Chapter 6: The War of The Stepstones
Haemon POV 109 The Stepstones
It had been three years since I last saw Laena and it felt like something was missing in my heart. Gaelithox often spoke to me of it. Asking me of this feeling and offering his advice. Although he could not understand my pain, it made me feel better knowing that I had such a good friend with me.
When Lord Corlys returned from his meeting with the King with no aid. I was angry, it was the first time I was truly angry with my father, and I think this moment ruined our relationship forever. He offered gold for Daemon and his men of knights and adventures, but nothing for me. Of course, that is not entirely wrong. He sent Ser Clement Crabb, though he was an old knight, he offered his sword to 'represent the crown' as he called it. I respected him for it. There were many nights he would tell me stories of the past Targaryen's. I think it was to gain some glory in his final days, to die like a true warrior's death. Whenever he charged into battle the blue crab of house Crabb was on his shield. We found his body with a spear in his belly and a sword in his back. I gave him a Valarian burial fitting for a man who served under King Jaehaerys. With his body wrapped in his white cloak and his shield with him, with some final words, Gaelithox lit the pyre. I'll miss him.
Daemon and Lord Corlys would often butt heads on how to approach the Triarchy. As it were, Daemon and I were the only dragon riders able to help since Lord Corlys forbid his daughter from helping and Laenor was deemed too young. Caraxes however wasn't as durable as Gaelithox so I was left with burning ships and that took most of the day, as I burned them more and more came to take their place.
Until one day, a letter came from the King. Stating that he was going to send men in 2 weeks' time. There was a silence that fell upon the group, everyone too tired to say much. Daemon fell into a rage and beat the messenger; it took me and Corlys to pull him off.
"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" He shouted, as he was pulled by me to Caraxes.
"No! This was to be my win! Our win Nephew. And he thinks to take it away from us!" He kept ranting with Caraxes starting to shift his wings.
"Come with me. I aim to end this war now. Cut the head off the snake." Daemon looked at me and held his hand out to me. Was he serious? IF he plans to just fly to the Crab Feeder then he is a fool. I don't know what came over me, but I grabbed his forearm and nodded.
"Good. Today we prove that we are worth more than all those shits in the Red Keep. We ride for the Crab Feeder, we let the dragons handle the archers and we attack him straight on. Just us. That's all that we need.". Seven hells he was starting to sound like a mad man. He simply hoped on Caraxes and took oof.
Shit, shit, shit, shit. "Lord Corlys!" I ran to him and explained the situation and he readied his army. Daemon seemed to be ready for me when I arrived on the beach. Dark sister still in it's sheathe. He smiled, he looked crazed. Hungry for blood. We walked to a hill and he yelled for the crab feeder.
"Crab Fucker come out and face me!". I was getting nervous. The beach was too foggy to see a couple feet in front of me and it was silent. Too silent. Then a man, about the same height as my father walked out. Blade in hand. It was beautiful, with seashells on its hilt and a seahorse at the pommel, the cross guard had waves and dragons on it. Seafoam the Valarian Steel sword of house Velaryon. How? Daemon seemed to notice sword as well and pulled Dark sister out of its scabbard. Their battle was something of stories. They seemed to be evenly matched with Daemon getting the upper hand as he was quicker and more skilled with far more single combat experience. But the Crab Feeder was stronger and bigger, and he knew how to use his weight to good uses. Then men started to come out the fog, I was to the side of the main duel and these men seemed to not like how it would turn out. There five of them and two ran to Daemon and three were on me.
The men surrounded me were all ugly, one was a small thin man who carried a spear, while the other two carried swords. One of the swordsmen was fat and had a long black beard and the other looked farm more dangerous than the other two. Of a height with me and rippled with muscle but he wore no armor, only scars covering his body. I quickly stepped into the guard of the spearmen and slit his throat with my dagger, I now named Sweetkiss. Now facing the two other men, sword, and dagger in hand. I can see Daemon getting overwhelmed by his enemies, but he seemed fine for now as he beheaded one and parried a strike from the Crab Feeder. The man covered in scars charged me with a war cry and gave an overhead strike which I parried but the fat man was on me right after and I deflected his stab with my dagger. This went on for a while of just back and forth until the fat man tired out and got lazy with one his strikes which cost him a hand and a head. Now the Scarred man and I faced each other. He was screaming the whole time. It was getting quite annoying. I noticed that Daemon was facing the Carb Feeder by himself again, but he seemed more tired. His moves slower and his back peddling after each strike from the Crab Feeder made me worry. Finally, I shut the Scarred man up by putting my dagger in his mouth. That's when I heard it. Men surrounding us ready to strike should we win. I pulled on my connection to Gaelithox. Soon enough the ground was rumbling, and I heard screaming from the archers above us on the ridges.
I went to help Daemon, but it seemed I could do little. His back peddling led him to trip and at the mercy of the Crab Feeder. I yelled out to him. Then Seafoam plunged into his neck. That's when I heard the war horn of House Valaryon and the men surrounding us quickly shifted their priorities to face the Seasnake and his army. I never such anger before, I saw red. The Crab Feeder seemed to acknowledge my presence by raising his blade and beckon me forward. I was tired from the fight with the three men, but a I felt a flame in my chest, and it seemed Gaelithox felt my anguish. My blade seemed to chip away as every strike I gave to Seafoam, but I didn't relent. He would feel ten-fold the pain Daemon felt. He gave an overhead strike which I parried and cut his hands off in a single flourish. Out duel seemed to last the entire time it took for Lord Corlys to come near me.
"Haemon." He looked at me and saw the tears in my eyes as I held unto Daemon's body. Darksister in his arms on his chest.
"Lord Corlys" I said with a rough voice.
"He was a good man." I only gave a dry chuckle. No, he wasn't, my uncle was an arrogant fool who wanted more for himself. But he was my blood, he treated as his own. I loved him for it. He was dead because I was too slow to save him.
"The Crab Feeder had a gift for you." He finally noticed the Crab Feeder kneeling on the ground staring at his missing hands in a silent shock, a blade by his feet. His eyes widened, he grabbed it up and wiped away the mud from it.
"Seafoam." We spoke no more words for a while as the Crab Feeders remaining men were cut down. I was starting to get cold. A soldier came to Lord Corlys saying something, but I didn't catch it. My eyes were only on Darksister and I grabbed it and took the sheath from Daemon's corpse.
"...Haemon. We must go. We have a ship ready for Kingslanding to take Daemon and more islands to conquer" I only nodded as two soldiers that wore Seahorse on their surcoats came with a stretcher. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I felt Lord Corlys force me to meet his eye. I only noticed how much I had changed, since I became his squire. I was smarter, stronger, and I did not cower when he stared at me anymore.
"You did well today my boy. When news reaches the king. I'm sure he will host a feast of great size. It appears I was able to make a knight out of you." I then noticed he still had Seafoam unsheathed. Men from Daemons army and House Velaryon soldiers surrounded us.
"Kneel, Haemon Waters." And so, I did. Darksister's tip in the dirt as silence flooded the army.
"In the name of the Warrior, I charge you to be brave." He placed Seafoam on my shoulder.
"In the name of the Father, I charge you to be just." I was starting to think about my mother, and how my life has changed so much since I left the farm.
"In the name of the Mother, I charge you to defend the innocent." A final tap on my shoulder. And a small smile on his face.
"Arise, Haemon Waters, a knight of the Seven Kingdoms!" With that I rose, and the crowd roared in approval, Gaelithox and Caraxes flew over us spitting fire in approval.
Author's note.
This chapter has been probably my least favorite to write. I wanted Daemon dead because his whole character conflicts with my plan. But trying to find a feasible way, which still did some justice to his character was hard.
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