Chapter 6: Chapter 6
"Allan the hunter!"
'Can't even let a man break his fast in peace.'
"What?!"
"Lord Whent has asked for you to go to the castle. Come, now!"
I groaned as I tossed some coins to the tavern owner for the food and left with the rude guard. Looking at the man, I said, "Let me get my stuff from my cart and we'll depart."
It wasn't hard to guess why I was asked to go the Whent. With Brandon Stark and Robert Baratheon being at Harrenhal, it was obvious that Whent would invite them to a hunt.
I went to my cart and took one of my spears that were hidden underneath the cart. A bow, some arrows in a quiver, a pair of daggers, a dozen throwing knives, a machete, an axe and a bastard sword later, I was ready.
The machete, spear head, axe head and the daggers were all forged by me using an alloyed steel. It was very tough, but, I had managed to smelt together 51-60 spring steel and used it to forge my weapons. Being only second to valyrian steel, my bladed weapons were the best in Westeros and Essos.
"Alright, let's go."
The guard gave me a questioning look to which I replied, "I know why he's called for me. It's for a hunt."
The guard nodded and led me to the castle where Whent and the rest were preparing to leave. I arrived with quite a scene being created in front of me. Lyanna Stark was arguing with her brothers and her betrothed. It seemed like she also wanted to join the hunt.
Whent seemed to be on the sidelines, trying to avoid them. He immediately breathed a sigh upon seeing me.
"Hunter! So glad you're here!"
The Starks and Baratheon stopped their quarrel upon my arrival. Instead, Robert narrowed his eyes at me and said, "I've seen you."
I chose to ignore him and hurried away, soon followed by Whent and his hunting party. Lyanna had also sneaked along, much to the disapproval of the men around her.
'She's better suited to be a Mormont or a wildling. Ned Stark is truely a fucking idiot and a simp for Robert. They should bugger each other, instead of putting Lyanna through... that.'
We travelled for a while through the forest. I did my job and concentrated on looking for prey to hunt. Meanwhile, Robert was busy trying to charm Lyanna with his oafish stories of fighting and being able to drink longer than any other man.
'Try bragging about your bastards, you womaniser!'
He wouldn't, obviously.
Eddard Stark looked awkward around his best friend chatting up his sister while Brandon laughed and drank at Lyanna's expense. All in all, a fun family... fun for men.
Lyanna distanced herself from them and I had to speak up, "Lady Stark, please stay with the group and don't wander off. The woods can be treacherous."
She frowned and said with a bite in her tone, "I'm 'not' a lady."
"Lya." Ned whispered to her.
Robert frowned and yelled, "Who the fuck are you to order a noble, you savage shit?! I'll bash your fucking head off your neck!"
'He seems to have the 'young master syndrome'.'
I calmly looked at him and said, "I'm just doing ny duty, lord Baratheon. I'm here to guide you through the woods so that you have a successful hunt. I don't want anything untoward to happen to the lady, seeing that she doesn't have a weapon to, at the very least, try and defend herself."
"I don't need protection from anyone! I can look after myself!"
"Lyanna!" Brandon yelled. "The boy is right! Stay with us and don't wander off."
He then asked me, "What's your name, boy?"
"My name is Allan, lord Stark."
He nodded his head and ordered me, "Give my sister a weapon. You seem to have a lot of them on you."
I sighed inside my mind and could only comply. I removed the machete from by waist and walked towards Lyanna to hand it to her, all the while Robert glared holes into me, his hand already on the handle of his hammer.
Whent, who was spectating the situation, felt the awkwardness in the air and said after laughing, "You don't have to worry about hunter here doing anything to lady Stark, lord Baratheon! I can trust my daughter to be alone with him and he'll keep her safe with his life!"
Robert sneered and said, "I don't trust the savage."
Lyanna saw how I seemed to get on his nerves and purposefully grabbed the machete closer to my hand, her fingers grazing against mine before taking it. Robert's frown only deepened and he was on the verge of blowing up. Ned had to place a hand on his shoulder to placate the womanizer.
I knew why she did it and I didn't like being used in such a way. If she didn't want to marry the oaf then she could voice her opinion to her brothers. But, she did not and chose to put me at the risk of having to defend myself.
I quickly moved away to avoid any misunderstandings, Lyanna was adamant. She rode towards me began conversing.
"Allan, right?"
"Aye, lady Stark." I said.
"Oh! There's no need for that. You can call me Lyanna, or, Lya!"
'Fuck no!'
"I'm afraid I can't, lady Stark. I am but a lowly hunter who lives in the wild. A nobody can't address a noble such as yourself so informally."
Robert sneered again and asked, "Who tought you to speak like that? You talk like a noble."
"That would be the work of my father and mother."
Lyanna asked inquisitively, "Is your father also a hunter?"
"I live alone, lady Stark."
"Oh! Where are your parents then?"
"They're dead... For me."
Silence spread theough the woods, only to be broken by Ned as he spoke to me for the first time.
"What happened?"
I had no reason to hide anything, so, I replied, "They sold me to slavers when things got a little rough for them."
"What?!" Lyanna blurted out. "How could they?! And, slavery has been abolished! It's a crime!"
"Not in Essos."
"And, how did you come here?"
"The slavers ship was toppled over by the sea and I washed up on the shores of Westeros."
I could feel pity rolling off of the Starks while Whent was completely indifferent. Meanwhile, Robert had only one question in mind, which he then asked, "How the fuck did you get all those weapons, huh? Did you steal them?"
I'd had enough of him and looked directly into his eyes before saying with ice behind my tone, "I'm a hunter, lord Baratheon. I hunt stags, boars.. Shadowcats... Bandits. Those men are truely wild and they are highly experienced when fighting against the knights. The wild animals aren't alone in these woods and bandits.."
As if waiting for us the get distracted, a group of bandits came rushing out of the trees and attacked us. Before the nobles had any time to react, I was upon the bandits and slaughtered them using my throwing knives and my sword. It was swift and brutal.
Once again, I looked at Robert with blood of the bandits painting my face and said, "... Well, bandits and rogues are my ultimate prey."
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