The Children of Spring

Joan III - To the Rescue

After two days, Eddard had finally arrived at Tarth. Joan knew that, from Storm's End to Tarth, it just took some hours, however there were preparations to make and those took sometime as well. In the last two days, Joan tried to make an attack plan, still the Iron Islands were one of the most difficult places to attack for, besides being surrounded by sea and with frequent storms, the islands were very difficult to sneak into, for the ships had to dock, otherwise there would be no way to swim to the ports. Joan asked Yara for help, of course, she knew the territory better than anyone. Joan also aked her grandfather for help. Still, they had few soldiers to attack the islands properly, therefore they would have to improvise. Yara said that Eliot Pyke would be in the high meeting room and that his men would probably be there with him. She was confident that her people would stand by her, which meant that if they saw her, they would not alert the bastard. Joan suggested that, if they made any move to do otherwise, then they would have to stop them and Yara agreed.
Joan wanted to get her uncle and aunt back as soon as possible, because she had recieved disturbing news that the situation was complicated not only in Wolfswood camp, but also in KingsLanding and Casterly Rock. Of the latter two, the one who apeared to be more hard to solve was KingsLanding, because Lyanna was good in the battlefield and, eventhough Joan did not doubt she could be a good ruler, it would be a little hard for her to deal with politics. Gladly, Jeyne was there to help, still one of the main reasons for a rebellion was the fact that the North was independent, otherwise why would the Freys and the Arryns want to trap their parents in the North? As of Casterly Rock, Joan was not very concern, she knew Marianne would solve things one way or another. What was troubling her more recently was the fact that she did not know anything about her sister or her brother or anyone of the ones that went after Rhaella. It had been already three months and there were no news. She wondered everyday, if they were alright, what were they doing, had they already gotten to the Free Cities? But, even after all those thoughts, Joan still believed that one day, they would all be together again.
The night before Eddard arrived, Joan was at the roof on the top of Evenfall Hall, sometimes she and Catelyn would go there to overlook the island or to see the amazing shappire waters of the Straits of Tarth. That place had many good memories, not only for her, but also for her sister and her brother and even her parents. It had been there that Joan and Catelyn had always hidden when they and their brother were playing, after a few times, he had known where they would always hide. It had been there that Joan had found out that Galladon and Jenny were together or at least that they liked each other. It had been a day that Joan and Catelyn were watching the sunset and they were talking and suddenly Catelyn mentioned that there had been a time, in the last one of their meetings, where Galladon and Jenny were missing and then Joan just put the pieces together and figured it out. It had also been there that Joan had realized that Catelyn liked James, however she did not say anything, because her twin sister was completely oblivious to that fact and she would tell her to stop that for it was a crazy and delusional idea and then she would keep on inventing all the possible unrealistic reasons to proove that she indeed did not like their cousin. I want to be there when she finds out. To help her and to tell her that I was right, Joan thought smiling. Still, deep down, she knew that she would not be there when it would happen. Their journey would take a great deal of time and there would be no way that the two of them did not figure it out before returning. Otherwise, they are even more stuborn than I thought, Joan thought. Thinking of her sister and her cousin made her think of her brother and her cousins that were in the journey as well. It made her think especially of Jorah. Why am I thinking about him? He's just my friend and my family..., Joan thought. And a voice whispered in her mind, 'Gal and Jen were also just friends and family'. Then she realized that she had indeed a crush on Jorah, like Jeyne had said. It disturbed her a bit, because of all the people she could have a cursh on, it had to be the prince of the Six Kingdoms. Really, Jo? The prince?, Joan thought sarcasticaly. Maybe it was because he had the charm of the princes in the stories, like the Dragonknight or the Prince of the Dragonflies. Or maybe it was because he was always so kind and was always at ease still knowing that he had duties and everything. He was the most calm of them all, he could be worried and freaking out inside, still he would never show it. They had always gotten along well, still it had been just friendship. They were never very close. As children they played together and laughed together and it had continued that way and it had been just that, until recently. It had been before she came back to Tarth. Joan had not remembered much of the battle, she had often heard her father and mother said that, when a battle was fought, people did not recall much of it very soon after it, her father even called it 'battle fever'. Joan always thought it was too much, until that day. Joan had been talking to Catelyn and Jeyne, Joan had already said goodbye to her brother and her parents and most of the others and by then she and Jeyne had been saying goodbye to Catelyn, when Jorah had came to them and had said,
"Hey."
"Hey, Jorah." They had all said.
"Jo, can I talk to you for a moment?" Jorah had asked.
"Sure." Joan had said, still she had been bit a confused. Jeyne and Catelyn had left them alone with a curious smile, that Joan had not understood.
"Is everything alright?" Joan had asked him. He had seemed a bit nervous, now that she recalled it.
"Yeah. I just wanted to thank you for saving Kingly in the battle, I didn't have the chance yesterday." Jorah had said a bit clumsly. It had been strange to hear him talk like that, because he was always so relaxed and never showed how nervous he was. Suddenly, Joan had remembered that in the battle, Kingly had been roasting some of soldiers and one time some son of the Harpy had been trying to kill him from behind and she killed him and in doing so she had saved the baby dragon.
"Oh, it's alright. You don't have to thank me. I'm happy that he did not get into more trouble." Joan had said.
"Me too. Look, uh, this is for you." Jorah had said and had given her a red rose, that she had dried and kept in her room by then. "Thomas said they were your favourite."
Joan had accepted the rose smiling and had said, blushing a bit,
"Yes, they are. Thank you, Jorah."
"You're welcome, I'm glad you like it." Jorah had said smiling too.
"I'm sure you will find Rhaella. She's strong, they don't know with whom they're messing with." Joan had said.
"I hope you're right. And I'm sure you'll manage to work things out in the South. I hope we see each other again, Jo." Jorah had said.
"I'll be in the South. Just come back there, Jorah." Joan had said and he had nodded.
From then on, Joan could not stop thinking about that moment. Now I know why..., Joan thought. She was so into her thoughts that she did not notice Yara approaching.
"My lady."
"Your grace, I'm sorry, I didn't notice you coming." Joan said.
"Call me Yara, please. I wanted to talk to you and your grandfather said that you might be here." Yara explained.
"In that case call me Joan. Sometimes, I come here to think. Why did you want to talk with me?" Joan asked.
"I just want to thank you for helping me getting my lands back. I know that it's because you want Arya and Gendry back, but you didn't have to help, you could go to the Iron Islands and get them back without helping me." Yara explained.
"It's nothing special. I believe that I made the right choice, which was helping you and getting my aunt and uncle back. Besides, I heard great things about you and your brother, so I assume you are a good person." Joan said honestly.
"I hope you're right. My brother died fighting for Winterfell and for the Starks, I believe he would want to save Arya as well. He was almost as a brother to them." Yara said a bit sadly.
"I'm sorry about your brother." Joan said.
"It's alright. It was a long time ago, besides what is dead may never die, so I will see him again." Yara said.
"I'm sure you will. My parents always say that we'll all be together always." Joan said and Yara nodded.
The next day, Eddard and Bran arrived. Joan went to meet them at the beach, Yara was with her.
"I'm so glad that you're here." Joan said.
"I'm happy to be here and to know that my parents are alive." Eddard said.
"We'll get them back." Joan said determined.
"Ned, uncle Bran, this is Yara Greyjoy. She's the Queen of the Iron Islands." Joan said, intruducing Yara to her cousin and her uncle, eventhough she knew that Bran probably already knew who she was.
"It's a honor to meet you, Your Grace." Eddard said politely.
"Likewise, my lord." Yara said.
"I'm glad to see you. No one has seen you since the Coronation." Bran said in his engnimatic tone.
"Well, I needed some time after my brother's death and the ironborn needed a Queen." Yara explained and he nodded.
After that, everyone went to the castle. There was a meeting about the attack plan. Everyone gave ideas and they agreed that they would strike directly on Pyke and the first thing to do was to release Arya and Gendry for they could also help in the fight. After that they would go to the high meeting room to deal with Eliot Pyke. From what Yara said about him, the guy was supid and crazy enough to stand there waiting for them, therefore they could encounter some resistence to get to the room, still it was in there where they would have more resistence to finish him up. By the end of the meeting, everything was settled and preparations were set in motion so that, in the begining of the next week, they would depart.
Once the last meeting of the last day was over, Joan went to her room. She needed to prepare for the attack and to leave. She was nervous and she whished that her brother or her sister or even her parents were there. Galladon and Catelyn fought better than her, she could use a sword and the bow and arrow if needed be, but she was never as good as them. Still, she could not back down and she would not, they needed her and, as soon as this was solved, then they could go to KingsLanding to help stop the Freys and the Arryns and then, if needed be, they could go help in the battlefield against the warlocks. Joan hoped that the others had been able to reach Rhaella by then or that, at least, they were already in the Free Cities. She hoped that the situation in the Wolfswood was better, that her aunt was getting better, that her mother was alright and that everyone else was too for them to be able to stop them there and then. She also hoped that her father could get out of Winterfell and that they could somehow break free from the castle to attack the enemy from the North.
Sometimes it felt as if the lack of news was a good thing, others it felt like iminent doom.
Joan was into their thoughts when a knock was heard on the door. Joan went to open the door and it was her grandfather. She let him in.
"Grandfather, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" Joan asked.
"Well, I wanted to make sure you're alright." Selwyn said.
"I'm a bit nervous, but I'm alright." Joan said.
"This journey. Are you sure you want to go?" her grandfather said concerned.
"I am. I know that I don't fight as well as Cat or Gal and definetively not as well as mother and father, still I know how to fight and I will not stand by and watch when I can do something. Besides, I can't let Ned go alone, I'm the eldest right now and I have to be there for him." Joan explained.
"I know that. I just don't want you to get hurt. The ironborn fight for their lives, their homes and family and they are experts in raids. They call it paying the iron price. They're fierce. It's not like the knights in the jousts." her grandfather explained.
"I know. I fought in the battle back in the Wolfswood camp and it can be scary, but we just need to keep fighting, without stopping. And I will do anything to get back here. I promise." Joan said trying to assure her grandfather that nothing would happen.
"Alright, if you say so. Just be careful." her grandfather said. "I won't even try to tell you to stay in the rear, I know better than to ask that from Brienne's daugther. Just keep calm and focussed. Be safe."
"Always." Joan said and then she hugged her grandfather.
"I'll see you in a few weeks." Joan said.
"You'd better." her grandfather said and then he left.
After sometime there was another knock on the door, What is it with everyone knocking on doors today?, Joan thought. She wanted to be alone to think and to relax, just for few moments before dawn. However, she opened the door again and this time it was Eddard. She had to let him in.
"What is it, Ned?" Joan asked.
"I just wanted to say thank you. Not just for doing this, but also for what you did when I had that green dream back in the Capital." Eddard said.
"It's alright. You're my family. I'm glad to help." Joan said.
"A family doesn't need to be bound by blood as long as it is bound by love." Eddard said.
"We've heard that so many times, that is almost our family motto." Joan said with a giggle.
"I agree with you. But it's a good motto." Eddard said with a chuckle.
"It really is. How do you think things are in the North?" Joan asked.
"I hope they're better than when we left. I've tried to see how things are there but I still can't control it. Uncle Bran showed me a few things about the War of the Five Kings, I'll tell you everything but after all of this." Eddard explained.
"You're right. We don't need that on our minds right now. You said that you tried to see them. Can you see where the others are?" Joan asked hopefully.
"I can try, but I'm warning you it might be only flashes." Eddard said.
"That's alright. As long as you'll be alright, I don't want you to have another attack, alright?" Joan asked.
"I won't have one, I promise." Eddard said and he sat on a chair that was in the room and his eyes went white. It was just for a few moments and then he was back.
"Ned, are you alright?" Joan asked.
"I am. Don't worry." Eddard said recovering, soothing his breath.
"What did you see?" Joan asked.
"I saw the Titan of Braavos. And I think I saw them on a ship." Eddard said happily.
"Really? I'm so glad to hear that. I was so worried about them." Joan said smilling.
"Me too. Now is our time." Eddard said.
"It is. And we'll do a great job." Joan said determined and he nodded.
In the next day, they set sail to Pyke.