Chapter 27

“Is this all that you could find, Decran?” Ser Gregor Clegane, his face looking even less human by the moment.

“You’re lucky that I found this lot, Ser Gregor. Even half of the men who I found would probably betray you for enough coin. I would advise you to watch your back, but I suspect that none of these poor fellows, not even all of them, could take you down. They would be dead men within the hour. Incidentally, if any of us die, it would be best not to break the new law, at least for now. You know, the one mandating that we burn all corpses, just in case they wonder why, if nothing else,” Decran Hill grimaced as he recalled his difficulty in rounding up Lannister deserters who might join them.

“They look like deserters,” Ser Gregor groused as he tossed back some wine.

“They are, mostly. Where else do you expect to find living Lannister bannermen who aren’t in irons? Look around you, Ser Gregor. You were the realist, just days ago, telling me to let go of the Faith and all that. You were right, judging by the way that the septons and septas are being forced into a ‘Walk of Atonement’ now. These men won’t die needlessly for a hopeless cause, but they might well fight for some coin. They could still make decent sellswords if they can regain their courage. They’re not mighty warriors like you, but still killers enough for a raid or two,” Decran assured the Mountain, wisely not pointing out that Ser Gregor himself had deserted Cersei Lannister.

“Seven Hells, I hope that you’re right! I would hate to have to carry this lot through every single fight,” Ser Gregor waved his hand dismissively before inspecting the troops closer.

“Men, this is your new captain, Ser Gregor Clegane. The Mountain,” Decran announced to his new company that he had hastily paid to fight for him.

“The Mountain, a wanted outlaw? There’s a price on this man’s head larger than any coin that you could give us, you know,” one man spoke up, but only for seconds.

He didn’t live longer than that. Ser Gregor reached down, picked him up by his throat, and snapped his neck faster than a twig. He fell dead like a stone, smelling of piss and shit from voiding himself as he died. Decran gestured to two of the new recruits, who seized the corpse, set it aside, lined it with pitch, and set it ablaze. They fell back into line, minus the gap left by the dead man, into which Decran now placed himself.

“Alright, you lot, any of you others have silly notions of turning me in? Step forward now, and your death will be nice and quick like his. Betray me later, and I will crush your cock and balls first! Then I’ll bugger you, and only then will I kill you by crushing your skull as I did with the Viper’s. Well, any takers?” Ser Gregor demanded, making three men piss themselves, but no one accepted his offer.

“Very wise of you, as long as you don’t betray me later. If you, you’ll wish that you’d taken me up on that offer. Now, listen up! We’re a small company of sellswords, we have no paymaster, so we’ll have to do some reaving to get coin to go to Essos! We don’t have coin for whores yet. That will have to be earned.

“This, however, is Ashlyh. Her bottom’s mine and ONLY MINE, but her twat is up for grabs ... to those who earn it! For now, that’s limited to Decran. He’s already earned it. Fight well, and you get a turn with her. Fight poorly, and you might never get to fuck again,” the Mountain mimicked a gesture of him crushing a man’s privy parts to make his point.

“Why is she naked?” one dared to ask after seeing just how scared the nude girl was.

“Because she’s a piece of meat and pieces of meat don’t get clothes! When we’re rich enough to pay for whores, I’m selling her to slavers in Essos! She can spend the rest of her days, sucking the cocks of scared and guilty Norvoshi priests in the pleasure houses of Lys! Any more questions?” Ser Gregor asserted, glaring at the man to shut him up.

“Any of you try to run away with her, I’ll find you both and bugger the man, while Ser Gregor decides what to do with Ashlyh himself,” Decran added to reinforce his own meanness as the Mountain’s deputy.

There was definitely a hush after that.

“So, you lousy whores, let’s go find a place to sack, and then we’ll have our first coin. Also, if you can find a woman and rape her, well, that’s good, but then share her with the company afterward. Don’t hoard her. Let us all have a turn!” Decran’s smile twisted as he considered just what he was becoming now.

Oh, well, if the Gods didn’t want him turned into a mad dog, they should have fed him better in the kennel. Now he was unleashed, though not as fearsome as the Mountain. There was a steel in Decran’s spine that stiffened and another part of his heart grew colder with each act that he did. Every day lately that he ravaged Ashlyh’s cunt, he noticed himself more deaf to her cries and pleas for mercy, for instance. If she harbored any hopes that he would be better than Ser Gregor, well he was, but only by degrees. At least he didn’t bugger her the way that the Mountain did, but that was the extent of his kindness.

Ashlyh felt constantly dark clouds arise in her mind’s eye, remembering fondly still the loving ways of Ser Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer. Even Cersei, for all of her horrible reputation, had been kinder to Ashlyh Waters than either Ser Gregor Clegane or Decran Hill. Now, however, she could still feel her insides burning, feel the soreness and pain in both holes from constant rape. Her bunghole was never safe from the Mountain, her cunny from Decran, and the difference between them was only the sheer extent of the agony. They were both rapers now.

Now, of course, Ashlyh was threatened with more rape at the hands of yet more soldiers. She didn’t know how much more she could stand. She was always naked, she always felt herself in horrific pain. Yet she knew that without a man to succor her, at great risk to himself, she would never be free of this lot, this company of sellswords and reavers. They weren’t Lannister men, not anymore. House Lannister was finished, except for Lord Tyrion Lannister, and he served the King and Queen who brought it down.