108 Welcome back
"M'lady woke up!" the servant shouted as she stormed out of the tent scaring the guards surrounding it.
Not more then few moments later Qyburn came inside with his helpers holding a big wooden chest while keeping the pace behind him.
"My Lady... Welcome back..." the man watched with simple care and relief in his eyes as the woman with the help of additional servants sat at the bed under the blankets.
Barbrey gathered her thoughts, the last thing she remembered after running and hiding for few moons was that the Ranger's finally managed to find Neverwinter Guards while scouting to make sure the mountain cave is secured.
"It's good to be back my friend..." Lady Barbrey looked around the simple tent "Where are we?" she asked already in her Lady mode.
"A day from Ten Towers my Lady, it's a temporary field hospital and a shelter for the freed slaves, salt wives and thralls." he came closer and started inspecting Lady Barbreys condition.
Without further doubt the Lady wanted to stand up from the bed when his skinny but strong hands gently stopped her "You still need some rest my Lady, the men said you fainted when the constant vigilance left allowing you body to relax." he said as she rested on a pillow.
"How is Brendan?" she observed the man looking for any falsehood.
"Lord Dustin is fine, they stormed the Harlaw ancestral seat and burned the towers to the ground after four days of battle." Qyburn smiled already thinking about the "volunteers" he will get for the progress of medicine and science. "They are now finishing the sacking of the nearby town after Rodrik the Reader tried to escape from there. I assume that after this time house Harlaw will be no more my Lady..." the man smiled and placed his hand on hers after sitting down next to the bed.
They continue the conversation for a long time, since all the servants left, Lady Barbrey spoke to the man freely blaming herself for her stupidity and lack of foresight when she should've know better then to trust a squid.
"My Lady, you can't blame yourself, you were already with a child. It could happen to anyone, since now we learned from our mistakes, it's time to move on." his calm as always voice and the gentle touch of his hand were so soothing that Lady Barbrey fell asleep soon after.
Leaving the tent Qyburn checked the rows of guards surrounding the tent and went back to the temporary hospital after leaving Sandor in charge of the Lady guards.
The next day when Barbrey woke up she felt a lot better.
Just outside she could see a forest of tents and people walking about.
"So many..." she whispered only for Sandor to hear.
"It's one of many camps my Lady." Sandor said treasuring his words like diamonds as always.
"Lord Dustin and the other houses gave the freed people a choice my Lady." Sandor and Barbrey turned her head hearing the new arrival.
"Davos! I'm so happy to see you safe." Barbrey and the Neverwinter's Master-of-Ships gave each other a welcoming smile.
"Likewise my Lady." he smiled wider and bowed to the woman "You gave us one hell of a fright, Marya would probably stab me in my sleep if we didn't bring you back." he said jokingly making the Lady smile brightly.
The man had a talent to say every time the exact thing that you needed to hear.
"How are Dale, Allard and Matthos?" she asked while grabbing him underarm and walking slowly.
"Dale and Allard are guarding the Island with their fleets, Matthos is with Ser Hightower on the other side of the island, knowing him, he probably already is bothering Ser Hightower to be his squire." the man laughed, or more like chuckled.
Lady Barbrey smiled for a moment just to get serious after, and sice Davos felt the change he knew his friend will start a heavy subject.
"Davos... how is Brendan really... how is my son? Everyone tells me what I need to hear, not the truth..." she stopped and looked into his eyes, since they became friends after he and his wife arrived to old Barrowton he never lied to her, not even once.
"You're not going to like what I'm about to say..." he hesitated for a moment, but not seeing any doubt on her face he sighed and continued after shaking his head. "W-we or more like he... There were things that he saw and did that are not like him my Lady... He... H-he enjoys the battle to much, or more like he thrives in it my Lady." Davos looked to the sky remembering the hard battlefields.
"T...that's nothing new, he was always like that." Barbrey said hesitantly hoping that was all.
"No my Lady... it's not the same... I saw young Lord fighting before, he was more... calm, systematic, trained. Every time he fought he made it seem like a masterpiece, like art... Now... now he is more like a beast, like something that he lets loose every time loosing his humanity..." Lady Barbrey saw fear in her friends eyes. "My Lady I can understand the young Lord being ruthless, it is the way of war, I know. But the feeling he gives is like he is mocking and challenging the death itself. I saw him growing up, you both were the ones that made me who I am, and I treat him as one of my own boys, yet, my Lady... he needs you now more then ever..." Lord Seaworth took a glimpse at his Lady to see her deep in her own thoughts.
"Thank you my friend, for everything." she hugged her friend for a second surprising him tremendously.
"M-m pleasure my Lady." Davos awkwardly moved his arms, not knowing what to do with them. Should he reciprocate the hug or just wait.
"I just hope not to much pleasure or your wife will really stab you in your sleep! Haha"
Soon, when Lady Barbrey took a step back, chuckling at his unnatural body language.
The man was there to take the Neverwinter Guards, the prisoners and freed people back to the North, including the treasures that the houses gathered from the island.
The same day he left, a heavily guarded convoy left the camp in the direction of the Harlaw town next to Ten Towers.
The Harlaw Island battle was over and only judgment was left.
Since Lady Barbrey could not ride on a horseback like she loved to, as her condition did not allow it, she sat at the back of a simple wagon laid down with furs and blankets.
Without stopping she and the 800 men guarding her, including Bryce that was calmer now, Sandor as the commander and Anguy as a scout with his Rangers traveled through the day only stoping when the night made it impossible for them to move.
Luckily, they would be in the town few hours after the first sun rays rose on the horizon.
"My Lady, you should get some sleep, the riders were sent to Lord Dustin already." Bryce couldn't look her in the eyes.
"And you should get your head out of your arse!" she angrily stomped and walked away with Sandor in tow while Anguy just looked at the man.
"She'll get over it." the archer said as he moved after them, where the fires were already lit.
"Bryce looked like a scolded child, he knew he did something he wasn't supposed to when he let his emotions overwhelm him.
He was her Knight, her guard and sometimes her lover... not her husband.
His job was to die for her and not live with her and he had to wake up and do his job.
The night went uneventful with the exception of them all watching the raging flames still burning the Ten Towers to the ground and even from so far away the brightly lit castle made the men feel the dread of the battle that took place there.
Even now the previous inhabitants of the town and castle passed by the convoy bringing news that Lord Dustin captured the Harlaws and all their men and waited for his mother to join him in the battle devastated town.
And join him she did...
The fog just lifter itself showing the Town wall.
Even horses couldn't stay calm in this atmosphere and the men understood why.
The wall was in shambles, parts of it destroyed revealing the burned or crushed buildings through the spaces created by a trebuchet or a catapult.
Scorpions heavy bolts littered the still standing parts where black charcoaled bodies lay in bizarre positions clearly showing the pain they suffered before death.
Some Ironborn heads on spikes created the welcoming committee with the rows being symmetrically placed on each side of the gates.
Lady Dustin got down from the wagon, eerie silence made the men, and even her feel goosebumps, especially when the calmness was broke by a painful shouts of men flaring up and momentarily dying back down from behind the gate.
"Open it." she said to Sandor and the guards at the front and soon after the gate of the town opened wide.
On each side of the gate she could see men on their knees.
