Chapter X - Jaime II
Jaime watched two large hunting dogs wrestle over a rope toy, the hounds pulling as hard as they could to gain possession of their wet and ragged plaything.
"They sure look fierce," Jaime remarked. "I wonder how many fox necks they can wring with those jaws."
"More than any other set of dogs in the Seven Kingdoms, m'lord, I can tell you that," the kennelmaster claimed with a sense of pride. "I've raised these dogs from being pups as I did their parents and the ones before them. They have all the tools they need to kill the creatures lurking about in these nearby woods, I can assure you that."
He was an old man, about fifty-five according to Tygett. Named Cedrick, his father had been given charge of the kennels after the former one, grandfather of that Clegane bully, was raised to knighthood for his valor in saving Lord Tytos's life from a vicious lioness. Seventeen years ago, his father had passed away, allowing Cedrick to take over the kennels around the same time Jaime and Cersei were born.
Cedrick was a tall and strong man, though his stomach was rather noticeable. Above all else, he took pride in his hounds, who were almost children to the man whose wife had passed several years prior. He had lost a brother in the War of the Ninepenny Kings, and he sent money to the man's wife and daughter in Lannisport. Luckily, Uncle Tyg had been friends with Cedrick for a long time, so the family never went hungry.
"I think Father will be pleased with these beasts," Jaime said, though it was less of an assurance to Cedrick as much as it was a statement of himself approving the hunting before him. He turned to Jason, standing just behind him to his left.
"What do you think, Jason? Are these dogs worthy of Father's great hunt?"
Jason gave the dogs a good look as if trying to ensure he gave the best opinion possible. He then turned to Jaime and shrugged.
"So long as they don't smell too bad."
Cedrick laughed as Jaime and Jason both had grins sprouting on their faces.
"Don't you worry, Hill," Cedrick reassured him, albeit in jest. "The boars and rabbits will smell far worse than these lot when they're dead. Your uncle Tygett told me about how bad the first man he killed reeked after he shit himself. Was one of Samarro Saan's men, if I 'member correctly."
"He was serving Nine Eyes. A man of the 'Jolly Fellows', though he wasn't too jolly when I pulled his sword out and his insides followed."
The voice caused Jaime and Jason to turn around. Standing at the door to the kennels was Uncle Tyg, and slightly behind him was Aunt Genna. Their uncle wore an amused at his nephews conversing with the kennelmaster, while their aunt had her nose wrinkled up in a manner that clearly indicated she sensed a foul odor.
"If you two boys wouldn't mind," Genna said, "I'd suggest you hurry up so you don't reek of dog waste today when you go with the hunting party. Gods know your father wants the two of you to make a good impression today."
"You'd best be going," Cedrick told Jaime and Jason. "Don't let me get in the way of disobeying your lord father. These hounds will be out shortly, don't you worry."
"We'll give them some of our kill," Jaime smirked. "Won't we, Jason?"
The question seemed to catch his half-brother off guard. "If Father allows us. Otherwise-"
"You can give the prey to whomever you wish. I'll deal with your Father," Tyg interjected. It caused Jason to smile as Jaime put a hand on his shoulder.
"Come on, Jason. Let's go see Father and the other lords."
He and Jason had just begun to sprint out of the room when Genna held out an arm to stop them. She bent over to speak to them, the woman renowned as being quite the beauty even as Genna had acquired some heft on her stomach.
"You two listen to me. Watch out for one another, be on your best behavior with the lords outside, and most importantly, don't do something stupid. It would be a sad day if we had to recover your bones from a bear's stomach."
"Don't worry, Aunt Genna. When Jason and I see grumpkins and snarks in the woods, we'll come running back into your arms like good little lords."
Jaime's jest was met with Genna using her sharp fingernails to pinch his left ear. He let out a small cry of pain as his hand immediately reached for the ear, even as the pain quickly receded. Jaime heard Jason chuckle for a second only for the same small cry to come from his bastard brother's mouth. Jaime quickly turned to see Jason clutching his right ear, and a smile formed at seeing his brother get a taste of justice.
"That's for laughing at him," Genna said, though she couldn't hide the smile growing at the corner of her mouth. "You two just be careful out there. Promise me, won't you do that?"
"Yes, Aunt Genna," the two said.
"They'll be alright," Tygett reassured his older sister. "Few boys their age are as cunning and quick on their feet as these nephews of mine. Come on you two, let's go outside. You can meet the other lords and get your hunting weapons."
Such words enthused Jaime and Jason, who had anticipated the great hunt since it was first announced to be held at Casterly Rock. Jaime was more interested in catching game than impressing some lord, but Uncle Kevan told him to look halfway decent so a lord would be impressed enough to have him serve as a squire.
Jason seemed to be more interested in Kevan's words on the subject, which irritated Jaime. His half-brother always felt as if he needed to prove his worth to others based on his name, even when Jaime always knew Jason was worth plenty beyond simply being born a Hill.
The two of them wanted to sprint outside, but Tyg told them to act decently today so Father didn't blame him for their mischief. Instead, they walked alongside their uncle as they made their way to the stables, where the three would ride out to greet the host at the hunting grounds beyond the Rock's walls. The boys had been taught how to ride on horseback the year prior, and they took to it quickly, much to Tyg's immense satisfaction.
"I've shown you two how to stalk smaller animals in the forests. Remember the lessons?"
"Yes, Uncle," Jaime said. He never had an issue with hunting, he just wanted to leave the castle to show what he could do rather than talk about it. "We'll be fine in the woods, I can assure you."
"Easy to say when a bear isn't coming for your throat. Now come on, get your horses ready."
The three of them quickly prepared their steeds and rode outside the castle walls. Jaime's horse was given to him specifically on his seventh nameday by Uncle Kevan. He realized he would be bored without someone to converse with while out of the castle, so he eventually asked Gerion to buy on for Jason as well.
As they rode out, Jaime saw the enormous host gathered in preparation for the hunt, seeing banners from Plumm to Prester and from Greenfield to Sarsfield. Many of the lords and knights invited to Father's hunt had been given rooms to stay in as guests, but some of those who weren't as close to Father (or were too scared to ask him of anything) had waited in tents outside the castle walls or stayed in inns in Lannisport just south. A few had even come in mere minutes earlier than he did, such as Lord Arryc Banefort and his son Quenten.
Riding into the camp, Jaime saw the lords conversing with one another, many of them sitting at tables enjoying a hearty breakfast with ale. Others were choosing their spears for the great hunt, and more still were just riding in from Lannisport.
Tyg led them to a stable where they demounted their steeds and had them tied up. Jaime and Jason ran out ahead of their uncle to explore the camp, excited to be a part of their first hunt.
But as the two ran toward the entrance, they stopped in their tracks as their father walked into the stable accompanied by a tall man. He was clearly a Crakehall, a large boar's head made apparent by his armor, with his broad shoulders and muscles counteracting his slight paunch. No hair was found on his head, but the lord did have a thick mustache and beard made of gray.
"So, you two arrived," Tywin said in a calm tone before turning to the man. "Lord Sumner Crakehall, on the left is my eldest son and heir, Jaime Lannister."
Jaime knew what to do, having been previously instructed by Kevan and Genna, so he bowed deeply and reminded himself to hold off on the jests. "It's a pleasure, my lord. I hope this day finds you well."
"And to you, young Jaime," Lord Sumner cheerfully replied. The Crakehall lord then turned his head to Jaime's half-brother. He was no doubt mistaking Jason for Tyrion, but that wouldn't make sense with all the tales of Tywin's dwarf son, the so-called "monster" born at Casterly Rock.
"Pardon me, young one, but you must be…"
"My bastard, Jason Hill," Lord Tywin interrupted him. "He will be accompanying us on the hunt to acquire some experience alongside his trueborn elder brother."
In front of such a powerful and well-respected lord for the first time, Jason was evidently nervous, made most apparent by his stammering as he tried to form a response. Jaime cringed at his father making sure to label his sons based on who was a Lannister and who was a bastard. He knew it hurt Jason to hear it, and the fact that it was the truth did nothing to mitigate it.
"It-it's a pleasure to meet y-you, my lord."
Jason bowed so deeply that Jaime thought his back would snap off like a tree branch. Jaime turned to see Lord Sumner nodding with his mouth slightly agape as if he were a squire learning a new lesson from his master.
"Well, young Hill, we'll need every man possible for this hunt," the large Crakehall lord said, attempting to smile either to ease the situation or maintain a polite demeanor. "The two of you can see how lords and knights do hunting. I'll see the both of you soon, so you'd best be prepared."
Jason bowed again. "Yes, my lord. Of course."
Lord Sumner bowed to Tywin and left the tent. Jaime then saw his father's attention shift back to his two sons.
"Your uncle will show you where to get spears fit for your size. If you intend to eat something, do so quickly. I'll see you shortly."
"Yes, Father," the two boys replied in unison as their father nodded to Uncle Tyg and departed from the tent.
"Come on, you two," Tygett instructed, albeit in a slightly irate manner, "let's get you two some spears. You can have some bread and a piece of fruit or two."
Jaime went to get a spear with a gold handle near the metal portion, while Jason grabbed one with silver in the same area. They ran to a table and wolfed down some bread and apple slices before hurrying back to the other lords, their excitement noticeable to any nobleman watching them sprint past them.
The lords were beginning to amass near the woods, with Lord Tywin serving as the location to where they all were attending. Several ladies who had accompanied their husbands waited in or just outside the tents, for it was custom for them to wait for the men to return with their bloodied animals rather than, as the men claimed, get themselves dirty or hurt. Jaime was glad they weren't coming. He didn't need their gossip to distract from their hunt today.
"We will divide ourselves into three groups," Jaime's father instructed. "One will head to the northern part of these woods, one straight ahead, and one to the south. Is that understood?"
Lord Tywin's bannermen either nodded or muttered their agreement.
"The groups will each have their pages and squires go ahead to scout the area. For the central group, my heir, Jaime Lannister, and my bastard, Jason Hill, shall go ahead. For the south…"
Jaime didn't listen to the rest of it. So long as he knew where to go, he knew what to do. Him and Jason went in the front of the central group, which had Lord Sumner Crakehall as its head as Father went to the northern group and Uncle Tyg to the southern one.
As their group headed into the woods, Jaime signaled to Jason to delve deeper into the woods apart from the others. Once they had gotten a sizable distance apart from the group, Jaime sighed.
"You can breathe now. Lord Sumner isn't here."
"What are you talking about?" Jason's question seemed indignant, yet Jaime knew that his brother was aware of what he was discussing.
"You were so frightened in front of Crakehall. It was as though he'd have you sent to the Night's Watch for sneezing in his presence."
"He's the second-strongest lord in the West besides Father," Jason argued. "Of course I should treat him with respect. His house will be your strongest ally when you succeed Father one day."
"You sound like bloody Uncle Kevan," Jaime groaned. "And why are you so tense? This is a hunt: we get to kill our own food."
"If I perform well enough," Jason said, taking a deep breath as if reluctant or embarrassed to reveal his answer, "I can impress a lord well enough to have me squire for him. And that could include Lord Crakehall."
Jaime smirked. "Is that it? You think catching a rabbit will make them say 'by god, that young Hill should clean my armor and feed my animals?'"
"I can't earn anything through my name," Jason said as they made sure to avoid tripping over any large tree roots while traversing the woods. "I need to prove there's a reason Father has let me reside at Casterly Rock. Father will make sure you'll squire for Prince Rhaegar or a knight of the Kingsguard, even though you're already the best swordfighter in the Westerlands."
"In that, I can agree with you."
The two smirked and then chuckled at Jaime's embrace of his own accomplishments.
"But I'm serious, Jason. Today's not about politics or squiring for one of Father's bannermen in a year or two. We're hunting today because this is what men do. We find animals, go into a thrilling chase, and then we take the animal back. I hope to find a boar or a rabbit so we can share the fruits of our labor with Tyrion."
"Well," Jason responded nervously, "we're quite far from the other lords, and there aren't any animals in this area from what we can see. We should turn back before we get lost and Father gets upset with us."
"You and Cersei both really don't know how to have any fun," Jaime smirked. "Fine, if you're so worried, we'll just turn back and tell Father-"
A rustling sound in the bushes made him stop his chatter. The two boys turned toward the origin of the sound, and they grabbed their spears tighter now. Jaime looked at Jason.
"I'll attack the animal from its left," Jaime whispered. "You move to its right."
Jason nodded and moved to his left as Jaime went in the opposite direction. They stepped softly as they slowly moved to either side. Once they were done, they looked at each other before moving gently toward the bushes, not knowing what animal they had stumbled upon. It could be a small predator like a young wolf or wild dog, or it might even be a young lion.
Whatever it was, the thought of facing these creatures made Jaime's heart beat like knocking on a door. He had never killed anyone or anything, having only practiced under Uncle Tyg's supervision. So when the rustling sound from the bush suddenly became louder, Jaime stopped his approach and gripped the wooden spear as tightly as a nine-year-old could.
He gasped as the bushes burst open, the creature hiding within leaping out. It certainly was smaller than Jaime had expected, for it was no wolf or lion but a white rabbit. It looked around confused before smelling the air around him.
Jaime felt and heard a large sigh of relief leave his lips, and heard the same come from Jason. Yet he also felt some shame at feeling so scared of a rabbit of all things. At least Father will never know, he thought. Jason's scared of Father like I am, but he also has some pride. Gerion would never let us hear the end of it.
He looked to his left only to see Jason slowly approach the rabbit. Every step was taken as slowly and quietly as possible, yet the slightest movement caused the rabbit to become alert, its large ears suddenly becoming straight as it took in the sounds around it. Before Jaime could utter a word, the rabbit fled into the woods, and against his better judgment, Jaime ran after it.
"Jaime, wait!"
He heard Jason calling to him, but Jaime was too focused on this little creature to turn back now. It may not have been a large animal, but he ran after it all the same knowing this would be his first chance to kill his own food. He had heard from Uncle Tygett that boys of House Tarly in the Reach would not be allowed to return home unless they had killed their first animal. Whilst he thought that was a tad too far, he could show every lord on this hunt, and especially Father, how skilled he was.
Yet as Jaime tried to chase the rabbit, it seemed to be getting further away from him, the distance between the boy and his possible meal growing. In what could be considered a blend of frustration and desperation, Jaime threw his spear as far as his arm would able him to. It fell short of the rabbit, who had scurried into some bushes, and instead was sticking upwards from a small stream of water.
Cursing under his breath at his poor aim and impulsive action, Jaime went to recover the spear, disappointed at the prospect of facing Father without a kill to show off. He had pulled it from the river mud when Jason came up from behind. His exhausted breaths were audible to Jaime, who didn't know if he should feel guilt or amusement at his half-brother's attempt to catch up to him.
"Are you alright, Jason? If it makes you feel better, you were right about the lack of game in this pat of the woods."
"You ran…so far…" Jason was finished with catching his breath from chasing him. "Now we can go back-"
Jaime saw his half-brother stare past him at something. "Jason, what is it?"
"Your spear. You got something on it after all!"
Confused, Jaime looked back at the tip of his weapon only to see that a fish had been caught on the metal. Its blood flowed down towards Jaime's hands, the fish, which looked to be a trout based on a drawing Maester Sarwin had shown him once, had quickly died with the blade piercing its organs to spill most of its blood.
"Well, how about that." Jaime couldn't stop a smile from growing on his face at his good fortune. It may not have been what he had hoped for to start this morning, but any dead animal would mark a good first hunt.
Looking back at Jason, the boy a year younger than him also had a smile on his face, on that indicated he was impressed with Jaime's catch.
"We should bring it back to Father," Jason Hill said, "he'll be very pleased to see what you have caught in these woods."
"I suppose you're right. He probably will start sending men to find us soon, anyway. But wouldn't you want to try your luck at catching something like I did? It'd be nicer to go back to the camp with the two of us each having something to show for our efforts."
Jason looked around the area, likely hoping to hear or see another creature to try and hunt, but he ultimately shook his head.
"There aren't many animals here, and Father would want us back before too long. We can join some other lords and follow them to find more creatures."
"Sounds good to me," Jaime said. They were set to go back when they heard footsteps and chattering originating from behind them. The two looked past the bushes & trees to see Lord Sumner Crakehall with their father, Ser Clarreth Westerling, and of all people, Tarold Lannister.
Lord Sumner saw Jaime first and smiled. "There's the young lad! I hope you and young Hill were fruitful in your first hunt!"
The tall and stout lord chuckled as Father turned towards Jaime and Jason with his usual calm, unsmiling appearance. Ser Clarreth also wore a serious expression whilst Tarold, who Jaime had not forgotten had spent many training sessions tormenting Jason, seemed meek and quiet.
"I didn't manage to catch a rabbit," Jaime began, "but I did get something to bring back."
Jaime took his spear and displayed the trout caught at the end of his spear. Ser Clarreth looked at it and simply nodded in approval, whilst Lord Sumner kept his smile on his face. Father said nothing and remained unmoved.
"I'm impressed, young Jaime," Ser Clarreth said. "It must have been some aim of yours to catch that on your spear."
"More of luck, really," Jaime said. "Jason and I were chasing the one rabbit and somehow I ended up with a dead fish instead of a dead long-eared creature."
"At least you didn't get yourselves hurt," Ser Clarreth dryly remarked. "Boys will do all sorts of foolish things for fun or attention. Soon you'll be at an age where you'll realize that being a man means to keep yourself from needless danger for the sake of your family."
Jaime knew all too well that Ser Clarreth, who had earned fame and respect from nobles throughout the Westerlands for his bravery in the Battle of Tarbeck Hall, had been there when Lord Tywin's three eldest children had lept from a dangerous height into the waters near Casterly Rock. It seemed the Crag's second son was intent on continuously reminding his Lord Hand's children of their foolishness for as long as he could.
"I've always believed it is wise for young men to do something foolish," Lord Sumner said, "so that they can learn not to do that when they are knights and lords."
The strong old man chuckled to himself, but the faces of Lord Tywin and Ser Clarreth did not change.
"In any case," Ser Clarreth continued as if not having heard Lord Crakehall, "I hope my new page, you boys' cousin Tarold, will show some restraint before doing anything foolish, even at his young age."
Out of all the boys training at Casterly Rock, Jaime thought to himself astoundedly, Ser Clarreth had to choose our buffoonish cousin as his page? That fool caused Jason to throw himself in front of that large Clegane boy.
Yet the condescending demeanor that Jaime was accustomed to was not present on Tarold's face. He seemed rather meek and quiet, almost looking as if he did not wish to be a witness to this conversation.
Tarold waved at Jaime. "Hello, cousin. My congratulations on the fish. Hello there, Jason Hill."
Jaime simply nodded towards the son of his mother's brother. He then turned his head back to Jason, yet his half-brother waved back with a smile on his face. For the life of himself, Jaime was still confused as to how Jason and Tarold were now on friendly terms. It would seem that his bastard cousin's heroism had impacted Tarold to the point of treating him with some semblance of decency.
"My boy, Elys," Ser Clarreth continued, "is a page for Lord Gwayne Oakheart down in the Reach. Within the next two years, he'll become a squire, and I've only heard the best about him learning to be a proper lad in Old Oak. I hope to make sure Tarold here will learn similar values of decency under my charge."
"Ser Clarreth's daughter, Ellya, will be residing at Casterly Rock," Lord Tywin finally spoke. "She will be another one of your sister's handmaidens."
Were it not for their father's cold stare, Jaime would have loudly groaned right there. Another bloody serving girl? How many was Cersei going to have at this point, he thought to himself. The only girl I want is her, the rest are just distractions. Better Tyrion or even Jason be given one of them to wed than me.
"Jaime, give your catch to one of the squires near my tent," his father ordered. "You and Jason will come with me. There's a lesson you two should learn before you are of squiring age."
Jaime and Jason looked at one another, not entirely sure of what their father wanted with them, but they did as he told them to regardless. The two said their polite goodbyes to Ser Clarreth, Lord Sumner, and their cousin Tarold before following their father towards the camp.
When they arrived, Jaime quickly handed his prized trout to Tybolt Crakehall, his father's squire and Lord Sumner's grandson, just before entering the tent, Jason Hill always standing a few steps behind him. Jason would be the lucky one, for the first thing Jaime felt as he entered the tent was nausea at a strong, very unpleasant, smell of death.
It was emanating from a deceased deer, which lay on a table with its tongue sticking out of its mouth. Its body had not been cut yet, with even the stag's horns remaining attached to its head. Hearing Jason's gagging and coughing from behind let Jaime know that he too had gotten a whiff of it, though the thought brought him no joy.
Whatever their reaction to the dead stag was, their father, the widely feared Tywin Lannister, retained his calm, almost unfeeling demeanor. He noticed his two sons reacting poorly to the odor of the deceased animal, and needless to say, he was not impressed or sympathetic.
"When the two of you are finished, come over here. It's time you learned how to handle the food you kill with your own weapon rather than something brought into port from some boat."
Tywin calmly walked to the table and picked up a knife, its blade being remarkably thin and with no jagged teeth as one would see while eating dinner. Jaime witnessed his father plunge his tool into the corpse's skin and expected to see blood spurt out of it. What he saw instead was the deer's skin being peeled off, not unlike when his uncles removed the covering of a fruit with their own fingers.
Beneath the skin, there were muscles and joints, a mixture of red and white that looked similar to a drawing that Maester Sarwin showed them once in some book. Managing to ignore the reeking smell, Jaime realized that cutting this carcass open wasn't as bloody as he imagined. It was almost…mundane.
Once Lord Tywin had finished with that, he held the knife by the handle and moved his hand to offer Jaime the knife, the blade facing himself rather than his son & heir.
"There is a rabbit lying on the table. Jason Hill, if you would grab a stool for Jaime to stand on."
Jaime heard Jason hurry and grab a small stool before setting it in front, enabling even a boy of nine to reach the dead animal on the table. As Jaime slowly cut into the skin, his blade slowly opening the corpse to reveal muscle and joints, he became frustrated when the knife cut into a blood vessel and spewed the liquid onto his clothes.
One could imagine how much more frustrated he would be when, at dinner that night, his father would reveal in front of the whole family, as well as Lord Crakehall and his sons & grandsons, that Jaime would be going with him to King's Landing in just two days.
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I'm back! Hope you enjoyed my tenth chapter in this saga. Next up will be a brand-new POV, but I hope to write and release the first chapter of a new fanfiction idea before then. Keep an eye out for that, because it's set entirely within the book timeline (unlike this story) and the setting is far before this one.
But until then, enjoy this chapter and read the previous nine if you haven't done so already!