Post by Shireen Baratheon on Sept 19, 2012 14:03:24 GMT -5
The few days journey that it took the carriage to go through the Rain Wood and over the little hills throughout had been trying. It had been a tad cramped in the carriage but at least the Priest hadn’t been too adamant about dragging her to do praises because when he’d tried to take her hands to recite the words Patches went into fits. Those times she loved the dear mad fool even more. Though after nearly three full days cooped up in the carriage they came to Rain House, first the Priest got out, followed by Patches and then herself. Her dress was a bit wrinkled and she was more than grateful for the time to stretch her legs. She knew they’d be given the day here to rest and relax before they’d be boarding the ship headed up for Eastwatch.
So now with the smell of salt on the air blue eyes glanced about at the landscape, taking it in. The Rain Wood lay behind them and before her was the castle of Rain House itself. Its bricks were a dark gray and in the distance one could hear the crashing of the waves. As she moved slowly with Patches along the path she could see the waters of Cape Wrath glittering in the mid-morning sunlight; another breeze sending her hair across her face, which she didn’t bother to brush away. Oh she wished they would have had a bit more time here but now wasn’t the time for a young girl’s wishful thinking. Some things must be put aside for the greater good. You must focus on the task at hand. She told herself and let her eyes slant from the glittering water and back to the castle itself. It wasn’t as grand as the one on Dragonstone, but she was perhaps a little biased to it having grown up there; her whole life spent entirely in those walls.
But now the servants came out to greet them and she let a smile touch her lips. With the various ‘M’Lady’s’ that came in a flurry it was a little strange. The only thing that didn’t make it daunting was the fact that some of them were staring. She knew at what of course, the Greyscale. Before them she had to be strong. She had long accepted that her sickness as a child had set her apart. That she was not as beautiful as other women may be was a simple fact. That weighed her heart down a little but the soft tenderness didn’t leave her eyes as she spoke to them. ”Greetings to you all. Please, please you don’t have to fuss so much. If you’d just be so kind as to show us to our rooms so we may freshen up a bit and then perhaps some drink.”
Patches eyes lit up at the idea of wine. That helped to chase away the bit of clouds that had settled over Shireen’s gentle and happy nature for now. ”But of course Princess! Follow me please.” Said a stout woman with a round face, dark brown eyes and brown hair that had streaks of gray through it all curled up in a bun atop her head. ”M’name’s Hesika. I’ll be tending to your Highness while she’s here and goin’ with her on her journey ‘board Dragon’s Tooth.” She said as she turned and lead the little group into the castle now. It wasn’t elaborate or overly lavish, but it was a Lord’s house, there were many finer things here than many peasants had.
She followed the older woman, her attention caught even more as the last two words came out of her mouth. ”Dragon’s Tooth?” Hesika didn’t look back to her, just made her way to the stairs and began up them. She seemed spry for a large woman, perhaps testament that it was foul to judge a book by its cover. ”Aye, Miss. Fastest ship Lord Wylde has…” She gave a shrug of her shoulders, “…an’ I be supposin’ King Stannis, I should say. He bein’ the King an’ all.”
How strange. A thoughtful look crossed her face as Patches had muttered something about dragons a few days ago but she couldn’t fully recall. It had been one of the dark things, one of the things that she guessed came from deep within his madness and she could only remember it had scared her and she’d had to shush him by putting a hand over his mouth. ”Ah! Here we are!” The old woman’s voice drew her from her thoughts and she gave her a polite smile and a curtsy. ”Thank you Hesika. I look forward to your company on our journey.” As she moved into the room and began to shut the door, she spied Hesika look at Patches and swat his chest. ”Alright, come along you, show you where you can get spiffed up.”
The day before had passed without much incident. For most part it had just been the need to be courtly and courteous to her gracious hosts. Even if Lord Wylde was not present at his house currently she gave her thanks to his kin instead. The dawn found her dressed in a simple cotton dress, a muted gray in hue, under a navy hued woolen one that had the sides cut out to show the cotton dress below. The woolen dress also came up and about her neck, hiding some of the Greyscale there. Even still what was on her cheek and bit of her neck that could be seen was eyed by the crew warily as they glanced at the young woman standing on the dock.
Dragon’s Tooth was large ship measuring a good thirty foot long, twelve foot across and good nine foot down into her hold that was below water, another good eight or above the water. She was a real beauty, made of the trees from the Rain Wood; strong timbers, a rich brown in hue. It’s mast was tall and her sails were ivory white, at the helm of the ship was a massive dragon’s head, open and roaring. Shireen supposed that was where the ship got its name from. ”Come now Princess, we shouldn’t dwaddle. The Cap’n wouldn’t like tha’.” Hesika’s voice pulled the young Baratheon from her thoughts as she turned herself to the woman. She gave her a faint smile and the slightest bit of a nod she could manage before following the older woman up the plank and onto the ship.
The first days aboard Dragon’s Tooth had been mostly uneventful. Unless of course you had to count for her needing to get used to the motion of the boat itself on the waves. She was far from an avid sailor but at least she didn’t take ill as Hesika had mentioned to her. She said a prayer of thanks to the Seven for that. She found that she missed the land being here on the boat. She felt detached, alone, without the grass under her feet and between her toes. Not to mention the only animals you really saw were passing birds and they were never guaranteed either.
Perhaps the one thing she did enjoy, that she shouldn’t have, was the fact that the men of the boat had threatened to toss the Red Priest overboard if he kept trying to show them the error of their ways. Oh she’d had to fight the smile at that but she was sure Hesika had caught the somewhat smile that had touched her lips a moment before she’d managed to correct it. Regardless the old woman said naught to her for it, something Shireen was grateful for, not wishing to explain herself or have to find some kind of delicately worded truth.
Several more days passed and the days and nights grew colder, bringing need for an extra layer. At least for her, not quite used to the chill that came from the North as now the ship was in the Shivering Sea and rolling closer to Widow’s Watch. It had been eight days now. Eight days on the ship and she longed for the shore she saw in the distance. Longed to ask the Captain to make port if just for a few hours so she could be on solid ground, know there was earth beneath her feet, but that was a selfish and would put them off course and delay them. That would not do.
Instead she found herself up on the deck of the ship, furs wrapped about her as blue eyes gazed at the shore longingly. She felt lost on the ship, out of place. The wind blew long dark hair about her shoulders and sent a chill where through where the furs were parted just slightly. It made her shiver again. They still had several more days until their arrival from what she’d heard. But it wouldn’t get here fast enough for her. Not fast enough. The sun was setting and had already turned the sky a dark orange mottled with pink and purple hues. It was pretty but she’d probably like it more if she hadn’t been rocking to and fro.
By the twelfth day they had finally entered the Bay of Seals. So close to their destination and the icy shore loomed not too far off. The waters in the bay were calm; Shireen found these waters much more tolerable than the open sea. Just a days’ time at most and they would reach Eastwatch. The thought of being on firm ground again delighted the Princess. It wouldn’t come soon enough for her liking. Though around mid-day it began to snow, covering the landscape anew as well as dampening the deck and railings of Dragon’s Tooth, threatening to turn her icy. The crew however were used to trips to the cold North, not to mention other various ports and cleaned her up good.
By dawn the next morning she was woke by Hesika and began to freshen herself by washing her face with the water provided to her. Then she spent time getting dressing in a simple white cotton dress, topped by a dark gray woolen one, over that she wore the simple furs she’d been given soon as the weather had changed. A brownish-gray hued, cloak that hung down to her feet and drug against the ground slightly, lastly on her feet were socks and a pair of furred boots to keep her feet warm. The clasp holding her cloak about her shoulders however was a stag, signifying she was a Baratheon. Her hair pulled back into a loose braid and a thin circlet adorned her head as she moved from her cabin.
The biting cold air of the North greeted her as she stepped onto the deck and she sucked in a little breath. She waited in place a moment, the circlet resting against her forehead felt suddenly like ice against her skin but of course one must be presented a certain way when you had duties, no? As she strode forward onto the deck she made sure to be mindful to cross it in a timely fashion. Not wanting to be in the way of the crew. That and she wanted to see Eastwatch as they came up to her. Blue eyes took in the black stones of the castle itself and the Wall itself that lay beyond it. It stretched up so high and she found she wished she could lift her head as they got closer and closer. She heard those on the docks now calling out to the crew but she wasn’t paying attention to them now. She was simply soaking in the snow covered land, the trees, the smoke coming up from what had to be kitchens and hearths inside the castle.
”Come M’lady. “ Hesika waved a hand at her now. ”Come, let’s not dawdle. They’ll be sending someone to bring you in.” The old woman nodded and put a hand against the Princess’ back and ushered her along the deck again. She stood there, waiting for the plank to be put in place and she could feel a deep anticipation building inside her, a smile touching her lips lightly, her feet almost tingling from the fact that soon she’d be on solid ground again. Clank, clank, came the noise as the boards were lowered into place and she was gestured that she could go on. Onto the planks she went with eager steps, another chill wind sweeping past her and sending bits of already fallen snow into the air. Hesika and Patches already following her down the plank.
Once off the plank and onto the dock itself it was a semi-odd sensation. Like someone had just taken hold of her to steady her. It was welcome. She had so missed this steadiness that the land offered. She moved down the dock a bit before stepping off to the side to wait for the escort that was to come as she watched the crew begin to unload supplies that had been brought with them for the Nights Watch. [/ul]
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