CHAPTER 2

Lyra woke up in a flash and looked at the embers glowing in the fireplace. She was so very blown away at finding out that the Merlin from King Arthur's time brought a genie named Simon Magus to this world. The real Simon Magus from the Christian Bible, who tried to buy his way into God's power given to the Apostles. Another story was, he tried to pose as Christ and was buried alive saying he would rise from the grave to discredit Peter and died in his own coffin. Another take on him was, of Simon Magus trying to show off by levitating above the Forum in Rome to prove he was a god, Peter prays to God to stop his flying, it dropped him to the ground breaking his legs in three parts and he died from the injuries after.

No matter what tale is told he was a very arrogant man trapped in that lamp. He killed that poor sister of the Emir's. Lyra wanted to bury that lamp 1000 feet straight down into the ground to never be found again, but even she wasn't that cruel to let anyone live forever alone. She decided to change him into a human female and plopped into the middle of a big city in broad daylight when the time came. He/She would then die at some point on his/her own and not last forever alone. But until then she would keep him secure. Lyra wished for a box to lock that the lamp would fit in. Lyra locked it with a key she wore with the pendant key around her neck. She went back to sleep.

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She woke up, got up and went outside to go to the bathroom. When she came back in, she started a fire warming up the room and was making her breakfast. She went outside and fed the horses. Lyra packed up everything in the wagon and headed south.

She had been riding until she stopped for lunch. It was a very comfortable cool afternoon. Lyra was feeding the horses sweet feed, apples and carrots.

She continued on for the next two weeks until one day, she spotted something ahead on the road and headed to the trees on the one side of the road at that spot. Lyra moved through the woods and came up closer to what she had spotted.

Six men had two farmers on their knees with their hands bound in the snow. The leader said, "Take everything from them. We'll take this one to the woods and tie him to a log and take a turn. Kill the other one."

She whispered a wish to freeze all of the highwaymen. It worked. She was amazed. The men that were struggling, swearing and shouting. Lyra went and collected her horses and wagon. She took everything of value away from all six men and took their weapons from them. She took their loot. Lyra made a whispered wish and sent them all with their horses and non-valuable belongings to the city of King's Landing on frozen. They all disappeared. She went into the back of the wagon and wished for a bag of one hundred gold dragons from her money in the pendant. It appeared in her hand.

The two farmers were looking at her and the old man asked, "Are you a witch?"

Lyra said smiling, "No, I'm an apprentice of a good white mage, is all." The old man nodded and she put the bag in his hand. He hefted the heavy bags and the men both looked in it to see the gold dragons in it. She said, "Help yourself and try to do some kind acts with that. May the gods bless you both." She smiled and climbed on her wagon and went down the road with both men in shock with their mouths hanging open watching her go.

That evening when she made camp, she relaxed after she ate and went through everything the robbers had in her tent. There was quite a bit. Lyra had 51 gold and 63 silver in two different kinds of coins, moons and stags with 35 five different copper coins in her necklace and the coppers in her purse now.

In the morning she packed up her wagon and fed her two horses and headed down southeast to reach The Twins.

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When she finally arrived at The Twins, they were going to extort her for gold, she knew. Lyra made a wish that they would only ask for one gold dragon to pass through on the bridge and not harass her. It worked. She crossed unmolested paying a gold dragon coin only. On the other side of the bridge. She asked if they wanted to buy her wagon from her. They did it for five silver moon coins. Lyra paid for another full tack, lead rope for her other horse and still had three moons in her pocket.

She was going to ride northwest to the woods north of Seagard with her two horses packed up and west of Greywater Watch on her map. She came up to a little village not far from The Twins and bought some things from them to stock up some of her food. A few days later as she got closer, she saw army activity in red and gold cloaks by the woods and went further north to get into the woods, being careful of the terrain to avoid the Lannister army.

Lyra found a stream in the woods far enough away. She made camp setting up her tent. She decided to forage and then fish for some trout after setting up her tent and encampment. Lyra baited her hook and threw in her line. After a while she caught three fat trout and started cleaning and fileting them by the water.

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Tywin Lannister was on his horse in the forest near his encampment. He had decided to leave camp with his soldiers and go find the nearby stream to do a bit of fishing near the camp, not far enough to be a problem. He found the stream and you could still hear the camp noises in the background. Tywin dismounted and took off his breastplate of armor near a tree where he tied his horse to a low lying branch. He took out his fishing line and set up next to the stream. He was wanting some fresh meat and certainly not salted mutton. Tywin sat on a tree stump that was next to the stream and baited his hook to see if he could catch some trout.

He had caught a couple fish when suddenly an arrow came flying from camp and shot him in the back. He cried out but nobody heard him and he launched forward into the stream and hit his head on a rock. Tywin was able to turn over in the cold water and floated down stream slipping in and out of consciousness.

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Lyra was quite a ways down stream and had just finished cleaning her fish and put the filets on a rock. She proceeded to discard the bits of fish into the stream. That's when she saw the man floating down stream on his back. She waded out into the stream about waist deep and caught him pulling him to shore. Lyra saw that he was a well dressed man in a fine tunic and a shirt underneath he was soaking wet with a head injury. That's when she found the arrow in his back. She pulled him up on shore and tried to assess the damage of the injuries. She broke off part of the arrow. Tywin moaned. Lyra pulled him up the embankment which luckily wasn't on much of an incline because he wasn't a little man. She had built her fire close to the water so that it would help with the cold fall weather and him being soaking wet along with herself. She put more wood on the fire.

He said on his side weakly to her, "You're going to… have to push… it through."

Lyra thought, 'Damn, I was hoping it wasn't too deep.'

She said softly, "I'm so sorry for this." She opened his shirt all the way and put her hand on the front of his shoulder and pushed the arrow through with her other hand until it came out the otherside. Tywin cried out in pain as it came out in his left shoulder in the front. It was so close to the front of the shoulder and would have done more damage being pulled out backwards. He started bleeding and she went and found a piece of cloth she could cut up with her dagger into strips. Lyra took off his tunic shirt.

She said to him, "I have some rum to pour on the wounds. It's gonna hurt." Tywin nodded.

She cleaned the wounds on his shoulder and head with the rum and it stung making him hiss. Lyra bandaged his shoulder, the bleeding on his head had stopped and she started stripping him of his clothes. She had him stand holding on to her, she had taken off his pants, socks and underwear and had him lay on her bedroll naked and covered him up in the three blankets and the wolf fur coat she had. She added wood to the fire for heat. Lyra cooked her six fish fillets in her frying pan and added garlic oil and salt. She had a vegetable mix she cooked in a pot with some potatoes with butter she had got from a little village she passed through. There was a small kettle of tea as Tywin watched her.

She crawled into the tent, sat down petting his face softly saying, "What's your name?"

He trembled from the cold and said, "Tywin." Lyra was shocked but didn't say a word or show recognition. She thought he was even more handsome than the actor Charles Dance was at age fifty one years old in 289AD.

She said, "Tywin, I have some hot food and tea if you can sit up for me to eat and drink. Here, let me help you." He sat up and she helped him by wrapping her wool cloak around his back and shoulders to keep him warm. Lyra gave him a cup of hot tea with a spoon of honey in it. Tywin cupped his hands around the cup for heat. She fed him fish and wild vegetables with potatoes.

He was surprised at the woman's care and courtesy towards him. He asked, taking a bite of the food she offered, "What's your name?" Tywin was starting to warm up. The flavor of the fish and vegetables was really quite good. He was pleasantly surprised.

She smiled and said, "Lyra Wyldwood."

He asked, "Are you related to the Wylde's from Rain House of Storms End?" Lyra smiled and nodded.

Tywin asked her, "Are you frightened and alone out here on your own out in the wilderness, Lyra? You could come with my encampment of soldiers for protection."

She shook her head and said smiling softly at him, "No. I am able to take care of myself very well. I have everything I need. I know how to hunt, fish and fight if necessary." She took the pan once it cooled and ate her half of the food she made with a cup of tea.

He asked, "What did you do with my clothes?"

Lyra said, "I have them drying by the fire for you. I think you should rest tonight though and let your clothes dry. I'll help you get back to where you belong tomorrow morning. Ok?" He nodded and laid down after a second cup of tea.

She gently caressed his face and head, smiling. She softly said, "I'll make sure you're ok, Tywin." Lyra cleaned up, packed away everything and put more wood on the fire after. She pulled out underwear and pants from her bags. She changed outside the tent into her dry clothes putting her things by the fire too before crawling into the tent to keep him and herself warm for the night. Lyra laid down next to him with her back facing him and he shared the blankets while putting an arm around her.

Tywin thought she was an extremely beautiful green eyed woman. He touched her long light brown braided hair and it was very soft. He drifted off to sleep.

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In the morning, Tywin was wrapped around Lyra, warm and comfortable. She felt good against his body. It had been such a very long time since he held a woman while sleeping. She had turned over during the night, woke up and looked up into his eyes and smiled. Tywin thought her emerald green eyes were fathomless pools to drown himself in. Then she realized the compromised position she was in and had put him in.

Lyra sat up blushing and said, "I'm so sorry for taking such liberties with your person. Here, let me get your belongings." She hurried out of the tent and gathered his clothes taking them to him. He couldn't figure out why she was blushing when she saw him completely naked last night. She helped him get on his shirt and tunic after checking his wounds. Lyra then helped him with his underwear, pants, socks and boots. She was very clinical in her behavior when he was naked.

She smiled after, caressing his chin and asked, "Relax for a bit. I'll make us tea and a spot of something to break your fast. Then we will leave." Lyra had remembered the references to things from others she talked to. He subtly smiled at the kind woman. After a little bit, she brought him a cup of hot tea with honey, a slice of bread with cheese, a piece of ham and some blackberries. Tywin was impressed at the wild food the woman had on hand. They ate together in the tent.

Lyra asked, "How do you feel, Tywin?" She put her hand to his face and forehead feeling for any signs of a fever.

Tywin said, "I feel fine, my dear. You have a nice selection of food to eat out here in the woods."

She smiled, "I'm glad you don't have a fever. I pick and gather what I can, but bought some supplies a couple days ago in a small village by The Twins." Lyra took his cup when he was done and quickly pecked him on the lips, surprising him.

She smiled at his surprised face and said, "In case I can't steal one when I get you back to your people." He chuckled and thought very few people surprised him ever anymore.

Tywin got out of the tent with a bit of help from Lyra. His shoulder had stiffened up over night. She had broken down and packed up everything, putting it on the gray pack horse. Lyra and Tywin rode her stallion back down stream. She had her arms wrapped around his torso. He felt comfortable with her touching him. He knew where to go to find the camp. They went into camp and all the men stared at them. Tywin's brother Kevan came running out of the tent in a hurry to help him dismount from the horse.

Kevan said, "Thank the gods, Tywin. What happened and where have you been?"

Tywin said, "I got shot in the back with an arrow while I was fishing and hit my head on a rock and floated down stream. This young woman saved my life."

Kevan said suspiciously, eyeing the woman, "Are you sure she didn't shoot you and set this up?"

Tywin said angrily, "No, it came from our camp."

Kevan said, "I'll find out who did it."

Tywin said, "Get the maester and let me go and rest in my tent."

Lyra listened to the conversation and was insulted to be accused of shooting him. She went to say goodbye to Tywin and his brother stepped in her way blocking her. Kevan gave her two silver stags and said with authority, "Leave!" Tywin turned around in surprise at his brother's treatment of Lyra.

Lyra threw the two coins at Kevan, mounted her horse and said, "Keep your pittance of money, you fool. It seems to mean more to you anyway. If you ever toss money at me like a whore again, you're going to know what it feels like to have them shoved so far up your arse you'll be tasting them, you Lord bastard." She turned her horse and quickly started going back out of the camp quickly. Kevan was in shock at her saying that to him, so he remained quiet. She was gone.

Tywin said, grinding it out, "Why did you treat her like that? She was just kind, saved my life from drowning, starving, bleeding and freezing to death."

Kevan said stoically, "She was a nobody."

Tywin said, grinding it out, "How do you know? She was traveling."

Kevan asked, "Then who was she, Tywin?"

Tywin said, "Lady Lyra Wyldwood from the Wylde's of Rain House of Storms End."

Kevan said, "I have never heard of her."

Tywin said growling, "Go after her and apologize for being an arse. Ask her to come back at my request. Now! I hope you haven't made her too angry." Kevan huffed and left to go after the young woman. He never found her. Needless to say, Tywin was very angry at Kevan.