To the South

To the South

Tyrion POV

The first night I spent outside King's Landing was restless. Every sound and every shadow made me think that it was an assassin sent by my father or Cersei. The heat didn't help. The nights in the barns of the farmers were warmer than I expected. Sweat ran down my short, black-dyed hair. It didn't seem like anyone had suspected me, and I did wear a straw hat to cover my head.

Most people who asked about us thought I was Podrick's cousin, and we traveled away from the raging war. But I couldn't stop thinking that there were already dozens of people talking about a dwarf that came from King's Landing. Still, even if my family had sent someone to look for me, I should have been far enough before they realized where I was going.

Podrick slept like a log but still had his sword and dagger nearby. Not the quickest lad I've ever known, but a decent squire in the end. I only hope we find a safe passage to Sunspear, for I wouldn't want the boy to suffer for my decisions. But I could only hope for that. Thieves and brigands are the least of our worries. If someone finds my identity, we will be tied and sent back to King's Landing, or Stannis, or to Robb Stark, or whoever else wanted my head.

So far, it didn't seem like someone cared about us to notice me. But it was only the first village we came upon, Redwater, nestled beside the Blackwater Rush. It was already night when we arrived, and we didn't ask anyone for supplies as we had enough for now. I couldn't wave gold coins around these farmers because if they didn't start to talk about a rich dwarf. They surely would try to take it from me.

It will be a long journey. We would need to pass through the Kingswood. Then, go through the mountains to reach Grandview in the Stormlands. I heard it was one of the few hubs for the merchants that operated in the Sea of Dorne. Hopefully, we can get a ship straight to Sunspear without anyone suspecting anything.

I couldn't have risked going from King's Landing Harbor as I was sure I would been recognized, even if any ships were going to Sunspear. But Podrick couldn't find any ships available for us. It was just my luck. I couldn't risk waiting for even one more day, so I took what I could, bought what I thought we needed, and took two horses before sneaking out of King's Landing.

Ultimately, I couldn't fall asleep, and as the sun rose, I woke up Podrick and told him to prepare our horses. It would be best to leave before the villagers. They will return to their work and soon forget two travelers. And when men in Gold Cloaks ask about us, they will barely remember us, and when they will be asked where we rode off to, they won't be able to tell.

…

The Kingswood was home to various forms of wildlife, both benign and potentially dangerous. Just as we entered the woods, we came across deer grazing peacefully not far from the road and heard the calls of birds. After another day of full riding, such a sight was a welcomed one, but we couldn't relax. We needed to be cautious of more aggressive creatures.

Bears and wolves didn't stay near roads, but a wild boar didn't have such reservations. Yet it wasn't the animals I feared the most. The forest's vastness provided ample cover for those seeking refuge from the law. Bandits and outlaws might hide in the dense underbrush, seeking easy prey among travelers.

I only had chainmail under my ordinary shirt and a crossbow on my back. Pordrick had a gambeson jacket with a sword secured on his belt. But I was still just a dwarf, and Podrick was a boy. Few arrows from behind the trees or bushes and our belongings would have a new owner. At least there were no rumors from the villages along the way about any bandits, but thieves were common in any part of the world.

Hopefully, they will meet a caravan or something as they ride on the main road. It would be reckless and foolish to get off the road. The forest was vast and thick, and we would get lost before realizing it. Then, we would be a feast for the wildlife if we were lucky. If not, we would only wander until we ran out of supplies and starved ourselves.

"Lord Tyrion," Podrick called out for me.

"How many times I have to say, Pod, I am no lord, nor am I Tyrion," I told him. "Call me Tobias, even if we are alone. Who knows who would be listening to us."

"Sorry, Tobias, I can see smoke ahead of us."

I looked up where Pod was pointing, and a thin line of smoke emerged from the trees. It didn't look like there were any more lines of smoke nearby, so it should be only one campfire. And seeing that the sun was already setting, I decided to risk it and see who are my fellow travelers. It was better we stumble on them than they on us.

"Let's ride, Pod," I said. "Let's see who our friends might be."

"Should we?" Pod asked. "Wouldn't it better to steer clear of them?"

"We would need to make our camp soon anyway," I answered. "They would notice us as we noticed them. And it is only on a campfire. I don't think a group of bandits would share only one campfire so close to the road."

Just as I suspected, we came upon a cart pulled by an ox. Hearing our horses' hoofs closing on them, a family of four stood up, ready to greet us. An older man past his prime gripped a pitchfork with sharp and pointy ends. A young man held a bow with one hand and an arrow with another. A woman whose beauty was starting to fade grabbed a young girl by her arm and hid behind the men.

"Greetings, good men," I made sure they heard me loudly and clearly. "We wish no harm. We saw smoke and thought rather than build our campfire. The good men would share their own with us."

"Our fire is too small to warm more people," The older man replied, glancing to the sides and behind me. "We don't know you, anyway."

"Oh, where are my manners?" I laughed to ease them. "I am Tobias, and he is my cousin Pod. There is no need to be worried. We are no thieves or outlaws, just the last of the family trying to escape the war and seek refuge south."

"Aye, winter is coming," The older man seemed less alarmed. "You two would make quite the bandits, a boy and a dwarf."

"I wouldn't dismiss us so much," I laughed with the old man. "I have some bread, so share if you have me. It would be such a shame if it got stale."

"Come, come," The older man said, waving for us. "We add some more wood so you can enjoy the warmth. By the way, I am Ben. This is Matt and my wife Emma and our daughter Eliza."

"Don't mind if we do."

Podrick, at first timid, quickly warmed up to the family and started helping them to prepare more wood. He even played with the little girl until the night fell. Ben told me he was leaving the Crownlands for safer lands in the Reach, where his wife's uncle had a farm. Too bad they would quickly go to Kingswood and continue their journey to the west.

It would been nice to have some traveling companions, especially when it seemed that they didn't have even a bit of evil in their bones. Matt looked like he knew his way around a bow. Well, the rest of the family would probably only slow us down. So, it would be for the better if they split their ways sooner than later.

…

Once again, just as the sun rose, I woke Podrick up. It was another sleepless night. I wondered whether the family we spent the night with recognized me. Every time they moved in their sleep, I thought that they would attack us and steal. Even the little girl didn't escape my notice. But all I learned was that I was paranoid as shit.

Ben woke up not much longer after we did. In the end, we decided to travel together until the road split up. I hated that I thought that if we were attacked, the family would work like bait, making the attackers concentrate on them while Pod and I escaped. If Pod knew what I was thinking, he would probably leave me then, just like everyone else has abandoned me.

Slowly, we made our way through Kingswood. And halfway through the day, the road forked into two. West road led to the Reach, and so the family left while Pod and I rode to the east. I hoped we would quickly pass through the woods without any trouble and reach the keep of Felwood before crossing the mountains to Grandview.

As we ventured deeper into the Kingswood, the dense canopy of ancient trees cast long shadows, and the forest seemed to close in around us, leaving me in a state of heightened paranoia. Every rustling leaf or snapping twig sent shivers down my spine. The deeper we rode into the woods, the more animals I thought we would meet, but for some reason, it was quiet. Eeriely quiet.

I wouldn't say I liked it. Pod definitely didn't like it. As our horses trotted on the muddy road, my paranoia was working in full motion and filled my mind with unimaginable terrors. I knew that something was wrong, very wrong. And soon, we will find out what was wrong. Even in the daytime, the Kingswood was covered in dark shadows, so when the sun started to settle, it got dark quickly.

"Lord Tyrion," Podrick whispered, his voice tense.

"Tobias, Pod. Please, call me Tobias. We must be cautious. Something feels... off about this place," I corrected him again. Podrick nodded in agreement, gripping the hilt of his sword.

"I can't shake the feeling that we're being watched," I wished he had spoken about the birds in the trees, but there were none.

"Nor can I," I admitted. "But we have no choice but to press on. The road is our only path forward."

Maybe it was only this part of the woods. And with each step, I hoped I would hear birds sing, squirrels run on the trees, and deer running through the forest. This deathly silence made me tense. It felt like the forest was closing in on us. Like we were trapped and there was no way out. And there I thought I could escape this feeling after leaving King's Landing.

Then, like a rumble of thunder, the sound of huffs hitting the ground broke the silence. Without a word, I looked at Pod, who drew his sword. I took my crossbow and waited for whatever was coming our way. It could be bandits and brigands, or maybe it was just a caravan passing by, and my paranoia made me hear things. Things like steel rattling.

Part of me wanted to turn my horse around and start retreating, but I knew better. I knew whoever approached us was a faster and more skilled rider than I ever could be. It would be better to die facing my enemy face to face than die not even knowing who killed me. As my palms sweated and it became hard holding my crossbow, riders emerged from the shadows—dozens of them, armed and armored.

"Hold!" The leader of the riders yelled out and stopped the rest before us. "Who goes here?"

"Tobias and his cousin, we are from the Crownlands," I shouted, lowering my crossbow to indicate I didn't wish any trouble. "We are only traveling through Kingswood, ser. I swear we are no poachers or outlaws."

"Sheat your weapons," The leader of the riders told us, and we listened. "Hmm, I don't see any animal carcasses on you, nor do you seem bloodied to be poachers."

"They would be quite a bandit group," Another rider said, laughing and easing our nerves. "So, tell me, where is a dwarf and a boy going?"

"Dorne, ser," I replied. "We fear the war, so we are traveling south to seek refuge."

"Hmm," The leader discerned us with his experienced eyes. "Today must be your unluckiest day, then. My name is Edwuld Storm, a proud knight in service of his grace, King Stannis Baratheon. You shall come with me and join our army followers. At least until we reach the Stormlands."

The more he spoke, the more I wanted to curse. What did he mean by his army? Was Stannis here? If so, what was he doing here? It was too late to ride west, and I could only come with the riders as they showed us the way. They were probably scouts and wouldn't let us out of their sight for fear of us running back to the Crownlands and informing people of them.

A.N. Sorry for not posting last week. My wrist was injured, and I had trouble writing with it, but it is better now, so don't worry. I won't be taking time for holidays and will even post a new story next week, so please check it out.

As always, If you want more, up to seven advanced chapters, you can support me on pa treon. com \ ironwolf852. And if you have any requests for stories, I will only take them on my pa treon.