Edrick
Edrick shook his head. “We won't go back”, he growled, clenching his fists at the thoroughly unimpressed Gawayne. The Ironborn merely shrugged, before he drew his sword., pointing it right at the group “Oh, you will”, he assured him. “Question's just how much fun I'll get before bringing what's left of you back to Viveka”
The hedge knight wasted no time, as he charged at Gawayne. He had been in situations like that before and he knew how important it was to act quickly. As expected, the Ironborn took a swing at him, coming dangerously close to actually hitting him, but Edrick dodged beneath the strike and slammed into his opponent, knocking the other man down in the process.
They fell to the ground, Edrick on top. With one hand, the knight held the sword away from him, with the other he swiftly delivered a punch into Gawayne's face. In the distance, he once more heard the hounds barking and howling. “Get into the boat!”, he yelled. “Normund, get ready to leave!” With this, he caught Gawayne's punch, still pressing his sword arm to the ground with the other.
The barking grew louder and Edrick glanced over his shoulder. To his relief, he saw that Normund indeed began to untie the boat, with Dante helping him. Meanwhile, Darreth and Reymond rushed to Edrick's aid, while Jorid and Alphyn covered the flanks. The hedge knight and the Ironborn glared at each other, while Edrick still held him down.
“You can't escape”, Gawayne spat. “Even if you get on that ship, my people control the river. You'll get caught and this time, Viveka won't be merciful” Edrick narrowed his eyes. Then, instead of replying anything, he just slammed his forehead into his opponent's face. He heard a satisfied crunch and Gawayne's howls of pain, as for a brief moment, all strength left the other man's limbs.
With the Ironborn finally letting go of his weapon, Edrick wrapped both of his hands around Gawayne's throat. Heavily and without mercy, he began to choke him and for a second, Edrick genuinely enjoyed seeing the fear in Gawayne's eyes. Then, the howling of the Ironborn hounds forced his attention, as the beasts had finally reached them.
Jorid was the first to be tackled by one of them, the beast being nothing but a huge, growling shadow emerging from the darkness. The Northerner screamed as it knocked him over. On the other side, Alphyn was struggling against one of the hounds, desperately keeping its jaw away from his throat. More shadows rushed from the darkness and in the distance, Edrick heard the guards yell, as they rushed towards them.
This brief moment was all Gawayne needed. As Edrick glanced back at the man he was still choking, something heavy hit his face, twice in rapid succession. For a second, his vison blurred, as his grip around Gawayne's throat grew weaker. The Ironborn broke free, the sword he used to knock Edrick over now firmly in his hand again.
He rolled to the side, to avoid Darreth's boot, while taking a swing at Reymond to keep her away from him. Jumping back to his feet, he faced all three of his opponents at once, a manic grin on his face, despite the blood that was running down his nose. “This time she'll kill you all”, he spoke. “Unless you give me a reason to do it first”
Edrick narrowed his eyes, as he heard a growl from the side. Glancing towards it, he spotted one of the hounds facing him. Half a dozen were now swarming his companions, two of them pinning Jorid to the ground, two more still fighting with Alphyn, slowly dragging him to the ground. One of the beasts bit down into his calf while the other tore the fabric of his sleeve apart, though the warrior remained standing.
The hound which was glaring at Edrick was large, larger than they usually bred them in the south. There was wolf blood within its veins, he was almost sure of it. And with the ferocity of a starved beast, it threw itself at the knight, snarling and snapping, as Edrick made a stand against it. The hound crashed into him, nearly knocking him over, but he managed to hold its head away from his throat.
Others emerged from the darkness, Ironborn, with sword and axe. With a roar, Edrick pushed the hound away from him, though the beast landed on its feet, lowering its head and letting out a low growl, as it got ready to attack once again. This time, the hedge knight was ready, as he heavily kicked against its head the very moment it jumped again. The hound yelped and began to drag itself away from him, which left Edrick free to turn back to Gawayne.
The Ironborn had kept Reymond and Darreth at bay, though the moment he saw that Edrick had freed himself, he turned to him, his grin widening. “You!”, he snarled, as he took a swing at him. Edrick took a step back and the sword hit merely thin air, though Gawayne followed after him, trying to impale him with his weapon.
This time, Reymond was there, slamming into the Ironborn with her shoulder, knocking Gawayne aside. The man staggered, though he immediately narrowed his eyes and before Edrick could drag her to the side, he rammed his blade forwards, impaling Reymond's side, near the abdomen. With a scream of agony, the woman fell to the ground, clutching the injury, as blood seeped through her fingers. Within seconds, her white shirt was stained red.
For a brief moment, Gawayne seemed surprised, even shocked, that he had landed a hit on the woman. His eyes widened, as he and Edrick locked their gaze and the knight saw something else in his opponent's gaze. “I didn't want to kill her”, he claimed and he took a step back, raising his sword in a defensive position as Edrick tried to charge him.
Heavy hands held him back, as two of Gawayne's companions had grabbed him from behind. Gawayne quickly recovered from any shock he felt over the heavy injury he had dealt to Reymond- The woman was still alive, though grimacing in pain and Edrick knew, she needed a maester quickly. He clenched his teeth, as Gawayne briefly pointed his sword at him, then at Darreth.
“Surrender”, he hissed. “And I will bring her to the maester at Faronhall” He tilted his head. “Continue to fight and she'll bleed out on the way” Darreth's eyes widened, as he and Edrick exchanged a glance. The hedge knight glanced around, seeing Jorid lying on his belly, an Ironborn pinning him to the ground. Alphyn was still struggling and he saw nothing of Dante or Normund.
Then, he gave Darreth a nod. “We surrender”, he admitted, to which Gawayne lowered his sword, a sigh leaving his throat. “And here I thought you a fighter”, he spoke, as he put his weapon away. He approached the hedge knight, who had stopped to struggle against those who held him. “But so be it” Both glanced at Reymond, who was breathing heavily in clear pain. “She'll live”, the Ironborn told him. “I promise”
With this, he shook his head, as behind him, two of his men reached for Darreth, who, on Edrick's order, did not resist. “You, however...”, he mumbled, before he slammed his clenched fist into Edrick's face. “With you, I cannot promise a thing” Edrick groaned, as his vision blurred, but before he could recover from the punch, Gawayne delivered another, then another, until merciful darkness surrounded the knight.
He drifted in and out of consciousness over and over again, barely noting how they picked him up and set him on one of the horses, how they rode back to the main road and slowly back to Faronhall. Periods of complete darkness switched for moments of clear, searing pain in his swollen face. His cheek in particular was thumping and as he spat out some blood, he was sure that at least one tooth left his mouth.
By the time they had reached the courtyard of Faronhall, the periods in which he was fully conscious had grown longer again. He noticed Dante next to him, bound in chains, with Normund behind. The Karstark knight had clearly put up a fight, as the deep gash on his upper arm proved, while Normund seemed even worse than Edrick himself felt, one side of his face severely bruised, with him walking with a limp.
Two Ironborn supported him as they brought him across the courtyard. “She needs the maester”, Gawayne spoke, though he said something else, which was drowned out by the thumping within Edrick's head. He groaned, as he saw Reymond being carried away by two men. By now, she wasn't moving at all and she had her eyes closed, her wound still bleeding.
He staggered forwards and into the Great Hall, with the rest of the Ironborn and his companions behind him. Heavily, Gawayne kicked the back of his knee, as the guards let go of him and Edrick fell forwards. He barely managed to protect his injured face as he fell and for a moment, he just remained there, before he heard heavy bootsteps before him.
As he glanced up with his last strength, he looked at the cold, viciously angry face of Viveka Codd. The woman was leaning on her spear, a sword by her side, and her eyes were narrowed, as she glared down at the hedge knight. “An escape attempt”, she hissed. “I should have known better than to trust in your honour, northern dog!”
Edrick gasped, as he managed to slightly push himself up. “I... I...”, he managed to stutter out of his weak, dry throat, but Viveka cut him off. “You gave me your word!”, she spat. “We had a deal, you, me and the rest of your people. And the very first moment someone offers you a chance to escape, you take it, betraying me, betraying your word!”
Her fury was overwhelming and Edrick averted his gaze. “You took us captive in the first place!”, Darreth roared behind him, but he was silenced by a punch. Viveka crossed her arms. “You promised me the Riverborn and I trusted you”, she spoke in a vicious, disappointed tone. “I gave you a decent deal and you made a fool of me. In the future, I shall reconsider being so merciful”
Edrick couldn't claim to know Viveka well, but there was something else in her voice, in her mannerism. Something had happened while they were gone. It was in this moment that her gaze fell to the side. “Where have you been, girl?”, she spat and as Edrick followed her glare, he spotted Sylvi Codd entering the room. The girl approached them with wide eyes, her hair soaking wet, which Viveka noticed as soon as she placed a hand on her cousin's shoulder.
“I've taken a bath, Viv”, Sylvi replied, to which the woman frowned. “Better take another”, she told her. “You smell like river” Her hand heavily clenched Sylvi's shoulder. “Listen”, she hissed. “For the next week or two, I want you to stay in the castle. In your room at best, but whenever you leave it, I'll assign two good men from my guard to watch over you”
Sylvi raised an eyebrow. “What is going on?”, she asked, as she glanced past Viveka and at the captives. “What... is happening with them?” Viveka sighed. “I'm still contemplating”, she replied. “But what happened is that our situation just got a lot more difficult” She glared at Edrick. “I was hoping for results by now, but I got only shit to show”
She sighed. “Just an hour ago, a raven arrived”, she revealed. “From Harrenhal. The king is fed up with our lack of results against the Riverborn. At Harren's court, they laugh about us, about how we fail to capture a single man and how he is crippling our grip on this land” Now, Edrick noticed that her fists were clenched to the point where she was shaking, but he couldn't tell if it was fear or anger that moved her. “He is sending his firstborn son to watch over it”
What little Edrick had heard of Harren Hoare and his sons was anything but good and the gasps from those around him, predominantly Ironborn, only proved him right. Sylvi's eyes widened. “He... he is sending...”, she gasped, as even Gawayne lowered his head. Viveka gave her a nod. “You all know how I think of this”, she replied. “Each of Harren's sons are a disgrace, but there's none worse than his bitch of a firstborn”
Now, a brief smirk flashed over Gawayne's face, but he quickly straightened his back as Viveka gazed on him. “I've met Prince Harmund once, six years ago. He's been a cunt back then and from all I heard, he's only grown worse in the meantime” Several of the guards around her mumbled in agreement. “And, knowing him and my liege, they have sent the letter only after he left for Faronhall, giving us no time to prepare. I don't think he'll arrive tonight, but I expect him any day now, starting tomorrow”
“I didn't know they'd send the prince”, Sylvi gasped, to which Viveka rolled her eyes. “I know what you're thinking now”, she groaned. “But he's not like one of the charming princes you hear from in the stories” She gulped. “In fact, I don't think they'll tell stories of this man. Maybe whispered warnings, tales to frighten children, but he is no one to laugh about and certainly no one to fall for”
“What are your orders, mylady?”, Gawayne asked and Viveka shot him a brief glare. “I will try to keep him busy until we can give him the Riverborn's head on a silver platter”, she spoke. “I was hoping to please him with tales of my highborn hostages, but I hear you've been doing a fine job at killing them” These words were spoken in a low, angry snarl and Gawayne gulped. “Is... is the Lady Mormont...?”, he asked.
“Alive”, Viveka reassured him. “For now. The maester is tending to her injuries right now” She raised a finger. “But don't think I'm pleased with this. You had orders to bring them back alive and unharmed. Instead, you almost kill my most valuable hostage. Worse, she is at the least unfit to travel, so I can't even hide her in the countryside while hosting the most infamous rapist of all Westeros under my roof”
Gawayne frowned, but quickly, a sly look returned to his face. “Captain, maybe I have something for you to raise your spirits”, he spoke, as he walked past Edrick. The knight noticed how Viveka raised an eyebrow, as Gawayne pushed Normund forwards. “Lady Viveka!”, the Ironborn proclaimed loudly, as he pushed Normund to the ground. “I present to you the Riverborn!”
For a moment, it was silent within the hall. Viveka carefully mustered Normund, while Sylvi placed a hand in front of her mouth, watching the rebel with wide eyes. Then, Viveka looked back at Gawayne. “You're kidding me, aren't you?”, she asked, looking for any hint of amusement on the man's face. When she found none, she shook her head. “That boy?”, she then asked. “You're telling me the Riverborn is a boy not older than Sylvi? I've seen actual children who have thicker arms than this little bastard”
“I'm not a bastard”, Normund replied without fear. “And I am the Riverborn. I might be young, but you said it yourself, I have crippled your land. I've sabotaged your supply lines, I've stolen your shipments, I've killed the ravens you sent to Harrenhal and I have brought you to your knees” For a moment, he stood boldly in front of Viveka, until she gave him a heavy slap with the back of her hand, causing him to stagger to his knees.
“Not quite”, she spoke. “Though I must admit, I am impressed. You did all this without taking a single life. Not bad for such a scrawny fish” She glared at Gawayne. “How do I know he is speaking the truth”, she asked. “He could have lied to you” To this, Gawayne shook his head. “He had no reason to lie”, the man told her. “He didn't even know I was there when he revealed it”
The woman sighed, before she gave him a nod. Then, she looked Normund right in the eye for a few seconds, with the Riverlander glaring back at her. “So be it”, she spoke. “You've been a thorn in my side, Riverborn. You have caused genuine trouble for my people, I give you that” She placed a hand on the hilt of her sword. “Your biggest flaw is what many in this land consider your greatest virtue”, she told him. “You've done so much, but you always refused to kill”
“Because I am not like you”, Normund replied. “You are murderers, the lot of you. I've been hoping to show my people that there's a better way, that we can be better than you, that we can remain good people and still free our land” Gawayne chuckled, but Viveka didn't even smirk. “Admirable”, she admitted. “But helplessly naïve. You're not a rebel” She shook her head. “You're just a stableboy with no idea how the world works”, she spoke. “Had you killed my men while stealing our supplied and crippling our shipments, then we would have lost this land months ago”
“And now?”, Normund asked, to which Viveka drew her sword. “You are a good man”, she complimented him. “You are thoroughly wrong about the world, of course, and you are an enemy, but your way of handling things is nothing but admirable” She narrowed her eyes. “You deserve death for what you have done”, she told him and Normund sighed. “But you don't deserve what Harmund would do to you. I am not a woman of mercy, but neither do I seek to be cruel without reason”
“Viv, you can't kill him!”, Sylvi protested, but Viveka merely gave her a mild glare. “He won't be my first kill and if the Drowned God is on my side he won't be my last”, she replied. “So yeah, I am confident that I can kill him” The younger woman clenched her fists. “For a few stolen shipments and sunken boats?”, she asked, to which Viveka shook her head. “For defying our rule”, she replied. “Your father has granted me a great honour by giving these duties to me instead of one of my brothers. By doing what he did, Normund ruined your father's trust in me and he weakened our house. I pray you will understand this in time”
Sylvi gulped, as Normund gave her a small smile. “You've always been kind to me Lady Sylvi”, he told her. “You have a good heart. Don't let these people ruin you” This caused the young woman to genuinely tear up, as Normund turned to Edrick. “And Ser, I am sorry for failing you”, he spoke. “I promised you freedom and I fear I only made it worse”
Edrick shook his head. “Think nothing of it, friend”, he assured him. “You tried to help us and it's not your fault that we failed” He looked at Viveka. “Mylady, please, I urged him to free us. This is on me...” Viveka cut him off. “I'll get to you in a moment”, she hissed sharply, before she glared at Normund. “I will make it quick. Just get on your knees and present your neck. Give me a clean swing at least”
The Riverborn shook his head. “I do not kneel”, he told her. “Not to people like you” To this, the woman sighed. “Have it your way then”, she growled, as she raised her sword. Normund clenched his fists and Edrick saw that he was trembling. Sylvi had her eyes closed, turning away from the scene, while Gawayne watched it with a slight smile. And then, with a single strike, Viveka severed skin, bone and flesh, cleanly severing Normund's head from his shoulders.
Sylvi gasped and shuddered, while Viveka placed a hand on her shoulder. “Look at him”, she whispered. “I want you to look at him. You don't know death, but the sooner you do, the stronger you will be” Reluctantly, the young woman opened her eyes, tears immediately welling up within them as she looked at Normund's headless corpse. “He was my friend”, she mumbled.
“He was a traitor and a rebel and he did great harm to our family”, Viveka replied coldly. “He got exactly what he deserved, nothing less and nothing more. Should you ever find yourself in my position, it is important that you keep this in mind. They might despise you for it, but to each, give what they deserve” She gave one of her men a nod. “Bring my cousin to her room”, she ordered. “Make sure she remains well-guarded”
Tears were streaming down Sylvi's face and she was trembling, as the guard led her out of the hall almost gently. Viveka remained behind, slightly shaking her head as she overlooked the scenery. “This is a mess”, she spoke in a grim tone. “A bloody, avoidable godsforsaken mess” She turned to Edrick and her expression was inscrutable. “I sent you to bring me the Riverborn, Ser Edrick. This morning, I had three highborn hostages, we had a good deal, I didn't have to worry about Harren's pathetic runt visiting my castle and I was confident you would deliver me the Riverborn”
“In a way, he did”, Gawayne spoke up, his tone containing more than just a hint of mockery. Viveka gave him a nod. “That is true”, she agreed. “So, you see the predicament I'm in. Though the Riverborn is dead, it is too late to prevent Prince Harmund's visit and the sheer threat this poses to Sylvi. While my hostages are still here, Lady Mormont is grievously injured and might not survive this night. And then there's you...”
Edrick sighed, as he avoided her sharp glare. She had reason to be furious, he could even understand her. “If you intend to kill me, just make it quick”, he growled. To this, Viveka raised an eyebrow. “Perhaps I should”, she agreed. “You betrayed my trust and you broke your oath. And here I thought you Greenlander knights were supposed to be honourable”
“Seems we're not all that different from your people”, Edrick replied defiantly, which actually gained a chuckle from the woman. “Unfortunately”, she spoke. “My people are cutthroats and I would never trust any of them with such a deal” For a brief moment, she glanced down at her sword, as she slowly raised it.
“That being said, without you I would have nothing to show the prince”, she then said, as she lowered her weapon again. “The Riverborn is dead and that might be enough to prevent the worst when it comes to Harmund” She narrowed her eyes. “You are not highborn. He might spare Karstark and Frostborn and lucky for Reymond, she is not quite in the condition he'd find appealing”, she hissed. “But you? You know what he would do to you, don't you?”
Edrick gulped, as a memory of the Skagosi raiders he fought against in his youth flashed through his mind. “I can imagine”, he mumbled, before he looked up at her. “As I said, just get it over with. I have been a fighter all my life, I'm not afraid to die” Viveka hesitated for a moment, before she shook her head. “You will not die, Ser”, she replied. “Gawayne! I want you to take Edrick, as well as Jorid and Darreth. Lead them through the forest out of our lands. We will keep their belongings and they will remain in chains, but they are free to go once they left our borders”
For a moment, the hedge knight and the Ironborn stared at each other. Viveka seemed to take smug pleasure out of Edrick's surprise, whereas the Northerner was downright baffled. “You... just let us leave?”, he gasped, to which Viveka shrugged. “I think I made myself quite clear”, she clarified. “I will keep the highborn hostages, but the three of you have no value to me” She narrowed her eyes. “You broke your oath, but in a way, it was only through this that I've been able to actually get my hands on the Riverborn”, she explained. “I am not vengeful enough to kill you for trying to escape, but your if you stay here, I cannot guarantee for your lives” She sighed. “So, letting you go, but without weapons, supplies, your highborn companions or keys to your chains sounds like a fair compromise”
“Mylady, I don't think this...”, Gawayne spoke up, but she cut him off at once. “Frankly, I don't care for what you think, Gawayne”, Viveka hissed. “You nearly killed my most valuable hostage today. Pray that she lives and until then, I want to hear no complaint. You will lead Ser Edrick and his companions to the border of our lands. I know you don't like him, so consider this a fitting punishment”
Gawayne gulped, but said nothing, merely giving his liege lady a slight nod. Instead, a voice sounded from the far side of the Great Hall and Edrick clenched his fists as he heard him. “Lady Viveka, we had a deal as well”, Leo spoke up. “I've been here for a week now and you still haven't given me anything. Now you let Edrick and his companions free to go and me? I'm still supposed to just wait here?”
Nonchalantly, Viveka gave him a nod. “You are always free to leave”, she replied. “But I have more pressing matters to attend to than to deal with an ungrateful cunt” Edrick glanced over his shoulder and he spotted Leo standing there, trembling in anger. “You made a big speech about Edrick betraying your trust, but what about me?”, he asked. “We had a deal, but you broke it!”
Viveka shrugged. “I did”, she confirmed. “As I said, my people are all cutthroats” She smirked thinly. “Perhaps you should beg Edrick for forgiveness. I don't think he will, but that might be the only chance you still have if you want to find that lady love of yours” Leo stared at Edrick with wide eyes, opening his mouth, before closing it again and awkwardly taking a few steps back.
“Any objections?”, Viveka asked, to which Darreth rose to his feet. “Aye”, he replied. “I won't leave Dante behind” Edrick raised an eyebrow and he noticed that Dante seemed outright alarmed. “Darreth...”, the young knight whispered. “You know you should leave. If the Ironborn prince arrives, it won't be safe for you here”
Darreth managed a weak smile. “And you should know that you can't force me to leave, brother”, he told him. For a moment, the two looked at each other and Dante seemed genuinely moved. Finally, the knight nodded. “I will not force you”, he agreed, as Darreth glanced at Viveka. “I hope you'll allow me to stay”, he spoke. “But I am sworn to Ser Dante and I cannot leave his side”
The woman shrugged. “I'll tell you the same I just told poor Normund”, she replied. “Have it your way then” Darreth gave her a nod, before he saluted in front of Edrick. “I hope you can do this without me, Ser”, he spoke and Edrick shot him a smile. “Loyalty is a fine quality within a squire, Darreth”, he complimented him. “I can manage, don't worry” He glanced at Viveka. “What will happen to them?”, he asked.
Viveka crossed her arms. “What I planned to do from the very beginning”, she replied. “The lords Mormont, Karstark and Frostborn will receive letters. Once they have paid the ransom I demand, your companions will return home. This includes Darreth, if Lord Karstark is willing to pay for a squire” She narrowed her eyes. “If not, it is the mines for you”, she warned him. To this, Darreth sighed. “It is a risk I'm willing to take”, he assured her.
“So be it”, she said. “If you have anything else to say, do it now” Instead of Edrick, it was Jorid who stood up. “I think I want to say something”, he spoke, his voice slow and hesitating. As Edrick looked at the man, he noticed the barely treated injuries that clearly affected him still. “This...” He looked around, briefly frowning as his gaze fixed on the decapitated corpse of Normund. “This whole mess... you could have kept us here. You could have thrown us to the prince” He straightened his back and Edrick saw how reluctant he was to open his mouth again. “But you didn't”, he then admitted. “And.. perhaps I have misjudged you”
He quickly took a step back again, while Viveka suppressed a brief smirk. “I hope you will learn from this”, she told him. “But so be it. Edrick and Jorid will leave, now that the Riverborn is dead. Dante, Alphyn and Reymond will stay here until their families paid. Darreth remains by his knight's side at his peril” She straightened her back, as she gave Edrick a nod. “I can't say I'm not disappointed in your lack of honour”, she told him. “But I am not vindictive enough to have you killed for it. May you find her, the girl you're looking for. Bring her home”
Edrick shot her a genuine smile. “I will, mylady”, he replied. “Perhaps I haven't proven my honour today, but at least one of us did” Viveka rolled her eyes, though she at least gave him a nod. “Farewell, Ser Edrick”, she told him, before she turned around. “I will pay the maester a visit, to see how Lady Mormont is doing. I expect no further disturbances tonight” With this, she left the Great Hall, leaving behind Edrick, his companions and the Ironborn.
Gawayne sighed, as he approached Edrick and the two men glared at each other for a few seconds. “Well, let's get this over with then”, Gawayne mumbled. “I'm not happier about this than you are. A good fight, a good death, that's what you deserve, that's what I desire. But this...? It is Viveka's will, but I don't have to like it” He looked around. “If you have anything else to say, better make it quick”, he adviced him. “Not like you're going to see any of these fuckers ever again”
Edrick sighed, though he quickly frowned as he saw the first to approach him. It was none other than Leo, who sheepishly came closer. “Ser, I...”, he mumbled, as Edrick shot him a vicious, silent glare. “I wanted to... to apologize. I overreacted” He took a deep breath. “Please, allow me to come with you once ag-”
He didn't get to finish the sentence. With a roar of anger, he grabbed the young man by the throat, pushing him around and slamming him against the nearest column. Leo's eyes widened in fear, as he tried to free himself from the steely grip around his throat, to no avail. “Please...”, he managed to gasp, as Edrick began to choke him. “Please, no...”
Behind Edrick, Dante rose from the ground. “Ser”, he told him in a worried tone. “Don't harm him. He's barely worth a thought, much less any action from you. Spare him, please” Edrick briefly glanced over his shoulder and he narrowed his eyes, though Dante's words at least made him reconsider, as did the genuine fear within Leo's eyes.
[Continue to choke Leo] [Let go of him]