Carliene Stark

II Chapter 74

Carliene

My leg twitched nervously as I sat at the table in the small dining hall that had been repurposed as a temporary council chamber. I stifled a yawn as Lord Tyrion continued listing the numbers of our army. I had not slept well the last night. As could be expected when your min is racing with a million things. And even when I had drifted off I was plagued by dreams. 

I had been in the mind of a large wolf, trotting through a misty forest. I was hungry and I was searching for something, but it wasn't food. It was something different. Something she that was dead. My smaller cousins feared it and many of them had split off to take care of themselves, but I knew I needed to find it. It was something familiar, something that belonged..

"As of now the only considerable force we have to worry about is the Iron Fleet" Lord Varys explained calmly. "A siege will not be very effective if they keep shipping in supplies from the sea"

Lord Mallister straightened proudly in his seat, presenting the slightly stained stitchings of his House's symbol on his chest. "I am sure her grace's dragons would make short work of Euron's fleet" he pointed out. He was an aged lord with elegant grey hair, but the years had been kind to him, leaving his strong and handsome.

"We could use those ships" Lord Tyrion objected. "With the Greyjoy fleet captured and the braavosi fleet at the bottom of the Sunset Sea our own naval force is rather lacking" he reminded the members at the war council reluctantly, surely he still blamed himself for the loss of the braavosi fleet.

The queen took it all in for a moment. "Perhaps we should try and make contact with this Euron Greyjoy, perhaps he can be persuaded to our cause?" she pointed out as I shifted in my seat to calm my leg, only to have my other begin twitching. 

Lord Fossoay folded his hands on the table in front of him. "With all due resect your grace, I don't think Euron Greyjoy is a man you want on your side"

"He has gained quite the reputation since his return from exile" the maester agreed, making me look at him. Marwyn the Mage, they called him and he was an Archmaester. The more I looked at him, the more I as certain I had seen him in my dream, but why? "They say he is as capable as he is mad and as ruthless as a storm on high seas"

The queen gave a gentle smile. "And what do they say about me in some corners of this continent do you think?" she pointed out. "It seems like our only two options are either burning his fleet or taking it" she gathered with a sigh. 

I chewed on my lip and pressed my fist to my jumpy leg. There was no time for that. But I could not bring myself to speak up. 

"If we were to separate the fleet from the city..." Lord Jon trailed off, his brow furrowing with concentration. "Set up some sort of blockade and keep them from getting their supplies through..."

"The first to suffer would be the small folk in Flea Bottom" I pointed out. I don't know where I got the nerve from to still be bale to think of them at this moment, but someone had to mention them.

Lord Varys gave me a pitiful look. "We are talking about a siege, my Lady. Someone will always suffer" he told me like he was instructing a child.

I glared at him. "They have hostages" I reminded him more pointedly. "I understand that in the grand scheme of things the numbers may not add up and you think the city and the throne is more important, but those are good people" I insisted looking towards the queen. "Baelor Hightower, Desmera Redwyne, Luthor Tyrell. Let us not forget them" my voice grew smaller at the end as I noticed all their stares and I quickly leaned back into my chair. 

The queen hand turned to address her. "We have our own hostages, maybe we could establish an exchange" he offered, though his tone was to very convincing.