Chapter 11: Chapter 4: The Mermans Flight (Part 2)

Two Weeks Later

White Bay, The Bite

Ser Warrick Manderly stood at the prow of the ship, light snow falling around him, making his white Kingsguard armor slick with frost.

The small galley through the choppy gray waters of the bite, too fast for Warrick's liking, he had almost hoped they would run aground on the voyage to his childhood home, or face some other obstacle that would force them to return back to the capitol, anything was preferable to the unenviable task that lay before him, and one he would have to undertake soon based on the ships rapid approach into the harbor.

They passed the small towerforts built on large rocks jutting out of the bay that led the harbor, normally each tower would be garrisoned by crossbowmen, but today they were empty, which Warrick supposed he should be grateful for, King Aegon had not expected any resistance from Warrick's father Willem, especially since his own son would lead the expedition, but the fact the fact the towers were unmanned boded well for a peaceful imprisonment of his father.

As the ship got closer to the harbor, the familiar sight of the city came into view., the whitestone walls and towers seemingly rising up from the cold gray of the Bite.

Home Ser Warrick thought sadly, as they passed by the jutting crag called Seal Rock, which true to its name had several seals resting at its base. He remembered as a child he would occasionally brave the frigid waters of the bite to swim out to Seal Rock on warmer days…His father had scolded him harshly when he had been caught once, but he remembered seeing a hint of pride on his fathers face.

‘’Damn you for making me do this…Damn you old fool.’’ Ser Warrick thought, his hands gripped his sword, squeezing it hard.

He had often thought about his eventual return home, perhaps on a visit with the King. He had not seen his father since he had left to quell the Sisterman rebellion, much had changed since then, he had been blooded in battle upon the walls of Sunderland Hall and in the muddy streets of Crabbly, and had been given a white cloak and appointed to the Kingsguard as representative of the North…his father would surely be proud.

But now all of that was hollow, his father would not receive tales of his accomplishments, or bestow his youngest son any praise…Warrick would instead give his father chains and knowing his Lord Father, Warrick would receive naught but curses. The knot in Warrick's stomach tightened as they got closer, and it was not due to the conditions of the sea.

‘’The Gate is closed to us Ser.’’ Said Captain Cayle, a stern man with a shock of brown hair and a well trimmed beard, he was in command of the 50 men at arms King Aegon had given Warrick to transport his lord father back to the capitol to stand trial for attempting to murder the heir to Winterfell.

Warrick had hoped the Targaryen banner would be enough to dissuade any sort of defiance, but the fact the gate was closed despite their ship being visible was ill news.

‘’Sail in…if they meant to oppose us the harbor towers would have been manned….and we would be greeted by my fathers warships not a closed gate.’’ Warrick commanded and Captain Cayle nodded.

As they sailed closer Ser Warrick saw the white stone walls were manned by spearmen and crossbowmen. At the forefront of the Seal Gate was a Knight with long orange hair and a mustache, a man Ser Warrick had known since childhood.

‘’Open the Gate Ser Harlon.’’ Warrick commanded, he had little patience for negotiation, if he was forced to do this task he would see it done as fast as possible.

‘’You are in luck Ser Warrick….your father instructed me to open the gate if it was you leading the ship.’’ Ser Harlon said, nodding for the gate to be opened.

Once it was up, the galley sailed through into the inner harbor, where it would be sheltered from the harsh winds of the bite.

Ser Warrick and his men disembarked onto the cobbled and paved streets of white harbor, its large walls shielding them from the winds, though they could do little to stop the light snow from falling.

Ser Harlon had made his way down from the walls to greet them.

‘’Your father awaits you in the Wolf's Den.’’ Ser Harlon said, referring to the old castle that served as the prison of white harbor, being built alongside the harbor walls.’’ The Knight said.

‘’Why does he not await me in the Mermans hall.’’ Ser Warrick said he had been expecting to find his Lord father upon his throne in the Manderlys keep, negotiating from a position of strength.

‘’He does not wish to sully your family hall with this event…with his surrender.’’ Ser Harlon said.

Warrick nodded to Captain Cayle to follow him with their retinue, he would not need an escort…he knew the harbor streets like the back of his hand.

As they made their way through the wide streets of White Harbor, Cayle stepped up to join him.

‘’I know it's no easy thing…what you are tasked with doing.’’ The captain said.

‘’How could you possibly understand.’’ Ser Warrick said, his words coming out harsher than he intended too.

‘’Aye…you're right…maybe I don't….but ive had to choose between those close to me and duty….during the war I fought for King Aegon, while passing through a village in the Riverlands one of my men got so drunk he mistook a villager for an ironborn…killed him where he stood….he was a good man who drank to forget what he had seen…I'd known him for years…but in the end his crimes outweighed my relation to him, duty outweighed friendship…so I sent him to his death…had him hung.’’ Captain Cayle said sadly.

Ser Warrick was silent the rest of the way to the Wolfs Den, an ancient castle with crumbling black walls situated along the sea.

As they opened the door, the smell of salt and shit hit them. The entrance was dark with only a  few torches to light their way down the steps. Leaks in the foundation meant seawater was present on the steps, with the holes being so large in some places one could see the water below, dark and cold.

‘’Watch your step.’’ Warrick commanded the men behind him, who were marching single file down the narrow stairs.  As they got closer to the end of the stairs, the wind grew until at last they reached the bottom of the Wolfs Den which housed a few dank cells. It was here the walls ended and the castle opened up to the sea, a fierce wind blowing in. It would be easy to escape the cells in this bottom level, but ahead was nothing but gray sea and many a man had drowned trying to escape the freezing cold of these cells and the starving rats.

His father was there, at the ledge where the crumbling floors stood above the sea below. He was armed, and dressed for battle in chainmail and a cloak with the colors of house Manderly, fastened by a silver brooch in the shape of a trident, his gray hair waving in the wind. He had a few retainers behind him but not many.

‘’Father….’’ Ser Warrick began, he had agonized over what to say but faced with the prospect of actually doing it he found himself at a loss for words.

‘’White looks good on you….I see the Dragon King has bedecked you like a maid on her wedding day.’’ Willem Manderly said, spitting on the ground.

Warrick had long since become immune to his fathers insults, he looked around the chamber.

‘’Where is Damon?’’ Warrick said, speaking of his older brother, the heir to White Harbor.

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‘’I didn't want him to be here for this…i've said my farewells, to him and my grandson’’ Lord Willem said solemnly.

‘’This is all of your doing…..what madness possessed you to your treason.’’ Warrick said, no longer able to contain his anger.

‘’Concern for our family is madness is it…..Brandon Stark would have seen the end of us…the man is ambitious….and zealous….the Starks have tolerated us, allowed us to keep our faith, but I heard it told he had designs to take our land and give it to one of the tree worshipers…a ‘’true northman…and i'll be damned if I leave my line to deal with it’’ Willem said.

‘’Your reasons….your reasons do not excuse your treason…I have been ordered to take you into custody my lord.’’ Ser Warrick said, quickly composing himself, he did not wish for this to become a back and forth.

‘’Very well.’’ Lord Willem said.

There was a pause…a long silence…and then the first crossbow bolt came, striking one of Ser Warricks retinue in the throat.

Two rowboats appeared at the opening of the prison, having been lying in wait on the sides, several crossbowmen stayed on the boats, loosing bolts into the unsuspecting retinue while others jumped off and attacked.

Behind them from the stairs men began to pour out one at a time, with much of the back row of the retinue being set upon and quickly slaughtered.

‘’Dont resist Warrick!.’’ WIllem Manderly shouted throughout the chaos, the melee beginning in earnest.

Ser Warrick was no coward and ignored the advice, drawing his sword and entering the fray. A fat Manderly man at arms with an ax swung at him and Ser Warrick blocked it with his sword and quickly pulled it back, burying it in the man's gut before kicking him to the ground, a spearman tried his luck but Ser Warrick turned quickly and slashed the man's throat open, crimson blood staining the Kingsguards snow white cloak.

As Ser Warrick looked for his next opponent he saw the fight was lost, his fathers men had the element of surprise and were slaughtering his retinue. He saw one of his men in the corner begging for mercy get a spear through his eye.

By the time he turned around it was fully over, with most of his men dead or dying. He saw Captain Cayle on the ground, wounded and crawling. Willem Manderly nodded at one of his men, who walked over and put a spear in his back, kicking the captain over the ledge into the cold water of the bite.

‘’Son….yield…its over.’’ His father said.

‘’YOU BASTARD.’’ Ser Warrick screamed.

‘’Its over Warrick….its done….just drop the sword.’’ Willem continued, walking closer to him.

‘’I should kill you…’’ Ser Warrick panted.

‘’Then do it.’’ his father said raising his arms, Ser Warrick raised his blade for a moment and then lowered it…defeated.’’

‘’Why……what have you done’’ The young Kingsguard asked, the fight having left him.

‘’You think i'd let myself be taken prisoner, be taken to stand trial, thrown in a cell.’’ Willem said.

‘’You could have just left….left before we arrived, fled to the free cities….all these men didn't need to die….this could have been avoided’’ Ser Warrick said, seething.

Lord Willem nodded ‘’Perhaps….but I wasn't going to leave without you son…your my blood….you think i'd leave you in that Dragon King's service….you'd be blamed for my flight….I knew the arrogant bastard couldn't resist sending a man's own son to arrest him…I knew he'd send you. You and I shall leave. ’’

‘’And now you've doomed our whole family….when the King hears of this Damon will be punished…killed…you say you won't leave me but what about him, what about his son.’’  Warrick replied.

The Lord of White Harbor shook his head ‘’I sent him away on business before this…in truth none but the men here knew of my plans….not even Ser Harlon….your brother will be punished aye but he didn't know….they won't kill him.’’

Warrick sensed his father was telling the truth, though loyal he knew Ser Harlan would have never obeyed orders to begin a massacre.’’

‘’I'll go back…tell him the truth…anything than go with you…anything but to run.’’ Warrick said defiantly.

‘’You think I want to run boy…this is our home…my home…but you know as well as I if you ever set foot in the capitol again that bastard will kill you….we have to go.’’ Willem said, spitting to the floor.

‘’Where.’’ Ser Warrick asked.

‘’We go to Essos, join a company of Freeriders….they always welcome Westerosi Knights…especially you…you will make a name for yourself.’’ Lord Willem said.

Warrick had lost all energy for the fight, he knew that he could never return to the capitol, not after this…his time as a Kingsguard was over.

Warrick nodded slowly.

‘’We must go now son….news travels fast.’’ Lord Willem said.

That night Willem Manderly and his son Warrick Manderly left White Harbor on an unassuming ship, bound for Volantis. Traveling with them were the men that had taken part in the massacre as well as Lord Willems' heavily pregnant young wife.

Ser Warrick sat at the back of the boat, the stars lighting the dark sea, he watched as White Harbor, his home faded into the distance, eventually its white walls seeming to become a star itself.

Warrick Manderly unbuckled his heavy white cloak and after a moment's hesitation threw it into the dark waters of the bite before it too was lost to the waves.

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