Chapter 4: Voyage

Aurane Velaryon

Eighth Moon, 85 AC

Back home in Driftmark, it would have been the eighth month of 85 AC. Of course, here in Yi Ti, the calendars were dated from the founding of the Bu Dynasty, known to the outside world, as the Azure Emperors.

This was Aurane's fifth visit to Yi Ti, and it would likely be his last. Like all the previous times, he came accompanying his elder brother Corlys as one of his captains for his expedition fleet. Yet unlike all the others, where they had come simply to trade, something was different this time, and it was that difference that made Aurane nervous, knowing what the plan was.

The first time they had come to Yi Ti, they had only been allowed to trade in one port, and Aurane had been quite angry that they had been so restricted. It had taken years, but they had eventually built a relationship with many Yi Tish merchants and officials as reputable and trusted and so Corlys had managed to gain them an audience with His Serene Imperial Majesty, the Azure Emperor, Bu Yan. Aurane had been impressed enough to hear that, it was a great honor and they could potentially impress the Emperor and open up more of Yi Ti to their trade. Aurane had been feeling much less hopeful about the chances of continued trade with Yi Ti, or the continued attachment of their heads to their bodies, when he heard his brother's plan.

"Are you insane? If we get caught, they'll execute us!" Aurane asked his brother.

"Trust me. When have my plans ever gone wrong before?" Corlys replied.

Aurane frowned. Corlys liked to think he was a genius all too often and it was up to him as his annoying little brother to remind him that he could and had failed before. At the same time… when it came to things that really mattered, Corlys had never steered them wrong before.

"I hope you know what you're doing brother, I like my head attached to my shoulders."

He saw the slightest hint of hesitation in his brother's eyes then. "So do I Aurane."

"Your Imperial Majesty, we graciously offer to you our gratitude and generosity for allowing our delegation but a little of your precious time in an audience with us. As a token of our esteem, please do accept our humble gifts," Corlys said as they greeted the Emperor.

'Always were a smooth talker weren't you brother?' Aurane thought.

Though they could speak some Yi Tish as well as the common trade languages, they'd had to learn to trade in Yi Ti after all, they had been told by the court officials to speak in their native tongues, as the Emperor would be most displeased to hear them sully the language of his beloved homeland with mispronunciations and bad grammar. Aurane had actually been rather insulted by that, but he had followed Corlys's lead. It would not do to insult royalty. Seven knew they were prickly enough when not insulted.

As his brother schmoozed and did his best to impress the Emperor and his court with their gifts, the wares and trades of Driftmarks, and their inventions and devices like the small-eye and printing press, Aurane looked around the court room, doing his best to not get caught snooping.

Had it honestly been any other time, Aurane probably would have been awed by the splendor and grandness of the court, of the rich tapestries telling the history of the Bu dynasty and the gilded pillars, and the massive porcelain vases and miniature bonsai trees, and some part of him was still amazed by all of it. The rest of him however was too busy trying to find an escape route in case anything went wrong, not that it would help them much, being so deep in Yi Ti's capital city, Yin.

Turning his attention back to what his delegation was doing, Aurane watched as his brother, with all the showmanship and theatre of his somehow perfectly charismatic self, began to demonstrate how the small-eye, and their other gifts worked, and presented them to the emperor.

The list of gifts really was long. There was a printing press, small-eye, a fine castle-forged steel broadsword, a bow made of goldenheart, a chalice of fine dyed glass inscribed with Yi Tish imperial heraldry, various Westerosi books painstakingly translated into Yi Tish, and so much more. Corlys had spared no expense in securing their audience with the Emperor because the opportunities it would give them were worth so much more than the price of all the gifts.

Finally, after an honestly boring though amusing session, the Emperor graciously accepted all the gifts. The translator spoke out then in heavily accented Common.

"His Imperial Majesty is pleased with your humble gifts, and is quite impressed that a land of savages like Westeros could have the ingenuity and craftsmanship to make so fine objects such as these. His Majesty graciously accepts them and asks if Lord Velaryon would have any boon to ask of him, for in his great magnanimity, he is feeling pleased and generous."

Corlys smiled happily and replied in Common. "Your Imperial Majesty, your words honor my delegation and I. We could ask for no greater boon than to be allowed to trade further with your great empire, and in more ports, to bring great wealth and prosperity to all parties in the expansion of our mutually beneficial trade relationship."

The translator spoke softly to the Emperor before replying. "This request is acceptable to the Emperor. His Imperial Majesty has decreed that so long as your traders bring more goods like the ones you have gifted the Emperor, they will be allowed to trade in three more ports, Jiqqui, Liyue, and Qing."

"We graciously accept His Imperial Majesty's generous offer for our merchants. We will be sure to inform them of the terms but… would it be possible to ask for one last boon? It has long been a desire of our people to learn more about the process by which silk and tea are produced. Would it be possible to be allowed to observe them, to sate our curiosity? This is by no means a necessity, only a humble request."

Here it comes. Aurane was honestly half hoping they rejected Corlys's request. They had already gotten an immeasurable reward for their efforts in the opening of more ports. What more could they need? Yet his brother's ambition had led Driftmark to where it was now, Aurane just hoped it wouldn't lead them to their deaths.

The translator again related Corlys's words to the Emperor and this time there was an almost heavy awkward silence that filled the court room. After an agonizing wait, the Emperor responded and the translator conveyed his will.

"His Imperial Majesty says that in light of the excellent relationship you have built over many years with our empire and your own humble demeanor and bountiful gifts, he has elected to grant your request, and let you have a further glimpse into the true glory of Yi Ti with a tour of the silkworm hives and tea plantations. He asks only in return, that you do not abuse this boon, and seek to commit theft of any kind."

"Of course not Your Imperial Majesty. I am but a humble adventurer with an insatiable curiosity, I would never dare to seek to incur the wrath of the Great Golden Empire of Yi Ti," his brother said with a smile so charming and charismatic Aurane might have believed him, if he hadn't known his ulterior motives. To the surprise of the court, Corlys then repeated his oath in near flawless Yi Tish.

The Emperor snorted before speaking again. Once again, the translator faithfully conveyed his message. "His Imperial Majesty says that your Yi Tish needs more work, but it is passable nonetheless. You may stay the night in the Imperial Palace as his guests. Tomorrow, a guide will take you to see the silk and tea."

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Aurane would like to say that he spent all night up planning and worrying over the enactment of the plan but that would be a lie. He slept like a log, relaxing in the very comfortable bedding provided by the Yi Tish. For all their isolation and feelings of superiority, they were extremely good hosts.

It was when morning came that he started panicking, realizing that they were actually doing this, that they were daring to try and steal silk and tea from right under the nose of the Emperor. It wasn't the first time they had attempted to do so either, they had sent agents on their behalf, but none had been able to even leave the ports to get inland enough. The furthest inland they had ever gotten was their delegation's audience with the Emperor, and now they were to go even further inland, and they might not come out again.

Once they had packed up, their delegation left around noon, journeying a few miles to the north of Yin to a local village where silk was produced. It was a quaint and cozy little village all things considered. It had some rice paddies to provide food for the village but most of its land was filled to the brim with mulberry orchards.

Driftmark had done its research, having managed to free some Naathi silk-weavers from slavery. They had long since learned that mulberries were essential for the silkworms and had prepared everything beforehand on Driftmark and even a little in Velos for the transport. The only thing missing were the silkworms themselves.

With a heavy sigh, Aurane prayed to the Seven as he slipped some of the larvae and pupae into his wooden cane as Corlys boisterously and excitedly asked questions, drawing attention and distracting their guides and the villagers as they observed the process of silk production. Some of the others in their group took the opportunity to do the same with their canes and by the time the guides turned back to looking at them, they were none the wiser.

That night, he somehow kept his cool enough to partake of the villager's gracious hospitality, doing his best to squash the guilt he felt when he remembered they had basically stolen from them. As guests of the villagers, they had been given traditional Yi Tish clothing to wear, yinfu, with its long flowing robes made out of linen. As usual, he struggled using the chopsticks the Yi Tish were obsessed with though Corlys used them like a master. It had all felt…strange, but not in a bad way. If Aurane was being honest, much of Yi Ti's culture, traditions, and people were strange to him, but in a good way. Different did not always necessarily mean bad after all.

Dinner had been rice with soy sauce and some stir-fried chicken with spices and it had been exquisite. Spices were truly the Seven's gift to men, the flavor of spiced food was so much better and richer. There was a reason after all why the spice trade was so lucrative for the Velaryons, the spice always had to flow, and obviously they kept a supply for their own use on Driftmark.

When they left the village the next day, the villagers gifted them some mulberry leaves and fruits per their request as tokens. Enough leaves to feed the silkworm larvae at least until they got back to their ships with more. Aurane was not amused to see Corlys happily snacking on the mulberry fruits as if they hadn't just potentially signed their execution writs.

A few days later, they traveled further inland into the highlands and repeated the process with the tea plants, somehow managing to hide a few seeds while covertly working together to memorize the process of tea production so they could collaborate to write it down in the safety of their quarters.

Their tour of numerous production sites would continue for a few weeks more before they were escorted back to port where their ships awaited. As he boarded their ship, Aurane could not help but let out a sigh of relief as their sailors began untying the ropes and the fleet set off westward again, finished with yet another lucrative expedition.

"That had to be the most stressful three weeks of my life," he said out loud.

Corlys laughed. "Even more so than the storm we faced on the way to Nefer?"

"The sea is less terrifying than being a criminal in the interior depths of Yi Ti. Don't make me do that again, I won't be joining you next time Corlys. I quite like having my head attached to my shoulders."

His brother sighed. "Ah, liven it up a little. We only live once after all. What's life without a little risk and fun?" There was a glint in his brother's eyes as he mentioned living only once.

"I do hope you don't plan anything else as daring as this," Aurane said instead of replying to his brother's rhetorical question.

"Fear not, any future plans won't put us directly at risk. To be honest I wasn't quite at ease with it either, but after our previous attempts all failed, we had no choice but to go personally to use our rank to leverage access," Corlys admitted.

Aurane noticed now that at least some of his brother's overconfidence was just that. Bravado. He could see the release of tension he hadn't even noticed in the past few weeks, now fading away as they relaxed on the gentle rocking of the Sea Snake as it sailed westward on the green waters of the Jade Sea, leaving the port behind them.

So even his seemingly perfect older brother could still feel fear. Aurane would barely have thought it with how fearless and inspiring he had always been to Aurane, since they were just boys. It had been Corlys who had inspired Aurane to take to the sea like he had, and when he had founded his Guild of Venturers, he had been the first member to sign up. He would never admit it out loud, knowing it would only feed his brother's ego more, but he honestly idolized him still in some way. He would always be in his shadow, but there were worse things to be than the shadow of a legendary man like Corlys the Sea Snake.

And yet still, a legend Corlys might be, but he is still a man. And all men must die. I hope his fearlessness does not tread into recklessness and get himself killed, or worse one day.

But then, perhaps that was what brothers were for? Who else was there to watch Corlys other than he? Rhaekar? Maybe, but Rhaekar had always been more distant to Corlys and he, perhaps because unlike them, he had never quite taken to the sea, preferring to stay home on Driftmark and settle down. He was already the first of the three of them to wed and have children and had become a fine steward under their grandfather's tutelage. He would likely be Corlys's steward as well when the time came.

Thinking of Rhaekar reminded Aurane of the gifts he had promised his nephew and niece, Vaemond and Vaella. He would have to remember that, and remind Corlys as well, though knowing him, he had already come up with some ridiculous overly extravagant gifts for their brother's children. Maybe even an elephant? Vaemond had expressed interest in the great tusked beast before.

"So… what's the plan now?" Aurane asked Corlys as the wind changed direction and the sailors re-rigged the sails to tack.

"They're quite perishable. That's why I set up everything in Velos. We'll stop over there and re-provision, make sure the worms and the seeds are still alive, and then continue onward back home."

"So that's it then? No more stops?"

"Not really no. Time is of the essence. Although… I do think we can afford one last stop before Velos," Corlys answered.

This was not according to plan. "What? Where? We have everything we need don't we?" Aurane asked, surprised.

Corlys grinned. "Not yet we don't little brother. I promised our nephew an elephant after all, and I intend to deliver… with interest."

Aurane groaned. Corlys was really doing it! He followed after him, trying in vain to convince Corlys to at least buy one and not a whole bloody herd. As was all too often, his words fell on deaf ears but Aurane could not help but shake his head in amusement.

For all of his brother's faults and flaws, and for all that he could be annoyingly stubborn at times, he had this charm, this charisma that he breathed that made men want to die for him. Aurane had fallen under its spell when he was only six years old, when Corlys had told him of how he would one day build a great ship and become the greatest adventurer the world had ever seen. Somehow, even at age ten, Corlys had ensnared him. His brother had been that convincing and he had believed he would do it, and now twenty-two years later, he had indeed. He knew, just as he had then, that he would follow Corlys to whatever end, be it to the Seven Hells themselves.

Twelfth Moon, 85 AC

The poor elephants had spent a few miserable months on board their ships after they had been bought at Qarth. Now as they docked in Velos, they were finally being let out. Per the plan for the expedition, they would spend a week in Velos to stretch their legs and enjoy the feeling of land again while also making sure their perishable goods, the silkworms, the tea seeds, and now the elephants, stayed alive.

As their ships moored, Aurane walked down the gangplank alongside Corlys into Velos. Once a thriving city before the Doom of Valyria, Velos had been washed away by the cataclysmic tsunami in the aftermath and had been left deserted for almost two hundred years. What few survivors there had been had left the island behind, which was rumored to be haunted, and as Essos descended into the Century of Blood, no one had really bothered with the Isle of Cedars for generations.

On their very first voyage to Yi Ti, Corlys had led the fleet to stop over in Velos and determine its suitability as an outpost. They soon found that it was perfect for everything they needed. The isle was rich in wood to repair their ships, and it had many wild animals, such as boars, which they could hunt to get some salted meats for the rest of the long journey to Yi Ti. That first voyage, the sailors had feasted on pork for almost every night they were on Velos, for the native animals had had no fear of men anymore, although that had since changed.

In the following years, Velos had been restored somewhat as an outpost of the Velaryon trading empire and was administered by the Driftmark East Trading Company. Corlys had personally visited the various cities of Slaver's Bay and Ghis, notably Tolos, Elyria, Mereen, Astapor, Yunkai, and New Ghis, and had obtained an agreement from them all that the Velaryons would be able to remain on the Isle of Cedars without interference, in exchange for certain trade privileges and concessions.

Apart from the cost of colonization and the rumors of haunting, a primary reason why the Isle of Cedars had remained uninhabited for so long was because its strategic position in the bay could not be tolerated by any of the primary powers of the Bay to fall into a rival's hands. The Velaryons then, as a neutral and foreign party that would never have the strength to feasibly hold the island against any individual city-state in the bay due to the distance from Driftmark were considered to be inoffensive to anyone and so allowed to hold the island by the grace and agreement of the cities.

The terms of that agreement did forbid militarization of the island beyond what was necessary to defend Velaryon shipping from pirates, but then they had never really entertained any such ideas as to seriously colonizing the island. It was too far from Driftmark.

No, Velos was good enough for them as it was now. A trading hub by which the Velaryons got access to the markets of Slaver's Bay and Ghis, and a stopover for their ships to repair and re-provision on the journey to the Far East.

Aurane watched as their men all disembarked from their ships in the harbor of Velos, some even leading out the elephants to the massive pens that had been prepared for them. The port was bustling. Despite the outpost's relatively small size, still enclosed within the boundaries of the ruined city, it saw new ships almost every day. Its position made it ideal for trade and the Velaryons had taken advantage of that.

As they reported to the harbormaster, Erren, they were greeted warmly. "Ah Lord Corlys, Lord Aurane. On your way back from Yi Ti I presume?"

"That's right Erren. The usual fees?" Corlys said with that smile again.

"Oh my lord, how could I charge you?" Erren asked with a smirk.

"Yes well, you know it makes the accounting easier if we like all the others pay the fees. We'll be staying for a week. Making sure everything is settled and the perishables remain intact. I trust everything has been prepared?" Corlys asked.

"Why yes of course Lord Corlys. Everything was prepared according to your orders. Your perishable goods will not be wanting in any way."

"Excellent," he said with a grin.

As they walked off further into the small town that had sprung up around the outpost, Aurane observed as sailors and mercenaries gathered around in the various inns, taverns, brothels, and shops that had sprung up over the years. Though it had never been their intention for Velos to be so bustling an outpost, trade drew people, and many of the locals of Slaver's Bay had come seeking their fortune servicing the needs of the passing merchants and traders.

That the Isle of Cedars was under Westerosi administration, meant that it also obeyed Westerosi law and that had caused some issues with the locals when it came out that slaves were using the isle to escape to freedom. Corlys had had to make the difficult decision of appeasing the slave masters and restricting passage or risk having the combined might of Slaver's Bay bearing down on Velos. Still though, in secret, the Velaryons helped what slaves they could still, smuggling them out in low numbers, be it to Driftmark or elsewhere, yet Aurane knew that for every slave they smuggled out, a thousand more were in chains just across the bay.

It was honestly the worst part of their trade empire. The sacrifice to their morals they had to accept to be willing to do trade with slavers and appease them so they could keep their outpost. Corlys hadn't liked it either. Aurane remembered how he had clenched his fists in anger and almost punched a hole in the wall of their ship after they had appeased the slave masters.

Yet for all the power and influence House Velaryon had gained, they were but one faction, just an island and its vassals really. There was little they could do to stop the slave trade. They would do what they could of course, hundreds, if not thousands of slaves had been freed either by purchase or by smuggling by the Velaryons. But even then, that had not always been for altruistic reasons. Those slaves had almost always had some skills or knowledge that would be useful to Driftmark. It was the simple cruel way of the world that people rarely did things just because it was the right thing to do.

Aurane shook himself from his dark thoughts. He hated dwelling too much on the idea, knowing that his family could and should be doing more to fight the slave trade…. but they weren't, because that would hurt their trade operations and the income that had so drastically seen them rise in power. Sometimes he wondered if that made them sinners in the eyes of the Seven. Sometimes he was able to convince himself that not freeing every slave you could was not the same as holding the whip yourself, but only sometimes.

Corlys had mentioned playing the long game once. By doing what Braavos appeared to be doing, making itself so economically powerful that it could eventually begin restricting the slave trade and perhaps abolish the practice entirely. Already Lorath and the rest of the Shivering Sea had fallen under Braavos's sway and had abolished slavery to avoid its displeasure and now the Bastard Daughter was turning its attention southwards on Pentos.

Though Driftmark and Braavos were rivals for trade and banking, in the matter of slavery at least, they were united in their aim of seeing it end one day. And with Driftmark's rapidly rising wealth and influence, perhaps that goal might one day be fulfilled.

"Yes the silkworms are hungry, they matured on the way here, and we barely had enough mulberry leaves to keep them fed," Corlys said. Aurane snapped out of his dark thoughts, realizing that they had arrived at their destination. On the far side of town, sheltered away from the view of the harbor, was the mulberry orchard they had ordered planted in preparation for the silk heist.

His brother was speaking with the botanists and growers they had hired, calculating how many mulberry leaves they would need to keep the worms fed for the return journey and also inquiring how to keep the tea plants alive. As a precaution, at least half of their stock of tea and silkworms would be left in Velos for the meantime. The operation was quite secretive however, as they did not want to advertise to the world that they had silk and tea prematurely and risk others trying to steal it from them as they had stolen it from the Yi Tish.

Their conversation was interrupted soon however, by one of their sailors from the Sea Snake who came running into the orchard.

"What is it Jon?" Aurane asked. Though the orchard wasn't hidden, it wasn't exactly easy to find. Jon had to have been given instructions to find them so quickly.

"The harbormaster and the governor are calling you and Lord Corlys to the port! They say its urgent!" Jon reported.

Aurane shared a look with Corlys. Lucerys Velaryon was not one to summon his own cousins and superiors to him like they were his servants. If they were being called, it was definitely an emergency.

As they ran back to the port behind Jon, Aurane let his imagination go wild. What could warrant summoning him and his brother in such a rude way? Perhaps the slaver cities had realized they were still smuggling slaves and had come to demand they cease and desist? That would be a real mess.

When they arrived at the harbor however, they found no grand armada of Ghiscari ships like he had feared, not even an emissary from the slaver cities. Instead the port seemed to be as normal, but Aurane did note that there was more whispering and rumor mongering among the dockworkers and sailors then there had been earlier.

Their cousin Lucerys was in front of the harbormaster's office along with Erren and another man that Aurane vaguely recognized as one of Driftmark's captains who commanded another trade fleet on the Jade Sea route.

As they arrived, Aurane noted that Lucerys's expression was filled with concern, and grief. "Tell them what you told us," Lucerys ordered the captain when he noticed their coming.

The captain spoke. "Lord Corlys, Ser Aurane, I fear I must inform you that your lord grandfather has taken ill. He was bedridden when my fleet left Driftmark and I was tasked by your brother Steward Rhaekar to inform you of this were I to meet you."

Aurane's heart sank and he saw that Corlys's face had fallen as well. Their grandfather was not a young man, if he had taken ill enough to be bedridden… even with all of Driftmark's advances in medicine, there could be no saving him. Even if it was his time to die, what a cruel thing would it be that they would not be there to say goodbye?

"How is his condition?" Corlys asked, his voice almost too calm.

"Stable, but deteriorating. Maester Desmond feared he had less than a year left when we departed."

"I see… Aurane, how long would it take for us to get back to Driftmark with the fleet if we leave on schedule?"

Aurane thought for a while, the figures coming into his head. "Assuming there are no delays in provisioning and the perishables are taken care of properly, I estimate about another six to seven months back to Driftmark. Maybe a month or two less if the winds are fair and the seas calm."

By the time he had finished however, Corlys had already come up with a plan. "Lucerys, the elephants and all the other goods of our voyage, I entrust them to you. See to it that they make it back to Driftmark intact. Certain goods have priorities over others, you know what those goods are and what it cost to get them, do not let me down. Aurane, call back all the sailors. The rest of the fleet can leave on schedule with our cargo, we unload the Sea Snake and re-provision it tonight. I want her sails on the high seas west for Driftmark by dawn. Go!"

Nodding his head in acknowledgement, Aurane urgently went to see to his task, leaving behind his brother who remained to sort out with Lucerys and Erren the handling and transport of the rest of their fleet's cargo, especially the precious cargo they had risked so much for.

Yet even with their rushing to race home to Driftmark, Aurane feared they would be too late nonetheless.

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Sixth Moon, 86 AC

A few months later, the Sea Snake sailed into the Stepstones archipelago chain and it was here that Aurane's doubts surfaced again as he remembered what they had forgotten in their haste. The whole reason why the Velaryon fleets travelled in convoys was for safety in numbers against the pirates that trawled the seas and the Stepstones were perhaps the most notorious and dangerous pirate-infested waters in the whole world.

The Sea Snake was a big and intimidating ship, it was a carrack after all, but it was not at present armed for war as it had been used primarily for trade and exploration. They would have to rely on speed to get past the Stepstones. The consequences of getting caught could be disastrous.

Luck it seemed was not on their side, for though they had outrun many a pirate ship on the high seas, in the shallower and rockier waters of the Stepstones, an ambush could be the end of any unprepared ship and its crew.

"Pirates sighted! Due north, three ships!" their helmsman cried out.

Corlys immediately ordered for the Sea Snake to make west but soon they found themselves dangerously close to running aground on one of the islands. With a skill befitting a legendary captain, Corlys then proceeded to have the Sea Snake bank and turn, running circles around the pirates as they attempted to shake them off their tail. His efforts saw at least one of the pirate ships run aground on the same island they almost had and another fail to keep up once the wind picked up. But one last ship was hot on their tail still, and Aurane honestly thought it was the worst possible one to still be pursuing them, eying the banner of the blood-red scorpion on a faded yellow field.

Aurane didn't think there was a sailor in the world that didn't know the name of Syrio Vunatis, the self-proclaimed Pirate King of the Stepstones. Taking the scorpion as a sigil, he fashioned himself as royalty and had somehow managed to rally at least half of the pirate bands in the Stepstones under his command, daring even to prey on the large and armed convoys the Velaryon fleets had sailed in.

Their captains had developed a rivalry of sorts with him, fighting him many times as they passed through, and now the Sea Snake, the most famous ship flying the Velaryon banner in the world, was in his reach. His pride would not let them escape. Aurane knew it, and it seemed Corlys did as well as he gave his orders. "Man battle stations! Prepare to be boarded!"

The wind had turned against them now and with not enough time to tack, their carrack was soon overtaken by the oared galley of Vunatis and the fighting began in earnest as the crews of the two ships began releasing volleys of arrows at each other. Tiring of their back and forth game however, Vunatis soon smashed his ship right into the Sea Snake's hull, damaging both ships but allowing his men to board.

Within moments, the proud Velaryon sailors rushed to drive back the pirates and for a while they seemed to have the upper hand before a volley cut them to pieces and reinforcements joined the boarders from their ship.

Syrio Vunatis had come in person Aurane realized, recognizing him by the description he had heard before. Tall and muscled with long and dark unkempt hair and a messy black beard, looking more like a savage beast with the deranged look in his eyes than a man. And it seemed the rumors that he bore a sword of Valyria were true as well Aurane noticed, catching a glimpse of the smoky swirly pattern of Valyrian steel slicing through their men.

Some called him Scorpion Syrio, after the deadly insect he had taken as his sigil. He had a habit of allowing desperate ship captains a 'chance' in a duel with him, promising to let them go if they won. This seeming magnanimity was rather offset by the fact that Vunatis had supposedly never lost a duel and brutally killed all his opponents, like a scorpion stinging its prey. Now that Vunatis had come in person, it was likely only a matter of time before they were overwhelmed.

Suddenly, Corlys cried out, "Parley! I ask for parley!"

The pirates all stopped, and their captain began laughing. "You hear that boys? The Sea Snake asks for pirates to parley with him! Won't that be a tale for your whores?" The pirates all laughed, feeling confident in their victory now. "Listen up Velaryon, we don't parley with prissy merchants and adventurers. Only with men of real steel! Real strength!" Vunatis said.

"And am I any ordinary man? Is there any other sailor in the world who can claim to have braved the boundaries of the Known World and the dangers of the open seas as much as I have? That takes real courage and strength I would think. Am I not a man worthy of parleying with the great Syrio Vunatis, King of the Stepstones?"

Aurane knew what Corlys was doing, he was trying to play to Vunatis's ego to try and wrangle something out of him. But still, did he seriously think they could parley with Scorpion Syrio? Why would he let them go?

"Very well Sea Snake. You have earned that much at least! What are your terms then?" Vunatis replied, his tone making it clear he was only humoring Corlys for his own amusement.

"You are King of the Stepstones no?" Corlys asked. "Rather than simply attack us for no reason, I was hoping to treat with a respected ruler, to discuss the terms of the toll for passage through his lands."

Vunatis started laughing. "Driftmark's ships have never paid toll to me before Velaryon! I don't expect them to start now! Besides, I have a much more fun method of exacting tolls from travelers. Tell you what, I'm feeling generous. A gentleman's duel between you and me. You defeat me, and I'll let you go with all of your crew."

"And if I lose?" Corlys asked in return.

"Then you die. Simple as that. Poison has been waiting for its next kill. And I'll take your ship and all its treasures, the Sea Snake would be a fine prize indeed," Vunatis said, licking his lips in anticipation thinking what treasures the famed Sea Snake would have in its cargo hold. Aurane had a feeling he would be very disappointed.

"Don't, it's a trap," he warned his brother, hoping he'd listen to him.

"Deal!" Corlys shouted back to Vunatis.

"At least name one of our guards as your champion!" Aurane begged his brother, aghast. They may be in the role of sailors right now, but they were still the heirs of House Velaryon, and their trusted Tide Guard looked distraught that their charge had volunteered himself in a duel to the death

"Can't. You heard him. It has to be me, captain against captain," Corlys rebuffed him. Aurane sighed. His brother was right of course. They didn't have a choice. Their sailors were decently armed and trained and the few Tide Guard they had were elites, but against a whole crew of hardened pirates?

"You know he's going to kill you right? You're good in a fight Corlys, but you're a sailor first and a soldier second. Vunatis is going to eat you up alive," Aurane pleaded, trying to get his brother to reconsider in the five minutes Vunatis had oh so 'graciously' given them to prepare.

"Trust me, it'll be fine. I have no intentions on dying here. The scorpion may soon find that the fangs of a sea snake are just as deadly," Corlys replied dangerously before telling Aurane what he wanted him to do. He could barely believe it when he heard it. What was it with his brother and insane plans? Yet try as he could, Aurane didn't really see what other option there was.

As his brother and Vunatis lined up for their duel, Aurane put on the worried face of a brother (not hard to do, he actually was very worried) and made it seem like he was panicking as he secretly signaled their men to get into position.

Soon Corlys and Vunatis's duel began in earnest and Aurane winced as he saw his brother being outmatched. Corlys was a fine swordsman, but he was no legend, and against Scorpion Syrio, he was always going to be outmatched in single combat. The Tide Guard tightened their grip on their weapons in rage. Aurane hoped they held long enough for Corlys's plan to work.

"Is this all you can do Sea Snake? I'm almost disappointed? Show me some fangs!" Vunatis shouted as he hammered his Valyrian steel sword, Poison, against his brother who barely managed to block his barrage of attacks. In his battle fury, Vunatis had begun using his sword less like a blade and more like a hammer to overcome his opponent with brute force, like some barbaric berserker.

Aurane knew he needed everything ready as soon as possible, the moment Corlys gave the signal that he couldn't keep up anymore, they had to be ready. He desperately began quietly alerting his men, thanking the Seven and any other god that would listen that the pirates were too engrossed in the 'amusing' fight between their leader and the famous Sea Snake.

"The Old, the True, the Brave!" Corlys shouted suddenly as he attacked Vunatis with renewed vigor and a seeming increase in skill. In that moment, the archer that Aurane had secretly managed to dispatch and sneak up to a higher deck near the helm loosed his arrow, narrowly missing Corlys and slamming right into Vunatis's chest.

Chaos broke out in the next moment as the Tide Guard followed the signal and immediately charged, beginning the battle anew. They were but the spearhead for the assault as the rest of the crew soon followed behind them. The pirates who had all relaxed to enjoy the show of their leader adding another kill to his reputation were taken completely unawares by the violation of parley. At the same time, some of their sailors began cutting the ropes connecting the two ships, separating them and letting the Sea Snake drift away from the pirate galley.

Aurane really didn't know how, but it seemed Corlys's assessment of the pirate's overconfidence had been correct. Everything they and their crew had been doing had been to portray the picture of worry, concern, and fear, and that in turn had fed the ego and overconfidence of Vunatis and his band. That Corlys had somewhat faked his skill with a blade to lull them even further into their relaxation was key as well, as it made the pirates, sick bastards that they were, begin to relax thinking their captain would easily kill his opponent.

Now with the upper hand, the crew of the Sea Snake began to overwhelm the unprepared pirates who were severely demoralized at seeing their captain fall. By the time the last pirate was dead, the Sea Snake was already well on its way into open sea, with the rest of Vunatis's crew on his galley unable to keep the chase.

As they sorted out the damage from the battle and took note of their wounded and dead, Aurane checked on his brother. "You still alive?" he asked, looking at his brother who had knelt down near the corpse of Vunatis, his blade in the pirate king's chest.

"Yeah… just… just exhausted. He didn't go down without a fight, damned bastard managed to stick me pretty good," Corlys said as he showed Aurane a rather deep gash that had sliced deeply into his right chest and shoulder. Just a few inches deeper, and Corlys might have lost the arm entirely. As it was, Aurane wasn't sure he'd be able to fight nearly as good as had before, not that his skill had been that noteworthy to begin with.

"You're lucky you didn't lose an arm you damn idiot. You need to stop taking crazy gambles like this," Aurane lectured his brother.

"Yeah… I know, I know. Yet what to do when a crazy gamble is the only way out?"

Aurane gave him an unimpressed look and Corlys smiled sheepishly before wincing in pain as Aurane dressed the wound and bandaged it cleanly. Driftmark had taken to germ theory eagerly, and Aurane was experienced in properly cleaning wounds.

"Keep it clean, we don't want it getting infected," he ordered his brother.

Corlys looked offended, "You speak to the man who helped invent the microscope, give me more credit."

"Nah. A reckless bastard like you doesn't get to claim that kind of credit when you pull stunts like this," Aurane shut down his brother's attempts to claim some semblance of reasonability.

Corlys was taken aback slightly. "I suppose I deserve that. I really have been a terrible brother haven't? I've gotten us into so much trouble, and taken too many risks lately. Maybe you're right Aurane. Life isn't some game. I need to be more careful."

"Oh finally some self-awareness? Too bad it came twenty-six years too late. I think all your sense of caution went out the window when you miraculously survived the Shivers at age seven and took it as a sign you were the Seven's chosen champion or something. Protected from any and all harm. Who could hurt you if you survived such a terrible disease after all?"

His brother winced at his rebuke. "I deserve that. Would it help reminding you this is the last voyage I intend to take? I'll settle down on Driftmark after this."

Aurane smirked. "I'm sure you'll find other ways to get yourself into trouble brother." His expression turned more serious then, "You are a good brother, and you're an amazing leader. Don't take away your own achievements Corlys. You are a legend. And that is exactly why you must be careful, don't let all your success go to your head and take insane risks. Driftmark needs you."

I need you

The last line went unsaid, some pride and shyness perhaps keeping Aurane from admitting it. His brother looked into his eyes, orbs of indigo peering into Aurane's ocean blue, and he nodded in understanding, as if he had peered into his mind through his eyes and unearthed the secret words that Aurane had not said.

Trying to lighten the tension, Corlys joked, "You know, I really should have expected this. What was I thinking going against Valyrian steel in naught but a sailor's tunic?"

Aurane froze. In the chaos of the battle, he had forgotten that Vunatis had wielded a Valyrian steel longsword. "Where is it?"

"What?"

"The sword. Where is it?" Aurane asked again. Realization filled Corlys's purple eyes and he pointed to the side of Vunatis's corpse.

Almost reverently, Aurane picked up the sword, and admired the smoky and swirly grey pattern of its magical steel.

"Do you realize what this means brother?" Corlys asked him and Aurane nodded vigorously.

"House Velaryon has a Valyrian steel blade again," he answered in awe. It had been over eighty years since their ancestral blade, Seafoam, had been lost with their grandfather's namesake in the Battle of Gulltown in the Conquest. It was thought to have fallen to the bottom of the sea when his ship sank. House Velaryon had almost given up hope of having a Valyrian steel sword again, with even all their wealth from their voyages failing to purchase a sword. And now, almost by a stroke of luck, they had one again.

"Grandfather would be very pleased. Let's present it to him when we get back. He'll love naming it," Corlys said as Aurane continued to admire the sword.

"Yes, yes he would. What a surprise it would be for the old man huh? I bet you, sickness or no sickness, he'll force himself out of bed and march himself to the piers to see us as we disembark, even if he has to be in a wheelchair."

"Let's hope we don't give him a heart attack with this then eh?" Corlys japed and the two brothers shared a laugh.

Yet it was not Lord Daemon Velaryon who greeted them when the Sea Snake limped into Spicetown two weeks later but their brother Rhaekar, a face cold and full of anger and grief as he pronounced the words that Aurane had so dreaded hearing.

"You're too late."