Family Secrets and Desires

Battle for the Iron Islands

Benjen

The air smelled like a mixture of seawater, salt, and rain as the boat rocked from side to side taking them to what he prayed was land and not further out to sea since there was no real way of knowing. Squinting his blue-grey eyes off in the distance seeing nothing but fog, while his ears remained perked up since he could not see anything within a few inches in front of him.

The thick fog was making it hard to see anything causing his nervous panic to grow even deeper with fear. Worried for the man whose company he'd come to enjoy over the past few months, though he was sure that said man most likely did not feel the same. Especially not after that night no more than a few days ago. The heated conversation and revelation of knowing his second wife, and informing him of having a son he knew nothing of.

What was he expect? An over the shoulder hug? Benjen wondered to himself causing him to shake his head playing over their argument once more.

Was it wrong of him to do it? To reveal such a huge secret so close before going off to war? Letting out abated breath feeling even more defeated when he finally came to an answer.

It was wrong, the longer he thought on it the more he realized, he had no right to tell him such news the night before the man and all those under his command were leaving off to war over both open waters and land also if there was resistance on the island of Pyke. Being in charge of so many lives was stressful enough and all he went and did was add more stress to the man's life, and probably would be the cause if anything goes wrong resulting in the loss of men if Rhaegar was off and couldn't think straight any longer. The man needed his smarts to defeat a sick foe like Euron Greyjoy and his band of pirates who worshiped him and thought him the drowned. Seven hells this storm that's on the horizon must be giving those pirates even more confidence to strike harder and come at the navy with everything they have.

Cursing under his breath for the fifth time in under a minute, his men probably wondering if their captain had gone mad especially since he's been withdrawn and broody these past few days. It wasn't like his men didn't have enough to think and worry about, just the unexpected of what awaited them was nerve-wracking in this thick fog, for all they knew once their feet touched ground on the rocky hard shores of Harlaw, who is to say no one won't be firing at them or worst firing cannons at them. Even if Asha Greyjoy's informant swore the island of Harlaw would give them no fight, nor would there be any kind of setup where Ironborn awaited them.

No matter what that man swore, Benejen would not trust her or her word, for all he knew she could just be using them to gain control of the islands and continue their piracy, using the Royal Fleet to take out her enemy for her.

At least he knew from the little he heard that Rhaegar would be taking no chances with the Ironborn, the man had his assumptions, that this was all some elaborate trap. Hence why plans were changed during the final meeting between the Army and Navy, they would attack two days before instead of the day they agreed to with the informants.

One could never trust the Ironborn. Only a fool truly would, he told himself once more tightening his grip on his long pistol thinking of the three family members he lost to these damn pirates, what he wouldn't give to be in the trenches with his men once they drew closer towards the keep of the Ten Towers, where the prisoners of war were supposedly being held. But no, he had to stay on the sidelines to lead his men which only caused him to curse under his breath once more.

"Is everything ok captain?" Pyp asked nervously not knowing if his captain would chew his head off for disturbing his thoughts, he knew when the man was like this it was best o let him be, but apart of him waned the assurance of his captain to remind him, they would be fine if the Ironborn on this island kept their promise.