Sacred Duty
Chapter 3: Heading South, Gathering Storm
The feast celebrating Robert's arrival was a subbed affair. Cercsi did not attend and that allowed for her dear husband to drink and whore without any guilt. Joffrey too is having difficulty getting over his uncle's death but his in his warped head he thinks he is entitled to being taught by Rhaltas since Jaime was his one-time sword instructor. He is spending a great deal of time getting on the Asur Prince's nerves and getting more and angrier at being ignored. If it weren't for Tyrion's timely intervention Joffrey would not have made it out of the North in one piece.
Joffrey's little temper tantrum shows Sansa a different side of the prince. One that hopefully punctures her fantasy about princes in shining armor. Unfortunately for the high elves Sansa looking at Joffrey and then at the High Elves she shifts her object of desire and hero worship. To her now the behavior of the Caledorian Princes are epitome of desire and perfection and is dismayed at being forced to marry to the young prince. Her thoughts are interrupted when Arya flicks a wad of mashed potato at her.
With a grin she runs off into the general chaos of the party with her brother Robb hunting her down to placate angry sister and mother. The only Stark absent is Jon. Catelyn not wanting to suffer the only remember of Nedd lapse in honor. Jon is currently taking his anger out on the training dummy when his uncle Benjen shows up from the Wall. Talking with Jon and Nedd about some new rumors of demon of the North he tries to dissuade Jon from joining but the bastard wants to step out from that shadow and wants to go somewhere blood and title does not matter. Tyrion joining at the end of the conversation expresses an interest in seeing the Wall would like to join them.
After the feast ended Robert announces Nedd to be his hand, with much cheering the hall empties leaving Nedd with his sons and the three elves. "This duel with the Lannisters will have things tension for long time. Since I'm taking my daughters south with me, Robb you will be Lord of Winterfell in my absences." Keeping the letter he got from Cat's sister to himself he goes on to dismiss his son and talk to the princes. "I ask you to join us at Kings Landing, it will put you in danger but you will access to greater libraries and stores of knowledge. Plus I could use three skilled fighters who have no real ties to any of the great houses."
They share quick subtle glances and Rhaltas cocks his head in amusement, "I said earlier Lord Stark that you have our aid. You insult us by asking in such a begging manner. Yes we will join you for it will be a benefit the both of us." Rhaltas sticks out his arm and embraces Lord Starks forearm, the symbol of comradeship among warriors. This man, Rhaltas thinks, would do well in the Empire or in the woods of Chrace or Cothique.
It is a month long journey that the Northmen and the elves endure with the ever constant glare of the Lannisters. In Casterly Rock Tywin's rage at losing his heir and the humiliation suffered grows with each passing day. Yet he can't act for the murders are under the protection of Nedd Stark and by extension the King. As powerful as his banners are they are outnumbered by the storm lords, the North, the Riverlands, the Vale, and Kingdom of Dorn. Open war would bring ruin to his line and that is something Tywin can't stand for. King's Landing is a dangerous place after all he is sure he could arrange something.
While the elves travel south, Jon and Tryion travel north to the Wall and Castle Black. The Watch is an order of brothers who in ages past where honored for their sacrifice in manning the wall against the foes of winter. Now they are a shadow of their former selves. Trained warriors replaced with criminals. Trusted brothers with the pick of the dungeons of Westeros. It is up to a few true leaders and warriors to get the best of the poor collection of men they have. Once the Watch was at least twenty thousand strong now Castle Black, their main fortress, barely holds five hundred. Against them in ages past were demons of cold and winter, the Others and their wights. The ones that are killed by the Others or perish beyond the Wall are brought back as beings of cold that seek the deaths of the living, of the warm.
The wilding tribes near the Ice Tower of Naggarond, as Vanmoriel decided to call her fortress, have been wiped out or enslaved by the dark elf. Her hall is filled with drugged incense as her slave are arrayed around her catering to her every whim. Their blood she thinks is a better quality than humans from back home, lacking the ever present taint of chaos. It is a pure sweet wine, a heady brew that she indulges in daily. Still she misses the caress and feel of her kin, these humans though distracting are not the same. Worse still she can't summon demons to this world. The warp has only enough influence to lend her spells power.
Sensing the approach of the Child of Forest and the band of Wights lead by an Other. She smiles as takes her stave and walks to her balcony to greet them. As the cold wind whips through her clothes she leaps into air and invokes the powers of the warp to arrest her fall. Floating down she senses one of them hesitate, this one feels like the Asari, nature magic. The others feels twisted and wrong like chaos or dark magic, something she intimately familiar with.
With a word the billowing winds stop and the skies clear. The Other has his wights thralls array themselves in front of him as a shield. With a roar several shards of ice meters long spring from the ground and are launch at Vanmorial with a gesture. She slices her arm in a sharp downward motion, unraveling his pathetic attempt at magic. The ice shards spiral out of control and fly off into the distance. Creating a sword of accursed hoarfrost the Other commands with a flourish the wights charge.
With a laugh Vanmorial directs the winds of magic into a cloud of sickly yellow vapor and throws at the charging zombies. Unyielding they charge into the gas. With each step their flesh melts exposing bone. They do not stop, they do not scream. Another yard all their flesh is gone, their eyes running like tears down desiccated cheek bones. They do not stop, they do not scream. Another yard their bones crumble, becoming ash. The cloud is dispelled and the ash is removed with a quick guest of wind.
With a swing of the ice sword an icy razor wind whips up in response. Ice shards flash and crack through the air craving thick gashes in the ice and rock. With a look of gleeful anticipation he watches the strange women rises her hands above her head, arms shoulder with apart. A colder stronger wind pours forth from behind the women. Her dark purple hair whips wildly giving her a look of insanity. The chillwind spell over powers the Other's frost. The valley fills with white snow and ice. Once the spell dies down the wights are encased in ice along with their master.
Pointing one arm out fingers spread wide and a brace of ethereal swords appear around her. They short forward as if propelled by a ballistae, spinning widely they shattered the encased Wights. Melting a portion of the ice covering the Other's head Vanmorial places one long nailed finger on each of its temples. Delving into its mind she is delighted to find a demon, one so weak and easy to subvert to her own cause. Using Soul Stealer she consumes its essences and its power. The knowledge of time before time floods through her brain creating a heady mix.
In her high state she pours too much power into her next spell. She was going to capture the Asrai-like nature user but instead invokes Arnzipal's Black Horror. A pit several yards wide forms directly beneath the child like being. It desperately tries to dispel the vortex, its weak version of the Lore of Life does nothing to the expanding pit of abyssal darkness. Slowly with great pain it feels each part of its being torn off and reduced to a demon's food. As her flesh is consumed by the warp energies as her soul is being feasted upon by the demonette's of Slannesh and the banshees of Mori-Heg. Pleased with their meal the Child of Forest now resides in two hells for the rest of eternity in torment.
Still enthralled with battle-lust she summons several of her slaves. Like zombies the broken wildings walk toward their mistress slowly still suffering from her cruel whims. Drawing a dagger she dances among slicing into skin and bone. Keep in place by magic they can only scream as they are killed by a thousand jagged cuts. As their blood is done staining the snow she cuts off certain limbs with surgical precision. Arranging them in an eight pointed star, a mix of the Other's demon ritual and one from her former home. She chants words of power, words of death, and words of cold servitude. One by one the dead wildings open their eyes, their vibrantly blue eyes. They rise silent as the grave and bow before their creator.
Walking among them she brands them with wards of protection against fire. This will greatly reduce their known vulnerability. She commands to attack the nearest village some weeks march and bring back as many bodies as possible both living and dead. Without a word or emotion they walk off into the bleak landscape heading toward unknown paths and passages. Smoothing her hair and licking the blood from her blade Vanmorial feels like celebrating this discovery. Several of her slaves won't be alive come the dawn sun.
They have been traveling for a month and had endured the hate filled glares from a third of the party. Westeroes reminds them much of the Empire except there is less trees. It is just as cold, dirty, and poor compared to the glory of Ulthuan. Half way to Kings Landings they have discovered an important clue as to the location and identity of the dragon queen that Asuryan spoke about. A Daenerys Targaryen and her brother Viserys have been living in Pentos and have recently gained a husband and a large army.
Robert adamant that the threat of the dragons be ended once and for all. He advocates hiring assassins once they reach King's Landings. Nedd and Rhaltas who are listening to his rant disagree. Nedd because they are just children and don't have the means to invade, plus using assassins are dishonorable. Rhaltas because the use of assassins in the manner of the druchii and this maybe the person who they have been command to aid. Thus do the two men further strengthen their bonds of respect and gain the short-lived ire of the king.
The other two people who have impressed them on this journey is Sir Barristan, who is a great warrior even by elven standards. He is the only one which Rhaltas and Hirveren can practice against. Robert tried and ended up on his kingly ass after the first pass of the blades. The other person is Tyrion who fresh from the wall passes on ill tidings from Lord Mormont. The number of missing rangers has increased along with the number wilding's coming south. All of them saying the same thing about a demon hidden in the far north. A foul Mistress of the Cold that dances in the blood of her victims. Tyrion dismisses as simple superstition and fairy tales, but Lord Mormont requests more men and supplies.
Thelian sick of talking to his brothers enjoys talking with Tyrion, who he considers the only human in Westeros to be intelligent. Tyrion as much as he enjoys learning about Caledor and the experiences of Thelian he can't get rid of the small amount of rage he feels at the loss of Jamie. Still unlike his idiot of a sister he understands the notion of friends of convenience and learning about your enemies. Next to that rage however lies joy at having father denied his prized heir and now he will have to be properly acknowledged. If this gets him Casterly Rock then he will mourn his brother from its great hall once father passes.
Across the Narrow Sea in the land of Essos a dothraki horde larger than any other has been gathered by Kahl Drogo. It numbers over forty thousand warriors with a hundred thousand camp followers. Desiring a woman of royal blood he meets with Ilyrio Mopatis of Pentos. He is sheltering the exiled and last two survivors of the Targaryen line. Mopatis is among a small group of people who want to see a Targaryen sit upon the Iron Throne, as well as make a fortune from helping with that endeavor. Thus he brokers a deal between Kahl Drogo and Visery; Drogo gets Visery's sister in return the young king-in-exile gets an army to win back his throne.
At the wedding a shy broken Daenerys was presented with numerous gifts as the dothraki before her drank, danced, fucked, and killed each other in way of celebration. As the wedding came to a close Daenerys was presented with several gifts. The first was books and stories of Westeros from the disgraced knight Sir Jorah Mormount along with his oath of service. The second was fine silver stallion from her husband the Kahl. The last gift was from Ilyrio, it was three dragon eggs. Time has turned them to rocks. These three eggs hold the greatest treasures of the world if they hatch.
Similar to the dragons of Caledor, the dragons of Valyria need both heat and magic to thrive. After the three dragons of Conqueror the dragons they sired were smaller than and not as powerful as the dragons that lived prior to the Doom and the extinction of the Children of the Forest. With the coming of the Asur, Druchii, and the reawakening of the Others magic has reentered the land. Though the strengthened magic is colder, dark, and corrupted the eggs still response to its caress and feel warm to Daenerys's touch. Across the Narrow Sea, hidden in the riverlands lay two dragons, one that could rival the power of the Black Dread and one that has surpassed it. They too sense the eggs and sing the ancient dragon songs hoping to spur their hatching.
With the wedding over the Kalhasar disperses and leaves Pentos for the city of Vaes Dothrak so that the crones can give Daenerys her prophesy. That night Drogo approaches his new bride. She is young, naïve, and scared. Years spent with her half-mad abusive brother has stunted her growth. She cries as her new husband removes her thin dress. With little resistance Drogo consummates the marriage and carries a crying dragon queen off to their tent in the deeping darkness of the night.
The Royal procession has set up camp for the day within sight of Kings Landing, Robert wants to enter the city during the morning to see the small people and at night like a thief. The elves were not impressed when asked to comment about by Eddark. "Its walls and towers would mark it as a weaker city. They are however the closest in scale to the standards of Ulthuan. Also it lacks defensive depth by the gate by the river. It is just asking for an attack there. Then there is the lack of siege weapons to hammer your foes from afar. Ulthuan fortresses and cities are ringed with scores of ballistae capable of firing a single large bolt or a clutch of six smaller bolts every few seconds. Enemies that attack Ulthuan do so under a sky filled with arrows. Still it would take a sizable army to conquer it because of the three large hills that holds the Keep." States Rhaltas with disinterest. Robert scoffs at the notion saying how this was created by Aegon the Conqueror.
"Yes he was a powerful warrior and great king according to the histories. Yet Valyria had so much and was laid low regardless of how mighty it was," rejoins Thelain.
Before Robert or Nedd could reply Hireven continues, "Unlike Dragonstone which was made with Valyrian techniques that could not be copied and are more advanced than your own. King's Landing and the Red Keep were made with Westerosi stone and building practices. It does not have powerful magic coursing through it as does Dragonstone thus it is inherently weaker. Unless you claim that stone wrought only with human hands are superior? I would then look to Harrenhal as an example of that foolishness." Unable to reply the two proud men looked like they should back down and concede but honor demands that they try to win. The argument is broken when Sansa and Joffrey come running into camp yelling, with a screaming Arya behind them.
"What is the Seven Hells is going on?" yells Robert. His loud rage-filled roar silences the squabbling children. Then he notices Joffrey's arm is bleeding and calls for a maester to attend. He then questions the three on what happened.
Joffrey seeing this as a chance to get revenge begins, "I was walking with my betrothed along the river and came upon her younger sister and the butchers boy sword fighting." Seeing an opportunity in his warp mind to impress Sansa, he mocked Arya and forced the butcher's boy to fight him. Joffrey had a steel sword whereas the commoner had but a sick. "If the commoner wanted to play knight. Since he was so intent on being a knight I challenged to a duel. We had one pass of the blades. Then this girl," pointing at Arya, "Interrupts and has her wolf attack me." Joffrey says finishing the lie that he knows his mother will believe. Since in her eyes he can do no wrong, especially after his uncle died.
Cersei believing her son commands in an angry tone, "This girl threaten my son's life. I want her punished and her pet killed." Robert not wanting another fight is inclined to agree with his wife just to appease her growing fury.
Before rendering his judgment Thelian interjects stopping Nedd from arguing. "There seems to be other witnesses than just the prince. Let them tell their side of the story so you may judge fairly your grace." The last part had that same mocking tilt that grates on Robert remaining pride.
Heeding the elf's council Robert agrees and turns on the two girls. Question Sansa first he gets nothing from her by evasions as she does not want to betray her sister or anger her future husband. With a sigh from Robert and an outburst from Ayra, Sansa runs away from the group with one of the Starkmen trailing after her.
"Your side and be quick about," says Robert to Arya.
After taking a few breathes to calm down as Hirveren once instructed her. She starts off, "Mycah and I were playing at sword fighting with a pair of sticks your grace. It was nothing serious and he was treating me with respect. Then your son and my sister joined us. Joffrey, your grace, openly mocked me and Mycah. Challenging him to a duel, while using a real sword against a stick. I tried to ask him to stop by he cut Mycah cheek and I hit him, trying to get the sword from his grasp. Joffrey then turned and was going to strike me by Nymeria protected me. I then throw his sword into the water as a lesson not to harm people who are smaller than you."
Sensing the truth from Arya and wanting to placate his wife Robert was about to order the wolf killed and the matter forgotten when the Hound rode into camp with the missing boy, dead on the back of his horse. He gruffly says that, "The prince ordered me to get the boy for harming him. So I did." With that he dumps the body and rides off.
Nedd disgusted at this wanton cruelty looks at Robert, "Are you really going to believe your son. My girls are raised well you know that. They wouldn't lie to you or act in such a manner. Plus the direwolves were raised properly and are devoted to their masters. Nymeria would have only attack Joffrey if he was threatening Arya, your grace."
Robert surrounded on all sides by his wife, friend, the elves, and the obvious truth and lies comes to a decision. "This is a complete and utter waste of time. Nedd keep your daughter away from mine and I'll deal with him and his dog." With that the incident was closed. It was reopened when Sansa and Arya got into a heated argument that lead Nedd to separating them before a fight broke out. Thelian went to Sansa as he knows Rhaltas could care less and Hirveren is going to talk to Arya. That night they told the two girls a watered down version of the Sundering and civil war between Caledor the Conqueror and the Witch King Maliketh. It was a lesson in needing the bonds of family and never to have them whither. Lest someone uses them as a weapon.
The court enters King Landing to cheering crowds and much fanfare. Making their way to the Red Keep the Starks and their party move into the Hand of King. With the three Asur Princes getting rooms halfway up the tower, a better position Rhaltas claims to protect the children and the Hand. To form a solid position to have the bannermen rally behind. Robert once settled goes off hunting leaving Nedd to meet the small council consisting of Maester Pycelle, Lord Petyr Baelish, Lord Renly Baratheon, and Lord Varys. These men all look at Nedd with the exception of Renly as a disposable pawn who will be easy to control. Nedd's sense of honor will do him no good in King's Landing. He can't bring himself to play the petty games of the councilmen, which will be his downfall.
After the first weeks of settling in have ended Nedd goes on the hunt for the truth behind Lord Arryn's death. Following in the footsteps of the dead man Nedd finds himself at a blacksmiths shop in Flea Bottom. Nothing special stands out, except that the boy Gendry has some skill and was visited by Arryn shortly before his death. Another puzzle to add to cryptic last words of a fever racked man. His daughters however are enjoying the city far more than he is. Sansa being the betrothed to the prince is waited on by a small army of maids. She is sampling the finest goods that the capital has to offer. The only sour note is that Joffrey has gotten sullen and even more spiteful since the incident at camp. She has to endure vicious verbal attacks at the slightest provocation.
Arya has taken to exploring the city and pestering her guards to teach her how to sword fight. They refuse as per her father's orders. She practices with needle, a rapier Jon had forged for her before they all left Winterfell. She smuggled the sword in her bags, hidden from Nedd. Rhaltas discovering this starts teaching her the basics of swordsmanship but tells her to find another tutor for his techniques are beyond her. Nedd upon discovering this hired Syrio Forel, a former First Sword of Braavos. His style that he teaches Arya is designed around speed and agility, something Rhaltas improves upon in their morning sessions before her formal training.
This goes on for a few months as Nedd gets disillusioned with ruling and fed up with Robert's obsession with the Targaryen exiles. That and he feels that he is getting closer to the truth behinds Arryn's death. The only noticeable incident that occurred was when a few assassins tried to kill the Asur Princes. They attacked them at night as the three princes where walking back to the tower on a street regularly patrolled by Lannister soldiers.
Emerging from back alleys a group of eight fighters draw swords, unlimber axes, and charge the elves. Without hesitation the three elves form a triangle and strike out lightning fast killing half the attackers with single thrusts and slashes. The attackers drop back to decide their next move when Rhaltas roars, "For Caledor." Charging his longsword blazes with powerful spells, he is a whirlwind. His blade everywhere, not one movement wasted. These humans have the grim honor of watching a Prince of the most martial of the kingdoms of Ulthuan fight. All but one lies dead. He tries to flee but his limbs feel heavy, his body slow. The last thing he feels is the cold gemstones of Rhaltas sword bashing in the back of his head. "Thelian if you please."
The mage cleaning his sword with a word of magic walks over the places his hands on his head with his thumbs on each temple. Whispering words in the magic tongue he takes glimpses of the person's memories. "It seems that a member of House Lannister of Lannisport paid these fools. We will tell Nedd in the morning."
That morning was a fateful one. Robert was severely wounded while hunting. Tywin hearing that his assassins failed and that Robert is on his deathbed raised his banners in the name of the Iron Throne to seemingly threaten the other houses to not start another war. Nedd learning that Joffrey and his siblings were not Robert's children is going to confront Cersei and sent a message to Stannis naming him heir as well as bearing a letter from Robert that he is to be regent.
It all went to hell very quickly. Nedd betrayed by the small council is arrested for treason. Robb hearing this raised the banners of Winterfell and headed south to rescue his father with an army of twenty thousand. Stannis figuring out the treachery of the Lannisters sends a letter denouncing the Lannisters as traitors and usurpers. He and Renly rise their banners in a bid for the throne. The capital is in chaos as the Lannisters take full control of the city. The Stark children and the Caledorian Princes are not slain but kept prisoner. Rhaltas has achieved that by invoking his owed favor which the small council forced Joffrey to accept over the protests of his mother. Thus a war begins.
Across the sea Daenerys has grown from a timid girl into a powerful young woman. Her husband has given her a child and promised to win her throne. The sight of brother's gold encased head marked the end of past and the fires the Khalasar made through the lands of Limb Men mark the future. One paved in Fire and Blood. It is in one of the villages of the Lamb Men were she rescues several women from rape. One of them is a blood mage of some power.
After Drogo is wounded in battle lets the wound fester, Daenerys pleads the mage to heal him. They are sequester in the Khals tent where Ser Jorah stands guard. As the blood magice ritual takes place Ser Jorah fights a short duel with one of the bloodriders. His armor defeats the speed of the curves swords that the Dorthaki favor. The next dawn comes with its price, Drogo zombie-like and Daenerys had their child as a stillborn deformed creature. The Khal disperses in chaos leaving Daenerys with a horde of one hundred boys, women, and elderly.
Seeking revenge she relives her husband of his suffering and builds a funeral prye for him. Binding the blood mage to it she also places her dragon eggs around the body. Lighting the wood she stares into the roaring flames. Feeling drawn to them she begins to walk toward them. Sir Jorah thinking she is about to commit suicide tries to stop her. "Don't worry Sir. Fire cannot harm a dragon," she says to him before disappearing into the blaze.
It burns all night and soon the cries of the burning woman ceases. Daenerys never uttered a word. As the night turns to day the fires die down revealing an ash covered nude Daenerys surrounded by three recently hatched dragons. Accepting the blanket from Sir Jorah she rallies the remaining Dothraki to her cause becoming a Khal. She then names her children. The white cream colored one Viserion. The green and gold one Rhaegal. Lastly the black one Drogon.
In Kings Landing Nedd has been in the black cells for several weeks as the nobles on the small council figure out what to do. Not wanting to fight the North as well as the Storm Lords they are going to offer Nedd a deal. Confess your treason and take the black. Before this could happen Rhaltas and his brothers decide to act.
In their warded heavily warded Sethai "spoke" to his rider telling him that he could sense the hatchlings. They are somewhere to the east. Turning to his brothers he asks, "Hirveren can you cast spells of tracking, detection, and long distance communication?"
"Yes they are basic skills."
"Good. I will break Nedd out of the Black Cells and bring him here. You two will find his daughters. Thelian you will then scry for his son Robb and teleport them to him. Aid the north in this war while we search for the Targaryens."
"Yes."
"Of course."
The three brothers leave their rooms under a glamour. Their guards don't notice until Thelian kills them with a word of power. They burst into flames and are burned to nothingness. Then Thelian replaces them with illusions and begins his scrying spell. Satisfied that he has found Sansa and Robb, he walks down the halls cloaked in magic. The city sleeps poorly now that the various great houses have raised their armies. Remembering the turmoil of the Rebellion the common folk hope this war ends quickly and they will be alive at the end of it.
Nearing her chambers in the middle of the Red Keep Thelian drops his glamour and runs the two guards though with his sword. With a gesture the door crumbles without s sound. He walks in as quiet as a shadow. Sansa curled up on the bed does not here the guards being killed. Reaching out he grips her shoulder and mouth. She struggles and tries to scream until Thelian calms her down. Bringing her back to his chambers he tells her to stay on the bed and relax. She lays there shaking and quiet as Thelian craves runes of warding, of power, control, distance, movement, and size upon the wood and stone walls and floors. They are going to be leaving soon.
Hirveren uses the same spells as his brother but cannot maintain them as long. His fail just as he enters the hallway containing Arya's room. His bad luck gets worse because the guards were changing and there are four of them. They stare at each other for several seconds before one tires to run away and rise the alarm. Calling upon the winds of magic he casts fulminating fire cage around them. The guards are stunned as pillars of raw flame surround them. "Run if you wish. Moving out of the cage removes it, but those trapped inside are burned to death. Also try not to yell." The stand as still as statues inside the rolling bars of flame. Walking over to the door he reduces it ash with a flick of the wrist. Walking in, he is confronted by an armed and dangerous Arya. He sees the same look of determination in her grey eyes that is common in Rhaltas's. "Come Arya we are leaving King's Landing."
"Not without my father and sister."
"Of course my brothers and I are rescuing them as we speak. Now hurry."
Before they leave Arya asks, "What about the guards?"
With some weird gestures Hirveren collapses the cage on the guards immolating them instantly. With a smile he leads her out and asks back, "What guards? Now let us go to my brother's room." The pair quietly makes their way back to Thelian's warded room. Speaking the passwords Hirveren enters and surveys the rune work with admiration. At times like this he wishes he was a loremaster and not a dragon mage.
"Your back," says Thelian without worry or looking up from his work. "Arya sit on the bed with Sansa and try to sleep. I don't need distractions. Hirveren you mine as well as join them." He says like this situation is an everyday occurrence. Sansa whimpers softly and Arya thinks cool. Hirveren about to curse his brother decides to let him win this little spar for the children's sake. He'll get even. He always does.
Two hours pass and Rhaltas is still not back. Thelian finishes his translocation circle looks at his brother and says, "He is taking too long. Do you think he will alert the whole castle?"
"We walked around under the cover of glamour's," Hirveren replies in High Elven, "Our dear brother is probably walking around in full armor like he owns the place. He has no sense of stealth or subtlety sometimes. Is the circle ready for a quick escape we may need it."
"Yes it is. I have also set spell traps in the hall and stairs to the delay the inevitable pursuit."
"Good. I'll stand watch while you rest."
"Thank you brother. For Caledor." Thelian sticks out his arm.
"For Caledor," replies Hirveren grasping his forearm.
True to his brother's prediction Rhaltas is walking the Red Keep in full armor both spear, shield, and sword strapped to his person. He calmly walks to the dungeons, any guards that do not show the proper deference to the "honored guest" is quickly scolded in such a manner that would make any drill sergeant or master-at-arms green with envy. Getting closer he encounters six men who won't yield to him. Stating that the Black Cells are off limits by order of the queen regent.
"If you value your lives," Rhaltas tells them, "Walk away now" The soldiers spread out while one tries to rise the alarm. With fluid grace the spear now coursing with lighting is thrown, impaling the fleeing guard, he lets out a loud death scream as his insides boil. "I warned him and you will perish." Drawing his sword he is amidst the group of soldiers in a flash. Swinging left and right limbs are removed with scalpel-like precision. Bodies are opened from neck to groin. Spilling blood, spilling guts, and staining the ground a sickly red. The smell of copper permeates the air. The sound of crashing boots and armor resound through the halls as more men come to investigate the sounds of battle.
Breaking down the door to the Black Cells, Rhaltas uses his advanced senses to find Nedd. Stalking up to the door he breaks it with a single slash. "Lord Stark it is time to leave."
Nedd looking haggard and worn stumbles from the confines of the cell. His wounded leg troubling him greatly. Offering the man a steading arm Rhaltas continues, "My brothers have rescued your daughters and are waiting for us. Can you stand? Can you run? Can you fight?"
"If I must."
"Good. Here is a sword one of the lion idiots lent me. It should work well enough. Also I took the liberty of securing your sword Ice as well."
"Thank you. Now let us leave."
The pair leaves the dungeon and encounters a mob of crimson colored soldiers. With a roar, "For Caledor and Ulthuan!" Rhaltas charges his spear glowing, pulsing, and crackling with tendrils of power. He reaps a grim tally as the brunt and bleeding fall to his spear Cloud Ruler. Nedd though suffering from lack of food, water, and still wounded fights with the savagery of a cornered wolf. His experience and skill apparent as he kills with powerful and brutal slashes. Slowly the dance of death and the song of ringing steel ends as the courtyard is littered with the dead and dying.
Rhaltas helping the exhausted Nedd to Thelian's room fights a running battle in which sees another score of Lannister soldiers butchered. Entering the corridor he quickly utters the passwords to the spell traps and they yield for an instant only snap back into place. Knocking open the door powerful kick he greeted by his brothers looking at him with knowing eyes as alarms and bells fill the keep with their loud brassy clangs.
Grabbing his girls they hug tightly Nedd asks, "How are we leaving?"
Thelian smiles and asks in return, "Do you believe in magic Lord Stark?" he says with a flourish.
"No. How are children stories going to help us?"
"Like this," replies Thelian. Grabbing them they are pulled into the circle as Thelian chants in the language of magic, "Lethodor… ithikitalkus maldifidii locitium… Kushat… Nal igira." With the incantation finished Thelian and the Starks disappear in a flash of blue-white light.
Hirveren repeats a similar spell, when finished he and Rhaltas are teleported in a burst of fire to their dragons. Jumping into the saddle the two drakes take to the skies. Their natural coloring quickly hides them in the night sky. "East. Fly east to the dragon queen and her hatchlings." Commands Rhaltas to the dragons. With a bellow the dragons wing east toward the land of Essos and all its wonders.
Thelian, Nedd, Arya, and Sansa reappear just outside the camp of the Stark host. "Do you believe in magic now Lord Stark?" Thelian asks in a condescending manner as outriders from the camp approach them. "What are you going to do now Regent of the Iron Throne?"
"Fight to free the North once more," replies Nedd, "And any who wish to leave the control of the Iron Throne."
"Good. I am at your service. I am a Loremaster of Caledor. An Archmage trained in the arts of war magic at the White Tower. With me at your side no host will have a chance at defeating King of the North." That las part was spoken with the barest hint of respect.
Hope you enjoyed it. The next chapters will be shorter and focus on groups of characters. Please Review.
