The Green wolf.
The longship entered the harbor, the ship was tied up to the single dock by a few smaller boats. The men inside were raged brigands, they wore a mix of chainmail and leather stolen from more honorable men. These men were pirates, they smelled like pirates, they drank like pirates, however they were happier than usual they had a prisoner recently captured from a rich ship. The young woman that they dragged of the boat had dark hair and a fine dress of yellow silk. Her hands were bound and her head was turned towards the ground. The pirates forced her along the peer towards the single long house, which was the largest of the three buildings on the island all of them belonged to the pirates.
That was all Arthur could see from the cliff, overlooking the small pirate settlement with his spyglass, he lay flat against the ground under a pine tree, watching. He would spend hours watching the pirates from different angles, counting their numbers what they brought to the island. He knew them better than their mothers, he knew where the shit, were they hid their diary, and where they kept their underwear. He felt even more disgusted than usual, over how they treated this young lady, he had to do something.
The pirates started piling in to the long house, the pirate holding the girl walked at the back of the group. He was obviously drunk he must have already indulged on the ship before they arrived Arthur concluded in his head. The pirate released his grip on the girls' bonds to piss against the wall, this was a deadly mistake the girl ceased the opportunity. The girl grabbed the knife the man had been carrying in his belt, she stabbed him three times in the back. She ran for it and before any pirate still outside could stop her as she disappeared into the forest.
Then a man in black who was the captain started shouting orders to his men, he sent four men after the girl. Arthur crawled back a few feet, he then crouched and grabbed his longbow that had been laying behind the pine tree alongside his quiver. He moved silently, not making a single sound as he moved down from the cliff thru the woods. He wore a green cloak with a hood, he also had a cowl over his face, on his body he wore a shortened armored leather coat. Under that he wore a black woolen coat that reached his knees, on his legs he wore a matching pair of pants. On his arms he had leather braces along a pair of leather gloves on his hands, around his hip had several pouches that contained anything he might need alongside a bastard longsword.
He took every steep with great care not to break a twig, or to spoke any nearby animals. However, Arthur soon picked up the pace and moved towards where believed the girl to be. He soon heard a scream as he saw the girl run from the pirates, she was maybe 120 feet away from him. But not far behind ran the four pirates that had been sent to re capture her. Arthur followed her from a far staying out of sight. Then one of the pirates caught up to the girl and tackled her down into the mud, the pirates were shearing loudly in celebration, al attention on the girl.
Arthur snuck even closer, taking two arrows from his quiver, he was now only ten feet away from them. He hid behind a tree and listened.
"Stay back if you touch me my father will have your head, or he smash it in himself" the girl said trying to scare the pirates. I did not face the pirates who all laughed wickedly at the girl.
"Well, your father isn't here is he, and the captain is not either" one said with a dark voice.
"Let's all have some fun with her, she will still fetch a good price even if we have some fun" he said in a tone that made Arthurs stomach crawl in disgust.
´That's enough´ Arthur thought pulling the bow string back. Arthur stepped out from behind the tree and hit one of the pirates the throat. He then shot another arrow straight in the eye of another pirate, the two remaining pirates turned around. They immediately charged at him, Arthur quickly put his bow on his back and drew his sword from the sheath. The first Pirate to reach him had a one-handed axe, Arthur kicked him in the crotch, and then finished him of by removing his head with a downward slash. He almost lost his own head to the second pirate but he was able to block the attack. He was able to elbow the pirate in the face breaking his nose, Arthur then ran the man thru with his sword.
Arthur approached the girl carefully, she was still on the ground terrified and in shook, her dress was torn and dirty she was still holding the knife she had stolen. She was pointing it towards Arthur wo stood about six feet away.
"I am not going to hurt you my lady".
She was breathing quickly still pointing the blade at him.
"We can't stay here my lady".
She began to calm down slightly and dropped the knife, she was still weary however. Arthur then removed his hod and cowl. Showing his long brown hair and grey eyes
"See I'm not much older than you, I have a place to hide, come with me my lady, I will get you home I swear it by the old gods and the new"
The girl then raised her hand towards Arthur looking up at him with her green emerald eyes, he grabbed her hand had lifted her to her feet.
"What is your name" she asked still very shaken by what had just happened.
"It's Arthur, and you my lady" he responded.
"Princess Elyse Baratheon" she answered now calmer.
"We should get out of here, before more come looking for these bastards" Arthur said pointing towards the dead pirates.
She nodded in agreement; Arthur wiped his sword on a rag then sheathed his sword. They walked deeper into the Forrest towards a small mountain with a small waterfall. He led towards the water fall until she stopped. To the right of the waterfall and he moved a few branches from a nearby tree, revealing an entrance to a cave.
"You first, my lady" he said holding the branches for her.
She smiled a lite then entered the cave, Arthur soon followed and he lit a torch. They walked along a narrow path that zigzagged into the mountain until they reached a relatively large open room. The room had a few improvised tables and even a stove scavenged from a shipwreck. On a shelf in the wall was improvised bed of furs and pine branches. The other end of the room had various weapons and chests of goods also scavenged.
"It might not be a Reed keep but it's warm and safe, make yourself at home" Arthur said proudly.
"Thank you, you are very kind" she said still a little shy.
"Its no problem at all, I finally have some company, not counting the pirates". He said with a slight smile at his own joke.
The girl also smiled a little until she looked down on her now very ruined drees, she let small sigh of irritation.
"My lady this mountain has some hot pools, if you wish you could clean yourself up, I can provide some fresh clothes as well".
"Thank you".
Arthur searched some of the chests that he had found washed up on the beach, he managed to find a grey northern dress that he thought would fit the young lady. He showed her the way thru a tunnel, he left a torch with the young lady along her fresh new clothes when they found a pool that she liked.
He had walked back to the living room as he had called it, he had cooked some cod that he had caught. And removed his armor and wool coat, he now wore a white under-shirt. He had done his best to make it as comfortable for her as possible. He had taken an old sail that he had found, to make a divider on the other side of the room. He had also made a similar bed to his own. To give her some sense regularity he had used an old barrel for a table and some actual chairs that he found. He had set the table with wooden plates and some iron cutlery. The room was lit with candles and the stove in the middle of the room. He poured some actual arbourgold in iron goblets, he then sat down on his cot sharpening his sword while he waited for the young lady.
She arrived after a few minutes of waiting and sharpening.
Her eyes widened at the sight of food and wine. Arthur leaned his sword against the wall, its swirling black patterned blade gleaming in the dim light.
Arthur was also a bit surprised how the girl now clean had been transformed, she was very beautiful with her mothers eyes and body but with her fathers Baratheon hair.
"Wait, is that Valyriansteel?" she asked with a surprised look on her face.
"Yes, I found in a chest that washed up on the beach, it must have been from an ancient Valyrian trade ship, well its wreckage"
"Oh, does it have a name and how long have you had it?".
"Three years I think, its hard to remember, and no have not had the time to name it".
Arthur then pulled our one of the chairs and the young lady sat down.
"First time I've cooked for a princess, I hope it edible".
He sat down and they ate in silenced, the girl was obviously famished as her ladylike manners went out of the figurative window.
"Only if your mother could se you now, the way you are eating".
"Shut it". Elyse said angerly.
"Oh, and there is the Baratheon furry my father told me about, my father always said that Robbert had a short temper". Arthur said teasingly.
"Your father knew mine?"
"Yes, my father is Eddard Stark, I am his second oldest trueborn son" Elyse then had a look of realization on her face.
"I remember when you disappeared, my father rode north to attend your funeral, to support his best friend, that's four years ago".
Arthur felt tears in his eyes as thought about his family, if his father needed his best friend for consolation, then how had his mother reacted. Or his siblings, had Sansa cried her self to sleep, or had his older brothers ruined their swords swinging them against a tree. Did Rickon remember him at all?
"Lord Stark, my lord, Arthur, are you alright?" Elyse asked him in a worried tone.
"Yes, I'm fine, I just don talk about my family, when I think of it, I haven't seen a single friendly person since I disappeared".
"How did you end up on this island anyway? Trying to change the subject"
"Me, my father and older brother Robb had visited the Mormont's of bear isle, we took a ship southward towards Flints finger. We encountered a storm; I was thrown from the ship by a large wave. I was washed up here the day after".
"That's quite a story, I'm sure my father will want to hear the rest of your story."
Arthur looked up at her surprise.
"Lord Stark, you did swear to bring me home, and as I remember there has never been a Stark to break an oath".
"Yes, I did, why do you think I'm still here?" slightly annoyed.
"Hmm, you like scenery, or you were waiting for a damsel in distress to save?" she said in a joking manner.
"Well yes, it would make for a better entrance when I return home" he said with a big smile on his face.
After laughing and drinking together for some time both went to bed, Elyse snored loudly on the other side of the room. She probably hadn't slept on the ship for her own safety Arthur concluded.