From the Ashes (ASOIAF) (Sandor Clegane x OC)

Chapter 2: Tyrion

     It was getting late. Tyrion's stomach rumbled as he made his way back up Aegon's High Hill. He knew now, after his mission was complete that somewhere in the recesses of his mind, it was the outcome he'd been hoping for. He was just in sight of the looming gates of the Red Keep, but instead of going through he turned down a side street on the right. His chambers in the Tower of the Hand were not his destination this evening . He made his way towards the one building at the end of the street that was ablaze with light, and as he got closer he could hear the sounds of cutlery scraping plates, the thump of mugs on wooden tables, and every once in awhile a burst of raucous laughter amid the drone of many voices. They'd found the inn almost by accident. It was Samwell Tarly who'd originally come upon it, and told the others. Two moons ago when his woman Gilly, the wildling girl, had finally made the trek south with her son Little Sam, there had been much discussion as to what to do with her. As a rule maesters of the Citadel gave up all rights to lands, titles, and family when they forged their chains, but Samwell Tarly had not come to his position as Grand Maester by traditional means, and from the start he made it clear that he would not be parted from Gilly, Little Sam, and the new baby they were expecting. This of course created the issue of where to house them, the Grand Maesters chambers were no suitable place for a woman and two children, and there was talk of giving them a house in the city that had been abandoned, but Gilly wouldn't hear of it. She was a practical girl, and said she wanted to earn what she had. In the end she found work cleaning rooms and helping with cooking in an Inn just outside the castle. In return the proprietor had given her and little Sam a comfortable room on the top floor and given Sam leave to come and go as he pleased.
     The Inn was a modest but lovely place. It had a prime location just a few short minutes walk from the Keep, positioned on the side of the hill with a stunning view of Blackwater Bay. Tyrion supposed that in the summer it would be an ideal place to enjoy a cool drink on the terrace and watch the ships coming and going, but it was winter now. The terrace was dark and empty and patrons spent there time around the tables that littered the front courtyard, warmed by many fires burning in iron drums, or in the Inn's cozy common room around the bar or by the fire. With the desolation of the city at present the Inns business was booming. Tyrion knew that Tess was making a small fortune nightly in ale and wine alone, and having bought the place for next to nothing after the dragon fire, she was quickly becoming one of the wealthier women in Kings Landing.
      Tess. Tyrion smiled as he thought of her, she was unlike any other women he'd ever known. Far too much like himself, if he was honest, but he sometimes wondered if that was wholly true. Tess seemed to have way of making each person she met feel as if she truly understood them, but at times he wasn't sure how much of her true self she revealed.
     He nodded congenially to the guards on either side of the gates as he entered the Inns courtyard. One of the first things Tess had done when she bought the Inn was hire armed men to guard it. She was a a fierce and capable woman, but also intelligent, she knew a woman owning any property on her own would be seen as a challenge, and she protected what was hers. As he entered the large square entrance yard he looked around and found four familiar faces sitting in the spot they had already claimed as their own, the table just to the left of the main doors. Close enough to the light and heat of the common room but just far enough away to be slightly quieter. Brienne of Tarth caught his eye and motioned for him to join. He walked across the courtyard and seated himself on the other side of the table from her next to Ser Davos Seaworth.

"Glad to see you made it back to us in one piece." Said Ser Davos, "What was the outcome of your venture?"

"I believe I may have found someone to take over command of the City Watch." Said Tyrion.

" Really?" Said Brienne, leaning forward with her elbows on the table, "Who? I was under the impression we had gone through all known knights and lords in Kings Landing without finding a suitable candidate. Are you considering a commoner?"