Chapter 80: Corian Sussman
"We beat the truth out of them," Ian continued, his voice low and serious in the lamplight of the safe house. "The traitors had scattered at the crossroads. Some remained in the area, but the ones carrying the Valyrian steel sword had fled south, toward the capital."
"So, the first mate of the Laughing Lion and I decided to split our forces. I led a party to hunt down and annihilate the rebels lingering near the crossroads, while he rode for King's Landing to track the others."
"A week ago, I received a letter. The first mate had found them. He believed the traitors were hiding somewhere in the labyrinth of Flea Bottom."
"And where is the first mate now?" Ser Grantham asked, leaning forward.
"I don't know," Ian admitted, a flicker of genuine concern in his eyes. "By all rights, he should have been here waiting for me. I fear something unexpected has happened. Thankfully, his letter contained a number of clues for me to follow."
"Then why not go to the Red Keep for aid?" Grantham pressed, voicing the obvious question. "Her Grace, the Queen, is a Lannister. Surely she would help you."
The next morning, Ian got the meeting he wanted.
A group of six or seven sailors arrived in the courtyard of his rented house. Ian invited their leader, along with his first and second mates, into the main hall.
The leader stepped inside and pulled back his hood, revealing a thin, weather-beaten face. His light blue eyes were sharp and appraising as they fixed on Ian.
"I am Ser Lucian Lannister, son of Ser Gerion Lannister," Ian introduced himself first, gesturing to the man beside him. "This is Ser Grantham, my captain of the guard."
"Corian Sussman," the man replied, his voice raspy from sea salt and wind. "Captain of the Shayara's Dance. This is my first mate, Sador, and my second mate, Burris. I believe you've already met him. He's the reason I'm here." Corian's gaze was direct. "I hear you have need of our help."
"Please, friends, take a seat. I've had wine brought. This is a long story."
For the next several minutes, Ian recounted the same tale he had told Ser Grantham the night before. This, in fact, had been his plan all along. By telling Grantham first, he had used his captain as a sounding board, allowing him to ask questions and helping Ian patch any potential loopholes in the narrative.
He and Grantham already had a solid contract of employment; a few inconsistencies wouldn't affect their arrangement. But the version he presented to Corian Sussman had to be flawless.
"So," Ian concluded after finishing his tale, "if you can aid me in my... counter-insurgency activities, I will pay you a reward of two hundred gold dragons upon completion."
"Two hundred silver stags?" Burris blurted out, his eyes wide. "My apologies, I must have misheard." The number was so large it was difficult for him to comprehend.
He was part of the most lucrative trade of the era—the long sea voyages—but even on a trip from Westeros to the fabled city of Yi Ti on the Jade Sea, a common sailor might only earn two or three gold dragons. As second mate, the most Burris had ever earned from a single, year-long voyage was less than twenty.
"Two hundred gold dragons," Ian confirmed, his voice firm. "And if your contribution proves significant enough, that number can be increased."
"And how long would we be in your service?" Burris asked, his mind racing. If the duration was short, this was the deal of a lifetime.
"That depends on how quickly we find these traitors," Ian said. "Perhaps a week, perhaps two. But I can promise you it will not be longer than that."
In truth, Ian thought, if we don't find a clear clue within three days, I'll simply buy the fourth one from the system. Any further delay would jeopardize my journey to Pentos.
"But why us?" This time, it was the captain, Corian, who spoke. His question was nearly identical to Grantham's. "Why not simply go to the Red Keep and borrow soldiers? You are a Lannister, are you not?"
Ian let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping as if under a great weight. "Because my father died in the mutiny," he said, his voice laced with sorrow. "And my father and mother... their marriage was a secret. My mother was a commoner, never recognized by my family. I need that Valyrian steel sword. Only by recovering it can I prove my worth to my uncle, Lord Tywin. Only then can I earn a true Lannister identity."
He looked Corian in the eye. "If I go to the Red Keep now, destitute and desperate, I will receive nothing but a joke from my cousin Jaime. He told me before we ever set sail that we would never find our family's lost sword. If I go to him like this and ask him to use the household guard to retrieve the blade, then the glory will be his, not mine. All this will have been for nothing. I will forever remain the unrecognized, fatherless Lannister."
"You speak of Jaime... the Kingslayer?" Corian asked, then quickly added, "Apologies. No offense meant."
"Yes," Ian confirmed. "He is my cousin."
"He may already be gone from King's Landing," Corian mused. "Left with the King's party this very morning, they say. Headed for Winterfell." He waved a hand dismissively. "But that is not important. What is important is that we accept your offer. We will fight for you, my lord. I only hope that when you have found your fortune, you will not forget the friendship we forged when you were at your lowest."
"How many men can you provide?"
"Twenty-two of my finest sailors from the Shayara's Dance," Corian replied. "And some others who are less skilled in a fight, if you need the numbers."
"I only require soldiers," Ian said with a smile. The men were a welcome and unexpected boon. "The others will not be necessary, unless an accident befalls us."
Ian immediately began deploying his forces. He divided the newly recruited sailors into two groups. The first remained under the personal command of Captain Corian, who rented the house adjacent to Ian's, ready to act at a moment's notice. The second group, led by the first mate Sador, was placed under the temporary command of Ser Grantham. They would be stationed at the port alongside Grantham's own mercenary company.
With the number of remaining players now at sixty-nine, Ian knew the vast majority must have realized the significance of their starting equipment. He cast a wide net at the port of King's Landing, employing two distinct strategies.
The first was the familiar "fishing" tactic from the Crossroads Inn. He had a sellsword don the conspicuous starting armor of a mercenary knight and wander the docks. It might not yield a direct catch as it did before, but if it attracted another player's attention, it could lure them into making a move.
The second plan was to focus on inbound ships, specifically those arriving from Pentos. If any passenger disembarked and headed for Flea Bottom, Ian's men were to find an opportunity to strike.
To support this second plan, Ian dispatched Denzel's adjutant with their mercenary company into Flea Bottom itself. There, they would set up their own version of the "hedge knight" trap.
Finally, Ian summoned Dorian the Black Falcon, his mission with Ser Symon now complete. Of the twenty skilled men Dorian had brought to King's Landing, Ian scattered half across the city as spies and informants. The other ten remained at his house, tasked with his personal security.
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