Chapter 20

Jaime

The blonde felt as if he had been punched in the gut for how slow he was taking in breaths. For a moment he feared that he might pass out and wanted to give himself a swift kick a second later.

Get it together Lannister, his brain screamed.

But the sight of his long thought deceased uncle was enough to render him speechless more than any other surprise he had experienced in the last few years.

Looking at the older man who looked quite a bit like him and seeing the teasing smile on his weathered face however caused the realization of his true and tangible presence to begin to sink in.

Before Jaime had even realized it, he was grinning like an idiot.

Here was the man who had taught him to use a sword, ride a horse and told him countless tales of his adventures. Here was the man who had brightened up the dining hall of Casterly Rock just by being seated in one of its chairs. Here was the man who had never ignored Tyrion and who had set him on one of the tables so that he might recite all the wonders of the world.

Aside from his younger brother, Gerion Lannister had been Jaime's favorite person.

He knew there was honest grief in his father's face when the wild Lannister had been declared dead, but none had been more affected by the news than himself and Tyrion.

His father's younger brother had ensured he got to experience a childhood without too much pressure and expectation as his father's heir.

His death had punched a hole in Jaime's gut, a hole where his childhood innocence had been which in truth had been the beginning of the end of the loss of all of his innocence.

And now here he was, whole and hale, standing in front of him and grinning as if he had just pulled off the most magnificent joke.

In the back of his mind, Jaime knew that his uncle would no doubt tell stories about the expression he was making for years to come.

Oh the quiet japes and smirking smiles would be endless but for the moment he absolutely did not care.

"How is this possible?" he asked in a near strangled whisper. "Uncle…you're supposed to be dead."

The laughing lion raised an eyebrow at his own equally golden nephew. "And yet here I am, hale and hardy. I didn't think you believed in ghosts Jaime."

Trying to fashion a reply to this very odd statement nearly caused Jaime to begin sputtering. He was vaguely aware that Elia was looking back and forth between them with an expression that was a curious mixture of disbelief and confusion.

For her sake, he decided to try and pull himself together. "But….But how? How are you here Uncle Gerion?"

The older man regarded him for a moment and his smile seemed to dim a bit causing Jaime to frown. "Long story lad, one I'll be happy to tell you but first we should perhaps get off the street."

His eyes caught sight of Elia then and his smile suddenly was back in full force in an appreciative manner. "My apologies nephew, I didn't realize you were here with your lady wife."

Jaime blinked, the thoughts suddenly running into themselves in his brain and he opened and closed his mouth at least twice before he was able to properly get a response out.

Elia's eyes were bright and glassy with surprise but there was a startled flush to them too, a flush he wouldn't wonder about until later.

"Ah, no Uncle," he said running a hand through his hair and hoping against hope that he was not blushing like some green boy. "This would be Princess Elia Martell, whose protection I am overseeing."

To his credit, Gerion didn't even react to this change in news. Instead he bowed slightly and reached for Elia's hand before kissing it. "My apologies my lady, now that I am looking at you, I do see the classic Dornish beauty so famous from the Martell line."

Elia blinked and it seemed she hadn't made the same promise to herself about blushing. Her lovely bronze complexion masked most of it but all the same,

Jaime could still see tones of crimson in the tops of her cheeks and felt his own lips quirk upwards.

"There is nothing to apologize for ser," she said, her tone betraying nothing of her flush. "Jaime has told me many stories about you so I am shocked and gladdened to see you alive. You must understand that all in Westeros who knew of you thought you dead."

"Aye," the older lion said running a hand through his hair. "And that is a statement of belief that I would see retained for the time being."

Jaime blinked and felt his eyes begin to narrow. "Why Uncle? This is momentous news. The entire Rock would rejoice if they knew of your current state of affairs."

"They would indeed," Gerion said. "But they must not."

There was a curious pause between the party of adults in which Jaime tried to find words to voice all his questions but found he was lacking in the discipline.

Fortunately he was saved when a familiar form cut across the street and joined their small company.

"There you are!" Elia said in a hushed voice that sounded as if she were trying to keep herself calm. "Did you meet him?"

"No," Oberyn said and Jaime realized he hadn't caught sight of Gerion yet. "I did find the ship but the first mate told me the captain had come to the market."

It was then that Jaime first noticed the silver medallion. It was resting against his uncle's tunic and its face was like that of a large silver coin. Graven into its surface however was an image that made him pause.

A silver dragon with seven heads.

"It's not possible," he whispered and it was then that Oberyn caught sight of Gerion Lannister. He jerked his head back and forth between Jaime and the older blonde in a most comical way. Finally he looked at his sister who was trying hard to contain her chuckles.

Then he looked at Jaime and his eyes narrowed. "What sort of trick is this?"

The blonde held up both hands open palmed. "Not a trick, I swear it, we met only a moment ago."

Oberyn glared at Jaime a moment longer before he must have decided that he was truthful for his expression smoothed out. "Then how? How is it possible that Gerion Lannister is alive and well in Pentos?"

The man in question finally reached a hand beneath the collar of his tunic to drag the medallion he was wearing more fully into view. "At the moment Prince Oberyn, I am in Pentos as a favor to several friends of mine, friends to the far east."

Finally Oberyn caught sight of the medallion and its meaning and the expression on his face would have made even Prince Doran laugh. There was a moment where he looked as if he were almost choking before a coherent response tumbled out of his mouth. "You? You are the ship captain which we will be voyaging with? But how? And how is it possible that you know of the eastern Velaryons?"

Gerion once more held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Perhaps we should get somewhere private where we might not be overheard. My ship is nearby, come and I will explain all once we have four walls around us."

Jaime, Elia and Oberyn exchanged a look, a look filled with questions and more questions.

Surprisingly it was Elia who chose that moment to speak up and she must have done so when she realized the twins were looking at her with curious expressions on their faces.

"Very well ser," she said calmly and placed both of her hands on their heads. "Lead on and we will follow."

Gerion nodded and jerked his head towards the street. "This way then."

After ensuring that Elia and the twins were directly in front of them, Oberyn fell into step with Jaime. "Did you not know of this?"

Jaime turned to the prince with one eyebrow raised. "Yes because I knew for years that the uncle I thought dead, mourned and remembered fondly was sailing around Essos in apparent company with the long lost Velaryons." He paused here for something of a dramatic effect. "Of course I didn't know! Give me some credit will you?"

Oberyn blinked and then fell silent thankfully. "Very well. But this is still tremendous and I don't know if its good or bad."

"Why would it be bad?" Jaime demanded as they strode through the crowds. "This is fantastic news! Not only is my uncle, a long lost member of my family alive but he is clearly the one who has been sent to bring us to Asahbad. I fail to see how any of this could be bad news."

"How many times has he been recognized?" Oberyn countered. "Though he is not a king, Gerion Lannister is still a recognizable figure. What precautions have been made to ensure that he isn't recognized by someone from Westeros?"

Jaime wasn't fazed, in fact he turned to Oberyn with a slight smirk, feeling a lightness in his heart that hadn't been there for a long time. "I suppose we'll find out won't we?"

Ω

Gerion Lannister led them through the harbor and a maze of ships and sailors rushing to and fro. If anything, the harbor was far busier than the marketplace and Jaime and Oberyn shifted positions so that the prince was standing in front of his sister and niece and nephew and Jaime was following behind them.

All of them walked in close single file and nearly all were tense and silent enough that even the twins picked up on the mood and kept silent the entire time.

Jaime however was the only one not under any semblance of anxiety. In fact he almost felt as if he were walking on air.

He didn't realize how much he had missed his family until he had spent significant time away from them. Tyrion he thought of nearly every day and despite his toxic relationship with his sister, she was still his twin and he missed the games they would often get up to as children, before power had turned her twisted and unrecognizable.

But seeing his beloved uncle standing in front of him, it was as if a warmth had rushed in and filled an empty spot in his heart. He truly didn't realize how much he had missed Gerion Lannister until the man himself was standing in front of him.

All of a sudden that dull ache was gone and the absence of it had left him nearly reeling.

He didn't realize they had come to a stop until he nearly ran into Elia's back.

They were standing before a ship that on the outside looked little unlike any of the other ships in the harbor. It's hull was a dark tapered brown and smattered with barnacles. It's sails were a dull orange like any other trading or merchant vessel but Jaime knew this had been done intentionally. Changing sails and changing ships every so often must have been how his uncle had managed to keep out of Westeros' eye for so long.

But why? He thought again as he stood there looking at it. Why wouldn't he go back? Why let everyone think him dead?

Gerion paused for but a moment before he strode towards the ship and made for the gangplank. There were cries of greeting as he drew near and he answered them but otherwise didn't look back to make sure they were following.

When they boarded the ship, the small company were confronted with the sight of men rushing to and fro carrying bundles of rope and seeing to the sails and unpacking various trunks and items.

"Captain!"

A man with weathered skin that spoke of a lifetime under the sun and pale brown hair hurried up to them. He was dressed in a worn leather jerkin, black trousers tucked into black boots and a long knife strapped to his waist.

He looked about the same age as Jaime's Uncle and the lines around his mouth and eyes were deep displaying that he was a man of good cheer.

"Yes Falstad?" Gerion asked.

"The preparations have been made captain."

"Very good," Gerion said. "I will be in my cabin for the next little while. I am not to be disturbed."

"Aye Captain."

"Excellent."

Gerion then strode towards a small ladder leading below decks and the small party of five followed him. Jaime could barely stop himself from looking around in all directions at the men scrambling up the rigging and securing lines.

There had been times as a very small child before the death of his mother, before his toxic relationships had formed that he wondered what it would be like to be a sailor. Traveling from place to place and having nothing to tie him down and having endless adventures sounded like the best life imaginable.

Uncle what have you been doing all these years? He thought absently to himself as the captain led them below decks. And why didn't I have the nerve to come with you?

Gerion Lannister led them down a long narrow corridor past small round glass windows that looked out into the harbor.

On the right side of the corridor were several open spaces where Jaime glimpsed a large area hung with hammocks and general parcels for traveling, barrels, iron bound crates and the like.

The ship itself was impressive and he could see that his uncle took great pains to keep it that way.

At the end of the corridor, they reached a door which Gerion opened and led them into a larger spacious quarters with a desk and two large windows that looked out the back of the ship and onto the open water. There were several banners hanging on the walls, drawn with designs that Jaime didn't recognize. He also noticed that there was no Lannister lion visible anywhere.

Just as well, the less people who knew he was alive the better.

The twins instantly became fascinated with a large glass bottle sitting on the desk. It was turned on its side and contained a small stationary ship that looked remarkably like the one whose belly they were inside of.

"How did the ship get inside?" Aegon asked his uncle with wide eyes.

The blonde smiled at him good naturedly. "It's an old story. There was once a prince of the seas, a man who knew every pattern of the waves and how to master them. One day he boasted of his knowledge to the gods of the east themselves. In response they gave him a challenge, if he mastered it, they would make him a god.

"What was it?" Rhaenys asked, her purple eyes wide. She seemed to have forgotten all of her fear.

Gerion bent down in front of them, holding the bottle in his hands. "The eastern seas have three deadly whirlpools that no man's ship has escaped. The gods challenged the captain to sail to the bottom of all three and emerge alive."

"What happened to him?" Aegon asked, eyes even wider than his sister's.

Gerion sighed and set the bottle back on the desk. "No one knows. He made it to the bottom of the third whirlpool but never emerged. When the gods went to the bottom of the sea to look, all they found was this bottle, with the captain's ship still inside."

Oberyn snorted as he looked about the chamber but one glare from Elia silenced what he might have been about to say.

"Some say the gods feared what he would do if he was made master of the waves. Others say his pride got the better of him and it trapped him in a prison of his own making. To others….it's just a story."

"A pretty tale to be sure," Oberyn muttered from his place by the window. "But what's say we stop talking about stories hmm?"

"Of course Prince Oberyn," Gerion said getting to his feet. "I suppose you know why I am here then?"

"The why I understand," Oberyn said turning from the window, his arms crossed over his chest. "It's the how I can't explain. Ser Jaime has posited that you have been dead for years and now you show up, bearing the symbol of House Velaryon and are to be our ferryman to this new world? It's all a large coincidence."

"A coincidence of what Oberyn?" Elia asked choosing that moment to step in. "What you call coincidence, I call providence. This is better than we could have hoped for."

She turned to the captain. "Please forgive my brother Ser Gerion. Recent events have made him highly suspicious."

Gerion smiled at her and Jaime was struck with memory. He had seen that smile too many times. One time his Uncle Kevan said he was more like Gerion than he was like Tywin.

To this day Jaime didn't know if that was a compliment.

"Nothing to apologize for my lady," he said with a courtly bow that caused her to smile. "I'd be suspicious too if I saw a ghost."

"How?"

He hadn't even realized that he had spoken until everyone was looking at him, including the twins. "How did you survive Uncle? And why didn't you return?"

The silence that followed both questions was thunderous.

The easy smile that had been previously a fixture of the older Lannister's face disappeared instantly and fatigue replaced it.

"That Jaime is a very long…very painful story, the details of which I promise I will give you. However first to business. I think you have all grasped the knowledge that I am the captain who will be ferrying you east."

"Indeed," Elia said taking over the conversation. "And to be honest with you Ser Gerion, I am quite relieved. Jaime has told me many stories about you and your many adventures on the high seas. I am glad someone with such experience will be in charge of our jouney."

Gerion's easy smile returned as he regarded her. "Thank you my lady. And if I may be so bold I think that you will greatly enjoy your time in the far east. It is a land of unparalleled beauty and wonder. I knew the moment I set eyes on Yi Ti, I had found a place that I never wished to leave. I think it will be exactly what you may be searching for."

This short speech produced excellent results and Elia closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. "I am very glad to hear you say that Ser. I have been searching for a place where I felt truly safe for a long time now. I think that I have found it."

The sympathetic look on Gerion's face deepened. "On behalf of our clan my lady. I wish to sincerely apologize for the behaviour of my brother. He does not speak for all of us."

"I know," Elia said giving him a bright smile. "And your nephew has already ensured that the Lannister name has been redeemed for nearly all those not named Tywin."

Gerion cast his gaze over to the younger blonde who was watching the two of them stoically. "I am glad to hear it."

The sound of a throat being cleared interrupted the conversation and all turned towards Oberyn who was watching them with one eyebrow raised and his arms folded across his chest. "If you all are quite through than may we please discuss our plans?"

"Certainly," Gerion said easily. "My orders have been clear. I am to transport the remnant of House Targaryen and Martell to the far east where you will be received by Saeban Velaryon and his family. You are to stay in the Velaryon family home at the seaside just on the outskirts of Asahbad The trip itself will take nearly a moon to complete and it is suggested that we leave as soon as possible for the weather patterns in the far east can be unpredictable at best. Do you require any other information?"

Oberyn blinked slightly as if stunned but then his eyes narrowed slightly. "And the crew? Do they know of my sister's existence and that of the twins?"

"No," Gerion said firmly. "However each man on this ship has been personally vetted by me. I have sailed with every member for years and have seen some truly hairy situations with them. Even if they were to somehow learn the truth, they would hold their tongues. And if I felt differently, I would cut it from them."

Oberyn snorted slightly at that but didn't seem to have anything else to say for the moment.

"Well I for one am satisfied," Elia said breaking the silence and by extension some of the tension in the room. "Jaime has always spoken highly of you Ser and

I am certain that I will have no cause for concern. My good mother however, will have questions. She is far more suspicious than I am you see."

"I would expect nothing less of Queen Rhaella," the older man said with a twinkle in his eye. "I am certain that King's Landing ingrained that into her. People there are always careful of who they trust."

"With good reason," Oberyn muttered from his place by the window but the rest ignored him.

"Will you come back to the house with us Ser?" Elia asked. "I am certain you would be well able to answer any questions the queen has better in person and I think it would assuage any of her concerns to meet the person who will be taking us east. The fact that you are Ser Jaime's uncle, should also put her at ease."

"I would be delighted my lady," the captain said with another courtly bow and Jaime had to fight the urge to roll his eyes. His uncle was just as charming around women as he remembered.

"Ser Gerion," Oberyn spoke up and all eyes turned to him. "While it seems your character is above reproach, I must ask you about the life of this ship. Will it withstand such a long journey east? What if we encounter a storm?"

"It withstood the journey here," Gerion said somewhat dryly. "But if you have concerns about the structural integrity of the ship, by all means feel free to examine it. We will not leave until it fits your specifications."

"Good," Oberyn said finally sounding satisfied. "May we begin now?"

"Certainly," Gerion replied in what Jaime felt was an overtly gracious manner. "There is no time like the present."

He turned to Jaime who was still finding it somewhat hard to focus. "Will you be accompanying us nephew?"

The blonde blinked and had to swallow several times before he was able to answer. "I believe I will escort the princess and the children back to Magister Illyrio's house uncle. I trust prince Oberyn will be able to show you the way once his inspection is finished?"

"Certainly," Oberyn said. He was already running his hands along the beams of the ship in a truly hilarious manner. Jaime imagined, while suppressing a laugh that if he were to find one crack, he would demand they find another vessel.

"Shall we?" Gerion asked holding the door open for them.

Elia immediately took the hands of the twins' who looked put out as they were all but dragged away from their new toy and led them through it.

Just as Jaime was about to pass through behind her, his uncle placed a hand upon his shoulder and halted him. "We will speak later nephew."

Jaime glanced at the older man and beheld the utter seriousness in his eyes before nodding solemnly. "That we will."

Ω

It was difficult for anyone to take their eyes of Gerion Lannister during dinner.

When they had returned to the house with the news that the captain of their ferrying vessel had such a personal attachment to Ser Jaime, the queen was somewhat suspicious.

Jaime couldn't blame her however. His father had done an excellent job of soiling the Lannister name with attempted murder. Anyone would be suspicious of their house after that. He shuddered to think of what might have been said about them had he succeeded.

Alas however, after conferring with Elia and Jaime himself, who had been surprised to have been included, the queen mother agreed that they should hear him.

And so, an hour later when Oberyn and Gerion had returned from the harbor, dinner was set out on the terrace of Illyrio's home and all were seated to eat.

Gerion's presence proved to be just what the tense company of survivors needed and even Jaime himself found that he was enthralled by his uncle's stories as he had not been since he was a child.

Prince Viserys, who had glared at him suspiciously when introduced, was now leaning so far over the table that Jaime was certain he was going to knock his glass over. His eyes were glassy as he heard tales of storms on the high seas and distant sightings of monsters of myth.

Even the queen herself appeared intrigued, one fist resting under her chin as she leaned on the table, violet eyes fixed on Gerion Lannister.

She had let her platinum hair down that evening and Jaime found it had made an extraordinary difference.

She looked youthful, invigorated.

Despite the stress of the Red Keep and the many cares of the last few months, she was still extraordinarily beautiful.

There was a light in her violet eyes that hadn't been there for the last few days and Jaime could see that the idea of safety and peace and prosperity was becoming a reality for her. It almost seemed as if the years were slowly leaving her.

When Gerion finally finished his last story and paused to take a sip of his wine as his voice had become slightly hoarse, the queen mother chose that moment to speak up.

"Ser Gerion, I think I speak for all gathered here when I saw that we are collectively relieved that you are acquainted with one of our number so well. This familiarity has done much to relieve me. Yet I feel I must ask one thing?"

"And what would that be your grace?" the captain asked.

"Why is it that you chose to become a ghost to Westeros?" she asked with interest. "Your disappearance nearly ten years ago was a matter which caused many to scratch their heads. Is it true that you sailed into the Smoking Sea?"

There was a moment of breathless silence as all turned to the captain who took several more bites of food and ran a hand over his weathered face.

"It is my queen," he said in a rough voice. "That was nearly eight years ago. I remained in that stretch of sea for nearly a year."

A stunned silence followed his words which was accompanied by Oberyn coughing slightly. "Impossible! An entire year?"

"I am afraid so," Gerion said and his face took on a shade that was lined with memory. "I lost many a good man on that voyage, all while searching for a treasure that I now know was better off lost."

Jaime flinched, remembering his uncle's ambition to recover the sword of their house. He had heard tales of that sword.

He desperately wanted to ask if his uncle had found it but the look in the older man's eyes stopped him.

Not long after, Gerion rose to take his leave and return to the ship, despite protests that he was more than welcome to stay the night.

Jaime decided to show him out and walked the older man back down to the quiet harbor under a rapidly darkening sky.

After a long moment of silence Gerion spoke. "I am proud of you."

Jaime startled slightly and glanced at his uncle. "For what?"

"You are a true Lannister," Gerion replied as they walked, quiet vehemence strengthening his words. "You have embodied what it means to be a lion and have protected the innocent. Your father never did as much."

Jaime flinched slightly at the mention of the old lion. "I'm not as ruthless as him you mean."

"Aye," he replied. "And I am very glad of it. You have done much to repair our name and reputation merely by being in the right place at the right time. You thwarted your father's immediate power bid because you did what was right. Tywin should take a lesson."

"He thinks I'm dead," Jaime said bitterly. "He will never know that lesson."

"Perhaps not yet," Gerion said placing a hand on his shoulder. "But in time…he will."

They continued on down the road in silence until Jaime felt as if he were going to burst from all of his questions. "Uncle, you never kept secrets from me when I was younger. Please do not do so now."

Gerion ran a hand through his hair and uttered a deep sigh that seemed to be coming from his very soul. "I have no secrets Jaime…only memories."

"And what memories are these?" Jaime asked, feeling as if he were pleading and hating himself for it. "What happened in the Smoking Sea? Did you find Brightroar? Why didn't you come back?"

The silence continued until Jaime felt the weight of it on his shoulders. But finally, his uncle spoke. "I will only answer one of those questions tonight. The stories that are attached to them are too long."

Jaime opened his mouth but was unable to speak before Gerion spoke again. "I sailed into the Smoking Sea with a crew driven more by greed than fear. We all had certain ideas of what we were going to find in those waters but no definite knowledge.

"Storms hampered our journey towards the sea and our ship took on damage yet there were no islands around where we could stop to repair our ship fully. We made the necessary adjustments however and kept going.

"We entered the sea and within two days of making our arrival, a dense fog rose up to greet us that lasted for nearly a week. We were sailing blind and the silence that surrounded us was nearly all consuming. One man jumped ship in that time, screaming that he was hearing voices and footsteps coming behind us. The fog was such that his body disappeared almost immediately.

"I thought of turning back then but my pride compelled me to continue and so we pressed on. Finally upon the seventh day the fog turned to a mist and then cleared completely and we found ourselves within sight of an island. We rejoiced for here we could repair the ship, find food and fresh water and get our bearings.

The closer we came however, the more I began to realize that this island was unlike anything I had ever seen. Enormous looking silhouettes loomed up over the landscape to the point where I thought it was a land dominated by mountains and crags. When we drew nearer however, I realized what the structures were and a feeling of absolute terror came over me."

"What was it?" Jaime whispered.

Gerion stared off into the harbor, at the ships and across the seas as if he were seeing the image he was about to describe.

"Bones Jaime," he said in a voice so low his nephew barely heard him. "The island was covered with bones….but no ordinary bones. They towered over the landscape and formed the skeleton of some enormous primordial monster. I saw a rib cage and talons and bone fragments. A mist drifted between them and the air was thick with the heavy smell of the most vile sort of putrescence.

"The sun was a distant faint golden coin in the sky, casting a sickly light down upon the island which was green and lush save for the cadaverous remains."

"Was it the bones of a dragon?" Jaime asked, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.

"I don't know," Gerion replied roughly. "It may have been, but if it was, it was no dragon that I have other seen and the bones were white, not black."

Goosebumps rose on Jaime's skin and he had to suppress the urge to rub his hands up and down his arms.

"One of the men began to cry folly and said that we should turn back but when I looked behind us I glimpsed the same dense fog like a wall to our rear. We had no choice but to go forward. So we dropped anchor and a small party of us went ashore to find a choice tree that would serve as a replacement for our mast.

"It was so quiet and the silence was all encompassing. The heat was present as well and I could feel it sliding down by back as we climbed onto the white sand beach. My bosun was a strong man but looking into his wide eyes as he looked around the island, I could tell that the place had shaken him. We walked to the edge of the lush forest and began to search for a tree that would fit the mold that we needed.

"We had gone a ways into the forest, always clearing a path and ensuring that we knew how to get back to the beach. Just when I was about to suggest that we turn back, we came within sight of a cave and outside of it was a tall palm tree with a round solid trunk that I knew immediately would suit our needs. My bosun got out the saw we had brought and we immediately set about taking down the tree.

"All the while however, I kept looking up at the towering white bones above us and wondering what monster had they belonged to. I somehow knew they didn't belong to a dragon, but perhaps a creature of myth and legend. I wondered with a chill how this creature had died and what sort of thing had killed it. I also worried that a similar monster that was very much alive was still hanging around.

"Finally we succeeded in felling the tree and secured ropes around it to drag it back to the beach. Before we had succeeded in moving it however, there came from within the cave a sound the like of which I had never heard. It was someone singing. I cannot remember a time in all my life that I had heard a voice so beautiful and at the sound all men turned towards the cave to see a figure standing at its mouth. It was a woman, a woman with skin as pale as milk and eyes of deep red. Her hair was white as snow and when we saw her, one of the men fell to his knees."

All of a sudden Gerion came to a stop and Jaime nearly ran into him as he had been so engrossed in the story.

To his dismay, the blonde realized they had reached the ship. His uncle turned to him with a small smile. "I believe I will continue this story in the morning nephew. I have remembered too many demons this night."

Jaime was frustrated to the point of protest but when he saw the haunted look in his uncle's eyes, he shut his mouth. "Very well uncle. But do you promise you will tell me the rest?"

Gerion gave him a sad smile. "I will. We have an entire month remember?"

And then he turned and climbed the gangplank back to the ship.

And Jaime watched him until he disappeared before making his way back up the hill.

Ω

Well there you have it. Don't forget to subscribe to my Youtube Channel if you have not already, the channel name is Kaetie Mac, I really do appreciate it. Next chapter, we hear more of Gerion's tale and the Targaryen/Martell party leaves for Yi Ti. Don't forget to review!