AGOT - Winter is Coming - Solo - Chapter 1 & 2

[Widowmaker]

You drift to sleep rather quickly, the wine helps the sleep come even faster and easier than you thought.

You are awakened by the sound of your men screaming and shouting. Your large pavalion tent is on fire. Men are screaming orders. The smell of burnt flesh and hair sticks in the hair so thick it makes you want to vomit.

Eon comes running in his clothes are singed and burnt. The entire left side of his body is black and burnt. Smoke comes off of his clothing and skin. He reeks of burnt flesh, you almost gag from the smell. He has a distant look in his eyes. "We must get out, go.. go!!!"

You run out of the tent. You see bodies burning and others thrashing about on the ground, trying to roll out of the fire. Others are grabbing buckets of sand and water to put out the fire. You can see it is useless the fire will consume the tent in a matter of minutes. You scream at the men to get out but they ignore you.

As you make it to the cool night air, you see Brandon laying on the ground obviousley dead. Jeremiah sits next to him crying. The entire tent appears in flames, it is only a matter of time before the tent collapse on you. A huge fireball roars out of the tent. The heat is enough to make you flinch.

From somewhere nearby behind you, you hear a familiar sinster laugh. You turn to see the shape of a huge red dragon. Sitting upon the dragon is Viserys Targaryen. He looks at you and laughs. "Look at the Wolves scramble and run. Ha ha haaa!!!" He laughs even more.

The heat of the fire is gone. All you can feel is ice running through your veins.

The dragon roars to life and spreads it wings. The wings are massive, extending beyond belief. The dragon spews a fireball from its mouth. The fireball consumes the tent even more. The flames roar past you and consume you.

But nothing happens, all you feel is the cold ice running through your body. When you look around. Eon, Jeremiah, Tyler, and Brandon are nothing but dust.

"And now the final stroke!!!" Viserys states with an evil hiss. You turn and see Tanya standing in a clearing all by herself. Viserys controls the dragon. It takes two steps and reaches it long neck down and opens its mouth. The dragon consumes Tanya in one bite. You hear her scream "Karrwinnnn....."

You wake looking around realizing it was a dream. You are drenched in sweat, but oddly you feel no chill. In fact you feel ice running through your veins.

 

[Widowmaker]

After some morning actvties Jeremiah comes to see you. "I have sent the raven. It should reach your father in four or five days. If they respond right away it will still be nine to ten days, if we are still here."

"Is everything alright you look a little pale?" Jeremiah states as he looks at you with concern.

Etiquette dicates that you appear at the lists this morning. As the morning wanes, the List has been quite active. Many a knight has been unhorsed or wounded. Most of them just spurred knights. As you watch the jousting you feel a sense of battle, but yet not. Things are too organized and controlled. You have heard battle is chaotic and uncontrolled.

You feel the presence of someone standing over you, as you look back you see Lord Thommas standing behind you. “You care to walk with me Karrwin …. Please.” He says the last bit nodding his head and motioning for you to lead. You feel a change in the man, he is quite sincere.

The first few moments are quiet, then Lord Thommas speaks. “About last night, please forgive my deception. I needed the chance to see who you really were and see how far you would go. I know politics and its game are not looked favorably in the North, but here it is how you survive.”

“Let me tell you a story. Once there was a just spurred knight who thought that he could conquer the world. He was pompous and arrogant. He thought others should bow to him, especially those that were not knights. He met a young lordling, he felt insulted, what the insult was no one knows. But the lordling was of the North, he was neither a knight and nor a lord yet. So he challenged the man to a fight. The man from the North refused and refused. Finally the knight decided he would better the man in anyway possible. He lived for revenge.”

“One day he received a raven with a simple message ‘Know thy self!’ Nothing else, three words. At first the knight thought it a joke. But over time those words echoed in his head. He finally realized the wisdom of those words. Since that time those two have been fast friends, yet there friendship is not well known.”

“Those two men were your father and I. Your father was about my age, a little younger. And I was about your age. Your father stayed in the South for a little while and I learned many a thing from him. Especially never to underestimate or overestimate an enemy or an ally. He told me ‘Know thy enemy and know thy friend.’”

“I doubt your father has mentioned this. We chose a long time ago to keep our friendship quiet. We both gain many things by others not knowing. Why do you think Ser Stuart is in the North. I value your father’s wisdom and teachings. Ser Stuart shall one day be my heir. My own sons are long dead and my daughter is married to a fop.”

“So as you can see I would like to extend my friendship to you.” Lord Thommas states.

“As to answer your questions from last night. I have placed wagers on Lord Leo. He is strong, quick, and decisive. There are not many better with a sword or lance than he. As to the rebellion – you are correct if the King chooses to ignore talk of it, it will simply grow bigger and bigger.”

“To the rebellion more in a second. The King is no fool, but at the same time he is different everyday. I remember when the King was just and wise. But over the last season he has grown stranger and stranger. Some say it is the coupling of Targaryen brother to sister. They say the line is cursed.”

“Many of the younger and older lords still favor the King. Those of us in our middle age see the King has changed and not for the better. The young are enamored by the King, they think him a hero to be worshipped. And the old still remember his better days. People like your father and I have seen the changes the King has brought.”

“So as to the rebellion, it will happen. A catalyst is all that is needed. Soon brother will be fighting brother. The King has the option to save the Seven Kingdoms, but he won’t. He views the Kingdom as his and his alone.”

“Know this I stand against the King. I will not publicly cry it, but just as your family has suffered because of the King so has mine. To the other question I know you are thinking. Is Daemon Blackfyre to be trusted?”

“That you have to answer for yourself. I think he is honorable and just, but at the same time he comes from the same loins as our King. I guess I choose the lesser of two evils.”

“As to other matters. I know you would like to court the Lady Tanya. Know this her father is cunning and ambitious. Although not the smartest. He wishes to be Hand. He dislikes you and plots against you. Why I do not know. I know he has a common friend of Viserys. They both wish to kill you.”

“The Redwyne man you are looking for is Ser Jacen Webber. He is a knight in the service of House Redwyne. He set sail with a message for Pyke. He shall return this afternoon and speak to Lord Allister right away, he will then seek out his companions. By nightfall he will be drunk and in the tents looking for women.”

“So when I said last night that you will need my help I was not lying. When the time comes you will have to explain this all to Tanya. If you don’t you will lose her to her father. You have to believe me I have been in your boots before.”

“As to when that time is I don’t know. You will just know. I missed my chance. I thought I could beat the odds and ultimately I was wrong. It cost me very dearly.”

“When the time comes the knights of House Fossoway are here to serve you. And if you need a place to hide my castle is always available.”

You have walked for quite a while. It is almost noon before you have finished talking. It seems strange but you feel at ease with the man, while last night he had you on the edge.

 

[Starman]

I think I am slowly learning this game. I still don't trust this man. He is not as off-putting as last night, but that is just one more excuse to not trust him. He wears many cloaks. This one, too, could be false. He will have to earn my trust.

"Yes, games of state are not looked on favorably in the North. They seem to be an excuse for men to not act like men and to manipulate others to their own selfish ends. I am no fool, though, and I know that to survive here in the south, one must play the game.

"I appreciate your offer of friendship and your advice. I will take it all into consideration. Hopefully, I will not have to resort to hiding in your castle, but who knows what lies ahead?"

Are things really going to be that complicated with Tanya? She seems to like me. What could change that? Father always did say that a man could never really know what a woman was thinking.

"Thank you for your time, Lord Fossoway. I must take care of some things now. Perhaps we will speak later. Until then." Karrwin nods his head and departs.

He will track down Tyler and Eon and let them know about Jacen Webber. After that, he will look for Devan Lannister

 

[Widowmaker]

You find Tyler at the Baratheon tent. It does not take long and he leaves the group he is talking to and joins you. After he hears the news of Jacen Webber he departs, he stated he had some errands to run and something to the effect of drinking.

Eon is at Stark tent. He listens to the story on Jacen Webber, He says he will have two or three men follow the man around.

It takes sometime but you find Ser Devan at the Lannister tent. He is attending to his brother who is complaining of being unhorsed in the List. You hear part of the conversation "My armor does not fit right! The horse was poorly trained, it should havesuffered longer. The blasted steed reared and took a lance, I would say that beast if it were alive to be slaughter and killed." His brither goes stomping off half in his armor half not.

Ser Devan sees you after a few moment and nods. He actually seems relieved to see you, He walks over and claps you on the back "Join me for a beer!" He states demanding it more than asking.

 

[Starman]

"Of course," Karrwin says. After he gets his mug, he says to the knight, "Your brother seems in a foul mood. Is he not faring well?"

 

[Widowmaker]

OOC - I made a mistake in the previous post it was his brother Ser Tybolt not his cousin.

The two of you walk to a nearby pavalion tent with the flaps up. A small breeze makes the day more comfortable. The breeze blows the flies away and the smell of horses as well. Der Devan grabs three mugs of ale. He then sits down.

Ser Devan drinks his mug in two gulps and gets another. "My brother did not fair well in the List. He blames his equipment and his horse. Although I know it was his skill that causeed him to lose. He planted his lance in the ground, it up-ended the horse, which caused him to be an easy target for his oppenent a recently spurred knight." Ser Devan states with some concern and then laughs.

"I will not hear the end of it. Ser Tybolt wishes to be a warrior but does not practice. He expects it just to happen!" He finishes his secong mug.

"Enough of my problems. You came here without Brandon, is there something wrong?" Ser Devan looks at you.

 

[Starman]

"No. Brandon is off doing his own thing today. I wished to continue our conversation from the other day." Karrwin takes a drink of the beer. It is too early for something this strong, he thinks. He hesitates and then continues. "What do you think of the state of the realm at the moment?"

 

[Widowmaker]

Ser Devan looks up from his mug, you can see that the alcohol has cooled him down. "The Kingdom has its up's and down's. I care not much for the politics that the Lords play. I know I have one purpose and that is to fight, I am a simple knight. Unfortunelately I can not simply be a knight, I am a son and knight of House Lannister. If you ask my opinion I think the Kingdom will split into fighting sooner or later."

"Why do you ask?" He states, his eyes narrowing and a furrow on his brow.

 

[Starman]

"Because there is talk of rebellion. I don't want to see war come to the Seven Kingdoms, but it seems like it is more and more likely every day. What does your house think about it?" Karrwin asks.

 

[Widowmaker]

"There is always talk of rebellion. I guess now that you mention it, there has been more everyday. It is just one of those things." Ser Devan looks at you. "As to the Lannister view. The only thing we have is to gain. We cannot lose, we are the weakest house. I would say we will pick the strongest side."