Oberyn sat preparing his weapons and his armour. Training dolls scattered the keep grounds, each one a hulking pile of straw several feet higher than he was and each one cut at least in two.

"It's not too late to withdraw, Tyrion is yet to proclaim you as his champion, nobody will know." Shards of sunlight danced off the blade as Oberyn ran the already razor-sharp edge along the grindstone. "Nobody will see you as a coward, it will not be a dark stain in the Martell history books."

"I am not worried about that." His intense focus on the spear's head did not diminish. "This man, this... beast needs to perish, and it needs to be at my hands, by my spear. I fear that even old age is brushed off by this thing. I need to wipe it off the face of Westeros, even animals behave out of cages but this one has less self-control."

"Oberyn, I know this is about your sister." His eyes finally removed themselves from the spinning whetstone, his foot released from the pedal and it came to a slow stop.

"Oh really? What gave it away? Is it the fact that he raped my sister and then slaughtered her and her children?"

"This is the reason you can not be Tyrion's champion. You are too close to this. Clegane kills because he enjoys it, to him it is a mere past time, but you're drive is... anger, it is hatred. When you are fighting emotions can not cloud your judgement."

"Oh okay, I understand. I will just leave this rapist, murderer, and thief to wander the streets. After all, my judgement is far too cloudy."

"Please be reasonable. I just don't want you getting hurt. Tyrion is a Lannister, he has the gold to hire the best warrior in the land."

"He already has the best warrior in the land and people other than Lannisters have debts to repay you know. I am not fighting this forsaken, mammoth of a man for me. I am going to kill him for everybody he has hurt in the past. For all of the families of Westeros left without a brother, a sister, a mother, father, all thanks to this man and his insatiable appetite for pain and death."

"Will you at least be careful?"

"I am always careful and don't worry, I wont get cocky like I did last time."

~*~

Written by Aaron.