For those who are reading along, the Davos portion is an add on to the canon 'ACOK: Davos I' chapter. The Tyrion portion falls chronologically after Tyrion discovers wildfire in 'ACOK: Tyrion V'

Disclaimer: I do not own nor do I claim any ideas, places, or characters from the 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series. Cheers

Davos I

"It's time to try another hawk, Ser Davos. A red hawk."

"Why not a falcon?" Davos said swiftly to his king. "I hear word that your former ward is marching south in your name. I've heard he left Riverrun in a fury after his cousin was made a king by his men."

"As he should have." Stannis said with iron in his voice. "At least one of Hoster Tully's grandsons honors his oaths to the rightful King."

"The boy only honors you because of your tutelage." Davos pointed out. "What would he think when he hear that you have abandoned the gods?"

"What point are you trying to make in your words, Onion Knight?" Stannis' patience was running thin, and Davos reminded himself that he needed to tread lightly. The red witch has enticed him.

"Your Grace, I'm merely suggesting that the red woman may not be the answer. You still have your ward and his army in your service, and he will fight for you loyally. It would be wise to not give the boy any reason to doubt you, unlikely as it seems."

Stannis pondered the idea. "A falcon or a hawk, you say?" Stannis looked back to Davos. "I say why not both? If both serve me and honor me as they say, then the two can only be advantages. And in our current situation, we are in need of as many advantages as possible."

"As you say, Your Grace." But Davos was not convinced. Should Stannis and his red woman meet with Olyvar at Storm's End, the Onion Knight could only project disaster. Then Stannis would be left with only one bird, and it was not the bird that Davos wanted.

Tyrion II

"Why would he want a meeting right outside the walls? He knows our archers can kill him whenever they want to, right?" Bronn questioned. "Boy seems quite stupid if you ask me."

"I assure you, he knows exactly what he's going." Yes, Tyrion thought to himself bitterly. Even that damn falcon that delivered the message and then flew overhead for the day. Olyvar Arryn's message was bold and demanding, but Tyrion knew it was a front for delivering a bigger message. A message aimed for the smallfolk. "He did all of this purposefully."

"Seems foolish, if you ask me." Bronn shrugged. The letter had come only a few days prior from one of the messenger falcons that the Eyrie used in the event of emergencies. In it, Olyvar Arryn requested an audience with a representative of the crown save Joffrey or Cersei, a slight his sister had been outraged by. If the chosen representative did not meet him out in the field, he would begin the siege of the capital. "I wouldn't announce that I was coming to my enemy's gate if I was intending to attack them."

"That's because he's not going to attack us." Tyrion said simply.

"And how do you know that?" Bronn asked.

Tyrion had to pause for a moment. "I don't for sure. But the boy has an honorable nature about him, one that I can respect. Thankfully I've kept him as good company up the Kingsroad, so I doubt he will take my head." If truth be told, he would have liked to send Littlefinger out there in place of himself, but Tyrion could not trust him. Despite his service and relationship with Olyvar's mother, Baelish was still a Valeman, and if left to his own devices he would likely sell the city out the Olyvar for a handsome reward. He had to explain that to Cersei enough times already.

"Something tells me he won't be so honorable." The sellsword's cynical nature was truly shining through today. "Especially when we have his cousin."

"Cousins." Tyrion hissed. "Do be sure to not mention the fact we lost one. He will not take too kindly to it, and I would much rather see him go south than stay outside of the walls for an extended period of time." The two rode out of the Dragon's Gate north to meet their visitors. Mere moments after they had left the safety of the walls, Tyrion saw them; twenty thousand men had set up camp in the distance, a distance that made Tyrion nervous.

"Here." Tyrion and his eight guards stopped a distance away from the gate, waiting for the representatives of the Arryn army to ride out and meet them. It was a spot they had chosen the night previous, near the Road to Rosby, where the strong smell coming from the Narrow Sea swept across the land. They sat on their horses for a few moments, waving the Baratheon flag to signal their arrival to the enemy. Not long after, Tyrion saw a group riding out to meet them, the sigil of the Arryns held high.

As the group got closer, he could recognize the brown hair of Olyvar Arryn leading the men on horseback. Good, he came himself. When the boy came into close proximity, he shouted to the Lord of the Eyrie. "Lord Arryn. So good you could come yourself."

"I must say, I'm pleasantly surprised." Olyvar gave a grin in Tyrion's direction. "I would have expected your sister to have met me out here."

"What would that have done besides give you cause to subject this city to siege?" Tyrion had never seen his sister rage the way she had after having the letter read to her and seeing the falcon flying over the city. "You've already stirred up enough trouble for me after that little messenger of yours stayed an extra day."

"If I had known you were in the capital, I would have tried to rush here a little sooner." Tyrion forced a smile to meet Olyvar's smirk. Unlikely. You took your time for a reason. The smallfolk had taken the falcon as a warning to the capital; Olyvar Arryn was coming to take the city. This, along with the supply shortage, created paranoia. Riots had broken out, memories of the Sack fourteen years previous coming back to the minds of the peasants.

"I am sure. But tell me, my friend. Why is it you stop here, when Stannis sails for Storm's End as we speak? Surely you haven't abandoned your King to the mercy of his brother?" Reports had come to them from their spies that Stannis was preparing to set sail with his fleet to the ancestral stronghold of his family, Storm's End. Tyrion suspected that Renly would take his time, but respond eventually. "It would be quite useless to take the city in his name if he's dead."

"Oh, I'm not here to fight unless I have to. No, I'm simply here to pick up a few things I left in the city." Olyvar looked to his companions, each giving a nod, before turning back to Tyrion. "I'd rather we talk alone about these matters, if you don't mind."

"I would mind, actually. If you haven't noticed, I don't necessarily have the advantage here."

"Tyrion, are we not friends?"

"Our friendship hardly matters at the moment. Not when you have twenty thousand men outside of the gates of a city I'm trying to protect." Tyrion said cynically. Olyvar Arryn continued smirking, which irritated him. Why are you in such a jolly mood now, dear Olyvar? "I'd feel a lot safer with my men around me."

"We wouldn't even have to leave this spot, Tyrion. The same spot you chose to ride to." Olyvar's smirk had begun to transform ever so slightly into the same serious face Tyrion remembered seeing on the boy's face every time they played cyvasse. "Tell me, why here?"

Tyrion's annoyance grew. "You are far smarter than your age should allow. Did you suspect me from the beginning?"

"I had suspicions that there would be some type of plot, regardless of who was sent out." The pleasant tone was now gone, replaced with a voice of iron. Like his mentor, no doubt. "That's why I sent scouts throughout the area to check if there was some force to intercept and capture me. And to my surprise, they found nothing. No archers, no cavalry. So what's the plan? Or have you submitted to leaving yourself completely vulnerable?"

It was Tyrion's turn to smirk. "What? Can't you smell it?" The boy's eyes narrowed before opening wide. "Ahh, now you understand. The sea isn't the only thing you're smelling, is it?"

"My lord?" One of Olyvar's men questioned the boy, and Tyrion saw a few of the Arryn men reaching for the hilts of their swords before the boy held his hand up, commanding them to hold.

"Wildfire?" Olyvar questioned, Tyrion returning the inquiry with a nod, the expression of the Lord of the Eyrie growing grimmer, to Tyrion's secret enjoyment. "So, you intend to burn yourself as a last resort?"

"I'd rather not, but you understand I cannot take any chances." Tyrion realized how mad he must have sounded. The stories of how the Mad King used wildfire and how his victims had screamed in agony until their deaths were terrifying to him. But what other way was there to be sure Olyvar would not attempt something?

"So I assume one of your men has something hot enough that will spark it?" Olyvar was not looking at Tyrion with disgust, as most of the other Arryn men were. No, Tyrion thought. He understands. It's war, after all.

"Indeed. Should there be some sort of attempt on me, I assure you we will be going to one of the seven hells in a ball of flames." The pair of them sat there for what felt like the longest time. "I know you don't want to burn alive out here, so I suggest we start talking about what you came for."

"I suppose so." Olyvar moved about his saddle, apparently trying to get comfortable. "I came here for the bones of my uncle, as well as his greatsword. Should these not be given to me, or should I come to face a horrible, burning death," Don't look at me like that. "My men will lay siege to the city and take them, along with my cousins."

"Those are your demands? Why not ask for your cousins?"

"Please." Olyvar shot back bitterly at Tyrion's sarcastic remark. "I'm well aware of the status my cousins hold as hostages. You aren't going to release them to me, you would lose all of your leverage over Robb and myself." Tyrion knew his words were true. Besides, Cersei would never willingly release the girls without getting Jaime back.

"Well, if a sword and a corpse are going to spare us, I'm more than willing-" Tyrion was cut short by Olyvar, who held his hand up before speaking.

"Furthermore, I want to see my cousins, to ensure of their well-being." Tyrion kept his face stone, hiding his inner turmoil. If we were to agree to this, Olyvar would discover that Arya Stark was missing, and then only the gods knew how he would react. If he didn't, the boy would attack the city and find out for himself. Either way, Tyrion saw visions of his head removed from his body.

"I cannot allow that." He said swiftly. "You are asking for a great deal without the guarantee of our safety. What's to stop you from taking the girls and making your way up to Winterfell, or storming the city?"

"Is swearing upon my honor good enough?" Olyvar asked. "It seems to do the trick with everyone else. You know how much honor means to my house."

"Yes, but doing things with honor isn't exactly beneficial for one's health these days, is it?" Tyrion pointed his thumb back in the direction of the capital. "Your uncle can unfortunately attest to that."

"Wretched Imp." One of the Arryn men shouted at him. He wasn't very old, possessing brown hair and a wider nose than most.

"Ease yourself, Ser Donnel." Another man shouted at the one known as Donnel. This one had a commanding voice, with a wise face and thick beard. He looked to be one of Olyvar's top advisers. "We are not here to let our tempers get in the way." But Tyrion was no longer paying attention to the voices of the Valemen. His eyes were locked with the sharp brown of Olyvar Arryn, who was giving him a look he had only seen once before; the same look he had given Joffrey back in Winterfell.

"I thank you for reminding me of my uncle, Lord Tyrion. My terms still stand. I will see my cousins on this exact spot before the day ends. If not, this city will fall, and I will place the heads of your nephew and sister on spikes for all to see. Then, I will determine your fate, my friend." Without another word, Olyvar Arryn turned his horse and spurred it back to his camp, leaving Tyrion and his guard standing on the earth soaked in wildfire.

"Well, that went better than expected." Bronn mocked from behind him.

"We have to give him what he wants. There is no other choice, we are not ready to endure a full siege yet." Tyrion lamented at the thought of telling his sister about the negotiations. She would likely say something about how he should have sacrificed himself to kill the Young Falcon, but Tyrion knew it would only mean her and her children's deaths by more savage means. "Come, let's retrieve young Sansa and try making due with what we can."

"We should have just killed the boy. Would have made it a lot easier." Bronn suggested.

"No, we need to use him to buy us time. His men against Renly's will give us an extra day or two to prepare the city." Tyrion knew that Olyvar was desperate to aid Stannis, so desperate that he wouldn't actually attack without provocation. Even if he wanted to get his cousin's back, he also understood the threat Renly posed to everyone. "He's doesn't want to attack us." He reassured himself.

"Aye. Not until he realizes that we only have one of his cousins." The sellsword told a grim truth. Tyrion's mind was racing faster than it had ever raced before. He needed to find something else that would appease Olyvar Arryn.

A/N: Battle of wits: Tyrion 1, Olyvar 0. Round Two coming soon.

Honestly, it took some time coming up with the concept of Tyrion's deception. I knew I wanted to use wildfire in some way, a basic trap is something Tyrion knew Olyvar, or one of his advisers, would have suspected. I also remember, perhaps incorrectly, that wildfire had a sort of smell about it. From there, I figured the incoming smell of the sea would make for a perfect masking agent to the wildfire, and all would be set.

As always, reviews are welcome and very helpful. Have a good day guys and gals.