Percy POV
Fall: 295 AC
Percy blearily opened his eyes as he heard several voices full of concern. He tried to remember where he was and what was happening, but nothing was brought to the forefront of his mind. The world slowly came into focus as his body woke up, trying to make sense of the scene playing out beneath his eyes.
A small green lizard-like creature stood protectively in front of him. It had emerald-like scales over the top of its body that oddly reminded Percy of a lake, with the underside of the scales being a much lighter green that was almost white.
He watched as one of the people tried to reach out to him, only for the creature to stand and screech while spreading out its wings. Allowing Percy to see the lighter green membrane that webbed between the dark green bones.
It also got him to notice the spikes jutting out of its spine, making it look like a fairy tale dragon he had always wanted as a child. His mind was still foggy, but as the seconds went by, he realized this was indeed a dragon, and not just any dragon, his dragon.
Admiring its beauty a bit longer, as he worked through the sleepy haze that covered his eyes and clouded his mind. His body was doing its damndest to get him to go back to sleep, but a particularly loud screech from his dragon woke him up the rest of the way, allowing him to take in his surroundings more clearly.
The first was that the people trying to get to him were his friends; Robb, Sansa, and Eddard, with Maester Luwin standing in the corner. He thought it was weird how they were positioned and couldn’t understand where he was, in what had been his room for the past five and a half months, as he had never seen it from this angle.
That is until his memories fully returned from the night before, and he realized he was in the fireplace. Scrambling out in a panic as he realized there was still a fire inside it, startling both his dragon and everyone else in the room.
He immediately began looking himself over for burns and was shocked that he didn’t have any, the shock turning into embarrassment as he realized he had no clothes on. Making him dive onto the bed and cover himself up, but not before noticing the blush on the Princess of Winterfell’s face.
His embarrassment eased a little bit though as his dragon immediately joined him on the bed and began to make a low purr/chirping sound next to him. He couldn’t help but feel it was its way of making sure he was okay, and it filled his heart that something not even a day old was concerned for his well-being.
Eddard’s cough brought Percy’s attention to him.
“Hello Perseus, I see you managed to hatch the dragon... I would greatly appreciate it if you would meet Maester Luwin and me in my study as soon as you are dressed.”
Percy nodded his head and watched as everyone left, not missing Robb’s playful grin and Sansa’s scarlet blush not having left her face. Once they were all gone, Percy began getting ready. Intermittently petting his dragon and trying to figure out its gender along with a proper name for it.
He was shocked though when he realized his dragon was giving a snort of offense whenever he thought of male names. Realizing that it was his dragon's way of telling him she was a female, Percy started thinking of female dragon names.
Trying a handful that were quickly dismissed based on his dragon's reactions; one of the worst being when she had nearly bitten his finger off after suggesting ‘Saphira’. It wasn’t until he tried ‘Thalassa’ did she give her approval by doing her purr/chirp.
He was glad that she liked it, considering he had come up with it because her scales reminded him of the sea right before a storm, and Thalassa was sea in Greek. With his dragon’s name and gender settled. Percy finished getting ready to meet Lord Stark, and Maester Luwin for the second time that day, this time dressed.
Making sure that Thalassa had some things to play with while he was gone, he shut and locked the door. Making his way toward the Stark family's residence on the other side of the castle at a decent pace.
It took him longer than he’d like to admit to make it all the way to Eddard’s study but once he arrived, he noticed the Lord of Winterfell looking out the window into the courtyard as Maester Luwin was talking to him about something that Percy’s appearance interrupted.
“I just think it- Ahhh, Perseus, thank you for joining us.”
Percy smiled at the Maester, and then at Eddard, who gave him a tired smile in return before making his way to his desk and chair. Maester Luwin then shut the door after instructing the guards to step away and keep the hallway clear.
Percy raised an eyebrow at all the secrecy, but Eddard just held up his hand. After another moment, Maester Luwin nodded his head and Eddard began.
“First, I believe congratulations are in order Perseus, as you are the first non-Valyrian-blooded person to ever hatch a dragon. Have you determined a name for it yet?”
The demigod nodded his head. “I named her Thalassa, after the ship that brought me to Westeros.”
Both older men nodded their heads at Percy’s white lie, and he gave a silent sigh of relief. He didn’t want to lie about something so trivial, but at the moment there was no way for him to explain her true name's origin.
Maester Luwin then looked directly at Eddard, and after a moment of what looked to be a silent conversation, Eddard gave a reluctant nod. The Lord of Winterfell then gave the demigod a hard look.
“How familiar are you with Robert’s rebellion and his reasons for doing so?”
Percy could tell it was a loaded question and after a moment decided honesty was his best option.
“Not a lot, I know it involved the Mad King and your sister Lyanna.”
At the mention of his sister, Eddard got a look in his eyes that Percy couldn’t quite place, but it disappeared as quickly as it came.
“Alright, then this is something you should know. Robert blames the Targaryens, their supporters, and anything that relates to them with a fury and hatred I didn’t know he was capable of. Because of this, I am certain once he comes to know of this dragon, he will ask me to kill it, and you.”
Percy nodded his head; he wasn’t that surprised. From his understanding of the history he had read, dragons were the most powerful things in the world. By him owning one, he would pose a serious risk to the throne.
It was oddly comforting to know that he wasn’t going to be targeted because Robert feared his power, but because he hated what his dragon stood for. Internally, his mind started to think of ways to explain this to the King that would get the best outcome, only to pause the thought as Eddard continued.
“Now, I do not plan on doing that if he asks. Robert is like a brother to me, but I won’t let his blind fury hurt my people and friends. I think it best if we notify him of the dragon before he hears about it from rumors or a spy. What are your thoughts on this, Luwin and Perseus?”
Luwin nodded his head and Percy agreed, but he had some concerns which he voiced.
“I agree, but I think we have to find a way to differentiate myself from a Targaryen. Without it, I believe he will declare war based on what you said.”
They all agreed on that and the group spent the next several minutes discussing the best ways to break the news to Robert, before ultimately deciding that the best decision would be to position his dragon as the defense against the Targaryens.
According to Maester Luwin, the struggle known as ‘the dance of the dragons’ was what brought about the Targaryen dynasty’s downfall. In that conflict the world learned that dragons could be killed, but only by another dragon. So, they would position Thalassa as their defense should any Targaryen acquire a dragon of their own.
Percy thought it was ironic and didn’t quite understand why the kingdom wouldn’t just build a high-powered ballista instead, but applauded Maester Luwin nonetheless for coming up with the idea. He knew from personal experience there was no better way to make someone support something they hate than by masking it as a tool to be used against the object of that hatred.
With their stories straight both Percy and Maester Luwin agreed the letter needed to be written by Eddard himself. Then once that was done, Eddard shifted the conversation to Percy’s land at Sea Dragon Point
“So, Perseus. Sansa and Robb tell me of your plans for Sea Dragon Point. I must admit they are grand, but Winterfell is not that wealthy, and to borrow money from the Lannisters would not be advisable in the north. Do you have a plan for the funds to get these things built?”
Percy nodded his head, happy for the change in conversation. “I understand that, all I ask of Winterfell is men to help me build, and guards to help with protection. I have many valuables from my time in Braavos I plan to sell, and the rest I plan to have as a loan from the Iron Bank when I visit after getting work started at Sea Dragon Point.”
Eddard nodded his head. “That could be arranged, I believe it best if you leave in the coming weeks then for Sea Dragon Point. It is fairly remote which is a blessing and curse, as it will take some weeks to arrive.”
“However, because of its remoteness, I believe we can stay Robert’s hand of vengeance until Thalassa grows enough to be an asset he can use due to the limited information that will be able to reach him.”
Percy nodded his head along with Eddard’s rationale as it made sense to him. Maester Luwin was the next one to speak up.
“I also think it makes sense for you to show Thalassa around Wintertown, once the letter is sent of course. I believe you could get several more people to follow you now that you have a dragon.”
Eddard nodded his head at that, and Percy agreed, having not even considered how many more people might follow him now that he had the might of a dragon by his side. With that settled, the group talked for a bit longer about some general things before Percy excused himself.
He still had his general day-to-day routine to do, and he wanted to spend some time with Thalassa beforehand. He was living every boy's dream, and he’d be damned if he didn’t spend some time with a living breathing dragon every day.
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Percy could say with absolute certainty that having a dragon was one of the coolest things in life, and worth all of the headaches that came with it. While his small amount of free time turned non-existent, that didn’t matter to him, because the free time he had was spent with his dragon.
That was still something that made the child part of his mind get all excited and giddy. As a kid, his mom had mostly told him about the Greek myths, but occasionally she would tell him mystical tales that involved dragons.
Every one of the books that she read to him had illustrations of the magical beasts, and he was mesmerized by how similar, yet different, they all looked from each other. His younger self would’ve most likely thought this whole life was a dream.
But after realizing his heritage and the godly blood that flowed through his veins, the mystical and unbelievable, became much more real. Percy was brought out of his thoughts as Thalassa made a muffled squawk at his door.
A moment later there was a knock, and Percy was still mystified as to how his little dragon could tell someone was close to his door. Deciding to think about it later, he made his way from the mirror towards the door.
Doing a once over on his outfit before answering. Tonight was his last night in Winterfell, and in the morning he and all his followers would begin the trip to Sea Dragon Point. As such, Eddard was throwing him a celebratory feast.
So, with Sansa’s help, he had gotten a proper Lord’s outfit. He had on a pair of sea-green triúbhas according to Sansa, but to him, they were a pair of pants that were just baggy above the knees. Along with some black boots that came up to his shins and a black belt.
His upper half consisted of a black wool undershirt and a sea-green leather tunic. Riveted and polished to look like dragon scales along with his signature wolf pelt cloak. Or, as he had heard Sansa call it, a gabardine.
Overall, he liked the look and appreciated the effort the Winterfell princess had put into helping him. Although, he assumed it was something she enjoyed doing considering the smile she had during the entire session.
A second knock at the door broke him out of his musings once again, and Percy quickly answered the door. A smile formed on his face as he spotted Robb and Jon, both holding mugs of ale, with the latter holding two.
Realizing what they were looking for he let out a small sigh but didn’t let the smile drop from his face. Taking the offered mug from Jon as he spoke.
“You know, it’s not very proper for a new lord to get shit-faced the night before leading his people into possible enemy territory, where they will then build a castle and town right?”
The two laughed as Percy himself chuckled, joining them in drinking some of the amber liquid in his mug. Suppressing a grimace as the alcohol burned his throat. The demigod didn’t know if it was because he was no longer on earth, or if the alcohol here was just that much stronger, but he could actually get drunk after a couple of mugs.
Thalassa’s squawk as she made her way towards him drew his attention. Giving her a sympathetic smile and a piece of her favorite jerky that he always kept with him before addressing her.
“Sorry girl, but I can’t bring you with me to the feast tonight. Don’t worry though, I’ll be back soon, and we will go for a walk once I’m back.”
His dragon gave another squawk, this time out of acknowledgment, before scarfing down her jerky as Percy pulled the door shut. Using his powers to freeze the locking mechanism before following Robb and Jon toward the feast.
As the group made jokes and small talk, Percy couldn’t help but smile at how much easier it had gotten to use his powers. Ever since Thalassa was born, he had noticed that his powers were not nearly as taxing as they were when he had first shown up in Westeros.
So, while bigger feats such as controlling gallons of water were still strenuous. The smaller ones: like reinforcing a lock, or manipulating a cup of water, were much more doable. The reason he had to even reinforce the lock at all, was because Thalassa grew stronger every day.
He was pretty sure she could break a normal lock at her current size if she really wanted to, and the last thing he wanted was for his dragon to go running off alone. She was growing quickly, reaching around thirty pounds at the moment and a little under three feet long.
But she would still have a hard time defending herself from a man at her current size, especially since she was still incapable of breathing fire, so freezing the lock was twofold. It stopped Thalassa from running around without his supervision, and any bad actors from trying to steal her.
Considering he had walked around Wintertown many a time with his little dragon wrapped around his shoulders. He was positive some people would want to steal her for their own gain. He knew that would never work out well for them, but still, it was something he had to be mindful of.
He couldn’t afford Thalassa to get a reputation of killing people, lest he give Robert an actual reason to kill his dragon. Eddard had received a message from the king weeks ago accepting the story his long-time friend had told them.
Although according to Eddard, Robert had mentioned in the letter that should the dragon be anything but an asset to the crown. Eddard would bring him the dragon's head as well as Perseus’s.
So, Percy was careful in training and caring for his dragon. He was quite attached to the beast, and his head for that matter, the last thing he wanted was to lose them. He believed in his skills and his relationship with Eddard, but there was only so much the Warden of the North could do.
Percy looked up as Robb spoke his name, realizing that they had made it to the Great Hall and the feast was in mid-swing. Upon seeing him, Eddard stood up, commanding silence from the crowd.
Eddard cleared his throat and Jon whispered over to Percy.
“Oh no, he’s gonna give a speech.”
The demigod chuckled, as the Stark patriarch’s voice resounded throughout the Hall.
“When Perseus first arrived in Winterfell with Ivan the Snake in chains, I was impressed, but I didn’t know what type of man he was. However, in the Ironborn raid, he saved my wife and youngest son Rickon.”
The crowd erupted into cheers at the reminder of his deed in saving Lady Stark and their son. Giving the crowd a moment to settle, Eddard continued.
“The man then selflessly, and bravely joined us in the fight to kill what remained of their assassination attempt. From that moment I knew Perseus was a just and honorable man. Standing up for what is right and doing so without hesitation.”
“That is why I named him Lord of Sea Dragon Point, and it seems the old gods have blessed this decision! For not long after, a dragon was birthed in his care, to a man not of Targaryen blood no less! I have faith in his ability and am confident Sea Dragon Point will soon become a great boon and city for the north.”
“So I say three cheers for Perseus the Sea Dragon, Lord of Sea Dragon Point!”
The crowd went wild at that, and Percy couldn’t help but smile as he thanked everyone whilst they shouted ‘Lord Perseus’. The rest of the feast was a blur to the demigod, and he wasn’t sure if it was due to all the people he met, or the alcohol.
At one moment he was eating some of the most wonderful food that was prepared like roasted pig and duck, fresh warm bread with a hearty stew, and some sweet bread that he didn’t know the name of. The next, he was singing with Jon and Robb as they threw back their ale to everyone’s delight.
There were moments where he was dancing with servant girls, eager to bed him, and moments where he was simply dancing with his friends. He even remembered drinking several soldiers under the table as they boosted their drinking prowess.
Eventually, the call of his bed was too tempting to resist, so he went to make his goodbyes to the Stark family. Knowing that only Eddard, Robb, and Jon would see him off in the morning. He first wished Sansa and Arya well, encouraging the youngest of the two to talk with her father about sword lessons.
The demigod then found his way to Catelyn and Rickon Stark, bidding them farewell. Despite saving them, he had never really gotten close to either of the duo. Percy also tracked down Brandon Stark, telling him that he would build a climbing wall inside his castle just for him, making the boy giddy with excitement.
It wasn’t long until Percy found himself with Lord Stark, the party had died down drastically at this point as couples searched for a place to fuck. It seemed that Jon, Robb, and Theon were the only ones left partying with a few women as they drank and talked. Eddard’s voice breaking him from his observation.
“How’s Thalassa?”
Percy grinned at the interest in his dragon. “She’s good my friend, growing more and more every day. I am sure you can relate to that.”
The two shared a laugh before Percy continued.
“I can feel her excitement at traveling, ya know, it's hard to explain how I know her feelings. But, it’s just like I can feel her emotions. It took some time to figure out that, that’s what I was sensing, but I am all the more happy I did.”
Eddard nodded his head at that. “Yes, the Targaryen’s had a similar connection with their dragons from my understanding. All dragonriders had some level of connection to their bonded companions, but it varied from rider to rider.”
Percy laughed. “Thank you for telling me. Ya know, one day you're going to have to tell me why you know so much about dragons. I never would have expected Eddard Stark to know so much about the Targaryen’s House Sigil.”
Eddard glanced at Jon, too quick for anyone but a demigod to notice, before laughing as well.
“One day I might friend. But for now, it will be a story for another day. I believe it's time I retire for the night, as it is an early day in the morning. Goodnight Perseus.”
Percy nodded his head, wishing the Warden of the North a goodnight as well, before making his way to Robb and Jon. As the demigod walked up to the group, he had to bite back a grimace as he heard the story they were sharing with the three beautiful women.
“-en Perseus fires the arrow and it bounces off the target, hitting Theon right in the foot!”
While he had improved greatly with the bow since that incident, the trio never let him live it down. It was the first time he had practiced archery with his curse lifted after one of the sword lessons he had with the group.
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After pulling out the beautiful bow that Artemis had gifted him, everyone assumed he would be an excellent shot. It was far from the case, but he enjoyed the laughter the story brought when it was told.
The girl's giggles brought him back to reality and he spoke up.
“I hope he told you that was months ago at this point and I’m a much better shot nowadays.”
The girls looked up, noticing him for the first time, before blushing scarlet as Robb and Jon laughed their asses off. With the Stark heir barely gaining control of his laughter long enough to introduce everyone.
“Ahhh Lord Perseus, these are Ladies Beth, Anna, and Claire. I hope you don’t mind us sharing stories about your impressive... skill sets.”
Percy laughed as he sat down next to Claire. She was a cute girl in his opinion with Auburn hair that cascaded down her back in waves. Doing his best to not think of the two other girls’ names, he joined in on the jest.
“I don’t mind at all future Lord Stark, have you told these lovely ladies any of your stories? I am sure they would love to know about your hunting trip last month.”
Robb paled as Jon burst out in another fit of laughter. Percy grinned as the girls practically pleaded with Robb to tell the story as the group took another drink of their ale. The demigod paid no attention as Claire moved closer to him, resting her hand on his thigh as the night waned on.
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Percy had woken up the morning after the feast to auburn hair splayed across his chest, and a naked body wrapped around his. A glance at the fireplace showed his dragon curled into a ball and sleeping soundly. So, after extracting the girl from his body, Percy got ready for the day ahead.
He and his followers would begin their journey to Sea Dragon Point today, just as he would be saying goodbye to his friends here for the foreseeable future. Taking a glass of water and dumping it over his head to help cure his hangover, the demigod then proceeded to get dressed.
They had about a dozen wagons that would be traveling with them toward Sea Dragon Point. Three would carry all the tents and camping supplies for the group, while four of the wagons carried their seeds and rations for the trip.
By his count, they would have plenty of rations to last them until the first harvest, so long as they supplemented the food with their own hunting and fishing expeditions. Three more wagons carried all the personal belongings people were bringing that they couldn’t carry themselves.
While two others carried all the tools and weapons, along with their iron and steel supply that was provided from Winterfell, and the last wagon carrying all the money gathered for the new settlement. It was mostly money on loan from Winterfell, but there was a fair amount accumulated from donations and his own personal supply.
It would be guarded twenty-four-seven by a group of three guards that would rotate shifts amongst themselves. Other than the horses that pulled the wagons, Percy had managed to get thirty horses for the group. Giving all but two of the horses to the guards, himself and a man named Pearson getting the ones he sat aside.
Pearson was a good man that stood at about 5 '11 with dark brown hair, blue eyes, a semi-lanky figure and was somewhere in his mid-twenties. The man was good with words, had a strong grasp on money management, and most importantly, knew how to use ravens. Of which they had five, all that Winterfell could spare.
The man also had a good relationship with the Mormonts who would hopefully become one of their greatest allies. They were the closest House to Sea Dragon Point, and Percy was determined to make them a close ally.
If they needed reinforcements or any assistance quickly, the Mormonts would be the only house able to send that aid in a timely manner. The demigod let a smile crack his features as he remembered meeting Pearson for the first time.
The man had entered Winterfell on a trip for coincidently enough, the Mormonts, regarding a loan. He had been one of the bookkeepers to the Lannister fortune when he noticed something peculiar about a debt to the crown.
Yet before he could dig deeper, Lannister men attacked his home and burned his house down, killing his family. The man was lost for a couple of years, eventually finding his way to the House of the Bear. Helping them with their coin and increasing the house's trade in exchange for free lodging and meals.
Percy had met him while he was in Winterfell after he had caught sight of his dragon. This led to Pearson agreeing to help the demigod grow his house, feeling he had done all he could for the Mormonts.
Percy was ever grateful for the man's help, and while he was okay at managing money. Having an expert like Pearson meant that he had someone he could trust to help make sure Sea Dragon Point prospered and thrived while he was away.
Looking at his journal one last time before putting it back into the pocket of his cloak. Percy took stock of the people and livestock that would be meeting him outside Winterfell. He had about three dozen guards that would be joining him, with an additional two dozen on loan from Winterfell to help keep their journey safe.
He had about five hundred mouths to feed, not including the guards, that would be traveling with him to Sea Dragon Point. Ten stone masons and craftsmen, nearly two hundred able-bodied men to help build, and around two hundred and fifty women and children from the men’s families that would primarily tend to the crops or fish.
Finally, he had two blacksmiths and about half a dozen whores that were interested in setting up shop in his town. Percy was confident that with the number of people he had, he could make Sea Dragon Point a great city in due time.
He also had sixty chickens, forty cows, and thirty pigs, that would act as their livestock and help provide an easy source of food. Eddard had called him foolish, saying that all the livestock would die during winter, but Percy had a plan to stop that from happening.
His only concern about the journey would be that they were going to be a prime target for bandits. He hoped that the five dozen guards and himself would be enough to deter any threat, but he knew it was wishful thinking.
Claire’s groan drew his attention to the red-headed beauty laying in his bed. Her breasts were bare as she sat up to look at him, letting the covers drop to her waist.
“Good morning my Lord, I must say I’ve never laid with a man quite like you before. I am not sure how I will walk today.”
Her words brought a small sense of pride in the demigod as he made his way over to the girl doing his best to not look at her exposed breasts. Shaking the thoughts of betrayal for Annabeth from his mind as he kissed her on the lips.
The girl moaned into the kiss attempting to pull him back into bed, pouting slightly as Percy pulled away.
“I’m sorry, but I leave for Sea Dragon Point in a few moments. This is me saying goodbye.”
The girl seemed slightly shocked at his announcement but schooled her features quickly, before looking him up and down. Pushing her breasts together as she looked up at him, begging with her eyes as she spoke in a sultry voice.
“What if I joined you on your journey? A man as powerful as yourself will need some company on the road, and someone to warm your bed. I am confident I can make you very, very happy.”
Percy groaned as the redheaded vixen stirred a longing inside him, doing his best to think of the benefit of having her with him. It was hard as the girl got up from the bed and began kissing up and down his neck.
With a growl Percy pulled away, meeting the girl in the eyes.
“Listen, Claire, I like you and last night was fun. But, my last lover was taken from me against my will and I’m still not over it. I’m just not ready for anything, she was the love of my life.”
Claire stopped her ministrations, meeting his eyes with a look he couldn’t describe. Her voice was full of sympathy.
“I’m sorry to hear that my Lord. I know what it's like to lose the one you love, suddenly and unexpectedly. My father, brother to Lord Reed, died several months ago. My uncle tried to marry me off, but I ran away to Winterfell, and have been here ever since.”
Percy nodded his head in sympathy, continuing to gaze into her eyes, and after seeing no deceit made up his mind.
“I am sorry to hear that Claire, you are welcome to join me, but I meant what I said. I’m not ready for anything. Last night was the fault of the alcohol and my lust.”
The girl looked downtrodden before kissing him on the cheek. “I understand, if you would be so kind, I’d like to go get my things from the inn before we set out?”
Percy watched as the naked girl pulled away from him, his eyes taking in her nude body, before going to her shapely ass as she gave it a shake. He was sure she did it to tease him but stopped his staring to take in her red hair that cascaded down behind her, stopping just short of her lower back.
Percy then turned his attention to his dragon as she purred contentedly next to the fire. He wasn’t quite sure what he had gotten himself into, but as his foggy memories from last night resurfaced. He couldn’t help but realize that while he was with the red-headed vixen, the pang in his heart from Annabeth’s death was dulled.
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Winter: 295 AC
The sound of hooves trotting up beside him caused Percy to look to his right as Gelder came up from behind him. Gelder was an older man in his mid-thirties with salt & pepper hair, a graying beard, and dark brown eyes.
He was the second-best swordsman beside Percy himself, and the captain of their small military force. The man was a soldier in Robert’s rebellion and became a leader in the Greyjoy Rebellion. Percy had won over the man's loyalty after he had seen the demigods' prowess in a spar, and with Eddard’s approval, had left his position in the Stark’s household guard.
Percy was honored considering Gelder was second in command, right behind Jory Cassel. The man's words broke him out of his thoughts, his rough voice showing his experience as a veteran.
“My lord, the scouts have reported back and it’s not good. It seems as though there appear to be around forty Ironborn held up in the remains of the old castle. We don’t have the numbers with Ivan, Brock, and Rickon still injured from the last attack and the Winterfell guards already on their way back.”
Percy grimaced, the trip to Sea Dragon had been long and several weeks had passed since he left. It was as he had feared, and the bandits attacked them in droves, he was incredibly grateful no one had died yet. But, three of his guards were injured and would be worthless in a fight until they recovered.
Plus, the group had received an emissary on horseback a day prior, calling back the Winterfell guards. The Ironborn had attacked once again in higher numbers and had left some casualties. Percy hated to watch them go as he feared there would be an Ironborn encampment at Sea Dragon Point.
Resenting the fact that he was right but not being able to do anything about the past. He took a breath to reign in his emotions. He had to come up with a way for them to win with the resources they had.
He loathed how good he had become at the job due to his experience in the two wars from his past life, but nonetheless, took stock of what he had. With a little over thirty men in fighting shape, they were outnumbered but he had an idea on how to help even the odds.
However, he didn’t want to make the decision alone. Deciding that this was a suitable place as any to make camp, he held up his hand, the caravan coming to a stop. His people then began unloading their supplies to make camp as Percy got off his horse.
Looking up at Gelder, who was still on his horse, Percy spoke.
“Gelder, please find Pearson, and both of you meet me in my tent after dinner. I would like my advisors' opinion on a plan of attack before I make a decision.”
Gelder nodded his head before riding off, as Thalassa dug her claws a little harder into his shoulder from her place on his back. The demigod scratched her snout causing the beast to purr in content and making Percy smile.
His dragon didn’t really like the cage she had stayed in during the first leg of their journey and had taken to riding on his back for the rest of it. Percy then got her off of him before getting to work on setting up his tent.
It wasn’t long until the demigod was standing in front of a small table and map with Gelder and Pearson in front of him. Looking at the map which showed their position in relation to the Ironborn stronghold marked by small stones they had found.
“I am thinking that we leave five men to guard the camp, while the rest of us lead an attack on their stronghold. I believe we could be victorious if we take them by surprise, what do you two think?”
Gelder looked thoughtful, as Pearson looked concerned. Gelder finally spoke up after a moment.
“I don’t think we have enough men, Lord Perseus. I find it lacking that the Ironborn would only have forty men guarding their Ironwood supply and their most crucial landing point. Considering their longboats carry thirty people at a time, I think a more accurate count of the enemy would be sixty to eighty men.”
Pearson spoke up once Gelder was finished, adding on to what the veteran had to say.
“Maybe we send a man on horseback to ask for the Winterfell guards to return for assistance? They can’t be too far ahead; they only left a day ago.”
Gelder and Percy shared a look before the demigod spoke up.
“Eddard wouldn’t have recalled those men if he didn’t need them urgently, I don’t know why, but I’m not going to stop them. We are on our own here.”
Looking back down at the map Percy thought about what they could do before another idea came to him.
“Alright, how’s this? We leave five men to guard camp, with two guarding the coin wagon, one guarding Thalassa, and the other two making rounds and keeping peace in the camp. Then, Gelder, you and twenty-five men head closer to the Ironborn stronghold and make camp.”
“Bring some cloth and straw with you to make some dummies, as well as tools to make traps. Hopefully, Ironborn scouts will send a majority of their men to engage you, mistaking the dummies for more men, and a handful of them dying in the traps you’ve set up.”
“Meanwhile, I will take our remaining men and set up a little ways from their stronghold. Once they leave to engage you, we will go in and kill any remaining Ironborn in the stronghold. Before collapsing on your attackers from the rear by horseback.”
Gelder pondered his words for a moment before speaking, his gravelly voice breaking the silence.
“It’s a good plan considering our limited resources, my Lord. I just hope you hurry on the horses, or else you’ll miss out on all the fun.”
Percy grinned at that, understanding the old veteran's humor being one himself.
“Ha, I just hope you can keep up old man. Be sure to save some of the Ironborn bastards for us.”
Gelder let out a chuckle before they went over their ploy once more. After everyone was in agreement with the plan and that Gelder and his men would set out at first light to prepare, the demigod bid them goodnight.
As he lay in his bed, with Thalassa curled up next to the roaring fire. His mind wandered; all he could hope for was that he would be able to keep the casualties at a bare minimum.
The next morning Percy awoke with a jaw-cracking yawn. Enjoying the heat that radiated inside his tent, knowing that once he stepped outside, the cool northern air would smack him in the face as its wake-up call.
He hoped Gelder and his men were already on their way to set up the camp and their traps. So, after giving Thalassa a piece of her favorite jerky, he got ready for the day. Pleased to see three men waiting outside his tent.
“Alright men, I’m sure Gelder informed you of the plan last night, so I’ll spare you the details. We are going to set out after lunch and make a small camp next to the Ironborn’s stronghold. It will be cold since we can’t have a fire without giving away our position, so dress accordingly.”
The men nodded their heads, but before they could leave Percy stopped them.
“Oh, and one last thing, we will be the only ones standing between success and failure. I believe in all of us, so meet me by the horses after lunch. I’ll see you all then.”
The men nodded their heads once more before going their separate ways while Percy made his rounds through camp. Assuaging his follower's worries and helping out with some of the tasks that needed doing. Incredibly grateful that everyone had stuck with him.
It wasn’t long until Percy was bidding goodbye to Thalassa and Pearson who was entrusted with caring for his dragon while he was away, along with their guard. But as he went to mount his horse, a familiar redhead made her way to him, enveloping the son of the sea in a hug.
Claire held him tight, and the demigod hesitantly returned it. The two hadn’t interacted much in their journey after Percy had denied her advances on the second night. Only for her to deny him a week later as the journey left him somewhat reminiscent of his and Annabeth's adventures, and he craved to make the pain go away.
The girl pulled away after a moment, planting a kiss on his cheek, and a whisper in his ear.
“Come back my Lord, so I can show you how grateful I am for your courage and bravery.”
The sultry smirk across her face stirred a wanting inside him before he returned a kiss on her cheek and a whisper in kind.
“I will conquer you when I return, just as I will conquer these Ironborn.”
The redhead shivered, bringing a smirk to his face as the demigod mounted his horse. Then, he and his three men were off.
After several hours of riding, Percy and his men came across a good clearing with a perfect sightline onto the Ironborn stronghold. Which was more like a collapsing stone tower with a handful of tents around it.
Leaving his three men to set up their small camp, reminding them to not make a fire once more, before making his way to the cliffside where he heard waves crashing against the rocks. Seeing five of the Ironborn ships docked against the coast sent a shiver down his spine.
His mind raced as he made his way back to his men. He hoped that his scouts weren’t off by a hundred men, if what Gelder said was true, and each Ironborn ship could carry thirty men. Then, after a moment of thought, realization struck him and he figured out why Eddard had called his men back.
The missing Ironborn must’ve been what attacked Winterfell, but Percy didn’t understand why they left so many men to guard the ships. By the time he made it back to their small camp, it was dusk, and Percy could see the Ironborn camp's fire and another smokestack in the distance.
The demigod grinned in satisfaction as a couple of Ironborn rode off on horseback towards the new smokestack. Sensing the nervousness in his men at the coming battle, Percy tried to use the powers given to him by Hestia.
His grin grew as he felt them relax, stopping his power only after he began to feel tired. Satisfied with his efforts though, noticing a vast difference in the three soldiers as they prepared themselves for the coming battle.
Soon the Ironborn scouting party returned, and after a moment, at least fifty Ironborn made their way toward Gelder’s camp. Thanks to Hades' blessing, Percy could just barely make out their silhouettes at this distance.
After giving the Ironborn a bit more time to distance themselves from their camp, Percy signaled to his men, and they charged the stronghold stragglers on horseback. The weariness in his bones from using his powers to calm his men had vanished.
Replaced with pure adrenaline as he cut down one of the Ironborn before they knew what hit’em. The demigod and his small squad of soldiers making quick work of the unsuspecting invaders.
Percy grimaced at the ‘shlick’ sound as he decapitated one of the Ironborn, blood beginning to spurt from the stump that used to hold his head. In minutes they had killed half a dozen Ironborn, which quickly jumped to a dozen as six more men came out of the stone structure when they heard the commotion Percy and his men made.
They made quick work of them too, with one of the poor bastards getting trampled under Percy’s horse as he charged forward. Making him flinch a little as he heard the man scream while his horse crunched bones until the screaming ceased, a hoof caving in the man's skull. All while Percy parried a sword strike and decapitated another Ironborn bastard.
Within another few short minutes, a dozen Ironborn lay dead and mutilated. Wanting to make sure that there were no surprises, Percy dismounted his horse, making his way toward the stone tower from which the previous Ironborn had left.
His men followed, and after having someone stand guard over the horses, made his way inside with two of his men flanking him. They were greeted by five men, two of which were in the middle of fucking two women.
Percy felt bad for the bastards as he made quick work of them before going after the largest brute of the remaining three, hoping that his men would be able to handle themselves in their fights. The brute dodged his first slash to the right before kicking the demigod in the chest making him stumble.
Percy then barely had enough time to parry the overhead swing from the Ironborn’s giant double-sided axe. The giant was obviously shocked at his strength, as he stumbled forward, off balance from the amount of strength he had put into the swing.
The demigod then quickly capitalized on the brute’s blunder. Spinning with the momentum from the parry to then stab him in the gullet, before pulling Riptide out through his side, practically cutting him in half.
It was a testament to the Ironborn’s strength as he stayed standing, albeit barely, delivering a sluggish swing that still had a surprising amount of force behind it. Percy deflected the strike easily before stepping inside the brutes’ guard, decapitating him in one motion.
Percy watched as the head rolled towards one of his men who stopped it with their boot, their voice ragged and out of breath as they spoke.
“I believe it’s time to bring in the calvary to help out Gelder, no?”
Percy grinned, slapping his two men on the back as they made their way back out into the night sky.
“It is indeed, let’s hurry. I don’t want Gelder to take all the glory!”
None of them paid attention to the women who stared in horror at the gore that just occurred around them.
Gelder POV:
The older man grunted as he parried a sloppy swing aimed at his side before cutting off the bastard’s wrist. Then shoving his sword through the man’s throat in one quick motion, silencing his screams about his lost hand.
The old veteran took one look at the battlefield and prayed to the old gods that Lord Perseus would arrive soon, the plan had gone off perfectly so far. After arriving late in the morning, he and his men quickly began to set up spike traps, pitfalls, and snares. While others began creating straw dummies.
He supposed the dummies worked, as Wollard had told him of the sixty-some men approaching from their ‘stronghold’. The first dozen fell quickly to their traps, and another ten or so after that to their blades.
However, the Ironborn still had a numbers advantage, and his men had lost their element of surprise. They were still winning, having only lost five men to their twenty-eight. But, Gelder had seen enough war and battles to know that wouldn’t last.
A scream to his right broke the veteran out of his thoughts, seeing one of the Ironborn fall into a pitfall trap. A spike now protruded through the man’s leg and chest as he gurgled up blood in an attempt to hold on to life.
Paying the dying man no more attention, the old veteran moved quickly towards one of his men who was fighting against two of the Ironborn bastards, noticing the struggle from his observation earlier. But, his aid was stopped by an Ironborn soldier who seemed to be the leader based on the set of armor he was wearing.
The leader held a great sword with both hands and had a feral grin on his face as he swung it towards Gelder. The old veteran rolled out of the way, bringing his sword up just in time to block an attack from a different Ironborn that had tried to take advantage of his moment of weakness.
Using a move Lord Perseus taught him, Gelder stood up, sliding his sword down to the other's hilt. Then, with a flick and a twist, the man was disarmed and subsequently decapitated.
The blood spurting out of the now headless body’s stump, covered Gelder in a fresh coat of red, grimacing as he felt the warm liquid travel down his neck and through his armor. The Ironborn leader was on him again, and Gelder was pushed back on the defensive.
Gelder grunted as he was forced to block another heavy strike, before seeing his opening. When the Ironborn leader came at him with another side strike, Gelder struck. Blocking the blade before using his feet to kick the man behind the knee.
The Ironborn grunted as his leg gave out, giving Gelder the momentum he needed to put himself on the offensive. The Ironborn was quick to recover but was now just barely able to keep up with the old veterans' flurry of strikes.
The two were a storm of sparks as they fought tooth and nail to kill the other. Constantly trading blows, Gelder would land a cut, and the Ironborn leader would land a punch. The Ironborn would land a slash on his shoulder, while Gelder would strike a gash on his leg.
The old veteran was the first to make a fatal error though, and he realized it immediately. Thinking he saw an opening, the old man overextended into the Ironborn’s trap. Which was quickly capitalized on.
Gelder sighed as he made peace with his upcoming death. Watching the Ironborn’s sword coming at him, its trajectory straight for his neck. Closing his eyes as he waited for the strike to finish him, but that strike never came.
The old veteran opened his eyes in relief as he heard the galloping of horses, and a sickening ‘schlink’, as the man was covered in more hot blood. The Ironborn leader’s body stopped mid-strike now that it was missing its head.
Looking up, Gelder grinned as Lord Perseus and his three men made their way through the ravaged battlefield, helping the others as they fought the Ironborn. With the cavalry having arrived, the battle was over quickly.
Gelder watched as one of the Ironborn was trampled by the horse, and another was quickly decapitated having never seen it coming. Gelder didn’t know when the battle had turned to the Ironborn's favor as he noticed at least a dozen of his men dead.
But, was grateful nonetheless for Perseus’s arrival, of which he had no doubt saved all of their lives. Once the fighting ended and the last Ironborn killed, they all regrouped in the middle, Perseus and his men getting off their horses to join them.
By Gelder’s count, they had lost only thirteen men, which was incredible considering the numbers difference. Looking at the injured, Gelder was happy to see most of his men still in fighting shape, with only a couple bleeding from a wound.
The battlefield reeked of piss and shit as dead men defecated themselves, and dying ones pissed themselves in fear. Gelder could also smell the blood and sweat as they finished gathering in the middle of the field.
The crackling of fires and groans of dying men were drowned out as Perseus joined them in their circle, his whole presence commanding attention and respect. His voice was loud and clear as he spoke to him and the rest of the men, it reminded Gelder of Lord Stark during the Greyjoy Rebellion after a hard-fought battle.
“Gelder, get yourself and you're injured on the horses and back to camp. I’ll help the men clean up this mess, and by tomorrow we should be able to set up a more permanent camp and begin construction.”
Gelder nodded his head, grabbing his two most injured men, and helping them on the horses before riding back towards the main camp. The entire time he couldn’t help but feel happy about his decision to follow Perseus to Sea Dragon Point.
Not many Lords would stick around to do the grunt work such as cleaning up a battlefield. But he did, and Gelder had no doubt that Perseus would become a great Lord one day.