The Bow Of The Vale

As I finished shooting the arrows of the entire batch I was about to ask for more when father came along and patted my head affectionately.

"That is good, my boy. Excellent even, you will be the best archer in the whole of the Seven Kingdoms!" He said proudly, but his face turned serious right after. "However, even the best archer needs to know how to hold a sword. Go, take one and I will teach you one thing or another of how to deal with them."

"Okay, father." I said with fake excitement, I always was terrible at swordplay, no questions asked there. Truth be told I would be hard-pressed to find someone worse than me on it even amongst those who never took a sword before.

However, when I put my hand on the sword I could sense something as different, I could remember clearly the images of how Ellen fought, her postures and the way she used to swing her sword. It was like I had all of those images firmly on my head.

'This is my gift to you, I can't have you being unable to fight with other weapons after all. Thankfully my younger brother was not stupid enough to go against me on this, even if he is called The Warrior he is more scared of me than anyone else.' The voice of Tir Na Fal echoed in my head.

Knowing this I had to wonder if I was doing the right thing, this looked like a cheap way to victory, but I can't think like that. I have to become the very best I can and learn all I can if I want to be able to be ready when the moment to face those who I was sent to face arrive.

With that set, I took out the sword that was closest to Arifar I could find. It was nothing that great but it would do.

I positioned myself in front of father and prepared a stance.

He was smiling but when he saw my stance his face got rigid and he prepared himself just as well.

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3° Person's P.O.V.

John Arryn didn't know what to say.

He was a proud father, his son was an undeniable genius but he had to wonder if one of his guards has been teaching him in secret, after all, what other explanation would there be for his son to naturally enter a perfect stance like that?! John Arryn could not see any holes in that defense and he was in shock to realize that, his son was even more gifted than he thought!

On the side, the other warriors realized that as well and could only marble at that.

"Well f.u.c.k, that kid is an innate monster!" Robbert cursed/praised Tigre, this time Jaime didn't even notice the words of that oaf of a king, he was simply comparing himself at that age with the young Tigre and found himself lacking.

That was probably the first real blow to the self-confidence of Jaime who always prided himself of being a genius at fighting.

Father and son started fighting and the two clashed blades quickly, the child much faster than John expected and if not for his longer reach and experience he might even have been on a disadvantage. Seeing that he was not going to win this Tigre started moving back, his father advancing with him until they were close to the place where the weapons were put and without thinking much Tigre took the spear there, dropping the sword for the spear his movements changed and now he was moving like another Vanadis he knew well, Ludmila.

Her style was completely different from that of Ellen and was less instinctive and, instead, it was born from years of practice that Tigre was putting forward in a spearmanship that would not lose even to Obery Martel, the Red Viper.

The spectators could only look in shock as, in the end, the kid did in fact lost but only due to being physically spent and not due to his father actually defeating him.

Everyone around could only stare in bewilderment until someone spoke out.

"Seven hells, that kid will be a monster when he grows up!" Robbert said in a booming voice, suddenly feeling that maybe he should spend some more time in training instead of only drinking and whoring, he had to keep in shape or the 'demon of the trident' just might lose to a child on a few more years.

John, by his part, was brimming with pride at his son. Yes, this is what he wanted, someone who he knew he could trust the Vale to without worries. His only concern was finding someone to go and actually replace him so as to leave John the option of focus on this brilliant genius of his. John was already quite old, more than sixty years old by this point, and he was starting to think that perhaps another should replace him.

John then talked to his son.

"Child, how did you learn to move like that?" He asked and, to Tigre, it looked way too much like a kind grandpa instead of a father.

"... I just felt it was natural." He said and it was not untrue, he was only doing what was natural after what Tir Na Fal did to him. It was still weird, though, to be able to actually fight with something besides his bow. Well, he still rather preffered the bow anyway so it wouldn't make that big of a difference.

"Very well, you indeed are quite good with fighting but you still need to work on your stamina. I have many other matters to attend right now but the guards here will look after your training and tell me all about it in the evening." John said and Tigre nodded, he then was to start exercising and not long after most others onlookers went away, the one exception that actually went and joined Tigre was the son of Stannis' previous marriage.

As Tigre was running l.a.p.s the son of Stannis' first marriage started jogging beside him.

The two didn't speak a thing, Tigre because he didn't recognize the one beside him and Roland because he was thinking about how to talk first.

Finally the older boy spoke up first.

"... You were quite ingenious back then, your trick that almost defeated my Navarre knights still impresses me." Roland said to Tigre who was shocked in hearing this and when he tried to turn to see the person that spoke he tripped on his own feet and ended up face-first on the floor.

Roland, seeing this, could only shake his head internally. He knew that the boy would be invaluable as an ally but he really could be clumsy sometimes.

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Later that day the two looked for somewhere to talk in private. They found a deserted room and Roland was about to speak when Tigre raised his hand for Roland to wait. The older boy nodded and Tigre moved to the walls and started hitting them with his hands to hear the sounds and after a minute he finished examining the walls and looked at the floor where he hit it a few times with his feet and after testing for a while took out a pair of short swords he took with him and looked at a wall he went before and spoke.

"Come out now, I know there isn't others here beside you on the wall." He said and nothing happened for a while before the sound of hasty steps could be heard there and Tigre finally relaxed.

Roland, seeing this, shock his head.

"This place really disgusts me, there isn't any honor here and every wall has ears and eyes." Roland said. "It is almost like there are copies of Thernadier and Ganelon here, just more numerous and even more obvious in their d.e.s.i.r.e for power."

"I guess so, honestly I never really left this castle until now so I wouldn't be able to say." Tigre admitted. "But, are you really Roland?"

"Yes, I am. And, as a Brune knight, I must ask what happened back there. Was his majesty safe? And of the nation?" Roland asked with both hands on Tigre's shoulders and squeezed a bit too strongly, Tigre might have been blessed in some ways to now be able to fight as the Vanadis of his previous life but Roland had a strength in his arms that was much greater than Tigre's own.

Tigre, seeing the face of the man who he knew was the best knight he has ever met and completely loyal to Brune, decided to speak of everything that happened.

Of the invasion of the Muozinel invasion and the fights there, of Tigre saving the prince who turned out to be a princess, of fighting Ternadhier who tried to take over the throne, of the Saint-Groel incident, of the end of the civil war, of receiving the title of Knight of the Moonlight by the king, of his majesty passing (at this point Tigre had to stop as Roland cried due to the information), and continued about the other subjects involving Brune like the quelling a rebellion made by the cousin of Regin and wife of Thernadier and saving Regin, of the demons that appeared, of being appointed as king to Zchteid by the previous king, of making the preparations for a marriage with Regin which would make him king of both Zchteid and Brune (at that Roland was especially shocked but before the knight inside a child's body could acuse him of anything Tigre explained that he only decided to do so because he would never abandon Brune and would always be a citizen of Brune inside and forever would protect them), of how, before the procedures took place, him and the Vanadis fighting against the demons and how Tigre died to give the finishing blow to the demon before he could injury or kill any other person.

Rolan heard this and was stumped in silence for a few good moments before he nodded to himself.

"Very well, I believe in what you say." Roland said and Tigre sighed in relief, even he knew his tale, truth as it may be, was far fetched at best and most intelligent people would never believe it, but Roland knew Tigre was no liar and he could well imagine the boy who would face him and his Durandal with only a bow and no armor would be daring enough to try those things.

Tigre was about to say more when he gapped in shock, after all it was not every day that you see Roland kneeling in front of you.

"We might no longer be on our previous world and you might not have been crowned king but I will still make this pledge of fealty to you, my sword is yours to comand from this day to the end of my days." Roland said and Tigre was stunned for a moment before scrambling forward to the kneeling boy and pulling him upward.

"Stand, please stand sir Rolland. There is no need to act like that." Tigre said in a rush, he was not one to enjoy these sort of actions. "Why not just be my friend? When I need help I will ask and when you need help you ask, this would be better. So, friends?" Tigre pushed his right hand forward for a handshake.

Roland looked at Tigre and for a moment he felt like he was looking at the king he swore to so long ago, a king who saw more than a peasant who was good with a blade and that saw him as a friend.

Roland smiled, despite what Tigre might say Roland was already firm on his decision of allegiance but if the younger boy wanted to put it in other words that was fine as well.

"Friends." Roland said, shaking hands with Tigre while adding inside the words 'My Majesty'.