The bounty

The bounty

Theon POV

Seagard was a northern town of the Riverlands and the ancestral seat of House Mallister. As towns went, Seagard was pretty big. It was nothing compared to King's Landing, but it didn't smell like shit and looked pleasing to the eye. Overall, I liked Seagard, especially the salty air of the sea.

"Ser Theon," Lord Jason Mallister called me out, not too pleased to be respectful toward me. "Will you take a ship today?"

"It is already late noon, lord Mallister. Most ships would have already left. We rest for today and see tomorrow what ship we can take."

"I am sure there are plenty of inns that you will take a liking to," Lord Jason Mallister said.

It wasn't hard to understand that he didn't want me in his castle. Well, good for him that I would rather have a drink at a tavern and hear what is happening in the world. I was pretty isolated in Golden Tooth. I am sure many things happened that I don't know about.

"I am sorry about my father," Patrek Mallister would always apologize to me.

"It is fine. After all, the hatred for my house runs deep in these lands. How about you show me around the town instead?"

"It is a deal."

Patrek Mallister was fun to be around. He wasn't as uptight as his father and liked to joke about everything. Well, Jason Mallister would regularly remind his son what Seagard was built for, disregarding if I heard him or not. I didn't mind it too much and would tell stories of my battles to Patrek.

…

After arriving in the town, lady Lefford and Martyn Lannister were led to Seagard castle. They were still prisoners, and Martyn Lannister was a precious one. It would be a problem if they disappeared. Martyn would come with me to the Iron Islands for no reason but to make sure his brother and father behaved,

While lord Jason Mallister left for his castle, Patrek led us to an inn. The inn was bustling and full of people. Merchants, sailors, and whores drank together. They danced together and probably slept together. Nobody even batted an eye at four men coming in. That was until someone recognized Patrek as the heir to Seagard.

The festive atmosphere stopped for a moment, but then Patrek threw the innkeeper a gold coin and told them the drinks were on him. In some ways, Patrek was very charismatic, and the people showed how they loved the heir to Seagard by drinking more.

"Nobody should bother you now," Patrek said.

"It is quite festive," I commented. "I thought people would be more concerned about the ongoing war."

"They are concerned. That is why they are drinking and whoring around."

"Well, that is one way of dealing with your concerns," Anguy added.

"It works for me," Thoros said and soon went to join the drinking.

"Most of them are sailors and merchants," Patrek explained. "In wars, there is a shortage of everything, so to merchants, it is time for profit, and sailors get more jobs. We can't force them into levies because they aren't residents of Seagard or the Riverlands."

"Not only avoiding war but profiting from it," I sum it up. "Truly lucky bastards. I should join them."

"I am glad you like the place. I reserve you and your friends a room before leaving."

"Not going to join me for a drink?" I asked.

"If I did, my father would yell off my ears."

"Don't be hard on your father. He at least cares for you," I commented bitterly.

"Should you say something like this about a man who killed your brother?"

"Don't try to ruin the mood. From what I remember, my brother was a cunt, and it was a war. He would have killed your father otherwise."

Even with my words, Patrek apologized for mentioning my brother and soon left. I, on the other hand, got myself a bottle of wine. I couldn't get drunk. Aside from pissing a lot and having a little blurry vision, drinking only relaxed me. So, I always ended up spending many coins on wine.

Coins weren't something that I needed to worry about. I had more than a hundred gold dragons and countless silver stags, so I should enjoy myself to my heart's content. As I drank, I went from table to table to talk with some sailors.

It seems many rumors have circulated about me. I probably should ask for a ship to the Iron Islands a bit later when they are drunker and won't overthink it. I don't want to cause a scene, especially in this unfamiliar place. I was not too fond of the rumors of the bounty on my head.

"You there, aren't you, Theon Greyjoy?"

So goes my plan. A tall man with black hair and black eyes came to my table. How the hell did he recognize me? It is not like my features are that uncommon. The man himself could have been mistaken for me. I wouldn't say I liked his wolfish smile, but I still responded with a smile of my own.

"I didn't know that I was that famous. Every common man can now recognize me, it seems."

"Well, not many would wear such black armor with gold engraved into it, the bastard sword on your hip, and, if I am not mistaken, a Valyrian dagger close to the sword. Adding those things to your appearance makes it not hard to tell who you are."

His eyes were sharp. He was watching me. Otherwise, there was no way he would have seen all these details under my cloak. The question was what he wanted from me. If he wanted my head, he wouldn't have approached me, or maybe he wanted to confirm my identity.

"You know who I am, yet you won't introduce yourself?"

"I am not someone whom you would know."

"From boiled leather and sword on your hip, I would say you are a sellsword or a poor knight."

"Haha, you guessed right, let's have a drink for it," He happily poured me a cup of wine.

"How can I refuse such a proposal."

I waited for him to drink first before I drank from my cup. I didn't know if I was immune to poison, but there was no need to test it if it could be avoided. Well, alcohol didn't affect me much, so at least weak poison shouldn't affect me either. Still, I should watch out for lethal poison.

"I heard so many stories about you, the Kingslayer was defeated by you, and the Mountain ran away from you. The Old Lion and his brother could do nothing to you. With every story, it became harder to believe your feats."

As he spoke, more and more people gathered at my table. I still didn't understand what he wanted, but when a merchant came to me and offered a drink, and afterward, a whore sat on my lap asking if I wanted to spend a night with her, I understood.

The man wanted me to hire him. Like others, they knew I was heir to the Iron Islands and close to Robb Stark, King of the North. If they befriended me, their life would be set, not only did I have connections, but my prowess proved that not many could stand against me.

I didn't know how to feel, but I didn't dislike their praises and free drinks. Soon enough, a merchant offered to sail me to the Iron Islands. A couple of wenches started to show me their assets to seduce me. I couldn't complain, but there were just too many drinks. Thoros and Anguy were already deep into their bottles too.

It didn't take long for the whole inn to descend into drinking madness. The man who approached me first seemed to disappear. After a while, I had to excuse myself, as I had to pee badly from all this drinking. There weren't any breaks from people offering me a cup of wine.

I got outside the bustling inn and went behind it to take a piss. Leaning my back to the wall, I loosened my belt but stopped going further went I heard something. From my experience, I knew I should never let down my guard. And it seemed I had made the right decision when I saw a man jump me from the shadows.

I had no time to get my sword or dagger out. A knife was already nearing my face. I had no other choice but to use my hand to block it. The blade pierced my palm, but I managed to stop it. Kicking the man into his balls, I took out my Valyrian dagger. There was no way I could use my bastard sword with one injured hand.

"So, the rumors were not all false," A tall man with black hair and eyes came out of the shadows and helped the attacker to get to his feet. "it seems even a surprise attack didn't work on you when you should already be drunk enough to pass out."

The man was the one who recognized me first. He drew his longsword and waited for his friend to shake off the pain of being kicked in the balls. They both wore boiled leather. They might have a chainmail shirt underneath. Well, my Valyrian dagger will cut through it like nothing.

I was concerned about the knife stuck in my right palm. It might be hard to pull it out, and if I forced it, I could damage it more. Losing my fingers wasn't ideal. I had no choice but to fight with my left hand, using only my dagger.

"Tell me, why do you want to die so much?" I asked. "You don't look like Lannister dogs being so poorly dressed."

"Fifty thousand gold dragons are enough for anyone to die for."

"So, you both are just another sellswords dying for gold," I started to laugh. "You know, I like people like you. How about you join me?"

"What?"

"I like how you fight, getting me drunk, letting my guard down, and then making a surprise attack. I think we get along well," Bullshit, once I get a chance, I throw them into the sea, but now it was too disadvantageous for me to fight them.

"An alluring offer, but I like gold more," With those words, he rushed at me.

His friend was also prepared to attack. Maybe thinking I was stuck against the wall, he went for a stab. He had the reach, so I needed to get close. Pushing myself from the wall, I let him cut my side, but I gave him a headbutt into his face. Not letting the moment go to waste, I kicked his shin. Once he lost balance, I headbutted him again, and he fell to the ground.

As I expected, his friend was fast upon me. He slashed at me, and I used my right arm to block the attack. My armor didn't let the sword dig too deep into my arm. Using that moment, I slabbed his heart. The Valyrian steel dagger went through the chainmail deep into his chest.

I didn't have time to celebrate killing one opponent when a sword went through my thigh. Fucking asshole, before that man could stand up fully, I kicked his head using my other leg. He fell backward but then rolled to his feet. Damn him, don't leave your sword inside another's body, you bastard.

"Fuck, aren't you supposed to be piss drunk?" The man asked. "I saw you drinking without a break."

"Heh," I laughed. I had to bluff my way out of this. "I am drunk. You just both suck at fighting."

"Well, damn then. But I guess it is the end," He said and drew his dagger.

"And why would you think so? You want to join your friend?"

"No, you just saved me the time of getting rid of him."

"Hahaha, you know I am starting to like you," I fucking hate that wolfish smile of his I would do anything to rip his eyes out. "I give you another chance to join me. Forget fifty thousand gold dragons. I will give you a castle."

"I would like to accept, but how can I let a helpless prey leave my hands?"

"Helpless prey? Your eyes aren't that good, are they?" I asked and then pulled the sword inside my thigh. It didn't hit my bone and was not close to my artery. I had to show him that not accepting my offer would be foolish. "How about now? It seems you are at a disadvantage now."

"Who the hell are you?" He asked, looking at his sword in my left hand, bleeding from my right arm and thigh, yet standing as if nothing had happened.

"I am Theon Greyjoy. Now choose to die or serve me."

"Heh," He laughed and dropped his knife before kneeling on the ground and giving me the weakest pledge I had ever heard. "I, Bronn, pledge my service to you, my lord. Forgive me; I am not well educated. I hope I didn't offend you much. Ah, so, what now?"

"Now I can finally take my piss."