Chapter 25: Rule These Lands
On the front of Pentos, the massive army of the Dothraki surrounded the entrance. It is said the magistrates usually gives them gifts but this is a third horselord to come here and demand offerings in a single month. The Pentos are not allowed to keep slaves, buy sell swords or keep military power of any kind.
This is why they have decided to ask the various shop owners to put together a group to defend the city. On top of the wall is a large group with arrows. As soon as the Dothraki riders are close enough, they released the arrows. A few slaves said to be free people but thats not true pulled long ropes on each side on the open field.
Horses fell and riders jumped up running towards the city wall. The loud battle sound of the Dothraki is very disorienting for the new guys.
Being a foreign group they are being looked down upon by the entire army. They are made to be the vanguard and sent to the front.
"Bullheart, do you think it is too much for a training?" Veer asked. He was once a slave who didn't know when his life will be taken away from him just like those on the ground being killed off one by one by the Dothraki riders.
The riders came closer to the wall and before they can move even closer, the first group of slaves met them as if they are a shield. The Dothraki could easily avoided their feeble attacks and deal deadly blows with their arakh. Cutting off the heads of the slaves like cutting through butter.
"Now!" A man leading the main forces shouted. Like rain, arrows rained down on the riders and their horses. This took out almost a third of the enemy and many of the slaves.
The attack continued many using the dead as cover while running forward to the gate. They have a heavy door smasher to destroy the gate but the ones on the roof won't stand by and let them come inside.
They started dropping heavy stones. The force of gravity is no joke especially from such height. More enemies died but the Dothraki is an endless stream.
It is time for the under dogs to go out. Bullheart sighed and looked to his comrades, no words are necessary they all understand why they were sent here. They must survive and bring Victory.
"Wehha!"
Ghu! Ghu! Hha!
"Wehha!"
Ghu! Ghu! Hha!
Their group suddenly made this battle cry looking ferocious. When the long range attacks became impossible, they pulled out their weapons and nimbly poured out from the sides of the wall like crazy locusts in black armor that gleams a menacing aura.
In no time they were alrady havesting the Dothraki lives moving nimbly on the battlefield. The powerful Dothraki are suddenly bombarded with fast swift attacks leaving them no time to adjust.
Most people only saw shadows and a man has lost his head. They moved like cheetahs nimbly avoiding any horses or allies. In a matter of a few minutes the Dothraki halfway through the battlefield were all wiped out.
They retreated after screaming a strange sound they made their way back with almost half their men and battle slaves dead. The people on the wall have never seen anything like this fighting style before.
They didn't fight with the enemy, they only delivered death in a single strike, at most they would use three moves and the powerful riders fell like puppets with no strings.
Vryil watch with his mouth agape. Who the hell are these people? Their attacks are not professional but they are very fast. It is not possible to keep up with that kind of speed.
The Dothraki is very strong they used the arakh to parry but their weapons are cut in the process. It is the pinnacle of human speed. Sometimes a warrior is blessed with great speed but for it to happen to all two thousand men at the same time is not possible.
The Dothraki retreated but they didn't go far. It is obvious they are coming back soon. The people on the wall celebrated the strange victory.
"Are they not standing out too much? People may start calling them monstrous if they are not careful. They are showing off too much. The next practice should be about hiding your strength and looking as normal as possible." Olivia declared.
"How was it? If I had to have one voice in my head for three months I would probably bang my head on the wall." Dixon joked.
"She has a sweet voice. It is the dark magic that is making me sick to my stomach. But I finally managed to reverse the spell. I will need help but I can also do the spell on my own if I am willing to use a lot of my time." Olivia explained.
"You are very talented." Dixon said. They spent the rest of the week getting the soldiers to 'lay low' and be more subtle with their uniqueness. This gave a chance for the other teams to go to battle.
After play time was over, they all went back home. When they arrived, it seems a fight had just taken place. Blood, damaged trees and injured people in the forest. Luckily non of it touched the city.
"Mistress." Broady ran to her side and cycled her happily. But it seems he is running away from someone.
"I am to check your injuries young Broady stand still for a moment." The old woman said but the young man ran away. He wants to be checked by the other young and pretty doctors like his comrades.
"Broady, did you fight?" Olivia stopped him and looke at his ripped clothes with blood.
"Thanks to the medical doctors I am all healed." He said.
"What happened here?" Olivia asked out loud.
It turns out Mance didn't give up that time. Instead he somehow managed to convince the giants to help him. The only reason the city hasn't been destroyed in their first attack is because it is unusually sturdy. Olivia improved on the Kingsroad concrete so of course it it sturdy. She had paid special attention to the quality of the structure because of the constant storms and sonw that falls year round.
"Its has been four times already. This Mance Rayder has already stopped trying to raide an army and is now putting his energy into taking Haunted city." Bellamy said.
"Just kill him." Dixon is one mind with Olivia.
"He hides, everytime they attack he is no where to be seen." Someone answered.
"Send out a hunting team, have them dress as wildlings, find them and then sent me the coordinates using this." Olivia gave them one of her wooden bangles but this one is different, shabby.
"I can hear and see around the bangle if you expose it to the light. If you cover it I won't see or hear anything. Do it quickly." Olivia is livid. It has been four times? He must think her a soft persimmon.
While she was studying magic, her power grew. Not her plant power but her blood magic it boiled and expoded like before. Of course the red priestess called it the 'blessing of the lord of light.' When she was training under the children of the forest she was learning to use her power like a weapong in battle.
But in Bravos she learned to use spells that kill and not just 'heal' she did learn a lot from the children of the forest but it was all too clean that was probably why her magic didn't grow while she was learning under their tutelage. Other than using her purifying flame, she wouldn't have known to see a dark spell and recognize its complexities.
Curing a disease without understanding it may bring more harm than good. The lessons learned from them was more practical because they hope to use her as a tool against the night king.
She can grow two wings and float but it always burns her clothes so she doesn't like using it. Imagine in the midst of battle your top disintegrates into ash exposing your emple bosom. She could maybe use it if she has a forging technique to make low level armor that is not afraid of flames.
She is thinking deeply when a white shadow enveloped her covering her entire body scaring Dixon into a heart attack. "Aah!"
Lola didn't budge after a long while she loosened her body around her. "This is why I don't have servants anymore they all quit because of your antics." Even the nine ladies she has rescued from a group of bandits left, only the old lady remains the others moved out to the other housing districts.
"I missed you too. You did behave in my absence did you?" Olivia forgot about the frozen Dixon and chatted happily with Lola.
.....
"I am Tyrion Lannister, I came to talk with the bastard of Winterfell. It's true you can just return me to the wall, I will pay you handsomely."
"Don't you get tired of singing the same song? I am certainly tired of hearing it." Mance entered the tent tooking worse for wear.
"How is it that a dwarf made all the way back here from the South? Aren't you too close to the snow?"
"I was traveling with my men and we got separated."
"Yes I know, the snow storm swept them away from you. You have said it before." Mance said with a bored tone.
"I don't understand why you are keeping me here if not for the randsome money from my father. It wasn't easy bribing the men of nights watch to smuggle me to this side if the wall." Tyrion grumbled.
Just as Mance is about to put a cloth to shut him up someone entered his tent. "I haven't seen you around. Is she your daughter? She is beautiful..."
The new comer released a bell like laughter. Mance stood up getting his weapon and pointing it at her.
"Father, do you wish to end my small life?" She smiled.
"What do you want?" Mance is on guard.
"What do you mean? You can come to my house and piss on my trees but I am not allowed a visit? Mance Rayder you wound me." She sat down ignoring the man on full alert.
Tyrion saw the situation clearly. The big scary man is clearly very scared of this yound girl. She on the other hand is not even weary of him. She walked by him and started searching through his things.
"Where have you been? Been by your city four time now and you were no where to be found." He asked clearly annoyed at her action.
"No tea or at least warm water...do you live like actual animals in these falling tents? No wonder you want to usurp my throne and take my city. I mean, look at the floor here. You are practically sleeping outside." Olivia said every word hitting Mance in the chest.
"You have no right to look down on me." He gritted out.
"On the contrary I admire your tenacity. You collect all the wildlings, the cave men, the Thenns.." She made a disgusted face when she called out the last one. "And now the giants to join your army in your crusade against the South so you can what? Run away from the night king?" She laughed as his eyes widening.
"I haven't seem them but the children of the forest are always so scared about it. And besides, if you had magic in your blood you would feel it in the air, the corruption of the snow, the chill of death. I don't need to see him to know he exists and he is coming for all of us. Hahahah..." Her voice had gone gloomy as she talked so when she busted out laughing Tyrion and even Mance jumped slightly in fright.
"The enemy is here, and you think running is an option? You think if you go south the army of the dead will sit here and suck their thumbs? The aim is the entire world Mance, you should be uniting these lovely people to fight for your home but you want to run and take some other person's home?" She looked at him in the eyes.
"That is our home! The true North is no place for humans. Our home is south of the wall and we will take it back." Mance said with visible conviction.
"And do what with the rich lands of the south? Do you know how to farm? How will you support your mighty army down south I wonder? Or you will worry about it when you get there?"
"Do you know how many great Kings beyond the wall who united the free folks against the south and failed? Generation after generation do you perhaps think you are the 'chosen' one? With you in charge the wildlings will finally make it South?" She ridiculed.
"I am not the 'chosen' one by I have something non of them had real fear of what's out there. I have seen it. To get away from that, I will do anything."
"Hahaha...do you think you are the first person to see it and survive? You will gather your giants and free folks but you will die just the same."
"What about you? Building a city in a place like this? Are you just begging to die faster?"
"I dislike the South, this place suits me better. Their politics and that pesky faith make me want to murder people. And I am trying to be good." She said. Mance sneered when he heard her.
"You killed over a dozen of my good men the very first time we met." He said.
"This is the second time me meet, so be careful Mance Rayder." She took a step towards him. But she smiled a disarming smile.
"I like it here. It is peaceful everyone is just trying to survive. At least it was peaceful until you laid your greedy beady eyes on my city."
"Haha..so you're running?" Mance said.
"I don't deny it. I am running, if only from myself. I don't want to give in to my worst instincts and if I stay amongst the high borns and the hypocrites that is exactly what will happen. And besides, I am to rule these lands."
"Rule? Haha..they are called free folk for a reason."
"They are also called dead people walking for a reason. I bring life, food, clothes, I bring things like...utensils." She said with distaste Tyrion couldn't hold his laugh.
"If your free folk want to remain starving and cold I will not force them. But if they come into my city and try to take what is mine, I will add them to the army of the dead. At least they will never grow hungry that way."
"Ominous words. Aren't you like 15?" Tyrion couldn't stand the tension. He thought he is used to being frightened having lived near Tywin.
"Did you say children of the forest?" Mance dropped the axe.
"Are you a fan?" She gave up taking out the things in the sack and sat down.
"I only know them from the stories." Mance admitted. Tyrion also took a good look at her to check if she is telling the truth.
"Why would they show themselves to you?" Mance asked her.
"They had come for one thing but took a liking to me and decided to teach me some magic." She looked at the disbelief on their faces and smiled.
"It's because I am a nice person Mance. You don't even smile when someone took their time to visit you in your shabby house. I on the other hand am gracious host, not to mention, my home is inside a forest." She rambled on and on.
"Why would they teach you magic? Why would they teach you anything?" Mance asked looking like he has calmed down.
"One word. Potential. This is something you don't have Mance. I mean look where you live." She taunted.
"If they taught you magic then why don't you show me this magic they taught you?"
"What happens if I do?" She blinked.
"Then you have been accepted by an old order of the true North. I will discuss with my people and allow those who want to stay in your city to go."
"What makes you think I want them?" She asked with a flat expression.
"Why wouldn't you?" Mance asked.
"Wildlings. I mean, it's in the name. My city is clean and peaceful. Everyone has to work and earn the money to pay for their food, clothes and rent. You can not take what belongs to others just because you are strong."
"You can teach them these rules."
"They are too old to be taught. In any case, I don't want people who have been attacking and wounding my people in the past few months."
"That is my fault."
"That is not why I came here. I came because you have been annoying my people and it has to stop. If you don't stop I will poison everyone here and set you all on fire while you are paralyzed unble to move." The threat is out and Mance took a moment to process. When he finished, his face became distorted.
"There are innocent people here." He shouted.
"Are they? Innocent people die all the time Mance. See to it you cease your relentless attacks on my city and just to make sure my words got to you. Everyone here has been poisoned with a small poison. It will only last for two days but my ability to make good on my words should be clear after this." She left Mance still processing what she just said.
The poison is air borne and she used a small spell to spread the poison into every house. It will make everyone sick feeling hot and then cold and then they will be uncomfortable all the time for two days. She went easy because there are children there.
Tyrion felt it the entire night and the following day. Mance held a meeting with the elders after they had all recovered and they decided to continue the way they had been doing before. Recruit the army and go South. The idea of taking over the city is temporary abandoned.
"You are telling me that scary lady is the long lost bastard of Winterfell? She certainly lives up to her reputation." Tyrion is finally led to the scary lady's haunted city.
No one was willing to enter the forest to take him into the city so Tyrion had to enter by himself. However, he ran into the men of the nights watch who had been reduced in numbers by the beasts in the forests and he joined them.
The moment they came across the magnificent walls of the city. They all looked at them in awe. They are in beautiful cobblestones style but the stones are bright black and the gray concrete with something colorless painted on top making the wall shine with an obsidian color. The gates are made with powerful looking wood and metal bars.
It is beautiful and majestic. There are several people at the top of the wall on duty. They opened a small hole on the gate to ask who the visitors are. They waited a bit and then are led inside. All of them are able to feel the difference between the otherside of the gate and inside as soon as they entered.
It is very warm inside the city. Although not to the extent of taking off your coat, it is comfortable walking inside if you have been outside. The city is very beautiful with concrete grounds and tall buildings. People walking around comfortably in the city without anyone sleeping on the ground or begging for coins.
Tyrion who has seen Lannisport and Kings landing, He knows this place is very clean indeed.
They can see several tall castles and buildings from where they stand.
"Who knew there is such a place in the North? I wonder how long it took to build it." Tyrion said in curiosity.
"This place is a miracle." Someone said.
They are led into a throne room and it looks absolutely beautiful with the black marble floors and the large tree like throne.
Trolleys pushed by a few men and women wearing what looks to be kitchen uniforms, they are filled with smoking tea, coffee, bread and some biscuits. The smell of coffee is enticing the few men didn't stand on ceremony and began pouring themselves the hot qbeverage and eating the provided food witth vigor.
An hour passed by and then just as they were getting impatient, Olivia walked in with a group of people who sat a distance below her throne.
"Too far North from your post gentlemen. What can I do you for?" She said with a smile on her face. Tyrion hadn't eaten the food because of the poison he experienced the days before. Looking at her smiling like that, he felt sweat on his back. He doesn't want to die so far away from home.
....