The Deep Den

[Deleted]

"You must tell him everything," Aranya said firmly, staring at him like he was mad. "Why wouldn't you?"

[Bunny-Rabbit]

Cedric stared at her, "Perhaps it is best that the Hand not know I am being offered the whole Kingdom for betrayal." He smiled weakly, "But I think you are right, we should tell all."

[Deleted]

"Cedric, if you tell him what you were offered, and he knows you resisted, he will only have further proof of your loyalty." She gave him a hard stare. "Right, dear?"

[Bunny-Rabbit]

Cedric leans in and kisses her, "I have to admit, I would rather take the offer then die in this Den."

[Deleted]

Aranya was silent for a moment, then stroked his cheek. "I would not let you," she said, in a quiet, gentle voice.

[Bunny-Rabbit]

Cedric raised an eyebrow, "And why not my wife? What do you have against our continued survival."

[Deleted]

"Look," Aranya said, in the same gentle tone. "These invaders might have an army behind them, but they cannot keep you on a throne. They are foreigners here. Unless they destroy the Westerosi people, take their castles, and live here in their stead, they can never fully subdue these Kingdoms. I say, we stall and buy time until we can find a way to navigate this safely, without betraying the King."

[Bunny-Rabbit]

"I agree, which is why I am back in this keep. But I would still roll my dice with the bad men, before accepting our pointless deaths in this keep." Cedric replied, "I thought about offering myself as an envoy but I do not want to look a coward." He reached out and squeezed her shoulders.

[Deleted]

"It's a good idea," Aranya said slowly. "A wise one, not a cowardly one. You are not a coward, Ced. I know that." She looked at him. "Try it. I do not intend to die here either. I have too much to live for."

[Bunny-Rabbit]

"I know it too, my dear." Cedric replied, "But everyone else will think I jumped, like a rat from a sinking ship. So unless I am ordered to, I can not."

[Deleted]

Aranya paced, thinking. Reinforcements would never reach them in time, if they fought now. Later, the tide would turn. Westeros was too large and powerful to be utterly subdued by even such a large army of invaders. But before that day of victory came, Deep Den would long have fallen, with its defenders dead.

Aranya did not want to die here. She had another war to fight, and it would come within her lifetime, if she could survive this.

She had her children to protect. Her brother. Her husband. Hawkeye was watching her from his corner, eyes following her every step. Good old faithful Hawkeye. She wondered...

Cedric was waiting for her response. "Could we infiltrate their army? Should I try to possess their animals, or enter their soldiers' minds and disturb them? Cause discord within their ranks?"

[Bunny-Rabbit]

Cedric studied her, "I doubt that would do anything of value. We can not infiltrate their army with any number that would harm them." He paused thoughtfully, "I do not know your abilities with warging, but can you affect enough people to stop an attack. I some how doubt it."

[Deleted]

"I need to find their generals," Aranya said, still staring at the fawn wolfhound. "What language to these people speak? I travelled as far as Yi Ti when I was a girl. Where are they from?"

[Bunny-Rabbit]

"There language was unfamiliar to me, love. I have not heard it before." Cedric licked his lips, "They came from the West, not the East."

[Deleted]

"Ah, of course," Aranya said. "Nobody has ventured far west beyond this land," she still stared at the hound. "All right. I will slip into a creature in their camp, preferably something small like a rat, and watch and see what I can learn. I could not infiltrate them myself, not without knowing their language and culture. I can play a man passably well, but not one of their men."