CHP 27: Aged Heart (Patreon)

Upon some inquiry, I found out there was no definite location or trace to follow to track down this so-called Mountain That Rides, a title I found to be metal as all hell, save for a trail of pillaging and rape as he'd been ordered to lay waste to the Riverlands to divide their forces.

But, this didn't dissuade me, instead it gave me an opportunity to explore this ancient Kingdom of hills and rivers to my heart's content.

The sky was a cloudy grey, which I'd noted was the typical weather for this place, and a chill breeze swept across the land, carrying with it the scent of wet earth and grazing animals.

I preferred this over places like, say, Caelid.

Which rotted the lungs with each breath, and smelt of nothing but death and decay, populated by beings intent on further propagating that influence... It was always a wonder how Radahn's men continued their fight against the Scarlet Rot long after he lost his mind.

I put a hand on my chest, recalling my devouring of Decaying Ekzykes who hated Dragon Communion so intensely that he kept fighting all who'd stake a claim on it even after he lost his mind to the Scarlet Rot.

"Bad, bad memories..."

"D-Did you say something, ser?" My companion stammered, looking around in sudden surprise, "I-I'm sorry, I didn't hear."

I pulled on Roach's reins, and the 'horse' came to a halt with a loud neigh, digging its hooves into the dirt road we were on, "Nothing, man."

Coincidentally, the boy they'd sent along as my 'guide' was the same one who first spoke out in wonder, and the same one who led me to the war tent when I first entered the camp.

And, well, I didn't mind the company to be honest.

"Say Addam," I briefly glanced his way, "What about you? Got any family or something?"

Turning away from him, I looked down past the hill we were on, a river flowed past an empty field, slithering through the landscape like a snake... I pulled my map out and etched it down, along with everything else we'd seen till now.

"S-Stony Sept, ser. I'm from Stony Sept, close to the head of the Blackwater Rush." He explained as cold sweat rolled down his forehead, "Pa died before I was born... Ma said he was a fisherman. I got a sister but she lives at Mummer's Ford with her man."

I hummed along and pointed at the river. "That's the Red Fork, right?"

"...Yes, ser."

There were three of these so-called forks, I'd seen the Green Fork along the Kingsroad on my way to Winterfell and the Blue Fork on my way down to Wayfarer's Rest to help the war effort... so that was all three accounted for then.

"By Marika, you people are fucked, huh?" I scratched the side of my head in thought.

"I-I don't understand."

I held out the map to him and tapped a finger at the Vale, then at the Westerlands, the Crownlands and finally the North.

"You're smack dab in the middle of the whole thing." I explained briefly, "I'd wager most of the battles are going to happen here... and that doesn't really bode well for the common folk."

The terrain was vast and open after a certain point, allowing for massive land battles and easy flanking maneuvers... Then there were the hills and rivers for guerilla warfare... It'd be a tactically sound decision to focus the war here due to the central location, and lack of immediate influence on their own territories.

"It's as you say, ser." Addam nodded in acceptance, "Ma used to tell me stories of how many men died here."

I hummed along before returning to my own thoughts... or at least, that was what I intended to do until young Addam spoke up again, his words slow and cautious, his grey eyes wandering skittishly, "What... about you, ser?"

I cocked my head in surprise.

Huh... Perhaps I really was old considering his words brought me slight joy.

"Y-You don't have t-"

"Let's see..." I scratched my chin in thought, "I've... never really had one?"

All I knew was war and violence, fighting for survival and being hunted once my nature was revealed, "Though I do have people I respect, and people I'd fight tooth and nail for." I narrowed my eyes, "I guess I looked after a litter of kids for a while but most of them turned out to be shitheads one way or the other."

"That's..." Addam mumbled, clenching the reins of his own horse, a black destrier with long hair and a fat skirt, "A little sad?"

"You're right, man, it is kinda sad." I nodded in agreement, "Never thought about it that way before."

He jerked at my words before lowering his head and sheepishly rubbing his nape, embarrassed.

I had nothing to work for except myself, even after centuries of dying to hold my own.

"But I guess it doesn't really matter anymore... But since you do have something, I guess you should hold on strong." I flashed him a small smile, putting my map back into the satchel, "Don't wanna be aimless and lonely enough to tell your life story to anyone who bothers asking."

He nodded his head numbly and I knew he didn't get what I meant, maybe he would one day when he was old enough.

Then he went ahead and said something utterly ridiculous, "Then you don't even have someone you love?"

"Wha..." 

For a few moments, an awkward silence dominated the scene, interrupted only by the sound of rushing water and rustling trees... I coughed into my palm, "Sorry man, even with my age, I'm still not into guys."

"...What? N-No! That's not what I meant! I'm no sword swallower either!" He waved his hands profusely, shaking his head from side to side in denial.

Sword swallower was... quite the term.

"Oh?" A thin smile crept onto my lips, "Then... is there a lucky girl?"

"No-... I mean, yes..." He averted his gaze with pale cheeks flushed, "The butcher's girl, Bess."

"Bess... Ol' Bess... Sounds like something I'd call a co-" I cut myself short, putting a hand over my mouth, "I'm rooting for you then, good luck."

He accepted my words with a shy nod, "Thank you... ser."

Surprisingly, there was... a certain joy to be found in seeing common folk happy... And Marika knew I'd had enough of waging war to live and to make Kings, no matter how nostalgic it felt.

...It catered to some deep part of my self I forgot was there due to how the Lands Between were.

I chuckled, "Come on, Addam. Let's ride, we need to find a town before sundown."

-

We rode over green hills, past rocky paths and through open fields with lush grass so tall it'd swallow a man up to his knees... It started raining somewhere along the way, muddying the dirt path even though it was only a light drizzle.

"I... have to take a piss, ser." Addam spoke out as we were passing by a forest making me chuckle at the random nature of his request, "U-Urgently."

"Why the hell would you hold it in? Hahahaha..." I laughed at his expense and pulled on Roach's reins to halt his tread before turning to face the young boy, "Go on, past the tree... I won't judge."

He mumbled something of an apology before practically leaping off his horse and running into the treeline, tugging at his leather breeches all the way.

"Kids are great." I shook my head, dismounted Roach and looked around curiously as I waited for him to return.

Moments later, a cart came treading down the dirt path, its hind wheels shaking uncontrollably as two mares dragged it along the muddy trail.

I narrowed my eyes and took note of its riders, an oddly familiar older, bald man and a teen girl with dark red hair and a spotted face...

Wait, ah, we'd ridden past them a few moments ago.

Licking my dry lips, I ran a gaze along the road and spotted an odd stone jutting out of the side... It'd rip one of the wheels right off... I sighed and raised my hand to call out,

"Slow dow-... Ah shit."

They rode right into it and as I'd expected, the wooden wheel came right off.

"By the Seven... Damn it, not now."

Rain had made it hard to see, and I doubted the human eye would have noticed it quick enough... Then there was the fact that people paid much less attention than they were meant to when riding on something.

The cart buckled to the side, and several wooden baskets loaded with fruits fell off... But, the older man didn't pay any attention to them.

Instead, he cast a quick glance at his daughter before looking my way... fear in his aged brown eyes.

Oh well.

Smiling, I sauntered over to him as he retreated further into his wooden seat. He held a hand out over his confused daughter, "M-M'lord, she's onl-"

"I'll hold it up, you stick the wheel back on."

"Eh?" He cocked his head, disbelief evident on his wrinkled face.

I glanced at him and shook my head, "Come on, hurry up. Or do you like standing in the rain?"

What the fuck was with the lords of this world?

Lips trembling, he cautiously got off the cart, approaching me with slow steps, "P-Pardon, m'lord, I don-"

"It's fine... Who'd you think I was anyway?"

"T-The Mountain."

"Am I really that ugly?" I wondered curiously, lifting up his cart with one hand, "I thought I was decent looking."

Apparently, the Mountain was one of the ugliest motherfuckers on the planet... or was that his brother? I supposed it'd make sense either way.

He profusely shook his head in response, "N-Not at all, m'lord! Thank you for helping us!"

With more strength than I expected from his staunch body, he hoisted the wheel up, stumbling a bit before slipping it back on.

Satisfied, I nodded and let go, "Let's get those apples back on."

My words were met with another incredulous stare... one I responded to by flashing him my white teeth as I leaned down.

This... really was enjoyable.

"M'lord! You don't need t-... Your clothes!"

"...Meh, I'll be changing them soon enough." I shrugged and placed the wooden baskets back on the cart one by one.

Once finished, I nodded, satisfied with my handiwork... even if it was all just menial work, before turning to look at the older man, "I don't think you should be out here... There's a war going."

"Y-Yes, m'lord." He bowed again, droplets of rain trickling down his face, "We're off to Pinkmaiden... Hopefully, they'll take us in for supplies."

I pursed my lips, "Smart."

Before the silence could become awkward, Addam came running out of the forest, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, "Ser..." He slowed down to a walk before looking around confusedly, "...what happened?"

I didn't answer his question, "Who the fuck takes that long to piss? I think you should get that checked out."

"I...I found a bush, ser." He untied a cloth bag from his belt and held it out to me, "Blackberries, I think you'll like them."

I put a hand over my mouth, sighing, "Marik-...Great job... I was helping out this old fellow." I pointed my thumb at the old man beside me, "We're done now, they're going to Pinkmaiden too."

"C-Can I do something to repay you, m'lord?"

"Not really." I spoke bluntly, waving a hand in dismissal, "Just look after yourself."

I didn't know whether it was because of the difference in class and the ingrained fear that came with a medieval hierarchy, but the man just let out a relieved sigh... His daughter on the other hand, held out a red apple to me, spotted cheeks flushed.

"Thanks?" I took it curiously, before waving my hand, "Be safe now."

-

On the ride after, we came across a boat stuck on the shore, a farmer whose cows had run away, a man being attacked by a wolf... a man stuck in a ditch for some Marika-forsaken reason, and a woman carrying several heavy baskets along with an infant.

The Riverlands were notably much more populous compared to the North, and the smallfolk hurried to holdfasts and forts for protection... but, as a bleeding heart, the detours were gratuitous enough.

They reminded me of what human life was like, and just how screwed the common people were in medieval war times... The one thing I noticed was that these people held no real blame for their situations.

Unlike the Lands Between, where one could only blame oneself for being weak and down-trodded and rise to Godhood through death, grit and blood given that he didn't surrender or go mad... The people in this world had no real choice with their lots in life.

No matter how hard they worked, there was always the odd chance some Lord would decide to execute them for some random offense or take over all they had... That was if they didn't fall to disease, brigands, starvation, wildlife or something of a similar nature.

A stark difference from the world I was used to... and the ways I lived through.

A mighty odd thing to adapt to.

The sun had set by the time we reached Pinkmaiden, the seat of House Piper... I'd go South from this fort come morning, since that was apparently the general area being reaved by Gregor Clegane.

"...Shall we rest here, ser?"

"Yeah, let's bust down the doors of the keep for a hero's respite." I gave Addam a thumbs up, noting the change in the way he looked at me after our journey.

If I remembered right, Clement Piper's younger son was in charge of the keep.

Hmm... I was curious as to how he'd receive me.

-

Hope you enjoyed.

Comment your thoughts.

-

As Karl travels through a more populated region, he sees the state of the commoners and can't help but constantly compare it to his home, the Lands Between... For him, it's an alien land where violence and struggle doesn't achieve much for the common man at the end of the day, the most they can do is become landed knights or something but still be in constant danger from tons of a things him and 'his people' don't even usually consider.

It tugs at the part of him that's still human. He isn't a dragon by nature even if he is one in essence, and dominated them eventually by virtue of the strength of the human heart and only the human heart, which will struggle and fight against adversity till its final stroke by sheer will and refusal to lay down and die.

Karl's character in particular is one that evolves continuously, even if it's slow. His age works with him on this, because he accepts that things can't be the same forever through his own experiences, unlike certain old people you'll find today.