personal6

Chapter 7Notes:(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter TextLannisport - 43 AC

I'd forgotten what it had been like to live in a city.

Weird, I know, but eleven years of living in a medieval castle will do that to you. I'd spent nearly all my time in the keep of Faircastle, or the nearby town of Fairport. Keep in mind that Fairport is a minor town at best, with about two or three thousand permanent residents, and another thousand more visitors from across the Sunset Sea and beyond.

Lannisport was about three hundred thousand, not to mention the towering presence of Casterly Rock in the distance. And by the way, it looked just as mediocre as it did in Game of Thrones. I had been hoping for a more book-friendly interpretation. Oh well.

Anyways, the sheer stench is what hit me first. We've all heard about the smell of King's Landing, but I hadn't realized up until now that it was all cities in the Seven Kingdoms that smelled, and it was simply King's Landing that was the worst offender. Lannisport smelled of fish, with hints of oil and perfumes. It wasn't entirely unpleasant, but by and large, it wasn't somewhere I wanted to stay.

Luckily, I wasn't going to. The same coin purse that had funded my glassworking exploits had expanded afterward, much of the income from that venture having gone back to me. Not all of it. Not even most of it. My grandfather may have liked to indulge my ideas and he might have trusted me more than the average child, but there was no way that thousands of Gold Dragons of compiled income would be given to a boy of eleven namedays.

That said, I still had a considerable sum that I could draw on in times of need. Such as now.

Lannisport's merchants sold the majority of their wares near the docks, so all the sailors offloading for the night could spend to their heart's content, and with easy access. This facilitated my task as well, for several reasons.

I knew that I couldn't save my family all by myself. I may have the knowledge of what was to come and my martial skills were on par with weak adults, but I was just one child half a continent away from the action. The trip to Harrenhal alone would take tremendous effort, and any changes I hoped to make during the coming battle would require extreme precision. I had to play this carefully, from start to finish.

Food would be a requirement and the rations I'd stuffed into a sack on Fair Isle wouldn't cut it long-term. I probably had enough to feed myself for two weeks as of now, but that amount wouldn't last me to the Golden Tooth, much less anywhere in the Riverlands. I needed more.

Luckily, that could be found in Lannisport's markets, and to great variety. I got a fuck ton of dried fish, fruits, bread, and more, although I avoided cheeses and the like due to my dairy allergy. I made sure to purchase some high-quality wine as well. Alcohol laws in Westeros aren't as strict as 21st century Canada. Go figure.

Afterward, I made my way over to one of Lannisport's many inns, walking with as much confidence as I could. I'd taken some dirt and rubbed it across my cheeks and under my eyes, attempting to add some slight age to my rather youthful appearance. I squared my jaw and entered.

As per Westerlands custom, the inn was emblazoned with a lion crest, and some rusty letters above the door read The Lion's Cave . True to its name, the place was somewhat built into a hill and was of above-average quality. The place's windows had been filled with glass (likely glass that I'd produced), and the owner had been able to afford a design with varied colors.

Upon entry, I found the place to be exactly what I was looking for. A host of armed and dangerous-looking characters filled the tavern, with scattered Lannisport guardsmen and men-at-arms amongst them. I could see a dozen or so different hedge knights and their sigils, as well as a tough-looking man with a Tarbeck star on his shoulder.

I approached the bar at the end of the room, passing by well-made tables of oak and birch. I got a few odd looks, likely due to my age, but I steadfastly ignored them. Taking a seat on the stools, I regarded the innkeeper.

"Excuse me. I require service."

The old, crusty-looking man behind the bar sidled up to me, but not looking in my general direction. Upon inspection, I noticed that his eyes had the milky quality that I'd seen in a few blind people in my previous life. The man grunted. "Good morrow to you, lad. How may I be of assistance?"

"I'm seeking room and board for the night." I gave him what I hoped was a charming smile. "What is the cheapest room that I can afford?"

The man grunted. "We could stuff ya in the cellar if ye were interested. There might be a few rats around, though."

I paused, thinking pensively. I'd just spent a few days in the hull of a ship. One more night of similar conditions wouldn't hurt me. "Yes, that would be excellent. Thank you. How much?"

"For the cellar? Five pennies, methinks. Can ye afford that?" He had a mocking hint to his tone, but that wasn't an issue. This man wasn't anyone worth getting annoyed over.

I paid him, making sure to count up the pennies slowly, doing my best to limit his perception of my wealth. If he thought I was some rich lordling, he'd fleece me for everything I was worth. I'd prefer to avoid that if I could.

After I paid, he got up and showed me where I would be staying. It was as dingy as you'd expect, but it was something I was used to from my past life. The employee's side of a Harveys wasn't even near luxury, let me tell you. This wouldn't be a problem.

It was about an hour or so later when I left the cellar, having hung my stuff off of the ground to stop the rats from getting at it. I'd taken a rope and tied one end of it to a support beam, and tied the other end to my rucksack. I was pretty confident in my food's safety after that point.

Going back upstairs to the main room of the inn, I surveyed the assorted patrons. They were all of the militaristic variety, but there was an obvious difference in quality. By and large, the men-at-arms and city watch of Lannisport were the best equipped, but there were a few outlying hedge knights that stood out of the inn's roughly two dozen inhabitants.

The Tarbeck knight from earlier was certainly one of them. He had a loutish look to him, with a shovel-like jaw, blue eyes, and wild black hair. He also was clean, which to say was a great deal better than a good many of the others.

Another man, a tall knight in full plate and a hood caught my attention. The sigil of House Oakenshield boldly proclaimed itself on the man's back, and I could see a deadly-looking axe resting at the man's feet. I couldn't see any facial features, but the knight had to be the lankiest person I'd ever seen.

Third among the men who'd piqued my interest was a ridiculously handsome man in rather light armor. He was seated at one of the central tables and was running a game of cards with some others. He had short-cropped blond hair and a chin that could cut through steel, and eyes that twinkled with mischief. Blondie also had a wiry frame that sang of casual confidence, a posture that reminded me of when I'd seen a lion sunning itself at the zoo.

Now, you might be wondering why I was inspecting the patrons of The Lion's Cave with such interest. Well, you see, my status as a literal child wasn't going to be super helpful on my trip, and I needed someone to back me up. Someone without any stake in the game. Someone loyal to me.

I needed a goon.

Deciding, I marched myself over to the little corner booth where the lanky knight sat and plopped myself down. I nodded to the man across from me and didn't say a word.

For a minute or two, nothing was said between us. I took a minute to drink a bit out of my waterskin, and tear into a piece of hard tack. While I was forcing myself to chew, the knight began to speak.

"Are you lost?"

The knight spoke slowly as if he were considering every word he said. There was also a timbre to the man's voice that I couldn't quite place. It wasn't unpleasant, though.

After swallowing, I cleared my throat. "No, I don't think so. I'm exactly where I need to be."

I received a baleful glare in return, and the knight shifted in such a way that I could begin to see the features on his face. He was clean-shaven, with high cheekbones and sea-green eyes. A sharp chin, too, but not nearly as slicing as the man who gamboled about somewhere behind me.

"Not quite sure why a child would need to be here, but suit yerself. Just tell me what you want, and git. I don't need you as my squire."

"That's fine. I don't want to be your squire." I paused, wincing at the slight amount of annoyance that brought in the man. I quickly corrected myself. "That isn't to say that it wouldn't be an honor, ser, it's just that I had something else in mind. I want to be your employer."

At that, the knight let out a soft chuckle and leaned forward. "Is that so? And how do you propose you can afford me?"

I gave what I hoped was a wolfish grin, and laid out a golden dragon on the table between us. I pulled my hand back, feeling pretty slick. That feeling changed when the knight's fist whipped forward to close over the coin and flicked back at the same speed. "Are you an idiot, boy, or do you just act like one? Don't be showin' off coin like that 'round here!"

"Sorry, sorry." I withdrew, raising my hands in surrender. "My mistake. But it doesn't detract from my message. I do want to hire you."

The knight took a look down the bottom of their flagon, and then regarded me skeptically. "I can't be bought for just one dragon."

"I have more." Oh, wait he might just rob me. "Elsewhere. I can get it to you, and I also have a regular income of my own."

"What, you some merchant's kid?"

"Something like that." I paused and looked the knight up and down. "And I don't think you can afford to be that picky if you're even considering working for someone my age."

"Aye, ye be right in that." He finished off his drink. "What's the job?"

I told him.

Notes:So that's chapter 7.

For those who aren't aware, the Golden Tooth is the border castle that guards the pass out of the Westerlands into the Riverlands. It's pretty close to Riverrun, and the seat of House Lefford. The more you know.