Winter Is Our Fury

Chapter Thirty Three: Kings Landing

The Blackfish Bandits stopped by a hill under the cover of trees with the view of Kings Landing in sight. They gathered together contemplating their next move.

"How will we reach LittleFinger?" Codyn asked. "Look at the damn place!" he motioned to the massive city and the castle.

"There's a way we can sneak in." announced Aris. "It's how I escaped Kings Landing last time. A small detour from the Kings Road..." she pointed down the hill and up towards the city walls.  "... there's a road that will take us into the markets. There's a tunnel that leads up into Flea Bottom. We can get in from there."

"It could work." said Wyllim. "We'll need to look like we're peasants coming to trade from the RiverLands."

"Are there guards?" asked Codyn curiously.

"Not really."

"That should be easy." replied Jelissa. "But once we're in, then what?"

"LittleFinger owns a brothel. We could 'meet' him there." suggested Aris.

"A brothel?" repeated Wyllim unimpressed.

"It's how he makes his fortune and... intelligence." it was like a piece of the puzzle clicked for Aris. LittleFinger had his own network of spies. She turned to look down at Randyl who looked over the city with awe.

"What?" asked Jelissa.

"We could use Randyl to get the message to LittleFinger."

"No." Jelissa stated firmly and Randyl looked anxiously between the two women. "This city is a dangerous place."

"We can find The Spider's network of spies. Use it to get inside the palace and find LittleFinger."

"Great plan." agreed Codyn.

"No." repeated Jelissa narrowing her eyes.

"I want to!" added Randyl.

"No!"

"I can do it! Please, I won't let you down!"

Jelissa looked up to Wyllim and flailed her arms. "You seriously can't agree with this?"

Wyllim shrugged and pursed his lips. "We might not have another choice. Russyl..."

"... Is not here." she stomped her foot.

"Please!" Randyl widened his big blue eyes. Jelissa sighed staring into his eyes with tough brown eyes. She raised a finger and said,

"Only as a last resort."

"Lets get inside this city first." ordered Wyllim.

➵

The Bandits followed the road Aris spoke of. Their horses slowly trotted along the road lined with evenly planted trees. They concealed their weapons inside pouches hanging on the horses, slid them between the rolled up mattress and between their clothes.

"We need to find a tradesmen." said Codyn. "Pay him to conceal us."

"How much money do you think we have?" replied Wyllim curiously.

"Enough to pay him."

"Not enough." he corrected

"We could threaten him, or steal more money?"

"That goes against everything we are!"

Codyn shrugged, "Well..."

"Boys, boys." scolded Jelissa. "You forget I have the power of a women's body."

"Well, you did manage to seduce me."

Wyllim whistled for their attention and motioned his head upwards. Ahead a humble old man rode on a horse with a cart full of supplies. "Bingo."

"That's convenient." commented Codyn.

Together the four horses turned into a gallop in an attempt to catch up with the tradesmen ahead. Wyllim and Codyn circled the cart and the old man brought his horse to a holt. "What do you want!?" he fumbled for a knife.

"We're not here to rob you." said Codyn.

Aris and Jelissa's horses stood on either side ff his cart. "We only want safe passage into the Capital. We're willing to pay."

"What the hell do you expect me to do?"

"Allow us to accompany you, conceal our weapons."

"How much?"

Wyllim fished into the coin pouch hanging on his belt. "Three cold coins."

The old man hummed in interest and Wyllim sighed, "Five."

"Tempting..."

"Ten. Take it or leave it."

"Done."

Wyllim threw the coin pouch into the air and old man effortlessly caught the bag, he shook the bag listening to the coins rattle inside. "Throw what you want in the back."

Aris and Codyn hide their bow and arrows behind a crate, along with Jelissa's two short blades and threw a blanket over them. Randyl was invited to sit in the back of cart and stretch his legs from horse riding. The tradesmen and the four Bandits rode together down the road passing over a small bridge at a crossroads. Aris looked to her left remembering when she camped here with The Watch's recruits, when the two soldiers came looking for Gendry, and when he figured out who Aris and Arya really were.

They followed the long road until sunset when they finally broke through the tree line onto open fields leading up to the city's markets on the outskirts. Aris pulled up her hood over her head as they approached the market gates were the guards on duty lazied around, they merely glanced at the passing merchants as they entered into the markets.

"That was easy." Codyn whispered surprised.

"Told you." replied Aris. Memories of the day they killed her father came pouring back in, and when she escaped into the markets and Yoren was kind enough to stow her away with Arya. That nearly happened a year ago. She slid off her horse as the others followed. Randyl jumped off the back of the cart as Codyn and Jelissa retrieved their weapons.

Aris took her bow and arrows and slid them under her cloak. She pulled back her hood gazing up at the palace she once stayed in, the place where Sansa currently was.

Wyllim thanked the old man and returned to the horses. "We need to find an Inn." he said gazing around at the markets and the dirty people who traded, least of all the smell of shit filled his nose.

"How about that one?" Codyn pointed to the end of the road where a building sat with a sign inviting people in.

"The city literally smells like shit." Jelissa's nose scrunched up.

"Tell me about it." replied Aris.

"We should settled for the night." suggested Wyllim. He guided the group up the road, Randyl stuck close by Wyllim, suddenly feeling afraid and overwhelmed by the amount of people.

They secured their horses and took their supplies inside where it was no better than outside. The place was filthy and smelt of rotten eggs. They only managed to acquire one small room upstairs for the night with one bed big enough for two people.

Wyllim and Codyn set up their rolled up mattresses on the floor and started a small fire in the fireplace. "This place is disgusting." commented Jelissa gazing around the small room.

"It's worse in some parts." replied Aris sitting on the bed, it was so worn out, the mattress nearly touched the under frame of the bed.

"How can people live here?"

"Too poor to move away, too stupid, too dirty?" suggested Codyn sitting by the fire on the floor. "Beats me."