17 - A Disturbance

17 - A Disturbance

-Middle of 273 A.C-

-12 years old-

'My back hurts,' I thought while I sat next to the small ward of House Baelish, who was currently reading a book that lay in front of him.

'Growing pains most likely.' 

I had started to grow again in the last few weeks and had to change my diet as a result. More meat and fat meals were now on my menu, to keep my body strong and give it enough energy to fill the growth of my muscles and body.

"Donar, what does this mean?" Petyr's voice interrupted my thoughts and I looked at the line he was pointing at.

"Ah, that would be the aftermath of Aegon the Unworthy's death," I said and at Petyr's confused look, I took a deep breath and began to explain a bit more accurately.

"The books won't tell you it directly, but if there's one king that just thought "well fuck everyone's arse in particular", it must have been Aegon. The incompetent fuck perhaps shouldn't have been born. You know what good he did during his reign?" Petyr shook his head and I nodded.

"Exactly, fucking nothing. He didn't fill the court with people who were competent and progressive, but with people who could lick his boots the best. He had nine known mistresses and many bastards, some of which I will get later, don't worry. But he didn't stop there, oh no. Do you know what he did on his wedding day? He let a man get executed just for the fun of it, and then once invaded Dorne for no other reason than the thrill. And of course, it was the lowborn, peasants or smaller lords that had to pay the blood price." I saw how Petyr flinched slightly and I barely hid a smile. He and I had grown closer in the few months he had been here, but the chance that presented itself right now couldn't have been better.

"But that's not all, not even the half of it. You know that dragons are considered to be among the greatest treasures for House Targaryen if not their greatest." Petyr nodded and smiled slightly as I made a dismissive wave.

"Aegon just gave a lord a dragon eggs because he managed to lay his daughters. Crazy, right? He promoted people he liked, which were up his arse most of the time, and dropped those who were competent. And that fat fuck didn't even stop at King's Landing." I noticed how worked up I was getting over the subject, but some of the feelings I projected were true, and I continued.

"He is the reason why the Bracken and Blackwood rivalry got even worse than it was previously. You know Bittersteel and Bloodraven?" Petyr nodded and I smiled, ruffling his hair.

"You're a smart boy. Anyway, Aegon is their father. And as you know, what followed Aegon's death was a gigantic war of his heirs. Can you piece it together?" Petyr was silent for a few moments, and then his eyes widened.

"No, he didn't."

I was surprised by how few people knew of the entire story, but Petyr would know all of it.

"Yes, he legitimatized all of his bastards on his deathbed, to give the entire realm a last middle finger and no other real reason. And that's why we have had five Blackfyre rebellions, during the last of which I was born." Petyr had known by now that I was Brynden's bastard, but he seemed to be surprised at how easily I talked about it.

"Isn't it shameful to be a bastard?" I raised one of my eyebrows and shrugged.

"Might be, but one thing's for sure, I've earned my place here. And besides," I pointed at the small boy in front of me and smiled.

"You and I aren't all that different, are we?" Petyr was silent and I chuckled before I bent down to be at his eye-level.

"Both of us don't want to be treated like trash, because we know how much better we can do things compared to those who possess power, no?" I was hamming the entire situation up, but it seemed as if it had some kind of effect on Petyr because I could have sworn that he nodded.

"See? There are good people on top, that I can't deny, but wouldn't it be better if people like us also gained something?" Petyr's nod was much more noticeable now and I smiled before I laid one of my hands on his shoulders.

"And while I might have gained fame through my tourneys and my smithing skills, along with the travels I have gone through with Lord Hoster, I want to have a partner who I can trust, who I can relate to." I didn't say his name directly, but I looked at the younger boy for a few seconds before I stood up and laughed out loud.

"Ah, enough with the serious stuff, don't you think so? How about I teach you a bit more of the numbers and then take you where Catelyn and Lysa are? You three get along great." Petyr, who had been caught off-guard because of the sudden change of subject barely had time to answer.

"Um, of course! Just let me put this back and we can go!" Petyr said and quickly put the gigantic book onto the shelf it belonged to before he turned to me and nodded.

"I am ready." I chuckled at his words and ruffled his hair once again.

"Before I start teaching you the numbers, I want to make sure that you understand one thing." I got on Petyr's eye level and stared at him.

"I like you Petyr, I do, but there's one thing you should know as well. I love my cousins as if they were my sisters, and if I see that you're even touching them the wrong way, you're going to find yourself meeting the Stranger sooner than most." I smiled slightly at Petyr's shocked face and continued.

"But you wouldn't do that, right?" The young boy, who probably didn't even know what sexual love was, just gulped and nodded and a genuine smile grew on my face.

"Great, let's start with the easy things! The counting of coppers and coins."

*****

I closed the door of the library behind me and looked at Petyr, whose nose was buried in a little book, a storybook to be exact.

"You should put that away while you play with the two," I advised and Petyr gave me a short look before the younger boy nodded and closed the book.

"Perhaps I can tell you three a few stories about Barristan Selmy or Duncan the Tall, how would you find that?" Petyr nodded, and I smiled. Even if he would one day turn into a manipulative man, right now he was still a boy, a young one too.

'Perhaps I can also send Lord Tywin the pendant I have made for them? Tyrion should be born in a few months after all. Or perhaps I should beautify it a bit more? Add a few more ornamentations?' I heard how Petyr cleared his throat and realized how I had most likely been lost in my thoughts once again. I coughed in embarrassment but then cleared my throat and continued.

"Ahem, did you learn something today, or was I a bit too fast?" The younger boy just shook his head and smiled at me.

"No, I understood everything you told me, thank you." I chuckled and gave his hair another ruffle before a scream suddenly tore through the silence that normally existed in Riverrun.

"Donar, what is hap-" I cut Petyr off by holding one of my large hands up and grabbed him the the shoulders.

"Go to Lysa and Catelyn immediately and stop them from reaching the castle. I will check what it is," Petyr nodded, and as soon as I let go of him, he ran to the tower where Lysa and Catelyn would normally have their lessons.

My huge body was already in motion before he had done his first few steps. I saw how many guards had also reacted, already trying to reach the castle, but none were faster than me. My shoulder collided with one of the smaller doors and it swung open with enough force to nearly rip it off its hinges. I didn't pay any mind to that, however, and continued my way to the direction the scream had come from. When I stormed through the hall I could see Brynden out of the corner of my eyes. The older man's sword was unsheated and something burned within his eyes as he too made his way to the direction the scream had come from. Another scream tore through the castle and I knew which person it belonged to this time.

Minisa Tully's voice made me cringe once again as I arrived at her room and barged into it, throwing myself into the door once again. This time one of the hinges flew off with a loud crack, but I didn't care, instead, I was focused on the scene in front of me.

Minisa Tully was pale as a bedsheet and screamed once again as the pain began anew, while Hoster Tully sat at her side. His normally strong hands were shaking and I could have sworn that I saw his lips move to speak a silent prayer.

'It's too soon.' I realized as I stumbled closer to the two. The midwife, who looked just as shocked and overwhelmed as lord Hoster, tried to get me out of the room, but I remained rooted in place like a tree.

'Edmure's supposed to be born in a few weeks, maybe a month.'

"Fucking shit," I said as I got closer. Hoster turned to me, and for a second I could have sworn that he would have sent me out of the room, but then Minisa screamed once again and his eyes turned to his wife. The necklace around Minisa's neck, the one I had smithed for her, was glowing, but it looked wrong. The brilliant green that shone whenever I looked at the rune in my dreams didn't exist, instead, I was staring at a sickly green color that almost seemed to eat away at Minisa. Nobody else seemed to truly see it however and I quickly turned to the midwife and pointed at a nearby chair.

"Fetch me the damned chair!" My voice was loud, much louder than it was even when I was sometimes arguing with Garse. The poor midwife, who didn't deserve my anger, did as I asked and I quickly lifted Minisa from the bed and onto the chair. Or at least I tried to, but Hoster grabbed my arm.

"Let her go Donar," his voice was a low rumble, but I wasn't scared, not this time. I shook his hands off and set Minisa on the chair, where her labor pains continued.

'Where the hell is the Maester?!' I thought while I began to speak with the still-screaming Tully woman.

"My lady, please take deep breaths. Deep and long." I looked at Hoster and the man seemed to be torn between what he should do, but then he grabbed his wife's hand once again and too started to speak.

"Minisa, do as the boy says." She seemed to recognize her husband's voice because soon enough her breathing changed from quick and pained intakes to a more controlled rhythm. I stood up and let the midwife take my place, and saw how she steadied Minisa and whispered to her, most likely to calm her down.

I heard someone cough behind me and saw how the old Maester, Kym, finally had entered the room, sweat coating his forehead. I quickly made place for him, and he immediately filled a little bowl with a strange substance and mixed honey into it. Minisa screamed again as another labor began. She began to thrash and convulse, which left the old Maester unable to even give her the medicine. I quickly grabbed the struggling woman by her hands and carefully held them together to not hurt her. Maester Kym threw a thankful nod in my direction and then let Minisa sip a part of the substance. Her struggles got weaker and I felt how some of the pain left her body. The Maester turned to me and then gave me a thankful nod.

"Thank you for your help Donar, but I think you should leave. I can handle it from here."

'No, you can't.' The words almost left my mouth but I stopped myself and walked out of the door. Just as I had taken a few steps away from the door I could hear how Minisa screamed again. I cringed at the sound, but then saw how Brynden came running down the hallway and stopped right in front of me, panting as he did so.

"Has Maester Kym arrived?" He asked and I nodded.

"Good, I had to run through the entire castle to get him." He said and then looked at the door that had been ripped off its hinges and then at me.

"I thought it might have been an attack," I admitted and rubbed the back of my neck. Brynden chuckled and patted my back before he sighed and sat down.

"It's too early the baby wasn't supposed to arrive yet." I nodded and sat down too, taking a place right next to him.

"How does it look?" He asked after a short while and I shrugged.

"I don't know, I was only present when Minisa went through another labor."

'But I'm praying that the child is alright.' Still, I couldn't wrap my head around the fact the reason that the baby was somehow coming sooner than planned.

'Do the runes work in a different way than I thought?' That thought terrified me. What if I was the reason why the baby was born sooner? What if some of its organs hadn't fully developed yet? It would be a hellish life for it and just because I wasn't sure if the runes worked correctly or not. Brynden must have noticed my discomfort because he patted me on my shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Hey, I'm sure that it will be alright." I nodded and stood up, before going away from the room, away from the screams.

"Where are you going Donar?"

"To the sept," I said and made my way to the place where I would most likely find the greatest amount of peace in Riverrun.

*****

I entered the sandstone building with a heavy heart, unsure of what to truly do. I wasn't here to pray for my victory or good luck, instead, I had come here because it almost seemed like the most logical place for me. The smithy might have been another place where I could normally gather my thoughts very well, but not right now.

I kneeled on the ground and looked at the seven images that had been painted on the marble walls. My eyes wandered around until they landed on the good-natured-looking and smiling face of the Mother.

"Gentle Mother, please save the child that I have perhaps doomed. If there is an ounce of justice in this world," I turned to the painting of the father, "let me be the one that receives punishment." I remained sitting in my kneeling position for a few minutes, silently hoping that I would get something. A sign or perhaps even a task I should fulfill. But the only thing I received was a message that filled me with dread.

There, floating just along the sword of the Warrior, was a rune. It wasn't one that I could have used, but instead, one that told me what I had done wrong. And all of that with a single rune that meant one word.

Blood.

I stared at the painted faces of the Seven and could have that their fingers were suddenly pointing at me and all of their eyes were staring directly into my soul. I fell backward as my eyes widened. The voices from my dreams were returning.

Blood, Blood, Blood, Blood, Blood, Blood, Blood, Blood, Blood, Blood, Blood, Blood, Blood, Blood, Blood, Blood

I fell to the ground, as the voices got louder and louder until I couldn't hear anything but the voices.

"Make it stop."

The voices didn't stop.

Blood, Blood, Blood, Blood, Blood, Blood, Blood, Blood, Blood, Blood, Blood, Blood, Blood, Blood

It felt like my head was about to burst, but I felt a certain sense of anger welling up within me.

"WHOSE?!" My hand lashed out in an angry swipe and I felt how it crashed against a large, unlit candlestick and I saw how it was thrown against the wall.

"What do you want me to do?! Slaughter an animal?! Kill an innocent child? What do you want, you fuckers!" I wasn't thinking anymore. The voices had managed to destroy my normal mental facilities and I felt more like an animal than a human. And then the voices answered. It wasn't nearly as loud and stressed as the other words, but I could hear it nonetheless.

Yours

My raving stopped from one second to the next as I grasped the words and fell to my knees. A small chuckle broke from my mouth and it soon turned into a loud belly laugh.

'Just that?' I rose once again, and bowed before the seven paintings, thanking them silently as I did so, and ran back to the room Minisa was lying in. On the way there I unsheated the dagger that I was carrying on my belt and cut across my right palm, immediately drawing a huge amount of blood.

I arrived at the corridor to Minisa's room but didn't see Brynden standing guard in front of the room. I quickly entered and saw how Minisa's state had worsened. She had gone even paler and her breathing was short and labored. Hoster still sat at her side, but I saw how the man slowly was losing hope. Brynden stood at his side, a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder, but then turned his head to me, and his eyes widened as he saw my open hand.

"Donar, what happened?" Before he could get closer, however, I had taken a few steps into the room and spoken with Maester Kym.

"What's happening." The older man shook his head, seemingly entirely out of his element.

"I do not know! Lady Minisa isn't recovering." I sucked in a deep breath and slowly got closer, and lifted the older woman into the air. Hoster was upon me in a few seconds and for the first time since I had laid eyes on the man he seemed ready to kill me.

"Let. Go. Of. My. Wife." I shook my head and carried the Tully woman to the closest window and settled her down in front of it.

"She needs fresh air." Hoster's hands were balled into tight fists and I could see how the Lord of Riverrun was truly considering striking me down. Perhaps I deserved it after what kind of shit I had done with the "healing" pendant. I opened the window and let the cool air into the room and quickly grabbed the bat on the necklace, which I had made out of the finest Wootz I had in store, with my bloodied hand. I saw how the sickly green of the rune changed and it finally took on the brilliant hue I was used to. Minisa's face regained some color, but it was still far from healthy-looking. I picked her up again and then laid her on the bed, where she started convulsing once again. My hand already reached for her to steady her, but a strong hand grabbed my shoulder and shoved me away.

"Donar, leave now." Hoster's voice cut through the air like a sword through flesh and I nodded, unable to disobey his words. I walked out of the room, left the main part of the castle, and soon found myself in the tower where Lysa and Catelyn were normally being educated. Right now they weren't. Instead, they sat on the set of stairs and stared into the ground, their faces full of tears. Petyr sat right next to them and tried his best to console him, but the young boy was overwhelmed.

"It was no attack." My voice was quieter than usual, not as boisterous and confident, but they heard it nonetheless. Lysa's and Catelyn's heads snapped up and Petyr let out a sigh of relief.

"Lady Minisa is giving birth," I said and sat down on the opposite staircase, and looked at the children. Catelyn was the first to speak, and her voice sounded serious.

"Does that mean that all of the screams belonged to..." I nodded at her, and I knew no words were needed she took a shaky breath.

'This is all my fault.' 

"Come here," I said and opened my arms, still portraying the front of the huge, strong, and perfect cousin that I always had been for them. Lysa was the first to throw herself into my arms and Catelyn followed soon after. Even Petyr, who looked more confused than anything slowly walked into the embrace. I closed my wide arms carefully and tried to keep my voice steady.

"Everything's going to be alright." My voice wavered slightly, but the three small children in my arms thankfully hadn't noticed it.

'And if it isn't, I will blame myself for it for the rest of my useless life.'

*****

It was already dark when Brynden arrived where I was sitting with the now sleeping children in my arms. I couldn't decipher his expression, but perhaps it was because my eyes were threatening to close as well. I refused the notion of sleep however until I knew what happened.

"Do you want to see Lady Minisa?" Brynden asked after a few seconds and I nodded, before I stood up, the three children still in my arms.

"Donar, you have to get that bandaged, otherwise the wound will fester," Brynden said as he looked at the cut on my right palm.

"Not until I know what happened." Brynden sighed but then motioned a few of the guards who were on night duty to come closer.

"At least let the children down." I looked at him for a few seconds and then nodded absently.

"Oh yeah, I still have them in my arms." I carefully gave the children to the guards and then turned to Brynden.

"Please, show me." My father nodded and led me to Minisa's room. With each step I took, my silent prayers to the Seven were getting louder in my head. We entered the room and when I saw the seated form of Minisa with a bundle in her hands a smile grew on my face.

'Oh thank the Seven.'

I saw how Lady Minisa was playing with a small hand while a large, undescribably happy smile was on her face that had been contorted with pain and suffering just a few hours ago. Lord Hoster sat at her side, and the normally more serious look on my uncle's face had been replaced by one of genuine happiness. The face of the serious, nearly untouchable face of a Lord Paramount was gone and now I could see the face of a middle-aged father who was currently experiencing one of the greatest moments of his life.

I remained standing at the very entrance of the room and watched the beautiful moment in front of me. My eyes wandered to the ceiling and let out a quiet but heartfelt "thank you" to the Seven before my eyes focused on the small bundle in Minisa's arms. The Lady of Riverrun seemed to have noticed me and beckoned me closer.

"Donar, do you want to see him?" I remained frozen in place for a few seconds but then nodded before I got closer and got a look at the baby within in bundle.

His eyes were still closed, but he would be a Tully through and through, at least judging by the small patch of auburn hair that already was on his head. I chuckled and caressed the boy's cheek, though I was mindful of my strength like never before.

"What's his name?" I asked after a few seconds, and Minisa and Hoster looked at each other before the Lord of Riverrun carefully took his son from his wife's arms.

"We will call him Edmure, the future of our House." Hoster looked at me and smiled at me.

"And Donar, will you help him like you did me when he becomes Lord of Riverrun?" A small smile made its' way into my face and I bowed.

"Until my dying breath if I have to lor-"

"Call me uncle." Hoster's normally strict voice had taken on a softer tone, and my smile grew.

"Yes uncle."

*****

-A few days later-

-Tywin Lannister-

He hurried to Joanna's room, paying no mind to the brother who was trying to talk to him at the moment.

"Tywin, what about the meeting? You can't ju-" He liked Kevan, at least more than his other two brothers, but he could also be a fool.

"Joanna is about to give birth." He said, his voice dangerously low. Kevan flinched slightly but then nodded.

"I understand." He didn't pay any mind to his brother's words and instead increased his speed as he heard Joanna's cries of pain. The labors had started a few hours ago, but Joanna had told him to nonetheless do his normal lordly duties.

He wished he hadn't listened.

They finally arrived at the corridor where Joanna's room was located and another scream ripped into his heart. He had never grown used to her screams, even after it had happened two times already. No other scream came from her room as he reached it and he practically ripped the door open, so unlike the measured displays of power he normally demonstrated to his vassals, and then looked at the form of his lady wife.

Joanna Lannister lay in her bed, covered in sweat and her face was as white as milk. But still, she was smiling at him, her beautiful eyes finding his own. Cradled to her chest lay a child that was smaller than normal babies and had a deformed leg, but the child's eyes and hair belonged to a Lannister. Still, the baby's appearance would damage the reputation of their House considerably. Still, his wife's large smile stopped him from raising his voice.

"My lord, do you want to hold our son?" He did just that and looked the boy into his eyes, and what he saw reminded him of himself.

'This is a thing Joanna and I had? How?' His eyes fell on the pendant around Joanna's neck, and he remembered how he had received it. It had arrived from the Riverlands, as a gift from the youngest knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Donar. It had been beautiful to look at, even he had to admit it. The silvery teeth, the golden main, and the iron head, all would have been nearly impossible to achieve for a normal smith. But something had been wrong when he had received the package.

He had seen a bit of dried red liquid on the lion's teeth, even though it seemed like someone had polished it just before they tied it to the raven. Joanna had immediately taken the beautiful necklace and begun to wear it, not even giving anybody else the time to look over it.

He was a cautious and ruthless man, but that ruthlessness had saved House Lannister from its ruin.

"What will you call him, my lord?" Joanna's voice brought him back to reality and he looked at the crying baby in his hands. He handed it back and told her the first name she would most likely like.

"Tyrion, it's a strong name." He said though he kept his true feelings locked away as he looked at the child. Joanna didn't seem to notice his frown however and instead played with the little child in her arms until the midwife took it out of her arms and told the still tired-looking woman to finally get some rest. Tywin kissed his wife on the forehead and took the pendant off her neck, looking at the lion with narrowed eyes.

"Maester, I want you to look at this, and do it properly." The Maester did take the offered pendant and nodded, though it did seem like he wanted to say something.

"Speak up," He said, though he was already walking back to the room where the rest of his council were sitting. The Maester nodded and started.

"My lord, Lady Joanna shouldn't be alive right now." The Maester's words stopped him in his tracks, and he turned around to glare at him. The other man shrunk back and raised his hands in a placating gesture.

"No, my lord, I didn't mean to say something bad with my statement, but instead wanted to say that your wife survived through a miracle."

"Explain." His voice was icy now, and the Maester almost seemed like he wouldn't speak up again.

"M-my lord. Your wife began to lose too much blood during the labors and just before the birth. If it had continued the way it did, she would have died." His eyes fell on the pendant and narrowed.

"I want you to immediately study this pendant, and if you find anything that could be seen as dangerous for my lady wife you will report it to me, have I made myself clear?" The Maester nodded and bowed before him before he hurried off and left him alone in the corridor. He took a deep breath and then walked back to the meeting of his vassals, though his thoughts were focused on something else entirely.

If that boy had truly tried to kill a person of his own family, his wife, what kind of legacy would she have left behind? He hoped that the Maester would soon have found out if the pendant's metals were responsible for Joanna's near death, or if truly was a miracle that Joanna survived. Either way, he was sure that he would see Donar Storm again and have the chance to repay his debt.

And Lannisters always paid them.