Dalton tapped the pommel of Nightfall against his thigh as he sat in Qoren's solar, the man in question sitting behind his desk with a frown.
Right beside him was his daughters and Dalton grinned when the the eldest narrowed her eyes at him with an amused smirk.
"So, my sun-kissed friend, deliver this great plan of yours," Dalton said, remembering how the lord in front of him wanted the two of them to speak in private with his daughter after the chaos in his hall earlier.
"If you wish for my daughter or Sunspear, then you shall take neither. Instead, you may earn the right to have your demands be heard."
"Earn? Oh, I do enjoy a good battle for supremacy," Dalton replied, chuckling at the man's frown. "Very well. How may I earn this hearing?"
"When our honoured guests from the royal family arrive, you shall compete in the traditional trials of waters as Mother Rhoyne dictates. You will face their chosen and the victor shall be heard," Dalton paused at Qoren's words before he laughed.
It was a loud boisterous laugh that filled the room, but there was a danger to it that made Coryanne narrow her eyes as the shadows of the room danced.
"Oh, splendid! Here I was thinking that it would be a simple fight, but this is much more entertaining!"
"If you win, I will listen to your demands. If you lose-"
"I won't," Dalton cut in, making Qoren narrow his eyes before he continued.
"If you lose, you will leave Dorne and you will never utter the name of Dorne, Sunspear or House Martell ever again," the room went tense and Aliandra felt a bit terrified as a low growl echoed from Dalton.
In response, the water in the room began to churn, the hot desert winds blowing through the open windows as Coryanne narrowed her eyes.
"Remove yourself from my territory, Drowned One," A confident, mature voice echoed from Coryanne's lips and Dalton scoffed before the shadows flickered and returned to normal.
The waters went still once more and Coryanne let out a soft sigh as Dalton chuckled with a smirk.
"Good, it's nice to test how strong your Mother Rhoyne is. Well, my friend, you do spoil me so I will wait for the wolf," Dalton spoke, standing up and giving one final glance at Aliandra before leaving the room.
Qoren only relaxed once the doors closed behind the Red Kraken, giving his daughters a thankful smile as Aliandra rubbed his shoulders while Coryanne placed a hand on his.
"What does the Mother say?"
"...The offer was good. The Drowned One is gone."
"Good. Now, let us just hope that they do send the wolf," he murmured, looking at the wet footprints that Dalton left that also had bits of rotting flesh in them.
If not, Dorne would be a battle for survival, one he was not sure they would win.
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"Come in," Rhaenyra called as I knocked on the door, opening it and hiding my grimace at both Viserys and Otto seated in front of her.
"Your Grace, Lord Hand, Lord Father, apologies for my tardiness."
"Nonsense, I'm sure you came as soon as the message was brought to you. Besides, I know that you, Aemond and Helaena love your morning flights," Viserys said with a soft smile, gesturing to the empty seat on the opposite side of Otto.
The lord in question gave a nod in greeting which I returned, taking the empty seat quietly as Rhaenyra folded her hands on the table with a frown.
"Torrhen, as Daemon may have told you, Lord Qoren has invited the Lords and Ladies of the Great Houses to his daughter Coryanne's nameday celebration.
Now, while I would like to go as a show of strength, House Dorne and House Targaryen do not have the greatest past with each other.
Therefore, as my father and my Hand have suggested, I would like to ask of you to accompany Lord Otto Hightower to attend this celebration in my name."
"Of course, you will be asked not to say anything and let myself do most of the talking given that while you are skilled at court, you are not used to the subtle bluntness that the Dornish possess."
"I said so myself," I nodded in agreement and the Hand nodded as Viserys patted my back with a chuckle.
"You will do fine and if need be, you and Otto may leave early if you feel that there is a threat to your life."
"Of course, if you do, make sure you do so discreetly. We would not wish to offend the Dornish," Rhaenyra chimed in and I turned to Otto who cleared his throat.
"We also have reason to believe that Dalton Greyjoy will be there, which is why you are being sent along to make sure he does not attempt anything."
'Okay, now I understand,' I thought, crossing my arms and nodding my head.
"Understood, your Grace. By which method shall we travel to Dorne?"
"By ship. It is the most efficient method given that the other would be travel across the Crownlands through the Reach and across the Dornish deserts to reach Sunspear," Otto replied, making me frown at that.
If we're going by ship, that means passing Storm's End, and...the Stepstones with Tyrosh very close by. While I do believe that we'll be departing with part of the Royal fleet, I also do not wish to fight pirates on a battlefield they are used to.
Instead...
"Would it be possible to take Vermithor, then?"
"There...would not be many places to let him rest," Otto murmured, looking at Rhaenyra and Viserys as the two remained silent.
"What if you travel closer to the coast while still in sight of the ships? That way, you can go back to them whenever you need to while letting Vermithor fly off to rest on land?" Viserys provided and I blinked before smiling at the proposition.
"That is a smart plan, Lord Father. Are you in agreement, Lord Hand?" I asked and Otto narrowed his eyes in thought before nodding.
"It is a sound plan, one that will most definitely help in the off-chance that there are pirates hiding on the Stepstones, though I would not believe so given how hard both Lord Coryls and Lord Daemon fought against them."
"Then, it is decided. Lord Hightower, Lord Torrhen, I expect you both to return in the same state as you two left. Is that understood?"
"Yes, your Grace," Both the older man and I bowed our heads in agreement, raising it back up with a hum as I leaned back in my seat.
If Dalton was there...then I may need to prepare a ritual or two to help me.
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A dozen dim glass candles were placed in a circle on the godswood's floor as I sat in the centre of it, taking slow breaths as I carved a new pattern into my wand with a dagger.
"Great Ones, hear my prayer and allow this one to present itself to you," I whispered, finishing the protection rune on it before placing the wand down in front of me.
As I did, the candles all lit up with a vibrant green glow before snuffing out, darkness enveloping my eyes as the only source of light was the moonlight shining through the foliage.
Then, a pair of red eyes opened in front of me, the heart tree jostling as hundreds of eyes soon gazed at me.
"The wolf asks of the forest to listen. The forest shall hear."
"The Drowned God has taken a champion and I believe that the Mother has too," The last part was more of a suspicion of mine if anything, but I can only remember one god that the Dornish worship other than the Seven and Dalton doesn't just go that deep into the South unless it's something he truly wants.
The chosen of a goddess definitely fits the bill.
"The seas rage and the rivers seethe, but the forest is not touched by their presence."
"If the ocean wins, the rivers will dry up and the forest will suffer from the lack of water," I replied, lifting my eyes to meet the gaze of the spectral eyes. "This wolf asks for your protection in the territory of the Mother Rhoyne, Old Gods."
For a long moment, nothing was said. The heart tree only watched, and the chorus of red eyes blinked one after the other.
"The wolf seeks to walk where the river-mother reigns," the forest finally broke the silence, its voice layered with those of children and adults alike. "Her waters do not welcome our roots. Her land is hers, not ours."
"Dalton Greyjoy has no such hesitations. He walks where he wants, kill whom he wishes and the Drowned God is at his back."
"The Drowned One is a corpse that learned to speak!" the sheer vitriol behind the forest's hiss made me pause. "Its breath is rot! Its gifts are poison and its champion is unbecoming!
"That is why I do not need you to fight her, Old Ones, or to invade her river. I simply need to keep his god from clawing into me when I stand on her soil."
"The wolf seeks a shield, not dominion."
"Yes, a shield against the sea, the deep and what follows Dalton Greyjoy," I nodded, the branches groaning overhead as its red eyes pulsed.
"And what will the wolf give the forest?"
"The truth. Should Dalton win and the Drowned One lets the tides swallow the Mother Rhoyne, Targaryen fire shall consume Dorne and when its rivers run dry, the weirwood will die to.
Therefore, help me just enough to let this wolf stand in their presence," I whispered, feeling a cold wind brushing against my cheek like a chilling caress.
"Take our sight," Another wind brushed my shoulder, carrying small rocks and dust that pushed against my back.
"Take our skin," A third wind, far colder than the others, pressed against my forehead and my eyes widened as the world was illuminated to reveal hundreds of spectral figures looming over me. "And take our memory."
"I...thank you," That was all I could get out as my body sagged, feeling exhaustion settling in as the spectral figures vanished.
"A Child will be your guide and your protector."
"I thank you, great Old Ones."
"When the river calls, answer with the howl. When the sea drags, claw back, and when the Kraken rises...bite him," The red eyes around me closed and I did the same, opening them once more to find myself staring at a pair of amber-coloured eyes.
Before I could say anything, the spirit placed a finger against my lips, making me instinctively lick off the nectar on it before they leapt back up into the foliage and vanished.
"...That was in her nether regions," Helaena spoke up from the side and my eyes widened at that, my wife walking over with a giggle as the candles all snuffed out.
"So, what I just licked was..."
"My essence. With it, we shall hear each other's true voices," A raspy voice spoke into my mind and I felt a tether connect, both Helaena and I gazing at the dark brown thread of Aether that connected me to the raven sitting in the tree above.
"...Well, that's lo-Wait, is that infidelity?"
"Considering that you have not slept with her, I would say no," Helaena replied and I let out a relieved sigh at that. "Although, you are free to. I would imagine that our laws do not apply to centuries-old spirits."
"Helaena love?"
"Yes, my wolf?"
"No," she just giggled at my words as I laid back, laying down on top of me while the two of us stared up at the few stars through the trees.
"Do you believe that it will be dangerous?"
"Definitely, without a doubt."
"Good. If possible, kill the Red Kraken. His path is filled with a bloody sea that will engulf the Seven Kingdoms should he be left alive."
"If I find an opening, the Kraken shall become a meal to the wolf," I replied and she smiled before I pulled her closer with a chuckle.
The castle wasn't in a panic and the godswood is not on the patrol route so I'd say we could stay here for another few minutes before Arryk does his usual check-up.
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The beating of wings echoed in the sky as Vermithor soared through the air, my gaze fixed on the royal procession of Otto and part of the royal fleet below.
In all honesty, I do not believe that pirates would attack two dozen fully manned ships, but at the same time, men wanting for fame and fortune will do the stupidest shit.
Vermithor rumbled in agreement beneath me as the winds shifted, making me scratch the beast's neck as he settled for drifting at a lower altitude.
"Easy, Vermi. Let's not scare anyone below," I spoke, looking over the side and smirking at Otto standing with a rigid posture as if he was trying to look unbothered by the living mountain of flame and wings above him.
As if sensing Otto's tensed state, I chuckled as Vermithor dipped lower for a moment just to make the man sweat, smoke trailing lazily from his nostrils with a snort as he flew higher again.
"So, do you have a name?" I asked the raven seated on the saddle in front of me, raising an eyebrow as she just stared back with a raised eyebrow. "Also, was that part about the nether regions needed?"
"You did not seem to mind the sweet taste."
"That's because I thought it was just sap."
"Like I said, you did not mind the sweet taste," she spoke and I rolled my eyes, deciding to focus back on the sea in front of us.
"Still, you should tell me these things before I ingest them."
"Long ago, those seeking communion were fed blood instead. You humans have gone soft," she replied and I rolled my eyes, glancing down at land was slowly beginning to appear on the horizon.
"You carry the forest's sight, skin and memory," the raven spoke up, making me look down to see her staring at me. "The Mother of Rivers will feel it the moment you set foot in her domain."
"Will she be offended?"
"Most likely, but she will not strike. The same cannot be said for the Drowned One."
"His anger is something I expect," I replied, grabbing onto Vermithor's reins as the dragon began to shuffle about. "Don't worry, Vermi. I'm sure we will find a few ships to burn for you."
The dragon just rumbled at that and I looked to the raven as she let out a chortled squawk at him. "He promises to burn the trees down if you don't."
"Please don't. I'd rather not have to pick between the thing giving me power and the dragon I adore," I replied, smiling as he huffed before I narrowed my eyes at Otto's gesture.
"Vermi, down," I said, the dragon doing as I asked while I fastened the reins to give him freedom to fly on his own.
As the Bronze Fury drifted just a few paces above the ship, I climbed down the rope ladder attached to the saddle, leaping from it and landing with a roll on the ship's deck.
"I'd rather you not do that. Accidents happen way too quickly," Otto spoke and I smiled before he noticed the raven that fluttered down to land on my shoulder. "A new pet?"
"Companion," I corrected and the man just hummed as he looked forward once more. "Are we nearing Dorne?"
"No, we are nearing the Stepstones. Therefore, I asked of you to be down here instead of up there where they can shoot you down with a ballista."
"Right. Vermithor! Survey from higher heights!" I ordered and the dragon roared as he went higher up into the sky. Looking forward, I narrowed my eyes as the fleet began to spread out.
The flagship we were on was in the middle and the other twenty-three ships around us, my eyes fixed on any abnormal changes that could appear in the distance.
Please, just let there be nothing.
A/N: And we end it off here~! A showcase of what the gods can do with Coryanne and Dalton and Torrhen embraces his position as the chosen of the Old Gods.
Also, sorry for the late upload, but we had a city-wide power outage where I live for four hours and I didn't know how long it would be so I decided to finish my work first, which is why this one took so long.
Next chapter: When Divines Meet.
Like always, you can go to my Pat-reon-.-com-/-KingCrimsonNova to read ahead on this as well as many other stories & even some that haven't been released out to this site yet. If you want to, you are free to, but if you don't want, all's good as I will still be uploading here. This is just me trying to get some extra cash.
As always, read, enjoy, review and until the next chapter...
Ba-Bye~!