บท 41: Home sweet home
Home sweet home
Theon POV
I liked the feeling of the wind touching my skin. Now I understand why people enjoy sailing so much. Standing on the lookout post on top of the sail and letting the wind push through me felt like I was flying. If I am not careful, I might get addicted to it. Too bad the ship was taking me to my father's castle.
A huge part of me wants to sail south and then to the east, but every time I see the urn with my friend's ashes, I feel unimaginable anger and want nothing but the blood of the Lannisters. As long as I don't avenge Jalabhar, I could never be free.
"My lord, the captain is calling you," My newest companion informed me. I wanted to push him overboard sometimes. But I thought he could be helpful if I satisfied his desire for gold.
"I am coming," I said and climbed to the deck.
"How is your leg?" Bronn asked.
"Good enough to kick you," I replied.
"Don't kick me too hard. I have to be able to rule a castle that you will give me."
"Have you thought of which castle you want?"
"Casterly Rock would be nice," I didn't know if Bronn was a fool or just too opportunistic.
"Casterly Rock?" Anguy asked, coming to us. "You think you can take care of it? Don't fool yourself. Someone who can't even write or read will never be able to take care of a big castle like Casterly Rock."
"And what do you know of it?"
"He knows more than you, Bronn," I said. "I have been teaching him about ruling for some time right now. That reminds me, how many are left?"
"Seven hundred and thirty-eight."
"What does that number mean?" Bronn asked.
"It is the number of people he has to kill before he gets his castle," I replied.
"Theon, a captain, is looking for you," Thoros shouted.
The captain seemed impatient, so I left Bronn and Anguy and went to the captain. As I walked through the deck, I heard seagulls in the distance. It only meant that we were close to land. Close to my home of salt and iron.
"There you are, Theon. We are about to arrive at Pyke."
"And? Why have you called me?"
"I thought you might want to sail past your father's castle."
"Why would I want something like this? Get us to the port. Don't you know how dangerous the waters are around Pyke?"
"As you wish, my lord."
I was getting tired of the captain trying to lick my boots. He thought if he could get to my good side, he would be able to live a life of fame and riches. I didn't care what he thought, but if he wanted to get on my good side, he needed to show me that he was capable of standing next to me.
"Thoros," I called the red priest and handed him all my gold to him. "Take the gold and buy some supplies. It is better that you stay on the ship, however. I don't think many will like you much after what you did at the Greyjoy rebellion."
"Aye, I understand. I will have Anguy do most of the work and watch Bronn."
"You don't have to worry much about him."
"There is no way one man could have injured you so severely, Theon. I do not trust him, no matter what deal you have with him."
"Do as you wish."
"There are quite a lot of ships at the port," The captain observed. "It is as you have said, my lord."
Indeed the port was full of longships with all kinds of banners flying on their sails. I should put on my armor and sword. I have to look my best if I meet any of the lords of the Iron Islands. Maybe it was good that my armor was worn out. It will look like I was through many battles. Well, it is not a lie.
…
When the ship landed at Lordsport, I left the cabin. As the captain shouted out my arrival, dozen well-armored and armed soldiers came and made a path. I got out of the ship, and with each step on Lordsport, I could hear more and more murmurs among people around. I could only understand a few words, like undying and black.
"Are you my honor guards?" I asked one soldier, who nodded. "Bring me a horse."
"Don't worry about it, brother."
"Asha?" I looked at a young woman with short black hair. "Nah, it can't be. My sister is full of pimples. How can such a beautiful and fierce woman be my sister? I am not that lucky."
"I don't know if I should punch you or hug you," Asha laughed and hugged me, then he punched me in the face. "Yes, it is better to do both."
"If you are done, your father is waiting," A man with a beard to his waist said.
"Is that you, uncle Aeron? It would be best if you cut your beard. I could barely recognize you. It is longer than most women's hair."
"Come, there is no time to waste," My uncle replied impatiently.
"So cold," I laughed. "Tell me why there are so many ships here?"
"Ever since the rumors started to spread about you in the Iron Islands, the lords became restless and pleaded with our father to sail to and reave the Greenlanders," Asha explained.
"What kind of rumors?" I asked, noticing a few of the soldiers following us flinch. "How gallant and brave I am, I hope."
"More along the lines of how you gouge people's eyes and eat them in front of them," Asha replied.
"Well, at least it is only half false," I said.
"Wish half?" One soldier asked, trying to sound brave.
"Who knows?" I laughed. "But I will say eyes are a great source of nutrition. So, what is our father's decision about reaving?"
"It is to be kept a secret," My uncle replied.
"As the heir, I have the right to know," I demanded and saw as both Asha and Aeron got silent for a moment.
"Do you believe in the wolf gods as the Starks do, Theon?" Abruptly Aeron asked.
"Wolf gods? If there were these kinds of gods, I might worship them. Too bad the Stark believes in the Old Gods, uncle."
"Wolf, old, or tree gods are all the same."
"No, they not," I said. "You know nothing, uncle."
"Kneel," Suddenly, Aeron commanded.
"What?" I asked.
"Kneel."
I listened to him, came in front of Aeron, and knelt beside him. The ground was mud and stones. I bowed my head to him as Aeron took his skin and pulled the cork, and directed a thin stream of seawater down upon my head. I could taste seawater as it drenched me, and some of the water fell on my lips.
"Let Theon, your servant, be born again from the sea, as you were," Aeron Greyjoy intoned. "Bless him with salt, bless him with stone, bless him with steel. Nephew, do you still know the words?"
"What is dead may never die," I said.
"What is dead may never die," his uncle echoed, "but rises again, harder and stronger. Stand."
I stood up. Asha looked apologetic and offered a cloth to clean the seawater off my face. The soldiers looked awkwardly at us. My uncle wordlessly corked the waterskin as he looked at me. I stepped toward him and then grasped his neck with my hands.
"Don't think that you can order me around, uncle. This time I listened out of respect for the Drown God. As you are of my blood, I won't kill you next time, but I will break your arms and legs," I said and then pushed him to the ground. "Don't look at me like this, sister. You may be the heir to my father now, but I killed too many and lost too much to be ordered around by people who can only talk but are incapable of doing even half of what I have done."
"Brother,"
"I know why ships are gathered there," I interrupted my sister. "It can be only one of two reasons, and if the reason is to sail to the North, then I expected too much of you all."
We rode in silence the rest of the way, and before we reached Pyke, Aaron left somewhere. Asha led me through Pyke to my room, where I put down my longbow, arrows, and sword, but I kept my Valyrian steel dagger.
"Let's go," I said to Asha. "Our father is waiting."
"He is waiting for you, not me."
"Then see you."
Asha left me alone, and I ordered one of the servants to lead me to my father. On the way, I looked at the old stone walls. Pyke was the poorest castle I have seen. It was dark and damp. It wasn't healthy to live there. The servant left once we arrived at the doors to the Great Hall. Seeing me, the guards opened the doors and let me in.
"Nine years, is it?" The lord of Pyke asked. He was so thin that only his skin, bones, and hair were left to him.
"Ten," I said. "It seems you have forgotten, as you have forgotten to write to me for years. Is your health declining, lord father?"
"A boy they took from me," My father dismissed my words. "What are you now?"
"A knight, it seems, knighted by a lady without mention of the Seven."
"I have heard. You say it has been ten years, so the Stark had you as long as I. And now you came as his envoy."
"Lord Eddard Stark is dead, killed by the Kingslayer."
"Both are dead now. Stark and that Robert who broke my walls with his stones. I vowed I'd live to see them both in their graves, and I have." He grimaced. "Yet the cold and the damp still make my joints ache, as when they were alive. So, what does it serve?"
"It serves the Lannisters. Now they enjoy sitting on the Iron Throne."
"Good."
"What?" I asked, surprised.
"We soon join our families with them. It is good that they are in power."
"Please repeat it. I think I misheard you, lord father."
"You are to wed Cercei Lannister. In return, your actions towards them will be forgiven."
I laughed.
"What is so funny?"
"After ten years, your son returns with victories that every ironborn would be proud of, and you will wed him to some old lady. It is the funniest joke I heard in a long time," I said. "Now you tell me to attack the North with my sister and uncle Victorian."
"It is not a joke, Theon. Your ship is already made. Two hundred oars it has, specially made for you. You take two dozen more ships and take the North along with your sister's and uncle's fleets."
"Did you expect me to accept it?"
"I am your father and lord. You will listen to me. Or you are no son to me."
"Tywin fucking Lannister stood before me and told me what to do. Do you know what I said to him?" I asked, getting close to my father. "I said I will kill him as well as every lord and knight of the Westerlands, and that is what I will do, with your help or without."
"You refuse me, your father?"
"Eddard Stark was more a father than you will even be able to be. Robb Stark is more of a brother to me than any of my siblings could have been. I will not betray them for your foolish ambitions."
"Guards," Lord of the Pyke yelled, and four men came to the Great Hall. "Seize him and lock him in his room."
"Heh," I laughed as I looked at these men. "I could kill you all with my bare hands. Don't look at me like that. I might like your eyes too much and will take them to watch them before I go to sleep."
"What are you doing? Seize him," My father said to his shivering men.
"Don't be afraid," I said to the men. "I will go willingly, but before I go, I will warn you, father, put those foolish ambitions to rest before it is too late."
With these words, I left with the guards to my room, where I was locked. I will let him do as he wishes. I will use my father's foolish decisions against him to put a crown on my head. Let him dream for a bit, but I will not let him enjoy it for long. Well, it went better than I should have expected. After all, this is my home, so a sweet welcome should have been expected.
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