A/N: EDIT: not a lot of feedback for this chapter it seems, I know it's a shorter one, but I genuinely ran out of time... sorry...T_T
Sorry for the delay and the short chapter, holidays are doing bith my head and update schedule in. I have next to no time between shifts. Every bit of feedback helps!
Things should get back to normal come January...I hope.
Being in charge is very much NOT fun. T_T
Many thanks to newboy (a reviewer) for offering a great many ideas regarding the Iron Islands!
As always, I wanted this chapter to feel like a proper Game of Thrones episode!
Hopefully I succeeded~!
Alright, I've kept you waiting long enough, methinks. Enough of this old man's rambling; you're here for a story. Hope you're prepared for the chaos to come. Once more, I own no references, quotes, memes or themes. Not a wit or a one. Nope. They're simply tributes to legends far greater than I. Lastly, a reminder to one and all. Naruto's Westerosi name remains Nathaniel. Joanna -and now Rhaella!- prefer to call him Naruto, yet they're the only ones who truly do.
Timeline is obviously a little skewed here, but hey, that makes things...fun.
References and verbatim from Game of Thrones below. Hope you enjoy all this hard work.
Away we go~!
"I know what I saw!
The boy made a dragon of water, he did!
Then, when the battle was done, he just...started healing people...
S'not right, I tell ye. Ain't natural. We've the Maesters for the sorta thing...
~?
Healing Hands (Interlude)
The dawn heralded a magnificent massacre.
Scores of Greyjoy dead lay strewn in the shallows and the land alike; few, if any had escaped to tell of the slaughter. The survivors -those who managed to surrender before Lord Rickard started lopping off heads left and right- were summarily rounded, questioned, then put to the sword.
For Naruto's part, he was too tired to even savor the victory.
It had been a long night and a longer morning thus far; he'd spent the better part of the last ten hours wandering between the Lannister and Stark camps playing medic; that's right, a true blue healer, not one of those meddling Maesters. Everywhere he went he expended his chakra; mended wounds, restored lost eyes, patched up limbs, even growing a few back where he could. The latter drained him more than he cared to admit - restoring a lost leg or an annihilated arm was far more difficult than simply bringing back an eye, and to be frank, he had little practice at it. His efforts were praised nonetheless.
Each soul he healed was guaranteed to survive. Many more would have tales for their families when the returned. They'd be memorable if nothing else.
Much to his chagrin, he began to amass something of a following among the Northmen. That much was to be expected, he supposed. There was no point in keeping his talents hidden anymore; not that he could after last night's devastating display.
The North were an honorable lot. They wouldn't go tattling on him, not after all the wounded he'd tended, not when they evidently thought him a herald of their old gods with his healing ways.
But Aerys had spies everywhere outside of Casterly Rock, and there were doubtless some lurking in Lannisport. Word would get out sooner or later, if not of his abilities, then of the battle here. Even with the roads closed, it was only a matter of time. How much time remained to be seen; weeks at the least, months or perhaps a year if they were lucky.
Luch. Bah! He didn't believe in luck - not anymore. He made his own.
Still, in unleashing his talents last night, he'd broken the Greyjoys and minimized casualties on their sides.
All in all they'd only lost fifty men altogether; and most of those had perished or died of their wounds before he could get to them. Alas, some superstitious sods refused to be healed and perished because of it, but that couldn't be helped. Regardless, that left the bulk of their forces was largely intact and, more importantly, so was their fleet.
Once the stragglers were rooted out of Crakehall and the rest of the West, they could turn their attention toward the Iron Islands.
That would take time. Months. Maybe a year as well, though he hoped it wouldn't.
He said as much when he made his report to Tywin in his tent.
"Good."
Naruto's brow shot into his hair. "Good?"
"Wars are not won in a single night," Tywin didn't look up from scratching out his letters at the head of the table, "No matter how much we might wish otherwise." Sealing the message, he passed it off to a nearby soldier and looked him him square in the eye; evidently he didn't like what he found there; because his brow furrowed. "You need to sleep."
The mere mention of it nearly had him swaying on his feet and brought the migraine he'd been ignoring roaring back to the fore.
His chakra reserves were large in this body, but they paled in comparison to those he'd developed as a shinobi. And he'd spent a great deal of them not only weaving jutsu about like a madman, but healing people. Still his pride refused to allow him to simply collapse, not here, not now, not when there was still so much to do...
"M'fine." he muttered under his breath. "I've still got a few hours in me."
"You are no, and you do not." his father stood, rounded the table and steered him into a chair. "We will need your full focus for the battles to come and we won't have it while you're working yourself to death. Besides, we have a prisoner; he claims to have valuabe information for us. We'll need to question him before making our next move.
"An Ironborn? Kill him." he rolled his eyes "We have no need for-
"He gave your sister a dragon egg.
His heart stilled." What?"
Tywin held up a furled piece of parchment. "A raven arrived from her only an hour ago."
Naruto fumbled for it, fingers trembling, shoulder shaking; he reeled, mind awhirl. "The egg's a fake."
Had to be, surely.
He was itching to stretch his sense out toward Casterly Rock, but he couldn't with this infernal headache of his; as much as he might argue otherwise, he was well and truly tired.
"Perhaps." his lord father did not shrug, such was unbecoming of him, but he did nod. "He claims to know the location of two others. I'll leave that for you to ascertain."
"I can check right now-
"You may," When he sprang to his feet, Tywin pushed him back down into the chair. After you rest.
Rest?! There was no time for rest. He had so much to do and he was so behind...! They needed to purge Crakehall of the Greyjoys, make sure the raiders hadn't pierced into Cornfield yet, because House Swyft wasn't at all prepared to deal with them and then there was the matter of the egg and what it might mean.
Tywin's stare didn't relent.
"Fine," he huffed. "I'll sleep for an hour back at Casterly Rock. Happy?"
A stern glare from his father gave him pause. "Four hours.
"Three."
"Five."
"Two."
"Six."
"Nine! Naruto shot back. "Final offer!"
Tywin's smirk told him he'd been had, but it was too late to take back his words. Lannister paid their debts, but they also kept their promises.
"Alright," he groused under his breath, conceding his defeat with a surly sigh. "I'll rest for nine hours. But not a minute more. Then I'm coming straight back."
"Good. Shall I post a guard at your door?"
"No." he turned to go.
"Nathaniel."
Irked, he paused at the threshold of the tent to look back at his sire.
Tywin tilted his head a fraction of an inch to the right, regarding him intently. "Have you bedded Lyanna?"
Heat flooded his cheeks as he recalled the sordid events shortly before the battle of Lannisport:
Lyanna sat in his lap, arching her neck as he kissed her, gasping his name as she rode him...
Lie! Lie now! Life for your life!"What makes you say that?
"Cersei claimed the Stark girl wasn't feeling well."
"And?"
Tywin laughed, a sound rarer than a shooting stare. "I've never known Lyranna Stark to be ill a day in her life.
...fair."
"Be cautious," his father chided, "this war is no place to raise a child."
"You think I don't know that?"
"I'm well aware of what you do and don't know." his peace said, the Lannister Lord began writing another letter. "You're my son. Now. Be. Careful. You may have a dragon on the way for all we know. It wouldn't do to have a wolf as well."
Nymeria. He was talking about Nymeria. Naruto sputtered. A joke?! From Tywin?! Was the world ending?!
He fled, his father's last lingering chuckle chasing him from the tent.
Nymeria met him outside, brow raised.
He scowled at her. "What?"
Her smile was far too smug for his liking. "A girl is proud of you."
"Not another word."
No such luck; she was incorrigible. "Shall she ride ahead and fluff your pillow for you?"
"Oi!"
She ducked the retaliatory swipe and darted ahead of him. He let her go, too tired to give chase. Whatever she was up to, he'd deal with it when he was fully rested. Not before.
In short order he left and made his way back to the castle on his own.
Returning proved easy enough; it was only a short ride up and the guards knew better than to question his presence. He fobbed them off with a brief tale of the Lannister and Starks triumphing over the Greyjoys before he stumbled his way up the steps and sought his chambers.
Lyanna might still be resting for all he knew, the idea of sleeping beside her brought him some small solace. Her father was still down in Lannisport. No one would notice.
And then...then he could figure out this egg nonsense. Surely someone hadn't given Cersei one...right?
He rounded a corner and caught a flicker of motion in his peripherals.
Someone clamped tan hands over his eyes before he could react; a sure sign of how tired he was. "Guess who~?"
He blew out a sigh. "I don't have time for games, Ellia.
"Spoilsport...
The Dornish princess huffed and released him, allowing him to see her face; for a moment it looked like she might tackle him to the floor, but one look at his weary eyes and bloodied armor put paid to any teasing she may have given or any such lust she might've felt.
"You look terrible. Was the battle that bad?"
"Not as such...
She clicked her tongue. "When was the last time you slept?"
He most didn't answer that for his own safety.
Her eyes narrowed regardless.
"Come along, then." she took him by the hand. "Lets get you out of that armor, cleaned up, and into bed with your lady. We can speak when you're rested."
She knew about Lyanna then. Blast it. He was too weary to argue, even less so when she ushered him into a side chamber.
By the time she was finished with him and helped him dress, he was nearly asleep on his feet.
"I suppose I can't give you a bath like this," she tutted. "A pity. I would've enjoyed it.
"Maybe later."
"Hmhmmhmmm." she nuzzled her nose against his cheek in passing. "I'll hold you that."
Quietly, gracefully, she led him back to his chambers, and to the bed, where his head immediately hit the pillow.
The last thing he saw was Lyanna's sleeping form hogging all the blankets.
She'd actually slept right through the battle. Such a lazy girl.
Just before he passed out, he cast a quick jutsu and cast his consciousness outward...
(.0.0.0.)
"There you are!"
Rhaella finally found Nathaniel in her dreams.
Her relief was great, her joy inexpressible, her delight complete.
Today was a most pleasant dream; he'd arranged a neat little hillock overlooking King's Landing for the two of them, sat beneath a lone tree provided for shade. He looked up at her approach, one hand on his knee, eyes sharp as razors, something she gaze no thought to. And why should she? She'd done nothing wrong...
Yet when she made to approach him, he shied away from her touch.
...or had she?
"My love?"
"Did you know about the Greyjoys?" the sudden question caught her flatfooted. "That they were coming?"
Oh, dear. Nathaniel sounded angry.
Rhaella raised her hands. "There was nothing I could do! Aerys has been more paranoid than ever! I've been locked in my chambers for days! I had no way to reach you, and I couldn't find you in my dreams!"
"You didn't write to me.
She scowled at him. "How could I?! His cronies took away all ink and parchment from me!"
"Does he know?"
"No." she shook her head fervently, begging him to understand. "He's done the same for all lords and ladies in the court. He's gone even more mad than before...
He didn't answer that, causing her to grimace. It hurt her heart. He really did look quite cross with her; it felt like they'd taken several steps backwards...
Damnitall, Aerys. What had he done this time? Steeling herself, she scooted closer to him hip brushing his. "Please, let me explain...
Nathaniel exhaled slowly, heavily, and took her hand in his as he sat beside her. "Start talking."
Rhaella told him everything.
A/N: Aaaaaand scene.
Hope you joyed this chapter as much as I did writing it.
Next chapter title will be: Row Your Boat. Yes, that's a pun.
Should this remain a story? Would you like weekly updates? I've got five slots left. Or should it remain monthly? By all means, speak up.
So...in the immortal words of Atlas...
...Review...Would Ya Kindly? And of course, Enjoy the previews. Potential ones...
Previews are -mostly!- the same this time. Didn't want to spoil the upcoming chapters.
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
SPOILERS LAY AHEAD!
YE BE WARNED~!
(PREVIEWS)
Naruto awoke curiously warm.
Oh, right. He'd forgotten.
Maybe don't move...
Now that he was rested, he had to confront Cersei.
It was inevitable.
She didn't try to hide; he found her down in the Stone Garden.
Another egg?! Where did you even find that thing?! Where was that one even hiding?!"
Cersei held tight to the blue-scaled object and clutched it to her bosom, wearing a sheepish expression. "All's fair in love and war...?"
"Cersei, no...
"Cersei, yes! "
He held out a hand. "Give it here."
She backed up quickly. "Why? So you can hatch it...?"
Euron Greyjoy thought himself a clever monster; in making himself indispensable, he sought to bind himself to the Lannister cause, likely to betray them later.
Naruto knew his type. The man was a user.
How very sad.
The man was already doomed.
Poor bastard.
"Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream!
Merrily, merrily, merrrrilllllyyyy~!
How the Greyjoys scream!"
Something stirred in the depths.
Ships sailed toward the Iron Islands.
It would be a massacre.
But for whom?
EDIT: Hey, you made it! I do hope this chapter lived up to your expectations. By all means, feel free to let me know what you think!
Looking forward to your feedback/chatting with you when I get back from work!
Hope you have a great day filled with lots of luck,
~Nz.
R ~! =D