It tasted like wet bark of rotten tree and unbitten salt, that sand had gotten all the way through my mouth, I had been coughing for a moment or more.
"Seven Hells lad, thought the Stranger had you by now."
I looked up to see a tanned man standing by the doorless entrance with a grin that missed a few too many teeth and a cloth that had seen far too many days, I swear if he had turned a little bit more, I could have seen his jewels-...
Oh I see them alright, as he begins walking towards me, I wish I hadn't, those were two little furballs.
He passed me a jug of water and I gulped it down before I noticed that it tasted like mud and worse.
As I put down the jug, I noticed the patches of hair he was missing and the state of this ruined thing I'm sleeping at.
The walls were barely standing by the sticks and cloth holding it together and the stones had caved in at some places.
"Where am I?" I asked, barely finding my voice.
He let out a chuckle as he looked around the place.
"'Where am I?' he asks," He rolled his eyes as he stood himself tall. "You are at my hut, lad, found you by the shore, two nights before, washed up by Greenshield and lying pale, the wave and wind must have carried you by the storm."
The name Greenshield brought me bits of memories I didn't know I had, it felt just as if I am reminding myself of the towns and keeps of this wretched land.
"Greenshield? I am at the Reach?" I asked as my ears perked up at the sound I was missing for a while, the crashing of the waves against the shores.
"I know no lands but the Reach with a Greenshield." He replied. "Where are you from lad?"
A multitude of places came to mind, some cities, some towns but I settled for something that was very well known.
"I'm Henri Crent of Lannisport." I replied and I could see his eyes immediately widen and a line of fear and dread cross his mind.
"A-Are you of a noble house, mi-milord?" He asked the last part a bit too quiet to not mistake me for a Lord too soon.
"I am, my uncle is the Lord of House Crent."
He immediately took a step back, his eyes moving quick towards a barrel present by the entrance, he ran up to it and pulled out a sword from behind it.
I stood up as fast as I could but my body was still frail from the days I had not eaten, I pushed myself and tried to stay up but my legs were tired, my eyes locked with the entrance in case I had to run but he was standing in between.
If he has decided to come kill me, it would truly be my end.
"Forgive me, milord!" He said as he ran towards me, I raised my arms to protect myself but the blow never came, instead he had knelt, his clothes giving tear as his entire manhood now was on display.
"I did not mean to steal it, milord!" He said as he raised the sword still sheathed towards me in a display of fear. "I speak true, I merely kept it in secret to not let any greedy folks from the village lay a hand on it."
I immediately took the sword from his hand and pulled it out of sheath. The sword was nothing grand but it was hard steel and rusting at the ends and pommel.
"Is this all you found?" I asked, making myself sound bigger.
He visibly fidgeted, before he rose up and ran back to the barrel.
"No milord, I found this pouch and a parchment, you held on to it like a whore and her tits." He passed a bag of coins, which was quite heavy, surprising me and the parchment seemed to be soaked in water but it didn't have any seals.
The language it was written in was definitely not English nor any language I knew but still I could clearly understand it.
"You said I was at the Reach?" I asked and he nodded. "How close are we to the Rose road?"
"A day's ride by north, milord."
—---
"Have at it, Ulman." I threw a gold dragon at the old guy as I mounted the horse. "Buy yourself a pair of breachers."
"I'm grateful, milord." He bowed as I began to rode away, the people of Greenshield had grown accustomed to my presence but being here anymore, pretending to be a noble would only bring unwanted trouble.
Also the village chief was returning tonight if the words of the people were to be true, I'm not sure about others but a village chief might know that there is not a noble house by the name Crent, nothing close to Lannisport at least, even if he didn't it was best to leave.
So that's why I bought a palfrey from a dodgy merchant, he had two, one with white coat, which seemed as if it would croak within the next mile and the other brown, which had a bad leg but could still walk, I brought the brown one, he called it, Shitfoot, a fitting name I suppose and decided to leave the village.
The village folk called Ulman, the old bush, not because he had a long beard but because he had something out on constant display.
Ulman took care of me for the past week, bringing me roasted fish, salted lamb and such, nothing that tasted even remotely good but still I had to eat whatever I had to get my strength back.
The people of Greenshield had taken to Ulman's hut multiple times, to see me or to be precise a noble, some had come to say about the suffering of the land, to drain my pouch of coins with their pity stories, some had to tried to send in their daughters at night to offer company, I never indulged, the girls were barely 12 years of age.
I know how this medieval society worked, how age was not a matter of concern, that people would sell their kids for less if it meant one less mouth to feed during winters or to curry favor with some fat old lord.
It was a cruel world.
It just means you have to be better at it.
I intend to bring myself up in this ladder of chaos.
So that is all I have for my name, 7 Golden dragons, 84 Silver Stags, few copper pennies, a rusty sword and a horse named Shitfoot.
The coins were not a measly some by any chance, I could buy a house in a big city and eat and drink for a month or two. I would still have some change but after that? I didn't want to settle in for simplicity when I was presented with a choice of glory.
I need to find ways to get more money.
The parchment did provide a way to start somewhere and Ulman did say Greenshield came under House Oakheart's lands, let's hope the plan comes true and it all works out in the end.
—---
Clearly it didn't.
As I find myself standing in the yard, my scarred body on display and my hand holding the sword with tired ease, as if I had done it all my life.
It did feel weird the first time I tried it on the outskirts.
The sword felt as if it was the part of me, like it was only natural that I was able to wield it.
"Henri Crent of Ramsgate has been charged for pretending the sacred oaths of Knighthood and forgery of the will of a member of House Oakheart, he has invoked trial by combat as it is his right, may the Seven Who Are One witness the trial, may the Father Above to look down on these two men and judge them justly, may the Warrior lend his strength to the man whose cause was just and true and may the Mother show mercy for the liar, that he might be forgiven for his sins."
The septon cried as the people of the keep and town gathered around the yard.
They have come to cheer for the champion of Lady Oakheart, Ser Calen of Silverhill, Master-at-arms.
I heard a multiple of shouts, many in favor of Calen, some were calling for my head and a few even tried to throw rotten apples and such my way.
Lady Oakheart and her heir, Ser Arlyn watched it from the high stance, surrounded by family and loyal members of the house.
"You may yield now!" Calen yelled as his squire tended to his armours, slowly removing it piece by piece. "Save yourself and take the black, serve the Wall."
I chuckled as I looked around the yard, my eyes fixing on a shield by the side.
"I am a knight Ser, just like you." I said as I raised the shield and pointed the sword at him. "And I say the same, you may yield now and save yourself from the humiliation."
"You bastard! You are no knight!" He yelled as he charged forward, in an attempt to end it quickly.
"Let the gods decide that."