Carliene Stark

II Chapter 7

Carliene

After sufficient details of the proceedings of the coming weeks had been discussed, Queen Daenerys bid us leave, remaining in the chamber of the painted table with her advisors and foreign loyalists. This hindered my intention of speaking to Lord Tyrion about the sudden changes concerning my presence and function in the coming conflict. I had had no connections to the Tyrells, I knew nothing about Highgarden or the Reach and I did not understand why anyone thought it profitable to send me off with the old woman. I had gotten the impression that she did not very much like me and truth be told, I did not care for her company either.

"My lady Carliene?"

I tore from my thoughts, realising I had an unpleasant frown plastered on my features. I am not your lady, I wanted to tell him, but I realised the strange wording must have been due to some language barrier.

I turned to the priest, now that he was standing right in front of me, I came to realise for the first time how large he truly was. I reckoned he stood almost a foot taller than me, his dark neck easily the size of one of my thighs. He wore a neckless of boiled leather around that thick neck, with a pitch black stone for a pendant on it. Theon had once said that it was good that Hodor had been a half-whit or he would have conquered Westeros with his size. Then it is good that this one is a priest or he may have done the same. 

"There is someone I would like to introduce to you" he stated when he noted that he had my attention. 

I studied him a moment longer, wondering what sort of company he kept that I could possibly hope to meet. But I had no plausible reason to refuse, so I wiped the frown off my face and gave a half-enthusiastic nod. "I'd be delighted" In truth it was just a way to get my mind off the worry of having to travel and possibly serve the old woman of the Reach. 

He gestured with his large arm and I fell in beside him as he lead be along the hallway. In the daylight he seemed far less mysterious than when I had met him in the dark dining hall at night for the first time. 

"How has your sleep been?" He pondered, probably in an attempt to pass the time with conversation.

Still, the question made me somewhat uncomfortable, and I could not quite say why. Cold, was my instinct to respond, but I swallowed the word. "Pleasantly enough" I stated in the most unbothered tone I could muster. "How are your fires?" I retorted in an attempt to turn the topic back on him. 

"Pleasantly enough" 

I gave him an irritated look, but when I saw the amusement in his features mine own softened and I found myself giving a small chuckle. "Who is it you want me to meet?" I pondered, curiosity taking a hold of me. 

"A fellow priestess" his robes caught in a gust of strong wind as we stepped out onto an outer pathway. "She is very interested in making your acquaintance"

I brushed my hair from my face and held it there as we walked through the wind. The image of an ancient woman in the dining hall returned to my mind and suddenly I found myself growing nervous. "Why?" I demand as we entered another building and my hair and our clothes calmed again. 

"You'll see"

If they hoped to convert me to their ways and teachings I feared they would be wasting their time. I had no interests in any gods. Maybe I should tell him.

We ascended a twisting stone stairway into one of the towers, the sculpture of a dragon following us most of the way as it seemed to crawl along the outer wall. The air was heavy with heat in the room at the top and there was a round brazier in the middle of it as large as a wagon wheel. The walls were lined with shelves, mostly empty except for some pots and viles covered in thick layers of dust. In front of the brazier stood the woman.