Loki: Winds of Winter

Chapter 2 - The Wolf of House Frostborn

Elbario Saan stood on the main deck of his ship The Emerald Drake and watched as his men prepared for battle. A pirate vessel had been spotted on the horizon and they were close to intercepting it. The wind continued to fill their sails and push them ever closer. They would soon over take it. The Greyjoy ships were the fastest in the Known Realm; even the pirates had yet to figure out what made them so swift on the open sea. A fight was coming and the inevitable and delicious spoils.

Elbario Saan turned his head when he heard somebody approaching from behind him. "We'll be upon them soon, your highness. You will wet your blade again," he told her. The person standing behind him was a young woman in her mid-twenties. Her hair was a beautiful auburn color, done up in a high braid. Her piercing green eyes narrowed as she studied the ship attempting to escape them. Elbario could not help it when his eyes wandered down that slim and gorgeous body, trapped in a leather jacket with armguards. Boots came up to her knees and only had a one-inch heel. Her shapely legs were covered in rich trousers of leather as well and everyone could see the twin daggers in each boot.

"Keep staring, Elbario, if you want me to gouge your eyes out," the young woman stated and Elbario Saan quickly glanced away.

"Forgive me, your highness. But, you know how difficult it is for any normal man to not stare at you. Your beauty is captivating," the privateer captain explained. The woman gave him a look with a raised eyebrow.

"Your highness, if you desire to make your usual entrance, you can go to the crow's nest, or you can go to the prow for a safer entrance that I can monitor," a gruff voice pointed out. The two young people turned to see an older man behind them. His hair was dark grey now and up in a pony tail. His chin was covered with equally grey scruff and half of his face was a mass of scar tissue.

"Of course, Clegane. Thank you for reminding me," the woman said as she turned and made her way towards the main mast instead of the front of the ship. With her back to Saan now, he could see the mighty sword attached to her back in a black scabbard. The head of the sword was carved in the likeness of a wolf out of black pearl, with emeralds for eyes. Elbario Saan turned back to Sandor Clegane and the Hound was glaring at him.

"Keep your eyes to yourself," he threatened quickly. The privateer raised his hands in surrender and watched as the Hound walked away. His eyes immediately turned back to the princess as she scaled the mast. He shook his head.  "Should have known she would pick that again," he muttered to himself.  When she reached the top, she grinned, seeing the ship was close enough that they would soon be boarding her. The princess took the sword from her back and admired the blade. The blade was not the typical silver metal, but ash colored, with golden Nordic runes etched into it. Its name.

"My Frostskader. The bite of frost will always be relevant," she whispered before her eyes shifted to the ship.

"Prepare to launch hooks!" the bosun bellowed. Ragna just gripped a rope, looping it around her wrist. "Launch!" The hooks were thrown and the privateers began to pull, bringing the other vessel in closer. "Position planks!" Ragna watched as the sailors ready themselves, but she had her own plans. Ragna sheathed Frostskader and dropped off the main mast. Sandor Clegane saw her dive and land on the enemy decks.

"And there she goes again," he commented dryly, drawing his own sword and waiting for the planks to be put in place. Ragna hit the decks on the pirate ship, raising her head and looking each man in the eye.

"So... who's going to be first?" she queried. A man foolishly rushed forward and Ragna drew a knife from her boot, throwing it at him. It was embedded in his throat and she rushed forward, taking it back before his corpse hit the deck. Ragna used the same knife to deflect a bolt fired from a crossbow. She drew her sword again, slashing and cutting a man in half as he attempted to escape her. Everything fell before the wrath of Frostskader. That was when the planks had been put in place and her own allies began to cross over. Sandor Clegane was the first to cross and many an unfortunate bastard fell before his claymore. He was quick to be at Ragna's side.

"You know I don't like it when you board without me right behind you," he reminded.

"Oh, Father's orders?" Ragna queried sarcastically.

"That, and it's born of my own personal experience with you," Sandor said. Ragna just grinned as she blocked an enemy's blade with her armguard. She pushed the weapon away and grabbed the poor man by his throat. She lifted him off the ground before throwing him over the side of the ship. Sandor would always be surprised by her strength, forgetting it was from her father's side of the family that she got it. Ragna spun around, elbowing a man in the stomach and sending him flying into the railing. From there, she did a flip, avoiding two swords at the same time. She parried another strike before she stabbed the pirate in the chest. Ragna used him as a shield against a barrage of arrows. She let his corpse fall to the ground, releasing an array of small darts, killing every single archer that had fired at her.

"Die, demon!" a buffoon cried out as he attempted to skewer her on the end of a pike. Ragna watched him charge her with an amused expression on her face. One strike severed the head of the pike from the staff. A second split the fragile wood down the middle before it cleaved the man in two. Ragna watched as his guts were spewed over the deck. When everyone stopped fighting, Ragna knew she had just killed the captain.

"Surrender in the next ten seconds and I might just cast you adrift in a row boat instead of hanging you by your wrists from the mast," Ragna warned them. It only took two seconds for the remainder of the pirates to throw down their weapons and hold their hands above their heads. Ragna began to clean the blood from her blade. Elbario Saan approached her, awaiting her orders.

"What should we do with the survivors?" he posed. Ragna looked at each man present, counting the seconds it took for each man to look away from her in fear.

"Kill half and set the other half adrift. I have no use for them," Ragna commanded.

"Wait!"

"Please!"

"Show mercy!" were the pleadings that reached Ragna's ears. She was used to them.

"I'll fight you for the privilege of joining your order!" shouted one voice and Ragna stopped. She smirked as she tilted her head slightly to see the man in question. It was a younger man; clearly he was taking a desperate gamble just to try and secure his own survival. Ragna turned completely around to face him and he was pushed forward by Sandor Clegane.

"Do you understand what you're trying to undertake? It could very well be your own demise," Ragna told the boy. He nodded, swallowing as he pointed his short sailor's hatchet at her. Ragna took one look at his weapon and chuckled. "You won't last three seconds with that. Somebody give him something else," she ordered and Clegane handed him a short, Westerosi sword. The young boy took it, his hands visibly trembling. Ragna noticed the subtle movement, but whatever she was feeling was not betrayed through any expression on her face. She pointed Frostskader at him and she took one step forward. The boy dropped his weapon and hit the deck, bringing his arm up to shield his head. Ragna just stared at him, her eyes wide. A puddle appeared beneath him and several men made disgusted noises around him. "Get up!" Ragna bellowed and the boy jumped to his feet. One swing of Frostskader sent the short sword skittering across the wooden planks. Ragna held her broadsword under his throat, drawing blood as she applied pressure. "You would only be good for fodder for my men. They would bugger you and spit you back out again," Ragna declared. The boy turned as pale as ash and crumpled to his knees. "Tie him up and transfer him over. My orders still apply to the others." Ragna waved her hand dismissively and Clegane knocked the boy with one blow to the head.

She crossed the plank that took her back to The Emerald Drake, drowning out the cries for mercy and help that followed her. She was used to them; she had been hearing them for ten years. And they had never stopped her before.