It's Time To Go // Criston Cole // Harwin Strong

33. Everybody Can Go To Hell

"You know what word that is. Everybody bloody knows." Aislynn declared and Criston had never seen Aislynn so happy surrounded by her family. 

"Everybody can go to hell." John declared annoyed. 

"Whore? That word. Or prostitute? How about that one?" Aislynn questioned leaning into John.

"All right, I want it known, if anyone calls her a whore again, I will push the barrel of my revolver down their throats, and blow the word back down into their hearts." John demanded. 

"Men and their cocks never cease to amaze me." Aislynn remarked glancing to Criston. 

"John, Lizzie Stark never did a day's work vertical." Tommy reminded him. 

"She's changed. All right, people change." John informed them defensively. 

"Like with religion." Arthur pondered. 

"Oh, Lizzie Stark's got religion, eh?" Tommy laughed out as Aislynn rested her chin on John's shoulder. 

"No, no, she doesn't have religion, but... Well, she loves me." John remarked and Aislynn brought her hand to John's heart. 

"Thats so fuckin' sweet, Tommy she loves our John." Aislynn declared. 

"Now, listen, Tommy. I won't do it without your blessing." John remarked. "But of all the people in the world, I want you to see it... As brave."

" Oh, it's brave, all right." Arthur laughed out.

"No, no dear brothers. Brave is going where no man has gone before." Aislynn corrected with a smug smirk. "And with Lizzie Snow Stark, john, that is really not what you'll be doing." she added gently. "But I'm all for love." she assured. 

"Give me some time. Welcome her to the family as someone who's had a hard life. All right, because I need someone. All right, the kids need someone." John begged. 

"Move to the capital. I can take care of the kids!" Aislynn decided. 

"Still no luck, Amorett" Tommy whispered. Aislynn shook her head. 

"Tommy, we've been done over."

"What?" Criston questioned as they looked at the ruined shop. 

"Seven hells!" Tommy shouted.

"What the bloody hell happened here?" Aislynn questioned. 

"The Lees, all of them. Cousins, nephews. Even the bastards. They've taken anything they can lay their hands on. Four cash boxes. They left these. Wire cutters?"

"Why would they leave wire cutters?" Criston questioned as Aislynn went stiff. 

 "Nobody move." Aislynn declared. 

"I think our friends are playing the game."

"What game?" Criston questioned. 

"Criston, don't, don't touch anything." Aislynn declared locking eyes with him. 

"Erasmus Lee was in Dorne."

"Shit."

"When we gave up ground, we'd leave behind booby traps set up with wires." Criston recalled. Tommy nodded slowly. 

"Then we'd leave wire cutters. It's part of the joke." Tommy muttered. "Somewhere in here there's a hand grenade."

"Seven hells." Aislynn rasped. 

"Attached to a wire." Tommy added "Don't move any chairs. Or open any doors."

"What do we do?" Criston countered. Criston looked to Aislynn as she moved ever so slightly looking around, carefully, as though they were used to people trying to blow them up. 

"Boys, no, there's nothing here. If it was in here, it would have blown by now." Aislynn decided. 

"It was my name on that raven, Erasmus sent." Tommy remarked. 

"You got a fuckin death raven." Aislynn hissed. "Way to bury the lead Tom."

"He set up a trap all right. He set it up just for me." Tommy remarked as they headed out. 

"Finny?" Aislynn rasped seeing him in the carriage. "Finn, stay exactly where you are." Criston had never seen anyone move so fast. 

"Dont move Finn." Tommy agreed running with her. 

"Dont." John warned pulling Criston back. 

"I'm supposed to protect her." Criston corrected. 

"And she will do everything in her power to protect Finn. Even if that means our Amorett blows herself up." John informed him. Criston felt so helpless watching her.

"I was pretending I was you." Finn told Tommy. 

"Which door did you open to come in, Finn?" Aislynn questioned. 

"I didn't, I climbed in." Finn told her. 

"I want you to climb out exactly the same way you climbed in, okay?" Tommy questioned but Finn was already opening the carriage door. "No, no, Finn!" Aislynn lunged forward grabbing him. Tommy pulled them both back shielding them.

"Grenade!" 

The carriage was blown apart. As the smoke cleared Criston looked to AIslynn as she clung to Finn. He offered them a hand up, wiping the blood from her cheek. 

"Are you alright?" Criston rasped as he held to her. She nodded into him. Criston couldnt help but think what if Aislynn had died. What if Aislynn didnt survive and Harwin wouldnt even know because he didnt want to spend a fortnight away from the capital. His beautiful, compassionate wife and Harwin didnt seem to want to spend more time with her.

"Thank you." Aislynn whispered.

"That's why you should never pretend to be me."