Chapter 8 - Davos
Many changes occured on Stepstones with the fall of Dark Den, Davos wrote and put the quill inside the small glass bottle filled with ink to inspect what he has just wrote.
My skills have gotten a bit rusty, he thought as this was the first time he wrote something in several months following the sack of Bloodstone. He was preocuppied with treating the wounded. Elders, children even babes were wounded and even killed by the pirates. Young maester still remembered that day. They came from nowhere, surprising everyone, under leadership of Moreo Saan. Bloodstone was not defenseless, but pirates outnumbered them and it was known in these waters that Moreo Saan was not just an ordinary pirate.
A total hundred were killed during the sack of Bloodstone and another hundred enslaved, among them lord Roger's wife, lady Eglantine Wensington. In the end, lord Roger served justice to pirates. Dark Den was liberated, Saan pirate family suffered a great loss with death of pirate lord Moreo and his brothers, who were hanged in public. Remnants of the family escaped to Essos before liberation army reached Dark Den. It is worth mentioning that Moreo Saan was castrated and blinded before execution. Such is the punishment for the man responsible for the attack.
Maester put the quill down and placed fingers on his chin, further inspecting paragraph he just finished writing. His dark eyes scanned the paragaph.
''Good.'' he said and waited for ink to dry before closing the book. Davos stood up and walked out of his chambers, locking the door as he walked out. Even in lord Roger's mansion, consequences of pirate raid were still visible. A lot of furniture and decorations were missing since it was either destroyed during raid or stolen. But it wasn't even worth mentioning in comparison to the fisherman village on the shore and the small town that has slowly formed on the center of the island where lord Roger ruled. Houses were burned down, cattle was slaughtered, and much more. Recovery is a slow proccess in this case, but even so, Bloodstone is somehow making it through hard tiems. Walking through the hall, Davos' chain collar made a clattering sound as usual while he walked to main hall, where he found lord Roger dining with his most trusted advisors, newly raised lord Rupert Jaswell and Elys. The absence of lord Dale Carlet was quite distinguishable. A minor noble from Lannister was awarded with governing Dark Den mostly because of his administrating skills but also for having a network of informants in Westeros.
Arise Baldie the Second!
A man has already earned a moniker. Lord Roger said it as a joke but it sticked with him.
Baldie the Second, said Roger to which everyone present at the time laughed. A moniker he earned because of his bald head and a reason Rupert jokingly calls him brother.
As he walked closer to the dining table, he heard Elys saying, ''With liberation of Dark Den, my lord, treasury has almost doubled.''
''No doubt, Saan pirate family is known for ruling these waters for at least two hundred years. They were the wealthiest pirate family in these waters.'' Roger said and took a sip of wine. Davos read on the bottle
Arbor Gold. No doubt it was looted in Dark Den. Who else would have such a wine in these poor islands?
''After all, have you seen palace they've built on Dark Den, Elys?'' Rupert asked before reaching for bottle of Arbor Gold with his hand.
Elys nodded, stroking his beard with his left ''Aye, I have. A magnificent place, I dare say.''
''Maester Davos.'' Roger said as a greeting to Davos which made him realise he was just standing there listening to their conversation as a mere statue.
''My lord.'' Davos said bowing his head, taking the seat on the opposite side of the table. ''If I may ask, my lord, are there any news of lady Eglantine's whereabouts?''
Lord Reyne shook his head and took another sip of his wine ''No, Davos. There are no news. All we know is that she was sold to a slaver from Penthos who then managed to sell her to another slaver. Rupert discovered that man's home only to find him with his throat ripped out and the rest of his family murdered.''
''I failed to find the bastards who had her.'' Rupert said in angry tone, clenching his right fist.
''What is done is done.'' Roger said and sighed ''I can't say I love Eglantine, but I feel sorry for her, for what she has to endure. I feel remorse for I've been a bad husband. I wasn't here when she needed me the most. When my unborn child needed me the most.''
Grim silence conquered the room, with everyone's look going down or anywhere else evading lord's gaze. Davos remembered when lord Roger returned to Bloodstone from Sunstone, his vengeful expression and rush to kill all the pirates in Dark Den. That was the first time Davos saw his lord in that state. And he was
afraid. He felt the chills run down his spine and would be anywhere on this world but near his lord. It was well known that Roger was ruthless to his enemies, but he could never imagine his lord with such a murderous aura around him that could literally be touched in the air.
''She was stabbed in the belly with a knife.'' Roger continued, ''That pirate now lays dead somewhere on the Stepstones, and same fate will befall every other pirates on these islands.''
There it goes again. Murderous aura around Roger Reyne zipped everyone's mouth. Silence ruled the hall once again. But then lord Roger rubbed his eyes and sighed ''Is the map you were making over, Davos?''
Lord's question made Davos to shove his hand under his robes to take out a rolled piece of parchment and hand it to lord Roger. He stood up and placed it on the table, unrolling it. Leaning over the table, he stared upon the map. Four islands were marked specifically with ink, their borders made thicker.
''Stepstones counts nine main islands. Nine pirate dens, of which Wreckstone, Bloodstone, Sunstone and Dark Den are under our control. That's nearly half.'' lord stated after which everyone else left their chairs to gaze upon the parchment map. Lord Reyne pointed to the island to the east of Wreckstone, one that resembled the shoe. Davos felt relief as subject has been changed, and tension relieved. He took a sigh and listened to his lord.
''Torturer's Deep is our next target. With it, we'll secure our rule of central Stepstones and allow trade ships to pass through our waters, allowing direct line for ships from Tyrosh to pass to Westeros. And if we hit them with the toll...''
''We fill our treasury with gold.'' Elys finished which made lord Roger smile.
''Exactly, Elys. Now, more warriors have joined us as you all know. This time from Lannisport.'' Roger said to which his advisors nodded their heads ''A Lannister domain.''
That
Lannister was spoken with an obvious spite.
''My lord?'' Davos asked and Roger's blue eyes turned to him, awaiting the question ''What if Lannisters learn that you are still alive?''
Roger smirked ''They won't. At least not before I decide it. For now they believe that house Reyne has been extinct. We must use that to our advantage. And when they least expect it, we will deal a fatal blow.''
''You have something in mind?'' Rupert asked, rubbing his chin, scanning what he has just heard.
This should be interesting. What is he planning?, Davos thought as lord Roger proved quite creative with his plans.
''First of all, this plan is very risky.'' he started ''If we succeed, we might plant seeds in the Lannister downfall.''
Rupert laughed ''I don't know, but to me it seems as if you are saying you're gonna literally plant seeds in Lannisters.''
Lord Roger smiled slightly and shook his head in reaction to Rupert's foolishness ''Cut it Rupert, and listen to me. For now, all I can tell you is that in a few days to come..'' and he stopped
It seemed as if everyone leaned over the table to hear what their lord's got to say. Tension was slowly getting unbearable. Davos could feel his skin sweating under the heavy metal chain and thick robes.
''We will pay Tywin Lannister a visit.''
What?
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I'm sorry for the lack of updates, it's been a harsh month for me. And I'm also glad to announce that I'm back, so if you are willing to read this, and feel like giving your opinion on it, I'd be really glad.
Also, I'd like to apologise for a short update. I've done it on purprose, because next one is supposed to be a biggest one yet.
Cheers!
