Chapter 10 - The Journey to The Anniversary Tourney

Chapter 10 - The Journey to The Anniversary Tourney

-End of 272 A.C-

-12 years old-

I woke up on a black, water-like substance. I didn't understand how it could be like water but also behave like normal ground. Before I could truly collect my thoughts and deduce where I could be, I saw them.

I saw a giant wall of fire and smoke, while a giant construct of metal began to grow into the sky. I felt the strong wind and rain on my face as thunder and lighting collided with the earth and ripped into it. I heard a loud voice that laughed as if the owner was challenging the very gods themselves to throw their best at him.

I closed, my eyes for a short moment and opened them again, seeing something different from before.

My eyes saw wood, grass, and the sky, all of which were beautiful to behold. I saw a river, with many different kinds of fish in it. All of them swam in one direction, while only one remained in its position. I saw the bloodshed of battles short and long, and I saw the death that followed. Then I saw a scale that was severely unbalanced and cracked in the middle.

As I blinked the scenery changed once again and I saw something I was familiar with.

But what I saw last were humans. They were capable of extreme violence and yet also capable of love closer than any other race on earth. Intelligent, yet always ready to kill each other. Evolutionary, only to fight because of a feud that had been lost in the sand of time. Humans could make friends who they had never met before, or they could backstab even those they saw as brothers. But all of these things, the storm, the fire even the humans, all of it was connected by one thing.

The runes.

They were everywhere. They ran under the surface of the water, they stuck to the bark of trees, and they manifested in the very air itself. Though their strange patterns and writings were too small for normal humans to see. They were the thing that flew through the air in Planetos, something my world lacked.

Magic.

It was everywhere around me, though it was clear that there had been even more of it a few centuries back. But still, the fact that I could somehow see them remained. Not all runes were the same, not only in their forms but also in their functions. In the dream, I saw a blacksmith forge a sword and each time the hammer hit the metal, sparks flew. In each one of these sparks were runes, full of energy. But there was something about the dream I didn't fully grasp.

Why I was able to see them.

I could see the minuscule runes running over the grass, the trees, and even the animals that I saw. I could see them slowly moving over my body, flowing through the weapons that had been forged. But I could also hear something.

Donar, Donar

Voices, which were chanting my name. They were everywhere around me, but each time I turned around I was still the only person who stood on the pitch-black surface.

And the voices didn't stop, getting louder and louder each second, until I could hear nothing but them. My ears were beginning to hurt and I sank to my knees, feeling how I was suddenly submerged in the black ground. I couldn't breathe anymore, but the voices remained, growing even louder and more intense.

Donar Donar Donar Dona-

"Donar, wake up you lazy bum!" I felt someone kick me in the side and fell to the ground. My eyes slowly opened and I was staring at the worried face of Garse.

"Fuck, what was that? You normally aren't that easy to topple." He offered me his hand, which I gladly took, and helped me stand up. You could say a lot of things about Garse, he had a bad temper, was easily frustrated, and was a sore loser, but at least he knew when to stop and also was a dutiful worker.

"Thanks," I said as I finally felt the ground with both of my feet, dusting myself off after I had recovered my sense of balance.

"Is it because of the tourney? Have you trained too long again?" The older boy asked and I made a dismissive wave.

"No, I didn't. I was just dreaming about something." Garse raised an eyebrow but then chuckled.

"About a girl, eh?" I stared at him, completely silent.

"Garse, I'm twelve name-days old, how would I already be dreaming of girls?"

"You may be twelve name-days old, but you look like you are a grown man already, so perhaps your "taste" is also already that of a grown man." I rolled my eyes at his remark and sighed.

"How about I tell you a good spot where you can meet up with Nira and you let me be, hm?" Garse froze at the mention of his crush, but soon enough the larger boy lowered his voice.

"Sh, nobody is supposed to know yet! But what is the place you are talking about anyway?" I smiled. Hook, line, and sinker.

"You know the tree that grows just two minutes away from here?" Garse nodded, mentally following my description.

"Well, there's a huge space right under its roots, just enough for two people to fit into." His eyes widened at my words, and then he broke out into a smile.

"If you're right about that, I'll continue to make you charcoal while you are in King's Landing." I nodded and offered him my hand. I always could use more charcoal. The Wootz metal had been a success, though I didn't have time to show it to anyone yet and instead bunkered a bit of it in my corner of the smithy for later use. I had thought about smithing myself a new dagger, but I didn't want to make hasty decisions quite yet.

"And Donar, um..." Garse brought me back to reality as the older boy fiddled with his fingers.

"Would you perhaps, you know..." I sighed internally but nodded.

"Yeah, I'm going to show you how to smith an iron rose for Nira." Even if I and Garse were still rivals, his smile was at least worth it.

"But don't take up too much of my time you know why, right?" I asked as I used the bellows to heat the charcoal in the forge once again. Garse just nodded.

"Yeah, you gotta prepare for the tourney and pack your things." I nodded.

That and I had to see if I could find anything about these strange runes I had seen.

*****

-The next day-

I saddled my horse, caressing its hair that I had come to appreciate over the past few months, and gave him a little snack for a bit more energy. He would need it for the journey.

"Are you ready?" The voice of Brynden didn't surprise me as much as it sometimes had before and I turned around, before nodding.

"Yes, what about Uncle Hoster and the guards we are going to take with us?" Brynden nodded.

"All ready." I was silent for a few moments, climbing into the saddle of the horse as I did.

"What about Minisa? Is she coming too?" The older man shook his head, letting out a rueful sigh as he did so.

"No, her health has once again dropped, it would be unwise to let her go through this journey." I nodded, feeling a bit of worry rise within me. Lady Minisa Tully, Hoster's wife, and my aunt was a nice, but frail woman. Especially during the colder days, she would suffer from extreme health problems.

"Let's go, Donar." Brynden's voice cut through my thoughts and I followed him outside, letting my horse find its way instead of forcing it to obey. I had to thank Catelyn for that.

"Are Catelyn and Lysa accompanying us?" I asked the older man, who once again shook his head.

"None of the two are old enough yet. Catelyn might be a skilled rider, but she lacks the stamina to remain on horseback for prolonged times. And Lysa doesn't want to leave her mother alone." I didn't reply, but his answer made sense.

We arrived in the courtyard, where Lord Hoster and over three dozen Tully guards, along with a few knights, were already waiting, all of them on horseback. A tourney was also used as an opportunity to show strength, and well-trained men gave that impression most of the time. Hoster turned towards me and Brynden and gave a welcoming nod.

"Are the stragglers also arriving, eh?" I bowed my head slightly.

"I am sorry my lord, but my horse needed some more tending before it was ready to make the journey, along with my equipment. Lord Brynden is the reason why I barely had any delay." Hoster grunted at my words as Brynden jumped on his horse and took his place next to his brother. Hoster looked around him, and when he was sure that everyone was saddled he raised his voice.

"Alright men, we shall make haste for King's Landing. We want to arrive as soon as possible otherwise, that buffoon Mace will already have drunk the entire wine cellar by himself." I heard chuckles all around me, and smiled. Even if Hoster didn't like me, he knew how to keep the morale high. Hoster was the first to ride out of the gate, with Brynden and the knights soon following, while I and the rest of the guards stayed on the rear.

"Already stoked for the tourney?" One of the guards next to me asked, and I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm going to participate in the squire's melee and win if I can." The guard chuckled and pointed at the huge bag of coins that I had on my side.

"And you are going to bet on someone during the normal tourney?" I nodded once again, though I didn't intend to spend all of my coins on betting alone. I had other plans too.

"Do you know when the squire's melee is being held?" I asked the guard and he thought about it a while before he answered.

"It depends on who organizes the thing, but I'd say it takes place before the normal joust and melee. Why do you ask?"

"I'm just interested. I thought about walking through King's Landing a bit, scouting the whole place out a bit, and see if I can find anything interesting." The guard made an amused sound and shook his head.

"Make sure not to make more bastards." I "lightly" slapped him on the shoulder for that comment and nearly threw him off his horse.

"Careful, very careful. I don't normally take insults easily." I said, I raised my fist again, but the guard chuckled.

"You're like your father. A cold fucker on the outside but inside you're a good man." I sighed and let myself fall back a bit more to avoid the guard's upcoming rant about my father. Instead, I let my hand wander to the armor I would be using in the squire's melee. A black-colored gambeson combined with a chainmail shirt would protect against slashing and small stabs, though not against blunt objects. I had also taken another set of chainmail with me, though this one had been specifically made from my materials and wasn't part of my squire's set.

I also had forged two sets of protection for my legs and arms, though one was significantly heavier than the other and would be used later on. And then there was my chest plate, of which I naturally only had one with me. It would have been impossible to carry a second one with me without being noticed.

As for the helmet, which I had forged by myself, I had to rely on a simple design, which resembled a kettle helmet but to which I had attached a neck guard consisting of chainmail and an iron faceguard. I hadn't been fully satisfied with the results, but it would have to do for now. My hand also went to the secured bastard sword that I had chosen to fight with at the tourney. I had personally seen to it that it was indeed blunted and most importantly safe, for me and my opponents.

Our journey took us nearly three weeks, even though we had barely taken any rest and our horses were the fastest we had. But when I saw King's Landing I wasn't sure if I should be baffled or not.

The city was gigantic, way too large for something that had been built just a few centuries ago. Its tall walls made it seem like a small fortress, but at the same time, the multi-colored buildings told a different story. Some were pristine and beautiful while others looked ready to collapse any moment.

And then there was the smell.

'Shit's Landing wasn't an understatement.' I thought as my nose wrinkled from the disgusting smell that was blown in our direction. To be honest, it reminded me of a story I had heard about London. Before the great fire of 1666, they also hadn't been able to clean the city because of how large it had gotten. But from what I knew the tourney wouldn't be held directly in King's Landings itself, but a bit farther away, most likely to avoid the stench.

'I wonder what kind of melee they will go for in this tourney? Perhaps everyone vs everyone? A team battle could also be considered.' I thought while my now exhausted horse began to slowly trot past the gigantic seven gates that served as the entrance to the capital. I would have to pass through one of those to get what I wanted later on. I noticed how Brynden fell back until he was walking right next to me.

"Quite smelly, eh?" I nodded, though I refused to take a deep breath.

"Can't deny that." Brynden chuckled and then looked at me, once again serious.

"Donar, I and Hoster just talked about the tourney itself and how it concerns you." At my confused look, he sighed and elaborated.

"As you know, the Lord Paramounts are normally sitting close to the king, showing their standing in the world. Most of the time their family is also by their side, but seen as you are seen as a bastard..." He didn't finish the sentence but I understood.

"I will have to stay with the guards and look for a place there." At Brynden's words, I nodded, unsure how to feel. It had been clear to me that I wouldn't be allowed to sit next to him and Hoster, but it still stung a tiny bit.

"I understand, don't worry." At least that would also make the plan that I had thought of ever since we left Riverrun much easier.

"Good man, keep your head up and you'll win the melee without any problem." He said and gave my shoulder a strong squeeze before he once again rode faster to catch up with his brother. My eyes wandered over to the huge wooden construct that had been built strictly for the tournament and the golden lion of the Lannisters that flew on the flagpoles. I could also already see an entire array of tents that had been set up just for the tourney. The immense amount of knights and other troops also surprised me, especially the presence of the Glodcloaks. I could see at least one entire cohort that was stationed before the stadium, showing the sheer number of advantages they had compared to the guests of the tourney. The only other house that had troops that were even close to the Goldcloaks in number was the Lannisters.

We entered the camp and Lord Hoster soon led us to a more remoter part of the camp, which had already been marked with the banner of House Tully. At my confused look one of the older guards snorted and opened his mouth.

"Great houses like ours are guaranteed to have a place at the tourney, and seen as Lord Hoster decided against sleeping in King's Landing, a spot has been kept open." I nodded at him and thanked him silently.

"What about other houses of the Riverlands do they also have their spots in our proximity?"

"It's encouraged, but sometimes the houses mix up a bit, with their camping spots at least." Before I could question the older man further, he had already ridden in the direction of the forest, most likely to set up his tent there, which left me as the only person who hadn't yet been to a tourney and who also didn't know where to set up his tent.

'Well, there's a first time for everything.'

After a few minutes of being confused, I finally managed to find a good place for my tent and set it up, though the sun was already beginning to set. In a few hours, the tourney would begin, namely the squire's melee as the first real attraction for the day, which meant I had to stand up early to take care of the things I had planned. I fell into the hard bed I had made for myself and almost immediately fell asleep.

And I once again saw the Runes before my eyes, though I could have sworn that I was slowly getting better at differentiating the strange voices.

*****

-A few hours later-

I let a bag of coins fall on the counter in front of me and let the blacksmith inspect its quality.

"As I told you, my coin is real," I said as I looked at the older man in front of me, though he still seemed to want more.

"I do not know Ser. This sum may be enough for the helmet, breastplate, and beaver you requested, but seen as your face is obscured, I would nearly have to charge more..." I sighed, already having thought that something like this would happen. I didn't want to risk being recognized by anyone due to my red hair and thus had bought myself a scarf that I had wrapped around my head. Thank god I was already large enough to look like a grown man, otherwise, it must have looked ridiculous. I did consider not paying the greedy man in front of me, but then slipped him ten more silver stags, the money I had earned through hard work in Grandview, Riverrun, and Tarrik's smithy.

"If I do pay for something like your silence, I can demand that you may color it black, no?" The man looked at me for a few moments but then nodded.

"Of course Ser, whatever you desire." As he had said those words I slipped my self-made chainmail hauberk and my arm and leg protections over to him, smiling slightly beneath the scarf.

"Good, then please give this black color too. I will return tomorrow and give you a chest plate that you will have to color as well, though it is going to arrive tomorrow, most likely in the evening." I turned to leave, but before I could I had changed my mind and quickly returned to the counter.

"Oh, there is something else..." I let another coin purse, this one smaller than the first collide with the table and looked at the man in front of me.

"Do you perhaps have a shield and any padded blunt weapons? Of the large kind, of course."