewhere along the river bed and never made it out to sea. Perhaps we won't need the skiff after all.
Ashara came up to him with a frown on her face, "The fisherman was unwilling to let us borrow the boat," She looked up at the clear blue sky above them, "He feels he would miss out on a good catch if he leant it to us." She gave a short, good-natured laugh, "I told him that my father would reimburse him for the loss, but he said he would prefer to do honest work. I really shouldn't have been surprised."
He just nodded absently as he looked down along the Torrentine, "I don't think we'll need it," She looked at him with her brow furrowed, expecting an explanation, "Think about it Ash, we know better than most that this river is deep enough, with enough crevices to hide a sunken ship from view."
Ashara nodded, no doubt remembering back to the day years before when they found one of Nymeria's ships, "From what I remember the search took place between here and the sea, not back up the river. So horses then?"
"Horses," Harry agreed.
They rode beside each other, scanning the banks of the Torrentine for any evidence of the sunken ship. Well, Ashara scanned. Harry silently cast the summoning charm more than once, keeping himself quiet as it wore on him, but he found it an easy price to bear as they drew closer.
"The tourney," Ashara started over the quiet flow of the river beside them, "it went well?" She was looking at him inquisitively.
"I'm surprised you didn't ask Arthur yesterday, when I was otherwise occupied." Harry commented.
Ashara waved her hand airily, "He was otherwise occupied as well." She looked at him expectantly, "Besides I wanted to hear it from you."
And so he told her. Sparing no detail, he told her of the bandits on the road, their discussion with Lord Tywin, the favor he was given by Cersei, Arthur's victories on the first day of the joust, his conversations with Olenna and Janna Tyrell. It was at that point that Ashara could no longer manage to remain silent as a giggle escaped her lips.
Harry turned to her an eyebrow raised in question. Ashara controlled herself, and looked a little bit smug as she made to respond, "Between Cersei and Janna, it would seem that I have been protecting you from other advances all these years." She gave him a half-smile, "I had the rather odd image of you being the one who needed their virtue protected while I was the one to protect it."
"Ah," Harry said knowingly before laughing himself, "You have been my fair lady protector for all these years, keeping away all of the dangerous women who might seek to use me to their advantage." He could picture Ashara, looking fierce with bow in hand, threatening other noble ladies to stay away. "It would be greatly appreciated," He said dramatically, "though I must admit that I believe I can look after myself, my Lady."
"Oh, I know you can look after yourself," Ashara agreed without hesitation, "but I think I have made it quite clear I won't leave the task to you alone." They shared a fond smile before Ashara looked back to the river beside them, "You still haven't told me the whole story yet." He could see the anticipation in her eyes and knew what she was really waiting for.
"Well," He sighed despondently, "I am afraid the rest of the story is slightly disappointing in comparison to its beginning."
"You're lying, Harry." Ashara remarked without even turning her head, amusement in her voice as her long braid moved form side to side as she shook her head in false exasperation.
"Fine, ruin my fun if you must." She just waited for him to continue, not the least bit apologetic, "The feast that night was rather boring but the next day, well," He paused for dramatic effect, "I won the melee."
Ashara's head snapped around so quickly that had someone been in the way of her braid, the strike would have left a bruise. Her violet eyes were wide with excitement, "You won?! Truly?"
"Why such awe, Ash?" He asked her blankly, "Didn't you expect me to win?"
"Honestly, no." She deadpanned, even as he saw the slight traitorous twitch of her lips, "I expected you would never win a melee. You're not the most attentive squire, nor are Arthur or Nesio the best instructors."
Harry hummed to himself in thought, "Really, that isn't what I recall you saying before my departure from Starfall." He rubbed at his chin as if trying hard to remember back to the day he left, "In fact, if memory serves me well, you gave me many assurances that there was no doubt in your mind that I would be the victor, and that you even expected me to return as such."
She waved her hand dismissively, her eyes holding that familiar glint of playfulness, "I simply hoped to bolster your confidence. I didn't think it would actually work."
Harry turned from her huffily, not really offended but taking the opportunity to once more attempt summoning his father's body. His magic actually grabbed a hold of something as they were now within a few hundred yards of the wrecked ship. His attention was pulled back to the conversation at hand when he felt Ashara's leg brush his own in their stirrups and her fingers run across the back of his neck, he resisted the urge to shiver at the contact.
"You know I was only teasing, Harry." She smiled beatifically, "I knew you would return the champion and I could not be more happy for you." Her voice dropped slightly, "Your father would be incredibly proud of you." She shook the somber thought quickly though, "I fear that all you needed was another lady's favor to make that final leap."
"I think you would be entirely incorrect. I cared little for winning the melee for Lady Cersei's sake. More than anything, I wanted to win it for myself. Beside my own self-interests, I wished to win because I knew that I would get to see that radiant smile of yours upon hearing of my victory. " She was surprised by the seriousness in his voice, as they both knew she only teased, "But if I need to, I shall win a dozen more melees and the jousts to go along with them with your favor around my arm if it would set your fear to rest."
He was satisfied to see a light blush appear on her cheeks, "That won't be necessary," She said quietly, "though the thought is appreciated." She turned her eyes away from him, and he was happy to see the faint smile on her lips.
Making to continue his story, he stopped as Ashara drove her heals into the flank of her horse spurring the mare on faster and wading the animal into the shallows of the river's waters. His eyes followed her as she went and then he saw what she did. Wedged on two rocks along the riverside were the broken remnants of a ships railing.
Ashara dismounted her horse and dropped into the water of the river. As Harry neared her, she freed the piece of wreckage from where it had been pinned. She looked up to him where he still sat atop his horse, "It might be part of the ship that your father was on." She scanned the river's surface hoping to see any hint of the vessel, "Many came to see father about their lost boats after the storm, but none save your father's was a larger merchant vessel from what I remember." She sighed slightly dejected, "Though it could be much further up the river, or even somewhere we missed nearer to Starfall." She looked back south where the Palestone Sword could be seen high in the distance."
"No," Harry shook his head looking to the far bank of the river where he could see more debris, "it is nearby, I am sure of it."
Ashara appraised him as he climbed down off of his horse; she nodded slowly, "Alright, we look here then." They took the two horses and found an old knurled tree stump nearby where they tied them off so they couldn't run off.
Harry pulled off his shirt, and avoided looking over at Ashara as she did the same. I would really rather not suffer the consequences of seeing Ashara in naught but her underthings and a pair of tight leather trousers. On the other hand, Ashara had no qualms about looking at Harry's muscled chest and abdomen, nor did she mind as he turned his back to expose the strong lines of his back. She had seen as much before after he finished in the yard, but she quite enjoyed it all the same.
The spring waters of the Torrentine sent a chill through his body that went down into the bone but both he and Ashara ignored it. They pushed their way through the river's current, submerging as they drew nearer to the far bank. Harry felt a strong tug on his left ankle, pulling him backward so that he was looking at Ashara despite the sting of the river water in his eyes. She was pointing emphatically further up the river and toward the river bed. He looked intently to where she was indicating. There was a deep line that ran through the river bed wherein the remains of a ship was trapped. The broken mast was slightly closer to them, the tattered remains of the sail having come free of its ties and waving with the current as it went toward the sea. They both surfaced and looked at each other. Harry's eyes drifted briefly down to the material tightly clinging to her prominent bust but he resisted the urge to stare at the lovely sight.
If Ashara cared about his momentary distraction, she gave no indication, "Think we found the right ship?"
"Yes," Harry replied briefly before swimming up river, toward the ship. It was roughly thirty feet below the surface and as Harry submerged he could see the closed hatch that led to the hold. Where I should find father. He pushed himself down toward the bottom, his heart tight in his chest knowing what he was bound to find.
The first thing he noticed as he reached the hatch was the lock. Still intact and the metal of the hatch doesn't appear to have been rent from the impact of the mast falling on it. Thin rays of light faintly illuminated the otherwise pitch black interior of the broken ship. It appeared mostly empty within; a few stray fish swimming around the closed space the only thing of note. Harry swam deeper, aware that there might be something in the darkness waiting to strike but entirely uncaring of such things.
Suddenly, there was more light in the enclosed space and that is when he saw the jagged line along the hull… and the corpse that floated nearby. There were pieces of wood floating in the water, splinters that had been ripped away from the damaged area. He tried to squeeze his way through the breech. He grabbed the body hurriedly, not even bothering to look at it as he started to feel the tightening in his chest that indicated he would need to breath soon.
The body was heavier against his shoulder than he expected, water logged as it was, but then he felt it lighten and he looked over where Ashara helped to drag him upward. Harry could feel darkness starting to encroach on his vision even as they burst through the surface of the river. He took great gasping breaths as sweet relief filled his burning lungs. Through his loud heaving he heard a slight almost hollow chuckle to his left. Ashara was clearly trying to ignore the presence of the dead body between them, "I did say that I was the better swimmer." Harry gave her a wan smile before pushing himself toward the far bank and their horses. It felt as though it took a great deal longer going back as it did getting there.
Together they pushed the body onto the river bank. After they both stood they lifted it and walked his father's body over to the stump where they were able sit it up. The horses whinnied and neighed uncomfortably at the slight smell of death. Ashara grabbed a cloth from the horses and used it to begin drying herself as he stared transfixed at his father's face. The body and face were bloated, the skin pallid, and the fingers had the remains of unhealed wounds. But the hair was the same dark color with hints of grey around the temples, and his blue-green eyes stared out unblinkingly. Tentatively, Harry reached out two fingers and closed them. The tears came unbidden then, and Ashara quietly offered her comfort as she wrapped one of her slim arms around his waist and wrapped them together in a dry blanket. He hadn't even realized the chill in his body from the river's water. She rested her head against his shoulder as they sat there in silence for some time, the sun beating down overhead returning warmth to their bodies.
"Harry," Ashara said hesitantly, reaching her hand out toward Reynard's body. He knew where her long fingers were heading before they even reached their destination. The cloth of his father's tunic was stained in the front with blood. She lifted the fabric to look beneath, and upon seeing the wound took a sharp intake of air, "That… that is a wound from a blade."
Without speaking Harry turned his father so that they could see his back, and that is where the wound was far more prevalent. Whoever did this knew where to strike, the blade sank cleanly into the kidneys.
Ashara looked wide-eyed at the wound and then to Harry, "Who would do this? Why would they do this?"
Harrion suspected at least one person, even if he thought it an odd thing for Tywin to do. Then again, it did seem as though Gregor was more than eager to take my life in the melee, and the Clegans are Lannister dogs. Instead of voicing these concerns to Ashara, he just shook his head slowly, "I don't know Ash, but I know I'm going to find out one way or another."
"What do you mean?" She asked with her brow furrowed.
"The crew of the ship resides in the inn by Starfall, including the crewman who supposedly aided my father." His eye burned with undisguised anger, "I think I should have a little talk with the man."
"Right," she said shortly, before standing and allowing the blanket to fall behind them, "what are we waiting for then?
Harry didn't respond immediately, transfixed by the exposure of her taut stomach, the swell of her scantly covered chest and the curve of her bum in the water drenched leather. He noticed she was looking at him with a self-satisfied smirk and one dark eyebrow arched. He turned away, fighting down his blush, as they both dressed themselves fully again.
Refusing to tie his father to a horse like a sack of potatoes, or the bandit from Tarbeck Hall, Harry held his father's lifeless body upright as they made their way back toward Starfall. Ashara somehow managed to ignore the body and carry on a conversation all the same.
"So…" she stretched the single word, "anything else of note happen at the tourney."
"Well Arthur won the joust," She smiled widely at that though she was entirely unsurprised, "and there was no closing feast."
"Really," she said disbelievingly, "how odd?"
"The atmosphere became rather contentious when the king refused Lord Tywin's offer of marriage between Cersei and Rhaegar." Ashara made a noise of understanding as Harry considered telling her the last thing of note that had taken place.
"Something else of note happened," Harry said slowly, not exactly sure what he planned to say. Ashara just waited patiently for him to continue, "It was after the melee, I walked through Lannisport and down to the sea. I was sitting along the shore when I heard voices in the trees. It was Cersei, and her two friends." She tilted her head in curiosity as he continued, "They were going to find a witch, Maggy the Frog, who lived near the city and could supposedly tell the future."
"You followed them didn't you?" Ashara asked knowingly, to which Harry just nodded his head.
"At first, I just waited outside of the tent. Listened to what was being said," He frowned, "I should have entered sooner, as Maggy's answers were less than pleasant regarding Cersei's future. I only ended things when she told Melara she would die that same night."
Ashara grimaced in distaste, "I hope that was not her fate that night."
Smiling slightly at her concern, "It wasn't, I made sure of it," His fell then, "And I tried to assure that Cersei took no heed of the decrepit old thing's words."
"I suppose you can only hope that she takes them to heart." She looked him squarely in the eye, "But that isn't why you've mentioned this."
"No," He admitted easily, "I mentioned it because before departing the tent, the witch had a parting message for me." His gaze fell heavily on the limp body in front of him as he spoke the words he heard that night, "There is a storm raging in Dorne tonight, a breaker of ships. But it will be a dagger in the rain that is felt most keenly."
The stricken look on Ashara's face was all the indication he needed that she understood their meaning as well. He made to speak again but struggled to voice the fear that had taken hold since learning of his father's death, "I feel that by sparing Melara her fate, I sealed my father's."
Ashara searched his eyes for a long moment before shaking her head, "No, you're wrong. Your father's death had nothing to do with your saving Melara's life. Whoever drove that blade into your father's back would have done so regardless of your actions. Do not let some loathsome witch make you think otherwise." She hesitated a moment, "Besides, if you could go back now. Would you do anything different?"
The question brought a long silence between the two of them as he thought over her words. In that moment, could I have watched Melara fall to her death, even knowing that it might cause me some personal loss? As the shadow of the Palestone Sword covered them from the heat of the sun, Harry finally answered, "No, I don't think I could have brought myself to do anything differently."
"Nor would your father have wanted you to," Ashara told him quietly.
They arrived outside of the inn that housed the wrecked crew and tied their horses off. Harry decided it best to find the man responsible before returning to Starfall lest the sailor discover that they had found his father's body and tried to escape the justice Harry intended to reap on him. After I find out who contracted him. He pulled his father's body down and carried it into the inn, looking back at Ashara, "Stay here." She looked defiant for a second before a thought struck her and she agreed.
It was dimly lit, and smelled of stale ale and roasting meat. Two men were having a scrape in the far corner, while others were laughing boisterously over some jape told by one of their fellows. There was music being played and one of the sailors was groping a serving girl.
Harry walked to a table nearby and cleared it with his hand before gently laying his father face down onto it and pulling his shirt up to reveal the wound on his back. He slammed his hand down hard into the solid wood of the table, drawing the attention of the patrons. The music came to a muted end as he spoke loudly, "Who was the captain of the ship that ferried this man from High Hermitage to here?" He scanned the crowd looking for any hint of guilt or fear when he was approached by a rotund man with a full greying beard and small beady eyes. The merchant looked down at the corpse laid bare upon the table and paled, almost as though he were on the verge of vomiting.
Unsympathetic for his sensitivity, Harry grabbed the front of the man's shirt and pulled him close, "From the story I heard, one of your crewman was the last to see this man alive." His voice came out as a whispered snarl, "Where is he? I would have words with him." The merchant's eyes glanced upward, at the same moment as he heard a commotion on the balcony that overlooked the lower part of the inn. He caught a glimpse of dark hair and olive skin as the figure above bolted away.
Reacting quickly, Harry released the merchant and bounded up the stairs. All of the sailors just watched as he raced after the crewman. The inn was large with a dozen different rooms on the upper level but the fleeing man made the mistake of slamming the door behind him as he entered one of them. Harry ran to the door, drawing his dagger and then rushing through. He'd expected the man to attack him, throw something at him, anything to keep him at bay but instead the coward was about to jump out the window and flee. He shot to the window and made to grab the man but when he pulled backward he only came away with the loosely tied vest the man had been wearing. Cursing loudly, Harry made to follow when he saw something he wasn't expecting.
Ashara hadn't agreed to stay outside of the inn for her own safety but because she intended to stop the man if he fled before Harry managed to apprehend him. Looking from the upper window, Harry watched as she loosed an arrow from about thirty feet away and drove it squarely into the fleeing sailors left leg. The man fell to the ground with a loud cry, he continued to try crawling away from his assailants but Ashara closed the ground quickly and stopped him.
Smiling to himself, Harry made his way back downstairs stopping to look at the men in the main room, "Should anything happen to that body while I'm gone," He gestured to his father, "I will make the man who did it regret it." One of the serving girls offered him a hesitant smile as she covered the body with a blanket. Harry nodded appreciatively to her before making his way out of the inn and toward Ashara. She was standing over the wounded man with another arrow knocked and read to loose, this one aimed directly at his groin. As he came to stand beside her he could see the intense fire in her eye, he gently lowered her arm which she did slowly. She looked at him unsure of what he was going to say, "It was a fantastic shot." Her lips turned upward slightly as Harry leaned down to look the man in the eye.
"I was willing to sit down and talk with you," Harry explained twirling his dagger in his hand idly, the man's eyes were fixated on it, "But then you went and ran, all but admitted your guilt. There could have been someone else on the ship, someone who fled but no, it was you."
"I don't know what you're talking about." The sailor had a Myrish accent and a distinct note of fear in his voice. Harry didn't give any indication of his irritation, instead just reaching down and twisting the arrow sticking out of the front of his leg.
"Don't lie to me again," He told the man darkly, "You killed the master-of-arms for House Dayne, we both know it. You saw me in the inn with his body, something you didn't expect anyone to ever recover and you ran. Innocent men don't run before they are even accused of anything." And I must admit some relief that I am not dealing with one of the Faceless Men, as it would be nearly impossible to get any information out of them. Tywin seems the sort of man who would have hired the best, so perhaps… someone else wanted my father dead.
"Now, we are going to play a little game," Harry said, the blade of his knife running along the man's thigh, eliciting a whimper. This cowardly little shit killed my father. "I am going to ask you a question, and you are going to answer me honestly, if you don't… well let's just say that you won't enjoy the results." He didn't particularly like doing this, but in order to find out who did this to his father, Harry was willing to do some less than honorable things. It's a good thing Arthur didn't decide to accompany us as well, I doubt that he would approve.
The man nodded emphatically, and Harry smiled wolfishly, "Good, we understand each other then." He pointed the dagger's tip right between the man's eyes, "Why did you kill him?"
"Because I was offered a large pouch of metal, and it wouldn't have been the first time" he admitted hurriedly, clearly wanting this to be over with as quickly as possible, "I didn't need any other reason."
"You have already been paid?" Harry asked.
"Half before the job, half after it was done." The man wasn't lying, he was too afraid now to lie. Good that means that there must be a meeting place.
"Who hired you? Where were they from?" He tried to keep any desperation from his voice, but he needed to know.
The man hesitated a moment, weighing what his contractor might do to him against what Harry might. Apparently the fear of immediate pain won out over fear of future pain, "I was hired in Volantis by a man from Westeros, who knew our vessel made port along the Torrentine. It seemed he was working for another though."
Harry leaned back, "You were to meet this man upon your return to Volantis?" The man only nodded. It would seem I have further use of this man then.
"Then that is what you shall do." He reached down and snapped the arrow before pulling what remained clearly out of the other side of his leg, the man groaned pitifully. Harry took his knife and cut a strip of the man's shirt before tying it around the now freely bleeding wound. He lifted the man abruptly and dragged him back to the horses before throwing him over the back of his own and tying him there. A quick punch to the man's temple knocked him out and ceased his whining. Ashara stayed silent the entire time, watching him closely.
When he emerged from the inn with his father's body in his arms, she had already mounted her mare and waited patiently. She seemed to be deep in thought as she stared blankly ahead. He did not seek to break her reverie, knowing that she would tell him what was on her mind if she felt it necessary. It was only as they were guiding their horses into the stable of the castle that she spoke, "You intend to go to Volantis and find out who is responsible for your father's death." There was hint of something he didn't quite recognize in her voice.
He nodded his head slowly, knowing that it wasn't really a question, "He deserves justice, and I believe that I am the only one who can get it for him."
Ashara kneaded her bottom lip, something he found rather enticing but he also realized she only tended to do it when she was nervous, " What if it turns out to be nothing more than a futile chase, leading you from person to person endlessly, never actually finding the one truly responsible?"
"Then I will follow each new thread until there is nothing left to follow," Harry said firmly, "he would have done the same for me."
"He would have, and so would Arthur," She spoke more softly, "And so would I." She closed her eyes briefly, "I am not telling you not to do this Harry, I understand why you wish to, and I can't begin to imagine how you must be feeling knowing that his death was more than mere accident." She grabbed his hand with one of her own, "Please consider how long you might be away from Starfall, from your mother, from me before you make a decision." She seemed almost ready to cry, a rare thing. She was not the sort of young woman quick to tears. As he made to speak she released his hands and turned to walk into Starfall's halls.
Harry stared after her as the waning light of the setting sun played across her back and hair. I have no desire to leave Ash, you most of all, but I must do it all the same. I would have you with me if I could, but I doubt your parents would ever allow it. He knew she understood, just as he knew it would sadden her all the same.
Shaking those thoughts from his mind, he called Lucas over to help him with his new prisoner while he carried his father's body to his own room where he laid him down. I wonder if mother's reaction will be much the same as Ashara's?
Reynard's body was prepared with oils by a pair of silent sisters from the sept. The septon came to the castle and said some words. The Daynes were followers of the Seven, as were the Reynes, though neither family was as zealous as some others.
The ceremony was a private, short affair attended by only the Daynes, Nesio, Harry, and Lily along with a septon, maester, and those same two silent sisters. Ulric did his old friend the honor of being laid to rest with the former lords of Starfall, something for which Lily was truly grateful. His mother had no more tears to shed, instead standing stiffly, as three days after his return to the castle they placed Reynard's casket in the mausoleum that served as the final resting place for the Daynes.
Ashara wore her same simple black dress, and despite her words to him after their return to Starfall she held his hand tightly and gave it a gentle squeeze of comfort when the tomb was closed.
Harry wore chainmail beneath, for the first time, one of the tunics made for him by Ashara years prior. She had smiled radiantly when she saw it but he wore it for a purpose beyond her enjoyment. Arthur stood beside him, wearing his own armor. We waited so that father might see it for himself, there seems no better place to do it now.
When the last of the words were said, Arthur stepped out and looked to Harry gesturing for him to kneel before him. He was grateful that he was only being put through the simplest of knighting ceremonies, in some cases the prospective knight sat a silent vigil in a sept before a statue of the Warrior before walking barefoot from the sept. Arlan and now Arthur, had only made their squire kneel as they said the words.
Arthur unsheathed Dawn and held it before him, speaking clearly, his voice echoing off the hard stone, "Harrion of House Reyne," The septon appeared surprised while the maester knew for many years but was oath-bound to maintain the confidence of House Dayne. Save for the Daynes and Nesio, no one knew of their true family name within Starfall.
Lifting the greatsword, Arthur touched first his right shoulder, "In the name of the Warrior I charge you to be brave," A touch to his left shoulder, "In the name of the Father I charge you to be just." And then back, "In the name of the Mother I charge you to defend the young and innocent." And so it went, Arthur invoked the name of all seven gods charging him to protect all women for the Maid, serve as an example for the Crone, work tirelessly for the Smith, and make death clean and swift for the Stranger. When all was done, Arthur pulled his sword away, "I bid you rise, Ser Harrion Reyne." As the ceremony came to an end, the septon, maester, and silent sisters left.
Nesio shared a brief look with Harry before following behind the others. With Harry's training having been completed, the man intended to travel with him back to the Free Cities though he had yet to say what he intended to do there.
Arthur rested a hand on Harry's shoulder, "A thing well deserved," He smiled slightly, "I suppose I shall have to find myself a new squire now, perhaps the next one won't be quite so… impertinent." They shared a laugh between them even as Arlan approached and shared similar sentiments.
As both men moved away, he was unceremoniously pulled downward so that his head rested in the crook of his mother's neck. He heard Ashara giggle and would have glared if it weren't for the vise grip his mother held him in, "Your father would be very proud of you." She whispered softly into his ear, "I do not look forward to your departure, but I am glad that you will try and find out who did this to him, to us." With that she pulled away and exited the dimly lit room. Larra left with her, Allyria held in her arms, leaving Harry with only Ulric and Ashara.
Ulric's once dark hair had greyed entirely in recent years, his face was lined and he still looked tired from enduring through his wife's ill health in recent months, but he smiled at Harry all the same, resting a hand on his shoulder "Your father was a fine example of what a knight ought to be; I have little doubt you will represent the institution just as well." He removed his hand then, his face hardening as he continued, "I was shocked to hear of the nature of Reynard's demise. I admit that I hoped that once you were knighted you would remain as a sworn sword to House Dayne. Our house would have boasted two of the most talented young knights in the realm; it's not something that many can say."
He paused a moment, "But I have also known you for many years, and that it was a futile hope. We have long known your ambitions are greater than merely attaining a knighthood. I will not claim to know what they are, nor where that journey might take you." He glanced in his daughter's direction, "Though I know that you intend for it to begin in Volantis, by discovering the person responsible for your father's death."
Though Harry hadn't discussed these plans with Ulric, between Ashara and his mother, he knew it would get back to him, "That is true, my Lord."
"An admirable thing, Harrion," He said earnestly, "Not all sons love their fathers so dearly, many have sought their deaths in the past." Ulric made a face as though he were preparing for something distasteful, though what it could be Harry didn't know, "Still, I find that your departure may prove fortuitous."
Harry couldn't help the look of confusion that etched its way onto his face. Ulric smiled slightly at that, "Ashara has, just recently, professed a desire to visit the Free Cities, Volantis, specifically so that she might learn first-hand of the difference between the cities Essos and Westeros." Harry looked at Ashara who was smiling at him widely, "Being only four and ten, I am reluctant to allow such a thing," he frowned slightly, "But she made several concise and convincing arguments; including that girls younger than her have already begun whelping children. Traveling to a foreign land seems a trifle in comparison." He looked at Harry intently, "She made it quite clear that you were her first and only choice of escort for this particular journey, and given that there is no telling when you might return that has left me with only one option." Ulric took a deep breath, clearly reluctant to actually finish, "She shall accompany you during your travels to the Free Cities."
Harry didn't know what to say. He was of conflicting thoughts on the whole thing. It is wonderful to hear that I shall not be parted from her for a year… more even, but I don't know if I want her accompanying me to a foreign city where anything might happen. He thought back to the arrow she loosed into the murderer's leg, how she didn't even flinch at the violence he was willing to inflict on him, the fear he attempted to engender. She has always been the sort of girl who can take care of herself. Hells, chances are she'll end up keeping me safe as often as I do her.
Uncaring of Harry's inner musings, Ulric stepped very close to Harry, speaking quietly so that only the pair of them could hear, "My daughter's arguments may have swayed me to allow her to accompany you, but that doesn't mean I am pleased with the situation. Should any harm befall her, there is nothing on this earth that could keep you safe from me."
Harry didn't flinch, didn't flounder. He just looked the Lord of Starfall in the eye and spoke clearly, if quietly, "You have my oath that I shall lay down my own life in her defense. And should any harm befall her, I shall lay myself prostrate before you and accept any punishment you deem appropriate."
Ulric smiled sadly at those words, "I have little doubt of that Harrion, but it needed to be said all the same." He tilted his head slightly, "I wonder how long it has been since I was not the most important man in my daughter's life?" The question was clearly rhetorical and he shook himself of it, "You should know that I will not force Ashara into something against her will, family is important to me not the advancement of our name alone." Harry appreciated the sentiment, but Ulric wasn't finished, "But she deserves more than a sworn sword. See that she receives what she deserves." Understanding the elder man's meaning Harry nodded firmly. Ulric stepped away from him then, rested a hand on his old friend's tomb before leaving the pair alone.
Harry and Ashara looked at each other for a long moment before he gestured for them to leave. He had no desire to remain next to his father's resting place any longer. As they exited to find themselves standing within the castle walls, the sun shone through a thin layer of clouds, "Ash, would you tell me how you convinced your father and mother to allow you to come with me?"
"Does it really matter?" Ashara asked a little tersely, "I thought you would be glad to hear the news." Harry just looked at her archly. She held her chin up defiantly until she realized that he was not going to relent, "Fine, I made it clear that I had every intention of following you when you left with or without their leave. Mother threatened to have a guard posted outside my rooms," He could certainly see Larra not only threatening but following through on it, "But I pointed out that she would lose her daughter, in mind if not in body and she seemed unable to bear the thought."
She looked a little guilty, "In retrospect, it was a harsh thing to say but I wanted to stick firm to my convictions." Her eyes went glassy in thought, "I shall apologize for my words though not the reason behind them before we depart." She shook the thought from mind before continuing, "Father must have seen something in me then, because he decided that it was best to allow me to travel with you openly with your full awareness then to risk me following through more clandestine means."
"You really would have followed me regardless of their decision?" Harry questioned her.
"Of course," She said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, "I realized that you would go, despite not truly wishing to leave this place because it was the right thing to do and you wish to make something more of yourself in this world." Her violet eyes met his emerald green, "I have no desire to be parted from you for a year or more without knowing what might have befallen you."
"You will also be parted from your parents for an indeterminate amount of time," Harry knew his reasoning would fall on deaf ears, but he didn't want Ashara to regret the decision.
"So I will," She agreed without hesitation, "and I will assuredly miss them dearly at times. But my mind is set."
Harry considered pointing out the potential dangers of the journey, but he knew that she had already accepted them and decided against concerning herself with them. Mentally conceding that this thing was going to happen, and admitting that he was truly happy about it he smiled genuinely before embracing her and holding her body close to his, "I shall be truly happy for your company." He pressed a kiss to her forehead, and felt her relax deeply into his chest, "Just don't get into any trouble," He finished teasingly.
She pulled away with a light scoff, a mischievous glint in her eyes and a matching smile on her full lips, "Please Harry, if either of us will find ourselves in trouble, it will be you. Fortunately for us, you simply have a way of finding your way through such situations. I believe you often say you have the worst sort of good luck." He was about to reply when without warning Ashara leaned up onto her toes and kissed him, not the friendly if affectionate kisses they would at times lay on one another's cheeks or temples. No, there was a hint of need, want, in this kiss and a heat that he had never experienced before. She fell back to her heels and he followed leaning down to make sure they didn't break contact. He felt a shiver at the slight moan that rumbled from her throat just before they finally pulled apart. Well that was certainly nothing like the disappointment Harry suffered on that 'date' with Cho Chang.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and eyes hooded as she smiled radiantly up at him. She has never looked quite so beautiful. She ran her fingers idly through the stitching of the sigil on his chest, "I would say that is the best answer I can give as to my insistence on joining you on your journey." He watched her walk away, his gaze falling to the swing of her hips. That lasted until he felt another pair of eyes on him and looked up to see Arthur looking at him through narrow eyes. That look could cut through steel. Arthur may be my brother in arms, but he would kill me should I do or allow something to happen to Ashara. They shared a long look, neither flinching until an understanding passed between them. Harry couldn't help the thought that crossed his mind then. Yes, I certainly have the worst sort of good luck.
A week passed before a large merchant vessel arrived in Starfall on its way back from Lannisport, headed to Myr. Unwilling to wait what could be many months before a ship bound for Volantis arrived, Harry bought passage for himself and Ashara in their own small cabins on the ship, with the agreement that their prisoner would be kept chained in the hold away from all of the sailors. They would be bringing their horses as well. It cost a small sum given the significant amount he earned by winning the melee in Lannisport.
Nesio also booked passage, unworried about a cabin and instead agreeing to sleep in the hold with the sailors. Harry was surprised when the former slave approached him, head bowed and told him, "Your father is a man worth remembering, a man who deserved a better death. I would remain with you as you search for the hand that willed his end." Harry wouldn't refuse skilled help when offered.
The sun hardly rose above the horizon when they arrived down at the docks near Starfall to board the ship. Ulric remained in the castle, having said his parting words to the pair among the dead the week prior, while Arlan could not be moved from his bed or his wife.
As Harry came back to the dock after putting their things in their respective cabins, Lily and Larra stood together nearby while Arthur said a quiet farewell to his sister. The Sword of the Morning broke the hug with the younger Dayne and came to Harry, "I know you require no warnings, so I shall be brief. Good fortune my friend, and ensure that the two of you return unharmed." He offered his hand to Harry which was taken. "I shall tell Rhaegar of your decision though not the exact nature of your journey." There was a hint of sadness in Arthur's indigo eyes. Even a great knight can be saddened to find that he is going to be absent the company of those closest to him.
Larra approached him then, "Remember that she intends to go with you wherever you tread." She said sincerely, "Respect it in the spirit it is given." He nodded solemnly and she moved off to have words with Ashara.
His mother hugged him tightly, her eyes wet, "It seems to me that I am losing my son now." She released him and held him at arm's length, "Though I have every confidence that you shall return home, safe and whole." He could hear the hint of pain in her voice even if she hid it well, "Make sure you return safe and whole." It was almost desperate, as though she could not bear another loss.
"I will, mum" He assured her, even if he knew that there was no way that he could guarantee such a thing, "And I will have justice for father as well." She smiled wetly at that before turning away and joining Larra. The pair walked away from the dock and joined Arthur where he waited nearby. Harry looked to Ashara and saw a few stray tears falling across her cheeks. She didn't make to wipe them away as he grabbed her hand and led her onto the ship's deck.
After the gangplank was pulled back in and the sails were unfurled, Ashara and Harrion stood side by side, waving to the fleeting images of their loved ones. It was a bittersweet departure for Harry. There was a sense of melancholy coming over him not knowing how long until he might see his mother again but joy at Ashara's company, and a hardened conviction toward the true purpose behind his journey.
AN: So there's the new chapter. Bit of sadness, bit of happiness, some fluffy stuff and an interrogation.
Last chapter was a lot of Harry and Arthur, this one was a lot of Harry and Ashara. I honestly didn't decide whether or not she would go with him until I wrote the scene.
Next chapter they will see a little bit of Oberyn,they get to Volantis, and find the man who hired his father's killer.