Loki: Winds of Winter

Chapter 14 - The Wolves of Westeros

Ragna rode Fenris to the Kingswood instead of Erikar. Her faithful dragon followed overhead, searching for the clearing they had made in the forest for him. Fenris dodged the trees and jumped over the small streams that were between him and his destination. Sandor followed behind on his horse, also called Stranger, as the first mount of the same name had been killed in a skirmish years prior. Ragna glanced over her shoulder see where her bodyguard was before she faced forward and kicked her elder brother in his ribs. Fenris snapped at her and she bared her teeth back. She did not have to steer him as he knew where he was going, but Ragna still had a firm hold on his fur. Fenris and Erikar covered the distance between Kings Landing and the Wolves of Westeros' camp with ease and Ragna and Sandor arrived before sunset.

When Fenris broke through the foliage that surrounded the area where the soldiers were, the sentries bowed to Ragna as she brought her brother to a halt. "Greetings, your grace," an Unsullied said as he walked up to her and bowed.

"Good evening, Dark Wing. Morale been good since I last checked in?" Ragna asked as she dismounted and patted Fenris' neck.

"I keep my men in order. I'll let the other captains speak for themselves," Dark Wing responded. Ragna nodded, grinning as she started walking towards the largest tent in the center of the camp, which was hers. Fenris followed behind her, and when Erikar landed, he joined them as well.

"Your grace!"

"Good evening, princess!"

"Glad you're back, your grace!" Phrases like this were what greeted Ragna was she walked towards her tent, unbuckling the belts that held Brann and Is to her back. As she approached, Beric Dondarrion and Thoros of Myr walked over from the tents that houses the Brotherhood. They were no more the Brotherhood Without Banners, and were simply called the Brotherhood. Their hair was gray now, and they were slower, and Ragna did not let them fight on the field anymore, but she still relied on their input.

"Gentlemen! Glad you are here today," Ragna said as she acknowledged them with a tilt of her head. They bowed to her.

"Princess Ragna, you went beyond the Wall," Thoros said and Ragna smiled.

"I did," she responded as she entered her tent and walked around the brazier in the center. A desk was set up against the opposite wall and there was a screen that concealed her bed and tub from view. "I want to call the Wolves to order and I must tell you the threat we face. Yros!" she called and a boy appeared; the same boy whose life she had spared on the pirate ship not too long ago. "Inform the captains that I have summoned them to a meeting of the utmost urgency. They are to appear here within the next hour," Ragna told him.

"Of course, your grace," the boy answered and left the tent. Ragna heard a chuckle and turned around to see Beric snorting into his hand.

"Something amusing?" she queried as she stripped out of her overcoat and hung it on a post by her desk.

"He's tiptoeing around everyone since he was brought here. I think he's genuinely afraid someone might bugger him," Beric answered before he went back to chuckling. Ragna's eyebrow went up as she let her flaming red hair loose from its warrior braid.

"Well, you know me. I don't care what the men do in the privacy of their tents. All I care about is if they got consent. The men can f*ck whoever they want, as long as the person said yes," Ragna explained.

"Ragna Frostborn, the morally righteous Princess of Westeros," Thoros declared, giving her a mock bow. Ragna just shook her head. Thoros and Beric were like Sandor; they had been with her since she was a child, so she always let them get away with more than anybody else could. She actually handled Bronn differently. He might have been the family retainer, but she was not a fan of his lifestyle. He was closer to Rhaenar because of it.

"The morally righteous? I've been called the morally ambiguous, but never the morally righteous," Ragna countered dryly. She grinned as she stepped behind the screen and stripped out of her clothes. Beric, Thoros, and Dark Wing turned around so they would not see her silhouette as she changed. When Ragna reappeared and went to her desk, she was wearing a long cover up that buttoned down her front, but opened at her waist. She was wearing leather trousers underneath, but her feet were bare on the rugs that covered the floor of her tent. The cover up was green silk brocade, with golden wolf designs in it. Her hair flowed down her back and her smattering of freckles across her nose stood out in the light from the brazier and candles. She sat down behind her desk and indicated with a wave of her hand that they were to pull up chairs as well. The three men sat down and that was when Yros entered the tent again, bowing to her.

"Your grace, the captains you summoned," he announced, stepping aside to let them in. First came Captain Grenn. He had served with Ragna's Uncle Jon at the wall, and when she spent some time there, she had asked him to serve under her with a selection of men from the Night's Watch. Daenerys had granted them the amnesty to do so, and they left the North to follow her. After him, came Captain Fahran of Dorne; Captain Olyvar of the Vale; Captain Qhored of the Seven Sons; Captain Dagos of the Iron Islands; Captain Criston of Winterfell; Captain Perros of the Golden Company; Captain Lyle of Bear Island; Captain Uthor of the Free Folk; and Captain Ralf of Highgarden. Once all men had entered and bowed to their commanding officer, they sat down in a circle of chairs around Ragna's desk.

"Thank you all for coming, gentlemen. I want reports of the companies before I give you the main reason for why we have gathered," Ragna informed them.

"The men are anxious for a fray, your highness. They desire to spill blood for your honor and the name of Ragna Frostborn," Captain Uthor told her enthusiastically. Ragna grinned. The Free Folk were always desirous of a good brawl after so many years of relative peace.

"I'm sure your men are, Captain Uthor. Any affairs we need to touch on before we get started? Are the men mingling well since the last kerfuffle?" Ragna posed. A few men exchanged looks and she caught it. "What happened?"

Captain Perros of the Golden Company cleared his throat and stood up, saying, "Your grace, a few days ago, one of the men of my company came back to the camp covered in scratches from a fight. We questioned him according to policy and found that he had gone to a tavern a few miles away from us."

"Yes, the Scruffy Lion Inn; I know the one you speak of," Ragna rejoined.

"Well, the innkeeper came to us the next day and accused this man of raping his daughter," Captain Perros continued and Ragna became very still behind her desk. All the other captains froze and held their breath. Ragna could handle all kinds of reprobates working for her: drunks, thieves, murderers, even kidnappers; but rapists...

"He raped a young woman?" she reiterated.

"That's what the innkeeper claimed," Captain Perros explained.

"Claimed? Implying you don't believe him? Has the 'victim' spoken on the subject or is she conveniently absent and unable to see anyone?" Ragna asked.

"No, he brought her to the camp to speak to us and she identified him. But, you know how everyone knows your rules about payment for crimes committed against civilians. They just want money," Captain Perros said. Ragna leaned back in her chair, her knuckles tapping against her lips.

"Don't make me question the blood oath you made to me, Captain Perros. I would hate to have to challenge you," Ragna pointed out casually. The Golden Company captain straightened up and thumped his chest with his fist.

"Never would I betray you!" he declared.

"Then tell me why you're trying to brush this off," Ragna demanded. Captain Perros shifted where he stood, feeling the eyes of all upon him. Ragna tapped the desk with her tapered fingers, waiting for his answer.

"Because the soldier in question is my half-brother," he responded. Ragna nodded before she stood up and walked around her desk to stand in front of him.

"Brother or not, he should have known better. I will question him and the victim myself and decide the truth. If he is in fact guilty, weregild must be paid to her and her family. And, I will pass the sentence and swing the sword," Ragna told him. Captain Perros nodded slowly before he sat back down in his seat. Ragna turned away from him and looked around the room at everyone. "Now, the new threat we face..."