3 Raid

282 AC, Blackcrown…

Once upon a time, Jack was a rich man. However, everything has changed when he married. At first, he was happy to marry such a beautiful woman as Gwayne but when she suffered a miscarriage, everything has changed. A drought came upon the Arbor and his business went bankrupt. He was angry and did not know how to vent his anger. When he went home, he saw her smiling like everything was okay. And that was the last string of his tolerance. He beat up his wife that day but despite regretting it after that, he realized he was enjoying hitting her. This experience scared him, however, it was excruciating to resist the temptation.

His wife became pregnant once again, he thought that she was going to give him a son. Yes, she gave him a son but it was a monster more than a baby. He thought about killing that monster but Gwayne stopped him. She even gave him her own father's name, Gerold.

He did hate that monster but also learned to ignore him. It was all going well but one day, the monster burnt his precious feathers. They were all gifts from his deceased mother. He beat him up quite badly but Gwayne stopped him and sent the monster to his cage. They quarrelled until the next morning.

Jack said that he should have killed that monster. And that was the last string in their marriage. Then, Jack went out and shut the door. After that, he became a regular customer of brothels and inns. He went home just to bring some money and to change his clothes. He was mostly away from the house.

Three years later was the last day he saw them. When he returned home to change his clothes, there was no one in the house. He went to ask Anna, their neighbour. Anna and Gwayne were close friends so it was possible for her to know but Anna was not at home. He asked other neighbours and learned that both of them did not come to their house for 9 days. He was shocked. The monster and his mother left him?

After thinking a bit, he went to his house and quickly looked under the bed and shocked. Gold dragons he saved up for hard times was gone. He flew into a rage. He was going to find that whore and monster, he was going to beat them to a pulp.

While he was thinking a group of soldiers came to his house and knocked on the door. He opened the door and asked, "How can I help you?"

The soldier looked at him and said, "Lord Bulwar is recruiting soldiers for his host and criminals are to be join without any payment. According to the records, you did not pay your taxes for three months. Henceforth, you are obliged to join the army or else, you shall face punishment by execution in gallows."

Jack broke into a cold sweat. His Gold Dragons were gone. After going bankrupt, he squandered all his savings in brothels and inn. He really did not pay taxes as he was mostly away from the house so he did not care about them finding him.

However, Lord Bulwar got into his way...

282 AC, Summer Sea…

A ship was sailing in the Summer Sea, its destination was Pentos. There were women, children and sailors on the ship. Most of them were trying to escape from the coming war. Westeros was going to plunge into another civil war and as usual, sufferers were going to be civilians. Nobles were playing their usual game and stabbing each other sinisterly.

One of the passengers of the ship was Gerold. He was happy to leave that cursed town and see different places. At first, he was afraid that his father was going to find them but his mother soothed him when he mentioned his worries.

At the moment, they were passing Stinkwater, he was able to see Sunspear from there but it was too small. He was amazed because of the weather, terrain and castles. They were all different from what he saw in Reach.

When he was looking out to sea, he saw his mother talking with one of the sailors. He went to her side and asked, "Mum, whun wu wull arrivu?"

The sailor looked at him weirdly but his mother answered, "We're halfway honey."

The sailor who was beside his mother smiled and said, "There is still one or two days to go, boy."

"Hmm," Gerold answered shyly and run to Ralph.

*************

At night…

"Gerold, Gerold, wake up Gerold." Gerold was sleeping when he heard a voice calling him. He opened his eyes and saw his mother looked at him anxiously.

"Mum, whut happund?" asked Gerold.

"Bad guys are coming and you need to hide, okay?" said Gwayne hurriedly. While they were talking, there were fighting voices coming from the deck.

"O... okay." Gerold was scared.

Gwayne took him to her arms and put into one of the empty barrels and said slowly, "Stay here and be quiet. I'll come shortly…"

Gwayne closed the lid of the barrel and went out of the room before locking the door.

Gerold was scared and did not know what to do. He wanted to help his mother and protect him but he has no power. There was still fighting voices coming from the deck. He thought about going out to look but he was afraid.

Soon, fighting voices ceased.

He heard footsteps coming closer and closer. They tried to open the locked door but it didn't open so they broke the door.

Gerold was shaking. He tried to look by opening the barrel but someone took the barrel's lid and throw it away.

Big hands caught Gerold and raised him up.

"Look, what we have here, a freak?" A hoarse voice came from the owner of the hands.

Gerold tried to look up but the man threw him down and kicked his stomach.

The man took him from his hair and dragged him to the deck.

Gerold was holding the hand which grabbed him from his hair. It was hurting but the man did not stop. Finally, he let go of his hair. Gerold stood up and looked around. He saw red everywhere. There were men, women and children lying on the deck. He saw Ralph and Anna, eyes open looking at the sky. He saw his mother, she was wounded and bleeding heavily. A burly man was doing something to her. His mother was crying and telling him to stop. He runs and hit the man.

"Stop, Lut mothur go!!"

Burly man backhanded him and shouted, "Harren take this freak or I'm gonna kill him!"

The man he called as Harren came beside and took him before he tied his hands and hit his head.

Harren went to a tall man's side and said, "Captain, what are we going to do with the freak? Even if we sell him there would be no gain."

The man he called as captain looked at him and murmured, "We'll take him with us. If he can live until Volantis, we will sell him as a slave."

Gerold's head was bleeding. He felt the warm blood flow like a waterfall. He tried to free his hand but failed. He watched as his mother cried. He watched as the burly man slit his mother's throat. Soon he fell asleep because of fatigue.

**********

"Captain, captain, can I take this one?" Gerold heard a voice shouting beside him. He opened his eyes and looked around.

He saw a one-eyed man looking at him with a cruel smile.

"Do whatever you want, Marvin. Just don't spill too much blood. I'm planning to take this ship for my brother." said Captain.

"Hehehe, okay, okay, no blood," said Marvin.

Gerold panicked and screamed, "Lut mu go, lut mu go!!"

"Stay still boy, we'll carve you a beautiful face." Marvin looked at the boy and laughed. He grabbed him from his hair and dragged into the cabins and threw him in.

Marvin pulled out a slender rusty knife and said, "Now, now, where to start? Hmm, you have a beautiful face but you need a big smile for a face like that for that we need to widen your little mouthy."

Gerold started to shiver when he saw the knife.

Marvin put the knife into Gerold's mouth and said, "Do not move boy or else I might slip my hands."

Marvin started to cut his mouth like he was slaughtering a sheep. Blood started to flow like there was something inside pushing the blood out.

Gerold was screaming like a baby.

"Fuck, it shouldn't have been bled this much," said Marvin.

****************

After a while…

Marvin came out of the cabin. When the captain saw him, he shouted out, "You bloody bastard, I can smell all the blood from here. Didn't I said to not spill too much?"

Marvin looked at him awkwardly and said, "Well, captain, the boy might bleed out until we reach Volantis…"

"Fuck, then throw him to the sea. I don't want any fuckin infection in my brother's ship," said Captain.

**********************

Meanwhile in the cabin…

Gerold's eyes were already lost its lustre. His lifeless body was lying on the wooden floor. There was blood all over his face. His face was deathly pale. There was a little hole in his face before all of this and now, there was a big smile carved with a knife. Blood was leaking out continuously. He was already dead.

Marvin came in and looked at the boy with a loving face. He took the boy and went to the deck. With one last look, he threw him to sea.