Chapter 94: Ny Sar

In the early morning, the Rhoyne River was shrouded in thick mist. The trees along the riverbanks were dense, with many fallen trees drifting down the river. Fortunately, the river was wide, and the current wasn't too swift as it was not the rainy season. The Shy Maiden had its triangular sail unfurled, drifting downstream. All the windows in the cabin were open for ventilation. The captain's wife knocked on the door.

"Lord Wright, the hot water is ready."

Tyene stood up, moved to the door, and cracked it open slightly. Upon seeing the captain's wife, she fully opened the door and took the basin of water inside. The captain's wife looked at Tyene and said, "When I was young, I had such a figure too!"

"Hehe," Tyene responded with a smile.

"My husband asked me to tell Lord Wright that once we enter this section of the Dornish River, there will be many bandits. Sometimes even the Dothraki join in the raiding."

"Thank you for the warning," Tyene replied, closing the door and placing the hot water basin on the table. She then spun around and leaped onto the bed with a jump.

"Tyene!" Nymeria, who had been asleep, woke up as Tyene landed heavily on her.

"Get up! Get up!"

Tyene continued bouncing on the bed, aiming to land on Wright. Wright, already awake with someone outside the door, flipped over and propped himself up, springing off the bed. He grabbed Tyene and tossed her onto Nymeria.

"Wright, do you want to die?" Nymeria grumbled irritably as Tyene landed on her.

Wright chuckled mischievously, then sat down at the table to prepare to wash up.

House Baratheon was known for its thick, wild hair and bushy beards, a trait that Wright despised. If he had the option, he would shave every day, but conditions on the ship were rudimentary, and he could only manage every three days. His face was now covered in stubbly beard, much to the dismay of both ladies aboard. He opened his leather pouch on the table, pulling out a small knife and mirror, tilting his head back to expose his chin as he focused on shaving, clearly enjoying the process.

Nymeria, taller than Tyene by a head and strong from years of training, was in a playful tussle with Tyene. Tyene was struggling to break free from Nymeria's hold, but couldn't, as the two ladies rolled and laughed together.

"Do you know anything about the Dothraki? I see their clothing is similar to ours," Wright asked while shaving.

Nymeria caught Tyene's hands as they flailed around, pulling them closer until the two were tightly pressed together. Only then did she respond to Wright's question. "I heard from my father that they wear fine clothes and perfume only when they visit the Nine Great Trading Castles. But once back with their tribes, men and women alike wear only painted leather vests, with manes of horses tied to their legs and bronze belts around their waists. That's the true Dothraki style."

Wright finished shaving, but there was no soap or fine cloths available to clean up. He wiped his face with a clean cloth and stood up to prepare for the day. "What about their territory? Can you see them at the Nine Great Trading Castles?"

Nymeria, still holding Tyene, walked over and sat down in Wright's chair. "The inland of Essos is known as the Dothraki Sea, and they roam everywhere. They don't have fixed cities; they settle wherever they want."

Wright had only packed one change of clothes, which had gotten dirty the previous day, so today he wore a long red noble's cloak. "When we left Pentos, we ran into a few Dothraki by the east gate. Their eyes were filled with greed and fear as they looked at us."

Tyene reached for a small knife in the leather pouch on the table and began trimming Nymeria's eyebrows. Nymeria, in turn, was brushing Tyene's golden hair, which was beautiful but always frizzy after waking up.

"Their economy relies on raiding the surrounding nations. They see you have wealth, so they're greedy, but they fear your magic too," Wright said, finishing dressing and looking at the two women.

"I have a feeling that the Dothraki might specifically be after us," he added.

Tyene teased, "Well, that just means you're really wealthy. Lord Wright, the great moneybags."

"It's not just about looking good. If you look at our belongings, you can tell we can't carry much. But we have gold, so I guess that makes us rich," Wright said, picking up the Dark Sisters sword from his belt.

In Pentos, Wright had seen a nice scabbard — pure black leather with white steel decorations and beautiful metalwork — so he had sold his old gem-encrusted one and bought this new one. He didn't like weapons or armor adorned with jewels; it was just for show and a waste of money. On the battlefield, such decoration only made you an easy target.

He adjusted his collar and moved toward the door of the cabin. Then he stopped and turned back to the two women. "Can you at least put your clothes on first? If the Dothraki come and don't take my gold, they'll just take you two instead!"

"That's just bad luck!" Tyene teased.

"Get lost!" Nymeria retorted, throwing a basin of water at him. Wright quickly opened the door and dashed out of the cabin, not getting a single drop of water on him.

The sun began to rise, and the mist on the river started to lift. A damp, fishy breeze blew through the air as Wright stretched, loosening his joints. The trio had chartered the ship, so the captain, Yedari, and his wife were less busy. They had anchored the night before in a calm part of the river, and Yedari was up early, preparing to steer the ship. The wife was preparing breakfast for the five of them — white bread and honey.

Their standard of living fluctuated with the wealth of their guests. When they had someone generous like Wright aboard, they could eat very well.

"Good morning, Lord Wright!"

"Good morning, Captain. Where are we now?"

"We still have one more day. We'll reach the ruins of Ny Sar by tomorrow."

"The ruins of the Warrior Queen Nymeria's city?" Wright asked.

"Yes, although it's a ruin, the port there is very large. There are many people now, and it's the largest supply station for the Dorne River merchant fleet," Captain Yedari explained.

Wright asked, "How long will we stay there?"

"We'll stop for one night to resupply. You can also go ashore if you like. There are a few inns, though I imagine a distinguished person like you, Lord Wright, wouldn't want to stay in those run-down places," Yedari said with a smile.

"Well, it's not every day we come this way. We should see the place. Besides, my wife, Nymeria, is from Dorne. You can tell by her name how much she'd long to visit," Wright replied.

"Lord Wright, you are indeed fortunate to have two beautiful wives," Yedari said, eyeing Wright with admiration. "But in Ny Sar, there is no lord or ruler. It's full of thieves and bandits. I'd advise you to be cautious."

Wright simply chuckled.

"Lord Wright, someone of your stature should have a sword worthy of you, not that dark, dull one. A golden sword, studded with rubies, would suit you far better," Yedari suggested, eyeing Wright's sword again.

Wright patted the Dark Sisters sword at his waist. "It's not just for show."