VIII
"Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice."
Sergeant Santiago remained fixated on the day, no work had been done, he paid no attention to anybody, not even the recently arrived UN lapdogs. He took a book, and it became forgotten, but the phrase did not, his father never took him to discover ice, nor snow, he knew those things now, he knew the fridge and he knew the Andes. His father never took him to discover anything, in truth, his father was never there, but he taught him things. One grows strong as one believes oneself strong.
That was the reason he shut down his nightmares, the reason he popped pills, the reason he carried his gun, the reason he pushed himself forward. Fortune favors the bold.
He was the first on the firefight down in Cauca, and the last to leave, he seized every opportunity, one day he would take his own throne, but not the one his father had built, he would built a new one for himself. You too my son, will have a taste of power.
"Sergeant?" a voice said through the door "Gagnon wants to see you, hes no longer asking."
"Let the lapdog in" he said with a sigh.
"Sergeant, I need to speak with you" Gagnon said as he entered.
"Of course you do" he gulped his bottle "Is about the lady, is it?"
"Your men abducted a full-fledged lady along with her retinue, who knows what kind of incident they could have caused" Gagnon was beyond annoyed.
"Not on my orders"
"You didn't punish them" Gagnon paused "Why?"
"They are now in my pocket, thought diplomats knew better" his voice cold.
"A power move" Gagnon laughed bitterly "Ive investigated your family, their ambition is bottomless. I've yet to see yours."
"You will in time" he put a joyless smile "Is your team ready?"
"As ready as they can be" the Deputy said.
"We go at 0500, Im ordering to put a base camp on the other side" Santiago paused "Now, as much as I like to continue this dick-measuring contest with you; Canadian, Ive got work to do."
"I know the way out" Gagnon snorted as he left.
He stared at the celling and hoped, not for the first time, to have died on Cauca, instead he died on spirit; it was worse. Driven only by ambition, by the dream, haunted by the face of his dreams and nightmares, hunted by the things he did.
Hours went by and he remained like passive waste; no work was done, he paid no attention to anybody, he took a book and became forgotten, but the phrase did not.
"Remember you will die."
Davos learnt not to question the ability of Bran, at least to not do so vocally, he had after all organized a broken realm, but already there were whispers of rebellion, and he knew deep down that whatever awaited for them near Maidenpool would change the realm again.
He started to believe that the gods had forsaken Westeros. But not the raven, the three-eyed-raven always roams the skies and sees everything; Davos knows that he can never be truly alone on the road. He knows, he always knows.
"Lost, lost, lost!" hes not surprised when he hears their screeches, he wouldn't even be if the king told him he knows his thoughts. What would Bran say? I turned you from a landed knight into a lord of your own right, Dragonstone is a true prize, and yet you refuse. He refuses to take his lordship, not because of the responsibility, but because of the ghosts, he served there under a king, came back under another, and they are dead. You are not guilty of your fathers crimes…
They were near the "Haunted forest" name the smallfolk gave to the forest were lady Alaynne had disappeared when a group of ten Velaryon men intercepted them, Aurane Velaryon the legitimized bastard of house Velaryon and regent of Driftmark at its head with his white hair and Valyrian face for all to see.
"My lord Davos" Aurane Velaryon called for him.
"Aurane, it's good to see you boy, how fare the seas?" he asked with a fond smile.
"Still salty and still untamable" Velaryon shrugged "You should visit one day Davos, wouldn't want to lose your sea legs."
"One can't be lord of ships and never sail, thats true" he paused "But with the work in the mainland theres naught time to sail."
"Our dear king would fare better just naming you hand" Aurane smiled "Is the dwarf still secluded in the Rock?"
"I imagine him to be, all his life wanting to be lord Lannister, and now…" he took a deep breath.
"Aye" Velaryon nodded "Don't trouble yourself with that though, theres time for everything."
"Aye, what brings you here Aurane?"
"I meet lady Alaynne in Kings Landing before his grace gave her leave, Ill admit it she got me good" he sighed "Came asking for her hand; now Im asking for her body."
"We don't know for sure, Im searching for her also, the king gave us a lead" Davos saw as Aurane turned pale.
"Don't like that thing of his" Velaryon smiled broadly "Guess Ill join you, unless the Onion knight is too good for a bastard."
"Never too high to forget the early days" Davos laughed "Well rest and then well begin searching for true."
"Lost, lost, lost!"
PD: Ill try to stick to a release per week schedule.