90
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298 AC
Summer Isles - Ebonhead
Sarella Sand
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"Alright, so now we make a trade for the spices, and then we can go check out the area and ask some questions." As the 'summer islander,' I am the one who will lead us on this mission, finding information and looking for Nata.
Information is most important and we will start asking around once we have the spices and they are being loaded back onto the ships. Information on the Summer prince of Ebonhead and also the Pirates are the two most valuable at the moment.
Once we know what we are against we can look into finding Prince Eragons friends.
"This looks amazing, Ebonhead is much bigger than I thought it would be." Tyene comments as she walks beside me with her hands folded behind her back and in a beautiful sky-blue dress.
"I still think the black and green sand beach was weird and am a bit surprised you guys just passed it without a second look." Nymeria speaks up and she would be right if I wasn't already aware of the different colored sand beaches on the Summer Isles.
I am more interested in the stone buildings and temples in the actual cities, most of them are built in a tower-like design but square-shaped. Huge stone bricks cut from the mountain beside Ebonhead were carted back and stacked high into the sky. Animals of different shapes and sizes are carved onto the surface of the stone and a light green moss grows on it like green paint.
The walls were raised after the first-ever pirate king of the basilisk isle decided to loot all of Summer Isles. It makes the current situation of pirates running rampant outside of Ebonhead a bit odd, they know they are a threat but don't care since there not a threat to themselves.
"Yea, yea the sand was cool but let's focus we aren't here for a game. We are being trusted to handle this and I don't plan to fail." Obara carrying her spear over her shoulders with her arms draped over them speaks up trying to get everyone ready.
"Right, let's find those spices and then do some information hunting." I crack my knuckles and go toward the nearest person selling food to ask about spices.
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298 AC
The North - Winterfell
Lyanna Stark
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This place looks exactly the same but for some unexplainable reason, it also feels like I am arriving here for the first time.
"I told you, the castle wouldn't have changed much." Benjen speaks up with noticeable joy in his tone since Winterfell arrived within our line of sight.
It's plain to see he is happy to be back in Winterfell, I have conflicted feelings about being back here. The things that happened since the last time I was here have me on edge and I don't feel so good about it.
"You're handing the letter over to the guard so he will get someone to lead us inside?" I ask feeling a bit sick at the idea of heading inside to see the old halls and rooms.
The place I last saw my family before two of them went south and died, the memories and even smells are still present even from where I am right now.
"Don't worry about it, no one will be expecting us and they won't recognize us so we will just look like some rich merchant asking to meet with Ned. He is also aware we are coming in advance and when he gets word I am sure he will come running to come and see you." I shake off his words as we get closer and closer and get lost in my thoughts of old times as I look around.
----
"It's good to see you." Ned pulls me into a hug I awkwardly return.
"I am glad to see you as well, Ned." His much more aged and 'wise' look meets my eyes once more as he holds me by the shoulders and looks into my eyes.
He looks back to Benjen and soon embraces our brother as well as she tells him he missed him as well. After a touching reunion, he looks between us with a small smile as we stand in 'fathers' solar. It is mostly the same as before Ned started using it from what I remember but it has a few different things from his personal use as well.
"I take it you didn't bring anyone else?" He is likely asking about Visenya or even his daughter Morgana but I can only shake my head no.
"Just us this time around, the others didn't come with us this time." Equal parts disappointment and relief pass through his neutral look as he nods in understanding.
"So you plan to bring them eventually just not 'this time' as you have put it." I nod and stretch as the warmth from the fire in the massive fireplace fills my bones.
"I tried to bring Morgana but her mom was against the idea on the first trip back without more information." Benjen speaks up as he approaches the fireplace and sets a hand on it to lean into the warmth.
"It's fine, I understand even if she didn't want to come." Ned with an unreadable look turns around and walks to the desk in the solar and he slumps down in it with a tired sigh.
The room takes on a depressed and solemn mood and I almost leave to find somewhere to rest since I don't want to sit around in this sadness.
"Is she happy?" Ned finally speaks again and breaks the building's silence.
I think about it and remember lots of moments of Morgana growing up into the fine young woman she is. She has her moments where she can be wild as a wolf from her Stark blood but it only added to her lovableness to me.
"She is happy as she can be, she wants for nothing and has many opportunities available to her. She has let it be known she wants to travel up here to see Winterfell and meet you but was reined in once her mom told her she couldn't go this time. But it was plain to see she wanted to go with us when we were giving out final goodbyes on our departure." I reply and he doesn't react outwardly.
"I see, if she wants to come and you see her again let her know she is always welcome." I snort and cross my arms seeing him act as the 'Lord of Winterfell'.
He was never meant to be the Lord and with all the time he spent in the Eyrie, it's just weird to see him acting like our father. I feel my lips tug up a bit and can't help but remember the good old times sitting around the high table eating as a pack and listing to father talk to all of us.
"You have done a great job, Ned." I look to the side at Benjen's back who has been silent and wonder what is going on with him as silence fills the room after my compliment.
----
"So these are all of your kids?" I ask as we are sitting at the old high table and the table is packed with stark children.
Some took after their mother quite a bit with their auburn hair or blue eyes but they all have Stark faces. The two oldest that look the most like their mom sit the closest to us and the youngest two who look almost fully Stark sit the furthest away.
The young girl keeps looking my way with curious eyes and I discreetly wave at her and she smiles and returns a wave as well. I think I will like this Arya Stark quite a bit, she seems to be a little gem of a character.
It seems Lady Catelyn had recognized Benjen and after a while seemed to pick up on who I was from the whispers I picked up she sent to her husband. He didn't answer her and just looked around the room she seemed to understand what he was saying and she stopped asking questions and instead smiled at me with a head nod.
"I would like to welcome the two guests of my Lord Husband and I hope your stay at Winterfell is pleasant." Hearing their mom makes the kids even more curious about us but they stopped looking so nervous after hearing her 'welcome' us.
"Father, might I ask who these guests are?" The oldest boy asks and looks quite interested as he does, it probably isn't often people he doesn't know gets invited here as guests. He is the Heir of the Lord of the North after all and would know most all the important enough people to warrant this 'treatment' and our northern looks are obvious at first glance.
I look forward to their surprise when they finally become aware of who exactly we are.
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298 AC
Summer Isles - The Cove
Eragon Targaryen
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I could have guessed it would have turned out this way if I paid attention but I honestly am too disappointed to react outwardly.
A week of doing nothing after arriving, just training and island life and watching people go about fortifying and stockpiling the things they need to live.
The girls were still pretty fired up and enjoy walking down the white sandy beach and playing in the water until that got pretty boring after doing it so many times. The falling into a routine of training our bodies and also teaching the dragons is also starting to feel draining. The dragons actual are the ones who seem to be the happiest of all of us.
"We are supposed to stay here the entire time until you capture Ebonhead with the help of your friend? That is if they can even find your friend at all and she isn't dead or something, this seems like hell if I am honest." Rhaenys lies on the cold stone ground as she stares up at the ceiling of the cave.
"I am just as bored as you Rhaenys." I counter quickly as I feel the need to get up and do something, I keep feeling pent up just sitting around like this.
"But you are leaving once a plan is made and even leading a raid on an island of pirates and then going into ritual 'war' after that. You are going to attempt to start conquering the Summer Isles and I will be sitting here bored out of my mind." She lets out a long and tired sigh as I drop my head into my hands and massage my forehead.
I lift my head and let out a sigh as I look down at Rhaenys who was adjusting her bottoms and flashing me the line the sun left on her skin. A thought suddenly comes to mind to help pass some time and I stand up.
"Come on let's go." I turn and head toward her and Visenyas 'house' and she sits up from the ground and watches me.
"Where are we going?" I wave her on and she groans as she gets up from the ground and follows after me.
Once she notices I am heading straight for her door I hear her feet speeding up to catch up with me but also being mindful of the others lounging around and resting. She walks beside me and looks at me as I open her door and walk straight inside without saying anything.
She follows me in and closes the door behind herself and finally speaks up in a quiet voice.
"What are we doing?" She asks with an excited whisper as she gets closer to me.
I don't answer her and just wrap my arms around her and lean in to take her lips, she will figure it out on her own.