After the shocking events—flying, bringing down thunder, commanding lightning, destroying an entire castle's worth of soldiers, and discovering that their saviour might be one of the heroes from old times—the three of them resumed their journey toward Riverrun, more precisely, the lands under the control of Lord Tully.
Finding their way around was harder than Thor had anticipated. He was bad at navigation, and apparently, this world lacked Google Maps, compasses, or even basic signs to indicate where travelers were headed.
It was a terrible time, finding their way toward Lord Tully's lands. However, once they spotted an inn, things became somewhat easier.
"Mind telling me where we must go to reach Lord Tully's place?"
That much was enough for any local to point the travelers toward their lord paramount's estate.
"Do you wish to stay here for tonight, Ser? Traveling at night can be very dangerous. We offer hearty meals and warm beds," the innkeeper said with a practiced smile.
No time better than now to make business, right?
Neither Thor nor the girls had any problem with that. However, they lacked money. Thor had only a few coins left after that ship captain practically looted him—and for what? Sending them to the wrong destination, at that.
Sigh.
The small amount of coin he had might have been enough to stay in the inn for half a year, all gold dragons, yet the Lannister scoundrels had taken it as well. He hadn't had time to retrieve it before they fled. Now, they were broke.
Thor looked at both girls, wondering if they had any money. Seeing their expectant eyes staring back, he knew the answer.
Sigh.
"I'm afraid I can offer no coin right now, good man," Thor shook his head. For someone like him, staying here wouldn't have been hard—a little intimidation could go a long way in these parts—but he wasn't that kind of man.
The innkeeper looked surprised; his face clearly showed disbelief.
Thor was back in his normal clothes. Apparently, the armor faded over time, but he still looked no less than a king. His demeanor radiated authority. It was hard to believe a man like him was broke.
Thor felt awkward under the innkeeper's stare.
"We only wish to stay for the night. I'm willing to exchange any service you think I'm capable of, to pay for our lodging," Thor said, noticing now the unwanted guests hoarding rooms and seats at tables, expecting food they couldn't pay for.
The innkeeper observed Thor's appraisal and thought to himself. While the man in front of him looked strong, he was alone. What could a single man do against so many?
Seeing the innkeeper hesitate, Thor nodded to himself. He just needed confirmation that these men were not planning to pay.
"Stay behind there; I'll be back soon," Thor said to Arya and Sansa. Both girls didn't need to be told twice.
The inn was crowded, the smell of ale and smoke thick in the air.
'No doubt the innkeeper is worried. There are so many of them,' Thor sighed to himself.
Before it came down to throwing hands and breaking furniture, he decided to ask nicely first. Politeness rarely worked, but perhaps someone would listen…
Turns out, no one did.
Thor folded his arms. "You've taken much and given nothing. Leave the rooms, pay the keeper, or I'll see to it myself."
The group laughed. One pushed back his chair and spat. "And if we don't?"
'Here we go again…'
Thor didn't answer with words. His fist came down like a hammer, slamming into the man's jaw and sending him crashing to the floor in one blow. The room went silent.
Another lunged with a knife, but Thor caught his wrist, twisted it until the blade dropped, and shoved him into a table that shattered under the force. Two more tried rushing him together, but Thor simply knocked their heads together with a crack that made even Arya flinch.
Sansa covered her mouth, wide-eyed, while Arya grinned. "Seven hells… he's good."
Nothing compared to what they had seen at Harrenhal. Gods knew what they saw back then wasn't human; it felt as if a warrior himself had come down to punish the Lannisters in the form of a smith, hammer in hand, thunder crackling around him.
This, by comparison, was tame. Much, much tame. And to some degree, they preferred this Thor.
That Thor looked bloodlusted. He had felt dangerous.
The last man, trembling, tried to slip away, but Thor caught him by the collar and tossed him out the door as if he weighed no more than a sack of grain. The others soon followed, each kicked or dragged into the street, groaning in pain.
Thor dusted his hands and turned to the innkeeper. "So, we good?"
The old man's eyes were wide. From the moment Thor had started to the moment he finished, it took mere minutes to toss those ruffians out—and he had done it like they were unruly children.
"A-Aye, my lord… thank you," the innkeeper stammered, half dazed and half afraid.
Thor nodded, sitting back down beside the girls. "Bring something filling and warm," he said. The innkeeper nodded and went to prepare the food.
"Eat and rest. We still have a long way to go before we reach our destination," Thor told the girls. They made no objections; they were starving.
The food itself was filling. As for the local fare, it mostly consisted of seafood. Thor couldn't say he was a fan of fish, but when hungry, anything seemed tasty.
Once the room-hoarders were gone, there were enough free rooms for all of them. The girls took one, while Thor took another. Both rooms were close enough that, in an emergency, he could reach them quickly.
Thor had just laid himself on the straw bed, ready to rest after a long day. The room was quiet, only the faint crackle of the inn's hearth below reaching his ears. His eyes had just begun to close when a soft knock came at the door.
Rising, he opened it to see Sansa standing there. Her hands were clasped in front of her, eyes lowered.
"Sansa?" Thor asked, his voice calm but curious. "What is it you need?"
The girl hesitated. Her lips parted, but no words came out. For a long moment, she only stood there, shifting as though caught between fleeing and speaking. Thor waited patiently, giving her the silence she needed.
Then, to his amazement, Sansa suddenly stepped forward. Before he could react, she pressed herself against him, her soft lips brushing his. It was clumsy, trembling, yet full of emotion.
Thor stiffened in surprise, his mind reeling at the boldness of the act.
But before he knew it, he found himself kissing her back.
...
A/N : For those who read the original story, they might remember something similar happening in a inn, this was the original plan but I for some reason, changed that. Don't know why. Can't remember.
xxx
Please Consider Donating Power Stones if you like the Chapter.
"Thank you Very Much for All Your Support"
If you want to read up to 20+ Chapters in advance, check my Patreon on
Patreon.com/Kamidemond