CHAPTER 4
~~~~~~~~~~4.5mo(12.5wks)
Lyra sailed off to the city of Braavos and after three weeks, everyday she migrated wagon loads of chests of gold dragons and honors to the Iron Bank. When she was done selling the ore, nuggets and dust in bags to the city smelters, she had over 5,546,800 gold dragons in the Iron Bank all together. She kept one hundred thousand hidden in the pendant.
She had them sail to King's Landing next to get top dollar for the uncut gemstones, some the size of her fist. It took eight days to get there.
~~~~~~~~~5.25mo(16 wk)
When she got to King's Landing three weeks later, she had on her women's gauze clothing that was higher than the pavement. She still wore her hooded gauze robe to conceal her face. A merchant in Braavos warned her of the streets and smell of the place. She went to the goldsmiths one at a time and sat bartering her gemstones with them. They gave her vouchers for the Iron Bank. The sum of her over five million totalling together 13,379,642 gold dragons. She couldn't believe her luck finding that treasure by literally falling into it.
Before she was going to leave for the ship, she went to the Street of Steel and had her dagger and short sword sharpened and cleaned. The handles were fancy and sheaths were rotted or damaged. The blacksmith said they were valyrian steel and he would sharpen, polish and find sheaths for both and she could pick them up the next day.
Lyra went back to the goldsmiths store and was admiring his workmanship. There was a necklace, earrings and bracelet set all intricately weaved chains with plain gold stamped thin shiny coins. It reminded Lyra of a belly dancers' jewelry. She bought a silver setting ring with a 30x22mm labradorite with a silver owl on top embedded in it. She bought another ring that was a large citrine shield shaped polygon with what looked like turquoise set in a maelstrom swirl. The clerk said one ring was House of Mistwood and the other House of Wylde.
~~~~~~~~~~~~6.5mo(5.25mo)
By the time they reached Volantis, her hrakkar cat, Crystal, was over five months old. She still slept with Lyra and woke her up with cute kisses in the morning wanting to play. Lyra had changed to gauze and lightweight fabrics for clothing for a while now. She had on a black sleeveless tunic with black gauze pants. Her weapons were over her clothes. She wore leather belts, boots, baldric and a scabbard. She still kept her braid in the back and a black gauze cowl hooded black robe to not show herself as a female. She had a leash and collar on her forty pound hrakkar cat that walked at her side.
She and her six sellswords followed her around as always. She had fighting skills and was sharpening them up with the crew and sellswords on the ship during the whole journey.
She was walking through the marketplace purchasing items, casks of wine and crates and sending them to the ship's cargo hold. She found a beautiful 50x30mm oval white opal necklace pendant on a heavy silver chain. She put it on immediately. A man approached her and her sellsword guards stepped in front of her.
He said in Valerian, which she was learning from her two sellswords that spoke it, "You sell, hrakkar?"
She said, "No." The man smirked and walked away too easily.
The one guard said, "He left too easily. I think we need to go back to the ship." They went back to the ship. As they were approaching the gangway, A group of men stepped in their way and her men drew their swords. Crystal started growling loudly. Lyra whispered a wish, "I wish when I say the word alakazam, all the men who want my cub will fall to the ground sick with violent stomach pains for the rest of the day."
Lyra said out loud, "Oh great powerful gods protect your servant, all that is mine and allow me to strike down my enemies!" Her guard translated. The men all laughed at her.
She shouted, "Alakazam!" Her hands stretched out like she was casting magic at them, which she was. Suddenly every man in front of them doubled over in pain falling to their knees, including the man that approached her and wanted to steal her cub.
She shouted, "My magic can make your cocks fall off next time! Leave!" Her guard shouted in translation. They started crawling away. The people around were whispering to each other watching.
~~~~~~~~~~7.5mo(6.25mo)
After a month in port, the captain was shouting orders as they started loading on the final cargo being delivered into the hold. Crystal was twenty five weeks old (6.25 mos) at fifty five pounds and walking next to Lyra. Lyra went down and grabbed three peaches from off the crates bringing them back to the quarterdeck and handing the captain and helmsman a perfect peach. She stood on the quarterdeck behind the captain and helmsman covered in her gauze robe.
Once underway and headed out, Lyra felt better and started to relax. She bit into her peach and started eating it looking out to sea. The captain kept watching her when she wasn't looking and noticed her demeanor changed. He was mesmerized by her beauty as well as the crew and sellswords, they always were. The serene look on her face as she looked out to sea simply eating a peach was rare to see under the hood on her face. She tossed the pit overboard sitting on a very large wide barrel next to the rail. She patted and scratched Crystal on her lap.
The captain walked up next to her eating his peach and asked, "You seem more at ease now we are gone."
She said, "Slavers make me nervous and I have a heightened sense of awareness around them in the cities that have auctions. I have bought my servants from them and freed them to earn a very fair wage. I still hate being around them in those environments. Most slaves, I feel sorry for them and their lives." He nodded in understanding. He thought she was a kind person and grateful to work for her making twice the wage, knowing she knew that and was considerate of her employees.
~~~~~~~~~~~9.5mo(8.25mo)
When they reached Braavos again, two moons later, her six guards took a wagon and got her chests of silver and gold with a few vouchers from frequent customers she could rely on. She deposited 34,781 gold honors and 57,640 gold dragons with 24,174 in vouchers. It was equivalent to 116,595 gold dragons. Her balance was 13,632,442 gold dragons now in her account. She sold only top quality merchandise.
While in Braavos, she met with a merchant that wanted her to do his cargo shipment out of his mine to King's Landing to three lapidary goldsmiths. Lyra added the trip to King's Landing into her ship's schedule. She negotiated the shipping costs that were higher than normal goods because of the risk in shipping precious minerals in large quantities and pirates. They loaded his cargo in the hold after dropping off the goods to the merchants that she delivered in the city.
Then she wanted to go to Lannisport. She planned on adding White Harbor and Gulltown to her schedule eventually when she could take the time to meet and negotiate with the merchants guilds in the cities whenever she came back. Crystal was 33 weeks old (8 1/4 mo) and she weighed 75 pounds.
By the time they got back to the ship, the cargo was unloaded and delivered to the merchants. They waited for the gemstones and raw minerals to be delivered, so Lyra and Crystal had the midday meal on the ship.
Once they had everything on board for the destination to King's Landing, they set sail immediately the next day.
When they arrived at King's Landing, two and a half weeks later, the transactions went smoothly and the delivery was fast and easy to all four lapidary goldsmiths.
~~~~~~~13mo (11.75mo)
By the time Lyra had gone around Westeros, from King's Landing to Lannisport, it took three months. She had found out during her travels. She had done some fair trading all over Essos and developed some good relationships with merchants all over.
Crystal was almost a year old and very intimidating as an escort for her at 140 pounds of pure white giant pussycat. She went everywhere she did. She was very loving to Lyra and was trained very well knowing every command verbally or through hand signals. She knew everything Lyra said to her. Crystal knew a lot as a young lion about survival and hunting for herself in the wilderness. Lyra had taught her how to hunt and fish for her food and listen to her own instincts. She tried to be a good mother and spent a lot of time teaching her cub. She no longer had her on a leash but she still wore a big collar. She wore her leash only when Lyra was in the cities around people.
Lyra had a series of dreams lately being haunted by a handsome older man. He was going to ruin his life with a woman. She knew the details about it but she needed to travel to Lannisport to find this man. He was intimate and loving to her in her dreams also. She docked and dressed up feminine in a ruffled black peasant blouse and corset showing a bit of cleavage, but still in men's black leather pants with her weapons on and hair down and brushed. She left her cloak and waistcoat in her cabin. She told the men on the ship to enjoy themselves in shifts in the city. She went into the local tavern. People were staring at her and the one hundred forty pound well muscled hrakkar white lion cat that walked at her side on a leash. There was a tourney beginning the next day on the orders of King Robert in celebration of the victory of the Greyjoy Rebellion. There would be jousting, archery, and melee contests.
A game of cards was being held in the back corner of the tavern and several men were getting loud and laughing. Lyra got an ale and walked back there and noticed the man from her dreams. She captured the full attention of every man in the tavern as she slipped her ale watching them. Her eyes met that one man in particular. He was about thirty five name days old with blonde hair and blue eyes. Lyra was twenty three years old and had seen him kissing her in that dream. She subtly smiled at him stroking her cat sitting next to her with Crystal's head by her hip.
The table of men turned and she said coyly, "You think any of you might have room for me to play the next hand? As long as you're not scared of me and my little white kitty cat."
One of the men asked, "Hey, beautiful, is your kitty cat your bodyguard?"
She smirked and said, "She's my kitty protector." They all chuckled on the double meaning.
Ser Jorah Mormont whacked the man next to him and said, "Make room and get her a chair." The man jumped up and got her a chair, sitting it between himself and Jorah. Everyone scooted around to make room for her.
Lyra sat down and whispered in Jorah's ear, "Thanks handsome." He smiled at her thinking she even smelled beautiful but was drowning in her emerald eyes. The serving wench came over.
Lyra said to her, "Miss, I'll buy a round for the gents all here, for making room for me. Can I get another ale and three fingers of rum?" The girl smiled and went to get the table drinks. The men all said thanks. Lyra smiled at them nodding.
Lyra said, "The name is Lady Lyra Wyldwood from the carrack ship 'The Wyldwynd'."
Jorah asked, "Are you here for the tourney starting tomorrow, Lady Lyra?"
She said, "Actually, that was the luck of timing." She nudged Jorah and said, "I thought I came to find you, handsome." The men all whistled and chuckled saying what a lucky bastard Jorah was.
The serving wench came with all of the drinks. The girl gave her both her drinks and she put a couple silver moon coins on her tray and said, "Keep the change, my dear." The serving wench was grinning from ear to ear.
They started playing cards and Lyra won some and made sure to lose some hands. Jorah leaned over and whispered, "Are you always this lucky?"
Lyra said, "That's only because you're sitting next to me." Crystal made a growly noise in her ear after a while, meaning that he needed to go to the bathroom.
Lyra picked up her money and said, "Deal me out, gents. My kitty has to piss." The men started laughing at her again. She picked up the leash not realizing Jorah was following her. She went outside and took Crystal out towards the docks so she could pee.
She stood there and said, "Find a spot Crystal, my love." She sniffed around and was peeing.
Jorah walked up and said chuckling, "You were serious."
Lyra smiled and said, "Of course I was. You silly men are the ones who thought in the other direction that I was talking about myself. I'm headed to my ship 'The Wyldwynd'. Would you like to see her and have some wine?"
Jorah smirked and said, "Of course. Lead the way. My name is Ser Jorah Mormont from Bear Island." She smiled looking over at him instantly thinking Ian Glen was hot, but this guy was like a young version of him.
She said, "Nice to meet you Ser knight."
Jorah asked, "Are you related to the Wylde's from Rain House in Storms End?"
She smiled and nodded showing him her ring while she led Jorah up to her carrack ship. He saw the maelstrom on her ship's sails and knew she was a Wylde. They walked up the gangway ramp onto the ship. She unleashed Crystal and patted her on the butt. She moved ahead to the cabin door on her own down the hallway at the stern waiting for her. Lyra unlocked the door and they all went inside. She started lighting candles.
Jorah looked around at the very fine drawing room of the master's cabin. He said, "This is a very well maintained ship."
Lyra said, "I have a really good crew, servants and a top notch captain and cook. I keep fifty sellswords on board. My captain wants me to get a sworn shield to be over the sellswords. He said I need someone more reliable to manage everyone. My sellsword guards haven't let me down though."
Jorah said, "I can see what he is saying. Someone to manage your security like a Master at Arms." Crystal was sitting watching both of them intently talking in the middle of the room.
Lyra said, "Exactly. I came from almost a year's trip all over Essos ports, King's Landing. I wanted to see what was on this side of Westeros now. I started in White Harbor over a year ago. I got my hrakkar white lion when I was in Braavos. She was sick from the bastard selling her to go into the fighting pits. I raised her by hand and taught her to hunt a lot for her own survival, but we hunt mostly together. She loves going swimming with me." She snapped her fingers and hand signaled Crystal. The lion laid down on the floor sprawled out and huffed.
Jorah asked curiously, "What did you just tell her?"
She said, smiling, "To relax and not worry about you. Would you like some blackberry wine?"
He smiled at her and said, "Sounds good. Can I ask you something?" She was pouring a pitcher of wine from a cask in her room in the corner of the cabin. She came back with two cups and sat it all down on the table.
She smiled and turned to him saying, "Sure, Jorah, what is it?"
He reached out, caressed her face as she leaned into it and said, "Can I kiss you?" She giggled and went up on her toes facing him. He leaned in and started kissing her softly. She put her hands on his shoulders and slipped them around his neck. She could feel an electrical current pass between them.
He pulled her closer, melting into the kiss, slipping her the tongue. He thought she was the most incredible woman he ever met and her accent was very foreign and unusual. He broke the kiss and said, "Where have you been all my life?"
She whispered softly, panting, "Waiting." He kissed her again more passionately. She was melting from the feel of this man kissing her. She was immediately attracted to him when she saw him at the table in the tavern and in her dream.
He broke the kiss and said, "You're the most incredibly beautiful woman I have ever seen. I keep waiting for your selfish side to show because that's what I have seen happen before but you don't feel like that type of woman and it confuses me. You were made to be kissed, often and very well."
Lyra was so overcome from feeling the energy of this man. She said, panting, "I couldn't agree with you more, but I have no selfish side but to choose not to share what I want." She smiled at him and he could swear her eyes sparkled.
Jorah asked, "Will you be at the tourney for the joust over the next three days?" Lyra smiled and nodded. He grabbed her and kissed her aggressively. Her hands went up into his hair lightly scratching his scalp.
He groaned and said, "I want you like I have never wanted another woman in my life."
She smiled, kissing his face saying, "Sweet talker." He smiled at her.
Jorah said smirking, "You didn't even know about this tourney you said in the tavern. Will you come watch me?" He put his hand caressing her face looking up at him. His thumb moved over her lips.
She said giggling looking in his eyes, "It will give you inspiration by me watching you?"
He said smiling, "Oh yes, it surely will, beautiful lady."
At the end of the evening, Jorah leaves Lyra and swears to see her the next day at the jousting tourney.