Chapter 49
Chapter 49
Bloodraven was running.
Fast.
Away or towards something, he knew not.
He stumbled through the streets. Through the Fog.
The entire setting was strange.
Eerie…
Especially not knowing what he was looking for. But he was. Looking that is…
Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to stop to actually think…
But the moment he did, he heard a high-pitched whine. A tortured sound. A terrified animal crying for its mother…
So when he took a step towards the sound, he saw…
A black baby dragon crying for help. Abandoned in a dark alley in Volantis…
Calling for its nest-mates.
And Bloodraven was the closest…
But as he reached to scoop up the babe…
He gasped awake…
And understood.
***
Young Griff was cold.
Of course he was. Anyone out on the streets at night is.
It had been three days.
Only three.
And already he had a traitorous thought slip through. What if he goes back? Surely Griff’s buddies from the Golden Company would take him in? Surely his fears are unfounded? Surely as almost a man fully grown he would be of some use? Would find his place in this cruel world…
He wanted to leave Volantis as soon as possible. But he couldn’t. Considering that the men at the gates knew both him and Griff personally, his chance to leave unnoticed and alone was next to non-existent.
Oh, he didn’t stay on the streets. He wasn’t desperate. Or at least that desperate yet. He just felt despondent. Not knowing what to do. He no longer had a goal in life. He had no family. He never had, really.
Where before he was dragged all over Essos by his so-called ‘father’, never actually putting much thought into what he wanted from his life, now he has to make decisions on his own. He wouldn’t survive otherwise. He needs a goal. Something to give him direction. Give him reason.
But all his musings have brought him, in his despondent wanderings in the dark alleys of the slums of Volantis was a higher chance to get robbed. That is all.
Even his Dreams were unclear.
Showing him signs he couldn’t read…
How was he supposed to interpret a Raven swooping down onto him anyway? As some kind of warning sign?
He was so deep in his thoughts, that he didn’t hear anyone approach. Not until he was grabbed by the sleeve, that is. For a moment, he thought of robberies and corpses. Of no one ever finding his body. For all that he was six and ten, he was still a scared child in many ways. So he was expectedly relieved that the person who stopped him was but a boy himself. Perhaps even younger than him. But something in the boy’s appearance seemed familiar. And not just the blue hair either.
But as he turned towards him, he realized the other had spoken.
A name.
Not his name.
Not that he knew what it really was himself…
Because ‘Young Griff’ certainly wasn’t it. He would hope his real parents had more taste than that.
“Daemon?!” it began with almost a shout, phasing out into a hesitant near-whisper. The hopeful and apprehensive expression on the stranger’s face slowly gave way to one of disappointment.
After a moment of awkward silence, the stranger deemed it necessary to explain himself. “My apologies. I seem to have been mistaken.”
But Young Griff was barely listening to the stranger’s apologies. Because not once in his entire life was he ever mistaken for someone else. Oh, he had met plenty of those who shared his Valyrian looks, but none so similar of face. It was always just a passing resemblance. Just the general coloring, nothing else.
Yes, apparently, if he were to trust Griff’s drunken ramblings, he did resemble someone called Rhae to a great extent, but after what happened, he would hardly place any merit into his words.
But now? Here? In front of his very eyes? When he can he the likeness of blood shared? When he actually finally has a chance to know something of his real family? And not just some empty platitudes of how he is ‘too young’ and will find out ‘later’. A ‘later’ that was long overdue but had never come.
So he took a dive into the dark unknown. And he wouldn’t let go of his obviously related acquaintance until he receives all the facts. “Mistaken?”
The stranger, hopefully soon to-be not looked annoyed. “Oh, for my idiotic moron of a half-brother. Believe me, it is a most unfavorable comparison. In your place, I would be very glad to not be him.”
“Half-brother? Do you happen to have a large family?”
“Oh, believe me, family is too strong of a word… A gathering of blood-related imbeciles is more the like. Especially considering the illegitimate origins of most ‘members’. I could barely tolerate the fools even on the better days….” None of the information sounded very reassuring, but then again, it wasn’t as if legitimacy was given too much weight in Essos. It wasn’t Westeros after all…
“Surely there is at least someone that you like?” and yes, Young Griff did sound like a hopeful idiot, but he couldn’t help himself. After all, no one wished to be related to a group of despicable people that couldn’t keep it in their pants. But then again, he never had many illusions concerning his own ‘legitimacy’, regardless of Griff’s ranting and loathing towards bastards.
“Oh of course there is. One person. You would either love him or hate him. There is no in-between. But then again, only if you get through his façade. Otherwise, you will be deemed a drooling idiot he would never talk to. So yes. Just one person. But then again, that sad number might soon rise to two…”
With that ambiguous statement, the ‘stranger’ grabbed him by the hand and pulled.
“Where are we going?!” Young Griff was confused. This person was crazy…
“Away! Isn’t that what you wanted in the first place? And by the way, there are no sane people only those who put up a better front…”
Did he say that out loud?!!!
“Yes. You did.”
So like the trusting fool he said he wasn’t, Young Griff followed a stranger with unknown intentions and destination into hopefully a better future…