A Valyrian Bastard

[Ashelotte Sand]

"You gave it to her? How did you know her? Who are you?" The questions came rushing out of her mouth before she could stop them. This man had known her mother? Was he family? Why hadn't he looked for her before? Maybe he simply hadn't know she existed. She didn't quite pick up on the possibility that he was her father. She was a rather bright young girl, but even that idea seemed to far fetched to be real to her. She glanced up at him, studying his face. They did look very similar. Her mother had always told her she looked more like her father.

"My mother was a rather sickly woman. Sometimes she'd be okay, but there were many times she'd be sick. She'd cough blood, and had to stay in bed all day. I did what I could to take care of her, but her medicine was so expensive. Sometimes I couldn't make enough money to get it for her. The last time she got sick, I almost had the money but the man I uh... borrowed it from turned me into the guard. They took pity on me and let me go, but I had to give back the money. Mother died soon after. I was six then. I've lived like this ever since then," she explained, still totally emotionless. The story would be enough to make the average man cry, but she spoke as if it was all just a story, like none of it was even real.

[Solan Dayne]

He stood there, staring with wide eyes as he listened to the words and did nothing but lean forward and hug the nine year old with a sad look on his face that bordered on complete and utter sorrow. "Thank you... and im Solan Dayne, your mother and i had... well i don't know... but i am sure now that i am your father... I gave your necklace to her the night before she left to return here, i had planned to find her again and i was going to. But i never gained the chance." 

He had nothing more to say, his eyes cast down at the ground as he held the girl that had to be his daughter. "Im sorry... look if you will forgive me i want you to come with me. I can give you a home, and food, clothing... if you accept that is." He sighed as he held the small nine year old, sure he had known the girls mother for only a week but it had been the one time when he had felt that he was close to someone other than family in his life and now he knelt here holding the only other thing that he now regretted more than ever not going after. He was happy he had sent his knights back to the ship, if someone saw the normally composed Dayne holding a nine year old like this, it would no doubt make a fool out of himself explaining such a thing.

[Ashelotte Sand]

"I... You're my father? Where have you been? Why didn't you come to find me and mother? Why didn't you help us?" she asked, sounding a bit angry. It was the only emotion the girl ever really showed, anger. She glared at up the man who was holding her for a few moments before the expression fades. She may show anger, but never for more than a few moments. She contemplated his offer. He had promised to give her a place to live, and food. She bit her lip as she considered the idea. Having a home again could be nice.

"Is it far from here? Where you live I mean. Would I ever have to come back? As long as I don't find myself back on the streets, I might like to go with you," she replied, after carefully considering the idea. "And what's a 'Dayne'? I think I've heard that name before."

She waited patiently for him to answer her, remaining there in his arms but not moving to hug him back. Suddenly having a father was quite a shock, and she was already emotionally impaired due to the life she had lived. The young girl had no idea how she should act in such a scenario. If she was his daughter, did that make her a noblewoman now? She wasn't sure she liked that idea. Surely she'd seem so stupid to the high class lords and ladies this man dealt with on a regular basis. Was it really a good idea for him to take care of her?

[Solan Dayne]

"Im sorry, i had duties that left me unable to come find your mother, i would have but i couldn't. Trust me, for the week i knew your mother i hadn't thought it could ever happen again..." He held her for a few more moments as he listened to her words and nodded. "I will tell you about it while we walk and eat, ok?"

He smiled, he finally had someone in his life again that wasn't constant family. Sure she was a bastard but he cared not an inch about that as this was the only thing that was left of the girl's mother. He atleast owed it to her for leaving her behind and then causing her such pain... had she been sick in Sunspear, maybe he should have taken her to Starfall, if he had done that sure it would have looked worse for him but asleast she would still be alive right?

His eyes traveled down and looked at the girl, who returned to her emotionless state and he began to tell her about his and her home should she come with him. "A Dayne is a name, my name and once you are legitimized your surname, the one that comes after Ashelotte. You are a Dayne, Ashelotte, and im going to make sure everyone knows that... You see the star on your Necklace, that is a symbol of my family, and now yours. And as for if it is far, yes it is. Probably farther than anything else you have ever seen before. But first i have to go meet someone which means we probably wont see home for a long time. Are you ok with that? You only have to come back here if you want to... and when we return home, you can help me plant a new thing in the garden i keep. Something so that we can remember your mother."

[Ashelotte Sand]

"I don't have to live on the street anymore?" the child asked, looking up at him a bit confused. His explanation made a bit of sense to her, though she wasn't fully convinced he was her father. She glanced down at the necklace she wore, running her fingers over the cool blue stone. If he was her father, did that make her some kind of princess or something? She wasn't sure and she didn't know how to ask. Some strange feeling began to stir inside her as she walked along, holding his hand. She wasn't quite sure what it was, but it felt nice. Ashe decided that whatever the feeling was, she liked it.

"What's home like? Do you live in a castle? Is it big? What's the garden like? Who do you have to meet before we go home? Is it okay for me to call it home?" the little girl asked question after question as they walked. She seemed very curious about his life. She still showed little to no emotion, but it was a step up. Usually getting her to say more than a few words at a time was rather difficult. She was curious by nature, but she never really had anyone to talk to so most of her questions went unasked and unanswered. She kept staring up at him curiously, as if she didn't believe her was really there, which was understandable, in the span of maybe an hour she had gone from having no one, to having a father.

[Solan Dayne]

He laughed as the questions rammed into him like the falling star that was forged into the blade that was Dawn. It was so... entertaining he couldn't help but laugh as she finished and returned to her normal state which is when he talked. "Hey, you know you can show emotions when ever you want, be it sad, happy, angry, curious. All of them are things you wont be reprimanded for... though there are times when you must be silent too and have that expression. As for living on the streets, only if you want to. And if so it would appear the people of Starfall's lord will be sleeping on the streets with you because i am not letting you run off to go and get dirty like this anymore. Ok?" His smile grew as she had gotten so curious it reminded him of himself. 'Looks of her mother, and my curiosity, dangerous combination...'

He thought about her questions and raised a hand as they walked, putting up a finger to signify the number one. "One question for one answer, think you can do that?" He smiled, this would help the girl to think about his answers as well as let him better describe her other questions without losing track of them. "Now what was your first question again, about what our home was like?" He smiled as the usage of our told her that she was able to call it her home to because it was as far as Solan was concerned. His daughter would be welcomed there and he would make certain of this with fire and sword if he had to.

[Ashelotte Sand]

Ashelotte nodded as he spoke. She wasn't sure if showing her emotions would be as easy as he said. Most of them didn't even register in her mind anymore. She couldn't really remember what sadness or happiness felt like. She squeezed his hand a bit tighter as she tripped on a loose stone in the pavement, using him to regain her balance quickly.

"Yeah, what's our home like, Mr. Dayne?" She added the last part because she wasn't sure how he would respond to her calling him father. The girl wasn't even sure she was ready to call him father. The young girl was still getting used to the idea. As they walked she kept glancing down at the ragged dress that covered her. It looked like it may have been blue at one point, but beneath all the dirt it was hard to tell. She ran her free hand through her hair, wincing as it snagged on the many tangles she had accumulated. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had a bath and brushed her hair. It had probably been a long time. What a sight the two of them must be. A noble walking along holding the hand of a dirty street rat. She wondered how many people were silently judging them as they passed by the pair. She bet it was a lot of them.

"What's it like being on a boat?" she would asked after he answered her first question. She had seen plenty of boats down by the docks, but she had never gotten to ride on one.

[Solan Dayne]

"Imagine a castle, but not a dark, imposing castle. A Beautiful one with gardens and a river nearby where there are children fetching water or just washing off in it and having fun. And off in the distance a desert where my leader and his people live. The Garden i talked about though, that is something you get to see every day, its a beautiful place with plenty of room and something you can help me take care of if you want. You can even meet your aunt and cousin if he ever returns to the city..." Talking about it kind of made Solan a little sad, he had worked so hard on creating the perfect place for himself in Starfall that he was disappointed for a moment in his personal plans.

"As for a ship, it rocks alot and can make you sick, but don't worry. I can make something that doesn't taste the best but will keep you from tossing your lunch over the side of teh ship day after day." He walked with her up harbor and pointed to a ship they were nearing. "Thats the one i came on, see the star on one of the standard... err flags. That is something you must always look for. It means safety and family is nearby, never get too far away from someone who carries the falling star on them." He smiled at her as he stopped and looked at her before bending down a bit and grinning. "Are you sure you still want to come?"

[Ashelotte Sand]

"The idea of having a lunch to end up tossing over the side of your ship each day is enough to make me sure I want to come. I've never been well fed. I live in an abandoned warehouse and I steal to eat. If I go with you, I'll have food, and a home. I'll have a family. Ever since my mother died the one thing I have wanted was a family. I am sure I want to go with you," Ashelotte replied after a few moments of careful thought. She looked up at Solan as she spoke, certainty written on her face. It was a rather rare expression to see on a child.

She paid close attention to the ship he had pointed at, studying the flag and nodding. Anyone who bore that symbol would have to protect her? It almost made her laugh. She hadn't had anyone to protect her in so long that the idea of people now being required to keep her safe seemed so unrealistic it was funny. The young girl smiled at bit as the neared the ship. She looked up at Solan again, waiting for further signal from him as to what to do next. While she waited another question formed in her mind. "Do I have to call you Father?"

She sounded equal parts hopeful and confused as she spoke. She had never had a Father before and she wasn't sure she was ready to call him such yet. However, she also had longed for a father all her life, and finally having him there was like a dream come true.