13 To face the death

To face the death

Theon POV

The Riverlands were close. Only four more days, and I will be relatively safe. I still was undecided about where I should go, Riverrun or straight to the North. Both were possibilities, but I would not feel safe till I reached the North.

It was hard to make decisions. I thought if I should ditch everyone and go to the Maidenpool and get a ship there. It might work, but it carried a lot of risks too. I was constantly thinking of what I should or shouldn't do. It was tiring, to say the least.

"We will go straight to the Sow's Horn without stopping. Over there, you can send a raven to the North."

Yoren informed me, probably seeing my troubled face. It was a sound plan; since we had bought a lot of food, it would be fine. But I still was worried that the Lannisters would catch up to us. By now, they should know that we left with the Night Watch.

"We should go faster."

"We should, but we can't. There are too many people and too few horses."

"Ser Andar," I called out to the knight of the Vale. "Take Anguy and scout our rear. Look out if someone is chasing us."

"Very well," Ser Andar agreed.

As night was beginning to fall, I went to check on Sansa. During the day, she was compliant, but I wouldn't trust her not to do anything stupid. So I always kept an eye on her and told Jory to do so if I couldn't.

…

And so the days went, with stress overbearing on me. I was sleeping less and less each night. Even when I slept, it wasn't for long before nightmares would wake me up. I knew I couldn't keep this up for long. The only relaxing thing for me is my training. It was the only time when I wouldn't think too much.

Today will be a rainy day, judging from the clouds gathering around. It wasn't good news if the roads became muddier; traveling would be difficult. It will cost us too much time. And just as I was about to talk with Yoren, I heard hooves getting closer.

"Theon."

Ser Andar's voice could be heard throughout the camp. I walked to him. He looked exhausted but held himself strong. From only one look, I could tell what he wanted to say. It wasn't something good.

"How much time do we have?" I asked.

"A half a day, they had to stop in every farm looking for the Stark children, but it won't take much time to catch up with us."

"How many are there of them? Hundred? Two hundred?"

"About fifty, as I could see. But the one leading was the Kingslayer, without a doubt."

"Just fifty?"

King's landing must be in disorder if they could only send fifty men even if the Kingslayer led them. No, shouldn't the Kingslayer have more men because of his name? The King's landing must be in a really bad situation.

"Yoren," I yelled out to the wandering crow. "How many men do you have that can fight?"

"None," His answer was short.

"What do you mean none?" I was getting angry and asked in a loud voice.

"The Night's Watch can't be involved in politics. We must stay neutral."

I could only look at him. He was right. But I didn't care what was right and what wasn't. I only had one chance to turn the tides of this upcoming war, and I won't let it slip for some oath.

"You can't turn away right now."

"I can. We only are traveling together, but I can't help you with anything else."

"Think about this, Yoren, if Lannisters get the Stark children, the north will rally all its men to save them, and I mean all of the men," It wasn't true, but it isn't something that would be hard to believe. Most of the North respects, if not loves, the Starks. "I know of the wildling army amassing beyond the wall. Who do you think would help you, the Lannisters or the Starks?"

"It doesn't matter. We can't interfere in the outside politics."

In anger, I drew my sword. I didn't do anything but point it at Yoren's neck. He didn't react to it. I knew what he said was true. They can't be involved, but he was the only true man of the Watch. The others were getting to the Wall.

It would be a gamble, but what was the worse that could happen to me? Death was something I was very familiar with. Maybe, I would be reborn in some better world this time. Anyway, these men shouldn't have any love for any of the houses of Westeros.

"Listen to me, all of you," I yelled so everyone in the camp could hear. "I am Theon Greyjoy, heir to the Iron Islands. Ward of Lord Eddard Stark. I know that most of you are going to the Wall because there isn't any other place to go, but what if I say I could give you a better place? Help me, and in the name of Greyjoy and Stark, I promise you riches and honor. A place in Winterfell or at Pyke. It doesn't matter who you were before and what you did. I promise you gold and honor."

My words were heard by about thirty men that were in the camp. They looked at each other, but I knew that my speech at least intrigued them. The names of the two great houses of Westeros carried a lot of weight.

"What do you need of us?" One of the men asked.

"Lannisters are coming, fifty of them. The Kingslayer is leading them. Help me defeat them, and I promise you the Starks of Winterfell will make you heroes of the North," I could see from their eyes that it didn't entice them much. "For every Lannister man killed, I will give you ten gold dragons."

That gave them more reason to take on the fight. Ten gold dragons for one man was a lot. If they used it wisely, they wouldn't need to work for the rest of their lives.

…

The rain stopped any idea of running. The road was too muddy for carts, and horses quickly tired themselves riding through it. Fifty men, armed and trained but tired, against thirty bloodthirsty men with pikes, cleavers, and axes. One had a hammer and a bull helmet. It felt like I should know him, but I didn't care about small things.

The odds weren't that bad. I had two best archers in Westeros and three direwolves, even if they were only bigger than a big dog. I didn't doubt that they had sharp fangs. If I could capture the Kingslayer there and now, the future of war would be settled.

The rain didn't stop the sound of fifty horses riding. It was the time. Getting on my horse, I rode in front of the camp. The Kingslayer seeing me, stopped, looked around, and then met my eyes. I could feel him searching the camp with his eyes.

"Theon Greyjoy," The Kingslayer called out to me.

"Ser Jaime Lannister. How unexpected, do you want to join the Wall too, and you even brought fifty men with you."

"Where are the Stark children? Nobody has to be hurt."

"They are on the way home," At my words, the Kingslayer pulled out his sword.

"I won't repeat myself. All I want is the Starks. You don't need to be involved in this."

"Lord Eddard Stark is dead, isn't he?" I asked instead.

"He died a traitor's death,"

One of the Kingslayer's men replied with pride in his voice. I could hear a muffled scream from behind me, and so did the Kingslayer. But he didn't rush it. He thought that he had already had us cornered.

"The most honorable man, who fought and won the throne for the King, died a traitor's death? Don't be ridiculous. Nobody will believe it."

"It doesn't matter what people believe or not. Step aside, Greyjoy."

I knew that it didn't matter. The Lannisters will spin their tale as they wish. People will believe what they want. No, they believe in what is in their interest. Well, it didn't matter to me. Taking my bow from the back, I looked at the Kingslayer.

"It is hard to believe that Lord Eddard Stark was a traitor," I said in a loud voice so everyone would hear. "It is easier to believe that you are the father of the royal children, and to protect the truth, you killed Lord Jon Arryn and Lord Eddard Stark."

The Kingslayer was surprised for a moment, but he charged at me in the next. At least he tried before an arrow hit him in the shoulder and another pierced his horse. Taking three arrows into my hand, I managed to shoot down two Lannister men before they could start charging.

The Lannister men were unprepared for a fight. Still, we didn't have much of an advantage, but with their leader down, we had a few moments to take as many of them as possible before they got back their bearings.

We manage to kill at least a dozen of them in these few moments. More than half died from the arrows of the three best archers of Westeros. Ser Andar and Thoros led poorly armed men from sides and took away the Lannister men's advantage of the horses by surrounding them.

Too bad the Kingslayer got up quickly, and as he was about to start killing his way to me, he was stopped by master Syrio. For now, at least, they looked like they were equally matched. As master Syrio fought the Kingslayer, I let loose my arrows at the Lannister men's throats and visors,

I killed eight men before running out of arrows. We were winning, but I couldn't let them counterattack and turn the fight around. The men on my side were already tired from just a few minutes of the fight, and the Lannister men pushed them back.

Letting out a whistle, I rode to the front of the fight. Three direwolves joined me, who took three men from their horses before ripping their throats. The screams of those men give some fright to the rest of them. That gave us another push to dwindle their numbers.

My sword killed two men before I was knocked out of my horse. By now, we had the same number of men. I saw that the best fighting force was still going strong. Ser Andar, Thoros of the Myr, ser Jory, Jalabhar, and Anguy killed one man after another, not speaking of the direwolves who ripped people apart.

Just as I was getting excited about my victory, I saw the Kingslayer knocking down master Syrio. I couldn't let him join the fight, so I did a stupid thing and faced him myself. In the next moment, I was blocking his killing blow to master Syrio.

"Clever boy, but it won't be enough to win."

I didn't have any opportunity to reply as I blocked frighteningly fast strikes. I could not focus on anything else but the sword that, with every blow, was getting harder to block. I could only last a couple of minutes more before making a mistake.

I could see that master Syrio was facing another knight from the corner of my eye, just like everyone else. I knew that no one could have helped me when the Kingslayer knocked my sword from my hands. Still, it didn't mean that I didn't feel resentful of them for not saving me when the Kingslayer stabbed me in the chest.

"It is over, boy. You should have stepped aside."

I swear I heard him smirk. The pain wasn't unfamiliar to me. I could endure being stabbed, but being ridiculed was different. As the Kingslayer pulled out his sword from my chest, I grabbed the blade with my left hand and pushed it back, getting closer to him.

Anger gave me the strength to hold on to the sword and draw the Valyrian knife with my right hand. It was delightful to see his shocked eyes as I thrust the knife through his shoulder. The knife went all the way to the hilt.

The Kingslayer let go of his sword, and a flaming sword passed me, hitting him. I fell to the ground without any support. I felt dizzy; my vision becomes blurry. I felt the warm blood flowing out of my chest.

"Theon!"

I could hear my name being called but couldn't determine who called me. Hands were holding my chest, trying to stop the blood, whose hands I couldn't tell. Countless voices were yelling, but I could only understand one.

"Drop your weapons, or the Kingslayer will die."

So we won, we managed to get the Kingslayer. That was the last thought that ran through my mind. I knew this feeling. The darkness was closing on me. I lost the feeling of my body parts one by one. Until nothing was left that I could hold on to, no pain, tiredness, cold, only emptiness.

I have experienced it before. I was about to face death once again.