c3

The Sun Sea Dancer, on route to Lorath…

The sky was clear as the large vessel cruised through the ocean on its way to the port of Lorath to deliver its cargo, the crew on deck went about their regular duties but some of them allowed their eyes to wander to the main deck where their two passengers were training.

Or more accurately the oldest of the pair was teaching the younger to throw knives. Balaq stood back as Harry took a knife from the pouch at his waist and threw it at the target Balaq had set up. The older man smiled as it bounced off of the edge of the target, making Harry groan in frustration and the crew that saw it laugh which only made Harry angrier than before.

"You put too much force into the last throw, accuracy is more important that power. Take it slow." Balaq said with their air of a teacher with much experience.

"But if I don't throw it hard enough it won't reach the target." Harry said with annoyance, why he had allowed Balaq to draw him into this he had no idea. It would have been useful he supposed in his fight against the champion but right now it was irritating as despite all his effort he could not get the knife into the target without it bouncing off. He was glad of the hard boots he was wearing as until he had gotten the grip right they could easily have fallen into his feet. Balaq as if to annoy him then took one of the small slim knives from his own belt and effortlessly threw it straight into the centre of the target, his throw driving it in deep. Harry's face tensed with annoyance but he managed to force it under control as Balaq said again how to do it properly.

"Relax your body, stand up straight and as your use your right hand put your right foot forward with your left slightly behind it." Balaq said and Harry despite wanting to abandon the whole thing as waste of time but his own determination to succeed forced him to continue. He took a few steadying breaths until he was actually relaxed, stood as straight as he could and put his feet exactly as Balaq said.

This time when he threw the knife it actually impaled itself into the outer edge of the target. The cheer of the crew prevented Harry from becoming too shocked at having managed to achieve it. Balaq came up and put a firm hand in his shoulder.

"See you can do it boy. Now do it again."

-x-

Later on after the weather turned for the worst they abandoned their practise and returned to the bunk room they shared with the rest of the crew. The hammocks were swinging badly in the rough seas and both men had decided to sit on the floor rather than fall out of them. The storm was not as bad enough to sink the ship but it was harsh enough. Harry passed the time by cleaning Orphanmaker and the rest of his equipment, he cast his eye over to Orion who was sleeping soundly on one of the beams completely unperturbed by the rocking of the ship. Balaq was sharpening his new arrow heads before he suddenly got up and handed a belt of throwing knives to Harry who looked up surprised.

"You can handle them now and it might come in useful someday. You learned faster than anyone else I ever trained." The White haired Summer Islander said with a smile. Harry gratefully took the gift and strapped it around his waist and placed his sword there too. He was about to thank Balaq for the gift when the sound of a bell came over the rough seas. Both men reacted immediately and rushed over to the door, hearing as they pulled it open.

"PIRATES! MEN TO ARMS!" The captain yelled from the helm as the men rushed around grabbing fishing spears, bows and swords from the locker. Looking over the side of the ship they saw a smaller ship approaching, it was a caravel a fast and nimble ship that was roughly half the size of a carrack usually with a crew of fifty at most. The less manoeuvrable Sun Sea Dancer could not pull away as roped hooks were spat out by the pirates which grabbed a firm hold of the ship. Harry and Balaq drew their weapons of choice, the sword and bow respectively and steadied themselves as best they could as the ship pitched and rolled with the waves.

Once the ships were close enough pirates swung over the twenty feet gap or ran across the long planks that were dropped onto the deck, fixed in place by spikes that drive into the deck. The crew either ran for the back of the ship or unsteadily held their weapons to meet them face on. Most of the sailors knew the basics of defending themselves but were by no means experienced or driven which of course was what the pirates were counting on. Making loud screaming noises and battle cries to scare the sailors even more, however as two large muscular pirate thugs charged they were shot with an arrow each right between the eyes, shocking both the sailors and the pirates to see Balaq with his bow in hand, his usually friendly face grim as he started picking up to two pirates at a time with his experienced archery skills. When one pirate got too close he grabbed an arrow from his quiver and without hesitation stabbed it right through the eye and into the brain before pulling it out and firing it at another pirate, taking him down with a direct hit to the neck, choking him on his own blood.

Harry meanwhile ran across the deck with Orphanmaker in hand and quickly impaled one pirate before quickly pulling his sword out and cutting the throat of another, sending a splatter of blood across the deck. Harry was looked over at the other pirates and without hesitation he charged the remaining twenty or so from the boarding force while Balaq picked off the rest with his arrows.

Harry cut his way through the poorly armed and armoured pirates, either impaling, stabbing or slashing them open with his sword. Their lack of proper training made it almost laughably easy for him to bat their clumsy attacks away before killing them. The sight of Balaq and Harry stopping the pirates in their tracks and cutting them down mercilessly finally shook the sailors out of their fear and they charged to finish off the pirates that remained on deck. Stripped of their greatest weapon, the pirates on deck were cut down in moments, looking towards the pirate ship with his adrenaline running high Harry called out to them.

"COUNTER BOARD, TAKE THEIR SHIP!" The men themselves followed his lead without even thinking about it and began to charge along the planks that had carried the pirates now screaming wildly while Harry led from the front. Harry was therefore the first to reach the pirate's ship, the crew were shocked at the sudden turn around and had to draw their weapons quickly as Harry wasted no time in taking the head off one unlucky pirate as the sailors charged past him to engage the pirates.

The deck was soon covered in blood as the two crews collided, the sailors were slowly gaining the upper hand though the pirates fought back just as fiercely no doubt spurred on by fear of being captured or killed. Harry's eyes caught on to a figure near the helm of the pirate ship, better dressed and armed than the rest of them so Harry assumed this to be the captain. He was certainly more skilled than his crew as the sword he wielded cut down the normal sailors with ease.

Harry studied him quickly as he rushed forward to deal with him, he was bald with a number of different rings on his hand as well as a mismatched outfit of rich clothes that like the rings had probably been taken from various ships he raided. It did not inhibit him though as he moved quickly to slash open someone's throat, the captain heard Harry's feet thumping along the deck and turned to face him just in time to block Orphanmaker. The clang of steel was loud to the ears of everyone that heard it but the two men did not hesitate as they parried each other on the swaying ship. Harry was not surprised by his skill, to become leader of a group of thugs like this usually meant either being the strongest, most skilled or the smartest with not a considerable amount of ruthlessness or a strange combination of all four. He was not physically the strongest of his men as his slimmer and less muscular form portrayed so it was skill and smarts then Harry thought, narrowly avoiding a silver dagger being thrust forward as the captain used it as an offhand weapon.

Frowning at the underhanded tactic Harry decided that turnaround was fair play, and without warning he quickly grabbed a throwing knife from his belt and sent it straight into the captain's unarmoured belly. The man froze as he felt the cold steel slice into his stomach, blood starting to pour slowly from the wound. He tried to lunge at Harry hoping to take him down too but his strength abandoned him, Harry easily caught his wrist and pulled the silver dagger from his hand while the sword fell from the other. Harry with the silver dagger and his sword still in hand looked down on the deck to see the sailors and Balaq had taken care of the rest of the pirates. Harry smiled as he looked down at the silver dagger in his hand, it was styled with a white tiger motif and had been beautifully crafted. He decided to keep it, taking its similarly styled sheath from the pirate captain's belt and strap it to his own. He who wins takes the spoils Harry thought with a vicious grin, he had no pity for men such as these; raping, killing and stealing across the world with no thought beyond their own greed. Like the Iron Born for example Harry thought darkly, give him any excuse and he would wipe those murderous rapists from the earth. Overly proud of their own worthless hides and whose only talents where thieving, raping and killing, the world would be better off without them in his mind.

Balaq below seemed to have found a rather vicious looking curved short sword that he strapped to his thigh, useful in case anyone got close enough to strike him. Many of the sailors began to loot the ship for any valuables that the pirates had to hand. Taking the various rings from the dead captain's fingers and the captain's hefty pouch of coins and slipping them into his pocket he walked down to meet Balaq who smiled at his new friend.

"Good to see you were listening earlier, a good fight yes?" He questioned his accent smooth and expression relaxed. Harry nodded before he heard screaming and whipped around to find the source, rushing forward without thinking. Rushing down the stairs into the decks below he was disgusted to see some of the sailors dragging half naked women from the hold of ship with the intent of what he intended to do them clear in their nasty little eyes, Harry already had his sword in hand and spoke clearly and without emotion but the way he gripped his sword communicated enough intent.

"Let those girls go and look for prizes elsewhere. NOW!" Harry commanded, the sailors looked ready to scoff given they were all older than he but the sword in his hand and the memory of how easily he had slaughtered the pirates made them stop, not to mention the way Balaq behind him had notched an arrow with a similar glare to Harry on his face. He narrowed his eyes daring them to try him but the will of all three collapsed when faced with his own and abandoned Harry and Balaq with the three bruised and injured women. They all looked different looks probably coming from ships the pirates had raided but all looked injured and were absolutely terrified. Harry and Balaq's faces softened and Balaq took a wineskin of water from his belt and handed slowly to the women.

"Take it." He said softly to the women who looked at him and Balaq suspiciously for a moment before thirst won out and they slowly took the wineskin and drank deeply from it. Harry and Balaq waited patiently for them to finish before Harry told them.

"Come. We will find you something to eat." Harry said smiling warmly at them and extending his hand. Suddenly the girls looked afraid again and he was worried he had gone too far but one of the women who looked vaguely Rhoynar in her appearance carefully took his hand and allowed him to pull her to feet. Her fellow ladies followed suit and with a smile Harry walked them to the galley where he would find only stale and rotting food on offer. It did not stop the sailors from digging in but Harry did not want to expose the women to food that would surely make them sick. So he moved to cover his quick transconfiguration of the rotting food into simple but fresh biscuits and fruit along with a jug of fresh water.

The women could not believe their eyes as Harry sat them down at one of the tables and placed the meal in front of them. Balaq himself was surprised and looked at Harry strangely for a moment before shrugging it off and helping himself to an apple. Harry watched as the girls enjoyed their food. It was surely the first proper meal they had received in a long time…if ever. The other men looked confused at where the nice food had come from but a warning look from Harry stopped any of them trying to take it. These women had been through enough Harry thought to himself, without any effort he could sense of the trauma they had suffered with a quick magical glance into their eyes. They had indeed been taken from ships the pirates had raided and used as bed slaves or rather unpaid whores by the pirates. He felt disgust at the images he had seen in their minds, not wanting to imagine something like that happening to his little sister Margaery or any of the Hightower girls however snobbish they had been.

The captain of the Sun Sea Dancer came in while the girls ate and was looking a very happy man.

"We found an impressive stock of oil, wheat, whale bones, amber and hides. It should fetch us a good price in Lorath, only a day's sail away. The ship should give us a great bounty too so it will be a great payday for us all boys!" The men in the room cheered while Harry and Balaq smiled, glad that soon they would have their feet firmly on dry land again. The captain then turned to Harry and Balaq and noticed the girls sitting at their table.

"Where did these wenches come from?" He asked accusingly to everyone looking in particular at Harry and Balaq who just stared back. Harry spoke when he saw the girls getting nervous again.

"The girls were prisoners of the pirates, I was seeing to it they get a proper meal before taking them back to the ship. With Lorath only a day away surely their presence will not be such a problem. I and Balaq would be only too glad to ensure their welfare." Harry said as a statement rather than a question. He knew the lust of the sailors could prove a problem if the women stayed on the ship for any prolonged period of time, the captain certainly was concerned but he was trapped by his own words. It was only a day and the sight of the young swordsman and the experienced old archer should be more than enough to ensure that none of his men got any nasty ideas.

The captain nodded and left to go and see to the transfer of all the goods on board while Harry and Balaq turned back to face each other while the girls resumed eating.

"That was a kind gesture, making sure these young women are protected. Can't imagine many young men where you come from would do the same." Balaq said knowing from experience how most men in this world would act towards women after or even during a battle. He personally would never take a woman against her will, true in his homeland many women slept with whoever they fancied but he would never force himself on a woman who did not consent. On his travels he had seen it all too often and it sickened him, meeting a young man with similar opinions to such things as he was refreshing Balaq thought.

"It was the least I could do after everything they have gone through." Harry said dismissively not thinking it a gesture worthy of thanks or recognition. He had no desire to be a knight, the whole concept was spat on often enough by greedy and vile men like Ser Gregor Clegane but that did not mean he had to be a bastard to everyone. Especially those that needed his help.

Balaq smiled before he said in a quiet whisper so only Harry would hear.

"Kindness is not forgotten by those who experience little of it. These girls will remember what you have done for them for the rest of their lives. The day a man saved them from the pirates and fed them without demanding anything in return." His eyes turned to the girls who now finally started relaxing again. "It is one of the best things a man can do." Balaq explained to him which made Harry smile.

"That two men can do." He said intently and held up his glass of water, which Balaq clinked with his own.

Lorath…

The girls slept soundly that night with the aid of a gentle calming charm, possibly the first quiet night's sleep that they had in some time Harry thought grimly as he kept watch over them. He and Balaq took it in turns to watch them just in case any of the sailors got ideas. Thankfully the sea had now calmed and a steady wind pushed them towards their destination. Harry shivered as he came up on deck, not used the cooling temperature from being in the Shivering Sea. He was a child of summer and the cold up here was unknown to him but a warming charm kept him perfectly comfortable once applied and some warm cloaks had been found for the women.

The morning saw them coming into Lorath Bay, the island was far smaller than Braavos due to it being much further away from the major shipping lanes, small wonder that it was the smallest of the Free Cities and would probably remain so indefinitely. Harry was not as impressed as he had been with Braavos but still the sight of somewhere new that was just waiting to be explored made him eager for the ship to dock. Beside him his companion just smiled at his friend's youthful enthusiasm while the women looked worried as the city came closer. Out of the corner of his eye Harry noticed and his bright expression dimmed, they were worried about what would become of them once they landed and he & Balaq disappeared. Slavery was still present in Lorath and it was very likely as three women alone with no money or protectors they might end up in chains again. He pondered on how to help them when he saw a number of ships in the harbour had the Merman of House Manderly, one of the northern noble houses from Westeros. A plan formed in his mind, these girls had no home to go to even if they did their families might just sell them straight back into slavery since they were 'used' so he would send them somewhere where slavery did not exist with some money to get them started once they arrived.

It was not he realised the best thing to do but with limited options what else could he do? He still had the heavy pouch of coins that he had taken from the captain and the many rings he worn. It would be enough to keep them fed with a roof over their heads until they found employment. He could send them to Braavos but a quick look around the harbour showed no other Braavosi ships around so the North it was.

A short time later the ship pulled into the dock, lines were thrown over and tied to keep the ship steady. Planks were laid to allow men to depart, one of the first being the captain where he was met an official probably to sell his cargo. Harry with his tent and supplies in his pack walked down the plank and was grateful to be back on shore with steady ground under his feet. Balaq and the women followed, the women still looking worried but Harry gave them a reassuring smile and walked over to the official hoping he might tell him where the nearest Northern ship willing to take passengers was berthed.

Harry smirked slightly when he saw the Captain who was a native Braavosi speaker, struggling to articulate to the official who was speaking a variant of Valyrian. Harry and Balaq were both fluent in either language so in the end Harry decided to save the captain anymore trouble and step in.

"The official wishes to know what cargo you bare and for whom is it intended." Harry said in Braavosi to the Captain looked at him in surprise but was grateful too now he knew what the port official was saying. He handed the man a written manifest while Harry spoke on his behalf.

"The ship's cargo and intended buyer." Harry said switching to Lorathi Valyrian and the port official smiled and told him.

"Thank you please inform the captain that his client will be told of his arrival immediately. But if I may ask, do you speak many languages?" The port official asked him and Harry paused for a moment, slightly confused at the question but answered honestly.

"Many, I was educated by the maesters of Oldtown in preparation for my travels. Why do you ask?" Harry inquired, surely a port would have many such people so why would it matter if he could? The port official frowned before he answered.

"We had official translators but they succumbed to a fire one week ago and we have yet to find replacements. If you speak as many languages as you say then we would like to offer you a position here for the time being. It would be well paid and comes with a free dwelling." The port official said trying and failing not to look overtly eager but Harry could see he was a little desperate. It was not surprising though that they were having problems finding people who could speak other languages, most people could only speak the language of wherever they came from even nobles as it was not necessary to put in the effort to expand their ability, often employing their maesters or professional translators to do the work for them. But since he would be traveling alone, Harry had learnt all the languages he could at the Citadel meaning he would have no trouble talking to people and even eavesdropping on those that did not realise he could understand.

Harry did not want to be stuck here for any prolonged period of time but it would be nice to practice his language skills and plan his future travels more thoroughly and stock up on supplies. With that in mind, Harry nodded in agreement and replied.

"I would be able to accept the post but only for a month or so before I move on." Harry told him and the eyes of the port official brightened. Harry smiled and turned to the captain and told him everything was now sorted before turning back to the official and asking. "Are there any ships heading to Westeros today that are willing to take passengers? These young ladies are in need of passage." Harry asked.

The official pointing to a Northern ship called the Wolf Wind berthed in the next dock, where the captain was only too happy to ensure the women's safe passage to White Harbour once he had heard their story. And as Harry handed the girls the pouch of money he had taken from the pirate captain along with half the rings they threw their arms around him and cried not in sadness but in gratitude and given an equally strong hug to Balaq as they saw them off.

Balaq turned to face him with a wide smile on his face and told Harry.

"You did a good thing today, sending those girls to a place where they can be free with money to get them started and since you will be here a while, I might as well tell you that my company has yet to get back to me so I will be here for some time until they do. The port authority was only to glad to have me join you as a translator. It seems we will be sharing a house." Balaq said and Harry was happy to hear it. He had grown attached to the Summer Islander in their brief time together and would welcome the opportunity to make a new friend.

-x-

A month later…

Their shared dwelling was not a large house by any means as it came free with the job, just a barely furnished stone building near the port with two bedrooms, a kitchen/living area and a privy. But with a slight warming charm it was warm and dry enough and a quick spell to the repair the beds made it liveable. Harry could have used his tent but it was not worth it in case Balaq came in and discovered it. The Summer Islander Harry was sure had noticed some of his magic and was keeping a close watch. He did not seem fearful or disgusted though, in fact he was more curious from what Harry could sense. Either way Harry wanted to keep his magic to himself and not feed any more suspicions the man might have had.

Once they arrived in their small home for the next month or so, they settled in and established a routine. Harry was the cook, they both bought food but it was Harry that cooked as he enjoyed it, it was one of the few activities that he could enjoy and a useful skill for his travels when he was far from anywhere. Balaq would clean up and in the evenings as they took their meals they would talk for the evening, getting to know one another.

Today had been busy, a mass of new ships had arrived all at once and the two of them had been kept busy all day translating for the various captains and it had not been all plain sailing so to speak. Three pirate captains had tried to sell their looted cargo to the port authorities until Harry and Balaq had caught them out, some would have turned a blind eye but after the incident with the women held on the pirate ship they had encountered Harry and Balaq showed no mercy. Their corpses now swung in the cages outside the harbour as a warning to any other would be pirates that came here, but his capture of the pirates had netted him a portion of the stolen goods as a reward. Bolts of velvet in different colours and a slight bonus to his pay that was now sitting safely in his special tent had given him enough coin to continue his travels when he was ready to leave.

Orion had entertained himself by flying around the city, but his hawk was currently sitting on his perch looking intently at the fish being prepared. Harry laughed and placed some in the small bucket attached to the perch.

"Yes I made you some too." Orion gave a happy flapping of his wings before digging in with relish. Harry laughed and returned to his cooking.

Harry was seasoning the evening meal, fish with a side of stewed vegetables and bread. Simple but filling Harry thought with satisfaction taking enjoyment from making the meal himself. As a boy in Hightower or Highgarden he would have just eaten whatever the kitchens there made but it gave him a great deal of satisfaction to be able to cook for himself.

Balaq seemed happy about it too, he had eaten far worst on his travels and known worst company than him.

Speaking of the archer the door opened revealing him as he entered their shared dwelling, looking both relieved and tired at the same time. He smiled at Harry and told him the good news.

"The port authority has just managed to hire three new translators so we can hopefully can be on our way at last, my company has finally sent word for me to meet them on the mainland." Balaq said and now Harry was smiling too.

"Good then this meal should be our last before we leave this island. It has become somewhat dull." Harry said grateful that he could finally move on. Unless you counted the mazes of Lorath which had been turned into the city over the centuries there was little here to see or do. Now finally he might resume his travels.

Balaq put fresh kindling on the fire and stoked it to make it burn more fiercely before settling down at the small table by the fire while Harry brought over the food and sat opposite him. The warmth of the fire was nice as they tucked into their meal.

"So how did you get your bow?" Harry asked continuing their nightly tradition of telling stories from their lives over dinner. He was young and had fewer stories than Balaq and they were far less interesting but the archer listened to them anyway and did not mock them. On other nights they would talk about their hopes and dreams or their views on a particular subject. Tonight it was Balaq's turn to talk and Harry really wanted to know how he had gotten his Goldenheart bow. It was a spectacular weapon that was superior to any other bow Harry had ever seen, Balaq chuckled before he decided to tell his young friend the tale.

"When I was a young man in the Summer Isles, a slaver raid took our prince and my two sisters and carried them off in their ship. I followed in my own boat and infiltrated the Basilisk Isles where the slavers had gone to hide from us. I snuck into their camp and liberated all of their people being held and killed over a hundred slavers with my normal bow before we stole a ship and sailed back to our homes. The Prince was grateful, called me the greatest warrior he had ever met and gave me his personal bow as a gift." Balaq told him and then after a second of Harry staring at him he began to laugh loudly which Harry joined in after a second.

After Harry just shook his head not sure if Balaq was telling the truth or messing with him but he chuckled any way and went back to enjoying their meal.

-x-

After a long night and a bottle of wine the two retired to bed before getting up with a slight hangover the following morning. Harry woke first and cleaned up after last night, he took one look around his temporary home as he put away any clothes or personal effects that he had left lying around. Checking that his preserved food store was fully stocked once more along with all the money and velvet he had acquired in Lorath he exited the tent and waved his hand using his magic to quickly pack the tent away into a single small roll that he placed into his pack and then left to see to breakfast. Porridge was simple and the ingredients were easy to come by so that would do for today Harry thought only for Balaq to already be sitting at their table looking rather serious.

"Morning Harry. I must confess there is something I should have told you earlier, perhaps we should talk over our meal." Balaq did not look nervous but he was very grim for whatever reason and Harry was glad of the sword at his waist and the dagger in his boot not to mention the throwing knives. His suspicions aroused he kept an eye firmly on Balaq as he prepared their breakfast. He did not like how grim Balaq looked and was wondering if a betrayal was coming.

When he had finished the steamy bowls of porridge he got a spoon each and walked over to the table, ready to use magic to defend himself if he had too. Balaq did look slightly guilty as he took his first spoonful and finally admitted his secret.

"You see Harry, you might recall that I work for a company." Harry nodded while his hand stayed close to his sword, Balaq did not see this through the table and continued talking. "That was no lie but what I omitted to mention was that it is the Golden Company that I work for, as the commander of their archers."

Compared to whatever he might have been expecting that admission was nothing and relieved Harry greatly. He had nothing against sellswords, he knew many might look down on the profession but knights these days were often no better or in fact any other drafted soldier. Balaq did looked relieved that Harry had not taken offense and pressed on.

"I have been summoned to re-join them and it would be my pleasure to introduce you to the company. You could fulfil your dream of travelling and get paid to do it at the same time, are you interested?" Balaq asked looking hopeful.

Harry went deep into thought, the Golden Company was the most expensive, numerous and well-equipped Sellsword company in the world. They never broke a contract once it was set and while he had no interest in fighting for coin it would be a good opportunity to perfect his skills as a soldier. Membership was not for life so he could leave at any time if he decided to and it would be a good contact for the future.

So Harry smiled and said.

"Yes I would be very interested."