[right][h2]Return to the Rock[/h2]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/skvKelz.jpg[/img]

[sup]Collab with [@Ruby] [@Vanq][/sup]
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Keeno took a moment to retrieve his discarded torch, and bring it life again, explaining himself in a soft tone to the Princess now by his side, “The Lannisters grew up in mines, they like to explain, so I’m sure they can safely find their way to the entrance without this,” though soft of tone, there was still a hint of mischief at the corners of his mouth as he lips nearly curved into a smile, his dark eyes looking up from the torch to hers before he nodded, “I’ll lead, slowly.”

Slowly, he emphasized, to give her assurance he had in mind her injuries. His tone was as gentle as it had been with Lorelai, a tone few but Lorelai ever heard from the typically silent, ever watchful, man. At the entrance to the man he simply passed his horse, explaining, “We need to look around first.”

It was then he went back to the small building where he had found Loreon and Rhaena in a fight for survival. “I want to be sure there are no more surprises. I hate surprises.” He stalked both areas, the one where Loreon defended himself, and the one where Rhaena defended herself, with the assistance of Loreon. It was in the latter area that Keeno sighed, “Shit. See the floor? The blood pooled? It hadn’t pooled enough for you or the Lord to step in it.” He explained, slowly bringing the torch over the pooled blood, right over the boot prints now in the blood, “There was a third.”

Keeno followed, stepping carefully around the pooled blood, the sharp smell of blood and the smell of worse when a man lost his life was ignored as he followed the boot prints back to the first room, where they grew fainter, mixed with dirt. “Every time he steps, some blood comes off the bottom of the boot. Not the biggest boots, either, maybe a small man, maybe a woman.”

He followed it out a partially collapsed wall in the back, noting a bit of blood on a half-fallen wall, “jumped out here.” Keeno followed, hopping over the wall, but stopping and turning around to carefully help Rhaena over and down to the dirt, too, then he continued his hunt. They were nearly twenty yards away from any building when he stopped and held the torch to the ground. “Our third person got on their horse here. Bandits wouldn’t come back, not even with more men, assuming they know more men. They don’t look for fights, they look for easy prey, and they were probably hiding out here because few, if any, ever come this way at night.”

His eyes scanned the horizon, where the valley turned into hills that crashed against mountains. “Come on, let’s get our horses.” Rhaena’s lesson was over. He retrieved his first, since it was closer, before walking it and her to where she had left her mount. Keeno helped her up, and there was nothing awkward about his movements; he had helped injured people up on mounts before, that much was clear to any observation. His voice always soft, his tone always gentle with her, now. 

She followed behind him silently, uncertain of what to make of the man. Trust should not have come easily, but what choice was there. Nothing of the night made sense, and she could not run much longer. Rhaena would need to return and deal with Aegon being dead. The thought was pushed from her mind as she trailed behind Keeno and his light. The mine was too confining and she breathed a heavy gasp of fresh air when they left them for the abandoned town again. 

A feeling of dread came over her, and it was of some comfort for the man to investigate first. Rhaena followed in his wake, eyes darting to each spot he called out, her eyes lingering on the pool of blood and flashes of the man's hot breath against her neck woke her again. Easy prey? She wanted to challenge such a thing, she was a dragonrider after all…a dragonrider with no dragon. Prey. 

"I hope he becomes prey to something worse." She muttered quietly, mostly to herself, as they finally made their way to their horses. Rhaena shifted in her saddle, bruises and strains that seemed to pull at her every muscle. What she'd give for a soft bed and endless sleep. 

"You didn't want to leave her." She spoke up for more than noise of agreements for the first time as they urged their horses onward, away from the ghost town. "Lady Lorelai." Rhaena clarified as if there was any doubt who she meant. She picked at the skin around her nails as she loosely held the reins. "Our…" The word stuck in her throat. "My whitecloak, he will blame himself for not being here tonight."  

Even as his body moved with the motion of the mount’s gait, Keeno kept his eyes on the horizon, before sweeping them to Rhaena. Taking in her words, the way she said them, and just as importantly, what she didn’t say. At the idea of the bandit becoming prey to something worse, he simply snorted, “There’s nothing worse than the life of no one, having nothing, trying to take from anyone they can. No, that man lives his punishment every single day. If it’s even a man. What if it’s a woman? What if it’s a child? Those weren’t the tracks of a full-sized man.”

Then and there, Keeno Sylhan fell into silence, watching the horizon, watching the stars to keep track of where they were headed. At the eventual break of silence that he didn’t want to leave Lorelai Lannister, he offered a suppressed chuckle, eyes kept strictly upon the horizon. “Of course, I didn’t want to leave her—I like her,” he said, finally looking into Rhaena’s eyes again, mouth half-smiling.

“I know a lifetime about what it takes to protect someone at the highest possible levels. So, when I decided my life was over, that I couldn’t keep doing what I was doing…I just walked away. And I kept walking, otherwise I would be dead. I came to the end of the known world, I came to Lannisport. The King of the Rock thanked me for news of Essos, but otherwise rejected me. Tytos rejected me. It was only Lorelai who took a chance on me. And for someone that takes a chance on you, she pays better than I could have imagined…I’m not a white cloak, Rhaena. I don’t do it out of duty. I don’t even do it out of gold anymore. I do it because she deserves it. She’s good, I see virtue in her where I just don’t see it in the rest of the world. She’s smart.”

Then, even as the country became something closer to familiar to what it looked like close to Lannisport and the Rock, Keeno stopped his horse and looked directly at the Targaryen young woman. Letting out a heavy breath, letting out the truth with it, “It’s not all fucking fire and blood, Rhaena. You don’t need the dragon. You don’t need the white cloak. If you think you do, you’ll never be free, and you’ll never be able to protect yourself. You need your wits. You need your determination to survive. The dragons, the white cloaks, the crowns…yeah, that’s great, but that’s extra. Think that dragon would’ve saved Aegon’s life? Ask yourself…are you really sure about that? I’m pretty sure Essos saw countless dragon lords get mobbed and murdered, dragon and rider, for nearly a century after the Doom.”

Keeno sighed, looking back to the horizon, digging heels into the mount and pulling reins tight, starting the horse again at a slow pace, “No I don’t like leaving her. But she’ll be alright. Because she’s smart. Because she’s capable…I’ve made sure of it. And if someone does kill her?...I’ll fucking avenge her. Believe that. Now, let’s get you back to mourn and come to terms.”

Not duty, not money, but respect? Rhaena knew little of Lorelai Lannister. Though she had heard whispers that it was Lorelai who had arranged their rescue, tonight in the cavern had been the most words they exchanged since she had taken refuge at the Rock. But that only raised more questions for her, what kind of person could engender such loyalty? Would Ser Robin be by her side were it not for sworn oaths and duty? 

She urged the horse onwards, behind Keeno, barely noticing the passing landscape. While she had taken off after Loreon in haste, now, she found herself wishing for more time. Everything was chaos in her head, flashes of fire and blood. Light played at the horizon, hints of the coming sunrise. What would happen if she just kept riding, ran from it all, shed the weight of everything that threatened to suffocate her completely. But it wasn’t who she was or ever could be. 

“Not all fire and blood?” She spoke with a force that took even her by surprise. “My grandfather brought these kingdoms to their knees with fire and blood. It is who we are, who we are destined to be.” Her voice rose, a shrill desperation as if the core of her being was called into question. Whatever had happened in Essos after the Doom was not of concern. It was different, it was why they had left with the foresight of what was to come. “How can I be anything else?” Her anger peaked again, threatened to swell into rage but Keeno had proven to be kind. To be worthy of restraint. It wasn’t his fault, but he was the only one there to bear the brunt of it. “I am nothing else.” She whispered it, saddened and then angry in turn at the sadness. 

Keeno Sylhan smirked, "Sure, Princess," he said, though the title didn't fit the man's tone, "that's really working out for you."
She could not run nor hide from her blood. She would not. “I have no more time for tears.” Rhaena kicked her horse's sides, urging it from its easy pace to a full gallop. Casterly lay ahead of them, and there was much to be done.