Bitterweed Bay, Essos…
The day was bleak as the boat carrying Harry and Balaq landed on the cold beach of Bitterweed Bay. They clambered off the small boat pulling horses out the boat by their reins, Harry was quite warm with his charmed coat and Balaq had taken to wearing a few extra layers under his feathered cloak but the weather was not inviting. Almost certainly promising rain and high winds later Harry pulled his horse across the sands and once finally on firmer ground mounted his steed. Balaq did likewise and the pair rode out towards Qohor where they would meet the Golden Company. Orion flew overhead, glad to stretch his wings after another journey on a ship however short it might have been.
The temperature did noticeably get warmer as they moved further south but remained cool to say the least. Harry took in the land around him with interest but after a few days of travel it began to get dull, until at last on the fifth day they reached the camp of the Golden Company.
Harry's eyes widened as he took it all in, the camp was enormous with elephants, horses and men crowded into one space with hundreds of tents spread out in a surprisingly organised manner, however given the discipline instilled in the group by its founder Aegon Rivers also known as Bittersteel it should not be so surprising Harry thought. They were far more disciplined than other sellswords and it had made them the greatest company in the world. Harry was wondering how their camp would be compared to a regular army camp, he would soon find out he realised as he and Balaq rode in.
The sentries cheered when Balaq arrived who smiled back at the men, they looked at Harry with curiosity but no hostility. Balaq Harry realised must be highly respected for the sentries to not even stop them to question who Harry was. It would ease his entry into the company Harry realised but what would the other commanders have to say about it?
They rode onwards the sellswords cheering as Balaq rode past, especially the archers who waved their bows in greeting. Balaq waved his own in return and smiled wider, pulling up his horse at a makeshift stable near a golden coloured tent. Harry followed suit and then just as he handed his steed over to the stable hand he was startled by the sight of the gold covered skulls that surrounded the golden tent. He had heard the Golden Company kept the skulls of their previous leaders or Captain-Generals as they called them but he had just thought it a rather grisly rumour. But it appeared he thought with mild surprise and disgust that not only did they keep them but they covered them in gold and stuck on pikes for display. It made him wonder how that particular tradition could possibly have started.
He quickly forget that thought and walked just behind Balaq as he made his way past the skulls, paying them no mind until they reached the open tent and entered. There were Harry noticed seven men in the tent already who turned to look at them, smiling when they saw Balaq although when they saw Harry it was with slight curiosity.
"Captain General. My friends." Balaq said with a loud and joyful tone while he gave some of them hugs which they accepted. Comrades in arms Harry realised not just co-workers these men had risked life and limb together and become friends because of it. Harry put that down to Balaq's personality, the man had an ability to make friends easily. Balaq then seemed to remember Harry was there and introduced him.
"This is young Harry Tyrell, I recruited him in Lorath to our company after I witnessed his skill with a blade. Harry this is Captain-General Strickland, our leader. Our spymaster Lysono Maar and our paymaster Gorys Edoryen." He indicated the men in question who nodded in greeting which Harry returned. "Tristan Rivers the leader of our horse, Marq Mandrake the company of our elephants and Laswell Peake the commander of our infantry. Oh and not forgetting Watkyn the cupbearer and squire to Strickland."
Harry bowed slightly in greeting to all of them and they accepted him almost immediately as a new recruit probably Harry realised due to their trust in Balaq. But one man he realised was not so accepting, the Captain-General Strickland. He was openly glaring at Harry with hatred in his eyes and turning up his nose at him. Harry was confused what could he possibly have done that would offend the Captain-General of the Golden Company when he had only been in Essos a short time. Then when he saw that the man wore the sigil of a dead Reach house Harry understood.
House Strickland had been a supporter of Daemon Blackfyre during the first Blackfyre Rebellion until his defeat at the Battle of the Redgrass Field, they had fled across the Narrow Sea and their surviving members had served with the Golden Company ever since. They had been Reach nobility prior to their exile and it had been his family that had sent them running, taking everything they owned. It seems Harry thought with annoyance that even after nearly a century they still held a grudge. He supposed it was only to be expected but it was sure to be annoying Harry thought talking a moment to study Strickland more closely.
He was very unlike the fit and dangerous looking unit commanders that surrounded him, even the company spymaster and paymaster looked stronger and tougher than him Harry thought although he could be mistaken. First impressions could be misleading although somehow Harry felt he was more a talker than a fighter.
He had a prominent belly with a large round head, mild grey eyes and thinning grey hair styled to cover a bald spot. He wore a lot of wealth on his person and the tent seemed to contain yet more treasures surely gathered in the course of different campaigns, Harry wondered briefly if they had been Strickland's alone or if some had belonged to the previous Captain-Generals. He dismissed it as not important and decided to keep his distance from Strickland for now but would keep his guard up, a passionate fool was still a fool just more dangerous than a normal one.
He signed his name in their book with red ink that was supposed to represent blood before Balaq slapped him on the back and said with a jolly smile.
"Welcome to the Golden Company!"
-x-
A week later…
Harry sweated as he blocked blows from the training sergeants before jabbing his blunted spear into his opponent, ending their short but intense sparring session. The sergeant looked angry for a moment before swallowing his pride and walking off to check other new recruits who did not have the benefit of prior training like he had. Harry went and put the spear and shield away on the rack, glad to be rid of them. He was good enough with the shield but the spear was far too cumbersome for him, he much preferred the sword although it had been helpful to spar more frequently and with different weapons to improve his skills Harry admitted to himself as he walked back to his tent. It had been useful being here. As he observed the officers of the Golden Company command their men, he had learnt a lot about motivates men and maintaining discipline from them. His education at Hightower had been very formal and often took getting people to follow you in battle for granted but Harry was starting to see what he would need to do to lead an army if and when the time came.
Entering his tent he was glad to see the security runes and wards were doing their job of keeping people out. He had added a few during his first day here when some men had tried to steal his sword and other valuables and put some rather nasty traps in place just in case anyone did try and enter his tent without permission. They would regret it Harry thought with a slightly vicious grin.
Orion fluttered his wings at the sight of his human which made Harry's grin turn into a genuine smile as he fed the hawk. He stroked his plumage which the hawk enjoyed immensely. The company was currently marching to a point between Qohor and Norvos, apparently due to a contract recently signed with Qohor although Harry was not let in on the details not surprising he thought given he was just a grunt at the moment.
The sound of the warning horn stopped him from thinking about his current position in the company as he reached for his sword and rushed outside. The men around him were scrambling around to grab their armour and weapons as the sound of horse hooves and battle cries filled the air. Harry with many of the other men looked to see thousands of Dothraki screamers baring down on them on horseback brandishing their arakhs, whips and curved bows in the air as they rode their horses into battle. The heads of the Gold Company sentries mounted on pikes at the front, probably to intimidate the sellswords, Harry snarled wondering how many great cities had been destroyed and people enslaved by these raiders he picked up a light shield from the ground where one man must have dropped it and without thinking he rushed forward to confront the Dothraki. The sellswords who had been fleeing or falling back to establish battle lines looked on thinking Harry must be mad but as two Dothraki charged straight towards him Harry threw two of his throwing knives into the necks of the riders sending them falling from their horses, choking on their own blood as they hit the ground. Harry wasted no time staying focused on the struggle around him, glad of the extra practice of the last few days.
Looking he saw more Dothraki had noticed the fall of their comrades and charged towards him, he was able to kill another before having to duck and roll to avoid arakhs trying to take his head off. He drew his sword as the Dothraki dismounted and now five of them faced him, Harry did not hesitate to go on the attack cutting two of them down quickly by slashing their throats open and taking the arm of another before stabbing him through the stomach.
Turning to the remaining Dothraki they all looked shocked at how easily Harry had dispatched some of their number. They still attacked though, swinging their curved swords at him with little skill relying on brute strength to overcome him but Harry sidestepped or parried their attacks until he was in a position to go on the offensive. He thrust his sword straight into the stomach of one overly energetic Dothraki before pulling his tiger dagger out of its sheath and stabbing deep into the neck of another. He pulled the dagger out and then turned to face the remaining rider with his dagger and his sword still dripping blood. The last rider was stoic though despite the death of his fellows and attacked with a little more grace and skill than the others, Harry returned the dagger quickly to his belt so he could grasp his sword with both hands to fight better against a single opponent.
He parried the Dothraki blow for blow without too much difficult, Harry guessed the Dothraki relied more on attacking on mass then individual skilled soldiers. The one he was facing might have been more experienced than the rest of the riders but against the trained Harry he stood no chance. Harry used a hard blow to knock his arakh away before stabbing his sword straight through his mouth. He pulled the sword out and the rider crumpled to the ground dead.
Just as Harry was about to take a breath he heard an enraged cry of anger combined with grief. Turning he saw the largest Dothraki of them all staring at him with complete and total hatred. Judging by how much authority he had amongst the riders as he shouted at them to leave Harry to him this Harry realised must be the Khal and if he had to guess, he must have either slain one of his bloodriders or a son or brother.
Regardless he took as quick a breath as he could while the Khal ran straight at him wielding two arakhs made of steel rather than bronze like the rest. Harry would have thrown some knives at him but the man moved with surprising speed and was on Harry before he could reach for his belt. Harry drew on his reserves of energy and parried each of the fast paced attacks the Khal sent his way, the strength and speed of the khal was impressive but Harry noticed that no-one was looking at them so he decided to risk using his magic. He decided against anything elaborate and instead he cast the lighting charm, right in the Khal's face. The man howled his eyes were nearly burnt out by the bright light and he stumbled back, his hands automatically going to shield his eyes from more light but they never got the chance to recover as Harry swung his sword with all his remaining strength and took the Khal's head clean off.
The head rolled away while the body fell to the ground, Harry breathing heavily looked to see several Dothraki running towards the scene where they realised their leader had been slain. They froze not sure what to do before deciding that since the Khal was dead it was pointless to stay, especially since the Golden Company had rallied and was now forcing them back with a shield wall formation and their own cavalry. They leapt back on their horses and rode away as fast as they could, the rest of the Dothraki followed suit and fled.
Harry took a steadying breath and wiped his sword and then his dagger clean of blood with the cotton breeches of one of the Dothraki before returning it to its sheath. He looked down at the corpses of the Dothraki he killed and wondered what on earth had gotten them to attack the Golden Company? They were too few in number to take on a well-armed and organised group of sellswords so what had possessed them to even try it?
He was still standing there when Balaq found him moments later. The master archer rushed over with some of his men and Balaq gently shook his shoulder and asked Harry looking concerned that the young man might be injured.
"Are you okay?" Harry just nodded.
Then Balaq noticed the dead bloodriders and Khal at Harry's feet, he was shocked to see it but with no one else around he realised Harry had killed them. He clapped the young man on the back and laughed.
"Well done boy! I knew my faith in you was not misplaced." Balaq beamed which actually made Harry smile back slightly. The other archers came up to him and patted him on the back, he had earnt their respect. More men started coming over to see for themselves while a very jealous and angry man looked on, wondering how he might deal with the annoying thorn in his side.
-x-
A few days later after the remaining Dothraki had been hunted down and slaughtered in retaliation for their attack, the camp was far more accepting of Harry. He had taken down the Khal of a reasonably large khalasar and some of his bloodriders without help and more importantly he had not fled when they first arrived as some of the other less experienced sellswords had. Balaq had rewarded him for his slaying of the Khal by letting Harry claim the Khal's possessions as trophies. This included the two steel arakhs he had wielded, the many rings he wore around his neck that had no doubt been taken from the Khal's raids, a belt of golden medallions and the Khal's horse which had been abandoned by the Dothraki when they fled. The powerful stallion had been ill tempered at first but Harry had bonded with the horse just as he had done with Orion and now although the horse was still bad tempered with everyone else, with Harry it was as gentle as a lamb. He had decided to name the stallion Storm given its volatile temper, not the most imaginative of names perhaps but Harry thought it suited his new steed.
He was checking on Storm when he saw Strickland walking past giving him a glare that Harry returned. While most of the men in the camp where now far more welcoming given that he had proved himself, Strickland and those closest to the man continued to look at him with if not distain then outright hatred and Harry was quickly growing sick of it. He had learned patience from his time at Hightower due to most of the ruling house looking down at him, but Strickland's unreasonable holding on to the past was starting to grate. He fed Storm at apple and gently stroked his horse's head which made the horse gently rub its head into his hand clearly enjoying it which brought a smile back to Harry's face as he tried to forget about the hatred of his overall boss and just enjoy the day. Orion sat on his shoudler eager for Harry to pay attention to him too so while Harry continued to pet Storm with one hand, he gently stroked Orion's plumage with the other.
"Harry. You are wanted in the Captain-General's tent." A voice shouted to him, turning to look he saw the Company's spymaster Lysono Maar nod and with a sigh Harry did as he was told. The Captain-General wanting to see him meant nothing good, he was sure of that but he had given the man no true reason to complain so beyond the bad blood between their houses he had not truly done anything more than glare so far. He left his disappointed horse and hawk to enjoy a snack each, wondering what reason he would be given for the unexpected summons.
Harry walked to the tent in question, now used to the golden skulls that were staked around it and walked straight in, seeing Strickland standing there with a smile on his face, however this was not a pleasant smile more like when you had prepared a particularly nasty prank on someone and could not wait to see it sprung. Harry instantly became suspicious and was glad of the various weapons about his person and the thrum of magic that went through him. If he had to defend himself he would be ready Harry thought, his eyes carefully looking for any sign of ambush or poison but none appeared which only increased his suspicion.
"Young Harry." Strickland said jovially as if he were greeting his best friend, Harry's eyes narrowed. "I have an assignment for you on behalf of Qohor." Strickland told him and Harry suspecting a trap responded by merely nodding and playing along so as to not show his hand.
"I would take a mission on behalf of the Company. What is it Qohor needs?" Harry said calmly. Strickland nodded and told him.
"Qohor believes that Norvos is preparing to mount war on them. They want to find any documents to support this assertion but their own spies in Norvos have gone silent. So they have asked us to send one of our men into Norvos and steal their plans. And I have chosen you for that job."
Harry might have quickly scanned his surface thoughts to confirm his hunch but he could have guessed easily that it was a trap. The mission itself was genuine but Strickland had decided to inform the city guard of his presence before his arrival to ensure his capture and death. Harry had to work very hard to contain his fury and keep a straight face. It took all of the discipline instilled in him by both his grandmother and Lord Hightower but he managed it and listened to Strickland outlining how he was to gain entry to the city and who he was supposed to contact. Harry nodded as Strickland spoke but was formulating his own plans, he would complete the mission but in his own way and when he was done he would he promised himself get back at Strickland. He bowed slightly to show respect that he did not have for the man he was planning to humiliate at the very least…if not kill.
Norvos…
The gates of Norvos were as tall and imposing as any castle Harry had ever seen and through which traders and other travellers moved through to enter the city just as Harry was supposed to do he thought bitterly. From there he would be followed by the authorities Strickland had tipped off and eventually caught once he tried to gain entry to the manse he had been told to go too.
However Harry thought with a smirk, there were two advantages that he held over normal men. The first was his magic, the second was Orion.
The hawk soared over the walls looking down at the city below while Harry sat on Storm outside the walls and concentrated his magic so he could see through the hawk's eyes. The view of the eagle was magnificent and Harry became a little jealous of his feathered companion as he felt the sensation of the wind rushing over and under Orion's wings but it did allow him to see the areas of the city beyond the walls. Now he had seen them and found places he could apparate into without being seen. He tied Orion to a tree and set up his camp site, setting the wards to keep people away before concentrating on one particular alley and vanishing from view.
Reappearing only a second later in the alley, Harry shrugged on his cloak and hid his face with a cloak as he crept forward into the city. He had chosen the lower city to make his entry as it was easier to find places to apparate into and he made his way through the streets towards the Sinner's Steps the massive staircase that linked the Lower city where the poorer people lived and the High City where the rich lived, the same patterns of wealth deciding where you lived were a constant everywhere you went Harry thought with resignation not bothering to worry about it further since today he had other fish to fry. Casting a disillusion charm on himself he made his way up the large staircase wondering if the rumours of bears dancing on them were true as they did not seem wide enough for that at least to his eyes but when after being slightly winded by claiming so many steps he slipped past the guards with the aid of the charm and entered the High City and walked towards the manse belonging to his target. The air was certainly cleaner here he thought given the lower city had no proper drainage or waste disposal, if he ever had a settlement under his control he vowed to make sure that the air was as clean as possible for everyone not just the rich for the health of the people if nothing else.
He ignored the manse Strickland had directed him too as he knew it was a trap and could see with careful observation the guards who had been tipped off by Strickland. Harry knew however where the real documents were after a small look into Strickland's thoughts, an adjacent manse belonging to one of the magisters that ruled the city. He smiled as he walked past the guards that would have barred his passage and entered the large and well decorated manse. The servants were few and far between so he explored at his leisure, looking for the solar of the magister where the documents he wanted were sure to be. Moving along the corridors and rooms he was astonished to see all the elaborate tapestries that hung around the corridors and rooms, they were so vibrant and detailed he had never seen such work before. They put every other tapestry he had seen to shame he thought wondering about how much effort must have gone into making each one before getting back to the task at hand.
Eventually after a few minutes of searching he found the room in question but groaned in frustration when he saw a large vault. Looking around he realised that all the documents he had been looking were probably locked inside. He wondered what he was going to do before he remembered the spell his opposite had seen Hermione Granger use to unlock doors. He had never used it before but he thought holding his dragon ring out at the vault it was worth a go. He concentrated his entire focus on the vault in front of him and silently cast the opening charm that had seen in the memories of his alternate and hoped it might be able to open the more complex vault mechanism.
He heard the vault mechanism start to unlock but the moment he relaxed it began to lock itself again, he doubled his efforts concentrating all of his efforts on making the vault open properly, sweat began to run down his forehead slightly as the heavy steel lock fought against opening without the key but he kept his focus and eventually the heavy door swung slowly open. Taking a deep breath Harry relaxed but was puzzled at why opening the vault had been so difficult. Perhaps he needed to practice his magic more, like a muscle that wasted away when he ignored it.
Putting that issue aside for the moment Harry walked into the vault and found the documents he was sent for easily but what did surprise him was how little else there was in the vault, little in the way of gold or valuables, just ledgers and documents like the ones he had been sent to retrieve. Picking up the nearest he looked through the financial dealings of the magister and was surprised to see the man was in considerable debt, the sort that can get you killed if you do not pay up quickly. Looking at all the extravagant and lavish furnishings around the house and the debts before him, he could only come to one conclusion.
All the tapestries and air of apparent wealth was merely a façade to deceive his peers and protect his image, Harry had seen lords who put on shows of wealth to impress others but he had never seen one risk his life for something like this until now. He shook his head at the idiocy of it all and was about to leave when he saw a list of highborn children that the magister had been planning to kidnap in order to leverage the money to pay his debt and then another set of notes describing how much he would get for selling them into slavery if their parents couldn't or wouldn't pay.
The mention of those two words 'slavery' and 'children' instantly made Harry's eyes turn cold with fury. Violence against children was one of the few things he could not tolerate…ever. He knew it happened in the world but he would never permit it where he could interfere. Naïve of him, maybe but it was how he felt. So he decided rather impulsively to end the magister's image of wealth and status now and let his enemies see he could not pay them.
Leaving the vault he opened his bottomless pouch and walked all over the manse calling upon his magic to summon the tapestries off the walls and into his pouch. Any servant that he encountered he simply stunned and a quick memory charm to wipe their memory before he sent them on their way.
When he was finally done Harry smirked, pulling his hood up to hide his face and cast one last spell as he exited the manse, a quick and simple fire spell.
"Incendio." He walked away as the wood and carpets caught fire and it quickly began to spread, he walked unnoticed as the people rushed towards away or towards the fire, guards that were supposed to catch him rushed past him. He walked into a quiet and deserted street and with a small pop disappeared back to his camp outside the city.
-x-
When he was finally finished storing away his stolen tapestries Harry took the opportunity to sit down and rest. He looked through some of the documents he had stolen and a quick review told him the Norvosi plot to conquer Qohor was being supported by some lower level nobility within the city itself. The rulers of Qohor would be very pleased with this information Harry thought as he settled down to eat his simple meal of preserved fruit and bread, smiling at the simplicity of it. There was no need for anything fancier and it made his stores last longer, he tucked in while wondering what he was going to do about Strickland his thoughts turning decidedly darker his smile fading.
The man had tried to have him killed and would no doubt try again Harry reasoned, he was an emotional moron as his grandmother might have put it and would not see reason if it came up and bit him on the arse. He would continue to obsess with the 'slight' to his family that occurred long before either of them were born as if killing him would undo their exile and give them back all they had once possessed. Grandmother Olenna had shown him there was only one way to deal with a man like that, his eyes looking unconsciously towards his sword and other weapons on the nearby table just within reach in case they were needed and Harry putting his now empty plate away wondering what he might do. He had never planned someone's assassination before, how might he arrange Strickland's demise Harry thought with dispassionately if the man could try and arrange his death then it was only right for him to return the favour.
He put his clothes in the hamper, he would wash them in the morning before slipping into his bed and going to sleep, knowing he had a long ride and a killing to arrange tomorrow.
-x-
The following morning was an early one for Harry as he washed his clothes and dishes before packing up his tent and began the long ride back to camp, he was still wondering about how best to get his revenge on Strickland when after a few hours ride he saw a small cart which was surrounded by what looked like bandits. Even from here he could hear the vicious looking thugs laughing as they terrified the two people on the cart and Harry sighed in annoyance cursing his 'saving people thing' as he turned Storm to ride towards the scene.
-x-
Daenerys Targaryen had never been more scared in her entire life, after her brother Viserys had insulted the priests of the Black Goat they had been forced to flee Qohor and were now on their way to Norvos to seek shelter there and then Pentos to beg favour of the city's merchants if they had no luck.
Or at least they would have been if her brother had been patient enough to take the safer routes as they were advised too, now Viserys was being beaten black and blue by the bandits who were holding her roughly in their calloused hands. One grabbed and squeezed her still growing breast so hard that it hurt and she begged.
"Please let us go! We have no gold for you! No one would pay a ransom. We are worthless to you!" Daenerys pleaded hoping that if the bandits saw no worth in them they might let them go but despite the angry look Viserys sent her at saying they or rather he was worthless the bandits only laughed and said to her in a coarse voice.
"You are a fine piece of ass, he is worthless but you would be worth a fortune to the pleasure houses of Lys, they love young dragon girls as long as we don't damage you too much. Might even thank us for breaking you in." He said laughing echoed by his men, making Daenerys' eyes widen in panic as their meaning became clear and she struggled with all her might but the bandits were too strong for her to break their hold. Her terror at what was about to happen and the men's overconfidence nearly caused her to retreat into herself when suddenly just over the laughing she heard the sounds of a horse's hooves coming towards them at very high speeds. She thought it could only be more bandits or maybe Dothraki although she did not know which was worse and resigned herself to her fate when a cry from one of the bandits made her open her eyes and look at what was happening.
Her heart soared when she saw that the newcomer was no bandit nor a Dothraki and his sword glinted in the sun as it took the head of a bandit as he rode past. She took a moment to observe him as the bandits holding her let go to try and kill the interloper, his simple leather clothes were well made but his sword was of the finest quality. She was astonished to see him leap from his fine horse and with a Westerosi style sword cut down the bandits with an ease that took her breath away. The sight of blood sickened her a bit but she was so in awe of his skill with a blade that she could not look away. While greater in number the bandits were uncoordinated and unskilled in actual swordplay, allowing the man from Westeros to cut them down with ease.
Within minutes all the bandits lay dead except for the one that had touched her breast, who was running for his horse until the newcomer drew a knife from his belt and threw it into the bandit's back. The man went down immediately and the newcomer didn't miss a beat before he walked over to them, she was worried for a moment that he might take a swing at her as his sword was still in hand but he sheathed it and asked her with eyes that showed concern.
"Are you alright my lady?"
She could not answer for a moment as she was momentarily stunned by the handsome young man in front of her. He was taller than her with a muscular build although he appeared not that many years older than her. His hair was a very dark brown that bordered on black and his eyes where an deep shade of emerald that she had never seen before. She had heard that Lannisters had green eyes but she could not help but reason they would be a pale imitation of the young man's in front of her. His face was strong and his expression genuine so she believed him. Managing to smile now the danger had passed she answered.
"I am well good ser, we would not have been if you had not intervened. Thank you." She said her smile growing while he said with a slight chuckle.
"I am no ser, but I accept your thanks. Perhaps you should you stay clear of such places in future. The wastes are no place for a Targaryen Princess Daenerys." The stranger said with a knowing smile. Daenerys was shocked that he knew her true identity and would have asked him how he knew but he put a hand up to stop her but before he could speak the bruised Viserys shouted.
"HOW DARE THEY LAY A HAND ON ME! I AM THE DRAGON! I WILL-." Whatever else Viserys was going to say was cut short by the stranger backhanding him, knocking the already injured madman to the ground, surprising the timid Daenerys. The stranger looked down in disgust at Viserys and did not say anything more as he went from each one of the dead bandits, looting their corpses for any values he could find and placing them on their cart, he even tied the bandits' horses to the back before coming back to speak to her.
"The gold and valuables they were carrying should see you settled for a time, the sale of the horses and steel a little more but my lady I must tell you." The stranger told her as he roughly picked up the still dazed Viserys and laid him down on the cart. "As long as you stay with this foolish snake who thinks himself a powerful dragon you will never see home and he may well lead you to your own end. You have a strength and intelligence that could carry you far, but only if you give it the chance. Should the opportunity ever come to be free of him, I advise you to take it." His words shocked her and as he climbed back on his own horse she only managed to ask him while her mind was spinning from his blunt words.
"Who are you?"
The stranger turned and merely smiled before he rode off, leaving a confused and thoughtful Daenerys behind. She climbed onto the cart and rode for Norvos but her mind was thinking on what the stranger had said, deciding for the first time on her own to instead to take them to Pentos straight away, a master there had offered them shelter and she would like to seek his hospitality. Viserys was all she had but was he worth sticking around for? She turned her head to her brother who was moaning quietly on the back of their cart before continuing on, wondering on the stranger's words.
-x-
Harry continued his journey back to the Golden Company, wondering if he had said the right thing to Daenerys Targaryen about her brother. He was a drunken wastrel and a nasty wastrel at that and he had sensed her natural strength hidden by years of abuse but she was not yet ready to leave him. He could only hope the last woman of House Targaryen found a way to leave her brother behind before he destroyed her.
He might have considered taking her with him but a sellsword camp was no place for a girl like her and he did not feel comfortable taking her with him on his travels as he would have to tell her of his magic. A secret he was not ready to share with anyone, especially someone who might try and use it to gain a throne.
He would be no-one's pawn Harry thought with determination.
Finally after a long ride he arrived at the Golden Company camp, recognising him the sentries let him past without question. He saw a few riding towards the camp ahead of him, no doubt to announce his approach, Harry wondered what Strickland would do when he returned with the documents and still very much alive. He expected an ambush before he entered the camp at the very least if not a poisoning attempt and so he kept his hands close to his weapon and his eyes open as he rode closer to the camp.
His suspicions only heightened as he heard movement in the nearby bushes and Harry tensed preparing himself for a fight, his hand close to his sword while the other held his horse's reins. He looked ahead to see a point where the path had bushes on either side.
'That is where it will be' Harry thought not smiling as he saw the heads of at least three men just peeking out of bush, obviously being too tall for it to completely obscure them. Harry's expression was growing darker with every moment that past, tired from the journey and in no mood to deal with these idiots who themselves were on the payroll of a larger fool he cast a fire a spell silently from his ring towards the bush, his anger putting a little too much power into it causing the entire bush to burst spontaneously into flame. The men screamed as they burned, stumbling blindly only for Harry to ride past on horseback and decapitate them with his sword. A quick wave of his hand extinguished the fire and he looked through their burnt bodies for any proof of their being on Strickland's payroll. Finding a pouch of gold that bore Strickland's own standard brought a smile to his face, it was no much but it would be enough to cast suspicion.
He got back on Storm's back and continued towards the camp, the sentries continued to let him pass recognising his face but both looked surprised at how angry Harry looked. No one dared approach him as he rode through the camp towards Strickland's tent, the sellswords followed eagerly anticipating a confrontation. The camp Harry realised must have been buzzing with gossip as to his antagonistic relationship with the Company's leader and dearly wanting to see the two of them come to blows. That only made Harry angrier, he was not here risking his life for their entertainment he fumed. The sight of Strickland made Harry glare, while the man hid his surprise there was a slight nervous tick around his eyes.
Harry jumped from his horse and walked forward with a furious expression on his face.
"WHY DO YOU WANT TO KILL ME STRICKLAND?" Harry shouted out causing some of the men around especially the Company Commanders to gasp and look between Harry and Strickland, expecting an explanation from one of them. While Strickland spluttered Harry obliged them. "YOU TIPPED OFF THE NORVOSI THAT I WAS COMING! THEY HAD MY LIKENESS, HOW I WAS SUPPOSED TO ENTER THE CITY AND WHAT MANSE I WAS SUPPOSED TO GO TO! THEY COULD ONLY HAVE GOT THAT FROM YOU AND THEN THOSE THUGS ATTACK ME ON THE ROAD BACK HERE, WITH THIS POUCH OF GOLD IN THEIR POSSESSION!" Harry threw the pouch with Strickland's standard on it towards the other Company Commanders. Balaq caught it and seeing the symbol frowned intently at Strickland, saying in a perfectly calm voice but one devoid of his usual warmth and humour.
"I think you had best answer the boy Strickland." The other commanders nodded, discipline even amongst sellswords was important to make a company work and this could badly affect Company morale that the leader of the company was trying to kill his own men. Strickland looked outraged that his subordinates who dared to question him and the Qohorik representative who had followed the Company Commanders out of his tent did not look very happy either given it was their contract he had put in jeopardy. Finally with his skin turning an ugly red Strickland shouted back at Harry.
"YOU FAMILY RUINED MINE! THEY TOOK EVERYTHING WE HAD AND FORCED US TO FLEE WESTEROS! YOUR MISERABLE LIFE IS LITTLE COMPENSATION BUT IT WILL HAVE TO DO!" Strickland shouted and Harry's eyes narrowed as he pulled Orphanmaker from its sheath while Strickland drew his own sword, which Harry noticed with surprise was also made of Valyrian steel.
The two men walked towards each other with murder in their eyes despite the calls from some to stop or the cheers of others to fight. Harry and Strickland finally met in the middle and there was a loud clang as their swords met quickly followed by another as they continued their fight to the death.
Harry was focused completely on the fight, blocking out the sounds of the men cheering focusing all his attention on defeating Strickland. His strikes Harry noticed as he blocked them were clumsy and his muscles did not seem to have the power one would have expected from a professional sellsword. The portly belly and fat on his face did not Harry realise conceal a great amount of muscle. His skill with a sword was perhaps acceptable Harry conceded but it was not delivered with the sharpening of experience, perhaps he thought because Strickland had been the Company's paymaster before he became the leader. Adequate Harry supposed as he parried Strickland's strikes and sidestepped his thrusts but not really skilled.
Wanting to end this as he was tired from his journey Harry caught him in a blade lock and then began twisting the lock to weaken Strickland's hold on his sword before grabbing and twisting his wrists, forcing the surprised Strickland to drop his sword which Harry caught with his honed reflexes and with both swords now in hand slashed hard against Strickland's neck his muscles protesting fiercely but the result devastating all the same as Strickland's head was separated from his shoulders.
Silence fell over the area as everyone witnessed the death of the company leader, the commanders most of all as they now had the difficult duty of choosing a new leader and disappeared into back into the tent. As the men milled around Harry took the opportunity to return Orphanmaker to its sheath while examining the Valyrian sword he had taken from Strickland, whose body was just lying there as no one seemed bothered enough to clean it up.
It was a Bastard sword or a hand-and-a-half longsword like his own but was very well decorated; the blade steel's had been shaded gold. The cross guard had a small dragon head on either side with small rubies for eyes and the handgrip was made completely of metal ending in a larger ruby. It was one of the most magnificent swords Harry had ever seen and in that moment Harry made the decision that he was going to keep it by rite of conquest and all that Harry thought taking the scabbard from Strickland's body and moving to a quieter area of the camp to assemble his tent quickly so he could hide the sword inside and finally get a good night's sleep.
-x-
The following morning Harry was feeling much refreshed and was fully aware that it would be best to leave the Company as soon as possible given that he had killed their leader and stolen his sword but his conscience much to his annoyance stopped him from simply using his magic to slip away and so he went to see Balaq using a notice me not charm to move through the camp without being detected so he could get to Balaq's tent undetected where he found his friend packing his belonging. Moving behind another tent to cancel the charm and not appear to materialise out of thin air, Harry made himself known with a concerned question.
"You are not leaving are you Balaq?" Harry hoped not, dreading the idea that his actions might have some negative impact on the friend who had introduced him to the company. Balaq turned to look and laughed but it was a full belly one which eased Harry's nerves considerably.
"No Harry, I am just moving into a bigger tent. The other commanders chose me to lead the company from now on although I might suggest you do leave as soon as possible. Killing our leader has some people angry at you, but I will be sad to see you go." Balaq said with a sad smile. Harry however was not sadden at all and grasped the taller man's shoulder.
"That is marvellous news! No one around here is more respected than you my friend and I know you will excel here." Harry said with genuine excitement for his friend. Balaq gave him a manly hug and told him.
"I hope that I will see you again my friend, safe journey." He said and Harry with one last look went to return to his tent but half way there he realised he had forgotten to reapply his charm when a voice called out to hm.
"Harry Tyrell! I must speak with you." A man called out to him, nearly groaning Harry turned and looked to see the representative from Qohor running towards him. Harry suddenly realised that he still had the documents he had taken from Norvos in his pouch and quickly pulled them out before the man could get close enough to notice that he had apparently pulled the large scrolls from nowhere.
"Master Sabris, I have the documents concerning the Norvosi plot. It reveals some of your city's younger nobility is conspiring with them." Harry said seriously handing the documents to the Master who eagerly took them and was briefly shocked at the names on the list before shaking his head in dismay before putting the documents into his satchel and telling Harry.
"I must thank you Harry Tyrell. These will prove most helpful, I owe you much especially as Strickland endangered the entire operation with his blind hatred so I will pass the gifts we were to have given to him as thanks on to you instead." The master said pointing to a cart with two horses, Harry's eyes widened when he saw what was on the back of it, not that he needed to as the master was quite proud to tell him.
"Some of the greatest tapestries that our city is famous for as well as some of our best wood carvings and furniture, a chest of gold and some nice pieces of steel work. After all Qohor is one of the wealthiest cities in the world." Master Sabris said proudly and Harry nodded in agreement but he realised the gifts were more about showing off than rewarding him. A way to tell the world. "Hey look how rich we are and how much we can give you." So they could buy or rather rent loyalty. Harry had seen such things in Westeros all his life, the biggest examples being Robert Baratheon, the Lannisters or his own family the Tyrells. Whenever an event was set, only the most elaborate and expensive things would do although his own family he was glad to say were far more frugal in their spending than the Lannisters or especially Robert Baratheon who according his grandmother was drinking, whoring and feasting himself into a mountain of debt.
None the less Harry accepted the gifts and guided the horses over to his tent where he could unload and store the gifts, musing to himself that it was just as well he was planning on going to Qohor next. He was going to need more storage chests so once he was packed, Harry leapt onto Storm's back and with Orion flying overhead, rode out of the Golden Company's camo. Some of the men cheered at him as he passed while over sneered but Harry ignored them, enjoying the feeling of the wind in his hair as he continued his travels.
Qohor...
A day or so later Harry looked at the city of Qohor on the nearby hill while sitting on his horse with his hawk perched on his shoulder. The enormous trade caravans that passed through the city was dazzling in the array of colour and goods they carried. Merchants came to this city as despite it being longer to take goods over land it was cheaper than sailing with Qarth's legendary harsh tolls. So goods from the likes of Yi Ti, the Bone Mountains and beyond would past through this city on their way west, while caravans from the west would in turn head east making the city one of the wealthiest around.
Harry took a deep breath and smiled, glad that he was finally back on the road after his stint in the Gold Company urging Storm forward so he could finally visit the city that many called the most exotic and mysterious of the Free Cities. His hopes of finding mystical knowledge and other magic here nearly making him urge his horse into a run as he passed through the gates, eager to discover its secrets.
The buildings were much like you would find in any city which had once been a part of the Valyrian Freehold, a mix of old Valyrian style structures and newer more simple buildings but what Harry did not sense was actual magic, his smile started to dim slightly. He kept riding hoping that it was only one part of this city, coming to a large city square where he saw men in cowls cutting the throats of calves, horses and other animals before a Black Goat. The sight disgusted Harry, he had heard that daily animal sacrifices were made to the Black Goat by the people of the city and that they would on holy days sacrifice human criminals but in times of war even the children of the elite were expected to be sacrificed to ensure victory. It made Harry sick to his stomach but he could at least take comfort that no war threatened Qohor right now.
It soured his enjoyment of being in a new place and soon his temper was growing increasing dark as he rode around the city and sensed no magic at all. He shook his head in anger; animal sacrifices, blood magic was that what people thought magic was he asked himself. It was wondrous and capable of so much good as well as the bad but the ignorant masses of this world only wanted to believe the worst of what they did not understand fed by the words of the supposed intellectuals like the maesters who Harry honestly thought were the most stuck up and ignorant of all. The only positive outcome so far today was thanks to the city's famous wood carvers he had acquired twenty five new chests that he was going to enhance with magic the next chance he got, so his storage problems were for the moment dealt with.
His good mood now ruined Harry was about to turn around and leave the city when he saw that he was coming upon the famous forges of the city.
His excitement began to return as he wondered about their secrets, these men produced the finest steel in the world and he was honestly eager to see how they did it. He frowned when he realised they would not simply allow him to watch them so he decided to set up camp nearby and use his magic to observe them unnoticed for a few days.
-x-
A day later…
Harry was as eager a young boy as he saw the men in the forge hammer the steel, reworking it again and again to remove any impurities in the metal, sometimes adding some to make the metal stronger in the long run. There was Harry discovered a pleasure to watching men take such pride and dedication in their work, attending to it so diligently you could well believe that they would either cry or kill you if their work was ever criticised. The workshop that Harry had chosen to observe was no exception with men working long into the night and then coming back the following day to do it all over again. The result was the greatest steel that could be made, he had not seen them rework Valyrian steel but the metal was so rare he had not expected too.
However what he did see was some of the old men dismissing an apprentice's work without even looking at it, snorting that his steel would be no doubt inferior. Harry's eyes narrowed, the apprentice who had learnt was called Brynden was in his early twenties with bright red hair and blue eyes that reminded Harry of a Tully's look.
But regardless of how he looked Brynden worked longer and harder than anyone here and it showed in his work. With the exception of his own sword Orphanmaker and the sword he had taken from Strickland, never had Harry seen better steel.
The apprentice took it with a long suffering sigh and Harry decided to follow him once he left for home. He wondered why the young man even though he was an apprentice would put up with such abuse of his obvious talent and when the apprentice arrived at a run-down building he quickly understood. A flock of small children numbering almost six burst through the door at the sight of his all calling him father and embracing him with complete love and looking at him with adoration. A young woman came after the children smiling but with worn clothes and tired eyes.
Feeling like he was intruding, Harry made his way back to his tent wondering whether or not he should do anything to help. It was not his fight but he knew talent like Brynden's should never be wasted working for men that could only produce work of half the standard he did but if he should intervene what should he do?
Harry once he arrived back in his tent he sat in his chair, and read while trying to decide on what to do. Beating up the older men would not help as they would only be kind as long as Harry was here to keep them in check and likely punish Brynden once he was gone, to say nothing of making sure that he was paid for his work, which Harry gathered did not happen very often.
It was then that he remembered the old saying he had heard someone say once. "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him a fish and he will eat for a lifetime." Harry smiled as a plan formed in his mind, one that could well make him a strong new ally here in this large and exotic continent.
-x-
The following morning Brynden was walking back towards the forge where he worked, getting ready for another day of criticism and being exploited by those who held his strings. He had no money to open a forge of his own with six children and a wife to feed, not on the pittance that he was paid. He had long accepted there was little chance of change so he had better get on with it to make sure things did not get any worst.
He was passing an old and abandoned building when a man a few years younger than himself, he looked Westerosi with dark hair and emerald eyes. He smiled and said.
"Good morning, I understand you are the most talented blacksmith in the city." The stranger said. Brynden was stopped still in surprise and wondered if this man was a thug hoping to steal from him not that he had any money Brynden thought his stomach rumbling after he had missed breakfast again so his children could eat.
"I am afraid if you seek to rob me, I have no money. I am but a poor blacksmith." Brynden said depressed wondering if he was about to be beaten up or killed, either would be fatal for his family. The stranger just laughed and replied with amusement taking no offense at all.
"I am no thug Brynden my name is Harry Tyrell, I have seen your work and admit it is the best steel I have seen. I am looking to open a shop with but I have no skill with the hammer and the forge. I will buy the building and get the equipment, you find the men to work the forges. Are you interested?"
Brynden was momentarily struck dumb by the offer which was then followed by suspicion, wondering if it was going to be the exact same with someone taking advantage of him or more likely a cruel joke played on him by the other smiths albeit a more elaborate one than usual. Harry seemed to sense what he was thinking and pushed the door of the old building open and offered Brynden a scroll.
"Here is the proof of my claim, I have even named you as co-owner of the building." Harry said and Brynden gave the document a quick glance over it and his eyes widened as he saw the official seal of the city magister with him named as the joint owner of the building but when he looked inside the building he now apparently owned part of he was completely blown away.
It was a complete Blacksmith workshop, with furnaces, anvils and all the tools for at least twenty smiths. Brynden could not believe his eyes and he could only say one word in his complete shock.
"Why?"
Harry hesitated to answer, not entirely sure himself why he was doing this. He could say that it was about establishing a presence in the city, starting a business to earn him coin but perhaps it boiled down to a much more pure reason, one that might have come straight from the mouth of Harry Potter.
"I hate bullies." Harry told Brynden, his eyes growing cold for a moment. "Squashing those that cannot defend themselves because their victims are far smarter or more capable then they will ever be but unable to fight back. Thriving on fear and laughing at others for no good reason when it is they who are the truly worthless." Harry said thinking back on all the misery of his opposite's early years feeling almost as if it had happened to him. "I want to help, because no one else will. I want you to achieve your full potential and be able to feed your family. Why I feel this way I cannot say but I know you and I will benefit from this. Now are in or out?" Harry asked, eager to get on with the matter at hand.
Brynden was still slightly stunned but despite his suspicions, he could not help but trust the young man who he had just met. He seemed to have a good heart and that his mother had told him was worth its weight in gold.
-x-
They went to a nearby tavern and sat down with an ale each to discuss what to do with their new venture.
"The shop won't last long without customers and the other smiths have a strangle hold on the richest." Brynden said as he sipped his ale, not thinking any of them would want to make a deal with an upstart like him but Harry just shook his head and said.
"Leave that to me, can you find the men to work the forges? And were we can get the ore from?" Harry asked him and Brynden nodded. He knew a lot of young men like him with families to support that were kept one step ahead of homelessness by their employers not allowed to move anymore. A better paid job would make them folk to join his and Harry's new forges, as for the raw materials he knew the tradesmen by name and as long as they were paid they would not care who bought their ore. Harry gave him a good sized bag of gold coins, the size of which made Brynden's eyes widen.
"Get the ore and the men, I will get the clients. Just tell me who the most frequent and richest customers of your previous employers and soon they will be giving you their contracts." Harry said and Brynden looked at him strangely, wondering who this cocky young man was and if he could do all he claimed. Deciding to accept his words for now Brynden told him the names of seven men who visited his old employer the most, by large arms merchants with a few other smaller contracts for tools. Harry pulled out seven contracts he had prepared and showed them to Brynden who read them carefully making Harry smile that he was clearly no fool before he placed his own signature on them too.
Harry nodded with a smile and made plans to visit each of those men and 'convince' them to sign an exclusive contract with Brynden and him. He got up and wished Brynden luck in getting the ore they would need and the men to work the forges. It had been a simple matter to steal all the equipment from Brynden's old employer and simply use magic to make it look brand new again. Burning the place down covered any evidence of the theft and made one less rival to deal with was just icing on the cake. Ruthless maybe but also practical.
-x-
Harry wandered towards the rich quarter of the city and looked for the manses in question. The first being an arms merchant who sold armour and weapons to a few of the Free Cities, Astapor and the wealthier Sellsword companies. He walked up to the guards who barred anyone access, slaves Harry noticed with disgust but focused on the matter at hand casting a notice me not charm so he could walk past them at will. He walked through the manse looking for its master, not bothering to look at the display of wealth around him he had other things to do.
Finally he found the solar of the master of the house which Harry noticed was bigger than most castle halls. A rather squat man sat at a desk looking over papers and Harry smirked noticing no one else was there, making his job far easier.
Walking forward he raised his ring and cast a confusion charm on the man whose eyes glazed over and seeing the charm was working Harry spoke.
"Good morning, I have the most amazing deal for you. The greatest smith in Qohor is taking on new customers and would like to offer you a good deal if you get your steel exclusively from him." Harry said walking forward, the dazed man only said.
"Exclusive deal." He managed to say and Harry's smile widened now resembling a shark, putting a magical contract in front of the merchant which had already been signed by Brynden.
"Just sign here." Harry said and pushed the scroll forward, the man seemed to fight against the charm for a moment before signing in the right place. Harry smiled and took the contract and blew to dry the ink before creating two copies. The original he would keep while the merchant and Brynden would get one each.
"A pleasure doing business with you." Harry said and leaving one of the contracts he walked out of the room and disappeared with a pop, only to reappear in the garden of his next customer this time a tool merchant who also worked in ship building. Here Harry had a little trouble controlling him as his will was far stronger than the arms merchant but with a little extra power he too signed the contract before Harry moved on to the next.
-x-
It had taken hours for Harry to secure the contracts and he had used more magic than normal today but he thought with a grateful smile it had been worth it. The contracts were signed and because he had used the confusion charms although the merchants would not remember him clearly they would remember signing the exclusive deals and the fact it was a magically binding contract only made it sweeter. If they tried to break it they would experience pain until they relented and even death if they didn't. He had been careful when he had included his own name on the contract and written into the terms and conditions protections for both him and Brynden in case the forge was unable to fulfil an order or some such problem emerged.
He returned to the shop and saw smoke rising from the chimneys, he smiled and walked inside to see Brynden and twenty other men working hard. His new business partner saw him and smiled as he walked over.
"I can get twenty more if you get us the contracts." He said eager to see if Harry had been successful and Harry offered him a copy of each of the contracts. Brynden eagerly took and then laughed when he saw the contracts, which would keep them busy for months and earn them all a small fortune.
"Good, best get those extra men since you are going to be busy." Harry said glad to see his latest venture taking off. "I will be leaving Qohor soon. Think of me as a silent partner. I trust you know how to run the shop and deal with customers." Harry told him and Brynden although surprised eagerly nodded.
"I have been watching the other smiths do it for years, even done it for them when they were too pissed to do it themselves. When will you be back?" He asked wondering if he should keep some of their profits aside to pay him his share. Harry told him after reading his surface thoughts to confirm it was more than just bravado and that he knew how to run the shop.
"I do not know when but I may ask for favours in the future." Harry said with a smile and shaking Brynden's strong and calloused hand Harry left the shop and jumped back on his horse, riding south west towards the Qhoyne River.