The penitence of the wolf - Hunting season (Patreon)

Rhaegar Targaryen, King’s Landing

"We have had trouble on the roads south my prince, bandits, coming from the Kingswood, on the border with the Stormlands, though we lost no one, thanks to the quick intervention of the soldiers, half the cargo was stolen," said the merchant

Rhaegar nodded, seated on the iron throne, his back straight and looking impassive, his wife Elia and his mother Rhaella, flanking him on either side of the throne

"I understand, a regiment of soldiers will be sent to hunt down these bandits, the crown appreciates your report, Baldwin of Highgarden," said the prince

It was evident that the answer was not enough for the man, who did not hesitate to continue speaking

"My prince, I beg for help to replace the lost merchandise, I request that the crown replace the twenty gold dragons in merchandise," said the man, to the disbelief of the court

It was evident that Tywin was going to intervene, however, the prince stepped forward, and responded with firmness and an icy voice

"Curious, from what you told me you decided to travel alone from the south of the kingdom to King's Landing, instead of paying for the escort that my father's troops offer to the capital, so the loss of your goods is your responsibility alone, there will be no compensation," the prince reported, at the same time making an elegant gesture with his hand, ordering the merchant to leave the throne room

The merchant was about to answer, until the intimidating presence of a pair of knights made him reconsider, and on his own, he left the throne room

 Beside him, Lord Tywin nodded slowly

"Excellent decision my prince," referring to denying the merchant's compensation

Rhaegar looked at the Lord and spoke

"We must prepare a strike force to hunt down these bandits."

Lord Tywin nodded, at the same time as Princess Elia replied

"Oberyn is still in the city and has experience as a tracker, you can send him to hunt these bandits," the princess offered

And Rhaegar didn't think it was a bad idea, he saw Lord Tywin and his mother, and they both nodded to the merit of the idea

"It is a great idea my love, inform your brother to visit us in my office tonight," said the prince, at the same time that the doors of the throne room had been opened, and Maester Marwin calmly entered the throne room

Curiously, the prince looked at the old man and asked

"Maester Marwin, how rare to see you outside your tower," said the prince with amusement, it was well known that the new Grand Master, unlike Pycelle, spent most of his time with his experiments and studies

The grumpy old man just grunted and held up a bunch of pieces of parchment

"Letters from the King, from Castle Black, to you, my prince," said the old scholar

At those words, everyone in the court began to murmur, at the same time that Arthur took the scrolls

Rhaegar took the scroll from Arthur's hands and began to read calmly, at the same time as his eyes began to open wider and wider, raising curiosity and concern in the court

"All right, my son?" asked the queen, although it was evident that the queen was demanding an answer

The prince simply shook his head and looked at his mother, before answering

"As archon of House Targaryen and king of Westeros, I, Aerys Targaryen declare the release of Prince Aemon Targaryen, son of Maekar, from his oath in the Night's Watch, and officially return his noble titles, long live Prince Aemon Targaryen, Personal Master of House Targaryen," said the prince aloud

At those words, everyone in the court murmured in utter surprise, many unaware of the existence of this... Aemon Targaryen

Tywin looked surprised and Rhaella with excitement and happiness

"Is Uncle Aemon still alive? Now I understand my beloved's urgency to go to the Wall as soon as possible, a maester with so much experience, directly at the service of our family, it is a great thing for us” said the queen with emotion

However, Rhaegar knew that his father never did things for a single reason, if Aemon Targaryen was free from oath, it was for a reason, but which one? A man with so much knowledge and experience could only...

Oh...

Father, you are a cunning fox, thought the prince with amusement and amazement

"That's not all," said the prince, for the greater interest of the court

Then Rhaegar pulled aside a second scroll and began to read aloud

“By Royal Decree, I, Aerys Targaryen, Archon of House Targaryen and King of Westeros, declare official the dissolution of the Night Watch, being replaced by the Black Legion, a new order of warriors, under the direct rule of House Targaryen, with the aim of keeping the northern border of the kingdom secure”

And keep the northerners subdued, Rhaegar thought shrewdly

The whispers increased, as did the worried faces, Tywin looked surprised, as did his mother

"My father also reports that pirates attacked his ship, and that now,all of them rest at the bottom of the ocean thanks to the warm flames of Rhaegal, he orders you, Lord Tywin, to summon all the Lords of the three sisters to the capital, to answer for such insolence," said the prince, handing a scroll to the Lord Hand

Tywin took it elegantly and nodded only once, understanding the assignment

"My father also reports that, accompanied by several Lords of the North, he will embark on a mission beyond the Wall, in search of something important" said the prince, to his mother's concern

Rhaegar assumed it had to do with his father's magical talent, though he wouldn't be able to prove it until he returned

The prince had made progress with his gift, as his father had warned, the dreams began within weeks of starting to take care of Hagen, dreams of flying over the city were becoming more and more recurrent, a harbinger of things to come

"It seems that my father coordinated with the Northern Lords various projects and marriages to unite the Northern houses to the South, and Lord Hand, you must see this," Rhaegar said, handing another scroll to the Lord

With interest, the old lion began to read the monarch's orders, at the same time his eyes widened in disbelief, looking up at the prince

“This... It's a bold move and it will have consequences," whispered the old lion, still incredulous at the king's order

Rhaegar knew Tywin's words were real, yet he could see his father's move, and while ruthless

It was brilliant

"From now on, the crown will impose a fixed fee that House Frey can charge to use its bridge, three silver stags per person and one golden dragon per cart of merchandise," Tywin said, for the entire court

They were fair rates, which would keep a family wealthy, however, for the Freys, who charged one golden dragon per person and twenty gold dragons per wagon, this measure would be devastating

And Rhaegar knew they wouldn't stand idly by, too greedy, proud and arrogant for that

Giving his father the ideal pretext to exterminate Walder Frey, and place someone loyal to the crown at the crossing

Like a mature lioness, for example, Rhaegar thought with amusement

And with the Twins under Targaryen control…

The Tullys and the Arryns were fucked

Brilliant and ruthless...

Alas, Rhaegar had work to do, the city wouldn't get better on its own

“What else do we have now?” asked the prince, concentrating again on the court

"A certain Varys of Lys, requesting a hearing, declares to have information about certain criminal groups in the crown lands operating in Essos," said the old lion

The prince nodded and prepared to receive the man

The day in court was just beginning

Eddard Stark, Beyond the Wall, the North

“All set?” asked the monarch, at the same time that he put on his helmet and began to trot on his horse towards the gloomy forest, completely calm and with total naturalness

Like He has been here before

The progression was quite large, one hundred and fifty Targaryen men, led by King Aerys, Ser Gerold Hightower, and Ser Brynden Tully, and three hundred northerners, led by his father, Lady Bolton, Lord Umber, and Lord Karstark, the lords closest to the wall

It was the largest Southern force to cross the wall in centuries

 Eddard was sure that Brandon, Benjen and Lyanna would die of envy as soon as they found out about the adventure Ned was living

The powerful squawks of the monarch's ravens drove Eddard out of his thoughts, both huge, and they flew high up near the top of the Wall, where Rhaegal's commanding vision saw them depart calmly

It was curious, how the imposing and powerful beast refused to cross the structure of Ice

"We will cross the enchanted forest, until we reach the foot of the frozen fangs, we will ascend upstream to the valley of the shadow cats and we will move east to our destination, the fist of the first men," ordered the monarch firmly

The Lord Commander Jeor looked at the king uncertainly and asked

"My king, if you want to get to the fist of the first men we can go through the forest until we reach Hardhome and then move west," said the man

However, the king shook his head quickly and replied

"No, crossing a forest is much more complicated than following a river, besides, part of this mission is the total extermination of the Ice Rivers clans, allowing us to mount an expedition from the shadow tower to expand the domains of Westeros towards the frozen fangs" reported the king

And at those words, everyone nodded, they made sense and logic, after all

"You have your orders, save your energies for the fight on the river, it will be quite fierce," promised the king, at the same time as he turned his horse and began to trot towards the forest, being followed by his King's Guards, the Lords and the rest of the soldiers

And from the moment Eddard set foot in the woods, something was quite clear to him

They were not alone in that place

And the king knew it

"Do not separate, groups of four, eyes open in the branches of the trees, we will move as long as we have daylight," ordered the monarch

And Eddard could only sigh

"Are you okay, son?"  asked her father

Eddard just nodded

"Yes father, it's just that, this place gives me a rather strange feeling, it's hard to explain"

Rickard Stark nodded softly, at the same time that Rickard Karstark, heir to Lord Brynden, trotted on his own horse towards the

"Come on Ned, I didn't know that the South had softened you so much, we are in a royal progression, on an expedition beyond the Wall, we will hunt wildings and shadow cats" said the young man with emotion

However, Eddard was no fool, this was not a scouting mission for future expansion, this was an assault force

The king had a goal, he was hunting something or someone

And the silent wolf knew perfectly well that it was not wildings or cannibals

Which left the question What was the monarch looking for in these inhospitable lands?

Eddard didn't know it

Aerys Targaryen, a week later, Ice River, close to the Ice Fangs

Lorcan and Arwen had returned with news, it was time for the first confrontation

For a week they had moved steadily, being watched, many clans had seen them, but none had dared to confront them

It was the best, to be honest

They had reached the bank of the ice river, and to their fury, he arrived in the midst of a tragedy

The cannibals had ambushed a small clan and were tearing them to pieces, the men were all dead, while the spear wives protected the little ones with fury

Nothing new, Aerys thought with utter contempt

In the past, as Jarl Jon, he had led his people and exterminated these animals, Jon had exterminated them all, making the lands safer for everyone

And apparently, fate wanted the feat to be repeated

“What's wrong your grace?” asked Ser Brynden looking in disbelief at the slaughter

And Aerys replied

"The clans, those with bone weapons, are cannibals, it is evident that they ambushed the smaller one, prepare the soldiers, we are going to intervene," ordered the king, taking his sword firmly

"Prepare the men, let the archers rain steel on those animals and give strict orders that we will only attack those who carry bones, understand?"  said the king

Ser Brynden nodded and rode to communicate the orders, as Aerys put on his helmet and prepared for the attack

"Rickard, sounds the horn" ordered the king, at the same time that he began to ride, being followed by the rest of the soldiers and horsemen, falling on the cannibals like an avalanche of steel, relentless and unstoppable

The attack took them by surprise, at the same time that dozens of arrows fell from the sky, wreaking havoc among the attackers, in an instant, Aerys was among the cannibals, using his sword to dismember whoever was stupid enough to approach

The fray was bloody but short, the relentless armor and steel spears pierced through the cannibals with ease, exterminating all attackers and giving a much-needed respite to the women protecting the children

Within minutes, silence reigned, the entire clan had been exterminated

"Investigate the area, and secure a perimeter, send scouts to look for solid ground and form a camp," ordered the king, at the same time that he focused his gaze on what was left of the tribe

About thirty spear wives, covering about twenty little ones with their bodies, being led by a familiar figure

A woman, beautiful and with strong body, with large breasts and ample hips, evidently a mother and a very fertile woman, carried a rudimentary stone spear, while protecting with her body a small girl kissed by the sun, someone whom Aerys recognized from his life as Jarl Jon

Walking slowly towards the group, who gathered even more in alarm, the king signaled to the men not to intervene and totally unarmed began to speak

"I am..." however, the spear wife leader pounced on Aerys without any remorse, aiming her spear directly at the monarch's neck

Unfortunately for her, this was an action that the monarch expected, using the armor of his forearms he intercepted the stone spear and with a sharp blow broke the spear in half, before grabbing the redhead by the neck and subduing her, placing her face down and his hand holding her by the nape of the neck

The redhead began to fight furiously, wishing to break free from the king's relentless grip, however, Aerys simply grabbed her hair and said a simple word

"Enough" with an icy voice, it was evident that it was an order

And instantly, the redhead stopped moving, lowering her gaze and completely docile in the presence of the king

Seeing that the situation was under control, Aerys spoke

"I am very sorry about your tribe, that their spirits return to the land from which they were born," said the monarch, to the confusion of his men and the amazement of the women and children

“Who are you?” asked the woman in a soft, feminine voice, a great contrast to the attitude of a moment ago

"I am Chief Aerys, of the dragon clan," he said with determination, while letting go of the woman's hair

Seeing her, the dragon king looked at the woman more closely, fine features, with bright red hair, but battered and blue eyes, somewhat thin, but with large breasts and wide hips, the product of a pregnancy without a doubt

"I am Yrma, Chief Aerys, you have stolen me, I belong to you, please, I beg for mercy for my daughter, my sisters and the little ones," said the woman, with her gaze completely downwards and totally submissive to the presence of the king

At those words, all the soldiers and Lords murmured to each other, quite surprised by what had happened

The king, with total calm, replied

"Our journey will take us up the river, exterminating the rest of the clans and will end in the fist of the first men, I am looking for a particular prey,” said the monarch

Yrma was about to answer, when Lord Rickard showed up

"Your grace, though the situation is pitiful, fifty mouths to feed will deplete our reserves," said the Lord, as he looked at Yrma and the rest with mixed feelings

The redhead, undeterred, replied

"You don't have to worry, we are perfectly capable of hunting and gathering with ease, I promise to take you to the best places, in exchange for protection for my people" said the redhead, looking at Rickard with a frown

The fight was going to continue between the two, until Aerys intervened

"SILENCE!" a simple word, silence to both of them, Yrma lowered her head submissively, while Rickard looked away

Aerys looked at the Lords and ordered

"We will not leave these people to their fate, they have submitted, so, at least for the moment, they are under our protection," said the king firmly, some Lords grimaced, but no one was stupid enough to challenge the king

Aerys then looked at Yrma and walked slowly towards her

"You will inform my men about the best places to hunt and your girls will guide them to refill our supplies, in return, my men will provide protection for the duration of our mission," ordered the monarch

Yrma nodded, at the same time as the women lowered their spears, but they remained alert, although the king watched with amusement, as more than one looked at the soldiers as if they were pieces of meat

Yrma's words brought him back to reality

"I will organize what is left of my tribe, we will collect what is still useful and I will let Ygritte with my sister, I will present myself in your tent at dusk so that you may take your pleasure from my body, as is your right as my Man" said the woman, at the same time as she walked towards the group and began to give orders

The king could only sigh, hunting the damned abomination was being more complicated than it seemed

But it was close, soon, the damn crow would be dead and its head would adorn a spear all the way from the Wall to King's Landing

That, Aerys could swear