Artos Stark

Two Swords

[An updated Artos]

Artos was lost. He was angry at himself, he was angry and Daenerys. His brother needed guidance and help and he wasn't there to give it. He told himself not to love and as soon as he does he loses not only his brother but his mother as well. His mother had been right. Starks don't belong in the South. Artos sat on a rock watching as blood from his busted and bruised hands dripped to the stone below. He and Dany had gotten into a fight then she ran off to visit her dragons while Artos stayed there. If she had just let him leave when he wanted to maybe he could have saved them. To top it off he has still yet to hear about Arya and Sansa had been unable to communicate. Theon had stolen his home and for all he knew the only family he had left were his son, half brother, and sister. He was losing hope on bringing them all home like he promised. He was losing home on ever seeing the North again. Daenerys had decided they were going to stay here awhile to recover. It was just another thing they had argued about. She promised him she would help him get home as soon as she was able, and she had been for months now. He wanted so desperately to hate her but his heart wouldn't let him. The only good news came when it was announced they would be moving on soon. Artos hoped it would be closer home but he knew it would just be to another slave city. He didn't even know what he would do when he got home. The banners were dead and so was the Northern army. He couldn't fight them all on his own. At this point, the only hope he had of getting his home back was with Daenerys's help. He pushed himself from the rock with a choppy breath and stalked back to camp. Beast snarling beside him. They both looked like wolf animals ready to kill anything that even looked in their direction. Artos broke through the trees just as Dany was walking past him. She sent him a pleading look and gestured to the direction she and Missandei were walking. Artos looked at her blankly before falling in step with her. The former slaves bowed to her but took a step back once the large man and angry walked past.
"How long have they been at it?" Dany asked once they reached Grey Worm and Daario balancing their blades on stretched-out arms.
"Since midnight, Your Grace." Missandei told her.
"Ser Worm is stronger than he looks. But I can see his arms beginning to shake." Daario said once they approached.
"What's the prize for winning this stupid contest?" Dany asked them.
"The honor of riding by your side on the road to Meereen." Daario told her with a charming look.
"That honor goes to Ser Jorah and Artos. As neither of them kept me waiting this morning. You two will ride in the rear guard and protect the livestock." She said turning. She paused when she was facing Artos who refused to look at her.
"The last man holding his sword can find a new queen to fight for." She said after Artos turned and walked away. He would have to have a word with Barristan about taking his spot. Ser Barristan rode just behind them with Missandei and Artos felt he would rather be there.

Artos sat on his horse next to the empty ones that belonged to Dany and Missandei. He tried to trade places with Ser Barristan but Artos was currently cursing the old man. He told him he and Daenerys were good together and if he had been home he would have died as well. The same this Dany had spent hours shouting at him earlier that morning. Artos watched closely as Daario started talking to Dany and offering her flower after flower. She looked annoyed with him and sad. Her eyes were still puffy from their fighting shed underneath them lay dark rings of exhaustion. It made Artos feel guilty for how he was treating her. He knew she wasn't the one who killed them. His blood started to boil at the thought of the Boltons. They betrayed his family and all of the North for Lannister's gold. He would beat the old man and his son to death to keep from giving them a quick death. He would find Theo Greyjoy and string him up and let Dany and her dragons burn him while he screams. If every promise he ever made was broken by someone else he would keep this one. He would put Daenerys on her throne and he would hunt down the ones who wronged him and his family and let them know what winter truly was. Artos was broken from his bloody thought when Missandei placed a hand on his leg.
"How are you?" She asked him heavily with concern.
"The only things I have left in this world are my son, my sister, my brother, and Dany. Soon I will likely lose her too. I don't know how I feel. Angry is probably the best way to put it." He told her stiffly. He admired Missandei. With everything she had been through she was still a kind and gentle soul.
"You won't lose her. She loves you. She promised she would help you get home and I know she will." She told him as the army stopped marching.
"It's not home when everyone I love is dead or captive." He told her getting down from his horse and following her and Dany to the front of the line. A girl was hung up on a cross. Her body was decomposing and mangled.
"There's one on every mile marker between here and Meereen." Jorah told her stepping back from Artos when he started to shake with rage. The girl strung up couldn't have been more than 10 and it only added fuel to his anger. He was a caged wolf for lack of a better term. It was starved and cramped. It was being mocked and teased, poked with stocked and pelted with rocks. Jorah knew the cage was breaking and he didn't want to be standing next to him when it did.
"How many miles are the between here and Meereen?" Daenerys asked him coldly.
"163, Your Grace." Jorah answered. Artos reached forward and laced his finger between Dany's. He may have been angry with her and claimed to be letting her go, but if not for her touch he ride as fast as he could to Meereen and slaughter them all. He knew the likely hood of him surviving it was small so he sought out her comfort.
"I'll tell our men to ride ahead and bury them. You don't need to see this." Barristan told her. Artos let go of her hand and walked up to the little girl. Her bindings were fragile for the sun and a hard tug broke them free. She stank of rot but he held her gently and placed her as delicately on the ground as he could.
"You will do no such thing. I will see each and every one of their faces." She said watching Artos take such care of the body.
"Remover her collar before they bury her." She told him weaving her fingers through his hair. Artos cut it free careful not to nick her skin and left her for men. He walked back over to the horses with Dany before pulling her tightly to his chest.
"When you are on your throne and my family is home I will drop to both my knees and beg you for forgiveness followed by your hand. I will tell you how I feel and I will be at your every command. All I ask in rerun is that when we find the people who did this you don't stop me. When we find the ones who hurt my family you can't stop me then either. I will promise myself to you here and now if you keep the one you made to me. The North will be free and it will go to my sister Sansa." He told her firmly. Grey eyes locked with amethyst. Tears filled her beautiful eyes and she pulled him down locking their lips together.
"I promise. Am I allowed to call you my intended now?" She asked cheerfully at the end trying her best to lighten his still stormy mood.
"You may, my queen." He told her pulling away and mounting his horse. He was still mad and he hoped she didn't take his distance the wrong way. He just didn't want to lash out on her again.

[Sorry for the last upload I had things I had to do today. Artos will get his bloody fight he just has to wait a bit longer.]