บท 30: Red
Red
Theon POV
I couldn't stop laughing at the sight of the field outside of the walls, burning. The wooden structures left behind by broken siege engines made great bonfires. The dead bodies from a long day of fighting made great fuel. Clothes, wooden shields, and grass burned well. Everything burned so well that I laughed at it.
Lord Blackwood, who was closest to me, stepped away from me. Others looked at me as if I was a madman. But it was only natural for me to laugh. I won once again. I defeated Tywin Lannister. I can still remember how terrified of this world I was when I came into it. Now I am on top of this world.
I saw silhouettes of men and horses at the edge of the fire. They backed off, fearing being burned. For the first time, I was not afraid. I was feared. I laughed at the Lannister men; they amount to nothing for all their pride and arrogance.
Yet the gods were not on my side. My laughter stopped as the rain started to fall. As the rain fell on me, I realized it was not the men I should have feared but the gods all along. The rain, with each minute, became stronger and stronger.
"Fuck," I cursed.
"Theon," Jalabhar came to me. "This is bad. The fire will stop in minutes if the rain doesn't stop."
"Prepare for a battle," I said to him. "It will be a long night."
"Arrows, bring more arrows to the walls," Lord Blackwood yelled orders. "Theon, we don't have any logs or barrels left."
"Lord Blackwood, Lord Darry, take fifty men each and protect the right and left sides. I will cover the center. It is too dark. I don't think they will bring siege towers or battering rams. Be prepared for ladders."
It took no longer than half an hour for the fire to be extinguished. The darkness descended upon us again, and nothing could be seen beyond the walls of Golden Tooth. It was hard to hear anything apart from the rain hitting the stone walls.
There was no way that Tywin wouldn't send another wave of men to attack us. I could only hope that they feared me more than they hated me. I ordered the men to shoot the volleys of arrows into the dark, yet it was impossible to know if we hit anything. But I realized something.
My men were tired. I now knew why Tywin sent men each day since the siege began. He wanted to exhaust us, even if it cost him hundreds of men. He has been preparing for today ever since he came there. After a long day of fighting, the fatigue caught up to my men.
The sound of the ladders hitting the stone wall announced their arrival. I dropped my longbow and drew my bastard sword. I cut my hand with the sword and set the blood flowing along the sword alight. I ran to the first sight of men climbing the walls. And so, the battle began in the middle of the night.
Pushing one ladder off the walls, I ran to another one. But I was already late, as three men were on the walls, trying to secure their position. I stabbed first through his neck. Blocking the second sword, I pushed him to the edge of the wall before kicking him off the wall. The third died from an arrow to his neck.
Jalabhar was in the tower watching over me. I trusted him to cover my back and pushed forward without hesitation. Whoever got on the walls was soon killed or pushed off. The rain never stopped, and the stone walls soon became slippery. I used it to my advantage, tackling or pushing Lannister men to their deaths.
Still, as time passed, it became harder to hold the walls. More and more men died as they got more tired. I fought with everything I had, cutting one's head, gripping another by his neck, and throwing him off the wall. With every man killed, two more would come.
I didn't know how much time had passed. The rain never stopped, and I could not see the sunrise coming. It didn't matter, as sunlight would only help them more than us. Soon enough, I realized that only a few of us were left defending the center.
My men gathered around me as we retreated to the tower one step at a time. Jalabhar and a few others shot down the men on the walls, but there were too many. I knew we could not hold the walls any longer. I could see that Lord Blackwood and Lord Darry were pushed back.
"To the keep," I yelled.
I didn't know how many heard my shout. There was too much shouting, too many swords clashing. Yet, I had to believe. I stayed and blocked the pathway to the tower as the men behind me retreated. I didn't budge no matter how many times I was cut. I trusted my armor to protect me from fatal cuts and anything else I didn't need to worry about.
My fire sword blocked the entrance. No matter how much they hated me, I could see fear in their eyes. I stood firm while they walked to me with hesitation. They stabbed their swords at me, and I stabbed my own at them. Those who pushed forward became piles of corpses in front of me.
We stood at a standstill like this for what looked like hours. Yet, I had no choice but to step backward at some point. There were just too many. Two swords aiming for my neck became four, and then eight. Yet it was a mace that knocked me back.
Knowing this was over, I ran down the stairs to the courtyard. Seeing that people were still getting inside the keep, I turned again and blocked the path out of the tower. Yet I failed to realize that men were getting down from other towers. Soon enough, I was surrounded.
Their small victory didn't last long, as I didn't give up. Five came at me. I caught one's sword with my hand. Another's with my sword. I kicked away the third and let the fourth cut me in the arm. It was a shallow cut. He paid for it with his life when I freed my sword and cut his head off his shoulders.
The fifth man didn't even manage to do anything as the spear pierced him. Soon enough, I cut another three down and went to Jalabhar, who was fighting with a spear. We were going to be quickly overrun, so we retreated to the keep.
No words were exchanged as I moved before him and cleared the way. I didn't try to kill them, only pushing them out of the way. When the path was secured, I turned back and fended off those who wanted to catch up to us. I managed to kill only two before a mace knocked me to the ground.
My vision spun around, and blood started to get into my eyes. I could barely see as Jalabhar dragged me to the keep. I quickly dropped my helm and wiped my eyes, only to see a sword piercing Jalabhar's chest. Then I only saw red.
While grabbing Jalabhar, I killed the men near us. I swung my sword with all strength I had. With one hand, I dragged Jalabhar to the keep; with another, I kept the Lannister men away from me. I only saw red blood and the red of my fire sword.
"Theon," I heard Jalabhar's low voice.
"Don't speak. You will be fine," I replied after cutting down another man. "You hear me, don't dare to die on me. I promised to bring you back home. Are you going to say I am a liar?"
"Theon," I heard Jalabhar coughing blood.
"I said, don't speak, don't waste your energy."
"My home."
"I will bring you to your home. I have promised you."
"My home was always in my heart, Theon."
I carved my way to the keep, not caring about receiving cuts onto myself. Those who stood before me soon find themselves on the ground. When I entered the keep, the doors were closed shut. Someone brought tables and chairs and barricaded the door.
"Call the Maester," I yelled.
"Theon," Thoros was first to come to me.
"Jalabhar is injured. Call the Maester."
"Theon," Thoros held my shoulders. "He is dead."
I still only saw red. When I turned to Jalabhar, I saw his bloody body. He wasn't breathing. I should not feel pain, yet I felt like thousands of blades were cutting my heart to pieces. It was hard to breathe.
"Bring him back. Bring him back, Thoros," I ordered the red priest.
"Theon, calm yourself. You are losing too much blood."
"Please, bring him back," I begged him.
Lord Blackwood took me with his blooded hands and forced me to sit down. Maester and Anguy took off my armor. I saw Thoros pray and then give the last kiss to Jalabhar. I didn't see him get up. Still, I watched him, no matter what everyone else was saying or doing to me. Yet, all I could see was red.
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