93
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298 AC
River Rhoyne near Volon Therys
Daemon Blackfyre
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"So with us closing in on Volantis the slaves have risen in a rebellion against their masters and to overthrow the Triarchs. High priest Benerro is preaching without rest and the Tiger cloaks have sided with him. The red temple is effectively running Volantis and is only being resisted by the few slave soldiers that the triarchs have left. We can't get paid to clear out the red temple if they aren't alive to pay us, so what do we do?" Flowers one of the men who were most against this whole trip speaks up and asks the question we all wanted to ask.
He wants to sail to Westeros as soon as possible and is going to try and get everyone to doubt continuing the plan to attack the red temple in Volantis. The gold is good and the experience gained in attacking an armed 'fortress' would be even better. But all he cares about is killing his family so he can have there castle he feels he is owed.
"Why don't we press on and just continue with the plan?" I speak up and a few look contemptuously at me and I grit my teeth.
"We would lose a lot more men than we planned in the current situation, Do you think it's wise to attempt this? This isn't even with written confirmation that we will still even get paid for doing the job." Harry Strickland speaks up but seems more curious than condescending, one of the few who support me. The Golden Company was made to support Blackfyres to take what is there's by right and yet there are those who don't seem so keen.
"We will get in contact with the Triarchs and secure payment and even upcharge them for the enhanced difficulty. They have no choice but to pay us at this point or be torn to shreds by the mobs of slaves. This is the perfect chance to get real battle experience before we begin to fight in Westeros. On top of both of those reasons that are good enough on their own, the red priests are actively supporting Targaryens and think one is their promised prince! If we do nothing and Volantis is completely taken by R'hllor's believers we will have them attacking us from the back when we sail to Westeros or sending aid in other ways to the Targaryens." Some who looked indifferent can only begrudgingly accept what I am saying as I am right and they slowly look to start to change their mind.
"I agree there is still the matter of the red priests posing a problem by supporting the Targaryens but have we even found out why? If the Targaryens can get the support of the red god's worshippers why couldn't we do the same?" Mehrune Sand a Dornish man who I have been increasingly liking as I come to know him joins in and I raise an eyebrow at him.
"What do you mean by that?" I ask and he continues to laze back in his chair with his black hair with a few silver streaks hanging down. His viper-like eyes locked onto my own light purple eyes as he slowly smiles.
"I mean why couldn't you very well be their 'promised prince' if Eragon Targaryen could? Do you think he is something special and that's why they are doing what they are doing or do you think this is the high priest's plan? He is giving the slaves what they want, a savior to look up to and chase after, and firing them up to burn all the masters holding them back to their god. Why stop at just taking the Triarch's gold or ships when we could try to have our very own 'promised prince' become the new leader of Volantis and have the full power of the oldest daughter of Valyria at the Golden companies side as we fight in Westeros." I blink and wonder exactly why is it that the High priest would have picked Eragon Targaryen.
Is he special and the son of the Lord of light and is here to 'beat' the darkness? Or is this all the plan of Benerro to take power in Volantis and free the slaves? Is it possible that we could work with the red temple and have them support us instead and come out of this stronger than I ever thought we would? We could easily free the slaves and that would gain me a lot of goodwill and show I am a kind person when it comes to ruling in Westeros.
Though it seems unlikely the possibility is enticing and the few Lord of light followers in the room also seem a bit interested as I look around. Though they have been silent as we plan to attack the temple I could see the disgust in their eyes and it worried me about betrayal.
"Are you suggesting that it's all a lie and Benerro is attempting to overthrow the Triarchs to get rid of slavery? They say his face is covered in every kind of slave mark there is and he is very sympathetic to their cause. I could see the possibility of it being a powerplay by the high priest." Harry speaks up with a thoughtful look.
"I don't know, I was just thinking about ways to best benefit from the situation and then I noticed it seems a bit too convenient. To me, it seems like a power play by Benerro and we caught him with his pants at his ankles. We could try to get him while he scrambles to pull them up or we could drop our own and join in with him." That gets a few laughs around the table and Mehrune's smile spreads a little more but his dark viper eyes still look poised.
"I like both ideas, either siding with the Triarchs or siding with the red priest but we have to talk to both sides either way. When we get closer to Volantis we could camp outside and send some people in to discuss with both sides before we make a decision sounds the smartest course of action." Harry speaks up getting nods from most and I sit back in my seat while crossing my arms.
It seems we have decided to continue forward, either way, it seems there is a lot to gain and I look forward to seeing which way it will be.
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298 AC
Summer Isles - Encampment near Ebonhead
Nata
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"We should make a move soon, we have gathered almost eight hundred fighters for our cause and we stand a real chance of defeating the pirates." I nod hearing a tribe chief as we sit around a fire.
"I agree, the sooner we defeat them the better." I reach toward the fire to grab my fish that was cooking and catch a glimpse of something in the flame.
My eyes widen when I realize I am seeing another vision and I focus on it with more attention and forget about the fish.
Ships, rough count looks like almost ten from what I can see and there is a sun with a spear stabbed through it on the center of the sails. Men with spears and light armor are waiting on the deck, lots of men and women.
The flames flicker and I soon see familiar faces of men I have gathered fighting alongside the spear-carrying warriors. The pirates are being slaughtered in droves from spear tips and arrows as they scramble to put up a fight. A familiar face but it seems almost different after not seeing it in so long, he has a flaming sword he uses to cut straight through the pirates and any armor they are wearing. Their weapons are cut through as well, almost like his blade is cutting through water.
The last thing I see is some small dark animal and it seems to like my hair, and then the vision fades and all I see are flames.
I blink my dry eyes and grasp the stick skewering my fish and sit back on my rock beside the fire.
"Are you alright Nata?" Chief Balain asks with some concern as he looks at me.
"Yea, sorry I just got lost in thought thinking about attacking the pirates. As I said it is a great idea and I think we should do it soon but I want to head to Ebonhead tomorrow to try and get some help one last time before we board any swan ship to attack the pirates on Xon." He nods and seems satisfied with my answer and I can see the other chiefs and chiefesses of the varying scattered tribes also seem happier.
So was that supposed to mean you are already here or getting close? Those men and women should be from Dorne and I think I remember House Martell is a sun with a spear like on the sails. He got the support of House Martell which seems to completely put the fight in our favor.
But it will be a pain in the ass to get the people I have gathered to trust fighting with foreigners on short notice. They are super isolationists after being constantly raided by 'outsiders' and that will cause a problem. Once the pirates are gone it will be an even bigger problem as well to have them remain in the Summer Isles anywhere near the people who saw them.
Word will spread and the summer princes will think Westeros is invading.
God Eragon you really know how to cause a girl some problems, but even so, I find myself smiling knowing you are closer. I wonder if I will see you in Ebonhead or if you have not even arrived yet.
It feels like forever has passed even though it hasn't even been all that long of a time. Those times we spent talking about this happening when my mom heard from a friend that pirates were raiding I never thought it would be real. I believed he wasn't lying to me but I didn't think it would work out with how 'sheltered' he is because of his mom.
I guess I will also get to see my other friends soon as well, no way they let him escape their grasp and come here without them. Daenerys would sew herself to him if he even tried and I also know he wouldn't want to leave them. So I am not looking forward to seeing them once more.
But the last part of the vision has me confused about what it was that I was seeing, what ever it was it seemed to climb on top of me and I didn't seem to mind from the brief view I had.
I take a bite of my fish and feel a few burnt flakes come off in my mouth and almost gag. I look at my fish and see it's burnt more than I thought and feel a bit sad but continue to eat it anyway.
"Here." Chief Balain hands me a mango and I thank him, at least I won't have to suffer the taste for long.
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298 AC
Summer Isles - The Cove
Shiera Targaryen
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"Where did Eragon go? I wanted him to massage my back again." I ask Daenerys as she lounges in a hammock that is set up from two wooden pillars between the houses.
"Massage your back? You mean fuck you from the back, but he went into Rhaenys and Visenya's house with Rhaenys. He is probably going to seal the deal with our niece and I think it would be best to hold off on joining in until after they follow through." I sigh and see her sipping juice that is made from some of the fruits on the island and slowly I climb into the hammock with her.
"Fine, share some of that with me to pay me off." She snorts and has to secure it with both hands as the hammock rocks from me climbing into it and her body gets scrunched up.
"Just don't spill it, it took me forever to get on this damn thing without spilling it." I lay next to her and our bodies are pressed against each other as the hammock lightly swings from side to side.
She hands me the drink and I take a small sip before handing it back and laying my head down and closing my eyes.
"Wake me up when I can get fucked." She giggles and I feel her lay her head next to mine as I try to take a nap.