Starfall

[theswede]

Starfall is a great castle on the shores of the Summer Sea, situated at the mouth of a river which spills out into a bay.

[theswede]

Quinlan watched the city through the myrish lens. He and his men had travelled straight down here after the meeting with Antario and the army at the Prince's Pass. If Antario was right, Dorne needed to be protected.

[The Stranger]

The gates are open, and only a few men patrol the walls. They seem far from prepared for war.

[theswede]

Quinlan placed the lens in his pack, and headed back towards the men that was hiding a few leagues back.

A small man came up to him as he approached.

"Your brother sends word to be ready to attack at nightfall"

Quinlan nodded.

"Tonight we return a castle to it's rightful owners"

[theswede]

/ / / /

Quinlan stood on the battlement of Starfall, studying the stars in the night sky with a sad look upon his face. The battle for Starfall had been a successful battle, without much casualties, but for him personally the battle had taken his brother to the halls of the dead.

During the battle a stray arrow had found itself in his brother's neck, killing him instantly. He had been close to his brother, and been in many battles with him on his side, and he had started to believe that he and his brother would fight until all of Dorne was under Dornish rule again, but the gods seemed to have another idea.

His thought was interrupted when someone walked up behind him.

[Horas]

The man stops next to Quinlan on the ramparts. He is an older warrior, his skin weathered by the hot Dornish sun. He spits out off the edge of the wall.

"It was hardly a skirmish," the man says, "but you fought well. Your men too."

[theswede]

Quinlan nods.

"Yes, my men fought bravely, even though it wasn't much of a battle"

He sighs, and looks at the older warrior.

"Though there was one casulaty that I never expected to happen, but the gods decided it was time for my brother to join them, looking after Dorne from the sky. How fares Lord Antario?"

[Horas]

The man's lips part into a craggy smile. "Well. He's setting things aright. Harlaw should get his execution tomorrow morning."

A sudden cry, high and piercing, fills the sky, and an eagle swoops from the sky. Emeros raises his arm, welcoming an old friend, and the eagle settles upon it. Its talons dig into the old man's flesh, but he seems not to mind.

"You came and fought here, though you weren't commanded to do so. Why was that, Sand?"

[theswede]

If the apperance of the eagle suprised Quinlan he didn't show it.

"I serve Dorne, Ser Emeros"

He hadn't been sure of who the man was, but now he was sure.

"I do what is best for Dorne, and this time it was fighting here. Why did you come up here, Ser Emeros?"

[Horas]

"I was looking for you," Emeros replies. He spits off the ramparts once again. "That's the tricky thing, isn't it? Everyone does what's best for Dorne. It's just everyone has a different opinion of what that is." He stares off into the night, and the eagle stares with him.

[theswede]

"Your words speak true of course, but there should be no non-dornish in rule of a Dornish castle. We of the Rhoynar have ruled here since the beginning of time, and that is the way it has been, and that is the way is should stay"

[Horas]

"Aye," Emeros replies, "That's true enough. But go on talking like that to the wrong people, and they're like to call it treason. A man needs to be careful with his words."

[theswede]

"True"

Quinlan nods and then looks up at the sky one last time.

"Will you join me, for some wine, Ser Emeros"

[Horas]

"Only if it's Dornish," Emeros smiles, then raises his arm. The eagle soars back into the sky.

[theswede]

"Is there any other kind that doesn't taste like horse-piss?"

Quinlan says and turns to head inside.