Wolf in the Sun

……

The gentle rocking of the ship greeted me as I woke. It’d been a touch over a moon and a half since we’d left Starfall, and while a trip around the southern coast of Dorne wouldn’t normally take that long, with Arianne and Oberyn on board, each time we’d put to shore – in Lemonwood and Salt Shore – we’d been hosted by the ruling lord and spent about a week in each place. While this hadn’t always been fun, it had allowed Oberyn to introduce his new wife and son to the lords, and for Arianne to network with them.

The first lord, Tremond Gargalen was the lord of Salt Shore, and the minute we left I was relieved. While he’d been less than happy when he’d discovered uncle Benjen among our group – since Benjen was only in Starfall for me, when I left, he came along – he’d been unable to do anything as my uncle was under the protection of Oberyn and Arianne. Sadly, that fact didn’t dent his interest in Arianne, which started to grate after the first day. Or more accurately, his interest in pairing up the princess with Raman, his third son.

Raman, well, he wasn’t very impressive. Oh, he certainly wasn’t lazy or anything, but all he could do was talk about fighting and spent his entire time pestering Arianne – or at least that’s all that she complained to me and her cousins about – and frankly, he wasn’t that good, for a noble trained at least. Daemon bested him easily when they sparred, as had Nymeria; though there Raman had dismissed their spar as pointless because Nymeria was a girl. That had infuriated Arianne – not to mention Nymeria – and she’d spent the last four days either around Daemon, her cousins or me.

While I could understand the choices of Daemon and her cousins, her need to seek me out had confused me. Especially as it had continued since we’d left Salt Shore. Now, some of it I suspected was to scout me out, though whether that was for her uncle, father, herself or all of the above, I couldn’t say. Yet, after being asked my opinions on banal things for close to the thousandth time, I was past the point where I felt an urge to jump off the nearest cliff. I wanted to retort about how boring all the stuff she asked me about was, but as the future ruler of Dorne, I felt it safer to hold my tongue – which would’ve been true even if I’d been born noble – at least until I understood what she was trying to do.

Thankfully, our time in Lemonwood went much quicker. Lord Deziel Dolt wasn’t much older than Obara. Thus, like many children of lords in Dorne, had grown up in the Water Gardens under the care of Doran Martell. From that time – and his brother was still there – he knew the Martell family – trueborn and baseborn – and seemed to hold little interest in courting Arianne. Nymeria spent most of our time there teasing Deziel about one thing or another, but beyond that, and him allowing me and Sarella access to his family’s library – well, he opened it to everyone, but we were the only ones to take him up on the offer – nothing of note seemed to happen.

Then again, after getting access to the library, I basically camped out there until we left. As did Sarella Sand. She was the fourth of five bastard daughters belonging to Oberyn and was far more bookish than her sisters. Strangely, even though she’d spent a lot of time in Maester Cordin’s study in Starfall, we’d barely interacted. In Lemonwood, as the only two people present, we spent all but the last day tolerating each other. On that day, we’d both wanted to read the same book, and thus had spent the day close as we raced against each other to read and remember each page.

While I could clearly remember everything on the pages, to avoid suspicion I’d intentionally gotten a few wrong, though not enough to allow Sarella to win our impromptu game. Since then, we’d spent time discussing theories and ideas we’d come across in books and she’d already promised to show me the Martell family library when we arrived in Sunspear; though I had the feeling that there were books in another place in Sunspear that she’d rather read than those available to her in the library.

The other snakes had spent their time doing other things. Obara spent every moment ashore in a yard – as did Daemon when not carrying out his duties as a squire for Oberyn – and I’d seen her spar with her father, Lord Deziel and most surprisingly, uncle Benjen.

Their spar had been a very cagey affair. Which made sense given the recent history of Westeros, and the sides of Houses Stark and Martell in Robert’s Rebellion/The War of the Usurper. Still, after it had ended, Benjen – who’d won the day – had quickly offered a rematch which she’d accepted. Obara had won that and they’d agreed to have one final spar in Sunspear to settle matters, but something told me that wouldn’t be the last time the pair sparred. Since the first spar, the pair had grown surprisingly close and spent time speaking in hushed voices about – judging from their hand motions – either fighting techniques or something I wanted nothing to do with.

Tyene had spent most of the time around Ellaria and her half-sister Elia or in the company of Arianne. The same was true of Nymeria, though she’d also spent some time in the yard; though every time she saw me looking at her, she smirked as if enjoying a private joke with the smirk noticeably larger whenever I was around Tyene, Sarella or Arianne.

When I was around Tyene, Arianne or both, they seemed to enjoy fishing for compliments from me. While I knew I was far more eloquent than any other boy my age, it was a little unsettling to have to do it multiple times every day. Yes, both were still young – Tyene had a cute little button nose while Arianne wasn’t the most attractive to look at, there were hints the child flab that she had was beginning to break – but with one being the future ruler of Dorne and the other her cousin, I figured it was better to keep myself in both their good graces. Plus, while I doubted it lifted the relevant skills, it was still a good way to practice my social skills for when I’d really need them later in life.

As the sounds of the crew on deck drifted to my ears, I put thoughts about the trip, and the various things that had happened on it, to one side, and slid from the rack in the quarters assigned to me. My bunkmate was uncle Benjen – he’d insisted on it in fact – but he was already up and about. In the corner of the room near the door was a small basin of water that was for washing. While not the same size as the one I’d had in Starfall – nor refilled as often – it sufficed, I couldn’t wait to get ashore and enjoy a proper bath again or experience the waterfalls in the Water Gardens that Arianne and the snakes spoke about.

There was a knock at the door just as I finished washing my face and upper body as best I could. I lifted my head from the basin to see Arianne step into the room. As usual, her robes were… more revealing than I’d have been entirely comfortable with in my old life. I knew it was common for such thin and breathable fabric to be worn in Dorne – and many of my clothes weren’t much better – and nothing untoward was visible, but being able to see her skin underneath in places wasn’t something I was overly comfortable with yet. Though today, as with most days we’d been at sea, she was wearing a shawl over her shoulders to deal with the morning breeze that was often a touch cooler than ideal for the clothing preferred in this part of Westeros.

Still, I was thankful that my mother and Ellaria didn’t often wear such flimsy clothing. While I couldn’t feel lust, since I was a child, such things would be a distraction that I’d rather not have to deal with. If only Nymeria dressed more conservatively – for Dornish – like the two women and not like the princess. I swore that she was trying to catch me looking at inappropriate times, which meant whenever she came into a room, I found myself finding interest in anything but her. Of course, Nymeria had seen this and now it had developed into, for me, an unwanted game between us.

Once I was old enough, I wouldn’t be diverting my attention and I understood that girls were considered beddable once they’d flowered, but it was still something I wasn’t comfortable thinking about currently. As was the issue that anyone I slept with would be mentally younger than me, and if it was one of the snakes or, gods forbid, Arianne, then I’d have to be careful that it didn’t feel as though I’d groomed them… well, that was an issue that I’d deal with once it came up. In a good ten plus years.

“Good morning princess,” I said as I picked up the small towel that was beside the basin to dry my face as I put my concerns about her clothing, and the effect it would have on me when I was older into a mental box labelled ‘problems for later’.

Arianne smiled as she shook her head. “We’ve been over this Cregan. As we are family now when not in a formal setting, you can call me by my name.” She said as she stepped towards me then took the towel from my hands.

“We’re on a ship surrounded by my mother and… father,” I began as she gently used the towel to dry my hair. While I didn’t like anyone touching it – something Nymeria loved to tease me about – Arianne had somehow discovered that I was fine when someone dried it. “My uncle, your cousins and several dozen of your household guard,” I continued as she gently massaged my scalp with the towel. She’d done this every day we’d been at sea, which had become a point of good-natured ribbing from others about me having a princess dotting on me. “We are never truly alone. That said, how may I be of service this morning?”

She slapped the towel against my arm. “You know damn well that’s not what I meant by alone,” she remarked with a small smile. Said smile grew when she stepped back, and our eyes met. A small sigh escaped her lips before she turned away. “Those eyes aren’t fair.” She muttered, which made me have to suppress a chuckle. I knew taking Perfect 10 was going to affect others – which, along with the potential charisma boost I’d get from my looks, was one of the reasons I’d taken it – but having an eleven-year-old, especially a princess, reacting to it was a touch unsettling.

I smirked as I turned my back to her and moved to the bottom of my rack. “There is little I can do or say to deny you, princess,” I commented as I picked out my clothes for the day. “I’ll take what openings I can.”

As I sat down on my rack to get changed, I saw she was now looking in my direction again. “Um, do you have to be here while I change?”

Arianne’s smirk returned. “Didn’t you just say you couldn’t deny me anything?” She asked as she rested her hands on her hips.

I shook my head even as I chuckled. “Yes, but what would people say if they knew you came to my quarters every morning to watch me get changed?” I asked as I pulled my sleeping tunic off.

“My uncle has already warned me to be careful when playing with wolves,” she commented as she took a step forward as I pulled my daily tunic over my head, ignoring the faint scent of salt that came from it. The smell was something I’d grown used to on the journey to Sunspear. “And my cousins have their own feelings about wolves.” As my tunic dropped down, I saw she’d stepped closer “But I think I like dangerous things.”

“And what about your parents?” I asked as I pulled my arms away as if nothing was wrong, even as I did my best to not wonder how much longer it’d be until we reached Sunspear, and these morning visits would end. “I’d rather not have the first thing Prince Doran does when I meet him is have me thrown into Ghaston Grey.”

She laughed and gently slapped my shoulder as I leaned down to pull my trousers over my underwear. I’d taken the precaution of changing those the night before as I’d rather not have rumours start due to Arianne’s morning visits. “He’d never do that, though he might consider the Wall. And even if he considered it, I’d get mother to convince him otherwise.” She remarked as she kicked my boots to me. “If it does become a problem, I’ll take you as my sworn shield.”

“While I’d be honoured to guard you, princess, I’m not sure your father would think that an appropriate response to rumours,” I commented after chuckling at her remark and tying my boots. “Besides, once I’m older I think I’d like to travel. I want to visit Winterfell at least once, and maybe cross the Narrow Sea.” The idea of being a sworn shield was… unappealing in the extreme. While it would be a generally comfortable life, it wouldn’t allow me the time to explore and prepare for what was to come. Much like being the son of a lord would’ve locked me into one place and made it hard to make the moves I wanted without people thinking I was trying to make a play for a higher station.

It was because of this desire to travel, and the most obvious threat of the Others, that I’d taken Fire Compatibility as my first magical trait. Now, that wouldn’t help much against the threat I suspected would come from Volantis and the followers of R’hllor, but there was a chance that I could dissuade their threat by using fire magic. Though I wanted nothing to do with religion, the fewer issues I faced before the Others were dealt with the easier – relatively speaking – things would go.

Now, I’d given considerable thought to taking Water Compatibility as it was the magic of the Rhoynish – and I had a very slight affinity for it from my Blood of the River [Minor] Perk. In the end, though, I’d hedged my bets and taken the magic most likely to be useful against the Others and their army of Wights. Now, from what was implied by the Interface, I could unlock the other elemental forms of magic if I learned to commune with the element, and I did have some ideas about how to do that, but so far those were just ideas.

One big issue with using any magic though, and this was linked to the followers of R’hllor, was how the various religions of Planetos would react if it was discovered I could use magic. In Westeros, my biggest concern was the Faith. They would likely denounce me as a demon and, if I got lucky, allow me a trial by combat instead of simply killing me. The worshippers of the Old Gods would, I hoped, be less concerned about it but I couldn’t say that for certain. The Ironborn and their god could get buggered to death by a whale for all I cared about their opinion on magic. Reavers and rapists that they were, I hoped in this timeline they’d be wiped out if they rebelled against the throne.

As for the religions of Essos and beyond, R’hllor was always going to be an issue but for the rest, I’d need to do some research to determine their position on magic.

When I slept the night after taking Fire Compatibility, I’d had a dream of a flame. The flame had danced around me, and the longer the dream went on, the more I felt as though I could feel the flame as it moved. When I’d woken and was alone, I tried to manipulate the fire in a torch. It hadn’t moved much, but it had moved. After that, I'd gotten a notification that Fire Magic was unlocked. Since then, I’d tried to use magic every day, though it was very draining, and not in a way I'd felt before, almost as if it was a drain on my soul – likely due to whatever was limiting the effectiveness of magic on Planetos – and in a moon and a half, I’d only managed to increase the magical power’s level by two.

According to the new menu in the interface on unlocked magic, each level in an elemental style of magic indicated how easily I could manipulate that element and what I could possibly do with it. That was generally unhelpful as I’d already realised that, plus there was no indication of how many levels there were to my Fire Magic. The only useful hint it did give was that with Runes or Rituals – two branches of magic that were now known but locked – I could increase my control of a form of magic beyond my current level.

As for the other elemental forms, I’d tried to unlock them by doing simple things – making water vibrate, generating a breeze, etc – but so far nothing had worked, which suggested that unlocking them would take more of an effort. I had a few ideas about how to do that, but so far, I hadn’t attempted them. Mainly as finding the time to do so without arousing suspicion was a chore.

I also tried to manipulate magic internally, however, so far, nothing had worked. I felt like I could feel my magic in my body, but it wasn’t responding to my desires. Either my mana reserves were too low to do internal magic, or – since it wasn’t something that was revealed by the Interface – that form of magic wasn’t possible on Planetos. Regardless of which it was, a bit of thinking on the matter had me realising that it made sense that I couldn’t do internal magic. If any new magic-user could, then the risk they’d accidentally destroy their own body while trying to reinforce it was distressingly high.

“Perhaps I could travel with you, or you with me,” Arianne suggested as I stood then tilted my head. “My father is reluctant to allow me to travel.” She explained as I approached her and the door. “It took me a week of pleading and the support of my uncle to convince him and I’ve greatly enjoyed the trip.” She finished with a smile as I reached her side.

She was older than me, and I wasn’t anywhere close to puberty, but I barely came up to her shoulder, and that was only because she was short for her age. “Even our time in Salt Shore?” I asked as I opened the door and saw, as expected, two Martell guards standing in the narrow corridor that ran past my cabin. Like the rest of the Martell guards, I knew their names as I’d asked, though, like the rest, they only spoke while on duty when directly spoken to.

“Ok, maybe not that part of the trip,” She replied as we turned towards where the stairs led up to the main deck; and saw another two Martell guards stationed there. “But I had a direwolf for protection,” She added as she gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze.

“Direwolves are not pets, Princess,” I responded with a shake of my head, “plus, I’m not a Stark.”

She made to reply, and we soon stepped onto the main deck. The wind ruffled my just dried hair, which forced me to push back a few bangs that blew into my eyes. The ship we were on was large, at about twenty meters long and a third as wide but managed by a small enough crew that the Martell group – guards included – didn’t make the space too tight.

“We need to get that cut when we reach Sunspear,” Arianne commented with a smile as I pushed more hair out of my eyes. I agreed with her, but I didn’t like it when someone cut my hair. I wanted to grow it out a bit – to help establish a difference from my old life – however, my mother refused to allow me to grow it too long or give me a band to tie it back with. “While I like your hair, those eyes shouldn’t be hidden away.

“Ah, there you are, dear niece,” I turned to the familiar voice to find Oberyn standing on the aftercastle near the railing, my mother and Ellaria with them; though I saw that baby Elia wasn’t. Since I hadn’t seen Tyene or Nymeria on deck so far, it was probable one or both were watching their sister. “And I see you’ve found Cregan once again,” he commented, a wide smirk dominating his face, “care my dear, or people will begin to talk.” Mother gave him a gentle nudge with her elbow, though she also smiled as she looked down at us. While things between the three seemed good, there were moments when I caught Oberyn looking at me as if I was a puzzle to be solved. Likely he was still trying to determine how I fit into whatever plans he and Doran were devising to get back at the Lannisters for their sister’s murder.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“Rumours started by you, I would guess,” Arianne shot back with a smile of her own. Oberyn shrugged, neither confirming nor denying the jovial accusation. “But I thought he’d enjoy seeing his new home as the morning sun breaks over it. From the way you speak of it, it's magical.”

“That it is, dear niece. That it is,” Oberyn replied before looking at me directly. “Go, take your… cousin to the forecastle and let him gawk.” Before we turned, I saw Ellaria lean over and whisper something to my mother. Whatever it was earned her a gentle slap on the arm, though mother’s smile grew at the comment.

Arianne led me to the front of the ship, past where Benjen, Obara and Dameon were talking quietly but animatedly about something – likely combat – and up the stairs to the forecastle. The two guards stationed there, along with the crew who were currying about, ignored us though I knew the two who’d been outside my door were only a few steps behind. Try as they might, walking quietly on a wooden deck wasn’t an easy thing to accomplish.

“There!” Arianne called out after we’d been standing and waiting long enough for Benjen, Obara and Tyene to join us. I followed her point and stopped, stunned at the sight that greeted me.

Starfall was an impressive castle, being on-par with some of the larger castles I’d seen on earth, but Sunspear put it to shame with ease. The sun’s light caught off the dome at the top of two towers that rose high above the citadel within the walls of the city, reflecting the light for any passing ship to see; and to momentarily blind anyone who looked directly at it like I had.

As I blinked to clear my vision – and ignored the chuckle I caught from Benjen – the thin, tall tower with a thin dome and spire on top that had blinded me was the Spear tower, which reached majestically into the sky. Beside it, and giving off its own glare, though I was smarter this time not to look at it, was the Tower of the Sun. That was from where House Nymeros Martell, to give it its full name, ruled Dorne from. Near the, leaning out over the sea below was a dull, stone keep that was, in all likelihood, the Sandship; the castle ruled by House Martell before Mors Martell wed Princess Nymeria of Ny Sar.

Around the three features, I could just make out the walls of Sunspear. The three Winding Walls as they were called, cut around at odd angles – which, from what Cordin had taught me was due to them taking advantage of the natural rock outcropping Sunspear was built on – with dark shadows falling between the walls to house the Shadow City. The walls made attacking the keep directly a nightmare as there was only one direct path through all three walls.

When the Targaryens had come to conquer Dorne, they hadn’t relied on armies so much as three massive dragons. Yet, the Dornish had managed to kill one of those dragons and its rider, Queen Rhaenys, one of the reasons why the rulers of Dorne were still called Princes and Princesses and not just Lords like the rest of Westeros.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Arianne asked, drawing me from thoughts on learning all the nooks and crannies of the castle and city. Thanks to Emotionless Recall, it made developing a mental map of anywhere I went easy. Yes, said map didn’t have the locations of people on it, nor any hidden passages until I discovered them – I’d found one in Starfall, but that had only been a quicker way from the Lord’s solar to the Great Hall – but it was a massive advantage that I exploited whenever I went somewhere new.

“It is,” I replied as I considered Sunspear. This was to be my home for at least the next three years. When I reached eight namedays, the plan was for Benjen to return to the North and I hoped I’d be allowed to go with him. Not to stay, but simply to visit and meet my father’s side of the family. Plus, it would allow me to, I hoped, visit the Wall and complete the objective The Far North. Since that was the easiest of the objectives from the Interface – and one of the few I had much interest in completing – it made sense to use it to see what rewards I unlocked by completing an objective. “Though I hope the library matches the rest of the splendour,” I added with a smirk, that wasn’t just for show. While Maester Cordin kept a good number of books, and I’d found a few new ones to browse in Lemonwood, I wanted new materials to read. Hopefully, even a few books on water magic, though that was a long shot and a half.

Arianne sighed and gently slapped my shoulder. “After nearly two moons, and after just seeing the beauty of my home, all you can think of is books?”

I turned to face her and did my best to ignore the smirks worn by most of the others – Oberyn, mother, Ellaria, Nymeria and Tyene had all arrived at some point – on the forecastle with us. I did note though, that Daemon was the only one not smirking at the interaction between me and Arianne. “I’m sure the training yards are far more impressive than those in Starfall,” I said with an overly exaggerated smile. Arianne rolled her eyes and huffed. “However, I doubt anything there will compare to you, princess.”

That ended her huffing in an instant. As her cheeks reddened, I turned to look at the Sunspear once more. Though I saw Oberyn’s smirk grow into a grin while mother shook her head. What stuck out though, was Daemon. The boy’s eyes narrowed, and I wondered if perhaps he had intentions towards Arianne.

Once my eyes were back on Sunspear, I pondered on why I felt a need to flirt with Arianne and her cousins. Part of me felt it was just me building a rapport with the future ruler of Dorne – and my new home – while another felt it was good practice for when I had to enter the Great Game. However, another part of my mind was concerned that I was doing this for less than altruistic reasons. That part was the part that wasn’t happy with Oberyn being with my mother and felt a need to get back at the man someway.

All three parts of my mind agreed though that, with everything to come, I’d need as many allies as possible and better skills for the dangers that were to come, be they mundane or magical.

… …

----------------------------------------

… …

It was the end of the day that I was finally able to settle into my new room, which allowed me to go over our arrival in Sunspear.

Upon reaching the docks, we’d been greeted by Manfrey Martell, Oberyn’s uncle and the Castellan of Sunspear. As Castellan he was basically the governor of Sunspear and the Shadow City and responsible for managing the day-to-day affairs as well as overseeing the security and defences of the joined locations, which was why he’d greeted us at the docks. He, along with a platoon-sized group of Martell guards escorted us to the Tower of the Sun where Prince Doran and his wife, Lady Mellario of Norvos were waiting for us. That meeting had been a real eye-opener for several reasons.

First, and given how I was now certain this world was based on the books and not the TV show this was the least surprising, was that Doran came across as far more intelligent and measured in his behaviour. No disrespect to the actor who’d played him in the show, but the character there was… weak. This Doran, and my new uncle, spoke kindly to Benjen, showing no outward signs of anger towards a Stark that’d expect; hell, he even spoke of his sadness of the fate of Lyanna Stark and respect for how Eddard handled the reveal of what had been done to Princess Elia and her children.

Second was that the few gathered lords didn’t seem bothered by my parentage. Oh, I knew most wouldn’t give a flying shit about me being a bastard, but the fact I was a Stark bastard was semi-common knowledge by now. Hell, I’d even heard one rumour that Alysanne and I were twins, but separated to ease the burden on our parents: Eddard and Ashara. While untrue, the fact the glares sent Benjen’s way – which he ignored with apparent ease – never came my way was interesting. Though that might be because Arianne and her cousins stood close to me as we were introduced to the court.

Third, and perhaps the most unexpected – and intriguing from a purely physical point of view – was Lady Mellario. Apart from showing signs of a possibly hidden intelligence with a few barbed questions, what stood out to me was how beautiful she was. Long dark hair, a soft tanned complexion – probably from being in Sunspear as Norvos was one of the more northern free cities – and very full breasts on a frame that didn’t look much over a metre-sixty in height made her stand out even among the noblewomen in the court. Yes, her belly was swollen with child, but it was clear to see who Arianne took after in, if not figure currently, then general looks.

If Arianne ended up taking her mother’s beauty to team with her gentle olive skin, she’d be amazingly beautiful in a few short years. Of course, that had the concerns about grooming pop back into my mind, but I pushed them away as, while my mind was older than hers, physically I was younger. If I wanted to enjoy myself here, I’d have to accept that, unless I targeted women physically far older than me, I’d be involved with women mentally younger than I was.

The last point, and this tied into Lady Mellario, was Arianne’s younger brother, Quentyn. He was around my age at a guess, but given he stayed near his father and rarely spoke, it was hard to get any read on him. Hopefully, that would change soon as he might be the only boy close to my age here. Yet, what was obvious about him was that something was causing issues between Doran and Mellario over him. When he was introduced by Doran, Mellario sent a glance her husband’s way. When combined with a few other subtle comments and reactions, it made it clear that something to do with their son was driving a wedge between the ruling couple.

After the introductions, and a formal lunch, I – along with Ashara and Benjen – had been given a tour of the castle. Oberyn had led it, but Obara, Tyene and Nymeria had tagged along. The first thing the two younger sand snakes had said to me was that Arianne couldn’t come since she was catching up with her parents, which was understandable. The pair often added comments quietly about this and that, though Nymeria kept smirking every time she saw her elder sister and Benjen walking close together. While I doubted anything would happen between that pair, it would be something to keep an eye on as I’m not sure how happy Oberyn would be with one of his daughters enjoying herself with a Stark.

After a small dinner, as we were all still full from lunch, I’d been shown to this room; which was mine while I stayed in Sunspear. It was far larger than my old room in Starfall, and far more opulently decorated. Thankfully, the tones were subdued as I’m not sure I’d have enjoyed being in a room covered in bright orange, yellow and copper.

My room wasn’t as close to Oberyn’s, which was a relief as it meant I wouldn’t be subjected to hearing him enjoy himself with my mother or Ellaria. Just after we’d left Starfall, my mother had talked to me about those noises. That had been an excruciatingly awkward conversation as I’d had to play dumb when she’d explained that she and Oberyn had been playing in their room, but she was sorry that the noise was so loud it might’ve affected my sleep. At least now I wouldn’t have to hear those sounds again. I hoped.

The rooms around mine were occupied by the sand snakes and used a communal bathroom. Thus, while I’d be near people I knew, it meant that when we stayed in Sunspear I’d be getting eyefuls of things I didn’t want to see; at least not until we were all at least in our late teens. Nymeria, as was her way, even made a joke on the matter and while I played dumb, the wink she sent me after her comment made me wonder if she saw through my act.

Hopefully, once we headed to the Water Gardens – which the snakes and Arianne had described to me – where there were far more children, trueborn and baseborn alike, things on that front would improve. Otherwise, it was going to be a long handful of years growing up around these girls.

… …

----------------------------------------

… …

I moved forward slowly, stepping forward with my front foot while my back leg glided behind me as it was meant to.

“Good, good,” Benjen encouraged me from somewhere to my side, “the advancing step is one of the most fundamental parts of your footwork.” He explained as I repeated the motion once more.

My mother hadn’t been happy when, barely a week after arriving in Sunspear – and just before we’d left for the Water Gardens – Oberyn had taken me down to the yard to begin my training. It turned out that normally no physical training took place until a child was seven or eight, but Oberyn wanted to get me started early. Mother had reluctantly given her blessing, and not long after that, Benjen had taken a few sessions each week to teach me as well.

While I wasn’t armed – I didn’t even have a wooden training sword – Benjen was taking me through some of the basics of what every swordsman needed to know. However, even after several months of doing so, I was still stuck just going through the footwork. Not even having picked up a practice sword; and that was only when I wasn’t being pushed to my physical limit by Benjen to improve my strength, stamina and flexibility.

Apparently, with Benjen planning to return to Winterfell once I was eight, he wanted to make sure I had a good foundation. Hence why this training was taking place concurrently with my initial training with Oberyn, which dominated my training in the yard.

I’d spoken with Benjen about maybe heading north with him when it was time for him to leave; not to stay in Winterfell but to visit my family there. He’d been receptive, though not sure how my mother would react, which was something I agreed with. She’d become very protective of me since we’d arrived in the Dornish capital, and I suspected that bringing up the idea of me travelling so far away at a young age would, at least currently, be shot down instantly.

With no one else to talk to – I’d barely spent any time around Quentyn or others my age bar Sarella – I’d spoken of my idea to Arianne, Nymeria and Tyene. All three had been interested, though for different reasons. Arianne’s was the simplest as she wanted to travel; something she’d expressed to me on our voyage to Sunspear. Nymeria wanted to see if Northern women were allowed to fight beside men if they wished while Tyene had expressed curiosity about how strong the Faith was among Northmen. Tyene’s mother had been a Septa and, while still young, she showed a worrying belief in the faith in the Seven.

“Stop!” Benjen ordered and, with years of training to respond to commands from a superior, I obeyed. It wasn’t easy as I was in mid-lunge, but I was able to do so. “Your feet should never cross,” he explained as his hands guided my arms to the correct position. “That makes your foundation weak and easy to break.” He stepped back to gently kick at my heel. “Slide this back a touch. That’s good. Now, remember this isn't about speed, speed will come with practice, this is about ingraining the correct movements.” I heard his boots scrape on the gravel. “Good, now continue.”

I did as ordered and resumed my steps, slower and more purposefully, it felt slow and awkward – even more so than what I usually achieved – but I was able to make it across the yard without any missteps.

“Footwork will only get you so far little cub,” I turned at the familiar voice to see Obara as she stepped into the section of the yard Benjen had commandeered for my training. Little cub had become her chosen nickname for me and, after I’d asked her to stop using it, she’d said she’d only stop after I defeated her in a spar. Given she was over a decade older than me, and I hadn't even held a blade, I had more of a chance of finding a dragon egg than that happening before I was an adult.

“Aye, but Cregan’s young. This is the time to make sure the basics stick,” Benjen replied, a faint smirk coming to his face as he spoke to my older sister (it was still taking some getting used to that Westerosi had no terms for step-siblings, but I knew it would pass). “Besides, how old were you when you started your training?”

“Point,” Obara responded with a similar smirk to Benjen’s on her face even as she twirled around her spear. “Have you finished yet?”

Benjen chuckled and shook his head. “Almost.” He turned to me and smiled. “Go through the steps a hundred more times. After that, wash up then head to Maester Caleotte for your lessons.” He said before stepping over a bench where he’d left his sword and shield, though not before giving Obara a wink.

I shook my head at the behaviour of the pair as I returned to my drills. I got through four before the sound of steel on steel drew my attention. I turned to watch Obara and Benjen spar. They were going slow to start, as they’d done every time I’d seen them spar, with Obara prodding at Benjen’s shield with her spear, searching for a weakness to exploit.

At first, I thought that perhaps she was just annoyed about losing to Benjen in their spar at Salt Shore, but the more she came around, the more I doubted that was the case. Or at least the only reason they still sparred.

As Obara was forced to slide back to avoid a probing stab from Benjen, a laugh escaped her lips, and I felt my brow rise. Unlike her sisters, Obara came across as very sullen. Oh, she found things amusing and smiled, but that was the first time since I’d met her that I’d heard laughter from her.

I wasn’t sure how others saw things, but I’d have been willing to put a bet down that, if they weren’t already, they’d be fucking each other before the year was out. That would be one hell of a ripple – possibly one strong enough to stop Benjen from joining the Night’s watch – and would have ramifications for the future, I was sure.

The biggest obstacle to anything happening would be Oberyn, but apart from a few narrow-eyed glances towards Benjen when he’d been talking to Obara publicly, my new father seemed unconcerned about the developing situation between the wolf and the snake. Though I was a little concerned that he’d be less understanding if they, as I felt was all but certain, took things to the next level.

“Why have you stopped?” Benjen called out just after deflecting a thrust from Obara with his shield. “Have you finished all your drills already?”

“Sorry uncle,” I shouted back, not sure he heard me as Obara brought her spear back, clipping the edge of the shield and making the sound of metal-on-metal ring out in our area of the yard.

Turning my attention from the spar, I moved into a starting position. Other children, especially ones my age, would likely complain about having to do this shadow fighting day after day for over a moon. However, I knew different.

Every moment spent training, learning, refining how you fought made actual combat inside the wire that much easier. As my former squad leader had been fond of saying, train easy, fight hard and die. Train hard, fight easy and live.

… …