The Fight For The Cub

[Leonard Van Rin]

Casyr felt horror twist a gut already wrenched by hours of sea travel. He had not travelled well, and his face was pale, his cheeks sunken as he assessed matters through the lens of his personal far-eyes.
He heard his Uncle Tommen’s words and a shiver ran up his spine. Many could die, not out of any malice, but sheer incompetence. Someone should have anticipated this risk, and yet, none had. He was confronted with chaos and given the choice of fleeing from it or recklessly advancing into it. Each choice felt like a trap, a chance to be proven a craven or a fool.

As Lady Amyra approached him, Casyr snapped his far-eyes shut, perturbed by the sight of the hazardous landings and near misses. He must plot the third course. “If you are willing to shoulder that responsibility, then I am inclined to put my faith in you,” Casyr replied sombrely, forcing gravitas into his tone was like donning clothes made for a taller and more experienced man, a man like his father. “But we must think not just of ourselves, for a great many lives are in peril who are thinking in just the same way. We must coordinate with other ships and bring as many to safety as we can.”

“Do we have signalling flags, that might normally be used to coordinate with other ships in harbour?” he inquired of Captain Waters, “They will be useful here, with ships running too close to one another, they will be easily visible, and serve to remind captains that larger vessels ought give way to smaller craft.”

He gestured to his long shadow, “Ser Beryl I must grant you the task of making this ship twice as imposing by lending your stature to the waving of such flags – take your instruction from the ship’s signalman.”

“Master Pyke,” he nodded to the mercenary, feeling even more the untested youth in comparison to such a veteran “clear everyone but our immediate retainers and the crew from the deck, lest they interfere with smooth sailing.

“Lady Heartly,” his tongue suddenly felt too big in his mouth, “there are a number of animals below that are as dangerous in this chaos as they are irreplaceable. Please, I leave them in your care.”

“Uncle Tommen, Mother," he added, “we must identify those who may actually know what they are doing and can help us bring chaos from such madness. Ships belonging to houses that have harbours of their own, that know the risk in this moment and have the experienced crew required to coordinate. Hightower, Lannisters, Graftons, Manderlys, Velaryons.” He almost added “Darklyns” before remembering the King’s Justice “Rykkers”. And friends inclined to listen to our signal.”

He paused, catching his breath and leaning against the side of the ship. To cover the moment of weakness he drew the far-eyes again and scanned nearby ships, hoping that his voice had seemed less strained, presumptuous and foolhardy than it had sounded in his own ears.

Ethelstan looked at this entire situation and wanted to facepalm, as he had seen such issues before. In truth Bravoos rarely had such trouble but ut still on occasion happened. He didn’t understand how competent captains can lead ships into such stupid traps. Then again, most Westerosi captains ain’t really good at their job.

He was standing right by the young lord, for when outside the castle a bodyguard must stay around his client. He was in full gear, including his sword and shield. Sure, few people would be going for a kill when it comes to exploiting. Easier to get the kid married to someone… Preferably one’s own daughter. Arranged marriage always pissed him off. Sure he is a strange and at times cruel man but in the end he still believed in true love. Sadly young women of all status saw him more as a danger to them than a potential partner. He sighed.

It was then that Casyr gave him the order to act. If the valyrian was good at something then it was fighting and threatening people to do what he needed them to do. He walked into the middle of the deck and looked upon the kind folk present there.

“Ladies and gentlemen, by command of lord Casyr you are to head beneath deck and to your cabins. We have the situation under control, and if you require any assistance am here.” The tone he used was rather harsh, though he was honest about being helpful when the need for aid would arise. He hoped that he wouldn’t have to resort to violence this time around.