The man patted his son's head affectionately "Did you find what I told you to find?"
"Hai." Said Daigoro nodding.
"Where are they?" He asked, his son pointed at the crownprince who surprisingly was still clutching the ruby pouch.
He approaches the prince, Arya lowers the sword and take a few steps back. The man walks over and simply snatches the pouch from the prince, ignoring his whimpering. He opens the pouch and takes out one piece of ruby, Sansa didn't expect that, she couldn't even imagine that the child was carrying the rubies, even Joffrey who was hurt couldn't stop wondering where did those rubies come from.
The man seemed satisfied "Good work Daigoro, we now have in out possession the full set of rubies from Rhargar Targaryen's breastplate, we can leave now."
Arya had heard that, they had the full set? Meaning they must have been searching for them for sometime now.
Joffrey had overheard that, like many others he had heard stories of how his father had crushed Rhagar with his hammer and how his rubies fell into the river, and apparently those were the ones.
"You can't take those, they belong to my lord father, king Robert Baratheon!" Joffrey claimed.
The sellsword didn't even glace at the prince "If Robert Baratheon, cared for these rubies, he would have his men find them by now, and not ask some noble brat to steal form my son." He said before storing the ruby pouch in his bigger one and turning to his son, he started to walk away.
Joffrey again felt humiliated "You can't talk to me like that! I'm the crownprince, I will be the king one day!"
But the man seemed to care not for his words, as he kept walking.
"You may become the king one day, but today you fought worst than a vagrant." He simply said "Our work here is done Daigoro, let us departure."
Daigoro climbed inside the cart like so many other times and his father started strolling it.
He turns to his two new friends with a smile "Sayōnara Onēchan to Nichan!" He waved.
While Mycha waved back and then decided to flee the scene, Arya didn't wave, she threw Joffrey's sword in the river and then she and Nymeria run off into the direction of the father and son.
Meanwhile Sansa rushes to Joffrey's side. "My prince, my poor prince, you are very hurt. Stay here, I'll go back to the inn and bring help." She said trying to calm the prince.
It didn't work "Then go! Don't touch me." He shouted
Sansa leaves to bring help, but she couldn't help but being hurt from his harsh words.
Arya and Nymeria are chasing the father and son duo "Wait, stop!"
The man stops and looks at the young girl "Do you want something?"
"I just never got your names." Arya said.
"His name is Daigoro and I don't feel like telling you my name." He said before moving forward.
"Wait, were will you go now?"
"Forward, whenever the road leads." He said not stopping.
"You should come with me, my father is the warren of the north and the newly appointed hand of the king, he could protect you form the Lannister soldiers." Arya tried to convince the armored man.
But to no avail "My son and I, walk the path of hell, we will face our adversaries and our obstacles in our own account, for we have chosen this path." He claimed "But I appreciate the gesture, and with training and practice you could become and unstoppable force, I suggest you talk to your father about that."
Arya stops, reflecting what the sellsword just said, however she had one more question. "What did Daigoro said, when he waved at me?"
"He said goodbye and he called you big sister and that boy he called him big brother."
After saying that he continues walking towards the woods.
Arya having nothing else to do goes back to the inn with Nymeria.
Later that night, Arya eventually went back to her father and explained to him what had happen at the Ruby Ford, Sansa departed to her chambers not saying a word. Ned knew that this story wasn't finished and that the queen at least would try to shift some of the blame on her daughter, but he couldn't help but wonder how a toddler was able to defeat the corwnfrince in such an easy manner, he also wondered who was this armored man who apparently was the boy's father.
Jory and Kormed, Eddart's men. entered the tent "My Lord! My Lord! The Queen and King wish for your presence at the Inn." Says Jory
"He also requested for your daughter to be present" Says Kormed
Arya looked a bit nervous, but she was also glad to be able to tell her side of the story.
"Everything will be alright." Ned assured her "We should get going."
So Ned, Arya and the two Stark men, left the tent in order to go see the king and queen at the inn.
Night time, in the middle of the woods.
Jaime Lannister a member of the Kingsguard and five other Lanniester men, were in the woods looking for an almond eyed toddler and an armored man wheeling a baby cart. This was one of the strangest orders that he had ever received, he couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of his nephew/secret son, being defeated by a toddler, but orders are orders, and his orders were to bring the boy to the king and Queen.
They have been looking for a big while now, and the chance of them being far away from the inn was becoming far greater.
When suddenly they could see the light and the cracking of a fire.
They approach it and saw exactly the unusual duo that. A boy probably not older than four, with a strange haircut and almond eyes, wearing a cloth, and a man with a full set of light armor of an unusual good quality and color, Jaime noticed that he was wearing a helm that fully covered his head, he couldn't even see the color of his eyes, but he did notice that the man was armed to the teeth. They needed to think this through.
"I'll go talk to him, you surround him, but keep your presence hidden in the woods, anything happens, you cut down the father, we only need the son." Jaime said.
The five guards nodded and rounded around the fire, hidding in the woods, Jaime now had only to reveal himself.
At the fire Daigoro was chewing on what it appeared to be a ball of rice, his father was also eating, however he still had the helm on, he only lifted the helm up his mouth so he could eat. While they continued eating Jaime got out of the shadows to reveal himself.
"You have half of the royal guard looking for you, and you decide to make a fire and have dinner, barely two miles from the Inn, you must be very brave or foolish." Jaime mocked.
Daigoro stopped eating and looked at the man in front of him, he was looking at his armor and sword, he also noticed the resemblance between Jaime and Joffrey. However, the father just kept eating his ball of rice, without a care in the world, ignoring the words of the Kingsguard.
Jaime noticed this "You have nothing to say? According to the crownprince, you can speak the common tongue, or is that helm blocking my voice?"
Again he continued eating, this made Jaime all the more frustrated "Well, either way I came to take your son for trial, maybe you should of taught your son the dangers of hurting a royal family member."
The man stopped eating, but he didn't look at Jaime, or at least not directly.
"I know, who you are. I know your family name, your works and your feats." He claims.
Jaime chucked "Is that right? I didn't know my feats would travel all the way to Yi Ti, that is what your banner says your from right?" He says "Even thought you sound, like a man from Westeros and a fairly young one as well."
The man ignored the comment and kept talking "I also know your title, one that is not good to boast about said title, I hear it brings shame and dishonor to those unfortunate enough to receive it." He then finally looked at the Lannister "What's the name of that title Daigoro?"
"Kingusureiyā" Daigoro said.
Jaime understood what the boy said, it was close enough to the common tongue, and his patience stated to dwindle fast.
"That's right my son, Kingslayer." He repeated "However that action justified, is not dishonorable, it could be a title to be proud of, if not for the circumstances of how it was effectuated. Stabbing him in the back, an action unworthy of a warrior, stabbing the enemy in the back… the coward's method."
"Would it be better if I had stabbed him in his front, while he was conscious?" Jaime rhetorically asked.
"Yes it would." He said immediately.
Jaime was now getting angry "Who are you to judge me? By what right does a nameless sellsword to judge the lion!"
"You may be a lion in name, but you are a maneless, toothless and clawless lion, you don't scare my son, much less me." The man insulted.
After that insult Jaime had enough of this "My duty was only to retrieve the child and bring it to the king at the Inn, I would of let you live had you given him to me… but now, I just want to kill you."
The man didn't seemed impressed "Will you do it yourself, or will you strike me in the shadows by the five men hiding around us?"
Jaime was not expecting that "How do you..."
"I'll tell you this, if your orders don't include me, then I'll just have to force you to bring me. I'll be finishing my dinner, if by the time I finish eating my fish and your men don't show up, then I'll cut you down with one slash." He warned "If your men attack me before that… then you'll have five different reasons to bring me to your king." He said before resuming his dinner.
Jaime is looking at this sellsword as he eats the grilled fish, he says if by the time he's finished he'll kill Jaime with one slash, how would that be possible? He must be bluffing, how could he defeat five Lannister men all armored? He notices that he's eating the rice ball with his right hand, while his left hand is on the scabbard.
Jaime was about to find out as he signaled his men to attack.
The first man draws his sword and runs at the armored man from the back.
But then suddenly he gulps down the ball of rice, puts his right hand on the handle of the sword, draws it a few inches before turning around and fully drawing it, while he did that, the blade slashed the guards neck, making him gurgle in his own blood.
After cutting the man down he maintained the same position, the second man appear rushing at the sellsword with his sword drawn giving a war cry, but the stilled warrior moves again slashing the second man in his shulder and chest, leaving him to bleed out.
The Third and fourth man show up again, they rush him at the same time, but the warrior pierces one in the belly and cut the arm off from the other one leaving a stump, he slices his belly revealing his guts.
The fifth and final one, decided to change his strategy, with his sword already drawn he slowly approached not making any noise, only for the warrior to suddenly spin around and beheading the last Lannister guard. He looks at the bodies, he makes a swing movement with the sword taking the blood of the blade, and then doing a slight bow.
During this episode, Daigoro kept eating, this hadn't been the first time he had seen his father kill people.
Jaime was shocked his mouth was opened from it, he had never seen a man kill five trained guards in a matter of seconds, with one slash each, it was surely a Yi Ti technique, he couldn't recognize it, he also noticed the second slammer blade at the side, a dagger no doubt, bu he never saw a man carry a sword and dagger side by side.
But Jaime was not a regular guard, he was a kingsguard and he was going to show this warrior that he was better than these men three times over.
"Now you will bring me and my son to the king." Said the nameless warrior.
Jaime draws his sword "Oh, I will bring you alright… I'll cut off your head and show it to the king!"
"That won't happen, you will bring me to the king alive." He simply said.
Jaime answers by rushing to the armored man, only for his slash to be blocked by the smaller dagger and in the next second he used the sword to cut off the Kingsguars sword blade down to the hilt, rendering the sword useless.
He then headbutts him with his helm, making Jaime bleed from the nose, then while he's on the ground he puts the dagger's blade on his throat, that's when Jaime felt just how sharp the blade was, as soon as it touched his skin it drew blood.
"Now take me and my son to the king." He repeated the order, before removing the blade and putting them both in the scabbard.
Jaime hadn't been defeated this easily since he had been training as a child, he also wondered about the sword, he didn't know what type it was, but one thing he was certain about, the blade was not made of typical steel and it didn't look like valyrian steel.
Right now the only thing that he needed to know was taking this man and his son to the king, with some luck he might be able to learn more about his adversary.
The Inn
Ned Stark enters the inn with Arya and the Stark guards side by side. Standing in front of the hall are the king Robert Baratheon sitting on a wooden throne who looked more annoyed than angry about this whole situation, on the right side was the queen Cersei Lannister with a sneer and angry look on her face, finally on the queen's side, being stroked by her was the crwonprince himself Joffrey Baratheon, whose hand and leg are now wrapped in gauze
.
Arya looks at the royal family with a nervous look on her face.
Ned notices this "It's all right, nothing will happen I promise." He assured her, he then looked to Robert "What is the meaning of this? Why was my daughter called upon, like some criminal?"
Cersei didn't like the hand's tone "How dare you speak to your King in that manner?"
However, Robert didn't like the queen's tone "Quiet, woman." He shouted before looking at his old friend with sympathy "Sorry, Ned. I don't mean to frighten the girl. But we need to get this business done quickly."
"Your girl, that butcher's boy and that almonds eyed child attacked my son. Stabbed him in his arm and leg." Cersei accused
"That's not true! He was stealing and trying to kill a three year old toddler. Daigoro, was only trying to defend himself."
"Joff told us what happened. You and that butcher's boy beat him with clubs, while the other foreign boy stabbed my son and nearly killed him." She said trying to maintain her composure "His age doesn't change that aspect."
"That's not what happened!" Arya insisted.
Joffrey decided to step in "Yes it is! They all attacked me and she threw my sword in the river."
"Liar!" Arya shouted.
"Shut up!" Joffrey shouted back
Robert was tired of this whole situation "Enough! He tells me one thing, she tells me another. Seven Hells! What am I to make of this?"
Before the king could speak, the Inn's main door opened, there came out the armored man wheeling the baby cart with the Almond eyed child. Behind them was Jaime Lannister, still holding the handle of the sword without a blade, he was also still bleeding from the nose, not to mention it was bruised. Cersei noticed this, she immediately glared at the armored man and his son, however she did her best to disguise her true emotions.
Robert, had heard the description of this sellsword, but seeing him in person was something completely different, the king had seen many armors in his life, but this one while plane looking, had something special to it, he couldn't say what was made of, but shinned as if it was made of valyrian steel, but that would be impossible, he was also armed to the teeth with variations that he had never before seen, he couldn't see his face over the T shaped visage. Then there was the child that had stabbed his son, he looked innocent and harmless, the idea of him defeating his son both amused him and also annoyed him how his idiot son was so easily defeated, he noticed his hair and eyes, he had never seen a haircut as strange as his and the shape of the eyes and that color, it looked a bit familiar to him.
Ned Stark was impressed with the armor and weapons and he wondered just how could this toddler have defeated the crownprince.
The king then noticed the banner on the baby cart, he understood that her was a sword for hire, that he was very skilled and that he came from that region beyond the narrow sea. But the son for hire part, he could not understand the point of it.
He then looked at Jaime Lannister, he chuckled at his bleeding nose and broken sword, it didn't take a genius to know who had done that, the question was how.
"What in seven hells happen to you, kingslayer." Asked the king.
"He cut down five of my men, then he cut down my blade and nearly broke my nose." Jaime said, this made Cersei very mad.
Robert however was laughing out loud "Which one did it, the man or the child?"
This was a clear mocking attempt, Jaime didn't even answered the question, but the king didn't needed the answer. "I believe we should get to the heart of this issue, now that the supposed child warrior is here." Said the king looking at Daigoro.
Daigoro was looking, smiling and waving at Arya Stark which she answered with a smile and wave, but when he saw the queen and king his smile faded, he hopped out of the baby kart and approach the royal members.
He gave the king a respectful curve "Watashi no ō." He then turned to the queen and did the same "Watashi no joō."
The nobels were confused "He said my king, and my queen." Said the armored man.
The Queen was the first one to answer, she had a passive look on her face "The boy knows his manners… he seems to recognize nobles, which makes me wonder if he could recognize the crownprince."
"I've taught him how to distinguish common and noble, so he knew who your son was the moment he looked at him."
"So he knew and he still attacked my son." Cersei questioned.
The man didn't seem to care "I taught my son to cut the hands off thieves, no matter who they were."
This made Cersei very angry "How dare you accuse my son of thievery!"
"It's true your grace." Arya said "Joffrey, tried to steal Daigoro's pouch, that's when the fight started, but he was only trying to recover what was his."
Even the king was confused, he looked at Joffrey "You didn't mention the part where you took someone the toddler's pouch."
"They're lying father, I didn't steal anything." Joffrey denied.
"I can show you what he was stealing." said the armored man, making the king look at him.
"Fist of all, I would like that you show me your face, take off your helm." Robert said, spiking the interest in everyone.
Everyone looked at the sellsword, expecting to see who was this mysterious man, but to the surprise of all, he didn't take off his helm.
He only answer the king with a single word
"No."
This surprised everyone present, including the king, what reason could he have for not showing his face.
"Your king has given you a command, you will obey it." says the queen.
"I show my face to no man." He simply answered.
Cersei, Joffrey and Jaime scoffed at his insolence, however the king didn't look outraged, instead he looked intrigued.
"Is that so… Very well, I like a good mystery." He commented "But can I at least know your name?"
"My birth name is meaningless to the life and path that me and my son have chosen to follow." He explained "But the warrior name that it has been given to me… is Jin Djarin."
"Well then Jin, your son is clearly not from Westeros, as far as I can tell he can't speak the common tongue." Robert said "But you can, and you don't sound foreign… you sound Dornish, is that where you were from? Not to mention you sound like you couldn't be much older than my son."
"I may still be in the beginning of my prime, but I have had training ever since I could pick up a stick. My motherland is insignificant compared to Yi Ti, where I learn the honorable and righteous path that I am now following."
"What path are you talking about? You clearly are a sellsword by the words on your banner, but you are more than that aren't you?" Asked the king.
"I am Bushi, a warrior who values the honor of fighting and oathkeeping more than anything."
Nether Robert nor Ned had heard of an honorable sellsword, all that they cared and value was coin nothing more, but this one was different.
But Ned was curious about something "Why do you bring your son in this dangerous path of yours?"
He looked at the King's hand "Because he chose it."
"What do mean by that, where's his mother?" Ned asked.
Jin paused for a few seconds before answering "She was killed by adversaries of mine, two years ago… they're all dead now, but after I realized that my path was here in Westeros, so I gave my son Daigoro a choice." He said "I let him chose between the sword and a his toy ball, if he chose the ball then I would send him to his mother, if he chose the sword then we would both walk the path of hell together. The choice is clear."
"Then why are you here? You're clearly a sellsword, did you had a position back in your homeland?" Robert asked.
Jin nodded "I did, I was the royal executioner." He explained "One day under the orders of the emperor, I executed the firstborn son of a powerful lord. So they decided to take their revenge on me… they beheaded my wife, so I hunt them all down one by one, after my success the emperor gave me passage to leave and I traveled with my son to Westeros to find my ultimate path."
"What is this path of yours, where does it end?" Asked Ned.
"It is up to me to find the end of my path, which I have no interest in explaining what it is." He defiantly said.
Robert only shrugged "Whatever it is, you are a sellsword, do you charge for your services?"
Jin nodded "500 stags per kill. 200 for escorting and 300 for protection."
"I thought you were an honorable warrior." Ned said.
"Honor has it's limits, I can't eat nor can I feed my son with honor." Jin simply replied.
It was at that time when Jaime approached "Let me see your blade."
He looked at the kingsguard and he reluctantly took off the scabbard from his belt and gave it to him.
Jaime inspected the scabbard and was impressed by the quality of it, he saw some symbols written on the side, which Jaime couldn't decipher, just by the silver and gold parts he could see that this was a sword fit for a king. But when he finally took the blade out his eyes widened, the blade shined in the light of the candles, it slightly curved, almost resembling a banana, it had a pointy end and only one sharp edge, however this was a very sharp one, as soon as Jaime pressed his finger against it, he winced in pain as in finger got a cut. What was this metal, it looked to be made with the same type of steel of that armor Jin was wearing, so did that spear of his.
"Your armor is made by the same blade… is this Valyrian Steel?" Jaime asked hopeful.
This caught the attention of everyone.
But the answer was even more surprising "It's not… it's something stronger than it."
"What is it? What can it possibly be? Tell me!" Jaime demanded.
"It's a secret, that can be only revealed to the highest Bushi." Jin Claimed.
The queen and the crownprince were getting tired of this conversation.
"We are here to discuss how his son hurt mine." Cersei remembered.
Robert looked at Cersei before sighing, "We do need to end this business" he said before remembering something "Where's your other daughter, Ned?"
"In bed asleep." Ned said.
Cersei smirked "She's not. Sansa, come here, darling." She calls out
Sansa enters from another room and joins her father and sister, she looks nervous. She then notices the armored man and his toddler son who was smiling at her.
He waved at her and happily said "Onēchan."
Sansa looked at the young boy's eyes and her hearth almost melted, he was different but adorable nevertheless.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the king's voice "Now, child, tell me what happened. Tell it all and tell it true. It's a great crime to lie to a King."
Sansa looked at her father, then to Joffrey, she was afraid, for she didn't want to say anything that would put her prince at fault, but she also didn't want to say anything that would put the toddler at risk, she also didn't like the idea of lying to the king.
So instead she decided to act dumb.
"I don't know. I don't remember. Everything happened so fast. I didn't see." She stutter.
Arya snapped at that "Liar!" She shouted before attacking Sansa pulling her hair "Liar, liar, liar!"
Daigoro ran to Arya and hugged her back trying to calm her, it seemed to work because she let go of Sansa's hair.
Cersei smirks slightly feeling triumphant "She's as wild as that animal of hers. I want them both punished." the queen maliciously says.
Robert rolls his eyes from annoyance "What would you have me do, whip them through the streets? Damn it, children fight! It's over." he said trying to put a end to the
"That boy committed an act punishable by death, no matter what age he is, Joffrey will bear these scars for the rest of his life because of him." Cersei insisted.
Robert however looked scornfully to Joffrey "You let that toddler disarm you?" Joffrey looks looks down embarrassed.
But this only brings out more questions "How in seven hells did you allow a toddler to hurt you, and how did he do it?" He said before looking at jin.
He turns to his son "Daigoro, show them."
Daigoro rushed to the baby cart and removed a stick from it, he approaches the royal couple who and also Ned look confused, he then twisted the stick and there it popped out the blade, that was still stained with Joffrey's blood, surprising everyone.
Robert is impressed "I have never seen such a weapon."
"Not from Westeros you wouldn't." Jin said. "That weapon is a tool that my son uses to cut down any threats and thieves like your son."
"This is the second time you accuse Joffrey of Thievery, but you still haven't told or showed me." Robert said.
"I'll tell you, your son stole the rubies that I have on my pouch."
This confused Robert "Rubies? You just carry rubies with you."
"They were found close to this location at the Ruby Ford, for one week we have been searching, now we have the complete ser of rubies." He said before taking out the pouch "I'm sure that you remember them."
"You mean, those are..." Robert's eyes widen "Give them here."
Jin throws the pouch which the king catches it, he opens the pouch and takes a deep breath, his hands are shaking, the last time he had seen those rubies was at the battle of the Trident when he crushed Rahegar, he was getting angry at the memory of that silver haired bastard, "It's them alright, I was hoping they would have been washed away with everything of him!"
Cersei then had an idea "If those are the breastplate rubies, then Joffrey didn't steal anything." Cersei said "After all, by right they do belong to you."
But Robert was having none of it "I don't want them and don't ever want to see them again!" He closed the pouch and threw it at Jin "Do what you want with them, they're yours now." Robert said before turning to his wife and son "As far as I can tell, the toddler acted in self defense, and you shouldn't of let him hurt you no matter what weapon he was armed with!" He shouted putting an end to the argument.
He then turned to his friend "Ned, see to it that your daughter is disciplined. I'll do the same with my son."
"Gladly, Your Grace." Ned nodded.
Robert then turn to the sellsword "And you… if you ever come to King's Landing, I may require your services, you would be payed handsomely, I will also be hosting a torney on the honor of the new hand so, if you ever arrive I would like to see your skills."
"Maybe, if my road crosses King's Landing." He said "Let's go Daigoro."
Daigoro climbs into the baby cart and Jin wheels it out of the Inn.
"I declare this matter finished." Robert said before leaving, Cersei was glaring and so was Joffrey to them this matter was no way near finished.
Ned and their daughter leave as well, but Ned goes after the man.
Outside the Inn.
Ned sees the sellsword "Wait one minute I need to ask you something."
Jin stops and looks at the northern man "What is it now?"
"You told me that you used to be a royal executioner." Ned said "In my opinion the man who gives the sentence, should be the one to carry the execution, he should be the one to swing the sword."
Jin looked at the Warren of the North "What we do in Yi Ti is not a typical execution, it is an honor."
"What honor could there be in an execution?" Ned asked confused.
Jin takes out the smaller knife from the scabbard and shows it to the Stark "Do you see this knife, to you it's just a simple dagger, but to me and to the Bushi it's way more than that." he puts the dagger back "We call it tantō, it appears and it can be used as a fighting weapon, but it's true purpose is ceremonial."
"What's the procedure of that ceremony?" Ned asked.
He looked at the hand of the king in the eyes, or at least it appeared to be, "Suicide." He said before continuing "When the Bushi commits an act so dishonorable that the only way he can regain it back, for him and for the future generations, he would have to commit suicide. Should he refuse his family name would be stained, removed form history and unable to come back to the fold… a fate worst than death."
Ned was an honorable man, but this something different, their definition of honor was different, and they clearly took it more to the extreme.
Jin continued "This act is called Seppuko, it's a bravery and an honor, the procedure it's quite simple… the bushi takes a bath, he's offered a good final meal and he puts in white ceremonial clothes. He takes the clothes down to the waist, he then takes the tantō and stabs himself in the right side of the guts, then he cuts all the way to the left, until his bowels are shown."
Ned grimace at the glory details, but the person who cut his own belly was the same? That didn't make sense to Ned "Then what is your function?"
"My function is to take him out of his misery, when he does the cut I swiftly cut off his head, quick and painless. I never showed my face to any of them, even I did admired their courage… but did show my face to the last one I ever did."
"You mean the firstborn son of that lord, why did you do it?"
He looked down to the floor "I've done more than one hundred executions… but this one is the only one I regret, the only one that still haunts me to this day." He explained "The firstborn son was a child, not much older than my own, his father had made an attempt on the life of the emperor… when he was caught he asked to save his family's honor, so the emperor allowed him to commit seppuko."
"Then why was the son executed?" Ned asked confused.
"Because on the day of the ceremony, he had ran off… and by law, if the guilty one doesn't do it then someone else from the family had to do it." He closed his hand to a tight fist "The two uncles committed their own nephew to take the father's place, even thought one them could of easily take the place."
Ned was horrified "So they forced a child to perform this horrible practice?!"
"No… not fully anyway, the emperor had pity on him, he only requited to keep a toy sword to his chest, and I as quick as I could beheaded him, but not before revealing my face." Ned could hear the regret in his voice "There's a reason why executioners wear a helm, so that they're not recognize, but when I did it I knew that they would seek revenge… and they, did they found my home and killed my wife, so I killed the entire household with the emperor's permission, the uncles, the guards and even the father who I later found out." He told before looking at the Stark again "Tell me something lord Hand. Do you love your chidren?"
"With all my hearth." Ned answered.
"No more than I love mine, so take this advice, teach your daughter how to fight." He said "She has the spirit, she only need the skill. I'd teach her myself, but I don't have the time… find her a water dancer from Bravos, that's what I recommend." Jin said before turning around and resumed walking.
Ned understood what he meant and he agreed, he should find one teacher for Arya, but he would make it a surprise.
As he was walking he stumbled upon Sansa's Direwolf Lady, who was sat waiting for her mistress, Ned approached the wolf and scratched her ear.
Suddenly he sees The Hound walk by with a dead body slumped over his horse, Ned recognized it as the butcher's boy Mycha.
Ned was shocked "The butcher's boy...you rode him down?"
The Hound only shrugged "He ran. Not very fast..." He said before riding to the woods.
It was clear to Ned that he was looking for someone. And it was no mystery who it was.
In the Middle of the Woods.
Jin was wheeling the baby cart with his son inside it, when suddenly he heard the galloping of a horse.
Looking over his shoulder he noticed a man half burned to the face, wearing a royal armor and a sword drawn, on the back of his horse he saw the very same boy at the Ruby Ford.
Turning around he takes off his lance from his back and throws it, hitting the horse in the throat, he fell to the ground squirming, screaming and bleeding.
The Hound was wearing armor so the fall didn't hurt him much.
However what should have been a routine killing, became something more personal.
"You fucking cunt, I'll kill you for that!" The Hound screamed.
"No you won't, you're not ready for that, you won't be able to defeat me." He sad in a mutual voice "You can't hurt with that sword."
The Hound took that comment to hearth "I will cut you pieces, you and that little fucking freak of yours."
He threw his arms up "Go ahead, if you think your sword will work."
With a yell the Hound raised his sword and charged at the Bushi, he swing the sword hopping to end him in one hit.
However that's not what happened, Jin crossed his gauntlets above his head in a protective manner, when the sword connected the rival expected that it would cut the arms off, but that didn't happen instead the sword stopped after the contact, sparks flew from that connection.
"What the..." The Hound removes the sword and noticed that there was no dent in the gauntlets. He then tries to attack the helm, he slices it vertically, but again spark fall, the sword stops and there's no damage to it.
"What the fuck is that made out of?" He demanded.
"Something that Westeros is unaware of, something from the land I call home." Jin claimed "I know why you're here, clearly the queen and the crownprince disagree with the king's decision, but like I said you can't defeat me, with or without armor." He approached the big man making him back away "Go back and tell the queen that you didn't find me."
"I can't go back empty handed, they'll kill me."
"You're a big man and a decent fighter for certain, they would not get rid of you over something so meaningless." He draws the sword and then takes out a pelt flask, he dips a little over the blade "I know this will help you change your mind." He takes a stone from the pouch and creates a spark that ignites the blade in fire.
The Hound's eyes widen and he backs out in fear.
"I know who you are Sandor Clegane, I know your brother Gregor and his crimes… I know your stories." He said signaling to his half burned face "I know your title, The Hound, and you act like one, man learned how to respect and dominate fire, losing fear of it, yet you run away from it like a common animal… in this case a hound." He said approaching the man making back away more.
"Get away from me!" He shouted.
"How can you expect to defeat me, when you can't even defeat your own fear? But it's not me that you want to kill, it's your brother… I'm afraid to tell you that there are crimes that your brother has committed that make what he did to you look insignificant, he has hurt far more people."
"I don't give a shit, I will be the one to end that fucker's life!" Sandor proclaimed.
"Then defeat your fear of fire, only then will you be able to fight him and also myself." Jin stops "Now go back and tell them you didn't find me."
Sandor doesn't want to do this, but his fear of fire is greater than to him than the task given he has been given, so he reluctantly turns around and starts to leave, he then stops and looks at the butcher's boy.
"Leave the boy here… go."
Sandor leaves the body and walks away.
Jin approaches the body of the young boy and sees that he had been rode down. Daigoro leaves the baby cart and walks over the body with a sad expression.
"Nīchan." Daigoro said trying to hold back tears.
Jin understood that his son had befriended his son, the butcher's boy deserved far more than this.
"We'll return him to his family, we'll bury him together."
"Hai." Daigoro sadly nodded.
Carrying the body, there they went to bury the innocent, after that they would continued with their path always ready to face anything that would get in their ways.
Westeros didn't know it yet, but the legend of this Lone Warrior and his Child would rang across the land and would be known beyond it.
However this was only the beginning of something grand and powerful