Post by wookie on Mar 19, 2008 9:08:03 GMT -5
Benfry and the young child emerged blinking into the sunlight.
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The rats seemed sleek and well fed, Benfry wondered if they would feast on his bones too. He sat on mildew-damp straw, still clad in the clothes of the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. A gaping and bloodied slash in the tunic showed where Dawn had entered his ribs and out his back, but the maesters had done their job well. The wound ached but he doubted it would fester before the hangman's noose did it's work.
He had been left rotting in the Black Cells for the last day or so, at least he assumed so - it was hard to mark the passage of time except by the water and gruel left for him by the jailors.
When Ser Vikary had opened the cell door, Benfry had expected the end to come swiftly. Instead, a young boy had poked his head in the cell and motioned him to exit.
Benfry had clambered to his feet and found to his astonishment that the guards outside had been killed, by Vikary himself, who stood with an unreadable face as he watched Benfry warily
He studied the man anew, not knowing him at all it seemed. "I do not know the reasons for your aid Ser Vikary. A good deed does not expunge the bad" he paused briefly "But it does begin to make amends - I hope we shall have the opportunity to speak again but if you stand between me and usurper once more I will do my utmost to strike you down. Dawn is a blade from the age of legends but legends have died wielding it before"
He frowned, realising how ungrateful he sounded "Again, I thank you" he nodded his head.
"We don't have time for this!" the boy snarled as he dragged him away down the corridor.
Benfry stared at the former member of the Kingsguard as he stood by the cell door until they rounded a corner and passed from sight.
Benfry followed the young man in a haze, still wondering if this was some dream of sorts. He recognised the boy now, he had appeared with Lord Varner when he had spoken to him in the Regents chamber "Was that only a few days ago?" he wondered "Seems like another life"
He followed the boy placidly enough, he was in little condition to put up much of a fight if they ran into trouble and if this was some sort of trap it was better than dying in some dank hole.
They came to an end in the corridor, a dead end it seemed, at least until the lad twisted a torch fitting to one side and a grinding noise of stone on stone was heard and a section of wall fell away to reveal a musty old passage. The entered, and the youth twisted a lever on the other side to seal the section, leaving the area totally black. After a few moments, the boy fumbled his way to Benfry's hand and dragged him onward as he stumbled on behind.
After what seemed an age, they came to a better lit area and Benfry was able to feel earth and wood rather than stone surrounding him. Again, a steel lever was at the corridor's end but this time it was a wooden section which moved as the counterweight fell. They both staggered out, blinking as their eyes watered in the sunlight.
"Well, where now big man?" the boy said to him in a weary tone
///////////////////////
The rats seemed sleek and well fed, Benfry wondered if they would feast on his bones too. He sat on mildew-damp straw, still clad in the clothes of the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. A gaping and bloodied slash in the tunic showed where Dawn had entered his ribs and out his back, but the maesters had done their job well. The wound ached but he doubted it would fester before the hangman's noose did it's work.
He had been left rotting in the Black Cells for the last day or so, at least he assumed so - it was hard to mark the passage of time except by the water and gruel left for him by the jailors.
When Ser Vikary had opened the cell door, Benfry had expected the end to come swiftly. Instead, a young boy had poked his head in the cell and motioned him to exit.
Benfry had clambered to his feet and found to his astonishment that the guards outside had been killed, by Vikary himself, who stood with an unreadable face as he watched Benfry warily
He studied the man anew, not knowing him at all it seemed. "I do not know the reasons for your aid Ser Vikary. A good deed does not expunge the bad" he paused briefly "But it does begin to make amends - I hope we shall have the opportunity to speak again but if you stand between me and usurper once more I will do my utmost to strike you down. Dawn is a blade from the age of legends but legends have died wielding it before"
He frowned, realising how ungrateful he sounded "Again, I thank you" he nodded his head.
"We don't have time for this!" the boy snarled as he dragged him away down the corridor.
Benfry stared at the former member of the Kingsguard as he stood by the cell door until they rounded a corner and passed from sight.
Benfry followed the young man in a haze, still wondering if this was some dream of sorts. He recognised the boy now, he had appeared with Lord Varner when he had spoken to him in the Regents chamber "Was that only a few days ago?" he wondered "Seems like another life"
He followed the boy placidly enough, he was in little condition to put up much of a fight if they ran into trouble and if this was some sort of trap it was better than dying in some dank hole.
They came to an end in the corridor, a dead end it seemed, at least until the lad twisted a torch fitting to one side and a grinding noise of stone on stone was heard and a section of wall fell away to reveal a musty old passage. The entered, and the youth twisted a lever on the other side to seal the section, leaving the area totally black. After a few moments, the boy fumbled his way to Benfry's hand and dragged him onward as he stumbled on behind.
After what seemed an age, they came to a better lit area and Benfry was able to feel earth and wood rather than stone surrounding him. Again, a steel lever was at the corridor's end but this time it was a wooden section which moved as the counterweight fell. They both staggered out, blinking as their eyes watered in the sunlight.
"Well, where now big man?" the boy said to him in a weary tone
Hope you all are well and happy.