A Clash of Kings-Chapter 11

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Theon I
A Clash of Kings chapter
AClashOfKings.jpg
POV Theon
Place Aboard the Myraham on the Ironman's Bay - Pyke
Page 121 UK HC (Other versions)
Chapter chronology (All)
Davos I  ← Theon I →  Daenerys I

Theon II

Theon Greyjoy arrives at Lordsport and then Pyke with none of the fanfare he was expecting. When he finally meets with his father, Balon Greyjoy, his father only derides him for his clothing, and after seeing the letter that Theon thought would eventually give him a crown, his father throws it in the fire. He tells Theon that he will not ally with Robb Stark but instead carve out a kingdom on his own.

Synopsis

Theon insists that the southern merchant ship from Oldtown Myraham approach the island towards Pyke, much to the disgust of the captain. The last time Theon saw Pyke was when he was leaving on Robert Baratheon’s war galley, taking him to be a ward of Eddard Stark. Behind the castle he can see the Red Comet, which he considers his comet. He is feeling good, considering the paper Robb Stark gave him as good as a crown. Pressing against him is the captain’s daughter. Theon is disgusted at the captain and crew not being willing or able to approach as close as he would wish or as close as a longship from the Iron Islands could. The merchant ship also took twice as long as a longship to arrive here. Theon thinks that each Iron Islands captain was king aboard his ship, which is why the Iron Islands were named “the land of ten thousand kings.” Theon tells the captain to fetch him when they make Lordsport, and goes down to the captain’s cabin with his daughter; the captain offered Theon the cabin, but the girl came on her own, much to the captain’s displeasure.

Once in the cabin, Theon starts undressing her, and tells her about the hard life on the Iron Islands. She offers to come with him to be his Salt wife, but he refuses. Theon thinks she is stupid, but does not require his women to be smart. She asks for him to enter her again, but he demands she take him in her mouth. Theon considers the Old Way, when the ironmen lived by the axe and took what they wanted. That ended with the coming of Aegon the Dragon, who gave the Riverlands to the Tullys and banished the ironmen back to the Iron Islands. Theon reminisces that his father raised his banners in rebellion more to bring back the Old Way than for the empty vanity of a crown. He vows to himself that he will never again go far from the sea. As the girl pleads for him to take her as his salt wife, Theon insits that his place is at Pyke and hers on the ship. She tells him she cannot stay, or her father will punish her. Theon responds that she is probably with child, and her father should be pleased since it would be an honor to raise a king’s bastard. He leaves her for the deck.

From the deck he can see Lordsport filled with ships. The last time he saw the port, it was a smoking ruin. Now a new three storied inn replaces the old inn half its size, but the sept has not been replaced. Among the 50-60 longships he can see the banners of House Goodbrother, House Wynch and House Harlaw. He cannot see his uncle Euron Greyjoy’s Silence, but does spy his father’s Great Kraken. It is obvious to Theon that the longships are hosting. He wonders if his father anticipated his message. Robb Stark has sent ravens, and Jason Mallister sent more birds when they found no longship waiting for him. He wonders who will meet him at the quayside, their steward Sylas Sourmouth or Lord Sawane Botley, or Dagmer.

There seems to be no one to meet him, and no one seems to recognize him, which angers Theon. He orders a horse from an innskeep. The innskeep demands to know where Theon is going, and he angrily replies Pyke. The innskeep is about to send his boy to show him the way, which further angers Theon, when they he hear his uncle Aeron Damphair's call. He does not recognize him immediately but then remembers his father writing about Aeron going down in a storm, and when he washed up, he turned holy. This sour priest of the Drowned God states he will take Theon to his father’s house. Theon asks for his things, and the girl brings him his pack, telling him she loves him; he replies that he must go.

Theon asks Aeron why he did not receive a more formal greeting, and is told he is not to question the Lord Reaper of Pyke; Theon remembers his uncle used to be jovial, but now he is chilly. Then, Aeron asks if Theon prays to the Starks' gods, and Theon says no. Aeron is pleased and demands that Theon kneel, and then drenches his hair with seawater from a waterskin, saying: "Let Theon your servant be born again from the sea, as you were. Bless him with salt, bless him with stone, bless him with steel." He then asks if Theon remembers the words and Theon replies: "What is dead may never die." Aeron continues: "What is dead may never die, but rises again, harder and stronger."

Aeron then leads him to Pyke. Along the way Aeron replies to Theon's question on if the islands have changed with the statement that the islands are as their god made them. Theon then asks if his mother and sister are at Pyke, and is told his mother is with her sister in Harlaw and his sister has taken Black Wind to Great Wyk with a message from his father. He then asks Aeron why he became so serious, and Aeron responds he was young and vain, but now the Drowned God has shown him the way. When Theon asks what his father's plans are for the host he has called, Aeron only says his father may tell him at Pyke. Angered, Theon tells Aeron he is the heir, but Aeron replies that this will be seen, as, while his brothers are dead, his sister lives. Theon angrily insists that he will not be cheated. Aeron retorts that his father will not hand over the Iron Islands to a Stark.

Theon remembers his life at Winterfell. Eddard occasionally tried to be a father to him, but Theon could not forget that he had brought destruction to Pyke. He felt somewhat like a brother towards Robb, but Jon Snow was sullen and seemed to be jealous of his position and relationship to Robb, and the other children were much younger. The whole castle knew he was a hostage, and treated him thus, particularly Catelyn. On this trip to the Iron Islands he has been friendly with Patrek Mallister, but his father Lord Jason Mallister noticed and does not approve of his son being friendly with a Reaver; Lord Jason killed Theon’s brother Rodrik Greyjoy when he stormed Seagard. He thinks of his father and uncles as old men with their biases and feuds.

Theon tells Aeron that Robb is now Lord of Winterfell, and that he has broken fealty with the Iron Throne. Aeron replies this is old news; it was brought by the ravens. When Aeron states that each day is much like the last, Theon disagrees, telling him the Red Comet is said to be a herald of a new age, a messenger from the gods. Aeron declares it is a sign from the Drowned God, not the others' gods, proclaiming a rising tide and signalling that it is time to hoist the sails and go forth into the world with fire and sword, like the Drowned God himself.

They reach Pyke at sunset. Theon can see that parts of the castle that had been destroyed when Robert and Eddard captured it have since been replaced. There is no one to meet him, and nobody seems to even notice that the heir has returned- There is only the stableman for his horse and an old crone to show him to his chambers. His uncle hastily departs, stating he has to deal with god’s business. When he asks why his father did not meet him, the crone, who names herself Helya and steward, replies that his father is in the Sea Tower and will see him after he has rested. Theon is told that the steward Sylas has been dead for 5 years, and Maester Qalen has been replaced by Maester Wendamyr. She leads him to his chambers in the Bloody Keep, where a thousand years before the sons of the River King were slaughtered, not to the Sea Tower as expected. The chambers are in bad disrepair and have clearly not been used in a long time. He asks for a basin of hot water and for the braziers to be lit in the other rooms to drive out the chill. Helya says she will do so and then flees. It takes a long time for the basin to arrive and it contains tepid seawater. He cleans up and dresses in his finest clothes. Before he leaves, he warns the thralls that he expects clean rushes and a warm room when he returns.

The way to the Sea Tower includes a rope and wood bridge that sways underfoot, and he is amazed that as a boy he would run across it. After a curt word with the guard at the door, he climbs to the solar where his father waits. As they talk, there is a coldness in Balon towards Theon, and he accuses him of being an envoy. When Theon states he is Robb’s envoy, Balon notes that he promised to outlive both Eddard and Robert, who broke his walls, and he does, but he still aches. Then, he accuses Theon of dressing like a woman with his velvets and silks, and then asks if the gold chain around his neck was bought (a warrior only wears the jewelry he takes off a corpse). When Theon blushes, his father pulls the chain off him, and tells him his sister has taken an axe for lover, and he will not have a son that dresses as a whore. He then claims the green lands have made Theon soft. Theon tries to tell his father that he will like what is in the letter he brings from Robb Stark, and that Robb heeds his council. He is about to state that Robb looks on him as an older brother, but his father stops him, saying he will not hear him call the son of the man that killed Balon’s sons his brother; the truth is that Eddard was responsible for neither death.

When Balon reads the letter he is unimpressed, saying Robb promises nothing, only that Theon speaks for him. Balon throws the letter into the fire, exclaiming that he does not need to be given a crown, he can take one and pay the iron price. When Theon asks if his father has gone mad, he slaps him, telling him that he will not speak to him so, and he will take his crown as Urron Redhand did 5000 years previously. He has called is host to take on lands that are ripe and undefended; Casterly Rock is too strong and Tywin Lannister too cunning.

References and Notes

See also