Queen of the Iron Islands Chapter 6
Asha Greyjoy comes to the terms with the loss of her lover, Qarl the Maid. She and her uncles then discover startling new evidence connecting the Faceless Man to the murder of Lord Balon Greyjoy. All recognisable ASOIAF characters, themes, and locations belong to George R.R. Martin and HBO. As always feel free to read and review.
Asha Greyjoy: Connecting the Dots
Morning had reached the shores of Old Wyk. A warm sun hung over the deep blue sky like a great lantern. The winds were calm and the waves splattered over the sandy shores of the holy island. A maester had predicted that today would be the first sunny day since the captains of the Ironborn had congregated at Great Wyk to hold a kingsmoot to elect their new leader. Alas there was to be little joy for the Greyjoy clan gathered at Asha's camp.
Taking a risky gamble, Asha had laid a trap for the assassin, believing that he had followed Euron's entourage and would return to finish off his work. For that night, Asha had hidden Ila aboard a longboat Black Wind, which was anchored in Nagga's Cradle. Qarl the Maid had been the most enthusiastic supporter of the plan and now he was dead. Hagen the Horn had also fallen in combat against the assassin. His beautiful red-haired daughter Freya could be heard weeping for her fallen father. Of the three on duty that night, Grimtongue had survived with a few cuts and bruises and was being tended to by her uncle Rodrik Harlaw's maester.
Since the attack last night, Asha had not an hour of sleep. She had spent much of the early hours of the morning mourning the death of her lover. Never again would she touch his clean-shaven pink cheeks. Never again would they share a bed together. She would have married Qarl had he been the heir of a noble family like the Botleys or the Harlaws. However, Qarl was the grandson of a thrall and not of noble birth. The assassin had cleaved him across from shoulder to torso, smashing through his rib cage and lungs. Qarl had drowned to death in his own blood. There was nothing they could do to save him.
Asha would have killed the assassin with her own sword but the assassin had robbed her of that satisfaction. Per Ironborn tradition, Qarl the Maid and Hagen the Horn were to be buried at sea. Asha consoled herself with her people's belief that fallen Ironborn would feast in the watery halls of the Drowned God for all eternity, with every need attended to by mermaids. Asha had little time for religion but this was one of the moments where she wished for a miracle. Alas, the Drowned God was silent.
After mourning, Asha had bathed in the sea. While munching down a quick breakfast of oats porridge, she received word that her uncles were seeking an audience with her.
Later…
The body of the assassin had been brought into one of Uncle Rodrik's tents. Uncle Rodrik was examining the body on a makeshift wooden table. He was known as Rodrik the Reader due to his love for reading, a peculiar art for many Ironborn. As the younger brother of her mother Alannys, Rodrik was her great uncle. Also present, were Victarion and Aeron, who were standing nearby. Aeron was the first to speak to her.
"I'm sorry that I and my older brother underestimated you, Asha," said Aeron "It was a clever idea setting up a decoy for the assassin, for a woman."
Clever idea indeed, thought Asha, but a costly one in terms of the lives of two of my crew. It was Qarl the Maid's idea but it cost him his life.
"While we were probing through the assassin's belongings," added Rodrik "We found some items of interest that may help us identify who sent him. He was pretty well-equipped and armoured so he must have been well-paid and well-trained"
Rodrik presented the leather belt that had been fastened around the assassin's waist. Asha and the other people in the room noted the silver buckle on the brown leather belt. It showed a shoal of fish against a silver background. Instantly, that rang alarm bells in everyone's head.
"That's the sigil of House Botley," said Victarion gruffly "They have a silvery shoal of fish on their blazon. I bet that Germund had a hand in this. This is an expensive belt buckle."
"It's certainly no coincidence that Euron rewarded him with half of the Botley lands and titles for betraying his own King," commented Aeron "And now this."
Asha also examined the assassin's sword. Shudders ran down her spine as she remembered that this was the sword that had claimed the life of Qarl the Maid. It was a slender, singled-edged blade with a hilt that was specially designed to accommodate a left-handed wielder. She held the hilt and ran the tips of her fingers against the smooth metal blade. There were some Ironborn who fought with their left hand. But, Asha had a particular individual in mind: Lucas Codd.
"Lucas Left-Hand Codd," spoke Asha, spitting the name with discuss "This gives me another reason to despise the Codds."
"Let's not blame the whole of House Codd for the actions of one man," replied Rodrik "The Codds may be cowards and the offspring of salt-wives and thralls but…"
"…they're still Ironborn nonetheless," finished off Aeron "It's not only our blood that makes us Ironborn. But whether they follow the Old Way."
Rodrik then fetched a handful of silver coins from a leather satchel and passed them round for everyone to examine. Asha fingered a coin in her left palm. On the obverse side was a hooded figure. On the reverse side of the coin was enscribed a peculiar V-shaped symbol with a saw, encircled by the unfamiliar words Valar morghulis and Valar dohaeris.
"Valar morghulis, that's High Valyrian for all men must die," explained Rodrik calmly "And Valar dohaeris means all men must serve. Which leads me to conclude that our assassin is a Faceless Man. They're a religious cult of assassins based in Braavos across the Narrow Sea. They worship the Many-Faced God and believe that death is their god's gift."
"Another false god," intoned Aeron "An illusion sent by the Storm God to ensnare the minds of men."
"The Crow's Eye must have hired one of these scoundrels," commented Victarion "He's spent three years traveling the high seas. A few nights ago, I heard him boasting that he had tossed a dragon's egg into the sea in one of his foul moods. I think he made up that story to cover the fact that he had hired an assassin to kill our King, our brother."
"My father," added Asha in annoyance.
At that moment, the little Wildling girl Ila entered the tent escorted by two guards, Rogon Rustbeard and Rolfe the Dwarf. Ila was dressed in a faded red linen frock. Her curly blonde hair glittered in the sun. Since her voyage from Harlaw to Old Wyk, the little girl had developed sea legs. She had little trouble sleeping in the Black Wind's quarters having lived in the northern wastes of the Green Land for several months.
"Ila, come in please," said Rodrik warmly "We're examining the body of the assassin that we caught last night."
Ila was at first scared of the corpse but Asha assured her that the "bad man" was as dead as a doornail. After a minute or two, she picked a slender-looking Braavosi dagger lying on the table.
"That's the knife that he used to kill Balon," beamed Ila in her sweet child-like voice. She then fingered the assassin's damp, well-worn cloak. "And that was the cloak he was wearing the night when I first saw him."
Asha couldn't help chuckling. Finally, the pieces were coming together. They were getting closer to solving the murder of Balon Greyjoy. The evidence was circumstantial but it might still help corroborate Ila's testimony against Germund Botley and Lucas "Left-Hand" Codd. All her three uncles expressed some measure of glee. Asha saw a rare smile on Victarion's nominally grim face while Aeron rubbed his hands in glee. Rodrik also beamed a smile but sighed.
"I guess we have enough evidence to deliver Germund and Lucas to justice," said Rodrik "But we have nothing to pin down Euron. I believe that he had a hand to play in all this."
Now was the time to play divide and conquer, said Asha. Let's see how long Euron will defend these scoundrels if he's so fixated on grabbing the Seastone Chair. Asha smiled.
"I have an idea," she announced "And here's what we'll do…"
Endnotes
Now, let me make it clear that I have no prejudices against left-handed people. I have a left-handed twin brother. I made the Faceless Man left-handed because I wanted to foreshadow something that will happen in the next chapter. My impression of Euron Greyjoy is that he is an unscrupulous politician who is willing to turn on its allies when it is politically expedient to do so. The Ironborn may be reavers, killers, and misogynists, but they strongly frown upon kinslaying.