[Wait for Walter Whitehill] I would imagine this is going to be a very long siege so Gregor and his men need every soldier that they can get. It could go either way really and this choice seems to help both sides in my opinion. Gregor gets even more men and the Branfields have more time to gather a larger army. Plus, I want to meet this Walter guy!
Gregor
Gregor looked Marcos directly in the eyes "I'll let you in on our meetings as an advisor" Eamon was clearly pleased "A fine compromi… morese"
Ser Larion was clearly annoyed but remained silent, Gregor found Marcos hard to read, he had no idea how he was feeling.
Marcos gave a firm nod "So, what are your orders, Forrester?" Gregor sighed "We make camp for now, we should reach Summerspring by tommorow, we need to make preparations" Marcos raised an eyebrow "And what will I be doing during these 'preparations'?" Gregor gave a stern glare "Just make yourself comfortable at camp and be ready when I call you, we'll be having a meeting tonight" Gregor then turned to Ser Larion "Ser, would you mind sending word to Ludd and the others?"
Larion nodded "I'll get it done" then he marched off.
Gregor noticed there was an awkward silence now that they had to wait for the others. He looked at Marcos hoping he would say something. "Who's on this co… [view original content]
I'm voting for [Wait for Walter Whitehill] even though I'd like to begin the siege immediately, I'd rather keep Gregor and Ludd on perfectly good terms for now, plus this would buy the Branfield's more time.
Gregor
Gregor looked Marcos directly in the eyes "I'll let you in on our meetings as an advisor" Eamon was clearly pleased "A fine compromi… morese"
Ser Larion was clearly annoyed but remained silent, Gregor found Marcos hard to read, he had no idea how he was feeling.
Marcos gave a firm nod "So, what are your orders, Forrester?" Gregor sighed "We make camp for now, we should reach Summerspring by tommorow, we need to make preparations" Marcos raised an eyebrow "And what will I be doing during these 'preparations'?" Gregor gave a stern glare "Just make yourself comfortable at camp and be ready when I call you, we'll be having a meeting tonight" Gregor then turned to Ser Larion "Ser, would you mind sending word to Ludd and the others?"
Larion nodded "I'll get it done" then he marched off.
Gregor noticed there was an awkward silence now that they had to wait for the others. He looked at Marcos hoping he would say something. "Who's on this co… [view original content]
I love how Royland hasn't changed a bit from his younger self. Although it doesn't seem like Gregor and Royland are on the same page with mercy. It makes me wonder how things would've gone with Erik stealing if Gregor were alive when it happened.
Gregor
Gregor looked Marcos directly in the eyes "I'll let you in on our meetings as an advisor" Eamon was clearly pleased "A fine compromi… morese"
Ser Larion was clearly annoyed but remained silent, Gregor found Marcos hard to read, he had no idea how he was feeling.
Marcos gave a firm nod "So, what are your orders, Forrester?" Gregor sighed "We make camp for now, we should reach Summerspring by tommorow, we need to make preparations" Marcos raised an eyebrow "And what will I be doing during these 'preparations'?" Gregor gave a stern glare "Just make yourself comfortable at camp and be ready when I call you, we'll be having a meeting tonight" Gregor then turned to Ser Larion "Ser, would you mind sending word to Ludd and the others?"
Larion nodded "I'll get it done" then he marched off.
Gregor noticed there was an awkward silence now that they had to wait for the others. He looked at Marcos hoping he would say something. "Who's on this co… [view original content]
Gregor
Gregor looked Marcos directly in the eyes "I'll let you in on our meetings as an advisor" Eamon was clearly pleased "A fine compromi… morese"
Ser Larion was clearly annoyed but remained silent, Gregor found Marcos hard to read, he had no idea how he was feeling.
Marcos gave a firm nod "So, what are your orders, Forrester?" Gregor sighed "We make camp for now, we should reach Summerspring by tommorow, we need to make preparations" Marcos raised an eyebrow "And what will I be doing during these 'preparations'?" Gregor gave a stern glare "Just make yourself comfortable at camp and be ready when I call you, we'll be having a meeting tonight" Gregor then turned to Ser Larion "Ser, would you mind sending word to Ludd and the others?"
Larion nodded "I'll get it done" then he marched off.
Gregor noticed there was an awkward silence now that they had to wait for the others. He looked at Marcos hoping he would say something. "Who's on this co… [view original content]
I like the idea that things were tense with Gregor and Royland when they first met but eventually grew to respect each other. Royland mentioned in the game that Gregor always took a thief's fingers so it's safe to assume that eventually Gregor comes around to Royland's way of thinking.
[Begin the siege immediately] Caught up finally!
I love how Royland hasn't changed a bit from his younger self. Although it doesn't seem … morelike Gregor and Royland are on the same page with mercy. It makes me wonder how things would've gone with Erik stealing if Gregor were alive when it happened.
The voting is closed Gregor will Wait for Walter Whitehill.
Writing the next part is taking longer than expected. Reason for that is that around five new characters will be introduced in Malcolm's part alone. This may change but it's looking to be a big part at the moment. Sorry for the wait.
Malcolm
Malcolm simply shook his head, he couldn't let a man die if there was something he could do about it. He charged towards the four men surrounding the stranger with his sword drawn, he only barely heard Samuel curse behind him in frustration. "Hey!" Malcolm shouted at the men and their leader turned "you'd best fuck off if you--" Malcolm gasped as he saw a shortsword pierce the mans throat. Malcolm then heard a sadistic laughter, the stranger had used Malcolm's distraction to his advantage. The leader dropped to his knees, choking on his own blood, the stranger pulled his sword out and let the man slowly die before smirking at the other three men "Who's next?" the men clearly seemed hesitant to attack as they nervously looked at the stranger and Malcolm when Samuel approached with his hands raised "Think about this friends, there's no winning this fight, just walk away with your lives"
"Run away with your lives" the stranger corrected Samuel and Samuel looked confused "what?"
The stranger chuckled "If they hope to get away from me they need to run" he explained as he stepped forward.
"Fuck this! a bag of gold isn't worth fighting this maniac!" one of the men shouted as he ran and the other two followed.
The stranger sighed "I have to say, I'm a little disappointed that I only got to kill one of them." Malcolm grew nervous, worried that he angered the man. "Not that I don't appreciate the help" the stranger clarified as he sat back down at his table.
Malcolm breathed a sigh of relief, though he wondered how much he actually helped, he literally just ran forward and watched the stranger kill a man.
"Not a problem" Malcolm smiled as he sheathed his sword "I'm Malcolm and this is my brother Samuel" Samuel nodded in response and the stranger eyed them both "Call me Dusty, or Dustin if you're feeling formal"
He took a drink from his mug as he glared at Malcolm "Why'd you help me?"
Malcom shrugged "I thought you might need some help"
Dusty gave a skeptical look "That's it you don't want anything in return?"
Malcolm shook his head "No, I just thought you'd die without my help, that's really it"
Dustin smirked "And yet your brother clearly wants to ask me something" Dustin looked towards Samuel "What do you want?"
Samuel hesitantly responded "I was hoping you could help us find Tom Wolfson"
Dustin laughed in response "you're insane." he stated bluntly
"We're insane?" Samuel exclaimed in an annoyed tone and Malcolm quickly said "easy Samuel..." in an attempt to keep him from angering Dustin.
Malcolm turned to Dustin "You can't help us?" Dustin shook his head "That's not the problem, Tom Wolfson has a reputation, you cross the man and you die, and two fancy lordlings searching for him is not a good sign, if he even thinks that you're looking for him, you'll find him soon enough, thing is that people who deal with him tend to get fucked over, his own brother paid the price for working with him.
Samuel sighed "we're not here to hire him, we think he might know where to find someone"
Dustin raised an eyebrow "who? it's clearly someone important"
"Our brother" Malcolm answered and Samuel looked annoyed by how open Malcom was being.
Dustin gave an understanding nod "it always comes down to family, alright, you helped me I'll help you"
Samuel smiled "You know where he is then?"
Dustin shook his head "No but I know who does, Davith Forrester"
"Forrester?" Samuel seemed concerned and Dustin raised an eyebrow "You know the name?"
Samuel sighed "sorry Malcolm it must've slipped my mind"
Malcolm crossed his arms "what?"
"Father married off Elissa to Gregor Forrester, obviously this was before the war"
Malcolm groaned "How could that slip your mind?"
Samuel frowned "I'm sorry but don't be mad at me, be mad at Lucas, it was his bloody idea"
This surprised Malcolm, why would Lucas do that? A lot of Lucas' actions have been surprising lately.
Dustin interrupted "Can we get back to the matter at hand, do you know Davith?"
Samuel shook his head "Not personally, I know of him, uncle to Thorren Forrester and Ranger of the Night's Watch, he's known to take his time returning to Castle Black"
Dustin nodded "He's here and he's a good man, we I think we can convince him to find your brother" Malcolm smiled "let's do it, where is he?"
"He's usually here, if we wait he's sure to come by"
The Branfields and Dustin waited for an hour when a bold man in black with a beard and green eyes entered the tavern.
"That's him!" Dustin pointed out and Malcolm smiled "Good, let's find Jacob"
The three of them approached and Samuel took the lead, it made the most sense, he's persuasive.
"Davith Forrester! Might we have a word? " Samuel said politely and Davith sighed "I was actually hoping to just relax and have a drink"
"Davith, this is important" Dustin inserted himself into the conversation.
Davith groaned "Why are you giving out my name Dusty? I thought you were more trustworthy than that!"
Malcolm interrupted "We need to find Tom Wolfson"
Davith quickly hushed him "Don't mention him, if he finds out you're looking for him--
"Please, Davith" Samuel pleaded "He has our brother"
Davith frowned and sighed then looked to Dustin "You trust them?"
Dustin smirked "I don't even know them, but I'm certain their telling the truth" Malcolm smiled, Dustin's been a great help so far, maybe they could later convince him to come with them to Summerspring.
Davith reluctantly nodded "Tom's going to be furious but I'll help you, Tom's currently made camp out in the woods, he's holding a feast, I'm not sure what for"
Samuel nodded "Thank you, Davith, we'll follow your lead"
The group now followed Davith into the woods, they saw a great number of torches that grew brighter as they approached, finally they arrived and the camp was much larger than expected, it stretched farther then the eye could see "By the gods..." Malcolm exclaimed.
Samuel's eyes widened "How? This camp is as large as a military camp, how much men could Tom Wolfson have?"
"More join him everyday" Davith explained "We had an issue with deserters once, they sougyt refuge from Tom, I was sent to track them down, that's how I met him." Even Dustin seemed concerned "I hope you weren't planning on taking your brother by force."
"Don't worry" Davith reasurred them "Unless your brother has wronged him in some way I'm sure I can convince Tom to let him go, he'll probably just want something in return" Samuel sighed "I hope you're right." The group followed Davith into the camp. Everyone seemed to be gathered in one place, there was food and drink everywhere.
They came to a large tent, with two guards by the entrance Davith turned to Malcolm "I'll go in alone, Tom and I are friends, he'll be more likely to listen if I'm alone" Malcolm sighed, he was surrounded by armed men and women, he felt vulnerable here "Alright but be quick about it, I don't like it here." Davith nodded and headed inside the tent, all there was to do now was wait.
Malcolm was worried about Jacob, he always tried so hard to impress their father and it often got him into trouble. Jacob's a fourthborn and will likely inherit nothing, the best he can hope for is to be married off to a lord's daughter for an alliance but Jacob wants and deserves more and his father is incredibly hard on him, nothing ever seems to be enough.
Malcolm's thoughts were interrupted when Davith returned but he seemed sad and nervous.
"What's the matter?" Samuel asked and Malcolm feared the worst
"I'm sorry, your brother is about to go on trial" Davith looked them in the eyes.
"Trial?" Dustin asked, clearly confused and Davith attempted to explain "Tom likes to put on a show, he thinks of himself as a king"
Samuel groaned "Jacob is so fucked... what did he even do?"
"Tom refused to say but his 'crimes' will be revealed in the trial.
Malcolm shook his head "No we can save him, if this is like most trials, Jacob can demand a trial by combat, that is his only hope"
Davith nodded "You may be right but be warned Tom is tough in a fight, and so are all his men, you'll need someone tough to fight, Jacob will be beaten and in extremely bad shape, he'll lose if he fights, he'll die, he needs to name a champion, I can get to him and tell him who to name but you need to tell me who right now."
Dustin stepped forward "Tell him that Dustin Sand will fight for him" Malcolm smiled and was pleased by Dustin's willingness to help but Samuel seemed concerned "Can I talk to you alone brother?" Malcolm reluctantly nodded "sure..." and they seperated from the group.
"What's the problem?" Malcolm asked Samuel glared at Dustin "I don't trust him"
"Why? he's been really helpful" Samuel shook his head "the man is insane Malcolm, he let that man at the tavern suffer and laughed as he died, he clearly enjoyed his death, sure he's tough but just be careful with him."
Malcolm sighed "well who should fight if not him?"
Samuel shrugged "You, I suppose. I'm willing but we both know I'm not the fighter of this family, I can handle myself but who knows what kind of fighters Tom has at his disposal."
Malcolm was confident that he could handle fight but he was nowhere near as skilled as Lucas, unfortunately he isn't here, Dustin was clearly tough and willing but maybe Samuel had a point, it took a special kind of individual to smile at the sight of a dying man. But Dustin volunteered, he'd likely be disappointed and feel that Malcolm didn't trust him.
[Dustin will be Jacob's champion] [Malcolm will be Jacob's champion] [Samuel will be Jacob's champion]
Well, if he is willing to help, why not to accept his help? After all we supported him before, so now he can pay back this way. I have a feeling that this guy, even if looks brutal, have a soft spot for a family, therefore he is that supportive to Malcolm and Samuel.
I guess if we would not help him then we would go to the storyline where Nesa is leading them to Tom?
Malcolm
Malcolm simply shook his head, he couldn't let a man die if there was something he could do about it. He charged towards the four m… moreen surrounding the stranger with his sword drawn, he only barely heard Samuel curse behind him in frustration. "Hey!" Malcolm shouted at the men and their leader turned "you'd best fuck off if you--" Malcolm gasped as he saw a shortsword pierce the mans throat. Malcolm then heard a sadistic laughter, the stranger had used Malcolm's distraction to his advantage. The leader dropped to his knees, choking on his own blood, the stranger pulled his sword out and let the man slowly die before smirking at the other three men "Who's next?" the men clearly seemed hesitant to attack as they nervously looked at the stranger and Malcolm when Samuel approached with his hands raised "Think about this friends, there's no winning this fight, just walk away with your lives"
"Run away with your lives" the stranger correc… [view original content]
[Dustin will be Jacob's champion]
Well, if he is willing to help, why not to accept his help? After all we supported him before, so now h… moree can pay back this way. I have a feeling that this guy, even if looks brutal, have a soft spot for a family, therefore he is that supportive to Malcolm and Samuel.
I guess if we would not help him then we would go to the storyline where Nesa is leading them to Tom?
Great part! Somehow, I kinda like Dustin. I mean, he is a little bit too eager to fight, but all in all, he seems like an okay guy, a brutal fighter, but with a couple of quite likeable traits, at least that's the impression I got so far. I'm also very intrigued by the presence of a Forrester here. I wonder if that will cause a problem for Gregor and the Forrester army later on.
[Dustin will be Jacob's champion]
Well, Samuel does bring up a good point, Dustin does not seem like the most balanced guy and his reaction in the tavern is a bit worrying. However, while this makes him far from my first choice for many tasks, it actually makes him perfect for such a fight. In a fight like this, you'd want the biggest, meanest, strongest fighter you can get and someone who enjoys fight and death sounds like a perfect choice. On top of that, Dustin volunteered and I see no reason not to trust him with doing his best to win. I don't want to piss the guy off or disappoint him, not when he is so well-suited for this task. I'd probably not choose him as a babysitter or to take the Branfield family dog for a walk, but as a champion in a trial by combat, he seems perfect.
Malcolm
Malcolm simply shook his head, he couldn't let a man die if there was something he could do about it. He charged towards the four m… moreen surrounding the stranger with his sword drawn, he only barely heard Samuel curse behind him in frustration. "Hey!" Malcolm shouted at the men and their leader turned "you'd best fuck off if you--" Malcolm gasped as he saw a shortsword pierce the mans throat. Malcolm then heard a sadistic laughter, the stranger had used Malcolm's distraction to his advantage. The leader dropped to his knees, choking on his own blood, the stranger pulled his sword out and let the man slowly die before smirking at the other three men "Who's next?" the men clearly seemed hesitant to attack as they nervously looked at the stranger and Malcolm when Samuel approached with his hands raised "Think about this friends, there's no winning this fight, just walk away with your lives"
"Run away with your lives" the stranger correc… [view original content]
I don't like putting him in danger, but this is a great opportunity for him to prove himself and he volunteered. (Oh and I've been loving his writing so far by the way!)
Malcolm
Malcolm simply shook his head, he couldn't let a man die if there was something he could do about it. He charged towards the four m… moreen surrounding the stranger with his sword drawn, he only barely heard Samuel curse behind him in frustration. "Hey!" Malcolm shouted at the men and their leader turned "you'd best fuck off if you--" Malcolm gasped as he saw a shortsword pierce the mans throat. Malcolm then heard a sadistic laughter, the stranger had used Malcolm's distraction to his advantage. The leader dropped to his knees, choking on his own blood, the stranger pulled his sword out and let the man slowly die before smirking at the other three men "Who's next?" the men clearly seemed hesitant to attack as they nervously looked at the stranger and Malcolm when Samuel approached with his hands raised "Think about this friends, there's no winning this fight, just walk away with your lives"
"Run away with your lives" the stranger correc… [view original content]
[Dustin will be Jacob's champion]
Dustin is a boss, he can do it.
I don't like putting him in danger, but this is a great opportunity… more for him to prove himself and he volunteered. (Oh and I've been loving his writing so far by the way!)
Also yay for my 800th comment.
Malcolm
Malcolm simply shook his head, he couldn't let a man die if there was something he could do about it. He charged towards the four m… moreen surrounding the stranger with his sword drawn, he only barely heard Samuel curse behind him in frustration. "Hey!" Malcolm shouted at the men and their leader turned "you'd best fuck off if you--" Malcolm gasped as he saw a shortsword pierce the mans throat. Malcolm then heard a sadistic laughter, the stranger had used Malcolm's distraction to his advantage. The leader dropped to his knees, choking on his own blood, the stranger pulled his sword out and let the man slowly die before smirking at the other three men "Who's next?" the men clearly seemed hesitant to attack as they nervously looked at the stranger and Malcolm when Samuel approached with his hands raised "Think about this friends, there's no winning this fight, just walk away with your lives"
"Run away with your lives" the stranger correc… [view original content]
Nobody seemed to catch it so I'm just gonna point it out, Davith is based on dialogue with Duncan & Gared in EP1. When Gared was sent to the wall Duncan said "Many of Lord Forresters best men have volunteered for the wall, his own great uncle was a ranger with the night's watch"
Whoa, I totally have not caught that reference. Actually, I can't even remember the line in question. I guess it's time to replay the game again XD But anyways, this is a cool reference! It's neat how the story fits into the canon, with small references from the main game like this one built into actual plot points. That makes me very excited for Davith's future involvement.
Nobody seemed to catch it so I'm just gonna point it out, Davith is based on dialogue with Duncan & Gared in EP1. When Gared was sent to… more the wall Duncan said "Many of Lord Forresters best men have volunteered for the wall, his own great uncle was a ranger with the night's watch"
The voting is closed! Dustin will be Jacob's champion.
Sorry for such a long wait, I take brakes pretty frequently, sorry if that's annoying. The next part will more than likely be a Lucas part where he will confront his father and try to convince him to name an heir.
You know, the only thing that makes the wait so hard is because this story is seriously amazing But don't worry, the result is always worth the wait. Take your time, I really look forward for that part and have no doubts it is going to be great as always!
The voting is closed! Dustin will be Jacob's champion.
Sorry for such a long wait, I take brakes pretty frequently, sorry if that's annoy… moreing. The next part will more than likely be a Lucas part where he will confront his father and try to convince him to name an heir.
Sorry for not voting. i have been busy but ive been reading it so far. ill skip this vote because it seems youre already writing and clearly Dustin has won the vote. any predicted day for when the next part releases? so i know.
Lucas
Lucas sighed, he hated to do this but Simon is right. If an heir isn't decided there''s bound to be conflict in their own ranks if Damien falls. Countless thoughts were flooding through Lucas' head as he approached his father's quarters. He thought about what he'd say to convince his father, what tone he would use, how his father will react. Eventually Lucas decided he was overthinking it and will just say what needs to be said, for the House.
Lucas stopped when he finally reached his father's room, he sighed as he hesitantly knocked on the door "Come in!" he heard his father's voice, it seemed stressed which indicated that this was not the best time to bring up the topic of heirs but it was too late to turn back, this needs to happen.
Lucas entered and saw his father by his desk, he appeared to be reading a letter. Damien looked at his son and shook his head "If it's not important then save it, I'm busy" Lucas was really tempted to take his advice but he couldn't. "It is important."
Damien sighed before looking his son in the eyes "Very well, what is it?"
Lucas stood straight, he had to make sure not to show his father weakness "You need to name an heir" Lucas stated bluntly and Damien appeared angered by this "We are NOT having this discussion again, not yet at least, wait for your brothers to return"
Lucas refused to accept this "No, father. This needs to happen now, there's a good chance that you won't survive this war, and if that happens we need to know who will be giving the orders otherwise we won't know what to do!"
Damien's expression softened "You think I'm going to die?" and Lucas' resolve broke "I hope not, honestly I don't think either I or Samuel are ready to lead but we need to prepare for the worst."
Damien stood up and sighed "very well, I'll think on it, I'll name my heir by the end of the week." Lucas had succeeded in convincing his father but he didn't feel triumphant, he felt uneasy, like he's made a mistake, yet he knew what he did was right.
"Lucas, I apprreciate your honesty and I'm proud of your determination but there's something we need to talk about."
Lucas didn't like the sound of that but he nodded "Of course."
Damien's expression turned more stern "What in the seven Hells is going on with you?" he asked bluntly but Lucas was confused "I don't understand"
Damien sighed "I know that something's wrong, you're mother thinks I'm paranoid but I know what a man whose lost his purpose looks like, you're different now."
Lucas suddenly got angry and defensive, he didn't want to talk about this, he couldn't talk about this "Don't..." he said and Damien could see that he was right and continued to press him.
"It was you who convinced me to marry off my daughter, your own sister to House Forrester despite what we know about them, how much of a monster Thorren Forrester is"
Lucas shook his head, trying to keep himself from breaking down "I only did that because I knew Thorren Forrester only had one son and I knew that Gregor was a good man. Thorren grows more powerful everyday, we needed him as an ally how was I to know that our king would go mad and start a war!?"
Damien refused to back down "You acted out of fear, but you fear no one, I know you don't."
Lucas began to get distressed "father, please..."
"And another thing, you seem to have forgotten our words, your sense of loyalty has vanished!" Damien continued to push his son despite his obvious distress. "You've been more loyal to the Targaryen's than even me, they're the reason you picked up a sword, to serve your king but now you speak of them with disdain. Don't think that I haven't noticed you've suddenly stopped training. The thing that makes you happy more than anything."
"WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT THIS!" Lucas snapped, he was furious and couldn't take anymore. Lucas turned around and stormed out of the room, he did what he came here to do.
"LUCAS! Get back here! That's an order!" Damien shouted but Lucas didn't listen. Part of him was shocked he's never disobeyed his father before.
Lucas caught himself wiping a tear from his face when he saw Lucina coming, he was ashamed of himself, he just showed weakness.
"Lucas, I heard... are you okay?" Lucina said softly and Lucas struggled to find an answer "I... I can't."
"I know" Lucina saved him from breaking down "But when you're ready to tell me what's wrong, to let me help, I'm always here for you, okay?" she gave a comforting smile and Lucas nodded "thank you."
Lucina suddenly got serious "I didn't just happen to walk by, I wanted to talk to you about something." Lucas calmed down and nodded "What is it?"
"I think we should send some scouts out" Lucas raised an eyebrow and Lucina began to explain "I get that I'm not supposed to get involved in these matters but nobody is saying what needs to be said" Lucas gave an understanding nod "okay, what needs to be said?"
Lucina continued "Simon's compassion and care for his men is blinding him" Lucas' eyes widened, he wasn't expecting her to speak this way about the Master-at-Arms and his fathers best friend.
Lucina frowned "I'm sorry but it's true, we need to know what threats are out there and Simon's pulled back all the scouts because he's worried about putting them in danger."
Lucas sighed "That's worrying... I don't expect it'll be much longer before our enemies come for us" Lucina nodded "So you agree with me?"
Lucas nodded "yes but I don't see what you expect me to do about it, if Simon won't see reason then that's it, my father trusts his judgement."
Lucina frowned "You won't like this but I would suggest that you give the order, the men look up to you, they wouldn't question an order from you unless your father said so."
Lucas rubbed the back of his neck, clearly uneasy about this "You're suggesting that I go behind Simon's back? He won't like that and worse I could lose his respect."
Lucina sighed "He won't listen, Lucas and this needs to be done, you're the only one here who'd even consider any advice from a handmaiden."
Gosh, I love this relationship between Lucina and the Branfield family. It's not only her connection to Malcolm that is extremely enjoyable, but right here, I have also seen how important she is to the other Branfields. That talk with Lucas made her almost seem like a sister to him, that is adorable.
[Send out the scouts]
It is a hard call. Getting into trouble about this is the last thing I want for Lucas. At the same time, Lucina's advice is sound and I'm not only saying that because of how much I like her. It's a good idea to send out the scouts, because well, that is literally their job. Having a scout that isn't scouting is a waste. I can understand that Simon is worried for his men, but they are soldiers and they are meant to take the risks to keep the rest of the house save. Perhaps learning more on their enemies can give the Branfield's some sort of advantate in the things to come and maybe it'll be what saves lives in the end.
Lucas
Lucas sighed, he hated to do this but Simon is right. If an heir isn't decided there''s bound to be conflict in their own ranks if Da… moremien falls. Countless thoughts were flooding through Lucas' head as he approached his father's quarters. He thought about what he'd say to convince his father, what tone he would use, how his father will react. Eventually Lucas decided he was overthinking it and will just say what needs to be said, for the House.
Lucas stopped when he finally reached his father's room, he sighed as he hesitantly knocked on the door "Come in!" he heard his father's voice, it seemed stressed which indicated that this was not the best time to bring up the topic of heirs but it was too late to turn back, this needs to happen.
Lucas entered and saw his father by his desk, he appeared to be reading a letter. Damien looked at his son and shook his head "If it's not important then save it, I'm busy" Lucas was really tempted t… [view original content]
Lucas
Lucas sighed, he hated to do this but Simon is right. If an heir isn't decided there''s bound to be conflict in their own ranks if Da… moremien falls. Countless thoughts were flooding through Lucas' head as he approached his father's quarters. He thought about what he'd say to convince his father, what tone he would use, how his father will react. Eventually Lucas decided he was overthinking it and will just say what needs to be said, for the House.
Lucas stopped when he finally reached his father's room, he sighed as he hesitantly knocked on the door "Come in!" he heard his father's voice, it seemed stressed which indicated that this was not the best time to bring up the topic of heirs but it was too late to turn back, this needs to happen.
Lucas entered and saw his father by his desk, he appeared to be reading a letter. Damien looked at his son and shook his head "If it's not important then save it, I'm busy" Lucas was really tempted t… [view original content]
Lucas
Lucas sighed, he hated to do this but Simon is right. If an heir isn't decided there''s bound to be conflict in their own ranks if Da… moremien falls. Countless thoughts were flooding through Lucas' head as he approached his father's quarters. He thought about what he'd say to convince his father, what tone he would use, how his father will react. Eventually Lucas decided he was overthinking it and will just say what needs to be said, for the House.
Lucas stopped when he finally reached his father's room, he sighed as he hesitantly knocked on the door "Come in!" he heard his father's voice, it seemed stressed which indicated that this was not the best time to bring up the topic of heirs but it was too late to turn back, this needs to happen.
Lucas entered and saw his father by his desk, he appeared to be reading a letter. Damien looked at his son and shook his head "If it's not important then save it, I'm busy" Lucas was really tempted t… [view original content]
Lucas
Lucas sighed, he hated to do this but Simon is right. If an heir isn't decided there''s bound to be conflict in their own ranks if Da… moremien falls. Countless thoughts were flooding through Lucas' head as he approached his father's quarters. He thought about what he'd say to convince his father, what tone he would use, how his father will react. Eventually Lucas decided he was overthinking it and will just say what needs to be said, for the House.
Lucas stopped when he finally reached his father's room, he sighed as he hesitantly knocked on the door "Come in!" he heard his father's voice, it seemed stressed which indicated that this was not the best time to bring up the topic of heirs but it was too late to turn back, this needs to happen.
Lucas entered and saw his father by his desk, he appeared to be reading a letter. Damien looked at his son and shook his head "If it's not important then save it, I'm busy" Lucas was really tempted t… [view original content]
The voting is closed!
Lucas will Send out the scouts.
The next part will be a Gregor part. At the moment Gregor and his forces are camped a safe distance away from Summerspring to avoid detection while they wait for Walter Whitehill to arrive. I'm pretty excited for this part as I'm going to introduce a new group of characters that I've been working on pretty hard. They're original characters that I created myself so you won't know them but I think you'll recognize their family name from the game.
Gregor
Many of the men were restless, they could be discovered quite easily if they weren't careful. Marcos Trant was very vocal about his frustrations, he says that if they weren't waiting for Ludd's brother they'd be attacking the Branfields right now. The worst part was that he was right. Gregor said that they were waiting because the more men they have the better but part of him wondered if the real reason was to delay the attack for as long as possible. He's had time to think and he hates the thought of killing Elissa's family.
Gregor's thoughts were interrupted when Eamon barged into his tent. Gregor was about to yell at him but Eamon spoke first "Apologies, Lord Forrester but things are getting out of hand"
"What's the matter? Has Walter Whitehill arrived?" Gregor thought his men had grown accustomed to the Whitehills by now.
Eamon shook his head "No, it's the Warricks" Gregor's eyes widened at the mention of the Warricks. This is bad, the Warricks have a really bad reputation from most Northeners.
Eamon sighed "I expected that reaction, it seems the Warricks aren't very popular among you Forresters... and the Degores"
This alarmed Gregor "Is Royland out there?" Eamon nodded "Yes and many of your own men are rallying behind him trying to force the Warricks out of here while the Whitehills are attempting to defend the Warricks from them."
"I need to get out there!" Gregor exclaimed as he marched out of the tent he saw a large angry crowd mixed with the sigil's of Warrick, Whitehill, Degore and Forrester. "Gregor!" Gregor heard Ludd's voice as he ran to his side "I just heard--"
"Why didn't you tell me they were coming, Ludd? The Warricks are YOUR Bannermen!" Gregor shouted.
"You said to make use of any oaths I can, I followed YOUR orders, Gregor, don't blame me for how your men reacted!" Ludd defended himself. Ludd was right, Gregor told him to gather allies, the Warricks just weren't the allies he hoped for.
Gregor groaned "Fine but we need to deal with this, now!" They managed to get close to the crowd and there was a lot of cursing and shouting, thankfully no blades have been drawn yet. Gregor saw Larion on one side and Royland on the other. "We don't want you here, Warricks, get the fuck lost!" Royland shouted.
A blonde man with stubble stood behind Larion with very messy hair and began to laugh sadistically He looked fairly ordinary, average height, not very impressive muscles but he had a pair of green eyes with deranged look in them, this man was a Warrick. "You're free to try, dog!" the man said as he opened his arms, inviting Royland to attack.
Another blonde arrived, he looked similar to the deranged Warrick but younger, his hair was shorter and he had no facial hair. "Ammett, what's going on here?" he looked to the deranged Warrick whose name was apparently Ammett.
Ammett turned to the young man "Well you see little brother, I explained to these lovely gentlemen that we're here to aid them in the fight against the Targaryen loyalists and this... dog decided to bite the hand that feeds him"
"You call me that again and you won't like what happens." Royland growled.
"Back off, Degore!" Larion shouted "I'll strike you down if I have to!"
Ammett's brother saw Gregor and his eyes lit up "Lord Forrester right?" he moved past his men up until Forrester soldiers stopped him from passing. "Let him through" Gregor ordered and the soldiers hesitantly let him through.
"Thank you" the young man nodded as he came forward "My name is Bryce Warrick, that's my brother Ammett and next to him is my brother Kevan" Gregor looked and saw Kevan, he was a mountain of a man, tall and massive muscles. He was visibly older than Bryce and Ammett, he had long dark hair, a thick beard as well as a few scars on his face.
"Please" Bryce pleaded "We came here at Ludd Whitehill's request, we're only here to help"
Ludd stepped forward "Bryce is a good man, Gregor, you can trust him."
Gregor looked over to Royland, Things were getting way too out of hand "Royland, stand down!" he ordered.
Royland glared at Gregor but turned to walk away from Ammett, although hesitantly.
"Ahh, so loyal" Ammett smirked as he looked to Bryce. "What is it that they say about Degores, Bryce?" Was he trying to provoke Royland? Is this man insane!?
Bryce shook his head, fearing the worst "Ammett, don't!"
"Oh, I remember now!" Ammett looked to Royland "Like dogs, very loyal but let them off the leash and they're very difficult to get back on."
Royland angrily turned around and charged towards Ammett.
"Royland, no!" Gregor shouted.
Larion drew his sword as Royland approached but before Royland reached him Marcos grabbed him from behind and threw Royland behind him.
"What the fuck is wrong with you, Degore? These are our allies." Gregor never thought he'd be happy to see Marcos.
"ALLIES!?" Royland shouted in a furious rage. "No! Rapers and murderers, all of them! I won't fight by their side!"
Marcos looked over at Ammett "Is that true?" Ammett chuckled in response "Well, we're not all rapers and murderers."
"Are you?" Marcos asked him bluntly and Ammett's expression suddenly turned serious and he didn't respond. This man has done some vile things.
Gregor stepped in "Marcos, I need you to help me seperate these men."
"No, Forrester." Marcos seemed angry "Degore is right, I won't fight with a raper and a murderer."
Then Ludd stepped in "ENOUGH!" he looked over to the Warricks "Ammett, take your brothers and have your men fall back, I'll come and get you when this has been sorted." Ammett seemed displeased "Yes, my Lord" he turned to his men and shouted "FALL BACK!" The Warricks then backed up and things began to calm down.
Gregor turned to Royland "You need to cut this shit out, you don't use MY men to start brawls" Royland swallowed his pride "Apologies, it won't happen again"
Gregor sighed "It's fine, just remember who's in command." Royland nodded and then walked away.
When Royland walked away Larion breathed a sigh of relief and sheathed his sword "I'll make sure they're ready for you, my Lord."
"Thank you Ser Larion." Ludd nodded and Larion nodded back before marching towards the Warricks.
Gregor then turned to Marcos but he spoke before Gregor could get a word out "You don't get to lecture me, Forrester."
"Excuse me?" Gregor exclaimed and Marcos shook his head in disappointment "You're a piss-poor leader. What have you done since I got here? Nothing! You've got us waiting around for men that won't make a difference, you've let murderers and rapers into our ranks. And now you rely on Whitehill to solve your problems. Your father made a mistake in sending you in his place"
Marcos stormed off "come get me when you're ready to do what we came here to do."
Gregor groaned, maybe he was right, Gregor felt that he hadn't done a great job so far. Ludd sighed "are you alright?"
"No." Gregor groaned once again "More often than not I have no idea what to do and it seems that no matter what I do nobody is pleased. And worse than that all I can think about is how my wife will look at me when I come home with her family's blood on my hands!" Gregor shouted and turned his back, this was all so stressful.
Ludd placed his hand on Gregor's shoulder "You don't give yourself enough credit Gregor, you've done a good job so far. Forget Marcos, I doubt even a dornish whore would make him happy." Gregor laughed at that "Thanks Ludd"
Ludd smiled "It's not a problem."
Ludd turned over to the Warricks "I should go see them. You coming?" Gregor raised an eyebrow "why?"
Ludd shrugged "I don't know, get to know them? Put their minds at ease, your presence will help them feel like they're not outcasts, that you trust them."
Gregor shook his head "But I don't trust them. Ammett is clearly insane, the man seemed to enjoy the violence and he was trying to provoke Royland. I don't know if I want to get to know a man like that."
Ludd sighed "Think what you want about Ammett but Bryce is a good man, one of the best and he's got some influence on Ammett, keeps him from doing things he shouldn't."
Gregor sighed, he didn't like this but Bryce did seem like a good man. "All right let's go see them."
Ludd smiled "Good, do you have any questions I can answer on the way? Might give you a good idea on what to expect, help prepare for the madness that is House Warrick." Ludd laughed like he was joking but it felt like half of him was serious.
Gregor felt he should ask about either Ammett or Kevan. Ludd seems to trust Bryce so nothing to worry about there. Ammett is clearly insane and Gregor felt that he should know what will and won't set him off. Kevan was a massive unknown, he looks dangerous but he didn't speak at all when he saw him, Gregor has no idea what kind of personality he has.
That was a really great part! I absolutely love the dialogue here, that was intense Also, House Warrick sounds distantly familiar. Give me a hint there, have they been in the games at some point?
["Tell me about Kevan"]
Tbh, I would like to learn more about both. But the thing is, right now I assume that Gregor has a general idea how Ammett is like, even if it is a very negative idea. However, Kevan is a massive unknown, as said by Gregor himself, so I think it could be a good idea to learn more about him. If a situation with Ammett comes up, we have some hints on how to deal with him, but since we know nothing about Kevan, a similar situation involving him could get dangerous pretty easily. I think it is a good idea to learn more about him now, to potentially get important information that we can use later.
Gregor
Many of the men were restless, they could be discovered quite easily if they weren't careful. Marcos Trant was very vocal about his … morefrustrations, he says that if they weren't waiting for Ludd's brother they'd be attacking the Branfields right now. The worst part was that he was right. Gregor said that they were waiting because the more men they have the better but part of him wondered if the real reason was to delay the attack for as long as possible. He's had time to think and he hates the thought of killing Elissa's family.
Gregor's thoughts were interrupted when Eamon barged into his tent. Gregor was about to yell at him but Eamon spoke first "Apologies, Lord Forrester but things are getting out of hand"
"What's the matter? Has Walter Whitehill arrived?" Gregor thought his men had grown accustomed to the Whitehills by now.
Eamon shook his head "No, it's the Warricks" Gregor's eyes widened at the mention of the Warricks. This… [view original content]
That was a really great part! I absolutely love the dialogue here, that was intense Also, House Warrick sounds distantly familiar. Give me … morea hint there, have they been in the games at some point?
["Tell me about Kevan"]
Tbh, I would like to learn more about both. But the thing is, right now I assume that Gregor has a general idea how Ammett is like, even if it is a very negative idea. However, Kevan is a massive unknown, as said by Gregor himself, so I think it could be a good idea to learn more about him. If a situation with Ammett comes up, we have some hints on how to deal with him, but since we know nothing about Kevan, a similar situation involving him could get dangerous pretty easily. I think it is a good idea to learn more about him now, to potentially get important information that we can use later.
Gregor
Many of the men were restless, they could be discovered quite easily if they weren't careful. Marcos Trant was very vocal about his … morefrustrations, he says that if they weren't waiting for Ludd's brother they'd be attacking the Branfields right now. The worst part was that he was right. Gregor said that they were waiting because the more men they have the better but part of him wondered if the real reason was to delay the attack for as long as possible. He's had time to think and he hates the thought of killing Elissa's family.
Gregor's thoughts were interrupted when Eamon barged into his tent. Gregor was about to yell at him but Eamon spoke first "Apologies, Lord Forrester but things are getting out of hand"
"What's the matter? Has Walter Whitehill arrived?" Gregor thought his men had grown accustomed to the Whitehills by now.
Eamon shook his head "No, it's the Warricks" Gregor's eyes widened at the mention of the Warricks. This… [view original content]
Britt! I literally had no idea that his last name has ever been mentioned. That is very interesting. Seems the Warrick's had some unpleasant people even before him, if Ammett is any indication. And there's the fact that Gregor (and Marcos as well) apparently associates the Warrick name with seriously bad things. Hm, this is really intriguing, I look forward for what you have planned for them, even if I am quite afraid for Ammett, he sounds like the kind of guy who could seriously fuck things up for everyone. I wonder if one of them is the father of Britt then. Considering how that guy turned out, it could be Ammett.
The name Warrick was used by one particular character. An antagonist in Gared's storyline.
I am super excited about the Warricks! I worked really hard on them and I get really excited just thinking about the scenes I'll do with them.
This part was great! I liked the intensity between Gregor and Ludd at the start (still loving their chemistry, by the way, and I want more dialogue between them!) which nicely contrasted with the warmth later on, namely with Gregor's little monologue, which gave me Bigby vibes, in the best possible way. The whole Royland outburst was great, too - especially with how he ultimately relents, which is very him. I can just see it all playing out in my head.
For the choice, I'm going with:
[Tell me about Ammett]
He seems the most ominous and unstable of the two - especially with how he responded to Marcos (I hate that guy) earlier on. Even Gregor acknowledges he should know the in's-and-outs of Ammett. So I'll go with him, and Kevan can stay as the wild card.
Gregor
Many of the men were restless, they could be discovered quite easily if they weren't careful. Marcos Trant was very vocal about his … morefrustrations, he says that if they weren't waiting for Ludd's brother they'd be attacking the Branfields right now. The worst part was that he was right. Gregor said that they were waiting because the more men they have the better but part of him wondered if the real reason was to delay the attack for as long as possible. He's had time to think and he hates the thought of killing Elissa's family.
Gregor's thoughts were interrupted when Eamon barged into his tent. Gregor was about to yell at him but Eamon spoke first "Apologies, Lord Forrester but things are getting out of hand"
"What's the matter? Has Walter Whitehill arrived?" Gregor thought his men had grown accustomed to the Whitehills by now.
Eamon shook his head "No, it's the Warricks" Gregor's eyes widened at the mention of the Warricks. This… [view original content]
Ha! I love that you got Bigby vibes and I can actually see the unintentional comparison. Except people give Bigby shit because he used to eat people and people give Gregor shit because he's young and inexperienced.
This part was great! I liked the intensity between Gregor and Ludd at the start (still loving their chemistry, by the way, and I want more d… moreialogue between them!) which nicely contrasted with the warmth later on, namely with Gregor's little monologue, which gave me Bigby vibes, in the best possible way. The whole Royland outburst was great, too - especially with how he ultimately relents, which is very him. I can just see it all playing out in my head.
For the choice, I'm going with:
[Tell me about Ammett]
He seems the most ominous and unstable of the two - especially with how he responded to Marcos (I hate that guy) earlier on. Even Gregor acknowledges he should know the in's-and-outs of Ammett. So I'll go with him, and Kevan can stay as the wild card.
Comments
[Wait for Walter Whitehill] I would imagine this is going to be a very long siege so Gregor and his men need every soldier that they can get. It could go either way really and this choice seems to help both sides in my opinion. Gregor gets even more men and the Branfields have more time to gather a larger army. Plus, I want to meet this Walter guy!
I'm still here! I've had school as so haven't had free time to read it. Really good so far . Nice balance .
Glad that you're still here.
Just to clarify, the voting for Gregor's part is still open.
Okay, I'm all caught up!
I'm voting for [Wait for Walter Whitehill] even though I'd like to begin the siege immediately, I'd rather keep Gregor and Ludd on perfectly good terms for now, plus this would buy the Branfield's more time.
Oh okay, I say don't wait for Walter whitehill
It's really weird , I think what's special about this is that you connect with both sides , bra nfields and the northerners
[Begin the siege immediately] Caught up finally!
I love how Royland hasn't changed a bit from his younger self. Although it doesn't seem like Gregor and Royland are on the same page with mercy. It makes me wonder how things would've gone with Erik stealing if Gregor were alive when it happened.
Edit: Double post.
I like the idea that things were tense with Gregor and Royland when they first met but eventually grew to respect each other. Royland mentioned in the game that Gregor always took a thief's fingers so it's safe to assume that eventually Gregor comes around to Royland's way of thinking.
The voting is closed Gregor will Wait for Walter Whitehill.
Writing the next part is taking longer than expected. Reason for that is that around five new characters will be introduced in Malcolm's part alone. This may change but it's looking to be a big part at the moment. Sorry for the wait.
Malcolm
Malcolm simply shook his head, he couldn't let a man die if there was something he could do about it. He charged towards the four men surrounding the stranger with his sword drawn, he only barely heard Samuel curse behind him in frustration. "Hey!" Malcolm shouted at the men and their leader turned "you'd best fuck off if you--" Malcolm gasped as he saw a shortsword pierce the mans throat. Malcolm then heard a sadistic laughter, the stranger had used Malcolm's distraction to his advantage. The leader dropped to his knees, choking on his own blood, the stranger pulled his sword out and let the man slowly die before smirking at the other three men "Who's next?" the men clearly seemed hesitant to attack as they nervously looked at the stranger and Malcolm when Samuel approached with his hands raised "Think about this friends, there's no winning this fight, just walk away with your lives"
"Run away with your lives" the stranger corrected Samuel and Samuel looked confused "what?"
The stranger chuckled "If they hope to get away from me they need to run" he explained as he stepped forward.
"Fuck this! a bag of gold isn't worth fighting this maniac!" one of the men shouted as he ran and the other two followed.
The stranger sighed "I have to say, I'm a little disappointed that I only got to kill one of them." Malcolm grew nervous, worried that he angered the man. "Not that I don't appreciate the help" the stranger clarified as he sat back down at his table.
Malcolm breathed a sigh of relief, though he wondered how much he actually helped, he literally just ran forward and watched the stranger kill a man.
"Not a problem" Malcolm smiled as he sheathed his sword "I'm Malcolm and this is my brother Samuel" Samuel nodded in response and the stranger eyed them both "Call me Dusty, or Dustin if you're feeling formal"
He took a drink from his mug as he glared at Malcolm "Why'd you help me?"
Malcom shrugged "I thought you might need some help"
Dusty gave a skeptical look "That's it you don't want anything in return?"
Malcolm shook his head "No, I just thought you'd die without my help, that's really it"
Dustin smirked "And yet your brother clearly wants to ask me something" Dustin looked towards Samuel "What do you want?"
Samuel hesitantly responded "I was hoping you could help us find Tom Wolfson"
Dustin laughed in response "you're insane." he stated bluntly
"We're insane?" Samuel exclaimed in an annoyed tone and Malcolm quickly said "easy Samuel..." in an attempt to keep him from angering Dustin.
Malcolm turned to Dustin "You can't help us?" Dustin shook his head "That's not the problem, Tom Wolfson has a reputation, you cross the man and you die, and two fancy lordlings searching for him is not a good sign, if he even thinks that you're looking for him, you'll find him soon enough, thing is that people who deal with him tend to get fucked over, his own brother paid the price for working with him.
Samuel sighed "we're not here to hire him, we think he might know where to find someone"
Dustin raised an eyebrow "who? it's clearly someone important"
"Our brother" Malcolm answered and Samuel looked annoyed by how open Malcom was being.
Dustin gave an understanding nod "it always comes down to family, alright, you helped me I'll help you"
Samuel smiled "You know where he is then?"
Dustin shook his head "No but I know who does, Davith Forrester"
"Forrester?" Samuel seemed concerned and Dustin raised an eyebrow "You know the name?"
Samuel sighed "sorry Malcolm it must've slipped my mind"
Malcolm crossed his arms "what?"
"Father married off Elissa to Gregor Forrester, obviously this was before the war"
Malcolm groaned "How could that slip your mind?"
Samuel frowned "I'm sorry but don't be mad at me, be mad at Lucas, it was his bloody idea"
This surprised Malcolm, why would Lucas do that? A lot of Lucas' actions have been surprising lately.
Dustin interrupted "Can we get back to the matter at hand, do you know Davith?"
Samuel shook his head "Not personally, I know of him, uncle to Thorren Forrester and Ranger of the Night's Watch, he's known to take his time returning to Castle Black"
Dustin nodded "He's here and he's a good man, we I think we can convince him to find your brother" Malcolm smiled "let's do it, where is he?"
"He's usually here, if we wait he's sure to come by"
The Branfields and Dustin waited for an hour when a bold man in black with a beard and green eyes entered the tavern.
"That's him!" Dustin pointed out and Malcolm smiled "Good, let's find Jacob"
The three of them approached and Samuel took the lead, it made the most sense, he's persuasive.
"Davith Forrester! Might we have a word? " Samuel said politely and Davith sighed "I was actually hoping to just relax and have a drink"
"Davith, this is important" Dustin inserted himself into the conversation.
Davith groaned "Why are you giving out my name Dusty? I thought you were more trustworthy than that!"
Malcolm interrupted "We need to find Tom Wolfson"
Davith quickly hushed him "Don't mention him, if he finds out you're looking for him--
"Please, Davith" Samuel pleaded "He has our brother"
Davith frowned and sighed then looked to Dustin "You trust them?"
Dustin smirked "I don't even know them, but I'm certain their telling the truth" Malcolm smiled, Dustin's been a great help so far, maybe they could later convince him to come with them to Summerspring.
Davith reluctantly nodded "Tom's going to be furious but I'll help you, Tom's currently made camp out in the woods, he's holding a feast, I'm not sure what for"
Samuel nodded "Thank you, Davith, we'll follow your lead"
The group now followed Davith into the woods, they saw a great number of torches that grew brighter as they approached, finally they arrived and the camp was much larger than expected, it stretched farther then the eye could see "By the gods..." Malcolm exclaimed.
Samuel's eyes widened "How? This camp is as large as a military camp, how much men could Tom Wolfson have?"
"More join him everyday" Davith explained "We had an issue with deserters once, they sougyt refuge from Tom, I was sent to track them down, that's how I met him." Even Dustin seemed concerned "I hope you weren't planning on taking your brother by force."
"Don't worry" Davith reasurred them "Unless your brother has wronged him in some way I'm sure I can convince Tom to let him go, he'll probably just want something in return" Samuel sighed "I hope you're right." The group followed Davith into the camp. Everyone seemed to be gathered in one place, there was food and drink everywhere.
They came to a large tent, with two guards by the entrance Davith turned to Malcolm "I'll go in alone, Tom and I are friends, he'll be more likely to listen if I'm alone" Malcolm sighed, he was surrounded by armed men and women, he felt vulnerable here "Alright but be quick about it, I don't like it here." Davith nodded and headed inside the tent, all there was to do now was wait.
Malcolm was worried about Jacob, he always tried so hard to impress their father and it often got him into trouble. Jacob's a fourthborn and will likely inherit nothing, the best he can hope for is to be married off to a lord's daughter for an alliance but Jacob wants and deserves more and his father is incredibly hard on him, nothing ever seems to be enough.
Malcolm's thoughts were interrupted when Davith returned but he seemed sad and nervous.
"What's the matter?" Samuel asked and Malcolm feared the worst
"I'm sorry, your brother is about to go on trial" Davith looked them in the eyes.
"Trial?" Dustin asked, clearly confused and Davith attempted to explain "Tom likes to put on a show, he thinks of himself as a king"
Samuel groaned "Jacob is so fucked... what did he even do?"
"Tom refused to say but his 'crimes' will be revealed in the trial.
Malcolm shook his head "No we can save him, if this is like most trials, Jacob can demand a trial by combat, that is his only hope"
Davith nodded "You may be right but be warned Tom is tough in a fight, and so are all his men, you'll need someone tough to fight, Jacob will be beaten and in extremely bad shape, he'll lose if he fights, he'll die, he needs to name a champion, I can get to him and tell him who to name but you need to tell me who right now."
Dustin stepped forward "Tell him that Dustin Sand will fight for him" Malcolm smiled and was pleased by Dustin's willingness to help but Samuel seemed concerned "Can I talk to you alone brother?" Malcolm reluctantly nodded "sure..." and they seperated from the group.
"What's the problem?" Malcolm asked Samuel glared at Dustin "I don't trust him"
"Why? he's been really helpful" Samuel shook his head "the man is insane Malcolm, he let that man at the tavern suffer and laughed as he died, he clearly enjoyed his death, sure he's tough but just be careful with him."
Malcolm sighed "well who should fight if not him?"
Samuel shrugged "You, I suppose. I'm willing but we both know I'm not the fighter of this family, I can handle myself but who knows what kind of fighters Tom has at his disposal."
Malcolm was confident that he could handle fight but he was nowhere near as skilled as Lucas, unfortunately he isn't here, Dustin was clearly tough and willing but maybe Samuel had a point, it took a special kind of individual to smile at the sight of a dying man. But Dustin volunteered, he'd likely be disappointed and feel that Malcolm didn't trust him.
[Dustin will be Jacob's champion] [Malcolm will be Jacob's champion] [Samuel will be Jacob's champion]
[Dustin will be Jacob's champion]
Well, if he is willing to help, why not to accept his help? After all we supported him before, so now he can pay back this way. I have a feeling that this guy, even if looks brutal, have a soft spot for a family, therefore he is that supportive to Malcolm and Samuel.
I guess if we would not help him then we would go to the storyline where Nesa is leading them to Tom?
If you didn't help him then he'd have still won the fight but be wounded and not be willing to help but he would've directed Malcolm towards Davith.
I see, thanks for clarification.
Great part! Somehow, I kinda like Dustin. I mean, he is a little bit too eager to fight, but all in all, he seems like an okay guy, a brutal fighter, but with a couple of quite likeable traits, at least that's the impression I got so far. I'm also very intrigued by the presence of a Forrester here. I wonder if that will cause a problem for Gregor and the Forrester army later on.
[Dustin will be Jacob's champion]
Well, Samuel does bring up a good point, Dustin does not seem like the most balanced guy and his reaction in the tavern is a bit worrying. However, while this makes him far from my first choice for many tasks, it actually makes him perfect for such a fight. In a fight like this, you'd want the biggest, meanest, strongest fighter you can get and someone who enjoys fight and death sounds like a perfect choice. On top of that, Dustin volunteered and I see no reason not to trust him with doing his best to win. I don't want to piss the guy off or disappoint him, not when he is so well-suited for this task. I'd probably not choose him as a babysitter or to take the Branfield family dog for a walk, but as a champion in a trial by combat, he seems perfect.
[Dustin will be Jacob's champion]
Dustin is a boss, he can do it.
I don't like putting him in danger, but this is a great opportunity for him to prove himself and he volunteered. (Oh and I've been loving his writing so far by the way!)
Also yay for my 800th comment.
I'm glad you enjoyed his writing!
Whenever I'm writing for a submitted character, I'm really worried I'm gonna fuck it up somehow.
[Dustin will be Jacob's champion]
Nobody seemed to catch it so I'm just gonna point it out, Davith is based on dialogue with Duncan & Gared in EP1. When Gared was sent to the wall Duncan said "Many of Lord Forresters best men have volunteered for the wall, his own great uncle was a ranger with the night's watch"
Whoa, I totally have not caught that reference. Actually, I can't even remember the line in question. I guess it's time to replay the game again XD But anyways, this is a cool reference! It's neat how the story fits into the canon, with small references from the main game like this one built into actual plot points. That makes me very excited for Davith's future involvement.
The voting is closed! Dustin will be Jacob's champion.
Sorry for such a long wait, I take brakes pretty frequently, sorry if that's annoying. The next part will more than likely be a Lucas part where he will confront his father and try to convince him to name an heir.
You know, the only thing that makes the wait so hard is because this story is seriously amazing
But don't worry, the result is always worth the wait. Take your time, I really look forward for that part and have no doubts it is going to be great as always!
Sorry for not voting. i have been busy but ive been reading it so far. ill skip this vote because it seems youre already writing and clearly Dustin has won the vote. any predicted day for when the next part releases? so i know.
No predicted day, but it'll happen.
cool bruv
Lucas
Lucas sighed, he hated to do this but Simon is right. If an heir isn't decided there''s bound to be conflict in their own ranks if Damien falls. Countless thoughts were flooding through Lucas' head as he approached his father's quarters. He thought about what he'd say to convince his father, what tone he would use, how his father will react. Eventually Lucas decided he was overthinking it and will just say what needs to be said, for the House.
Lucas stopped when he finally reached his father's room, he sighed as he hesitantly knocked on the door "Come in!" he heard his father's voice, it seemed stressed which indicated that this was not the best time to bring up the topic of heirs but it was too late to turn back, this needs to happen.
Lucas entered and saw his father by his desk, he appeared to be reading a letter. Damien looked at his son and shook his head "If it's not important then save it, I'm busy" Lucas was really tempted to take his advice but he couldn't. "It is important."
Damien sighed before looking his son in the eyes "Very well, what is it?"
Lucas stood straight, he had to make sure not to show his father weakness "You need to name an heir" Lucas stated bluntly and Damien appeared angered by this "We are NOT having this discussion again, not yet at least, wait for your brothers to return"
Lucas refused to accept this "No, father. This needs to happen now, there's a good chance that you won't survive this war, and if that happens we need to know who will be giving the orders otherwise we won't know what to do!"
Damien's expression softened "You think I'm going to die?" and Lucas' resolve broke "I hope not, honestly I don't think either I or Samuel are ready to lead but we need to prepare for the worst."
Damien stood up and sighed "very well, I'll think on it, I'll name my heir by the end of the week." Lucas had succeeded in convincing his father but he didn't feel triumphant, he felt uneasy, like he's made a mistake, yet he knew what he did was right.
"Lucas, I apprreciate your honesty and I'm proud of your determination but there's something we need to talk about."
Lucas didn't like the sound of that but he nodded "Of course."
Damien's expression turned more stern "What in the seven Hells is going on with you?" he asked bluntly but Lucas was confused "I don't understand"
Damien sighed "I know that something's wrong, you're mother thinks I'm paranoid but I know what a man whose lost his purpose looks like, you're different now."
Lucas suddenly got angry and defensive, he didn't want to talk about this, he couldn't talk about this "Don't..." he said and Damien could see that he was right and continued to press him.
"It was you who convinced me to marry off my daughter, your own sister to House Forrester despite what we know about them, how much of a monster Thorren Forrester is"
Lucas shook his head, trying to keep himself from breaking down "I only did that because I knew Thorren Forrester only had one son and I knew that Gregor was a good man. Thorren grows more powerful everyday, we needed him as an ally how was I to know that our king would go mad and start a war!?"
Damien refused to back down "You acted out of fear, but you fear no one, I know you don't."
Lucas began to get distressed "father, please..."
"And another thing, you seem to have forgotten our words, your sense of loyalty has vanished!" Damien continued to push his son despite his obvious distress. "You've been more loyal to the Targaryen's than even me, they're the reason you picked up a sword, to serve your king but now you speak of them with disdain. Don't think that I haven't noticed you've suddenly stopped training. The thing that makes you happy more than anything."
"WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT THIS!" Lucas snapped, he was furious and couldn't take anymore. Lucas turned around and stormed out of the room, he did what he came here to do.
"LUCAS! Get back here! That's an order!" Damien shouted but Lucas didn't listen. Part of him was shocked he's never disobeyed his father before.
Lucas caught himself wiping a tear from his face when he saw Lucina coming, he was ashamed of himself, he just showed weakness.
"Lucas, I heard... are you okay?" Lucina said softly and Lucas struggled to find an answer "I... I can't."
"I know" Lucina saved him from breaking down "But when you're ready to tell me what's wrong, to let me help, I'm always here for you, okay?" she gave a comforting smile and Lucas nodded "thank you."
Lucina suddenly got serious "I didn't just happen to walk by, I wanted to talk to you about something." Lucas calmed down and nodded "What is it?"
"I think we should send some scouts out" Lucas raised an eyebrow and Lucina began to explain "I get that I'm not supposed to get involved in these matters but nobody is saying what needs to be said" Lucas gave an understanding nod "okay, what needs to be said?"
Lucina continued "Simon's compassion and care for his men is blinding him" Lucas' eyes widened, he wasn't expecting her to speak this way about the Master-at-Arms and his fathers best friend.
Lucina frowned "I'm sorry but it's true, we need to know what threats are out there and Simon's pulled back all the scouts because he's worried about putting them in danger."
Lucas sighed "That's worrying... I don't expect it'll be much longer before our enemies come for us" Lucina nodded "So you agree with me?"
Lucas nodded "yes but I don't see what you expect me to do about it, if Simon won't see reason then that's it, my father trusts his judgement."
Lucina frowned "You won't like this but I would suggest that you give the order, the men look up to you, they wouldn't question an order from you unless your father said so."
Lucas rubbed the back of his neck, clearly uneasy about this "You're suggesting that I go behind Simon's back? He won't like that and worse I could lose his respect."
Lucina sighed "He won't listen, Lucas and this needs to be done, you're the only one here who'd even consider any advice from a handmaiden."
[Send out the scouts] [Trust Simon's judgement]
Gosh, I love this relationship between Lucina and the Branfield family. It's not only her connection to Malcolm that is extremely enjoyable, but right here, I have also seen how important she is to the other Branfields. That talk with Lucas made her almost seem like a sister to him, that is adorable.
[Send out the scouts]
It is a hard call. Getting into trouble about this is the last thing I want for Lucas. At the same time, Lucina's advice is sound and I'm not only saying that because of how much I like her. It's a good idea to send out the scouts, because well, that is literally their job. Having a scout that isn't scouting is a waste. I can understand that Simon is worried for his men, but they are soldiers and they are meant to take the risks to keep the rest of the house save. Perhaps learning more on their enemies can give the Branfield's some sort of advantate in the things to come and maybe it'll be what saves lives in the end.
[Send out the scouts]
Hmm, ultimately I find myself agreeing with Lucina.
[Send out the Scouts]
[Send out the scouts]
send the damn scouts
The voting is closed!
Lucas will Send out the scouts.
The next part will be a Gregor part. At the moment Gregor and his forces are camped a safe distance away from Summerspring to avoid detection while they wait for Walter Whitehill to arrive. I'm pretty excited for this part as I'm going to introduce a new group of characters that I've been working on pretty hard. They're original characters that I created myself so you won't know them but I think you'll recognize their family name from the game.
Gregor
Many of the men were restless, they could be discovered quite easily if they weren't careful. Marcos Trant was very vocal about his frustrations, he says that if they weren't waiting for Ludd's brother they'd be attacking the Branfields right now. The worst part was that he was right. Gregor said that they were waiting because the more men they have the better but part of him wondered if the real reason was to delay the attack for as long as possible. He's had time to think and he hates the thought of killing Elissa's family.
Gregor's thoughts were interrupted when Eamon barged into his tent. Gregor was about to yell at him but Eamon spoke first "Apologies, Lord Forrester but things are getting out of hand"
"What's the matter? Has Walter Whitehill arrived?" Gregor thought his men had grown accustomed to the Whitehills by now.
Eamon shook his head "No, it's the Warricks" Gregor's eyes widened at the mention of the Warricks. This is bad, the Warricks have a really bad reputation from most Northeners.
Eamon sighed "I expected that reaction, it seems the Warricks aren't very popular among you Forresters... and the Degores"
This alarmed Gregor "Is Royland out there?" Eamon nodded "Yes and many of your own men are rallying behind him trying to force the Warricks out of here while the Whitehills are attempting to defend the Warricks from them."
"I need to get out there!" Gregor exclaimed as he marched out of the tent he saw a large angry crowd mixed with the sigil's of Warrick, Whitehill, Degore and Forrester. "Gregor!" Gregor heard Ludd's voice as he ran to his side "I just heard--"
"Why didn't you tell me they were coming, Ludd? The Warricks are YOUR Bannermen!" Gregor shouted.
"You said to make use of any oaths I can, I followed YOUR orders, Gregor, don't blame me for how your men reacted!" Ludd defended himself. Ludd was right, Gregor told him to gather allies, the Warricks just weren't the allies he hoped for.
Gregor groaned "Fine but we need to deal with this, now!" They managed to get close to the crowd and there was a lot of cursing and shouting, thankfully no blades have been drawn yet. Gregor saw Larion on one side and Royland on the other. "We don't want you here, Warricks, get the fuck lost!" Royland shouted.
A blonde man with stubble stood behind Larion with very messy hair and began to laugh sadistically He looked fairly ordinary, average height, not very impressive muscles but he had a pair of green eyes with deranged look in them, this man was a Warrick. "You're free to try, dog!" the man said as he opened his arms, inviting Royland to attack.
Another blonde arrived, he looked similar to the deranged Warrick but younger, his hair was shorter and he had no facial hair. "Ammett, what's going on here?" he looked to the deranged Warrick whose name was apparently Ammett.
Ammett turned to the young man "Well you see little brother, I explained to these lovely gentlemen that we're here to aid them in the fight against the Targaryen loyalists and this... dog decided to bite the hand that feeds him"
"You call me that again and you won't like what happens." Royland growled.
"Back off, Degore!" Larion shouted "I'll strike you down if I have to!"
Ammett's brother saw Gregor and his eyes lit up "Lord Forrester right?" he moved past his men up until Forrester soldiers stopped him from passing. "Let him through" Gregor ordered and the soldiers hesitantly let him through.
"Thank you" the young man nodded as he came forward "My name is Bryce Warrick, that's my brother Ammett and next to him is my brother Kevan" Gregor looked and saw Kevan, he was a mountain of a man, tall and massive muscles. He was visibly older than Bryce and Ammett, he had long dark hair, a thick beard as well as a few scars on his face.
"Please" Bryce pleaded "We came here at Ludd Whitehill's request, we're only here to help"
Ludd stepped forward "Bryce is a good man, Gregor, you can trust him."
Gregor looked over to Royland, Things were getting way too out of hand "Royland, stand down!" he ordered.
Royland glared at Gregor but turned to walk away from Ammett, although hesitantly.
"Ahh, so loyal" Ammett smirked as he looked to Bryce. "What is it that they say about Degores, Bryce?" Was he trying to provoke Royland? Is this man insane!?
Bryce shook his head, fearing the worst "Ammett, don't!"
"Oh, I remember now!" Ammett looked to Royland "Like dogs, very loyal but let them off the leash and they're very difficult to get back on."
Royland angrily turned around and charged towards Ammett.
"Royland, no!" Gregor shouted.
Larion drew his sword as Royland approached but before Royland reached him Marcos grabbed him from behind and threw Royland behind him.
"What the fuck is wrong with you, Degore? These are our allies." Gregor never thought he'd be happy to see Marcos.
"ALLIES!?" Royland shouted in a furious rage. "No! Rapers and murderers, all of them! I won't fight by their side!"
Marcos looked over at Ammett "Is that true?" Ammett chuckled in response "Well, we're not all rapers and murderers."
"Are you?" Marcos asked him bluntly and Ammett's expression suddenly turned serious and he didn't respond. This man has done some vile things.
Gregor stepped in "Marcos, I need you to help me seperate these men."
"No, Forrester." Marcos seemed angry "Degore is right, I won't fight with a raper and a murderer."
Then Ludd stepped in "ENOUGH!" he looked over to the Warricks "Ammett, take your brothers and have your men fall back, I'll come and get you when this has been sorted." Ammett seemed displeased "Yes, my Lord" he turned to his men and shouted "FALL BACK!" The Warricks then backed up and things began to calm down.
Gregor turned to Royland "You need to cut this shit out, you don't use MY men to start brawls" Royland swallowed his pride "Apologies, it won't happen again"
Gregor sighed "It's fine, just remember who's in command." Royland nodded and then walked away.
When Royland walked away Larion breathed a sigh of relief and sheathed his sword "I'll make sure they're ready for you, my Lord."
"Thank you Ser Larion." Ludd nodded and Larion nodded back before marching towards the Warricks.
Gregor then turned to Marcos but he spoke before Gregor could get a word out "You don't get to lecture me, Forrester."
"Excuse me?" Gregor exclaimed and Marcos shook his head in disappointment "You're a piss-poor leader. What have you done since I got here? Nothing! You've got us waiting around for men that won't make a difference, you've let murderers and rapers into our ranks. And now you rely on Whitehill to solve your problems. Your father made a mistake in sending you in his place"
Marcos stormed off "come get me when you're ready to do what we came here to do."
Gregor groaned, maybe he was right, Gregor felt that he hadn't done a great job so far. Ludd sighed "are you alright?"
"No." Gregor groaned once again "More often than not I have no idea what to do and it seems that no matter what I do nobody is pleased. And worse than that all I can think about is how my wife will look at me when I come home with her family's blood on my hands!" Gregor shouted and turned his back, this was all so stressful.
Ludd placed his hand on Gregor's shoulder "You don't give yourself enough credit Gregor, you've done a good job so far. Forget Marcos, I doubt even a dornish whore would make him happy." Gregor laughed at that "Thanks Ludd"
Ludd smiled "It's not a problem."
Ludd turned over to the Warricks "I should go see them. You coming?" Gregor raised an eyebrow "why?"
Ludd shrugged "I don't know, get to know them? Put their minds at ease, your presence will help them feel like they're not outcasts, that you trust them."
Gregor shook his head "But I don't trust them. Ammett is clearly insane, the man seemed to enjoy the violence and he was trying to provoke Royland. I don't know if I want to get to know a man like that."
Ludd sighed "Think what you want about Ammett but Bryce is a good man, one of the best and he's got some influence on Ammett, keeps him from doing things he shouldn't."
Gregor sighed, he didn't like this but Bryce did seem like a good man. "All right let's go see them."
Ludd smiled "Good, do you have any questions I can answer on the way? Might give you a good idea on what to expect, help prepare for the madness that is House Warrick." Ludd laughed like he was joking but it felt like half of him was serious.
Gregor felt he should ask about either Ammett or Kevan. Ludd seems to trust Bryce so nothing to worry about there. Ammett is clearly insane and Gregor felt that he should know what will and won't set him off. Kevan was a massive unknown, he looks dangerous but he didn't speak at all when he saw him, Gregor has no idea what kind of personality he has.
["Tell me about Ammett"] ["Tell me about Kevan"]
That was a really great part! I absolutely love the dialogue here, that was intense
Also, House Warrick sounds distantly familiar. Give me a hint there, have they been in the games at some point?
["Tell me about Kevan"]
Tbh, I would like to learn more about both. But the thing is, right now I assume that Gregor has a general idea how Ammett is like, even if it is a very negative idea. However, Kevan is a massive unknown, as said by Gregor himself, so I think it could be a good idea to learn more about him. If a situation with Ammett comes up, we have some hints on how to deal with him, but since we know nothing about Kevan, a similar situation involving him could get dangerous pretty easily. I think it is a good idea to learn more about him now, to potentially get important information that we can use later.
The name Warrick was used by one particular character. An antagonist in Gared's storyline.
I am super excited about the Warricks! I worked really hard on them and I get really excited just thinking about the scenes I'll do with them.
["Tell me about Kevan"]
This sounds more interesting.
Britt! I literally had no idea that his last name has ever been mentioned. That is very interesting. Seems the Warrick's had some unpleasant people even before him, if Ammett is any indication. And there's the fact that Gregor (and Marcos as well) apparently associates the Warrick name with seriously bad things. Hm, this is really intriguing, I look forward for what you have planned for them, even if I am quite afraid for Ammett, he sounds like the kind of guy who could seriously fuck things up for everyone. I wonder if one of them is the father of Britt then. Considering how that guy turned out, it could be Ammett.
Kevan
This part was great! I liked the intensity between Gregor and Ludd at the start (still loving their chemistry, by the way, and I want more dialogue between them!) which nicely contrasted with the warmth later on, namely with Gregor's little monologue, which gave me Bigby vibes, in the best possible way. The whole Royland outburst was great, too - especially with how he ultimately relents, which is very him. I can just see it all playing out in my head.
For the choice, I'm going with:
[Tell me about Ammett]
He seems the most ominous and unstable of the two - especially with how he responded to Marcos (I hate that guy) earlier on. Even Gregor acknowledges he should know the in's-and-outs of Ammett. So I'll go with him, and Kevan can stay as the wild card.
Ha! I love that you got Bigby vibes and I can actually see the unintentional comparison. Except people give Bigby shit because he used to eat people and people give Gregor shit because he's young and inexperienced.
You hate Marcos? Why?