A Lost Brother

The Sack of King's Landing

Ser Erik Clegane was a big man. Standing at eight and a half feet he was the tallest man in Westeros and certainly the strongest. He hailed from a house of landed knights, it was a young house founded by his grandfather after he had saved Lord Tytos Lannister from his pet lion, sacrificing his leg for his liege lord. His grandfather had been gifted a keep and some land close to Casterly Rock. His grandfather too had been big boned, in fact his whole family was big boned, his brothers Gregor and Sandor were smaller than him though, Sandor at seven and a half feet and Gregor at eight. It seemed with every generation the Cleganes grew higher. Erik's mother had once joked that they must descend from giants.

Ser Erik Clegane was not a good man, that he knew, he killed and he enjoyed it, yet his brother Gregor gave new meaning to the term 'psychopath'. He raped, he murdered, he stole, and he had no concept of kinship. When he was a child he had scorched off the left side of his brother Sandor's face in a hot brazier for playing with his toy. The only reason the then boy had lived was because Erik had hurt his screams and had thrown Gregor off and beaten him senseless.

Gregor was big, but Erik was bigger and he intended never to let him forget it. He was the patriach of his house after their father's death and no one else.

Erik was currently walking towards his liege lord Tywin Lannisters tent in the camp. They had been camped outside of King's Landing for days awaiting the Mad King Aerys II Targaryen to open the gates and allow them to reinforce the city against the invading self-proclaimed King Robert I Baratheon.

He had been summoned by his liege earlier on, he assumed it was to do with his place in the coming battle. The towering Erik Clegane in his thick steel plate armour with the three dogs of his houses sigil emboldened into the metal was a sight men could rally too. Men followed him because of his size and Tywin was fond of using him for such a purpose. Just looking at Erik gave the men on his size a boost in morale and the opposite to the enemy.

After all, who wanted to fight a giant?

Erik knew he was little more than a pawn in Tywin's games yet he didn't care, he allowed him to kill, and kill he would.

Eventually the crimson tent with the blazing golden lions of House Lannister came into view. He quickened his pace as he neared the entrance, two very brave guards attempted to stop him entering but he simply pushed them aside and entered.

"You called for me?"

Tywin looked up from his desk with a grimace. Erik never called him 'my lord' or any other honourific, if it were any other man he'd have them killed, but Erik was too important for that. House Cleganes men were some of the best trained in the Lannister army not to mention Erik himself.

"Yes, we must discuss plans for the coming battle."

Erik nodded and moved forward to the desk, his eyes coming to rest on the plans and letters that were neatly spread across the ornate wood.

Tywin spoke again, "Under my orders Grandmaester Pycelle has managed to convince King Aerys to let us in."

Erik's eyes widened at this, he had been worried his men would be trapped outside the capital city when the rebels arrived.

"Good, shall I give my men the order to approach the gates." He questioned, eager to enter the city.

"Yes, the whole army shall enter today, but not to aid the king-"

At this, Erik's body froze. Tywin intended to betray the Targaryens?

"-Rhaegar was killed at the Trident. The Targaryens will lose this war and I intend to be on the winning side. Only a fool would fight the losing battle."