Disclaimer: This is a story based on ASOIAF Universe and all recognizable characters, plots belong to GRRM. I have no ownership to it.
Chapter 66: War and Love
The Sunset Sea
Benjen Snow
The feeling of riding on Vermithor, as well as the sight of the sunset over the vast expanse of the sea from the air, was spectacularly beautiful. Yet Benjen couldn't enjoy it because of his worry over Lyanna and his mind being preoccupied with trying to find any connection to warg animals among the ships. It was the only way he could find the Mormont fleet in the vast waters of the ocean in time.
It was the third night since his father had the dream vision and the night when their enemies would attack them in various ways. Even his father couldn't determine the exact time of the attack, but Benjen hoped to reach Lyanna in time. After taking flight on Vermithor, Benjen had immediately gone to the dragonkeepers to get Vermithor saddled. The dragonkeepers had been quite surprised to see him arrive with Vermithor, and Benjen had only managed to avoid Daemon and Caraxes because they were flying elsewhere at the time.
Benjen quickly flew west after gathering everything he needed, and during the flight he tried to understand what had happened with the bond. Although it had taken him the entire previous day, it still took some time to become accustomed to flying together and establishing proper communication. Fortunately, he had observed the methods of communication used by other dragonlords, allowing him to make enough progress on his own.
He didn't know how much time had passed since sunset before he felt the panic of a bird trying to flee from something. Immediately, Benjen took control, but he couldn't see any ships with the birds view and forced it to fly in the direction it fled from while directing Vermithor toward the source of the disturbance. The dragon caught up with the bird quickly, and Benjen once again sensed distant animals through his warging in that direction. Vermithor immediately flew toward them.
The first thing he saw through the various animals was pure chaos. A black fog hid almost everything beyond a short distance, yet fighting raged across the ships. He sent birds into the fog to search for Silverwing or any sign of dragonfire, and it took almost as long as Vermithor needed to reach the section of ocean engulfed by the unnatural fog.
He saw Silverwing at the edge of the armada for only a moment before cutting the connections. Opening his eyes, he saw the fog stretching across a vast area of the sea, hanging low over the water. Only the fires consuming many ships illuminated the two fleets through the darkness. Benjen could feel the dread in the air, and it took several heartbeats before he realized what made the scene so disturbing. It was the silence, or rather the absence of sound from all the fighting, shouting, and clashing. There was no sound at all, and the sight of battle unfolding beneath that unnatural silence unsettled him deeply.
Benjen directed Vermithor toward the area where he had briefly seen Silverwing while his hand slipped into the inner pockets of his clothing. It was the gift from Aethan Reed. Five vials of his father's blood that would ensure his survival.
Benjen took out two and consumed them immediately. Two more were given to Vermithor by throwing them in front of the dragon, who swallowed the entire vials with ease, including the empty glass. Benjen wrapped the final vial in cloth and placed it inside the small ironwood box he had been given for storage. He loosened his upper shirt and secured the box against his stomach. He then tied it firmly to his body with rope before tightening the shirt over it for additional support.
He was looking through Vermithor's eyes when he finally saw a large blaze overcoming the fog. The mist was moving rapidly there because of the wind generated by Silverwing's wings as she struggled to fly away. Even with Vermithor's eyes, he couldn't see Lyanna anywhere, only burning ships. He watched Silverwing increase her efforts to escape before suddenly reversing direction in an attempt to loosen the kraken's tentacles wrapped around her legs and claws.
Vermithor roared in rage as Silverwing plunged into the ocean and disappeared beneath the surface while attacking with teeth and claws. Before Benjen could even issue an order, the Bronze Fury dived towards the water to attack the kraken.
Benjen had seen the size of the tentacles and had no idea where Lyanna was. Still, he untied the safety ropes securing him to the saddle and held on with both hands and legs. He was tempted to draw his Valyrian steel sword, but he knew the resistance of the water would greatly weaken any slash, and attempting it would be foolhardy.
Two heartbeats later, Vermithor crashed into the ocean. Cold water enveloped Benjen, causing him to freeze instinctively for a moment even though the temperature itself had little effect on his enhanced body. He had taken a deep breath just before impact and now opened his eyes.
It was completely dark, even for him. He closed them again and relied on Vermithor's sight. Benjen almost lost his breath in fear as he finally grasped the size of the kraken. The monster was larger than Vhagar, with seemingly endless tentacles stretching through the depths.
Both Silverwing and Vermithor attacked with everything they had. Tentacles were slashed by claws, bitten apart by powerful jaws, and water flash-boiled as the dragons somehow unleashed fire beneath the sea. Benjen could feel Vermithor's pain whenever the tentacles struck, and there was also the matter of the black blood pouring from the wounds caused by the dragons. The substance burned against dragon scales and possessed acidic properties that slowly corroded them.
Benjen was floating underwater away from the titanic fight, and none of the tentacles attacked him as all three beasts continued sinking deeper into the ocean while he remained some distance away beneath the water.
He understood that it was because the kraken hadn't realized there was another person present and was distracted by the attacks of the two dragons. Even with the surprise and ferocity of the dragons, Benjen could see through Vermithor's eyes that the tentacles around Silverwing's claws had not loosened enough, nor had they been torn away. Lyanna was nowhere to be seen, and Benjen couldn't afford to turn Vermithor's head to search for her, as only the dragon's ferocity and the combined fighting of both dragons prevented the kraken's tentacles from enveloping Vermithor as well. Any tentacle that approached from behind was attacked by Silverwing while Vermithor continued attacking both the tentacles and the kraken's body as he swam around it.
Benjen swam downward while making sure he remained far enough away from the fight. It was then that he caught something at the edge of his vision through Vermithor's eyes. Several tentacles enclosed something and that tentacles was being kept away from fighting the two dragons. Benjen immediately concluded that Lyanna was enclosed in that tentacles for some reason. He prayed to all the Gods that she should be alive in there and still holding on to her life.
Seeing the lack of progress beyond accumulating injuries for all three beasts and recognizing the approaching defeat of the two dragons because of the kraken's advantage in its own environment, Benjen decided to gamble and take the risk.
'Vermithor, I am going to attack the beast's mind and take control long enough to loosen its hold after I reach where we just saw Lyanna being held. Protect my mind from the backlash, and maybe you can use our bond to attack the kraken mentally as well if my mind proves too weak against the monster.'
Benjen ordered Vermithor through their bond and received only a feeling of acceptance in return.
Benjen immediately started swimming with all his strength toward where the tentacles held Lyanna. The kraken was sinking faster and faster, yet Benjen managed to catch up with it even though the pressure of the water was becoming increasingly difficult to endure. Only the blood of his father that he had consumed allowed his body to function at such a level, adapting and enduring the punishment.
The moment he reached close enough to the tentacles holding Lyanna, Benjen attacked mentally.
At first there was no purchase against the ancient mind of the ocean dweller, but anger gave him enough strength and Benjen punched through the defenses of the kraken's mind. He felt veins around his eyes, ears, and nose rupture from the strain, and then the kraken's counterattack came.
Benjen felt as though his mind was breaking apart when the Bronze Fury's rage engulfed his entire consciousness, burning through everything in its path, including the kraken's attack. Finally, their combined might broke through the kraken's control of its own body for several heartbeats.
Benjen felt a human body being crushed beneath the pressure of his tentacles and immediately forced them to loosen before throwing the body upward. He immediately swam after it and managed to give one more order before the kraken's body was wrenched from his control by some another force.
'Release Silverwing'
The tentacles loosened their hold and freed the dragon.
Benjen immediately severed the connection before the kraken could retaliate mentally and ordered Vermithor to swim upward and escape. Finally, Benjen reached Lyanna's body and grabbed hold of her. Through his warg senses, he could tell she was unconscious. He wrapped one arm around her waist and swam upward with all his strength, increasing his speed as much as possible.
Benjen saw Vermithor take a massive bite out of the kraken while unleashing fire as his jaws closed around part of the creature's body before turning upward. Even underwater, Benjen felt the kraken's roar of pain as the intense heat cooked portions of its flesh. He also felt Vermithor's pain from the acid burns caused by the black blood inside the mouth, though the potency had been reduced significantly by the dragon's heat and fire.
Both Silverwing and Vermithor used the kraken's body as a launch point, pushing upward with their legs while swimming toward the surface in an effort to escape the depths.
Within heartbeats, the dragons reached near Benjen as he was using every ounce of his strength to swim upward. He grabbed one of the bone spikes along Vermithor's back as the dragon passed him.
Three heartbeats later, they burst through the surface of the ocean in a spray of water while both Silverwing and Vermithor spread their wings and climbed into the sky without any hesitance or loss of time. Vermithor with uninjured wings was far faster than Silverwing who even while flapping its wings as fast as possible looked down and breathed fire towards the ocean surface where they just emerged.
It proved to be the correct decision.
Just after they rose above the height of the fog, enormous tentacles broke through the water, flying upwards in the air as fast possible and narrowly missed their legs, as the monster growled in pain as the tentacles passed through dragonfire reducing its speed. The kraken had reached the water surface beneath them that soon. The dark sea churned below, disturbed by the creature's movements and the aftermath of the battle.
Benjen, finally able to breathe and see with his own eyes, dragged himself up the scales while carrying Lyanna. Finally, he reached the saddle and laid Lyanna onto it.
The sight was heartbreaking for him.
Her entire body was covered in severe bruises, and bones appeared to be broken across much of her frame. Yet she was still breathing harshly and somehow clinging to life.
Benjen immediately understood that Lyanna must have consumed their father's blood before the battle in order to survive such punishment.
Without hesitation, he tore open his shirt and retrieved the ironwood box. Taking out the vial of elixir, he opened Lyanna's mouth and poured the liquid down her throat before closing her mouth and gently massaging her throat to make sure she swallowed.
It took only several heartbeats for the potency of the blood to become apparent as the deathly paleness of Lyanna's face began to fade slightly and her harsh breaths becoming easier. Sighing in relief, Benjen finally looked toward the dragons. Blood dripped steadily from numerous wounds across Silverwing's body. There were several holes in her wings, yet even with those injuries the dragon remained capable of flying and maintaining her altitude. Silverwing growled in pain and anger, and Vermithor answered with a roar of his own.
For a moment, Benjen was confused before images flashed through his mind from Vermithor.
Silverwing wanted to hunt down and kill the kraken immediately. Vermithor had stopped her because of their current situation. Benjen understood that only his own pragmatism and caution were preventing Vermithor from joining the hunt as well.
Looking through Vermithor's eyes, Benjen saw the kraken's tentacles breaking the surface of the ocean far below. They lashed through the dark waters, disturbing the waves and reaching upward toward the sky where the dragons circled above.
Benjen closed his eyes and took three deep breaths to calm his mind and plan what to do next. After that, he made Vermithor fly toward the fighting within the armada to see what was happening.
By then, the battle was still ongoing, and the remaining warg animals showed that the Mormont and Lannister fleets were winning. Benjen casually ordered Vermithor to breathe fire at one of the Ironborn ships that was uniquely free of any nearby allied vessels, a command Vermithor was very happy to obey.
Vermithor even took a bite out of an Ironborn in the crow's nest, leaving only the man's legs to fall into the sea before fire followed. Silverwing, seeing that, dived toward another ship and swallowed a man after crashing into it and breaking it apart. Benjen knew that energy was needed for the dragons to fight and heal, yet he almost vomited at the sight of a man being consumed as food before remembering that it was an Ironborn.
Vermithor sent amusement through their bond, and then a sound almost like a snort erupted from the dragon's maw. Benjen smiled at that.
"Fuck the Ironborn," he finally cursed. "They are best used as food for dragons."
Vermithor continued flying around, following Silverwing while helping wherever possible, once again showing the intelligence of the dragons. Only one circuit had been completed when Benjen finally found the Mormont flagship. Through the warg animals aboard, he saw that the fighting on the ship and the nearby vessels was over, as they had defeated the enemies around them.
To Benjen's satisfaction, even Lord Jason Lannister was aboard after the Mormonts had rescued the man from his own flagship when it was overwhelmed. They were coordinating the destruction of the remaining Ironborn, consolidating their forces, and determining where reinforcements were needed.
Benjen hesitated for a moment before ordering Vermithor to fly as close as possible without striking any of their ships. Just as Vermithor reached the flagship, Benjen took Lyanna in one arm and slid down the dragon while holding the safety rope with the other hand.
Benjen hissed in pain as the rough scales scraped against him, and he knew that if not for his slightly enhanced durability, his exposed skin would have been torn apart as if shredded by knives.
Benjen grinned slightly as the adrenaline of the drop, the rush of the wind, and everything else made him feel alive.
Just as the rope reached its end and pulled him upward, still dozens of feet above the ship, Benjen released it. Using his freed hand to hold Lyanna tightly, he made sure that no part of her struck the deck when they landed.
He saw people scrambling away from the area he was aiming for, and Benjen laughed when he spotted the lion of Lannister almost jumping aside like a startled house cat caught stealing milk.
With a grunt, they landed, and Benjen almost cursed in pain as his knees protested the impact combined with Lyanna's weight, their soaked clothing, and their armor.
Fortunately for him, he recovered quickly. He was also glad that the wooden deck held, groaning under the strain instead of breaking beneath them.
Benjen immediately knelt and carefully laid Lyanna on the deck with her spine and neck straight. He saw that color had almost returned to her skin, and the flesh that had earlier resembled mangled pulp now appeared as heavily bruised skin and severely damaged muscles rather than the pitiful state it had been in before.
It took only a couple of heartbeats before he was surrounded by Lord Jason Lannister, his guards, and the captain of the Mormont flagship, whom Benjen identified by the symbols on his armor as well as the behavior of the men around him.
Benjen saw that the people surrounding him looked petrified, as if they were still trying to understand what they were seeing and wondering how he had arrived there.
"Benjen Snow, as I live and breathe," Lord Jason Lannister exclaimed. "And riding the Bronze Fury of all dragons."
Benjen noticed the captain of the Mormont ship hiss in surprise. He could hear the murmurs spreading among the men around them. He could tell that only the absolute shock of his arrival had stopped the Mormont men from dragging him away from their beloved Lady Lyanna.
"As much as I want to question why His Grace would send a new dragonrider to rescue his men and dearest daughter," Lord Jason continued exasperatedly, "what happened to the monster beneath the water, and how is Lady Lyanna?"
Benjen saw Lord Jason's eyes studying every injury on their bodies, trying to determine how it had happened while also noticing the wounds visibly healing before his eyes.
"The kraken is still alive, and only my iron will is stopping both Silverwing and Vermithor from continuing the fight where our own ships would be damaged," Benjen said, hiding the grimace that threatened to appear on his face and concealing the fact that he was certain of their deaths if they continued fighting the creature in the ocean. "As for Lyanna, our father's wondrous healing potion is keeping us alive, and she should recover enough to regain consciousness shortly."
A brief but heartfelt thanks to the Old Gods and the king echoed from the Mormont men around him. The Lannister men remained silent, and Benjen noticed Lord Jason's eyes narrowing at the lack of response regarding why he had been sent.
"As for what Father was thinking," Benjen said with a sigh, "I don't know, because he didn't send me."
As expected, the relieved murmurs around him shifted into surprise and then slowly into outright hostility.
Benjen saw Lord Jason's hand tighten around the hilt of his sword, while the fanatically loyal Mormont men actually drew their weapons.
"Get away from Lady Lyanna now," the captain hissed in warning, tightening his grip on his sword.
Benjen almost snorted in disbelief at the idiocy born from blind loyalty.
"Are you really going to try to harm me when I risked everything for your lady? More than that, are you foolish enough to threaten a warg when their animals are all around you? You have spent your entire life watching my father and Lyanna command their direwolves and bear. And now my Vermithor is still flying above protecting you, killing Ironborn while the enemy kraken swims beneath your ships."
"It doesn't matter what you did, you treasonous bastard son of my king. You betrayed King Daemon, and that is enough. Maybe we will die, but my king will make sure our deaths are paid back with thousands of theirs. I will not allow you to hide behind my lady's skirt so you can claim a dragon from our king that you have no right to, bastard!" the captain yelled in righteous fury.
Benjen couldn't even reply. He could easily see that the captain was not trying to gain fame or earn a reward if Benjen was captured.
It was simply loyalty towards Daemon Targaryen.
The entire standoff intensified when the Bronze Fury flew overhead and roared in anger. After two powerful beats of its wings, it reached a safe distance from the northern ships and reduced another Ironborn vessel to kindling.
As much as Benjen wanted to respond in anger, he knew his situation would become infinitely more dangerous if he harmed any of their men, regardless of the circumstances.
Fortunately for him, Lord Jason Lannister interrupted, and Benjen didn't care whether it was the lord's pragmatism in preserving his own life or simple intelligence that prompted him to speak.
"Enough of this foolishness, Captain Jorah," Lord Lannister said. "You may command the Mormont ships, but I hold overall command of the armada after Lady Lyanna. More importantly, we do not know what has happened in King's Landing, and until we receive direct orders from the king, we are not crossing swords with a member of the king's personal forces. Especially not one of his sons and now a dragonlord."
He gestured toward Lyanna.
"Lady Lyanna's survival currently depends upon Benjen. Do you truly wish to explain to our king how we lost one hundred and twenty ships, as well as his precious daughter and her dragon?"
The Mormont men grumbled slightly but reluctantly lowered their swords, but Benjen could still feel the hostility radiating from them.
"Thank you, Lord Lannister. Now, what is the actual situation of our ships? The kraken has yet to start going after our ships to attract the dragons' response, leaving us free to attack them for now." Benjen asked quickly.
Lannister sighed wearily and replied, "We have lost more than half our ships, but the enemy has lost over three-quarters of theirs. We won in the actual fighting among men, but at expensive cost."
Benjen remained silent as he digested the information while also checking through Vermithor's eyes for any new developments.
"Order a retreat from our current location as soon as possible," Benjen said finally. "The kraken is the greater threat, and it will definitely use the ships as bait later if given the chance. I want to save as many lives as possible."
"Retreat?" Captain Jorah exclaimed in anger. "Why in the name of the Old Gods would we retreat when we are winning? We hunt leviathans for food and oil. I am sure we can even hunt a giant octopus. We are Mormonts, and our words are 'Here We Stand.' We will not run away, especially from the cowardly Ironborn."
Benjen was struck silent by the audacity of the statement, and then he laughed to the surprise of everyone present.
"You want to hunt a kraken when even two dragons were nearly overwhelmed?" Benjen snapped finally. "Have you seen the dragons? Did you see the injuries, or are you foolish enough to believe they were decorations?"
"I am sure that with our efforts, along with the dragons, we could get ourselves a kraken," Jorah replied stubbornly.
Benjen wanted to protest, but Lord Jason interrupted him.
"Snow, I understand that you want to save as many lives as possible, but we must not allow the Ironborn to rally. If we run from this battlefield, all our work to crush them piecemeal over the last several years will be wasted. They will regain morale, and they will return with vengeance. The dragons could take care of the kraken while we serve as bait or distractions with large harpoons and ballistas."
Benjen shook his head.
"It is not possible, Lord Lannister. Can you fight a dragon in the air even if you could fly like them? No, you cannot. Similarly, we cannot fight a kraken in its home, the ocean, without suffering for that hubris. We are losing time, and I do not know when the intelligence behind the kraken will realize that attacking our ships is the only way to attract the dragons and force them close to it. There is no—"
Benjen was interrupted by a pained groan beside him.
Lyanna was stirring.
It was a low groan of pain as consciousness returned and brought with it the horrific agony of her injuries. Benjen immediately knelt beside her and took her hand. Lyanna's eyes fluttered rapidly before finally opening very slowly.
Benjen knew she could see only a blur through her half-closed eyes, yet Lyanna smiled slightly as she looked up at him.
"Lyanna," Benjen whispered, worry, sadness, and happiness mixing together until his voice was barely audible.
"Benjen, you came for me, when Father said no one would come," Lyanna said as she slowly lifted her head to look around.
Benjen saw her eyes roam over the captain and Lord Lannister, taking in their armor and the signs of the horrific battle they had endured.
"Of course I came for you, Lyanna. I cannot allow you to come to harm when I want to be with you forever. For me life is meaningless without you." Benjen said without even considering that others could hear him.
Lyanna laughed slightly as she looked at him, though it quickly turned into a pained cough, and she spat blood onto the deck.
"Take it easy. The potion will take time to work, and even Silverwing is rather heavily injured," Benjen said softly.
Lyanna smirked.
"Ah, I will be all right quickly. I can feel it, and my friend is consuming whale meat as though there is no end to it on Bear Island to compensate for our injuries and aid our healing. Now, what happened to the kraken, and how did you reach here?"
"The kraken suffered damage, yet it is not even close to being defeated," Benjen said with a weary sigh. "As for how I reached here, I came—"
His words were swallowed by the sound of Vermithor roaring overhead. The great bronze dragon circled above the fleet, his roar carrying across the sea and shaking the air with barely restrained anger.
Benjen saw Lyanna's smile vanish in shock as she realized the truth. He must have bonded with Vermithor to come here.
Lyanna shook her head slightly to clear it and asked, "How in the name of the Old Gods did Father not mention you, and how did you convince him to allow you to claim Vermithor so soon after the old king's death?"
Benjen flinched.
Looking down, he brushed aside the wet strands of hair that had fallen into his eyes and scratched the back of his head with a guilty smile.
He looked up at Lyanna, whose face cycled through various emotions as she guessed exactly what had happened.
"You absolute madman," Lyanna said exasperatedly. "I hope you have prepared a good reason with your supposed cunning nature."
"Ah well," Benjen said with a smirk. "The last thing Father told me before I walked out angrily because he refused to send anyone here was not to do anything he would not do. I am pretty sure even he would agree that this is something he would do."
Lyanna remained silent for a heartbeat before laughter erupted from her.
It was not like her earlier laughter. It was genuine and unrestrained, forgetting the pain, the battle they had survived, and the fear of the coming fight.
Benjen laughed as well, happy simply to hear her laugh. Even the sour Captain Jorah snorted at that because he knew this was exactly the sort of thing Daemon Snow would do without a second thought. Finally, Lyanna calmed down and looked at Benjen.
To his absolute shock, Lyanna reached out and grabbed his collar before pulling him closer far faster than should have been possible for someone so badly injured.
And to his immense happiness, she kissed him.
Benjen happily ignored their audience, the taste of blood in their mouths, the wounded sailors around them, and everything else.
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Author's note: I envisioned going back to daemon beyond the wall this chapter after the end of current battle of sunset sea, but this was such a good end point for the chapter. Also imagining a entertaining fight scene between these monsters as well as writing it is harder than I expected.
Next is the largest chapter in this fic yet with 12k words.. the battle against ironborn and the kraken continues.
To read ahead 4 chapters: My Patreon : search for black wolf.
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