Artys Arryn POV
I rolled desperately to the right as Thorin's boot slammed down where my head had been a heartbeat earlier.
My head hurts from the impact.
The human wall of hill tribes' savages still held strong, keeping my men out.
I felt a sudden wave of energy, or it was due to fear of death, but I got up again, picked the sword of a fallen soldier. It was a short sword the Romans used, and I picked up my dagger and positioned myself to fight.
"You still refuse to die, little lord?" Thorin smirked, axe raised high.
"Given up? You bloody savage, even if I were to die here, you think my men would let your people live?" I said as he and I both started slowly walking in a circle.
"You brought your best. They are able to hold off my men for so long," I continued, voice steady despite the pain.
"Yet each one that falls leaves your people more vulnerable. When this is over, who will protect them from my wrath? I will burn and kill every one of your people—even the children."
Thorin's face twisted with rage.
Perfect.
I want him angry. It's better to fight a bull than face a tiger.
"Ahhhh!" he screamed as he rushed towards me and swung his axe at me with full speed.
I ducked under it, my short sword slicing deep across his ribs as I passed. Blood sprayed. He roared and spun, movements slower than before.
I turned around. I need to strike a fatal blow.
"You are slow," I chuckled, my breathing hard, my entire body aching and tired. But I can't rest, not now.
He didn't even respond at all but rushed forward again, his movements slower than earlier.
I blocked his next strike, redirecting it away from me. The normal steel sword groaned and snapped under the force, though the axe swing was redirected by now.
Now is the time.
I drove my dagger into his abdomen and leapt back, barely avoiding a wild punch.
"HAAAA!" he grunted, blood pouring from multiple wounds, yet he still stood.
Then a bloodied spear punched through his chest.
"You coward," Thorin spat, blood bubbling from his mouth as he dropped to his knees. "Can't even face me one on one."
As he fell down on his knees, I could see a small figure beside him, the one who stabbed him in the back in our fight.
Behind him stood Noll, eyes wide, hands shaking on the spear.
MOTHERFUCKER… I love you.
Behind Noll, my men were rushing in as the hill tribes' human shield had been broken and soon the slaughter of the remaining began.
"Gods will punish you for your crimes," Thorin said as he spat blood.
His condition was not good. Heavy injuries all over, old injuries had opened up, the dagger cut on his abdomen, then my sword attacks on the right side of his body, and a bloody spear in his chest.
"Gods?" I picked up a fallen sword and walked toward him, every step painful. "If they cared about you or your people, they wouldn't have sent me."
"Fuck you," he said as he spat and started laughing wildly.
I raised the sword and pushed it right through his heart, finally finishing this war at last.
"I will be waiting for you on the other side," he said before closing his eyes.
What does he mean by that?
Perhaps man's last desperate words, I don't know, but what matters is the battle was over. The nearby hill tribes were almost finished too.
I looked at Noll. He was covered in blood.
"Noll, kneel," I said in a low voice.
"What?" he asked, confused.
"Just do as I say. Kneel on your knee," I ordered him in a low voice. I just need to give him his reward now.
He knelt slowly on one knee. "How old were you again?"
"Ahh... 11. Why?" he said, confused about what was going on.
He doesn't get it, does he? He is going to break the record of being knighted the youngest knight.
It was Daemon Blackfyre and me who were the youngest knights; we were knighted at twelve years of age.
I placed my sword, still covered in blood, on his shoulder and started the ceremony.
"In the name of the Warrior, I charge you to be brave."
"In the name of the Father, I charge you to be just."
"In the name of the Mother, I charge you to defend the young and innocent."
"Arise, Ser Noll, the youngest knight of Westeros ever. The King's Bane, slayer of King Thorin."
"Those are some heavy titles for a boy," I heard Ser Robar Royce from behind.
"The boy has earned it," I said without looking back. "Now get up and give your lord some support."
He rushed forward, supporting me as I could barely stand.
One of the dead savages rose up next to me and tried to attack.
Not again.
But before he could even stand, Kalen came from behind and chopped him in half with his giant sword.
"Dead stay dead," he grunted.
"You sure he is not mentally ill?" Ser Robar joked, only to get a stare from Kalen.
"Ignore him, Kalen. You did a good job today," I said, trying to cool things down.
"We have won," I said, a smile forming on my face.
"Yeah, even though things didn't turn out well, the hill tribes had gotten enough oil to blow up a portion of our wall. I was held up there along with the Moon Knights."
"Where is Ser Lyn?" I asked, noticing him missing.
"He went to chase after those who escaped, my lord. Not all of the hill tribes entered the gate," Lord Grafton and the rest arrived, all badly injured, his breath heavy from exhaustion. There were bruises all over his face too.
"It was my fault," I said quietly, taking the blame. "I grew overconfident. We should have rained arrows first, not charged."
"Not really, who would have thought those savages would have planned so well, blowing up the wall, wearing armor of our own men," Lord Royce tried to correct me.
No, I had everything, yet after enjoying the smooth ride, I let myself be consumed with overconfidence.
This one should have been easy.
We would have butchered these men, but I ordered men to charge when it should have been a rain of arrows on the hill tribes.
Lord Royce started to speak, but I raised my hand. "Everyone did a good fight. Get some rest."
"Lord Royce, see that the wounded get treated. Double the guard for tonight and station at least a hundred men at the broken area of the camp wall. I need to get some rest now."
"Lord Royce, make arrangements to bury all the fallen with respect," I ordered.
"Even the enemy?" he asked in a slow, confused voice.
"Of course not, why the hell would we do that?" Lord Grafton said quietly.
"Yes, even them. Bury them by the old gods' tradition. A few miles north there is a weirwood tree. Bury them there," I said.
"They were our enemies when they were alive. Now they are warriors who fought for their cause. I respect that. Do it," I added.
After this battle I would look evil to all the surviving hill tribes, but if I were to show some honor to the fallen and bury them with their old gods' tradition, those who were going to surrender might not change their minds.
"And I present you the youngest knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Noll," I said a little loudly, gaining the nearby attention.
"You knighted him?" Lord Royce asked, amused by this situation.
"He saved my life and helped in killing Thorin, that king of the hill tribes," I explained.
"All hail the knight of the Vale, Noll the King's Bane," Ser Robar roared while laughing.
This amused the nearby soldiers.
"My lord—" Lord Royce tried to speak.
"Not now, Lord Royce," I dismissed him as I, supported by Noll, slowly started walking towards the tent.
I don't want to have a back-and-forth argument in the middle of the battlefield with him about me knighting Noll.
Suddenly, an armored figure lunged from the crowd toward me.
A dagger flashed in his right hand—
and before I could react, he drove it into my stomach.
Pain exploded through my body.
I looked down.
The blade was buried deep, just beside my navel.
"Long live the king!" the attacker screamed.
I looked at the attacker. He was young, maybe sixteen or seventeen.
This was what I was worried about—those savages mixing up with my own. Now I finally understand Thorin's last words.
Was this their whole plan? That's why they came wearing the armor of my men.
Soon my vision faded as I fell down hard on the ground.
"Seize this man!" someone shouted in the back.
"CALL THE HEALERS!"
I heard Lord Royce shout.
So this is how I die,
My vision blurry as i lost consciousness.
"Actions have consequences. Your arrogance had gotten out of hand, so I have decided to take back a portion of what was granted to you. After all, this world is brutal, and making you so powerful has ruined the fun of it."
I heard the celestial voice in my head.
POV ends.