Onboard the Brightstar

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The Brightstar sails the Narrow Sea, diverting from its stated course to Dorne and instead making for Braavos. It is a small ship, rocked by the waves, and as such it is easy to get seasick.

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The injured prince was not holding up under his new bout of seasickness. Aranya pleaded with the captain to let her into his cabin. "I'm the only one who can nurse him," she said, wondering what kind of nurse she'd make. "You can't ransom a dead prince." At that, the captain relented, and Aranya was let into Callen's cabin.

[Percy Rivers]

Callen looked up as Aranya entered his cramped quarters. He had felt worse than he had in weeks. The meager rations they had kept him on were keeping him barely above starvation. He had grown gaunt and his eyes had a dark shadow underneath them. As Aranya moved closer to his bunk he tried to put a pleasant face on. "Fancy seeing you here, who let you in? I was enjoying the privacy of my room."

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"Should I leave you alone with your vomit then?" Aranya asked, looking at the bucket with distaste. "I don't know how long they'll give me here, but we must talk while we can." She slipped something from her sleeve. "I saved you some hardtack," she gave it to him, grudgingly.

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"Now listen," she said. "the worm's pet Nealon Spear might have seen you outside the Old Gate. He was too nonchalant about riding off - but after that, I didn't see him on the road and I didn't hear the gates open and close. I'm certain he was watching us. He may not have seen you, but I'm going to assume the worst. And if he did, he'll be hunting us. The worm wants you dead." She tilted her head. "I saw those whip lashes on his back. Is it true you tortured him? Or Hightower?"

[Percy Rivers]

"My thanks." He took the biscuit and soaked it in a cup of water before proceeding to bite it. He saw a few maggots make their way to the surface, but he took another bite anyways. "I wouldn't put it past Hightower, but whippings aren't usually his usual style, if you catch my meaning. And no, I had nothing to do with it. I was still on my way to Casterly Rock when the worm was in Hightower's possession." After a few moments of silence he said, "I presume your not just here to just dote on me." He looked at her quizzically. "You're planning something aren't you?"

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"Yes," she said. "We need to escape in Braavos. My bastard Valyrian is adequate, thanks to my Aunt Lilith." He frowned, and she remembered that he didn't know who she was. "My name's Aranya Stone, and I'm a Royce bastard," she said with a twisted smile. "Anyway, you've been schooled by maesters. What do you know of Braavos?"

[Percy Rivers]

"Nothing that would be of use to us. It's a city built on water. It's as simple as that." He looked back at his early studies with his tutors. He had been much more entranced by castles, and buildings and the like. That interest later bore fruit in projects, such as the rebuilding of Summerhal. He had not been so much as interested in the culture, or history of Braavos, as he had been on the mode of it's construction. "It's no good, if we're going to do anything it has to be before we reach Braavos." He thought for a moment. "How loyal is the crew to her men. Could they be swayed?"

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"I brought 200 dragons with me. It's stashed inside my shirt, where they can't look. As for the crew, the first mate looks at me wistfully many a time, and the man who brings my food was whipped by the captain when he decided to give me extra meat. I'll see what I can do." Aranya looked at him appraisingly. "You might not be so stupid after all."