novelraw Chapter 148: A Debt to Repay (II)
Chapter 148: A Debt to Repay (II)
Chapter 148: A Debt to Repay (II)
(Soundtrack Chapter: Tom Day - Who We Want To Be)
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POV: The Father of the First Man
Heart-Tree.
After war plans were drawn up ...
Robert Baratheon and Eddard Stark turned their backs to the face carved into the trunk of the Weirwood-Tree.
The tree stood atop a small hill called 'Forgotten Ancestors'.
Hundreds arranged themselves in the small Godswood located less than half a mile from the city walls.
All the present members of House Tallhart in Barrowton were lined up there, waiting anxiously and proudly for the long-awaited moment.
Helman held his left hand on Benfred's chest, while with his right, he gripped tightly the arm of his wife Myra, who was as intent as he was on lovingly holding one of the twins in her hands.
Leobald would never have forgiven him for not having the remaining family members participate... His brother had agreed, despite himself, to take on the role of castellan and defender of Torrhen's Square entrusted to him on the condition that he, Berena and Elminster could attend the tournament. Where his nephew, for the first time in a thousand years, would be honoured in the eyes of the World with the title of Green Knight.
Helman and Barbrey had curated a splendid Godswood in the Silk Road in anticipation of this historical event, which was to take place after the grand melee, but it didn't matter now...
Helman had already sent a dispatch to the ships waiting at the river to prepare to set sail at any time. The next long-awaited event was to take place at Torrhen's Square...
As his son often sang:
[A good plan is only if it can effectively mould itself to the contingencies and obstacles that will separate the arduous path from the goal.]
Before long, that minute, uncluttered and simple Godswood tended by the common folk of the Barrowlands would become famous throughout Westeros...
Helman noted the absence of a few key elements.
"Pss... Master Zick, what are you doing back there? Move over here next to us, quickly. You three too! What are you doing there in the second row? Peter, Ronan, Brywen stand here next to your Lady... that's an order!" Ser Helman whispered, spurring the four figures to do as requested.
Lady Barbrey and Lord Jorah also joined in the event... The soon-to-be, most powerful and wealthiest Lady in Westeros did not seem to mind interrupting 'the bedding ceremony' with her husband for a duel with a particular outcome. Still, she did not seem to want to miss the happy event planned for years.
Ser Helman nodded to the brother and sister of the Green Council. All the secret Green Knights and their King, whom they had sworn in blood and eternal magic loyalty six moons before, were present.
"You scoundrels with no manners! And you dare to call yourselves Knights too!
Make way for a poor, low, old noble lady!" The Queen of Thorns seemed to dislike her place in the third row, but there was no time for distractions. The King kicked off the ceremony as soon as most Northern Nobles took their positions.
"For many months, my faithful councillors and I were plagued by debates, leaving essential questions without valid answers!
The most difficult among them was 'How?' How could the Crown reward its loyal and faithful subjects in the North? How could the Kings and Gods reward the Heroes of Winterfell?!" Robert began pointing and calling loudly to many nobles present.
"Barrowton!... Last Hearth!... Deepwood Motte!... Dreadfort!... Karhold! Greywater Tower!... Finger of Silica! Square of Torrhen and all the deserving and Noble Houses of the North who fought with 'Honour', 'Courage' and 'Valour' in the Rebellion!!!
... A Rebellion that, fortunately, lasted a handful of moons compared to years of horrific suffering foreseen through the actions of thousands of frost-hardened Heroes and Loyalty to their land, their Lord, their King and their Gods!"
"Ayeee!!!" The noble lords and ladies of the North roared with satisfaction, washing away some of the resentment and hatred towards the Crown accumulated because of the Queen siding with the foreign Braavosians. Myra and her children also joined the chorus.
'Robert Baratheon knows his stuff...' Thought the Master of Torrhen's Square with modest surprise.
Various faults could be pinned on King Stags, but Leadership Charisma and oratorical skill were not among them.
"By virtue of this...
On the first night of the new decade, the Crown will attempt to repay part of this enormous debt of gratitude by bestowing upon said heroes: Glory, Honour, and Immortality!" Robert focused his attention on the still eleven-year-old boy in front of him.
"Duncan Tallhart... from the age of only five, you began decorating yourself with deeds worthy of knighthood, acts too numerous to list them all...
In one of them, you successfully led an impossible suicide mission..." Myra dug her nails into his flesh, whispering with a snarl:
"What 'Suicide Mission' is he talking about?"
"Ssh!... Not now, my beloved. The King is still on his word..." That little justification certainly wouldn't save him for long. The pain in his arm was proof of that.
"... I ungracefully offered you the chance to renounce the Gods you believed in, hoping to fold your deeds with merit you did not ask for, refusing my gift. But tonight... you will have no valid excuse to reject me again, young Hero of the North. Nor will you be given a chance to do so
Kneel before your Lord, your King and your Old Gods, Duncan of House Tallhart." Helman's pride, in all its glory, did as commanded.
Eddard Stark lent the King the huge ceremonial Valyrian Steel broadsword named {Ice}; Robert slowly unsheathed the sword from its scabbard with both hands, then lifted the point upwards with the flat of the palm-thick blade covering almost his entire face.
Before the Andal's invasion, when iron was still regarded by many Sons of the Forest and First Men as the 'Poison of Magicians', only Green Knights blessed in their appointment by Dragon Steel could wield weapons other than Bronze without being cursed by Kings and Old Gods.
The King lowered the steel onto Duncan's right shoulder, uttering words that would be remembered in the history books...
"In the name of Bronze, I command you to stand against Iron.
In the name of Fire, I command you to extinguish Frost.
In the name of Light, I command you to dispel Darkness.
In the name of Life, I command you to resist Death.
"After an unexpected exchange of admissions of guilt on the part of both of us, my lady and I have determined that the typical dance of southern nobility is not for us...
Let's cancel the whole repertoire and change it to tribal ceremonial music bases without pre-battle words... Or else! Something romantic and melancholic but at the same time hopeful... Or! Something to remind a warrior in whose name he is about to go to war...
Or... emm, well, I can't think of any other examples now." Explained the boy with indecision and embarrassment, scratching his head.
The man really didn't know what judgment to make to express the archaic mystery named Duncan Tallhart.
On the one hand, Bloody Snow displayed icy cunning, monstrous fortitude, charisma and fame enough to be named as the next Ruler of the North... as well as unparalleled fighting prowess; on the other hand... the boy exhibited flashes of lucid dementia, stupidity and ridiculous teenage clumsiness.
Less than two days ago, Abel had witnessed a headstrong Bloody Snow publicly bring the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms to her knees by sheer force of words and wit and subsequently crush a skilled swordsman of Braavos in a deadly duel.
And now, said individual trembled and gasped over a simple dance with a lady maiden of the North...
"So, milord... You and Lady Dacey will not dance?" the question was more than justified.
"Yes and no, Mr Abel. It will be more of a slow training fight to a musical foundation. A fighting dance! There, that sounds like a good compromise to me... So? Can something be done?" His employer asked pleadingly.
"But of course, Ser. I know three Free Folk ballads suitable for the occasion. We will slow down the metrics, and I will lengthen the notes to fit the musical base to the movements." Replied Abel with a smile and a bow, gaining confirmation from the percussionist and flautist.
"Perfect! One hundred additional Silver Moons to each of you for the inconvenience! And two hundred others to you, Master Bard, for the brilliant rescue!
Lady Quaithe! I need all the arts and knowledge of Carcosa!" The boy ran towards the spellcasters, not even allowing time for the trio of musicians to process the happy news.
Two... three... Abel counted 'four' armed soldiers standing guard on the ship's winch.
The crew members knew their way around an armed confrontation, but they were focused on their job as sailors and far enough away from the small dance floor set up at the front of the Galea.
'No... I went down south to gather intelligence, not to spill blood.
Assuming and not conceding that I have even a chance of succeeding in this folly, what would happen after the fall by the assassination of the Hero of the North, the First Green Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?' The Bard did not even try to feel the thin blade concealed in his sleeve.
'I would unleash the eternal fury of half a continent, bringing nothing but death, suffering and resentment towards my people...
Tonight, and for the following nights to come, I will be Abel the Bard,' thought the adventurous but cautious member of the Free Folk as he made his firm decision.
****
A few minutes later...
The Bear Maiden entered in both hands in leather and chain mail, mace and shield. The lutenist had to admit it. This girl had been blessed with an enviable wild charm that few Spear Wives possessed.
Hundreds of boys north of The Wall would have gladly risked having their throats ripped out in an attempt to steal her.
'Shield and Mace won't be needed, Dacey. We will have other types of weapons..." The sorcerers seized the signal and worked their magic.
The shadows came to life and slid between the wooden planks like streams of water until they reached the boy's hand and gave shape to a long sword...
The sword of black smoke began to absorb sparks of light from the sky until it gave a stellar sword.
It was a simply incredible sight.
'Beautiful...' mumbled the enchanted girl. Lady Dacey dropped her mace and shield to the ground.
This time, the masked witch performed the enchantment herself.
The moonlight was reflected back at the young Northern lady, giving the probable bride-to-be of the Green Knight a weapon and shield made of pure silver light.
"Do not think of their non-existent weight and follow my movements." Duncan cast an assenting glance towards the Bard.
The lutenist and conductor were happy to live up to his commitment. All members of the musical trio strongly desired to give the two lovers a performance worthy of their love.
Mance Raider... The Former Brother of the Night's Watch, one of the current five Kings-Beyond-The-Wall, firmly positioned his faithful lute-mate and started the dancing...
*****
{Note Author: For those who had only seen the GOT TV series and not read the books, Mance Raider in ASOIAF is (in the books he still lives) a much... much more badass character than in the series.
Just mentioning a few exploits:
-Mance has climbed The Wall alone dozens of times.
-He defeated three rival Kings Beyond The Wall in battle.
- He beat the shit out of Jon Snow in a sparring match.
-He sneaked into Winterfell alone twice as a Bard named Abel (Short for Bael, a famous Bard-Beyond-the-Wall of legends).
Once during King Robert's visit to the North to recruit Ned as Hand of The King to gather information about the North to assess a possible invasion.
And the second while attempting to rescue Arya Stark ( Jeyne Poole) from the clutches of the Boltons...
With all due respect to the actor chosen by the Directors for the role of that character, in the books, Mance was something else entirely...}
*****
End Part II
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