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Post by Sam on Jul 7, 2008 7:48:05 GMT -5
Two ships are immediately manned and put to sea, and approach the burning vessel cautiously.
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Post by The Stranger on Jul 7, 2008 10:30:55 GMT -5
The men approach carefully, until they see a tattered royal standard of King Callen, hanging limply from the ships rear.
The vessel shows obvious signs of having been attacked. Arrows litter the railing, and blood is awash on the deck. Upon boarding however, the men can find only one body, that of a man in armor, obviously of knightly rank. Lifting up his helm, the men find he is still alive, although unconscious.
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Post by Sam on Jul 7, 2008 11:15:21 GMT -5
The injured officer is carefully brought aboard the larger of the two ships, and the ship's maester begins to tend to his wounds. After finding no other bodies, the two ships turn and begin to make their way back to Faircastle's harbor, wary of the suspicious circumstances around them.
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Post by The Stranger on Jul 7, 2008 12:13:25 GMT -5
The damaged ship eventually flounders and sinks.
The maester tends to the wounded man, all the while muttering and shaking his head.
"His wounds are mortal, of that there can be no doubt. He was cut very deeply with a sharp slashing weapon from shoulder to him. Its a miracle he lasted as long as he did."
The man's eyes opened.
"Please... Someone must warn the King... they are coming..."
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Post by Sam on Jul 7, 2008 12:45:08 GMT -5
The ship's captain, a grizzled old sailor who had served the Lord of Faircastle for nearly half a century stood above the wounded man that the maester was working on. "Who is coming, the Ironborn? From where? The King will be warned, but we must know more. Who attacked your ship?"
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Post by The Stranger on Jul 7, 2008 13:08:16 GMT -5
"Not, the Iron... We... we were sent by King Callen to find lands... in the West... We found... terrible, terrible lands, and... by the seven it hurts... we fled, they pursued us... They are coming..."
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Post by Sam on Jul 7, 2008 18:44:29 GMT -5
"Sent by Callen?" the captain asked in disbelief. King Callen had been dead for a decade. His instincts said that this man was suffering delusions, but it was not up to him to make such calls. His voice softened slightly as he spoke again. "Who pursued you, Ser? What manner of men attacked your ship so fiercely?"
The spires of Faircastle were growing closer, but the ship was still an hour offshore and the captain was worried this wounded man would die before they reached the harbor. Perhaps once they made berth, the castle's maester would be able to do more for him than the ship's healer.
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Post by The Stranger on Jul 8, 2008 20:51:47 GMT -5
The man coughed heavily, blood spluttering up through his teeth and dripping down their chin.
"Evil, vile men, with pale tallow skin..." The man coughed, and he closed his eyes.
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Post by Sam on Jul 8, 2008 21:03:39 GMT -5
The ship soon reached the dock, and the injured man was moved to a stretcher to be taken up to the castle. The captain feared that he had died, but the man's chest still rose and fell, albeit barely. The ship's maester accompanied the stretcher as it was carried, as carefully as possible, up to the castle from the harbor, although with each jostle the captain feared the knight's tenuous hold on life would slip away completely. He was already mentally composing the letter that he would send to the young Lord Duncan in the capital, though he wished he had more information to relay. "Ser," he said to the wounded knight whose eyes were still closed. "Can you tell us nothing more about these men? If we are to prepare for an invasion, we must know more of the enemy."
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Post by The Stranger on Jul 8, 2008 21:07:30 GMT -5
But the man did not answer.
" I fear Milord," said the Maester, "That he has slipped into a coma. I do not expect him to survive."
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Post by Sam on Jul 8, 2008 21:09:17 GMT -5
The captain nodded, and said nothing. When the party reached the castle, he immediately went to ser Addam's solar to make his report, and to pen a letter to Lord Farman.
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