Chapter 12 The City Watch

The sound of steel being struck rings in my ears I'm standing in a row and a rank of men opposite the row there is another row of men.

We stand face to face, forming a small passage between the two rows. Each man claps his right hand to his chest making a loud noise of steel armor.

It gets the blood pumping to see so many proud men all in uniform black armor and a helmet. Each of these people wear a yellow cloak on their shoulder.

I stand here in my black armor that my father gave me and pound my chest. On my shoulder I wear a yellow gold cloak, a bit different than the normal one.

"Commander present!" i shout to the men when my father arrives.

He wears the same armor as me and keeps his helmet on his waist. He walks through the narrow passage we have formed and makes a speech.

"I took you in when you little puppies were scared of what's out there." he shouts and points in the direction of the city.

"Today you are grown wolves who want to see the blood of outlaws, criminals and rebels!."

"We are the Guards Of This City, we are the King's Sword, we are the GOLD CLOAKS!"

"O-WOOOOOO!" we immeticated the howling of a wolf as we synchronously turned to the right and marched out.

I marched after Daemon to a village square near the flea bottom. Arrived at this village square we faced a huge bunch of drunk people.

They outnumbered us by about one to eight.

"Men, get your Cudgel out!"

We grab the right weapon and are just waiting for the order when my father came to me and took off his helmet and put it on me.

"Have fun." He tells me as he draws his sword and points at the drunk and now swearing crowd.

"CHARGEEE!"

With a roar we run towards them with a wooden cudgel in our hands we hit the people. I first took a man who was about my father's age.

When I'm close enough I hit him first in the face and head he then tried to throw me over and pressed his shoulders against my stomach.

Then I bang on his back until he's lying on the ground and I'm looking for the next target. As the people lay on the ground under surveillance and being searched, one of the senior officers in the city guard took out a book.

"To all gold robes, ask the criminals for their names and write them down if you can't write, look for someone who can!"

Following the command, we go from left to right and write down the names. After all the names had been taken, the man with the book stepped forward and speaks up.

"Everyone listen to me! I'm going to read out names now and you'll get in touch when your name comes up if you don't get in touch and one of my husbands wrote it down will the the guilty man meet the Lord confessor. Understood?"

In the background two men have sat down at the smithy and lit a fire.

"Javor Salc! .... Javor SALC!"

"Here." It came out of the bunch of tied men. He was picked up directly by two men.

"Thief, with which hand did you steal?"

"The right, Ser."

"You heard him, come on."

The men from the smithy came back just in time with a red hot rod when the first hand was on the ground and the man started to scream.

The wound was closed and he was allowed to walk away.

"Next one, Harden Leat, Harden Leat!"

The gold cloaks who could read looked through the list and I called out.

"Harden Leat is present." I step forward and look at the man i think is suspicious.

"Name?"

"Umm its Dovan Nyln, Ser."

"Men, Dovan Nyln." I call to those with the lists and everyone read the names on it.

"No, not here either." No one has the man on the list that means he lied.

I look at the man on the ground and pick him up.

"Harden Leat, Murderer!"

Two of the men get a tree trunk and place it in front of me.

"No please my lord no it was a mistake please no I have family, children at your age." The man whimpers and clutches my feet while looking up and meeting my eyes.

"Please my lord."

I kick him to get him away from me and show that he should be led to the tree trunk.

"No mylord, please don't, I'll do everything."

As I drew my sword, someone grabbed my shoulder from behind, it was my father.

"I want to see a clean severed head."

He says as he hands me his sword and removes the helmet he gave my before. When i had the sword in my hand it felt so light but i knew valyrian steel cuts deep.

"Of course father."

With the dark sister in hand, I go to the man who is now being pressed against the tree trunk by two gold skirts.

I hold the sword in position with his neck clearly visible.

"I'll do anything please just not death."

"You should have thought about the consequences of your actions beforehand. Now rest and don't move.

In the name of Viserys of house Targaryen, first of his name, King of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the first men, Lord of the seven kingdoms and protector of the realm. I sentence you to death."

The blade falls on the man's neck. You can hear the blade piercing the wind and the head rolling on the ground.

I'm still in the same position for a few seconds and look at what I've done.

Until someone touches my shoulder again and my father gives me a proud smile.

"Well done, I'm proud of you.... There's something on your face, let me clean that up" He takes a handkerchief from his pocket and wipes it over my face, apparently there is some blood splattered on my face.

"Next one, Bailin Chaim."

At the end of this action, wagons full of limbs were driven out of the city. It was already light when they were finished. Anyone sentenced to amputation had the wound closed with heated steel, except for those without a head.

Jae took heads, hands and one arm that day, he had no remorse or any semblance of compassion.

As he looked these people in the face, he knew that this group of people were the loudest when he was fighting for his life, back then.

Daemon was very proud of his son and also often took on the role of law bringer in the punishments.

His son not only behaved very grown up but also showed the others that he is a true son of Daemon.

Daemon introduced his son to be a member of the City Watch three months ago. He laughed when his son said he couldn't ride a horse.

Jae reminded him shortly after that it's a father's job to teach, what Daemon felt guilty about.

Now he's taking combat training, high Valyrian learning lessons, and riding lessons for three months, among other things.

______________________________________________

That's the end of the chapter. Thanks for reading. Feedback and powerstones are more than welcome.