Chapter 11 15 страница

Just as the three ships were about to become close enough to reach out and touch one another, the colors on both galleons dropped while the sounds of dozens of bow strings snapping filled the air. Dozens of arrows arched up from each ship, aiming for the deck of the Sea Wolf. " Take cover! " Ser Manderly shouted, only for Nox to calmly turn around and raise his hand towards the sky.

All the arrows that'd been in flight just…stopped. Everyone, save for those who'd seen what he could do, stared awestruck at his display of power. Then, as if he were a puppet master pulling on strings, Nox turned his hand around and every arrow that'd been launched their way turned as well, pointing back towards where they came from. A snap of Nox's fingers, and the arrows shot off like they'd been launched from crossbows. Screams of fear and pain came from the two attacking galleons as the men onboard were suddenly trying to hide behind whatever they could to protect themselves from their own barrage of arrows. " Well? " Nox asked, turning his head around as the crew all stood, awestruck by his sudden display of power. " Return fire already, or I might just decide to use the lot of you as projectiles next time. "

The threat was enough to spur the men onboard to rise from their hiding places and begin returning fire with their own arrows. Gripping her axes tightly, Asha grabbed a rope and hook that was nearby and waited for the ship to get close enough for her to board. Nox however didn't bother to wait as he walked to railing on the opposite side of the ship from her, completely unfazed by the arrows passing close to him. Had she not seen what she saw in Valyria, she would've sworn that she was drunk. But, having already experienced just what Nox could do, what happened next didn't even phase her.

She could feel the air grow colder as Nox held out his hand towards the ship on their port side, his fist closed tightly as if he were grasping hold of something. Sailors on both galleons and even on the Sea Wolf all cried out in fear as the galleon started to rise. The ship rose steadily into the air until the hull was completely clear of the water and above even the deck of the Sea Wolf. Then, without saying a word, Nox rotated his closed fist. The ship rolled in response, flipping over slowly as the men onboard cried out and screamed in fear as they clutched onto whatever they could as the ship was turned upside down in the air. Once the ship had been fully rotated, Nox opened his hand, and the ship crashed mast first into the seawater, crushing all of those who couldn't get out of the way.

" Stop gawking like a bunch of greenboys seeing a freshly shaved cunt for the first time! " Asha yelled, smacking one of the archers onboard with the flat of her axe. " Keep firing at those fuckers before they get their shit together again! "

" Sorcerer! " Manderly cried. " Ahead on our starboard side! Six longboats coming out from the Stepstones! "

" Well, they didn't waste any time, did they? " Nox asked, turning his back on the sinking ship he'd overturned with next to no apparent effort. " Plan stays the same. Asha, Jon, go and claim that galleon. I'll help deal with the longboats. "

" Yes Master, " Jon nodded, as did Asha only leaving out the whole 'Master' comment.

As Nox walked away towards the bow of the ship, Asha could no longer hold herself back. 'Fuck this! This is taking too damn long! ' Dropping the rope and ignoring the others, she took off as fast as she could towards the railing. Using what little power she had to strengthen her muscles, she planted one foot onto the railing and pushed off as hard as she could. The air passed her by in a rush, rustling her hair as she jumped off the Sea Wolf and towards the deck of the remaining galleon. The moment her feet touched the hardwood decking, she tucked her head and rolled to soften the impact of the landing. Coming out of her roll, she shot up to her feet, both axes in her hands ready for the first poor fool that thought they could get the better of her.

She didn't have to wait long as the first of her soon to be victims ran at her with a worn saber raised high. But before he could reach her, he was suddenly launched off his feet and thrown over the side of the ship. " Damn it all, Jon! " she yelled, spying the bastard boy land on the deck right next to her. " He was mine! "

The young man shook his head and motioned towards the rest of the attacking crew, who were all staring at the two of them with wide eyes and shaking weapons. " There's plenty more here for you. "

" True, " Asha smirked maliciously as she revealed in the fight to come. " Whatever this 'advantage' is that Nox says you have, you might want to bring it out. Either that or get your pretty ass back on the Sea Wolf and leave these fuckers to me. "

" As you wish, " Jon said, reaching into the leather pouch at his side.

She wasn't sure what she'd been expecting Jon's so-called advantage to be, but it certainly wasn't what she was seeing now. A long cylinder like an eyeglass, only silver and black in coloring. She didn't even need to ask to know what it was, even though there was only one other like it she'd ever even heard of. 'No, it's impossible! Then…he can make more? ' Any doubts to just what Jon was holding were firmly put to rest as Jon's hand twitched and a pure as snow white blade emerged from the hilt in his hands. The blade humming as it cut through the air.

" Well then Asha, " Jon smirked, holding his blade in front of his face before sweeping it down and to his right. " Shall we begin? "

Leaping headfirst into the fray, Jon brought his lightsaber down on the nearest unsuspecting pirate. The idiot tried to bring the club he was holding up to block Jon's attack, but the lightsaber cut clean through the club and the man that'd been holding it. Not breaking stride, Jon dodged sideways, avoiding a thrust from a saber before retaliating by thrusting his lightsaber through the man's neck.

" Fuck this! " Asha screamed, slapping her chest with the flat of her axe, " I'm not about to let some pretty Northerner with a fancy sword show up a true Ironborn on the seas! "

Rushing forward, Asha focused on one of the fools that obviously thought Jon was the bigger threat and therefore had turned his back on her. Raising the axe in her right hand, she bought the Valyrian steel down with enough force to split the man's skull wide open and spill his brains out onto the decking. Her axe still logged in what was left of the man's skull, Asha parried a wild swing with the axe in her left before kicking the dead fool in the back to free her axe.

Time lost meaning as she stood back to back with Jon as the two of them methodically worked their way through the men onboard the galleon. 'Amateurs, the lot of them, ' Asha nearly spat as she cut down another would-be raider, her eleventh since she stepped foot onto the galleon. 'Attacking a superior vessel in full daylight, pathetic. At least they came with a full crew and multiple ships. But still, in the end, their numbers mean nothing against a true Ironborn! '

After cutting down two more, Asha held her bloody axes ready for her next opponent, only to discover to her utmost surprise that were none left. Everyone who had been onboard the galleon were dead. Be it from her axes, Jon's fancy new blade, or from the archers perched up on the Sea Wolf.

" Damn, " Asha muttered lowering her guard slightly. " And here I was hoping for an ac—"

Something solid struck her side, and it took her a moment realize that the 'something' was in fact Jon's hand. " What the fuck Jon! " she cursed, scrambling to get back to her feet, " What the fuck ar-"

The words died in her throat as she saw a crossbow bolt still quivering in the mast of the galleon. Which just so happened to be right where her head would've been had Jon not knocked her out of the way when he did. " Fuck, thought I had the bitch with that one. "

Turning to the source of the voice, Asha found who she could only assume was the captain of the galleon. The man had a darker shade of skin and was wearing a ridiculous looking overcoat with a discarded crossbow at his feet and a saber in his hand. " Well, perhaps tis better this way. I get to kill the boy, take his fancy sword, and then go balls deep in your ass, girl, before selling you off to the highest bidder. "

Growling, Asha leapt up to her feet, firmly intending to end the fucker. Only for Jon's outstretched arm to stop her. " There is no point in continuing this, " Jon said. " Your men are dead. And the rest of your fleet is destroyed or surrendered. There is no point in continuing this. "

Blinking, Asha risked a glance over her shoulder. Sure enough, the longboats that had descended upon the Sea Wolf were either sunk, sinking, or had sailors from the Wolf scouring across their decks and roping prisoners together. 'Fuck me, just how long were Jon and I at it? '

The captain merely chuckled. " You think I don't know that, boy? But I still have some crew left below deck, useless dregs, but they will serve their purpose of getting me back to holdings. But I'm not about to run away without some form of compensation. And as I said, I've taken a fancy to your sword and the woman you fight alongside. So, I think I'll be taking you both. "

" Jon, " Asha said, using her bloodied axe in her right hand to push the bastard aside. " Step aside. This fucker is mine. "

Jon spared her a glance, but she didn't look back at him, her focus only on the captain before her. 'This fucker wants to claim me through the iron price…So be it! I'll teach him what it means to pay that price! '

Reaffirming her grip, she shifted her weight onto the balls of her feet and shot forward towards the captain without warning. When she was within arm's reach, the captain lunged forward, his saber aiming for the center of her chest. Throwing her chest back, she slid feet first across the deck, her axes swiping at the man's leg as she passed. The captain just barely managed to evade her, but the move cost him precious time. Time in which she was able to get back to her feet and engage him once more. The captain was skilled, there was no doubt about that. His strikes were quick, accurate, and used as little motion as possible to conserve his energy. But compared to her normal sparing partners; namely Nox, Jon, Robb and recently Oberyn, the man might as well have been as mobile as stone for all the swiftness he showed.

All too soon, the captain made his mistake by performing an ill-advised lunge into an opening Asha had purposely presented. Dodging to her left, she brought her right axe around and buried it into his sword hand. As the man was still screaming in pain, she followed up by kneecapping him with her left axe. Then once he was on his knees, she let go of her left axe and brought her right above her head and held it in both hands. With a yell, she brought the Valyrian steel down onto the top of the man's skull. The axe cut clean through his skull and neck, stopping only when the handle ended up getting caught on the top of the man's chest.

" Balls deep in me, will you!? " she shouted, spitting on the man's corpse. " There's only one man that I would let touch me like that, and you are not fucking him! "

Wrenching her left axe free from the man's knee, she took several deep breaths to calm herself before turning and facing Jon. The bastard was staring at her with wide eyes as he looked back and forth between her and the man she'd partially split in two with a throwing axe. " What? " She glared, to which Jon merely shook his head.

" Nothing, " he said, looking around the galleon. " I think that's all of them. Let's tie this ship onto the Sea Wolf and head back to Lord Nox. "

By the time Asha and Jon found themselves back aboard the Sea Wolf, the sun was nearing the horizon. The massacre, for that had been exactly what it was, had been over relatively quickly, but the cleanup had taken some time. In all, the pirates had attacked them with two fully crewed galleons and six longships. Of those, one galleon was now resting on the bottom of the sea along with four of the longships. The vessels that had survived were now tied off onto the Sea Wolf. The surviving members of the various crews, perhaps only fifty in total, stood onboard the Sea Wolf bound together into two rows with barely any space between them while around them the men of the North jeered and laughed at their pathetic attack. And sitting before the prisoners, remaining completely stoic was none other than Nox, flanked on either side by herself and Jon while the fat Manderly paced in front of the prisoners.

" You men stand accused of the crime of piracy, " Ser Manderly bellowed, his girth jiggling slightly as he paced in front of the prisoners. " Under the orders of King Robert of House Baratheon, First of his Name, Protector of the Andals and the First Men; the penalty for piracy is-"

" Fuck your fat king! " one of the men near the end spat. " The Narrow Sea is ruled by no man! Not your king! Not your gods forsaken demon you have tamed! You have no right to ju- ah! "

The sound of bones breaking filled the air as the prisoner who'd spoken arched up onto his toes, his eyes rolling into the back of his head as he gasped for air until his neck snapped at an unnatural angle and he fell to the ground dead.

" Anyone else feel like speaking up? " Nox asked, his hand held out in a tight fist. " No? Come now, surely one of you have an opinion on the matter at hand. So, speak up. You might not get another chance. "

None of the prisoners said a word. Not even when Nox rose to his feet and approached them. Unless one could consider whimpering and pissing their pants as saying something. " No? Nothing? Well then, Ser Manderly, please continue. "

Still staring at the corpse, Manderly had to visibly shake himself. " Right, um…You are all guilty of the crime of piracy. The penalty for which is dependent on the severity of your crimes. You will be either flogged, sent to take the Black, or put to death. "

" There is no need to judge based on the severity of their crimes, Ser Manderly, " Nox cut in, pulling out the captains log that Asha had taken from the surviving galleon. " According to the recently departed captain, this little fleet has been working together for over a year now. Raiding and pillaging the trade lines around the Stepstones, and you even managed to capture and kill an entire Dornish crew. Tsk tsk…not very smart. "

Watching as Nox put his hands behind his back, Asha felt the familiar warmth spread through her body and pool in her nether regions as she watched Nox utterly destroy the fools before him. 'By the Drowned God…I respect Nyra far too much to poach on her territory…But if they ever gave me the chance, I would gladly give every first I have to this man! '

" You are all guilty of rape, murder, pillaging, torture, and of selling people into slavery, " Nox stated, walking up and down the line of prisoners. " Not a single one of you is innocent in these crimes. And there is only one fate awaiting you. "

At this, several of the prisoners wet themselves as many more began to whimper and a few even started to openly beg for mercy. " But, " Nox stated, holding up his hand. " I am not a wasteful man. I see an opportunity here to help alleviate some of the issues surrounding the Stepstones. So, in the interest of making things better for trade in the future, I've decided to go about a different route. Tell me, Asha, how many would it take to sail one of the longboats back to where it makes berth? "

She hadn't been expected to be called on, so she had to fight back the blush that she knew was forming as she was torn from her fantasy of Nox bending her over the railing and having his way with her. " Five would suffice. It would be difficult, but doable. "

" Five, very well, " Nox nodded, walking up and down the line. " This one. That one. Those two and the one at the end that pissed and shit himself. Release them. "

The five Nox pointed to were all cut from their bindings and moved away from the rest. " You five, " Nox stated. " Will be delivering our message to any other pirates that call the Stepstones their home. And this…this is our message. "

Nox moved so fast that Asha could barely follow him. One moment he was standing at one end of the line of prisoners with his back turned towards them. And the next he had his fire-sword drawn and as turning towards the prisoners. Only he didn't strike the nearest prisoner down. No. He threw his sword. The blade spun in a tight circle, cutting through the prisoners' necks one after another until it reached the end of the line. And then it simply stopped moving and flew back to Nox's waiting hand. By the time the first body hit the deck, Nox had killed all fifty or so prisoners and sheathed his sword.

" Ser Manderly, " Nox called out as the five chosen prisoners proceeded to piss and shit themselves as they were approached by the Northerners. " Load the heads onto the more damaged longboat and then throw these five onto it. As for you lot, you get to leave with your lives today. But do not mistake this as mercy. You will deliver the heads of your fallen to whoever you call a leader and tell them that should there be any more pirate attacks on the trade lines between Essos and Westeros, I will personally sweep through the Stepstones. And I will not be merciful a second time. Oh, and should any of you get the bright idea of throwing the heads overboard once you're out of sight, don't. I will know if you do. And you will suffer in agony for hours before I allow you to die. Do not test me on this. Now, get out of my sight. "

As the prisoners and heads were loaded onto one of the longboats, Asha sidled up next to Nox. " Can you really do that? Know if they throw the heads overboard and kill them from a distance. "

To her surprise, Nox just shrugged. " Eh, I probably could if I wanted too. But I'm not going too. There's no need as they believe that I can kill them from here. And there is a lesson for you, Asha. It doesn't necessarily matter what you can do. It matters what people believe you can do. "

Pondering his words, Asha watched dispassionately as the surviving pirates were set upon their way with the shipload of heads. Once they were on their way, Asha made her way back towards the helm where Manderly and Nox were discussing what to do with the remaining longboat and galleon they had tied off to the Sea Wolf.

" Shame to leave them behind, " Manderly was saying as she arrived. " They might be pirate vessels, but they are well made. "

" Then there's no reason to leave them behind, " Nox replied. " We can tow the longboat behind the Sea Wolf easily to Dorne with us. Perhaps the Martells will be interested in purchasing it off us. As for the galleon…Asha, you have captaincy of the galleon until we return to the North. "

Her mind froze. " What? "

" Did I stutter? " Nox asked. " I said that you have captaincy of the galleon until we return North. After that…perhaps you could talk to Lord Stark and try and convince him to allow you to keep it as name-day present or something of the like. Either way, for now the ship is yours. "

Nox turned back and continued speaking with Manderly, but Asha didn't care. Her attention was solely and only on the galleon tied off onto the Sea Wolf. A ship. Her ship. One she'd earned through the iron price. 'The moment Nyra says I can share their bed…I'm going to show them both a passion greater than the sea! '

After the brief distraction provided by the incredibly ill-conceived attack by the pirates of the Stepstones, the rest of the voyage by sea towards Sunspear was relatively peaceful. Those that'd been afflicted with greyscale had made a full recovery and, in general, the moral of the ship was extremely high. After all, they had just succeeded in doing something no one in the past four-centuries could claim to have done. Made their way to the very heart of the ruins of Valyria and live to return and tell the tale. And the fact that they could now see the impressive structure of the Sunspear, the walled city that served as the seat of House Martell and the capital of Dorne, the moral had skyrocketed with the knowledge that they were truly back in familiar waters.

" I don't suppose that I could convince you to stay any longer than just a night at most, my friend? " Prince Oberyn asked as he sauntered up next to him, his Valyrian spear resting against his shoulder as the Sea Wolf slowly made its way into the harbor on the south side of the city. " I know that my brother, niece, nephews, and my daughters are all very excited to meet you. "

" The offer is tempting Oberyn, " Nox replied, mildly shocked that he'd meant the sentiment. " But I fear that we cannot afford more than a night at most. The men of the Sea Wolf are of the North, and it has been little over six moons since we left White Harbor. They are anxious to return to their homes and their families. "

He could tell that Oberyn was giving him a sidelong glance. " You don't fool me, my friend. You've been anxious ever since we put the Stepstones to our backs. The men and women onboard are not the only ones anxious to return to the warmth of their ladies back home. I wouldn't be surprised if your lady Nyra will be walking bowlegged for some time after you return to her. "

Nox didn't deny the accusation, because Oberyn was right. The ache of not having Nyra by his side was starting to worsen the longer he was away from her. And what wasn't helping matters was the strange sensations he kept getting from the Force every time he tried to meditate with her in mind. Something had happened. He didn't know what is was or even if it had or had not happened just yet, but some sort of change was happening around Nyra that he couldn't see. It was starting to frustrate him to no end. Not to mention, ever since they destroyed the false god in Valyria, aspects of his foresight had started to darken. He was unable to come up with an explanation as for why that might've been. And on top of all those things, Oberyn was also correct in that he missed Nyra's warmth. After all, it had been over six months and would probably be another month at best before they made landfall in the North. Besides, listening to Oberyn and Ellaria – night after night – was starting to wear down on even his self-control.

Putting thoughts of Nyra and his inevitable return North to the side, Nox focused his sight instead on the walled city before them. It was truly an impressive sight to behold, as he was starting to become accustomed to in this world. Honestly, the sheer architectural genius of almost every city or keep he'd encountered during his years on this world could make even the most skilled amongst the Empire seem like floundering incompetents.

Sunspear was a walled city that was composed of three massive winding walls which encircled one another which protected miles of roadways all condensed tightly together. Honestly, it would be insanely difficult to take the city if one were to try. Three sides of the city were surrounded by the bay while the only access point by land was protected by a secondary city just outside the walls. Shadow City, he believed Oberyn called it. Even if an invading army were to breach the first wall, they would have to either choose scaling the next several layers of walls or traversing the miles labyrinth roadways between the walls. Neither of which were pleasant options. But the city wasn't just built to protect against invaders. It was also built to withstand the harsh weather of the desert which covered most of Dorne.

" Well, it seems that our arrival will not be a quiet one, " Oberyn sighed, nodding towards the docks the Sea Wolf was being guided towards so they could tie off. " That man there is Ser Manfrey Martell, my cousin and the Castellan of Sunspear. "

" Does this mean that your brother knows that you're on board? " Nox asked.

" More than likely, " Oberyn conceded. " The crew I brought with me to Essos likely returned some weeks ago and informed my brother about my decision to accompany you on your little excursion. No doubt he has quite the berating waiting for me the moment I enter his presence once more. Well, no time like the present, as they say. "

As the ship was tied off and the gangplank lowered, Nox and Oberyn were quickly joined by Ellaria, Obara, and Jon. Once all together, the group made their way off the ship and towards the growing crowd of people who were staring at the Sea Wolf with awe. At the head of the crowd was a man who resembled Oberyn greatly, though he was a bit stockier than the Prince of Dorne and was wearing a set of what looked like ornamental armor complete with a sword at his waist. Oberyn, ever one for the dramatic, embraced the man with a flourish and a kiss to either cheek. " Ah, dear cousin Manfrey! I wasn't expecting the castellan of Sunspear to greet me in person! Are my brother and beloved niece and nephew resting at the Water Gardens? "

" Prince Oberyn, welcome home, " the man returned the greeting cordially before his eyes flickered briefly towards himself and Jon, an air of suspicion growing around him as he did so. " And, no, Prince Doran and his children have not gone to the Water Gardens, so you cannot postpone your fate this time. "

Oberyn didn't appear to be phased at all by the not-so-veiled threat, but he did notice the curious glance that'd been sent towards Nox and Jon. " Ah, forgive me! I forgot to introduce my new friends and guests of Dorne! This is Lord Alim Nox, the Northern Sorcerer, the Slayer of Ser Armory Lorch. And the young man beside him is his Apprentice, the bastard son of Lord Eddard Stark, Jon Snow. "

Whatever curiosity remained in Oberyn's cousin disappeared immediately and was replaced by an all-too-familiar sensation of fear and awe. " Lord Sorcerer? " Ser Manfrey gaped, while around them the crowd started breaking out into loud whispers as people began jostling for position to see what was going on. " I – We were not expecting you to arrive and – and in the presence of our wayward Prince, no less. "

Used to the reaction his presence could cause from his time traveling the Empire, Nox merely waved off the man's concern. " There is no cause for concern, Ser Manfrey. Prince Oberyn has been a most interesting and amusing traveling companion for these last few weeks. And good spear to have at one's side when it is needed. "

The stench of fear remained within the man, but at least it had lessened slightly. " Yes, well, umm…If you would please follow me, my Lord, Prince Oberyn, I will lead you to where Prince Doran is waiting. "

Falling in step beside Oberyn, Nox kept his senses on high as the group made their way off the docks and towards the towering walls that protected Sunspear. " Normally, I would take the time to show you and young Jon all the delights our fair city has to offer, " Oberyn explained as they walked along the edge of the first wall before coming upon a massive gate. " But, as I know you are pressed for time, we shall be taking the Threefold Gate path directly to the Old Palace to meet with my brother. "

The city itself was mightily impressive. At a rough estimate, the entire area of Sunspear was only slightly larger than Winterfell, but thanks to what he could only describe as incredible city planning, they would be able to fit the entire population of Winterfell and Winter Town within the walls of Sunspear several times over and still have room to spare. The culture was also vastly different, such that he felt that the Dornish had more in common with the people of Volantis than they did with the people of the North. 'It's understandable, ' he thought as they passed through a bazaar where peddlers, whores, fire-dancers, and mummers plied their trades. 'Westeros is huge, and Sunspear is about as far as one can get from the North and still claim to be on Westeros soil. Still, such vast difference in cultures…The literature I've read does not do it justice. I feel I'm going to have to start taking trips around Westeros to get a better idea of the cultural and political climate I now find myself stuck in. If only there were faster methods of travel…Well, there are. But they've yet to be invented here yet. Perhaps I'll have to start planting the theories behind internal combustion or steam engines in the minds of my students at the Winterfell College. As I really don't feel like spending the rest of my life on horseback trying to get from one city to the next. '

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