Fandom Neck Deep In Icy Waters [Closed]

[Lucyfer]

The Dreadfort was not on any coast, nor was it near the sea, but it was along the Weeping Water. Lady Amaranth Bolton had to leave those waters behind, though, to meet with the sister of Theon Greyjoy, Lady Yara Greyjoy. Though, as she heard it, Captain may suit the woman better than Lady. It was for a parley, both had agreed to meet further from land they held – to more neutral grounds, near the town of White Harbor.

It put Amara well outside the Dreadfort lands, as well as Hornwood, which had fallen into the hands of the Boltons due to Ramsay’s marriage to the lady there, and her death. White Harbor was also a bit more of a raucous town, the chaos favoring neither Bolton nor Greyjoy.

They wouldn’t be in it, but an agreed upon inn on the road outside it, so called the White Trident Inn, because apparently everything near the White Knife had to be called ‘white’ something.

A contingent of Dreadfort men followed Amaranth partway, before making camp a few hours from the Inn. Amaranth wasn’t stupid as to not bring an army with her, nor was she so foolish as to go alone. The black-haired woman took only one guard along, though, and that was Walton Steelshanks, the only one who’d proven himself of any worth. The man was a veteran, blooded and grizzled, but loyal to the core to the Bolton family.

If anything happened, he would make sure the others knew, if she was unable to.

Not that she planned on it, and she made sure not to dress out of her red leathers, either, nor remove her weapons. Her daggers remained at either hip, and the weirwood bow was slung over a shoulder. She wasn’t going to meet her enemy in a dress – that was just begging for a problem to arise.

She and Steelshanks rode the rest of the way together, and were met by the innkeeper’s son, who had been alerted beforehand by ravens, in order to keep the inn relatively clear. Their horses were taken, Amaranth parting with her red steed with a pat to its muzzle, before stepping into the tavern that was warmed up nicely by a fire. She stood nearly the same height as her companion, which seemed to briefly startle the woman innkeeper as she looked over at the pair in their armor - the notorious greaves upon the shanks of Walton. “Can I get ya anything to drink? Eat?”

Amaranth shook her head ‘no’, silver eyes skimming the room, with no sight yet of Yara or others who could be called Ironborn.

“Mead, please.” Steelshanks said, and that earned a look from her. “They’re not clever.”

“Do not underestimate them, Walton,” she said, walking on. She knew she was hyper-paranoid. She knew it came from her father, as well. He never ate, or drank, anything unless he saw someone else eat or drink of it. She was much the same, but took a bit longer at times to consider eating or drinking. Some poisons had a much slower effect, after all.

“Has Yara Greyjoy shown up?” Amara asked, moving to take a table where she could put herself in a corner. It removed a few possibilities to be harmed, removed a few angles of attack.

“No, she hasn’t yet – ah, here ya are,” the mead was handed off, “we’re all hopin’ this can come to an end soon,” she added.

Amara didn’t speak to that, only offered a nod. So did she. This war was not advantageous to the North. They weren’t gaining any land through this, and even if they won battles, they were still losing people and lands, crops and wealth, with no gain whatsoever. If this parley could end the war, it would be a boon to all the North.

Somehow, she knew it wouldn’t be so simple. Not while Ramsay held Theon – though she’d happily return the broken Ironborn, and she imagined she could talk Roose into it just as well. If it would end this damned war, then Theon would prove more than useful. ‘It won’t.’ He wasn’t a whole man any longer.

Balon would never agree. She doubted Yara would be able to speak sense into the old man.

Steelshanks came to join her at the table, sipping at his mead. He didn’t offer small talk. He was silent, just as she was, and he kept his gaze alert, and his ears, for any sounds of approaching people, and their numbers.

 

[HEFZY]

Yara saw herself in the poorly polished mirror and growled with utter disgust. Dresses were not made for such a woman like her. She missed the salty air of the sea, the almost painful tickle she felt every time she took a deep breath, and most of all, she missed being able to live a life where she didn't have to worry for the fate of anyone else, her brother to be exact. Being the captain, and the predilect heir of the sea, she had to admit that more than once, the idea of leaving her brother to live his own fate was more than appealing. Another story would have been if he never left home; more than likely, she would be some random sailor's salt wife by now, and that was something she never could think about without wanting to throw up. She was first a warior, and then a woman.
Bearing such thoughts, Yara ripped her own clothes, and decided to come over dressed as sailor instead; as the captain she was, weapons included, of course. It took her longer than the expected, but she was not the one to apologize for making other people wait for her; besides, Yara was not convinced of this whole parley nosense, she was not stupid, and it only took two fingers of forehead for anyone to realize it was most likely a trap, one that she wouldn't get out alive of if she couldn't outsmart them.

After a ridiculously boring ride to what people claimed to be no man's land, for the sake of the battle at least, Yara arrived to a plain inn, only visited by thieves and runaways on it's best days. "It's time" She snarled to the little crowd surrounding her and left the horses with a boy, throwing a small golden coin to his face, the Lannisters were not the only ones that paid their debts.
"I'll walk in first" Said a tall man with tattoos made of blood and ashes all over his body, and scars on his face. "I want to keep you safe". At least from an outsider point of view, he was trying to protect his captain, but Yara took it as great offence. The woman that took pride on dancing the knives dance every single night didn't need a man to protect her. If anything, he was only useful between her sheets, and on the seas.

"No, you won't" was her only response. And with that, she walked through the door... Alone. It didn't take long before she found her target, and with a smirk on her face, she faked a bow, almost in a kingslanding fashioned way, a clear mocking gesture that she thought her companion would enjoy as well, considering that neither parties were truly loyal to the so called king.

Not bothering to approach the table, Yara raised an eyebrow and spoke out loud.

"Both of us are warriors, and pardon me, milady, but i assume you know how to deffend yourself don't you?" Lifting her hands she pointed to the weapons hiding on her own clothes "My people is outside, ready to cut each one of you in half within a blink, but i don't need them to get a deal; nor do you need yours. So tell those hounds of you to stop staring at me, and let's take a drink together on our own table. And if we die tonight, let us die"

 

[Lucyfer]

Eventually, the captain entered, just as outfitted in armor as Amaranth herself was. She cocked a single eyebrow at the gesture of a bow, and tried not to smirk. At least it wasn’t a curtsey. She would have laughed aloud at that, and that was hardly becoming of this situation. The captain wasn’t so bold as to approach the table, but instead, she stood her ground, and made her demands.

In truth, Amaranth did know how to defend herself, and none of her weapons were hidden. There was no need of that, and she had little intention of dismissing Walton outside, either, where she could hear the other Ironborn. “Stay,” she said to Walton as she rose, and left the supposed safety of his side. “I only have one with me today, Lady Yara, and I am happy to converse without him to overhear, or even oversee, it all – but he will be remaining within the inn.”

Her other so-called hounds were further off, and much more an army than the band that Yara had brought.

She gestured out, calm and composed, “Pick your table. We seem to have them all.” Thankfully. It would not be good if there had been any patrons in. Not for the patrons, anyway. They’d be removed, one way or another, from hearing or seeing anything they shouldn’t. Just as she imagined the innkeepers would know to steer away while they weren’t requested.

“And, I do hope you’ll forgive me, but I do not drink.” The brash woman would probably hold it against her, but she hardly cared, as her mannerisms must have surely indicated she didn’t seem to care much at all about the situation she was in. Not that she was outnumbered, not that Yara came in with demands.

She was holding herself wholly in control, and kept the air of that control about herself, rather than give in to any irritation or presumed slight, as Ramsay may have done.

 

[HEFZY]

Yara made a face. For the iron born, sharing a drink, was just as important as sharing the bed, and Yara, had never been rejected on neither of those. She over looked it though, little could she expect from someone that never spent a night on the waves.

"If you need someone to whisper on your ear to make up your ideas, then yes. He can stay" The woman replied carelessly, and finally took a seat in the same table her already unwanted company was sitting. There was no need for taking any other table. If the Bolton lass was stupid enough to think that Yara was giving in, or that she didn't have the guts to make her demmands, it would play on her advantage, and if not, well, at least it would spare her further efforts. Even the ironborn knew that it was easier to convince someone with soft wods before hard steel. "But he will drink with me. Unless you want me to assume you're trying to poison me. That would be a shame, only ladies kill so cowardly"

Yara laughed shamelessly. Maybe out of despise, maybe, out of respect. She knew when someone was worthy of her time, and anyone brave enough to reject her like that, deserved five minutes. "I wonder what our men would do if they saw us" The captain looked around and leant in closer, with a smile on her face " Or If your brother knew that you are here, stealing the glory of my death away from him"

Both of them had to deal with way too prideful men before, and it was no secret that the Bolton's bastard was an itchy subject for anyone in the north, to some inspiring fear, to others, disgust.

"So here we are, milady. Shall we sort out what useless cocks couldn't?"

 

[Lucyfer]

Despite rising to go wherever Yara would prefer, the Captain seemed to instead prefer to take to the table where Steelshanks already was. He arched an eyebrow at this, and couldn’t help the laugh that left his lips, however brief, when she insisted that he would drink with her, “Ahead of you,” he noted, lifting his half-finished pint of mead.

Amaranth made no comment to that, nor to the insult that she might even consider what Steelshanks had to say. He wasn’t a diplomat. He was a combatant – and not even a strategic one, at that. Still, she went to reclaim the seat she had abandoned, and she slid easily into it once more.

Poison wasn’t on the menu that day. Not that Amaranth was opposed – if anything had been learned from the Red Wedding, it was that the Boltons played to win. Honor was a ridiculous notion. She had started to let her expression soften, just a bit, when Yara commented on the men, when she leaned forward, but it vanished just as soon as Ramsay was referred to as her brother.

“My brother is dead,” a simple note, before she continued with the conversation, “yours is not. My desire is simple. I want the Iron Born out of the North. Go raid the Riverlands, go raid the Reach, I hardly care where you go – this land is hardly fertile enough as it is to handle your needs, I’m sure,” she stated it plainly, “I want to know what gets you out of the North. I am sure Theon is a part of it, and I would happily take him from Ramsay Snow and return him to you.”

Amaranth certainly meant that much. The other terms might not be so agreeable, but she was here to see what they would be, and learn what she could. If an agreement could be struck, it would be done. If not, well…she really wasn’t above extremely dishonorable methods to get her way.

 

[HEFZY]

Without further attempts of interaction with the man, she granted him a smile and drank as well. White teeth showing in some oddly alluring way. Yara knew she wasn't beautiful, but she was attractive nonetheless.
"We respect our dead, and so shall i respect yours" At least that much was truth. She was a believer and before her eyes, dead people joined her God, and thus, deserved at least some respect. "My brother might as well be dead though. Last time i knew of him, Theon was nothing but hands and cock put together with bad ideas, and i highly doubt you have the authority to trade him for peace and tell me that he remains the same" Yara didn't know if her brother was indeed alive or not, in fact, she was not even sure if having him back home was what she really wanted him back home, considering him the way he rejected her the last time she tried to save him.

"Do you have, by any means, proof of his well being?" Knife on hand, Yara pinched her own finger, out of boredom, perhaps, and smiled when a tiny drop of blood dropped on the table "Or his blood is on the floor of some cold stone stronghold just like mine is on this table?" In all honesty, Yara didn't care much about the north. It was cold, and the people living there were nothing of her liking, hell, she didn't even like the woods, they made her feel trapped away from the freedom of the sea.

More than likely, Yara would have given up the north on her own, to find better places, but this was a chance she was not going to regret, and if it didn't turn out well, a good fight always was fun enough.

"I want my brother back of course. Alive and well. And if you want me to leave the north you will have to pay for it. Wood for my ships and swords to fill them, Gold to pay for the food my men will eat, and women for those that need it. You will build my army and i shall leave" ara shrugged " And fight by your side if you need it. I treat friends well...Otherwise i will simply stay and burn down your resources until winter looks like summer compared with the hunger you and your men will face under my command"

 

[Lucyfer]

There had been a moment where Amaranth expected mockery or insistence that Ramsay was her brother, and so not dead. Neither occurred – either Yara knew of Domeric, or simply didn’t care enough to argue. Whatever the truth, it was enough to appease the Bolton woman and allow her to listen to Yara’s concerns, and demands.

The demands were offensive. Her concerns were notable – she did not know the status of Theon. Amaranth had a better idea. Ramsay was calling him Reek, and he was certainly no longer all ‘hands and cock’. He was lacking a significant part of that equation. He’d been mutilated by the idiot, who didn’t realize how useful the last remaining male heir of Balon could be, with that piece.

Ramsay never thought ahead. He was forcing Amara to hope Yara had more concern for Theon’s life, than his reproductive abilities. “I do have the authority to trade him, it is only a matter of acquiring him,” on that much, Amara wouldn’t allow herself to be questioned. Roose would release Theon. He wasn’t half as stupid as his bastard offspring. “I can confirm he is alive, but not much how you knew him. He can heal some of his wounds.” Not others.

“I have no proof with me, only that Ramsay enjoys his life and the Iron Born remain a threat. So long as these remain, his life is under no threat,” his mind and much else, however, were another story. “You can trust it or not.” Her eyes did not follow the blood down, her hands did not reach for her own dagger. The silvery gaze remained on the woman herself, steadfast, but alert to the actions the other woman was taking.

“As for your other demands, wood can be supplied to rebuild your ships. We will not provide the rest at this time, you’ve taken enough without asking for it. Should you truly honor your word and leave with wood, we can consider discussing building your army, and talk of terms for a mutual defensive agreement,” she would not talk terms of a mutual agreement for declaring wars or otherwise, but if either of them were attacked…and it was quite likely the King would, eventually, think of doing so – then they could agree to defend one another.

She wouldn’t humor another mad war of the Iron Born, though. Balon and his own father had proven often enough how stupid that was.

“I won’t allow you to plunder our lands when winter is nearly here, nor take our gold, or rape our people. Those terms are simply off. We may discuss swords, for payment, but wood I am willing to allow you to take for free. Otherwise,” she lifted one shoulder in a shrug, “you may try to do as you’ve declared, and you will soon learn to regret it.” If Yara felt like tossing off threats so easily in ‘peaceful’ negotiations, she could learn she was not dealing with some soft woman who was so easily intimidated by them.

Far from it.

The Dreadfort army was returning in full force from the South, thanks to the Red Wedding’s success – and with it, approval of the King for much else.

 

[HEFZY]

"Theon is my brother " Yara said with a rather calm tone, but with a surprising overprotective note on her voice not even the ironborn thought herself capable of. A matter of pride maybe, or maybe just plain joy found in fighting. "I just have to ask you something" She lowered the volume until it became a whisper and leant in closer "If i claimed to hold captive one of your own, and told you that i keep him under reasonable safety but gave you no proof whatsoever, would you believe me?" Yara understood, that being captive as he was, it would have been foolish to say the least, to assume he had no wound on, how deeply injured he was though, was relevant, at least for deal purpose.

"I cannot say i trust you" The captain said, quite honestly. "And i know, you won't trust me until the wall falls down and the sea dries out" A cunning smile drew on her face "But given that you are here, it ain't a secret that you are, at least twice as clever as the bastard" She continued with enough emphasis to let her know, that at least, she could tell the difference between Ramsay and the no longer breathing rightful heir. "So all i am going to ask, until you gather enough proof of his well being, or all together return him to me in once piece, is that you give me one of your men"

Her eyes wandered looking for her target, and it didn't take long for her to find him. She was not going to accept just any random soldier whos life had no worth. Her gaze nailed to the male with them, if her oponent trusted him enough to stare, he would for sure be at least important enough to make a point. "Life for life and finger for finger. I will keep him safe, and won't lay hand upon him until my brother returns. Once the trade is done, i will make sure he returns to you" Yara took a second delivering the path of her solicitude "In the same physical condition i find my brother" It was only fair.

"If you don't agree with that, there's no point on this talk to carry on. It won't get anywhere" She muttered, looking at the door "As for the rest of your terms, they are fair. Wood for the ship. And since you won't allow us to plunder your lands, nor take fresh women, i'll trade it for freedom to hunt the days we have left here" That request, in particular, came out natural. If Yara didn't provide her men with a temporal source of food, they would certainly take it on their own, and she was not going to stop them from doing so.

Yara could be anything, but she was not stupid, and she knew, she was offering to little in exchange of too much. "If you provide me with weapons as well" She said with a shrug "I will give you as well, a reasonable part of whatever my own ship plunder with such army. We are not at war, but yes, we can defend each other if it comes to that" Yara wanted to be clear on that point "But that only applies to you and your men. I will not, whatever the reason might be, move a finger to stop anyone that tries to rip your Snow's head off"

She fixed her mind on the things that she couldn't see...now; but that were very likely to happen sooner or later. Her peace offering, as fragile as it was, could if treaten carefully, provide fresh air to both parties. "I won't change my mind. If we don't agree, i will do as i said i would, even if me and all my men end up as a sacrifice to the drowned God on the attempt"

 

[Lucyfer]

Would she have trusted Yara if she had someone? No, she’d ask what it meant to be ‘reasonably safe’ first, before considering it. She hadn’t lied to Yara – she had not told her Theon was all together. She wouldn’t even claim him safe, only that he was alive and would remain so until Ramsay got bored.

At least Yara acknowledged now that Ramsay was just that – a bastard. Not her brother. However, in spite of this lack of trust, and this difficulty, Yara did accept the terms offered. Wood, the possibility of buying weapons. Amaranth gave a nod – she understood the Ironborn would continue to hunt and take of the land while they were here. She was fairly certain they’d continue to take what they liked, while here – getting them to leave was the point of this.

Theon was necessary for that.

“One of my men will never get you Theon Greyjoy, not even Steelshanks,” Amaranth said, though it wasn’t phrased as a denial, more a confession that while she may care of her men, they didn’t matter in the grand scheme. Roose would hardly be convinced, and wasn’t Roose the one to convince? “If you want a guarantee, then let me stay in your custody,” besides the fact she didn’t have a cock to sever, it would show her resolve in making sure that Theon was returned.

Steelshanks was immediately startled by it, “My lady—”

“You will return to my lord father, you will tell him the terms, and you will return to Moat Cailin with Theon Greyjoy,” Amaranth stated plainly, “He won’t hesitate,” he’d perhaps be furious with the strategy, and Ramsay might do something stupid – but if he did, Steelshanks would have no troubles putting an end to his miserable life.

It would only be a shame that she did not get to do so herself.

“Do we have an accord, my lady?” Amaranth inquired, “I am sure you understand I would be worth more than Steelshanks – he is not even of noble blood.” Trusted, certainly, but worth nothing in the larger scheme. “You and your men will let him leave peacefully so he can return, and he will return Theon to Moat Cailin, where your forces are, if I am not mistaken.”

 

[HEFZY]

"One of my men will tag along, just to make sure this fine lord won't tell his own version of the tale, and come back with soldiers instead of my brother " Without any further words, and a single nod of agreement, Yara stood up. She came looking for cooper and found gold instead. The captain was fairly pleased with the outcome, and Amaranth could at least say that she got what she wanted; that was more than what anyone on her little crowd expected. They would have to wait for a good fight, shame on her. Graceful steps lead her to the door, and she opened it, allowing her people in.

"Seems like we're going to be in very good company for a while" Yara proclaimed with a wide smile on her face, targeting her gaze to her new little prize. This woman was outstanding, the captain had to admit, and she was going to treat her as such whilst under her guard. "If anyone dares to lay a single finger on her, i will personally cut them into pieces, and offer them to the drawned God do you understand?" Chuckling, she turned around to wink at the other woman, almost playfully "Not like she wouldn't rip your head off your neck herself before i knew about it "

Once an agreement had been settled, Yara's mood improved quite a lot, in a way, that almost made her seem a different woman. Such a thing, wasn't weird at all, considering that the ironborn were just as eager to fight as they were to feast. And with this outcome, there was no reason for something else than celebrate. "Now, will that army of yours join us here, or will we pretend i didn't see it the whole night? Either way, you're comming with us, and if they made all the way here, they could leave well fed at least"

With the red wedding so fresh in everybody's mind, it was not a secret that neither the Ironborn, or the Bolton's for the matter, were allies to be blindly trusted, and more than likely, drinking together was not something that they had on their to do list, but Yara understood, that more often than not, friends on the table got further than friends on the field. And so was proven with the death with the so called King in the North.

 

[Lucyfer]

The ‘fine lord’ scoffed at the need, but with a look from Amaranth, did not speak to oppose the addition. They let Yara rise and invite the others in, and he leaned towards her in the moment, “Are you certain?”

Amaranth gave a single nod. She was certain. Roose would resent her terribly for this strategy, but he would move forward as planned and send Theon home. Theon was not worth so much as she was to Roose, if Theon was worth anything at all.

They rose as others began to enter, and Yara made her threat of removing fingers. Amara did manage a coy smile as she was addressed as being particularly violent. She had not shown those tendencies, of course, but she was still there, armored and with weapons. Which, she realized, wouldn’t last – at least not her bow and arrows. Those were not falling into Ironborn possession.

She shrugged the white bow off, and her quiver of arrows, and passed them to Walton as a question as thrown their way, “No,” Amaranth answered, “My own party will make haste to Winterfell,” it was further than the Dreadfort. Best to move quickly to make Roose aware of the situation.

That, and she wouldn’t trust the Ironborn not to slaughter everyone. After what the Boltons and Freys had done, she had every reason to expect the same treatment in return, no matter how swimmingly this discussion had gone. She turned, once Steelshanks had her prized bow, back to Yara. She still wore her blades, “Which man shall be accompanying Walton back?” She assumed it would not be anyone random, but someone Yara trusted, and Amaranth wanted to know who that was, before she sent him off.