Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age or A Song of Ice and Fire
After some time on the spin off, here I am back on the original.
The Phoenix and the Griffin
Chapter 13: The Amell handmaiden
Another duel, another imagined dishonour. If Chimeron believed in the Maker, he would have sighed 'Maker, these people are pathetic'. Some River lord attempted to rape a girl, Chimeron reported him (just to maintain the appearance of course) and his father protected him. Rather than face Chimeron himself, he appointed a champion, Roderick Caldwell. Again Chimeron fought a man in the dirt, heavy armour clashing. It was a spectacular battle, and he received a scar across his cheek when his helmet was knocked off. Ultimately though Roderick was brought down by a knife to his knee. Chimeron then slid his knife through the visor of the man's helmet, dragging it across his eyes. He wanted to imagine it was the noble's son. There were two types of bad 'lovers' that Chimeron hated, those whom paid for it, and the rapists whom Chimeron despised. When he slept that night, he imagined some accident befalling the noble son. Omega had spat the rapists balls out before ripping into his throat. Chimeron stood and looked at the emblem on his shield. The girl had been grateful, her father even more so. The man was an artist and designed the Sigil that Chimeron would bear on his shield.
A black chimera, gold of mane, but the snake somewhat resembled a dragon and the goat's horns more a stags. Chimeron grinned, wondering if the subtlety would be lost on these people. He looked at his map, wondering which king of old he would draw into his power today. Of course, he still had plans for the West and House Lannister's ghosts. For now though, he still needed to work on getting prestige, and what better way to do that than by being the good knight. House Frey was celebrating yet another wedding, Walder's second cousin once removed or something along those lines.
'Who can keep up with that man's libido, in fact who gives a flying fuck about the Freys anyway?' he huffed.
The Freys hosted a tournament in celebration of the occasion. Riverland lord Edmure Tully was attending, but not his father or uncle, the Blackfish. Edmure Tully had the look of a good lord, fine cut moustache and red hair. He certainly wasn't oafish as Chimeron had often heard, a bit overzealous maybe. The man had gotten into a fight with one of Frey's bastards, whom ironically commented on Catelyn Stark and the legitimacy of her children, considering the presence of the Stark bastard.
'That reminds me, will have to visit the Starks at some point, maybe after my plans for the West are over,' Chimeron thought.
He had gotten some coin from his deeds (and some more evil acts, plus what his companions were doing). So he used those to get a hold of what he needed. First was a horse, Chimeron was no expert, but he wouldn't let anyone swindle him. He based his choice on leg muscle and weight, something that could sprint when commanded and ride for a day at a time. The horse would mainly be so he could enter the joust, and every knight needed a good horse. He probably wouldn't keep it for long. The breeder gave him a brown haired horse with black mane, he threw in a saddle when Chimeron helped him get money back from a butcher who owed him. Then there was the lance, Chimeron bought three. With the rest of his daily budget he bought some salted pork, a skin of wine and milk for Omega. He had set up camp underneath an apple tree, near a lake, protein and fruit were covered for his diet, and not many thieves were tempted to try their luck at stealing what Omega guarded.
"Good girl," he scratched the Direcat's maw, throwing a piece of pork down her mouth.
She lapped up milk he had put onto a bit of stone, a make shift dish for her. As she enjoyed herself, Chimeron stretched his arms and made his way to the lake. It was an impressive sight, he wasn't above enjoying silent moments before the storm. He appreciated beauty of all kind, there were some gems amongst the Freys, even those considered the ugliest had their appeal. Not that he wanted such a thing, an emotionless marriage where neither the equal of the other. Another reason why he found people so pathetic.
'Still, over the past few weeks, I've found some appeal to helping people. The praise they give afterwards true, but the mere act of it as well. I did what no other would do for them, what those lords and ladies could do, but refuse to do. Because it means parting with just a bit of their power, it means leaving themselves vulnerable, and of course they can't afford to be vulnerable can they? Weaklings, they have forgotten what it means to be strong,' Chimeron thought.
He sat at the bank of the lake, arms resting on his knees. There was a disturbance in the water, near one of the bushes sticking out of it. Chimeron looked across the lake and saw a pair of shoes and part of a dress. He shook his head and grinned, looking into the water.
"Hmmm, it seems there is a lady of the lake in this one, what wonders I find," he said.
She emerged from the green, her under dress and red hair soaked by the water. A smile gradually made its way across her mouth.
"And it appears I have found a knight in the hedge, what wonders I find," she said.
"So tell me, what does the lady of the lake offer the knight whom finds her?" Chimeron asked.
"Well there doesn't appear to be a sword hiding underneath here, a pot maybe," the young lady said and Chimeron chuckled.
"I might have need of a pot actually, would the lady of the lake bring it to me?"
She slowly dipped her head under, disappearing into the water. Chimeron leant across the edge, looking for her in the muck. He moved back slightly when a hand emerged, holding a clay pot. Chimeron grabbed the pot, looking at her hand for a moment. Her skin casted the illusion of being delicate, but he could see the scratches and old scarring that came from a rough upbringing, an upbringing on the streets. This was no high born girl, though she put the accent on rather well. Finally taking the pot from her grip, he focused his vision on the water. He expected her to come up, but there was no trace of her. Suddenly, a stone landed in the lake, creating ripples and getting his hair wet. He looked across the lake and saw the woman putting on her dress.
"Can I get the lady of the lakes name?" he asked.
"Perhaps, if the hedge knight can give his," she said.
"Come to the tourney and find out," Chimeron shrugged his shoulders and watched her leave.
He found her attractive, not just in temperament but looks too. She was no story book beauty, but a beauty forged by hardship and he found that all the more appealing. Not that he would have time for something beyond a mere flirtation. Her red hair invoked memories of another red head.
Once, the mages of the tower knew him as Leo. A polite boy to his teachers, always seeking knowledge. He didn't make a great deal of friends though, some found his successes threatening. Others dismissed him as an arrogant suck up, seeking to advance in the tower. But from the moment he arrived at the tower, his goal had been to improve his magic and use the Harrowing to send his consciousness into the fade. There he would form a pact with a demon, not just a simple possession, but an agreement. The Chimera often haunted his dreams now, leading him to adopt it as his sigil and his name. At the tower there were only really two people who caught his eye, two who drew his hatred.
Neria Surana, an elf, a beauty and noted to be a fantastic healer and the best apprentice of the spirit and creation magic trees. Red haired, 'kissed by fire' as he heard it sometimes said. She was close friends and more with the second person to draw Leo's ire. Daylen Amell, the best mage in the tower to practice the Primal style, in particular his mastery of the fire tree. It was said once that during practice with Irving, Daylen's flames took on a blue colour briefly. When Leo formed his contract with his pride, he attempted to kill Daylen. He wanted one of his first murders to be someone he hated, so that in a way he was proving himself the stronger one.
But Surana did something incredible, she took her life force and transferred it to Daylen, effectively healing him from death. It cost the girl her life, but Daylen had returned and attacked Leo relentlessly. Fighting Daylen had been the greatest rush of his life, the moment in his life he first feared dying. And the moment when he knew what he wanted to do with his life. Chimeron remembered that as he made his way to the tourney grounds. He saw the banners of great houses fluttering in the wind. His gaze was drawn to the Amell symbol on a red flag, one of their silver armoured guards was holding it. Behind him rode a smiling man in brown armour, Sir Darius, veteran jouster and friend of Fausten Amell. Chimeron suspected that that man would be the Amell champion, for the joust at least. Coming up behind Darius, Chimeron finally saw Revka Amell. The one handed woman, when he had heard the story of how she had reduced the royal family to silence by cutting off her own hand, Chimeron thought two things.
'Definitely my rival's mother!'
'I think I've had my first crush!'
He grinned, the woman rode confidently despite one hand. She also had her head held high, this was not a woman who felt shame, instead emanating pride in her expressions and movement. Indeed, Chimeron saw Revka Amell as a woman worth respecting. Some noble ladies had a collection of hand maidens, Revka had only one. The lady of the lake, clothes dry and hair tied into a knot behind her. Leo looked at her and their eyes met briefly, he found himself smiling at her, raising his hand to wave. He lowered his hand however when he saw the golden lion on the red field. The flag fluttered, held by a Lannister guard in red and gold armour. Leo looked closer at the man between the guards. Bald headed, but had a blonde beard running across his cheeks, side burns and chin. He dressed in a red and black doublet, his cloak held together by a gold coin with a lion on it. His eyes and expression seemed to regard most of the people around him, analysing them with a critical eye.
'So, that's the old lion, Tywin Lannister,' the young knight's hands trembled for a moment.
Then he chided himself, for thinking he would meet some kind of monster or demon, when the most horrifying thing about Tywin Lannister was that he was just a man. The people muttered amongst themselves as the Lannister champion came riding up behind Tywin, fully clad in red and gold armour, his face covered by a full plate helm. What made people quiver was the sheer size of the man. This man must have been taller than most Qunari Kossith, and they could be tall. His hands were massive, looking as if they could crush skulls. The poor horse beneath him seemed to tremble from the sheer weight of the man. Even Leo felt his leg shake out of fear, such an opponent would push him. But if he brought that giant down in either the melee or the joust, then he would earn respect amongst the people here.
He couldn't wait to get into the fight.
The king would not be coming today, and Revka was thankful for that. She could already see several cheating assholes seeking to seduce serving girls and handmaidens, she didn't want the loudest of them here. Watching Walder Frey grip the arse cheeks of some of the girls pissed her off. She didn't tolerate it with the Amell staff, guest rights worked two ways and Frey always forgot that. Gifts were given to the happy couple and as the night truly began, the drinking kicked off with young men challenging one another to duels and fights. She saw two Lannister banner men going at it with two Tyrell and Tully banner men.
"The bluster of youth," Revka muttered as Tywin walked to her table.
"I would not know it," the Lannister leader said, looking with half interest at the boys fighting.
"You were young once too my lord," she said, pouring him a cup of wine.
Tywin sat and sipped the wine, looking at the Amell handmaiden dancing with a squire from the Stormlands.
"I haven't been young in a long time, and one could say the same of you, your own children have grown and flown away from the nest in each their own way," Tywin explained.
"How poetically put Lord Tywin, have you perhaps decided to compose a book of ballads?" Revka asked and Tywin huffed, as close to a laugh as one could get with him.
"From what I've heard your niece is more the poet, much to the delight of my grandchildren," he said.
"Talent should be encouraged, no matter what they look like," Revka said.
She looked Tywin in the eye, both of them hard faced, not quite glaring at one another but neither smiling or laughing either. Tywin knew Revka had insulted him, thrown some veiled disapproval of how he treated Tyrion. But he didn't rise to it or demand any form of elaboration.
"You've taken a handmaiden," he said, instead changing the subject.
"Kira, sweet girl, shit spy," Revka said.
"You believe she is spying on you?" Tywin asked.
"You pay your servants well Tywin, as do we, but payment can only take us so far. Kira tells people what I want her to tell them, as do I suspect the people you discover spying on you," she explained.
"Why waste something when you can use it?"
"Exactly, and she's a good girl trying to get by, I don't begrudge her that," Revka said.
She sipped her wine and looked to the 'noble' knights. Dontos Hollard had been drinking, and many of his fellow knights placed food on the unconscious man's belly, placing wagers on what would balance. In the corner, Rupert Brax was speaking with his nephews Tytos and Robert, the three related to the Frey's through marriage. They were probably discussing a strategy for the melee. Marq Piper of the Riverlands, and Rycherd Crane of the Southlands conversed with Darius. So many knights, the Brax's of course being Lannister bannermen, but only one could be considered the champion. Yet there was no sign of the giant.
"Lady Amell," Tywin's voice suddenly snapped her out of her observations.
"Yes Lord Tywin," she said.
"My sympathies over the passing of your father," Tywin said and Revka narrowed her eyes at the man.
"I must admit, it is strange to hear such a thing from you, unless you simply say it for courtesies sake," Revka said.
"It's true I never liked your father, but I respected him. I respected that though he was an idealist, he was capable of standing by his ideals, and protecting his family," Tywin explained.
"He respected you, in his way," Revka muttered.
"He hated me!"
"Of course he hated you, you're a ruthless arse after all," Revka said and Tywin raised his eyebrows at her. "You're a ruthless, hateful arsehole, but you're a smart ruthless arsehole, and you know it, it's what you want people to think of you because so long as people think of you as that, they won't defy you," Revka explained.
"People often ask whether it is better to be feared or respected they have it wrong, it is better to be feared and respected," Tywin said.
"That's what my father believed too, in that regard you were at least similar," Revka tilted her cup to Tywin and he tapped his against hers.
No drink, no fucking, and no fighting before the actual fight. Chimeron sat in the field he had earlier, rather than converse with the other hedge knights. He slept with Omega watching over him, his weak connection to the fade manipulating his dreams. The recurring dream he had was of fire and ice, and he always he saw the back of his rival. He who he was training to surpass, he who he hoped to meet again, the second part of the equation that was his dream. When Chimeron woke up, he felt a surge of grief.
Thedas had certainly had its problems, the same problems Westeros had. But Chimeron had connected with the Wonders of Thedas. The creatures waiting within the forests. He tried to form a fireball, make ice, a spark of lightning, but it was gone. Chimeron carried weapons and armour, yet he felt as if he was weak. So long as the magic suppressing magic across Westeros was active then he would never feel truly complete. He wondered what exactly was keeping him from summoning his mana, the wall? Or had the nature of magic changed because the nature of Westeros was simply different. This nation's history was as bloody, perhaps bloodier than Thedas. So were only a select few places in possession of a weakened veil? It both frustrated and fascinated Chimeron.
Closing his eyes, the young man concentrated with everything he had. Then he felt it, the surge across his fist, a storm. But it passed like lightning, though lacking the destructive power. Chimeron looked up at the stars and marvelled at the lights before he went back to sleep.
Archery never really got people's attention. But Chimeron watched, knowing the skill of an archer was just as valuable as the might of a warrior. Fighting from a distance was called cowardice by some, but then so was fighting in full plate, so really, there was no such thing as cowardly fighting. There was fighting smart, anyone who criticised the previous methods was an absolute moron in Chimeron's eyes. Archery competitions could also be participated in by the lowliest of people, one didn't have to be a knight or bear a title. A great deal of Archery contest winners were huntsmen from villagers, the kind that had to practice on rabbits, small and fast moving tactics. Boar and deer may be strong and big, but the point was that they were big. So Chimeron learned quickly that a vast majority of the best archers were low born.
'Perhaps that is why in the original tale of the good thief, he was low born, then high born fools had to change it,' Chimeron smirked.
He walked amongst the tents set up around the tourney grounds, already in his armour. Lions, unicorns, fish and birds, and bears and maids, there were so many colourful flags. Expensive looking armour, some worn by men who looked as if they deserved it. Others by men who looked as if they spent more time at a dining table than a training ground. Despite his blood, Chimeron was thankful that he had trained against opponents intent on killing him. It gave him and other hedge knights an advantage over little lords taught by men at arms that didn't want to hurt their boss's heir.
"Warrior grant me strength, maiden grant me victory, mother grant me protection," Chimeron shook his head as he passed praying knights.
'Pathetic,' he thought.
The melee ground was wide, each knight had a point they would enter from. Melee's tended to start and end quick, unless the fighters were just that good. The weak would fall first, and then the strongest group would be left. Chimeron expected people to gang up on him within the first few minutes. In the noble spectator stands, Chimeron noticed Revka sat a fair distance from Tywin Lannister, whom kept his eyes on his red armoured giant. The man was wielding a monster of a sword as well. Next to Revka, Chimeron again saw the red haired girl. She looked towards him, then promptly looked away. Low murmurs came from the other knights when they saw a fully armoured knight with a spear and short sword. Judging from the body shape, it was a woman. Chimeron smirked, he was seeing two Amells today. Dayla Amell, twin sister of Revion and a famous warrior.
'I hope you don't die in this match Amell,' Chimeron thought,.
Once the knights had put their helmets on, Walder bellowed for the melee to start. As soon as he walked out onto the field, Chimeron was met by a mace. He raised his shield, blocking the attack from Rupert Brax. As he suspected, the Brax's were working together for the melee. Dontos was the first to yield, thrown into the mud by a nameless hedge knight. Chimeron deflected Rupert's mace and parried Robert's axe. He quickly shoved Rupert into Tytos, making them both lose balance. Robert was good with the axe, he certainly wasn't losing his grip when Chimeron rattled him with a few strikes. Keeping his sword high and shield ahead, Chimeron used one for lowering the defence and the other for battering. He struck Tytos in the head so hard that the man's helmet was knocked off, quickly drawing Rupert and Robert to defend their kin. With his sword Chimeron redirected the mace into the axe, then slammed them against the dirt before kneeing Rupert in the face. He shoved Robert and then bonked the top of his helmet with his pommel.
Kira heard her mistress bellow to her daughter. Dayla was rough, not at all the dancer some imagined her fighting style to be. But she was flawless with the spear, blocking strikes, tripping her opponents. She struck Rycherd Crane's knee with the flat of her sword before punching him, moving straight into clubbing an attacker with the shaft of her spear. Kira could hear the blows from her seat, even over Revka's yells.
"HIT HIM! GO ON! PLANT HIS ARSE ON THE MUD!" Revka roared.
She was of course more focused on Dayla and Darius, whom too fought well. He had brought a few hedge knights and named knights down with his morning star and hammer. Darius turned and bowed to the applauding small folk, ever the performer. Kira looked towards the knight she met at the lake, biting her thumb as she watched the man face the Braxs. His sword was knocked aside by an attacking hedge knight. Using both his gauntlet and shield, he parried their weapons and held them at an angle pointed down. So he held back the attacks of three men, using them as shields to keep back a few other knights. In the end they barged through the Braxs. The young knight raised his arms as he stepped back, the men in front of him stumbling over one another. Taking a running start, he kicked one man across the head, then punched Rupert Brax as he stood up.
"DAYLA IF YOU LOSE TO DARIUS DON'T YOU COME TO MY ESTATE THIS MONTH! DARIUS IF YOU HOLD BACK I'LL CASTRATE YOU!" her mistress stood eagerly yelling.
Revka didn't seem bothered by the Lannister champion. A monster of a man who threw knights across the field. He had cut the arm off of one hedge knight, whilst another of his opponents must have broken something. The red giant rested his sword on his shoulder, bashing aside other knights as he fought across the field towards Dayla and Darius. Kira held a hand to her heart as the giant thrust his sword towards Dayla. Suddenly, her knight ran in, holding back the sword with his shield. Dayla and Darius momentarily turned away from their duel to see the hedge knight blocking the giant's blade.
Chimeron felt his arms scream under the weight of the giant's blade. Blocking it seemed to be a smart move at the time. He let out a yell as the blade scraped across his gauntlets. Stepping to the side, Chimeron redirected the blade to the ground. He drove his knee through the side of the giant's head and punched his knee. There was the sound of bone breaking, but the giant didn't let out so much as a scream. He swung his arm around, backhanding Chimeron. At the last moment, he crossed his arms together, using them and his shield to absorb some of the impact of the giant's blow. Even with that, he was thrown back from the force of it. There was a dent in the giant's gauntlet, clearly he cared nothing for any injuries he might sustain. He swung his sword at Darius and Dayla, forcing both of them apart. Darius attempted to bash the man with his hammer, the blow left a dent in the man's helmet, but it didn't sway him. He grabbed Darius by his hand, and the crowd went silent when they heard a sickening crunch. Darius yelled, his left hand being crushed beneath his gloves. He was dropped to the floor, flailing around in agony.
Revka stopped yelling, seeing her old friend writhing on the floor, soon passing out from the pain. Then she looked to the giant, no the monster fighting her daughter. Kira had never seen a look of fear across her mistress's face. A woman always confident, Revka now truly looked like a mother concerned for her child. She leant against the railing, gritting her teeth together with every strike Dayla was barely able to parry. She shook her head, no, her daughter would not lose, Dayla Amell could not lose. For she was the strongest in the Meadow. Dayla grinded her sword against the giant's and slashed at his breastplate, her sword scraping against the armour. She ducked and barely avoided the giant's follow up swing. He then brought the sword down on her block, forcing her to her knees. There was activity behind the giant and the crowd murmured, the hedge knight was at it again, swinging Darius hammer at him. The giant caught the blade and threw the knight on top of Dayla.
'No,' Revka thought, seeing her daughter topple to the ground.
Chimeron rose and turned, just as the giant swung his sword down again. It dragged through his helmet, and he felt a surge of pain in his left eye. Then he saw blood, it sprayed on the front of the monster's helmet as he grabbed Chimeron and threw him aside. He rolled across the dirt, blood dripping through his visor. Chimeron's hand shook, passing over the area of his eye. The fear and rage gripped him, had he been blinded in that eye? Would the wound become infected? He looked over his shoulder, barely able to make out the struggling form of Dayla Amell, she was brought to the ground again. The crowd gasped as Chimeron removed his helmet, he didn't need it further blocking his view. A vicious slash ran from his forehead, through his eye and ended at his cheek. Dropping the helm, Chimeron gripped his sword handle.
"LANNISTER!" he roared, looking towards the red champion.
He took a few steps forward as the giant turned. It, yes it, that was all Chimeron could describe it as, began to swing its sword. Chimeron drew his sword into a slash, slicing the giant's shoulder. He didn't stop there, sheathing his sword again and then shuffling his feet alongside the beast. Upon drawing his blade, he slashed the back of his opponent's knees. Sheathing and drawing again and again, he slashed the elbows, the neck, heels, fingers. Finally, the giant dropped the sword. Chimeron caught the massive blade and swung with all his strength, bellowing and crashing the sword through the side of the giant's face, completely obliterating the helmet and head. He roared, raising the sword over his head, holding it to the sky and yelling in anger. But the rage faded, and he began to fall back.
"How appropriate!"
He was in the ruins of the tower, what he dreamed of turning the place into. His child's body was covered by the same robes he wore during that time. There was a booming sound, the ground seemingly shaking as he grinned.
"What do you mean?" he asked, and as he regained courage he became older, the teenager he was when he killed Surana.
Then it appeared, walking around the ruins, its snake tail, goat's head and lion's maw speaking at the same time. The great beast of Pride, the Chimera.
"Appropriate that you should lose your eye, the other spirit's speak of him you know, your rival!"
"Wait, are you saying that Daylen too lost his eye?" Leo asked and then began to laugh. "Magnificent, destiny is matching us, brilliant," he threw his arms up in applause.
"You keep things interesting little cub, but remember, forces outside of your control will try to stop you both. I cannot offer you power until the great magic is restored, what will you do to restore it?" the Chimera demanded.
"Who says I have to do anything?" Leo asked, grinning.
His robes were gone, replaced with the armour of the knight he had become.
"As you said, there are forces outside my control, forces that may very well act in a way that benefits my rise. The Amells made a grave mistake when they introduced runes to Westeros, they created a race for more power. That giant, must have been the start, not even the Mountain had such endurance," Leo explained.
A grin spread across the faces of the Chimera.
"Very good cub, it seems that you're beginning to see the plans of your enemies," the demon said.
Leo huffed and crossed his arms together.
"Who says they have to be my enemies?"
Tywin looked down at the body of the giant. It had taken four of his men to carry the remains into his tent. He looked at the gaps in the armour, the hedge knight had noticed what Western smiths had missed. Every time he looked at the dwarves he was reminded of his failure of a son, but he now couldn't deny that employing them to design weapons and armour would benefit the family greatly. As for the monstrosity, he looked to the man in the corner of the tent, wearing a red and gold robe.
"Well, your monster failed Butcher, tell me what manner of drugs and formula did you waste, I entertained your ideas with the body, where is it?" Tywin demanded.
The man removed his hood, revealing a grey haired man, the long tail of his hair tied with a knot.
"You just looked at it," the man said dismissively.
"Don't play games with me Quentin," Tywin snarled.
"No game, reattaching the head was a simple matter, as for putting it back together, I'll just need some spare parts, hence why my demand of payment," the man said.
"Any dead body found in the West, for your odd tastes."
"Oh come now Lord Tywin, you must realise there is more to the world than what you see. Dragons did exist once, as did magic, the payment is for my experiments, which you should witness when we return to the West. Then you'll understand why you employed me, not to strengthen your men, but to bring them back," Quentin explained.
"I employed you, protected you from the faith because I believed there would be some sort of logical explanation to your experimentation on the dead, if you are truly saying that this man is..."
"Lord Tywin, secure a font of Lyrium for me, and I'll show you the power of magic," Quentin said. "The power of Necromancy, and then you'll have turned the tide in your little pissing match with the Amells!"
Leo opened his eyes, seeing a small part of a bandage had covered his face. And by his bedside he saw her, the lady from the lake. She was running a cloth over his body, cleaning the dirt from his arms. He had to grin, wondering if she would have removed his lower clothes if he didn't give the game away. She brought her face close to his and kissed his cheek.
"From my lady to you knight of the hedge," she whispered.
"What for?" he asked, his throat feeling dry.
"For saving her daughter's life, but she would grant another boom to you if desired," she said.
"I wish only one thing," he said.
'To keep my rival's family alive, so that I can see his reaction when this place inevitably takes them from him...but also...'
"To know the name of the lady in the lake!"
The girl blushed and smiled when she regained her bearings.
"Kira, my name is Kira," she said.
Leo smiled at her, he never really looked at the other women he had been with. True he could say who was beautiful, because what woman wasn't in their own way. But even partially blinded he could see, and perhaps even feel that Kira was beautiful. He gripped his side, feeling how sore it was. His entire body ached as he sat on the edge of the stretcher.
"What are you doing?" Kira asked.
"The Tourney!"
"Long over I'm afraid," a voice spoke from the tent entrance.
Leo looked up and saw Revka standing there, smirking at her blushing hand maiden. She grabbed the shirt nearby and threw it at Leo.
"Not that it isn't appealing to look at, but do cover up lad, you have been out for a few days," Revka said.
"Damn it," Leo growled.
"You lost some of your coin and armour, but you gained quite a bit of respect amongst the other Hedge Knights, toppling the Lannister giant earned you some ire from the Westerners I'm afraid," Revka explained.
"Pissing off Tywin Lannister, I don't know whether to call it a bad thing or a good thing," Leo chuckled.
"Satisfying, though not recommended, Tywin Lannister is a patient and intelligent man, but like any intelligent man he doesn't like being proven wrong. As for you, my physician told me your bones have been healing quite well, there is I'm afraid just one issue," Revka looked at Leo with sympathy in her eyes.
He touched the bandage over his eye, and lowered his head in bitter disappointment.
"As I feared, an eye at the cost of victory...oh well, I suppose I'll just have to train that much harder," Leo said.
"Impressive, but I wish I could say that it was more than just gratitude that influenced my decision to lend you my tent, I saw your eye, the colour it shifted to when your concentration broke," Revka said. "Red eyes, a unique trait!"
Leo paused, dropping his smirk and looking up at Revka with caution.
"It tells me that you were touched by magic, that you were from a place of magic, tell me lad, how have things been in Thedas whilst my family has been away?" Revka asked, smirking at the shock across Leo's face.
Next Chapter 14: Righteousness
Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. And yes, Quentin is the very same Quentin from Dragon Age 2.
The Pride Chimera I imagine to be voiced by Keith David :)
I wanted to establish that though Tywin Lannister is against the ideals that the Amell family have, he does respect their ability to back up their ideals and survive in Westeros.
Also wanted to create a parallel between Leo/Chimeron and Daylen, with both injuring one of their eyes.
Next time we go to Leo's rival as Daylen continues the battle for Conner's soul.