Chapter 6 - A Sigil Unknown
The next morning, Steve Rogers walked next to the man and woman he saved. He let them ride on the horses, seeing as they were far more wounded than he. Brianne could not stop staring at him. She could not tell if he was brave, kind or stupid seeing as he did not take a horse for himself. Jaime kept trying to figure out who he was, analyzing his strange clothes, mask, and above all, his shield. The mighty weapon clung to his back like a turtle shell, but it shined so brightly, the Lannister worried it would catch the wrong attention. Then again, he did just beat five men half to death with it and his bare hands.
"Are you a knight? asked Brianne of Tarth. He chuckled.
"Something like that," he said with a smile. His accent was one the Lannister had never heard and growing up wealthy, and he had heard a lot.
"What house do you serve?" Jaime finally asked weakly.
"Excuse me?" Steve asked kindly.
"What house? I've never seen that sigil before," he continued.
"Sigil? You mean this?" he said pointing to the star on his chest. Jaime stopped the horse with his one good hand. He grunted in pain.
"Yes … I've never seen it before," he dared.
"Ser Jaime," said Brianne trying to calm him. Steve glanced from her to him.
"I want to know who you are and what you want … you're clearly not from here … but you know who I am otherwise you would not have taken us," the Lannister demanded weakly. Rogers gave him a confused look. "So what do you want? Money? A title? Land?" The Cap lightly laughed and shook his head, putting his hands on his hips.
"Well you are right about one thing … I'm not from here, but I have no idea who you are," he said looking up at him proudly. Jaime's face caked in mud dropped.
"Then where are you from?" asked Brianne. He looked to her now.
"Brooklyn," he answered her.
"And where the hell is that?" the Lannister asked sarcastically.
"New York," he answered him. Jaime and Brianne exchanged worried looks.
"So you're not from Westeros?" the female warrior asked kindly.
"If that's here, then no," he said plainly. They didn't know if he was lying, but is accent was too unique for them to deny.
"Why did you help us?" Brianne asked finally. Steve looked back at the woman warrior.
"I never liked bullies; I don't care where they come from," he said plainly in his Brooklyn accent. Jaime narrowed his eyes at him. He spoke like a Stark, or a child to him.
"Take off your helmet," Jaime ordered. Brianne hit his shoulder with the back of her hand. Steve raised an eyebrow.
"He just saved us," she hissed.
"You trust a man who hides his face?" he growled. Rogers scoffed and took it off nonetheless. When Jaime saw it, he let out an involuntary audible gasp. Steve's face was dirty from the fight, not nearly as filthy as the Lannister's, but it was handsome, with high cheek bones, dirty blonde hair, perfect white teeth and blue eyes.
"What did … you say your name was?" he breathed absorbing every bit of his face. Brianne was just as surprised but not in nearly as much shock as he was.
"I didn't," he said smiling. It was a disgustingly kind and handsome smile for someone who beat five men single handedly with only a shield and his fists.
"Steve Rogers," he said putting a strong left hand out for the cripple to shake. Jaime took it gingerly.
"And you are ….?" he asked still holding his hand. The Kingslayer could not take his eyes off his blue ones.
"Jaime Lannister … Kingslayer," he added hatefully, trying to either intimidate him or figure him out. Rogers grinned and released his hand.
"Captain America," he said pointing to himself with his thumb. Jaime's eyes could have burned a hole in his head. Brianne smiled sheepishly. Not many people could deliberate piss off Jaime on the first try.
"And you Ma'am?" he asked the her charmingly.
"Ma'am?" she scoffed. "I'm not a Lady if that is what you mean," she said kindly. He chuckled.
"A soldier then?" he asked tucking his thumbs in the loops of his belt and glancing at her armor and weapon. She looked baffled and blushed horribly. "A strong woman, fighting off five men, and carrying a sword like that?" he said kindly eying her long broad sword. "Must be heavy," he said with pride. She smiled so big she had to look away. Jaime was embarrassed for her.
"I am Brianne of Tarth," she said softly.
"Brianne of Tarth? That has a nice ring to it," he said kindly. The Lannister could not handle it. He pulled his horse so it stood between the strange man and her.
"You never answered my question. What do you want? And what do you want with us?" he snarled. Steve kept smiling with a glint in his eye.
"I'm looking for a friend. I mean no trouble," he spoke like a leader.
"Oh … and who might that be?" said the Kingslayer growing weaker from his wounds.
"Tony Stark … you heard of him?" he asked, not realizing the weight of those words. The reaction on both of their faces did not comfort him. The Lannister pushed his horse closer to him, attempting to force him back with no prevail.
"Stark? … so you do serve a house?" he gritted through his teeth. Steve narrowed his eyes at him.
"A house?" he questioned.
"Ser Jaime … you yourself swore an oath to the Starks," she warned him.
"Starks? … Plural?" asked Steve confused. Jaime wanted to draw his sword, but he had no attached hand to do so. His anger began to take its toll.
"Are you an idiot or an imbecile?" he insulted.
"Ser Jaime-" she urged him to stop. Steve put a large gentle hand on the horse's chest to stop it from coming any closer, but the Kingslayer was too weak and too angry to do anything further. He fell from the large animal and Steve caught him swiftly before he hit the ground. Brianne gasped in relief. Steve caught sight of the rot still on his severed wrist and frowned.
"He needs medical attention, now!"