Golden waves

Golden waves

Theon POV

To say that Arbor was a rich land would be an understatement. Aside from gold, there were barrels of the most expensive wine, silk, and jewelry. Our ships were overflown with loot. Men were thrilled with our victory. After drinking and celebrating all night, they didn't even complain that I let go of people to run away.

Of course, there were some dissatisfied voices about not being able to get thralls to serve them. But I couldn't let go portion of people go and kept the other. I needed the castles and cities in the mainland of the Reach to fill with refugees. Nobody will notice a couple of spies, along with thousands of refugees.

"Theon, your sister's ship is approaching," Thoros said as I drew in my journal.

"Go meet her and ask Anguy to get my uncle," I ordered Thoros.

"Very well," He agreed and left.

Thoros wasn't too happy that I ignored his request to go to Essos. I was deliberating if I should sail to Dorne. It was some ways away, and I didn't know if I could get anything from the Martells. Sailing to Essos was something that I didn't see necessary for now. No matter what Thoros saw in his flames, I had to think of my people first.

"Theon," My sister barged into the tent I stayed in. "I hope this is short. I am tired."

"Do you need a beauty sleep?" Victarion asked, coming close behind.

"No, but I am tired after taking the Shield Islands alone, uncle."

"Are you children?" I asked. "If not, shut up and sit."

"Fine, fine, so what is so important is that you need to summon me when I just arrive?" Asha asked.

"Have you chosen the captains that will oversee the Shield Islands in your stead?" I asked.

"Not yet," Asha replied.

"Then do so, you too, uncle. Choose someone to oversee Arbor."

"Will do."

"Why the rush?" Asha asked.

"Because we don't have too much time," I replied. "How many ships did Hightower have?"

"Two to three hundred, but not many war galleys or longships, mostly merchant cags and other vessels," Victarion answered and informed Asha of what happened to him.

"Still, if they ambush and corner us, we would be in trouble," I said. "From now on, Victarion will join Asha's fleet and work together."

"Who will command the fleet?" Asha asked.

"You, Asha," I answered to the dissatisfaction of Victarion. "We still have the coast of the Reach to raid, so I hope you will be up to it, sister."

"With the Hightower on our tails, it would be hard," Asha replied. "We need to be fast if we don't want to lose anymore."

"I will take fifty ships and sail to Dorne. I hope I will be able to bait out Hightower."

"It is too risky, and it might not work," Asha immediately disagreed with me.

"That's why I will take the fastest ships," I replied. "I will not fight, but we can't let Hightower hinder us."

"Why Dorne?" Victarion asked.

"I will seek an alliance with the Martells," I answered.

Asha seemed like she wanted to say something but kept her mouth shut. I knew very well of her concern, but our momentum had been stopped; we don't have men to go deeper into the land nor the men to hold these lands. Our only strength, compared to the other kingdoms, is our speed. Once we are stopped, it will be hard to do anything but wait, like sitting ducks.

"What do we need to do?" Asha asked.

"Create chaos," I replied, "I don't want victories of great loot. Please keep the Westerlands and the Reach busy in whatever way possible. Try to reserve our strength and do not stop building ships."

"Very well," Asha agreed.

With a few final words, I let them leave. It was time for my men to celebrate and for me to observe. Lord Hightower was an unknown man to me. I couldn't remember anything about him, nor did I write anything about him. From the rumors, he has locked himself in his tower for years, yet now he has left it and defeated the Iron fleet. Maybe I didn't like the idea of me losing, but something didn't sit right with me.

For the rest of the night, I stayed in my tent. At least, that's what others thought. In reality, I was running all around the ships, listening to what my men were talking about. Even though I still couldn't warg into the stupid seagull, Rocky was enough to spy on my men. But nothing seemed a miss. Maybe there wasn't a spy at all, and a thought of magic came to me.

…

The Greycloaks were menacing as always. Ten of them were considered the best warriors of the Iron Islands. Well, two of them weren't from the Iron Islands, but no one questioned it. Wherever they went, they were looked at with admiration and fear. I wanted people to see them. Too bad they have not yet been in any battle to prove themselves yet. Even I wanted to see how these men would cut down my enemies.

As we prepared to leave for Dorne, Thoros still pestered me to go to Essos instead. At some point, I wanted to kick him out of sight, but instead, I promised to go when I had a chance. Who knows? Maybe it isn't a bad idea to make a deal with the Iron Bank. Even if I disliked the Lannister for their use of gold, gold could solve many problems.

Now that we had looted quite a bit from the Westerlands and the Reach coast, it was time to put the gold to work. It was clear that few in the Iron Islands were capable of managing finances. Few had the patience for it, and fewer cared for it. So, it was better for me to negotiate with future merchants and lords that could support my reign.

"Your Grace, we are prepared to leave," Ser Harras informed me. "Fifty ships, two and a half thousand men, as you have commanded."

"Good, we will leave with the low tide."

"As you wish, your grace."

Now it was time for the truth. If Lord Hightower manages to catch up to me and follow, then it means that a spy is somehow informing him. Of course, I knew that there was no way I could win against his fleet with only fifty ships, so I chose the fastest ships available. Still, even if he doesn't do that, the possibility of a spy doesn't disappear. It only means that he is more careful than I think.

I wouldn't say I liked to suspect someone, but I had to be careful in the future in sharing my plans with the rest of the lords of the Iron Islands. Well, I didn't share much, to begin with, but now I needed to be careful not to slip something out. And I needed to watch that none of my companions did the same.

…

The sea was relatively calm until we reached Dorne. When the desert was seen, so the storms hit us. We had no choice but to anchor near land and wait it out. After almost getting hit by the storm couple of times, we feared sailing further from the land. We probably scared quite a few little towns and fishing villages on the coast. Yet I could only think about the fleet we left behind our tales. As I thought the Hightower fleet seemed to find us, but we outran them quickly, and they turned back once we left the Reach premise.

Even so, we made good progress even when the sea seemed to try to hinder us. Just as we thought the worst was behind us, a wind picked up one day, and dark clouds gathered above us. We had no choice but to anchor at the ruins of Hellgate Hall. A seat that belonged now gone house of Dryland.

Ser Harras and Anguy told me stories of the last six kings of Dorne who were sent to the Wall by princess Nymeria. The last of House Dryland was King Lucifer. For some reason, I found the name amusing. Lucifer, king of hell, I like how it sounded. I drew the ruins in my journal as the night sky descended upon us.

…

Golden waves, that is how the sand steps looked from the sea in the right light. I wondered if I could sail through the sands if I had a good wind behind me. Yet from what I have seen, there wasn't much I could take from the people of Dorne. In the towns we stopped at, I saw people barely surviving, yet they were happy.

"The sun is burning their skin, yet they laugh at it," Ser Harras said. "Odd they are."

"Blade cuts us, yet we laugh," I replied. "Odd we are."

"Odd we are," Anguy said. "I like the sound of it. I will take it as my house words when you give me a castle, your grace."

"Well, I have a few castles without owners," I replied. "Soon, one of them will be yours. So, start thinking of what your coat of arms will be. Oh, and a name of the house."

"Thousand, that will be the name of my house."

"It seems you thought of it already."

"I kept thinking about it since you promised me a castle and a lordship, your grace."

"What about you, Bronn?" I asked.

"Not sure yet," He replied. "Don't care either. Once I have a castle, I will die by fucking my maids."

"A good way to die," I agreed. "But we will need to spill more blood for it."

"I don't need to think about it, and I am good at spilling blood, that is," Bronn replied. "I did so since I took a blade in my hands."

The closer we got to the eastern side of Dorne, the bigger the towns became. We passed ships, even though half turned to sail away from my fleet. We neared Sunspear, the seat of House Martell. Yet something started nagging my mind like I had forgotten something. Well, I had forgotten many things, so I didn't think it was anything important.

As gentle waves swayed the deck of my ship, I didn't forget to spar with my guards. Today the Drumm brothers fought with me. They were more skilled than me, managing to hit me more than I did them, but in the end, I beat them both. Still, I wasn't satisfied with such a victory, as I won only because I didn't feel pain from the blunt swords and didn't tire.

"Cletfjaw, it is your turn," I forced them to fight me, each after another.

"To you ever tire?" Cleftjaw asked, and I only smiled.

I had plenty of room to improve my skills, and even though my archery was probably the best in the known world, my sword skills weren't that good. Thoros was right; I couldn't keep dying, I had already lost plenty of memories, and it scared me to lose any more. I already didn't feel like myself. I didn't want to lose myself entirely.

"Your grace, Sunspear is ahead," Anguy informed me as I had just finished my spar with Cleftjaw.

I saw the other guards sigh as I sheathed my sword. Shadow city, even from the sea, I could see that it was nothing but a queer and dusty town, nothing like King's Landing or Lannisport. As we neared the port, I was met by a blockade of ships and a host of a couple of thousand men in the harbor.

"It seems everyone welcomes his grace with an army," Thoros commented.

"Do I need to bring a white banner to every city we visit?" I asked as Anguy started to wave a white banner to the parley.

"Maybe the Martells didn't want to see you after all?" Ser Harras asked.

"Or did you insult them when you wrote to them?" Anguy asked.

"Well, you're wrong, Anguy, as I forgot to tell them of our arrival."

I only remembered that I still needed to inform them of my visit now. Oh, well, I don't think it was a big deal. Now, I need to meet them and give them my greetings, and everything will be fine. It wasn't like they would fight me before even talking to me. Only Kevan Lannister would do something stupid like that.