The Queen in the North

Chapter Seven: The Greyjoy Civil War

It was then he noticed that he was not alone, a cloaked figure on the other side of the bridge appearing in his vision as if from nowhere. 

"Let me pass. You fool, move aside for your king," Balon ordered moving to continue across the bridge, his hands resting on either side of the rope as he tried to make his way down the bridge that swayed in the storm. 

"Haven't I always, brother?" the figure asked recovering his hood to reveal his identity, a smile on his face as Balon took a few steps towards him; it had been many years since the two brothers had last seen one another. 

"I thought you'd be rotting under some foreign sea by now," Balon stated staring at the younger brother, he had never thought that he would see Euron again after he had disappeared of to sea. 

Euron laughed at his words, dismissing them as if they had been lost into the storm that raged around them; it seemed to grow worse with each passing moment. 

"What is dead may never die," Euron stated, the words that were so often used by him and his kinsmen; he received no response from Balon who stood motionless upon the bridge refusing to engage with Euron.

"Has the custom changed since I've been gone? Aren't you supposed to repeat the words?" Euron queried rather amused by the look on Balon's face, he knew that the custom had not changed it was just Balon being Balon. 

His brother was a stubborn old fool, one that could not see what was right in front of him until it was too late. 

"You can mock our god without my help," Balon stated gruffly, he was in no mood to deal with his idiot heretic brother who had clearly lost his mind many moons ago. 

There was nothing good that could come from Euron's return, no doubt he was bringing more trouble in his wake than Balon needed especially if what he heard about his brother's travels were correct. 

"I don't mock the Drowned God. I am the Drowned God. From Oldtown to Qarth, when men see my sails, they pray," Euron stated spreading his arms in the air, just as the wind buffeted the bridge back and forth. 

Balon tries to hold on to preserve his balance while Euron laughs at him, unphased by the winds that sway the very bridge that they both stand on. 

"You're old, brother. You've had your time. Now let another rule," Euron dictated, he knew that it was his time and he could bring the Ironborn into greatest; he already knew what he had to do and had made the sacrifices to do so. 

Balon walked towards his brother, his head held high and he refused to listen any further to Euron's delusions. 

"I heard you lost your mind during the storm on the Jade Sea. They tied you to the mast to keep you from jumping overboard," Balon stated having heard the story quite recently, he had no doubts especially given his brother's delusions in the past. 

No sane man would follow Euron, he was a recipe for disaster and no matter what happened, the line was secure with Yara; Euron would have no hopes of taking the throne with her in the way. 

"And when the storm passed, you cut out their tongues," Balon continued after Euron affirmed the story, he eyed his brother wondering what had brought him back; he could think of nothing that was draw Euron back to Pyke after all these years. 

"I needed silence," Euron stated calmly as if it was the most obvious answer in the entire world, nothing that Balon could say that would upset him. 

"What kind of an Ironborn loses his senses during a storm?" Balon taunted him, a look of displeasure on his face as he stood just feet from the brother that he had not seen in years.