Chapter 2

Ikemmu, Jaime Lannister, no, Jaime Pryde, decided, was very gloomy and a bit creepy. The whole land seemed to be unnaturally saturated in perpetual dusk. It was the kind of atmosphere made you recall depressing and scary memories that you thought had been buried deep down and long forgotten. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He and Tyrion had been traveling along the merchant's road, as the pathway from the Raven's Gate to Gloomwrought was termed, for perhaps an hour at least. They had been making idle conversation during that hour.

"So, once we reach Gloomwrought, what will we need to do first, little brother?"

"Tonight, Jaime we will find a place to eat a hot meal and soft beds on which to lay our weary heads. Tomorrow, we will begin our search to buy either a pleasure den or a small merchant company, and from there, we will, hopefully, slowly but surely expand."

"It sounds like a good plan. Though, I suppose I shall be the muscle, and you shall be the brains?" Jaime asked with humor.

"Well of course, brother. I would not want it any other way. You cannot expect me to swing a sword and stand guard while you sit and pour over countless sheets full of endless sums and figures."

They shared a laugh, one which died in their throats as they beheld Gloomwrought.

If ever a city could be described like a looming beast ready to pounce on its unsuspecting prey, Gloomwrought would be that city. It was full of dark, slightly leaning buildings, many of which seemed to sprawl outwards from the city's center. It looked ominous, and it was to be their home. To Jaime, it looked like a black lion intent on devouring its prey. That thought of a lion brought back unwanted memories of home, and what he had done to be sure that he and Tyrion would not be followed by their father. Jaime banished the thoughts from his mind as they entered through the city gates, and rode into the city proper. What they saw left them speechless.

In the streets, the majority of the inhabitants were shadar-kai and shadowborn, but there were other….beings as well. Jaime saw creatures that looked like a cross between a human and a dragon, only without wings or a tail. He beheld other that resembled Tyrion in size, only they were more muscular and had long, thick beards. There appeared to be one race that was even smaller than his brother! All these and more, from humans with outrageous skin colors whose faces appeared to be coved in intricate mask-like tattoos that faintly glowed, to stone-skinned creatures who seemed as tall as Gregor Clegane, and were covered in little grey circles. It was all seemed so fantastically unbelievable.

"'We have reasons for our isolation, reasons which cannot yet be explained and secrets that must be kept, for Westeros is not yet ready.' " Tyrion murmured.

"What was that, brother?" Jaime asked.

"The very words that Torrhen Stark, cousin and advisor of Uwan the defiant, said to Aegon and his sisters the day the Treaty of Shadows was signed. These…creatures must be some of those secrets brother! This is fantastic!"

The two brothers looked around for a bit more at all the strange sights, then, reluctantly, turned their gazes forward and headed to find an inn.

Since they had no idea where exactly to go to find one, they had to frequently stop and ask for directions. They were eventually directed to the Black Griffon inn. It looked like any other inn, though on the inside more of the strange races stat at tables, ate, drank or simply talked. Jaime watched as Tyrion paid a fee to a red-skinned creature with horns and a tail who he assumed was the proprietor. They were then directed to a table, and two bowls of what appeared to be steaming hot beef stew were set in front of them, along with fresh bread and two flagons of cold ale. It was simple, but good fare.

Taking their flagons in hand, the two brothers raised a toast.

"To House Pryde. Long may it last", Jaime said.

"To wealth, power, and to stepping out of father's damned shadow in the one place where there are an abundance of them!" They clinked their flagons, drank deep, and then began to eat their stew in content silence.

After a while, Tyrion began to have a nagging thought, one which had never come to the forefront of his mind during their month-long sojourn to Ikemmu.

"Jaime", Tyrion began. His brother looked up.

"I have been wondering, why has father never sent anyone after us, or at least, after you? He could not have cared less about me, but you, and Cersei, were always his favorites."

At this, Jaime flinched momentarily, and then gave a noticeably forced grin. "Do not worry about it brother, I took care of everything."

Tyrion looked at him a moment, shrugged, and went back to his meal. Jaime, on the other hand, suddenly did not have that much of an appetite anymore. After their dishes had been cleared, they were given a room with two beds, where they set down their belongings, with Jaime unbuckling his sword belt, and promptly sank into their feather mattresses. Jaime's last conscious thoughts were of Casterly rock, his father, and Cersei. However, his dreams though, were of a lion, strong, yet mangy and beaten, and of two cubs leaving as their fur turned grey and the manes grew streaks of grey-black, while a single cub took their place.

The next day, the two brothers had breakfast, set out into the street with their horse and cart, and, after a few hours of searching, bought a small pleasure den that was also used as a trading house and an inn. Thus began the first day of their new lives in the city of Gloomwrought.

I know this chapter is significantly shorter than my previous ones so far, for this I apologize.