inappropriately timed force bond moments (both nsfw and humor approaches)
dream-sharing
emotional bleed/transference (from rey, involving other parties)
inappropriate force bond voyeurism on rey/poe or rey/finn
mid-conversation force bond interruption
The Rise of Skywalker- Cross-galaxy chase of the Resistance
anything related to ben solo, but especially:
snoke confessionals with family or friends of family
returning to the light
smuggler life style
jedi knight ben
resistance-fighter ben
The Rise of Skywalker- Force Ghost communications w/ Rey
anything related to supreme leader kylo ren, but especially:
fall via coup
resistance fighter reconditioning (gen or nsfw)
force ghost visits from anakin/luke/rey/leia/snoke
defeat by the resistance, and subsequent aftermath
The Rise of Skywalker- Mole Discovery w/ Hux
canto bight:
shady weapons deals
picking up prisoners
recruitment
obligatory dinner party
general casino shenanigans
beach party
basically any reason you can think of to use canto bight as a setting piece
A note on romance: I will ship all of the new trilogy characters with Kylo Ren (except Snoke/Family). But I have no interest in exploring domestic-style takes on them. Thank you for understanding.
[Ren turns to regard her request, his nose wrinkling. Does she take him for a fool? Even chained to a log, he knows what tools can do — a blade would allow her to saw at the log in any measure. No. She would not be getting anything to defend herself.
He had control of his men. Unless they all turned on him at once (and they would not, for a chance at one Sand), she had nothing to worry about.]
I am a light sleeper. And you seem perfectly capable without a weapon. I will reconsider, should you ever prove yourself worthy of my trust.
[And then he turns back to leave her in the cold. Judging by the way he says the word ‘trust’, it is very unlikely she will ever earn such a thing.]
[ She slumped back to the dirt then, staring up at the stars through the cover of the trees. In Dorne, it was easy to see the stars from anywhere. Even the trees they did have wouldn't cover it. But here … she could barely make any out, and those that she could make out weren't connected at all. No constellations to trace.
No security to be found.
She rolled onto her side, her back to Ren's tent and her front to her log as though it would bar her from the view of the men who'd no doubt happily put her in her place.
Probably Ren had stopped them only because they'd sought to wound her, punish her for fighting back. He still needed the map she'd seen. Otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered. These thoughts, which she had expected to comfort her in some way and temper the sting of his refusal (she didn't trust him either), only made her more alone.
It took hours for her to fall asleep, and by the time she did, she was indeed shivering. ]
[Ren is up by sunrise. He spends the first hour awake reading, half dressed in armor and munching on a bit of jerky. Not exactly glamorous — but he was content with it.
He doesn’t emerge until he hears some of his men doing the same, careful not to trip over the girl who had somehow rolled her way inside of the front of his tent in an effort to seek warmth. He is unmoved. The hounds come to greet him, and he ignores their attempts to push him into the dirt. Instead, he checks the position of the sun to chart course for the day.
Moroes is again sent off with travel orders — they will be sailing for Essos within a day, if Ren had anything to say about it.
Eventually, as he is tying his scabbard back to his belt, he nudges Rey awake with his boot.]
[ The unwelcome intrusion drew a grunt out of her, and Rey's shoulders closed in as she coiled on herself like she was perhaps used to being woken unkindly. One eye cracked, she looked up at him, and the reality of the position she'd gotten herself into set back in.
Maybe if she just closed her eyes again, then —
No. He wouldn't be that patient. ]
Go where?
[ Lack of water and unsatisfying sleep made her voice rough as she pushed her way up into a sitting position. She grabbed onto her chain and yanked at it like reins pointedly. The memory of the night before, and Ren's willingness to threaten her with throwing her to his dogs — the real ones, not the ones for hunting — kept her from making any verbal demand at least. ]
[As she rises, she will notice that most of the camp has already been packed away. One horse-drawn cart is being loaded with the hounds and their cages, and it is being lead by the two youngest that had accosted her the previous evening. One of them scowls back at her with his bandaged ear.
When he spots her looking, he remarks.]
It wouldn't do to travel with a large party. They will be returning the hounds and excess supplies to King's Landing while we forge ahead and secure passage across the water.
[He was, of course, banking on the fact that Skywalker was in hiding. He would have no army or kingdom to amass. It would just be him against four armed Redcloaks.]
[ Sent away and denied a place on an expedition to recover Luke Skywalker must have really stung. It was more punishment than most men in their position would face for raping a woman, let alone a few malicious advances. Whatever small comfort Rey took in the notion that they would no longer be in her company was quickly dwarfed by the other, more important realization.
An expedition to recover Luke Skywalker. A journey to Essos? She looked up at him, eyes wide and wild and— ]
You're bringing me?
[ The sputter was barely coherent, like she could hardly imagine the place she had in their company. But of course, it was the surest way that the map she provided wasn't a map into Hell. Holding her accountable to her information, as though she had any proof it was valid to start with.
She was never going to see King's Landing or get a chance at sending Lady Organa's allies to warn Skywalker in advance. ]
[He moves to unhitch her from the log, wrapping the chain up over his gauntlets. There is a strong frown settled in on his expression.]
Would you prefer to be introduced to the king yourself?
[He would never grant her that opportunity, of course, but he can't help but wonder why she is so eager to move to the capitol, rather than to Essos.
He could not trust that the information wasn't true without her present, of course. If she mapped them to the lion's jaws, she would be going right there with them. The best insurance was to force her to stay.]
[ She spat that out quickly enough. Not a day ago, any remarks Rey had passed about brushing shoulders with Ren, let alone the King, would have been such distant fantasy as to be hyperbole. That she even had to engage that question now showed how far her life had gone off the rails. She should have stayed in the Saltpans. ]
I have family, you know. People who'll miss me.
[ This, of course, was a lie. No one would miss Rey. He'd been correct the night previous when he'd pointed out that not a soul would remember her had she died here in the Kingswood. But days on a ship out in the middle of the ocean … She felt nauseous just thinking about it. ]
[That is delivered without blinking. He had people who "missed" him too. They got over it. He turns to walk away, leaving his men to pack up the last of their supplies.]
If you had surrendered the missive without quarrel, perhaps you would have been on your way back to them by now.
[Instead, she is here, forced to endure his company and the company of the rest of the Redcloaks. And he has to waste supplies on a bastard just to finish his life's work, before the king found out what he was doing.
He makes his way to his horse, pulling Rey along with him.]
[ She stumbled after, pulled along by the chain. And then she looked the horses over as they finished packing the camp away and — Another day of this? She'd been on her way to Storm's End. It'd take forever if they sought the coast there instead of in King's Landing through the Blackwater.
He was avoiding King's Landing just as surely as she was hoping to get to it. ]
What port are you planning to leave out of?
[ An accusation lay bare in her voice as she hustled up alongside his mare, surprisingly energized for a slave and a bastard and a traitor in Redcloak custody. The other knights exchanged quiet looks as though noting that she had, if anything, grown more presumptuous over the course of the night. Not less. ]
[He jerks her forward using the chain as he mounts his horse and ignores her question, instead choosing to glare at his men for daring to look perturbed by a bastard girl. It doesnt take more than that to turn them around, though Ren could see them muttering to one another a mile away. His own jaw shifts uncomfortably.
If she kept this insolence this up, he would not be able to get by on threats alone. He would lose the respect of his men, otherwise.
The hounds and cart depart in one direction, while Ren and the bannermen turn in the opposite direction, no doubt confirming Rey’s inklings about heading to Storm’s End. Once they are moving, he pulls Rey as close as possible to his mare.]
Do not mistake my charity, girl. If it comes down between you and the loyalty of my men, you will lose. I suggest you keep your outbursts to yourself.
[He has a general direction to head in. Navigating Essos without a map would surely be a nightmare — but not impossible.]
[ This, spoken with the grit of someone who truly doesn't understand how the mechanics of a unit work at all. She hadn't meant to do injury to their loyalty — they'd been the ones to attack her, and he'd been the one to dangle her like a steak over their heads then snatch her away. If he was suffering, though, she was all for it. He deserved it.
Still, she kept her voice a sharp whisper as she pointed that out. They were heading southeastward, putting them towards the road for Storm's End. That was going to be a bad time. ]
I can't keep up with horses. That's not charity. [ None of this was, really. She didn't point that out just now. ] That's reason. You'll be dragging a corpse around asking it to guide you to Skywalker before too long. [ Then, ] We'd be out to sea faster out of King's Landing. I want to know where we're going. I want to know why. You can't ask me to be your navigator and then keep me in the dark.
[To silence her whining, he jerks the chain again and yanks it up until he can grab her by her collar and sit her in front of him on the mare’s back. And it does it through any protesting. If she struggles or aggitates the horse, he will bind her further with the chain.]
I will hear no more of your complaints. You navigate when we reach Essos, and not before.
[Storm’s End wasn’t abandoned land, but it was still apart of the Crownlands — it was the best option short of attempting to sail out of Blackwater Bay without the King’s knowledge.
It would not be a short journey, and the further from King’s Landing they went, the more likely they would run into bandit parties. Ren was nearly counting on it.]
[ Noises of panic slipped out of her but she otherwise tried to avoid fussing, obviously rigid and uncomfortable in his grip and wedged against the horn of the saddle. And, by even cursory examination, part of it was being on a horse at all. She lacked any of the natural marks of comfort.
Which made sense, of course, given her modest birth.
She made no complaint of any of this, however. Her discomfort at being stuffed between the bulk of his plate and the saddle horn could not be corrected — she tried her best to mitigate it by keeping her hands wrapped around the horn of the saddle so it wouldn't bruise her pelvis, anyway.
Maybe she would have preferred to walk. Could she tolerate days of this? Surely blistered and bleeding feet were better than stifling proximity to Ren. ]
[By the looks of Ren’s face, he appears unmoved bu both her noises of panic and her proximity to him. It would be a long journey for certain either way. Fortunately for her, the pace Ren choses is a leisurely one, rather than a full gallop. It wasn’t difficult for him to tell that Rey had never really ridden a horse before — anything faster than this, and he is certain she would have fallen off. They don’t have time for that sort of delay.
It is clear that his knights had sided with Rey, regarding the journey ahead. The bannermen fall just far enough behind that Ren could not see them cautiously glancing behind them to see if maybe they had misunderstood their direction. But they had not.
He was avoiding the king. And he might have gotten away with it unnoticed if she hadn’t spoken up.
Lord Commander? Ren ignores them. I’m loathe to say it but—]
Then perhaps you should not.
[He bites it backwards and the men go quiet again.]
[ Perhaps if he wanted his men's loyalty, he should grow more used to keeping them informed. At this snap, Rey turned her head to meet the eyes of one of the bannermen. It seemed despite his apparent humanity in handling her imprisonment — a low bar, to be sure — the more unkind elements of his reputation were true, his temper among them.
A few things began to click into place at that. He did not want to give quarter to conversation on the matter of their destination, would not allow questions to his leadership. And he was avoiding reporting to the King.
Rey said nothing of it just then. She saw allies in those bannermen now — people who could be persuaded that their erratic Lord Commander did not have their best interests in mind, that he might even get their heads added to the collection Snoke kept on spikes around the Red Keep. But she would have to mind her tongue and get them alone.
The hair on the back of her neck prickled with that thought, remembering the night before, but … these men were not among those who'd harmed her. They could have been, but maybe they had an ounce of their oaths left in them after all.
When the bannermen were sent ahead an hour later to survey the road for signs of bandits, Rey seized upon the opportunity. ]
I thought the Redcloaks acted on the King's will alone.
I would be interested to hear what it is a Dornish bastard thinks she knows of "the King's will".
[Its not exactly dodging the question, but it is yet another sign that he isn't interested in discussing the King, or his will. As far as he was concerned, his men belonged to him -- and through him, they were acting in the interests of the King, whether the King knew it or not.
And they all knew where they were going. They were sent to find Skywalker -- and that's what they were going to do.
For his part, Ren watches the path, waiting for his banners to reappear.]
[ Admitting that took nothing from her. She had no pride or status to lose, so his insults had no bite. A bastard was a bastard, and a bastard who couldn't even serve on the wall was worse. From the minute she'd been born, the gods had promised Rey no better possible position in this world than a brothel in King's Landing.
And she'd hated that idea, so she'd taken a different kind of slavery. ]
But I know a thing or two about avoiding the King's will. The only reason someone wouldn't want to hear orders is if they don't plan to follow them. [ She turned in her seat to look up at him. His face was ill-proportioned and looked worse twisted into such a sour expression. More proof that lords were no different than the rest of them, she supposed. ] Why are you chasing Skywalker? You're dragging me into it; I deserve to know.
You deserve nothing. You dragged yourself into this by accepting that missive, and by choosing to dispose of it.
[He feels her eyes upon him, so he tilts his chin down to look at her. Skywalker's true lineage was known by few, beyond the fable that he was the one true King -- just as few knew why he'd nearly slaughtered his entire house on Snoke's orders not long after he'd become Kingsguard.
He was hiding something in Essos, something that belonged to him now that Skywalker was meant to be nothing but a fossil -- of that, Ren was certain. And he wasn't going to let King Snoke have it.]
The King's orders were to find Skywalker. That is what I am doing.
That might work on your bastard prisoner, but getting to Storm's End from here will take days. Plenty long enough for people to start asking questions. [ And his bannermen were coming back up the hill, riding with a steady purpose. Signs of bandits, probably. They'd have to move with caution, which would only further slow them. ]
If you're so worried about loyalty, you're going to have to figure out something better to say to them.
[ But that was none of her business. She turned back around. Looking up at him only made her seat more uncomfortable because of the twist in her hips. But let it look like she was dismissing him out of hand, or letting the conversation lapse for the sake of company. ]
[It didn't take much to get him to doubt. He isn't listening all that much when his bannermen return to confirm the presence of bandits ahead. Perhaps they could double back and venture to Blackwater Bay without being called back to the castle as they went through King's Landing. Would Snoke anticipate his movements and halt the port? Then what?
Rey would most certainly die in that situation and while he held no love for a Dornish bastard, she was his ticket to Skywalker.]
How many?
[Five. Outnumbered, then. One knight was worth two or three bandits, but they had cargo to protect where the bandits did not.
[ He didn't want her commentary, but he did want to hurry. Rey didn't look at him as she said it, but instead jangled her chains. ]
Four against five is more than a fair fight.
[ Probably the knights had already been spotted. Probably the bandits knew they were here, and if they didn't fight back, they were going to get surrounded. Possibly they even had reinforcements deeper in the woods. Rey was not used to having a contingent behind her. She knew how to win a fight before it could escalate.
But maybe he'd just think she was calling him craven. He seemed to take everything the worst way possible. She just didn't fancy dying out here with him, even if it did appeal to her to slow them down as much as she could. Maybe, somehow, Skywalker would get word. Maybe somehow he could get away. ]
[She dared. His men straighten on their saddles, already aware of what was about to happen.
The downside of her being in close proximity to him means it is easy for him to grab her by the throat and squeeze when she starts to speak out against his orders. The bannermen do not react -- this doesn't appear to be a new reaction.
Something under his skin is trembling with anger, but it is covered up by his gauntlets as the metal presses into her trachea.]
If you speak without being spoken to again...and I will gag you until we reach port. Do I make myself clear?
[ The chill that crossed his men's face was her first clue, but she didn't get a chance to react. Immediately his hand closed around her throat, and Rey's eyes widened as she drew a failed breath. She raised her bound hands to try and pry his fingers away, but he was stronger than her. Prick. He just wanted to prove that he was to be obeyed. It didn't matter if his plan was the best one or not — as long as they listened to him.
She thrashed about for a minute, not feeling adequately able to reply because of the compression around her throat. Words wouldn't come out, just rasped choking noises. Probably for the best. The first few things she intended to say would have pushed him to kill her, not release her.
Finally she nodded, an urgent and insistent motion that pushed her chin down into his hand.
She'd never been around people like this, had never had to learn to be particularly reverent because of anything stupid like status except to Lord Plutt. And even he had so little status that it wasn't like the stories she heard of places like Riverrun and King's Landing. That was another league entirely.
Ren, though, didn't seem to think she needed experience to accept him as her better. He just was. ]
[Ren holds her there for a moment longer, letting her pull at his hand uselessly before he releases her and turns his horse around.]
Good.
[He shifts backward in the saddle slightly, just enough so that Rey would be forced to fill in the gap as his horse breaks off into a gallop. Fortunately, Ren was quite strong, and the awkward angle doesn't prevent him from leaning into it. Unfortunately, it also means Rey is going to have to endure him being much closer than he was initially.
If they road fast enough outside the perimeter of their camp, they might have ended up missing them. The rest of his men are not far behind, though Ren keeps some distance ahead.
If nothing else, he would draw their attention, and hopefully make it past without incident.]
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no subject
He had control of his men. Unless they all turned on him at once (and they would not, for a chance at one Sand), she had nothing to worry about.]
I am a light sleeper. And you seem perfectly capable without a weapon. I will reconsider, should you ever prove yourself worthy of my trust.
[And then he turns back to leave her in the cold. Judging by the way he says the word ‘trust’, it is very unlikely she will ever earn such a thing.]
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No security to be found.
She rolled onto her side, her back to Ren's tent and her front to her log as though it would bar her from the view of the men who'd no doubt happily put her in her place.
Probably Ren had stopped them only because they'd sought to wound her, punish her for fighting back. He still needed the map she'd seen. Otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered. These thoughts, which she had expected to comfort her in some way and temper the sting of his refusal (she didn't trust him either), only made her more alone.
It took hours for her to fall asleep, and by the time she did, she was indeed shivering. ]
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He doesn’t emerge until he hears some of his men doing the same, careful not to trip over the girl who had somehow rolled her way inside of the front of his tent in an effort to seek warmth. He is unmoved. The hounds come to greet him, and he ignores their attempts to push him into the dirt. Instead, he checks the position of the sun to chart course for the day.
Moroes is again sent off with travel orders — they will be sailing for Essos within a day, if Ren had anything to say about it.
Eventually, as he is tying his scabbard back to his belt, he nudges Rey awake with his boot.]
Time to go.
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Maybe if she just closed her eyes again, then —
No. He wouldn't be that patient. ]
Go where?
[ Lack of water and unsatisfying sleep made her voice rough as she pushed her way up into a sitting position. She grabbed onto her chain and yanked at it like reins pointedly. The memory of the night before, and Ren's willingness to threaten her with throwing her to his dogs — the real ones, not the ones for hunting — kept her from making any verbal demand at least. ]
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[As she rises, she will notice that most of the camp has already been packed away. One horse-drawn cart is being loaded with the hounds and their cages, and it is being lead by the two youngest that had accosted her the previous evening. One of them scowls back at her with his bandaged ear.
When he spots her looking, he remarks.]
It wouldn't do to travel with a large party. They will be returning the hounds and excess supplies to King's Landing while we forge ahead and secure passage across the water.
[He was, of course, banking on the fact that Skywalker was in hiding. He would have no army or kingdom to amass. It would just be him against four armed Redcloaks.]
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An expedition to recover Luke Skywalker. A journey to Essos? She looked up at him, eyes wide and wild and— ]
You're bringing me?
[ The sputter was barely coherent, like she could hardly imagine the place she had in their company. But of course, it was the surest way that the map she provided wasn't a map into Hell. Holding her accountable to her information, as though she had any proof it was valid to start with.
She was never going to see King's Landing or get a chance at sending Lady Organa's allies to warn Skywalker in advance. ]
Without reporting to the King?
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[He moves to unhitch her from the log, wrapping the chain up over his gauntlets. There is a strong frown settled in on his expression.]
Would you prefer to be introduced to the king yourself?
[He would never grant her that opportunity, of course, but he can't help but wonder why she is so eager to move to the capitol, rather than to Essos.
He could not trust that the information wasn't true without her present, of course. If she mapped them to the lion's jaws, she would be going right there with them. The best insurance was to force her to stay.]
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[ She spat that out quickly enough. Not a day ago, any remarks Rey had passed about brushing shoulders with Ren, let alone the King, would have been such distant fantasy as to be hyperbole. That she even had to engage that question now showed how far her life had gone off the rails. She should have stayed in the Saltpans. ]
I have family, you know. People who'll miss me.
[ This, of course, was a lie. No one would miss Rey. He'd been correct the night previous when he'd pointed out that not a soul would remember her had she died here in the Kingswood. But days on a ship out in the middle of the ocean … She felt nauseous just thinking about it. ]
no subject
[That is delivered without blinking. He had people who "missed" him too. They got over it. He turns to walk away, leaving his men to pack up the last of their supplies.]
If you had surrendered the missive without quarrel, perhaps you would have been on your way back to them by now.
[Instead, she is here, forced to endure his company and the company of the rest of the Redcloaks. And he has to waste supplies on a bastard just to finish his life's work, before the king found out what he was doing.
He makes his way to his horse, pulling Rey along with him.]
no subject
[ She stumbled after, pulled along by the chain. And then she looked the horses over as they finished packing the camp away and — Another day of this? She'd been on her way to Storm's End. It'd take forever if they sought the coast there instead of in King's Landing through the Blackwater.
He was avoiding King's Landing just as surely as she was hoping to get to it. ]
What port are you planning to leave out of?
[ An accusation lay bare in her voice as she hustled up alongside his mare, surprisingly energized for a slave and a bastard and a traitor in Redcloak custody. The other knights exchanged quiet looks as though noting that she had, if anything, grown more presumptuous over the course of the night. Not less. ]
no subject
If she kept this insolence this up, he would not be able to get by on threats alone. He would lose the respect of his men, otherwise.
The hounds and cart depart in one direction, while Ren and the bannermen turn in the opposite direction, no doubt confirming Rey’s inklings about heading to Storm’s End. Once they are moving, he pulls Rey as close as possible to his mare.]
Do not mistake my charity, girl. If it comes down between you and the loyalty of my men, you will lose. I suggest you keep your outbursts to yourself.
[He has a general direction to head in. Navigating Essos without a map would surely be a nightmare — but not impossible.]
no subject
[ This, spoken with the grit of someone who truly doesn't understand how the mechanics of a unit work at all. She hadn't meant to do injury to their loyalty — they'd been the ones to attack her, and he'd been the one to dangle her like a steak over their heads then snatch her away. If he was suffering, though, she was all for it. He deserved it.
Still, she kept her voice a sharp whisper as she pointed that out. They were heading southeastward, putting them towards the road for Storm's End. That was going to be a bad time. ]
I can't keep up with horses. That's not charity. [ None of this was, really. She didn't point that out just now. ] That's reason. You'll be dragging a corpse around asking it to guide you to Skywalker before too long. [ Then, ] We'd be out to sea faster out of King's Landing. I want to know where we're going. I want to know why. You can't ask me to be your navigator and then keep me in the dark.
no subject
I will hear no more of your complaints. You navigate when we reach Essos, and not before.
[Storm’s End wasn’t abandoned land, but it was still apart of the Crownlands — it was the best option short of attempting to sail out of Blackwater Bay without the King’s knowledge.
It would not be a short journey, and the further from King’s Landing they went, the more likely they would run into bandit parties. Ren was nearly counting on it.]
no subject
Which made sense, of course, given her modest birth.
She made no complaint of any of this, however. Her discomfort at being stuffed between the bulk of his plate and the saddle horn could not be corrected — she tried her best to mitigate it by keeping her hands wrapped around the horn of the saddle so it wouldn't bruise her pelvis, anyway.
Maybe she would have preferred to walk. Could she tolerate days of this? Surely blistered and bleeding feet were better than stifling proximity to Ren. ]
no subject
It is clear that his knights had sided with Rey, regarding the journey ahead. The bannermen fall just far enough behind that Ren could not see them cautiously glancing behind them to see if maybe they had misunderstood their direction. But they had not.
He was avoiding the king. And he might have gotten away with it unnoticed if she hadn’t spoken up.
Lord Commander? Ren ignores them. I’m loathe to say it but—]
Then perhaps you should not.
[He bites it backwards and the men go quiet again.]
no subject
A few things began to click into place at that. He did not want to give quarter to conversation on the matter of their destination, would not allow questions to his leadership. And he was avoiding reporting to the King.
Rey said nothing of it just then. She saw allies in those bannermen now — people who could be persuaded that their erratic Lord Commander did not have their best interests in mind, that he might even get their heads added to the collection Snoke kept on spikes around the Red Keep. But she would have to mind her tongue and get them alone.
The hair on the back of her neck prickled with that thought, remembering the night before, but … these men were not among those who'd harmed her. They could have been, but maybe they had an ounce of their oaths left in them after all.
When the bannermen were sent ahead an hour later to survey the road for signs of bandits, Rey seized upon the opportunity. ]
I thought the Redcloaks acted on the King's will alone.
no subject
[Its not exactly dodging the question, but it is yet another sign that he isn't interested in discussing the King, or his will. As far as he was concerned, his men belonged to him -- and through him, they were acting in the interests of the King, whether the King knew it or not.
And they all knew where they were going. They were sent to find Skywalker -- and that's what they were going to do.
For his part, Ren watches the path, waiting for his banners to reappear.]
no subject
[ Admitting that took nothing from her. She had no pride or status to lose, so his insults had no bite. A bastard was a bastard, and a bastard who couldn't even serve on the wall was worse. From the minute she'd been born, the gods had promised Rey no better possible position in this world than a brothel in King's Landing.
And she'd hated that idea, so she'd taken a different kind of slavery. ]
But I know a thing or two about avoiding the King's will. The only reason someone wouldn't want to hear orders is if they don't plan to follow them. [ She turned in her seat to look up at him. His face was ill-proportioned and looked worse twisted into such a sour expression. More proof that lords were no different than the rest of them, she supposed. ] Why are you chasing Skywalker? You're dragging me into it; I deserve to know.
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[He feels her eyes upon him, so he tilts his chin down to look at her. Skywalker's true lineage was known by few, beyond the fable that he was the one true King -- just as few knew why he'd nearly slaughtered his entire house on Snoke's orders not long after he'd become Kingsguard.
He was hiding something in Essos, something that belonged to him now that Skywalker was meant to be nothing but a fossil -- of that, Ren was certain. And he wasn't going to let King Snoke have it.]
The King's orders were to find Skywalker. That is what I am doing.
no subject
If you're so worried about loyalty, you're going to have to figure out something better to say to them.
[ But that was none of her business. She turned back around. Looking up at him only made her seat more uncomfortable because of the twist in her hips. But let it look like she was dismissing him out of hand, or letting the conversation lapse for the sake of company. ]
no subject
Rey would most certainly die in that situation and while he held no love for a Dornish bastard, she was his ticket to Skywalker.]
How many?
[Five. Outnumbered, then. One knight was worth two or three bandits, but they had cargo to protect where the bandits did not.
Bollocks.]
We will hold until they pass.
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[ He didn't want her commentary, but he did want to hurry. Rey didn't look at him as she said it, but instead jangled her chains. ]
Four against five is more than a fair fight.
[ Probably the knights had already been spotted. Probably the bandits knew they were here, and if they didn't fight back, they were going to get surrounded. Possibly they even had reinforcements deeper in the woods. Rey was not used to having a contingent behind her. She knew how to win a fight before it could escalate.
But maybe he'd just think she was calling him craven. He seemed to take everything the worst way possible. She just didn't fancy dying out here with him, even if it did appeal to her to slow them down as much as she could. Maybe, somehow, Skywalker would get word. Maybe somehow he could get away. ]
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The downside of her being in close proximity to him means it is easy for him to grab her by the throat and squeeze when she starts to speak out against his orders. The bannermen do not react -- this doesn't appear to be a new reaction.
Something under his skin is trembling with anger, but it is covered up by his gauntlets as the metal presses into her trachea.]
If you speak without being spoken to again...and I will gag you until we reach port. Do I make myself clear?
[His voice is a low and dangerous growl.]
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She thrashed about for a minute, not feeling adequately able to reply because of the compression around her throat. Words wouldn't come out, just rasped choking noises. Probably for the best. The first few things she intended to say would have pushed him to kill her, not release her.
Finally she nodded, an urgent and insistent motion that pushed her chin down into his hand.
She'd never been around people like this, had never had to learn to be particularly reverent because of anything stupid like status except to Lord Plutt. And even he had so little status that it wasn't like the stories she heard of places like Riverrun and King's Landing. That was another league entirely.
Ren, though, didn't seem to think she needed experience to accept him as her better. He just was. ]
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Good.
[He shifts backward in the saddle slightly, just enough so that Rey would be forced to fill in the gap as his horse breaks off into a gallop. Fortunately, Ren was quite strong, and the awkward angle doesn't prevent him from leaning into it. Unfortunately, it also means Rey is going to have to endure him being much closer than he was initially.
If they road fast enough outside the perimeter of their camp, they might have ended up missing them. The rest of his men are not far behind, though Ren keeps some distance ahead.
If nothing else, he would draw their attention, and hopefully make it past without incident.]
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