Daniel's Fan fiction (Arms of the Kraken)

Arms of the Kraken

Daniel Robertson 

“I’ll take the fastest ship in our fleet. I'll choose the 20 hardest born killers that Pyke has to offer. I' m going to sail all the way past Sea point dragon and into Deepwood Motte. I'm going to march on through to the Dreadfort. I'll find my  brother and I'll bring him home. I'll pay with Iron if I must." 

 While bold, Asha knew it would be no simple task in the rescuing of Theon. The Greyjoy's were known for fighting valiantly and taking what wasn't theirs, "We do not sow" meant paying the Iron price; no gold;only blood with steel. The Dreadfort however, was also infamous, the hell of common folklore. The Bolton's sigil had boasted a flayed man with their words being "Our blades are sharp”.

The Dreadfort was the most God forsaken place in all the seven kingdoms, for it was told that the Boltons still kept torture chambers with a special room where they had hung the flayed skins of their enemies, including several Kings of House Stark. Many Years ago, the Boltons had risen against King Harlon Stark, and the Dreadfort held out for two years under siege before the Boltons surrendered. This did not stop the flaying of any unfortunate victim that crossed the Dreadfort.

A flayed man could hold no secrets it was known, to rescue Theon it would take Asha and her Iron born comrades to set out on foot. The Kraken did not cross by land, nor did an Iron Born think kindly of riding horses. But it needed to be done. The journey by sea was the least the Iron Born army had to worry about. It was the fact that Winterfell had been overtaken under the command of Roose Bolton, there was no clear passage through to the East of Winterfell; there was no passage straight through by sea.

The party of 20 had left by last light; the journey by sea would take  10 days; followed by a 4- day march to the Dreadfort.

The Kingsroad had proposed problems of its own, if it wasn't bandits preying on travel bound merchants, there was the risk of being caught by a horde of Kings Guards. While the Iron Born would no doubt hold their own in a bloody confrontation, Asha had only 20 men to spare. This was a rescue mission; getting caught by any unexpected foe could not be an option.

Asha had studied the horn that the captured pirate had stolen.  The horn differed greatly from the horn her Uncle Euron had taken to Pyke. It was rugged, no valyrian hieroglyphics , only a deep entrenched carving bearing a Kraken. All Asha could think about was her brother Theon, how things would have been different had he not been so stubborn and listened to her. Thummmm thummmm, Asha was amused with the sound it made, at least it was not as horrid as her uncle’s horn. It almost was soothing to hear such a rustic sound being played with the sea breeze accompanying her .

 The crew had looked at Asha with suspicion. The last person to blow a horn died; there could be no telling as to what this horn could do. This was no fancy valyrian dragon horn though, whether this horn had any source of magic was not any concern for Asha. Asha thought about saving the horn for Theon, maybe he would... 

Asha started to feel drowsey, everything around her turned to darkness.As she awoke, the storm raged on, Asha  was submerged under water, though what had happened could not be known. She had fainted; fallen off deck somehow; it was too late for her being saved. The crew could not get to her; she could not save Theon now.

 "Let your servant be born again from the sea, as you were…

Asha heard her father’s voice, had this been a cruel source of trickery?

  Bless her with salt, bless her with stone, and bless her with steel.”

 Asha could not help but feel amused by what was happening; an iron born doomed to drown by sea was always deemed a noble death. This was different from cleansing through sea water, there would be no second chances for Asha, no family; she would bear no bastard children; she would not be promised to an Iron born; Asha would not save her brother. 

Her last thoughts would be of her brother Theon, had he listened to her that day in Winterfell, he would be home ruling Pyke and would still have his manhood.

“Aye”, she replied, “what is dead may never die.”

As she drowned, the Arms of the Kraken had wrapped around her. The monster carried her through the deep waters and up she rose to meet her crew. Her father would give her his last words before leaving,

"What is dead may never die, but rises again, harder and stronger."

Fanfiction sites:

The Blood of the Dragon
Lady of the Dreadfort
Beyond the Kraken
Never-Conquered-Rarely-Came
A-Parliament-of-Fowls-The-First-Kingsmoot-of-Westeros

Draft: Arms of the Kraken:

“ I'll take the fastest ship in our fleet. I'll choose the 20 hardest born killers that Pyke has to offer. I' m going to sail all the way past black water bay, all the way to the bay of Ice. I'm going to march on through to the Dreadfort. I'll find Theon and I'll bring him home. I'll pay with Iron if I must." 

Asha while bold, knew it would be no easy in rescuing of Theon. The Greyjoy's were known for fighting valiantly and taking what wasn't theirs, "We do not sow" meant paying the Iron price, no gold , it meant blood with steel. But the Dreadfort was also infamous, the hell of common folklore. The Bolton's sigil had boasted a flayed man with their words being "Our blades are sharp”.

The Dreadfort is ill-omened, for it is said that the Boltons still keep torture chambers and a special room where they hang the flayed skins of their enemies, including several Kings of House Stark Centuries ago, the Boltons rose up against King Harlon Stark, and the Dreadfort held out for two years under siege before the Boltons surrendered.

A flayed man could hold no secrets it was known, to rescue Theon it would take Asha and her Iron born comrades to set out on foot. The Kraken did not cross by land, nor did an Iron Born think kindly of riding horses. But it needed to be done. The journey by sea was the least the Iron Born army had to worry about. It was the fact that Winterfell had been overtaken under the command of Roose Bolton, there was no clear passage through to the East of Winterfell, there was no passage straight through by sea.

The party of 20 had left by last light; the journey by sea would take them 10 days, followed by a 4- day march to the Dreadfort

The Kingsroad had proposed problems of it's own, if it wasn't bandits preying on travel bound merchants there was the risk of being caught by a horde of Kings Guards. While the Iron Born would no doubt hold their own in a bloody confrontation, Asha had only 20 men to spare. This was a rescue mission, getting caught by any unexpected foe could not be an option.

Asha had studied the horn that the captured pirate had stolen, from it was not known where it came.  The horn differed greatly from the horn her Uncle Euron had taken to Pyke. It was rugged, no valyrian heiroglipichs , only a deep entrenched carving bearing a Kraken. All Asha could think about was her brother Theon, how things would have been different had he not been so stubborn and listened to her. Thummmm thummmm, Asha was amused with the sound it made , at least it was not as horrid as her uncles horn. It almost was soothing to hear such a rustic sound being played with the sea breeze . The crew looked at Asha with suspicion. The last person to blow a horn died; there could be no telling as to what this horn could do. This was no fancy valyrian dragon horn though, whether this horn had any source of magic was not any concern for Asha. Asha thought about saving the horn for Theon, maybe he would... Asha started to feel drowsey, everything around her turned to darkness.

As she awoke, the storm raged on, Asha could see her ship; she was submerged under water, though what had happened could not be known. She had fainted; fallen off deck somehow; it was too late for her being saved. The crew could not get to her; she could not save Theon now.

 "Let your servant be born again from the sea, as you were…
Asha heard her fathers voice, had this been a cruel source of trickery,  Bless her with salt, bless her with stone, and bless her with steel."… Asha could not help but feel amused by what was happening; an iron born doomed to drown by sea was always deemed a noble death. This was different from cleansing through sea water, there would be no second chances for Asha, no family; she would bear no bastard children; she would not be promised to an Iron born; Asha would not save her brother. Her last thoughts would be of her brother Theon, had he listened to her that day in Winterfell, he would be home ruling Pyke and would still have his manhood.“Aye”, she replied, “ what is dead may never die.”As she drowned, the Arms of the Kraken had wrapped around her. The monster carried her through the deep waters and up she rose to meet her crew. Her father would give her his last words before leaving, ,"What is dead may never die, but rises again, harder and stronger".

Martin, R.R ,G. (1996). Game of Thrones. London, England: Harper Voyager.