The Love of Jorah Mormont

Chapter 7: The Market

The woman shifted the hood of her cloak as she walked through the crowded market looking for the familiar Westerosi stall that she'd been coming to for years getting news on what was happening back home. She told herself it was only to make sure her family was ok. She told herself that it had nothing to do with the blue eyed man that kept showing up in her head day and night.

The ratty stall slowly came into view as she turned down yet another street. The man who ran the stall had lost a lot of his charm as well as his hair as the years passed but he remained ever kind to Ardin. She waited until the line of shoppers dwindled away then moved towards her old friend. The man was once captain of the ship that brought her to this place, but now his son had taken over the ship and he remained to sell the goods his son and former crew 'procured' in their travels.

She plopped a crumpled bag of coins onto the stall and the man smiled, "Good ta see ya Ardin. I've got some interesting news from Westeros." He paused Ardin had always envisioned the man had once been a fine preformer, for he always used quite a bit of dramatics to the news she desperately waited to hear. With a cough to clear his throat he spoke as if he were reading from a royal announcement instead of a stained dirty piece of paper, "One Jorah Mormont is wanted by Ned Stark for selling slaves. Mormont has since fled Westeros and abboned his title as heir to Bear Island." Ardin's stomach dropped and her blood boiled. Why in the seven hells would Jorah do something as disgusting as selling slaves. Without a word to the man she turned on her heels and made her way back to the small hovel she'd been living in.

Time passed but Ardin still found herself getting angry all over again. She wasn't sure when or even really why she decided it but she started shoving things into the same small bag that she had taken from her home so long ago. There was no excuse for what Jorah had done, but she felt like she needed to talk to him. To see him again even if it would end badly.

Jorah walked through the market after leaving Dany's side. The years were rough on him and he'd made plenty of mistakes; the one that had landed him here was probably the worst. He cursed himself for being a fool. Why in the seven hells would he care about impressing Mira. He pushed those thoughts away; it was pointless to think back on what he'd done.

Ardin made her way back through the market; she wasn't sure what she was looking for. Suddenly she bumped into someone she would've fallen over but for the strong hands that steadied her. She looked up to give a mumbled thanks but the words died on her tongue as she stared up into a familiar pair of blue eyes the man spoke softly, "A-Ardin?" Without thinking she swung her arm through the air and it connected with his cheek. His face went from surprise to anger, "What in the seven hells?!"

"You sold slaves?! What on earth were you thinking! Jorah I can't believe you would do something so...so horrid!"

Jorah couldn't believe what he was seeing Ardin Quinn was alive! The girl he'd loved and grieved was alive and hated him, "Ardin...I- I know I can never fix what I did, nor can anything I say make any excuse even close to making it better, but please understand that when I made those mistakes I was young and a fool I have grown and changed since then."

Ardin pulled away from him even though every part of her body screamed to just wrap her arms around him and forget all that's happened, "I don't know what to say what happened I'll never understand it. I'd thought of a million things I could've said to you, but I wasn't there."

"Ardin why...why did you fake your death." Ardin sighed,

"I was young and heartbroken, I thought running away would be better than seeing you marry my sister."

There was shouting from the other side of the market. Jorah turned and was searching for where he'd left Dany and the others. Not seeing anything he turned back to Ardin but she was gone. Confused, he searched the crowd for her desperately needing to see her again.

She wasn't sure what made her run away. Perhaps she wasn't quite ready to face him again, maybe she was still upset at his marrying Mari, but she knew she still needed time. Time for what? She didn't know. If the gods saw it fit they would let her see him again. Ardin slipped quietly into the tavern where she worked and grabbed some empty mugs off the tables and hurried to the backroom and started to clean them as her boss walked in, "Ishgin don't worry about cleaning! Get out there and get to work!" She sighed and headed back out to work Jorah's face still in the forefront of her mind. Ardin was so distracted that she didn't see the nobleman push his chair out. She and the bowls of steaming soup went flying, pouring the soup all over a nicely dressed young man. The man glared at her and her boss came running, "ISHGIN YOU FOOL! My apologies to my Lord. This girl 's not working here any longer!" The man spoke his accent unfamiliar to Ardin,

"Shame I would've given a lot of coins for a Westerosi beauty like this to serve in my home." Her bosses furious face suddenly transformed into a wicked grin,

"Well perhaps something can be arranged. Follow me and we shall talk." He nodded to Deed, the bulky man that stood behind the bar, "Keep an eye on her Deed make sure she doesn't leave." Ardin's stomach dropped whatever terrible things she'd seen in her time at the tavern she knew becoming a servant in a private home was going to be terrible. She looked around desperately for an escape but the place was crowded with patrons, heart pounding she moved her hand discreetly up her sleeve feeling for the latch on her dagger. If she learned one thing traveling across the sea it was how to fight. Deeds, while he looked large, was a bumbling fool. She felt the latch give way and the knife slid into her hand. She'd have to run fast and leave everything once again,but before she could consider the consequences she started walking towards the bar.