Velaryon: A Game of Thrones Fan Fiction

Shelter - Rhaena

[Dedicated to my friends Vernon and Jerry, who wanted cameos. :D]

      Riding for nearly a week straight has taken a toll on Rhaena's body. Her legs and back ache from riding for so long that she stops to take another rest along a stony wall. The longest she's ever ridden Lys was only ever an hour at most, yet it didn't hurt as much as it did now. Tying Lys to a nearby tree, the silver horse grazes the dull green grass of the North and Rhaena hears some of it crunching from the cold. Luckily, she dressed the part for going so far north. The cold nips at her nose and makes her cheeks freeze. Even under her gloves, her fingers begin to grow colder yet she still has more traveling to do. She sits on the stone wall, a few loose stones falling to the cold earth when she does so. The noise of the thudding against the ground startles her, prompting her to bring up her cloaks hood should anyone nearby see her.

      Being so far North, the people here have no doubt never seen a person of such prominent Valyrian descent. Rain isn't sure what they would do if they found her alone on the road, but it may not be good. Should they help or kill her is a gamble she's willing to take if it means never returning to Driftmark again. She rubs her legs and removes her thick boots to allow her feet a chance to breathe briefly before slipping them back on again. Rain surveys the land, finding almost nothing at all in her immediate area. The land is grassy with some spots of snow growing more northward. The cobbled path she must continue to follow winds and curves around rocks and trees and some spots of more stone wall follow the road. Although, there is a house in the distance with a chimney blowing smoke into the sky.

     Unsure if she can even trust anyone here still, she ponders to herself if it may be worth looking in to to ride over. She will only ask for a place to sleep, that's all. Her bags on Lys' sides are still halfway full each of dried provisions. Though, if they do have food it wouldn't hurt to have something more fresh than dried fruits and crunchy salted meats...

     She takes the chance and rides slowly over to the house, seeing a figure come closer in to her clear sight. It's a young man, dirtied from his long day of farming no doubt. He has dusty brown hair that is somewhat long and tied back to keep it out of his face. He looks up when Lys neighs and leans on the pole end of his scythe. "What can I do for you... Mi'lady..?" He peers at her and determines her gender by the curve of her body. Rain removes her hood and the man looks taken aback by her appearance.

     "I hate to trouble you, sir, but you wouldn't happen to offer care to travelers would you?" Rhaena asks as genuinely as she can. As he ponders, another man bursts through the front door, swinging a cleaver wildly through the air. Lys, startled, backs up and swings her head from side to side.

     "Who's there? I can smell you! Don't think we won't find you!" He stops and sighs when he sees Rhaena. "Oh. Just a traveler." He says disappointingly. The other man had perked up and held his hand out to him in an effort to calm him.

     "Verlort. Calm down, it's fine. No bandits." The man named Verlort nods once sharply, holding his cleaver out threateningly towards Rain before going back inside. "We do offer assistance to those who are wandering, mi'lady. However, it's just a barn I'm afraid." He smiles warmly. "Jerusan." He holds out his hand and Rhaena shakes it before dismounting.

     "Rhaena Velaryon." She gathers Lys' reins in her hand and follows him to the barn where she ties her mount to a post inside. Lys begins to nibble at the straw on the floor. "I can't thank you enough. It's been just sleeping in the open for a week."

     "Velaryon?" Jerusan asks curiously. Being a farmer, he must not have received the same kind of education Rain did.

     "I used to live in Blackwater Bay, on the island of Driftmark. The Velaryons hold lordship over it."

     "Sounds fancy." He smiles. "Well, you're welcome to come inside for supper. Verlort caught a deer this morning, among... other things..." He says, clear annoyance in his voice. Rain doesn't want to ask what the other things are. Judging by Verlort's wild first impression, she can only wonder who the things are. She stays quiet, however, thanking him instead and taking the moment to relax before going inside their cabin later on for supper when she smells the scent of cooking onions and venison coming from inside.

~~~

     The cabin on the inside looks as lovely as can be expected from two farmers. A few chairs and tables were mostly what was inside. Candles light up the area nicely as Rhaena takes her seat opposite Jerusan. Quietly, he whispers to her. "I made sure it's venison my brother's cooking tonight and not-- well, anything else." Rain's eyes widen and she sits back in her seat, listening to the rough noise of cleaver hitting wood in the room off to the right. There's also an occasional grunt and even a yell once or twice. She starts to wonder why she even came here. Pots falling and cursing is heard... very loudly.

     Verlort swings the door open, bringing a large pot of stew and dropping it on the table with a loud bang. "Hey. Hey Jerusan." He motions wildly, trying to get the attention of his brother that he already has.

     "What?" Verlort whispers in his ear something Rain can't quite make out. Jerusan smacks him suddenly. "No. No. Never. Not again." His brother groans and slams his cleaver into table before taking a seat. He mutters quietly under his breath while serving himself. Clearly the young man with soot covering his face might be mentally disturbed, something that worries Rain. She serves herself once he's done and eats quietly. The one thing she was always good at was knowing how to stay silent. She watches Verlort eating. He shovels the stew into his mouth, snorting loudly as he does so. She ponders how one sibling could turn out so differently than the other but remembers how different she and Daemon were.

     The stew is very delicious yet she inspects each piece of meat she finds. Venison, like Jerusan had said. Clearly, she knows he can be trusted but is still wary of his brother. "So you came all the way from the south, that's pretty nice." Verlort says loudly, mouth full of food. Some flies from his mouth and lands on Rhaena's face.

      "Yes..." She wipes it off her face. "It is much more warm than the North, that's for sure."

     He stops chewing. "Well, yea. It's freezing here. Not in the South." He rolls his eyes and continues eating. Jerusan stops eating and pinches the skin between his eyes, clearly annoyed with his words. He takes a deep breath.

     "I'm sorry about him, truly."

     "What'd I do now?" Verlort perks up.

     "We have a guest. Can't you just be normal for one night?"

     He actually ponders it briefly. He holds his spoon up. "No." He continues eating. Rhaena, having finished her bowl and feeling warm and full, taps her spoon awkwardly against the rim of the bowl.

     "Well, I, uh... I should get some rest. It's been a long day of riding." She stands and the two men watch her go, one smiling apologetically and the other watching her like a shadowcat ready to kill it's prey. She didn't sleep at all during the night. She held her sword closely to her as she lay on the cold hay, ready for Verlort to capture her in her sleep and cook her. She listened for him, yet he never came. Once daylight broke through the few cloud in the sky, she holstered Sea's Kiss and mounted Lys, riding as far away from the place as she could without ever giving it another glance. She decided then to stick purely to the road and to reach Castle Black as soon as possible.