EDIT:[GO with Edward and Jadith] The heist is a much cooler storyline
[Decline the drink] Nah she is fine
RT:
1) Yohoho!Another part between pirates! And it seems that Alys had fun having a conversation with them..for now 2) Aeron really show who is the boss here and he even mantain a calm attitude! 3) Without even know Akjeen reallydodge a bullet here! Edward literally save his life! 4) It seems that the pirates have contacts with the Dorne rebels! But I doubt they work together since I believe that probably they just share informations that can hurt their enemies 5) Nice to know a little more about the Stark loyal lapdog aka House Manderly! 6) Hype for the first naval battle of the story 7) Meanwhile in the Reach I'm almost sad that we don't see some action...but I like the conversation in this part! 8) Welcome back to the story Magnus and Bennet! Jeez you are probably between the characters that not only had a very brief screentime but even was introduced ages ago!(btw where is Dimitri?XD) 9) I'm curious to see what this strange situation in this Kersea part will lead
Alys
To Alys’ surprise, she did not regret staying with the pirates. They weren’t exactly what she’d call endearing, but as the evening … morewent by, she began to at least learn how to deal with them. Melvan Tiren was affable, in his own way, his laugh made it easy to forget what sort of a man he was, how many he had killed. Sargasso Saan enjoyed flattery and the moment Alys complimented his robe, he was all smiles to her. And Jadith... Alys quickly realized that she should not, under any circumstance, spend too much time around Jadith Linster. The woman was crabby, short-tempered and apparently filled with a particular hatred for anyone besides herself.
The other pirates were perfectly cordial though, almost to a worrying degree. Warmond Manderly even ended up offering her a cup of wine, though Alys declined. She had never been fond of drinking, but in this situation, she absolutely wanted to keep a clear head, absolutely had to.
“Mylad… [view original content]
Alys
To Alys’ surprise, she did not regret staying with the pirates. They weren’t exactly what she’d call endearing, but as the evening … morewent by, she began to at least learn how to deal with them. Melvan Tiren was affable, in his own way, his laugh made it easy to forget what sort of a man he was, how many he had killed. Sargasso Saan enjoyed flattery and the moment Alys complimented his robe, he was all smiles to her. And Jadith... Alys quickly realized that she should not, under any circumstance, spend too much time around Jadith Linster. The woman was crabby, short-tempered and apparently filled with a particular hatred for anyone besides herself.
The other pirates were perfectly cordial though, almost to a worrying degree. Warmond Manderly even ended up offering her a cup of wine, though Alys declined. She had never been fond of drinking, but in this situation, she absolutely wanted to keep a clear head, absolutely had to.
“Mylad… [view original content]
Alys
To Alys’ surprise, she did not regret staying with the pirates. They weren’t exactly what she’d call endearing, but as the evening … morewent by, she began to at least learn how to deal with them. Melvan Tiren was affable, in his own way, his laugh made it easy to forget what sort of a man he was, how many he had killed. Sargasso Saan enjoyed flattery and the moment Alys complimented his robe, he was all smiles to her. And Jadith... Alys quickly realized that she should not, under any circumstance, spend too much time around Jadith Linster. The woman was crabby, short-tempered and apparently filled with a particular hatred for anyone besides herself.
The other pirates were perfectly cordial though, almost to a worrying degree. Warmond Manderly even ended up offering her a cup of wine, though Alys declined. She had never been fond of drinking, but in this situation, she absolutely wanted to keep a clear head, absolutely had to.
“Mylad… [view original content]
I'm tempted to make the other choice but,since you mentioned that in a way or another we will read the heist, I suppose that Alys will probably like to not be part of another battle (not that remain at Merman's Rest make her safe from danger of course)
Oh, I am deeply sorry, but it seems I have put things in a slightly confusing way there. Allow me to clarify, the heist will only be seen if you actually choose for Alys to go with Edward. The price for a probably exciting naval battle is spending more time with Edward, I am afraid. If you decide not to go with him, the consequence will be that you will only get to see the aftermath of the battle, there won't be an extra PoV just for this heist.
1) Yohoho!Another part between pirates! And it seems that Alys had fun having a conversation with them..for now
Yeah, it was a fun conversation. In fact, Alys would probably enjoy her time with them, if not for the fact that they are pirates and most likely just waiting for a moment of weakness and she is absolutely aware of this.
2) Aeron really show who is the boss here and he even mantain a calm attitude!
A true leader should not have to lose his calm to get his point across. Aeron rarely raises his voice and even when he does, it is not done in anger. All this, of course, doesn't mean he never gets angry, but he at least always tries to keep cool. Should he ever lose that, expect shit to really hit the fan. For now though, my goal is to show him as a calm, but still imposing character.
3) Without even know Akjeen reallydodge a bullet here! Edward literally save his life!
He got lucky there indeed and he is not fully aware of the danger he has been in. Edward however dodged a bullet as well with this, by convincing Aeron to spare Akjen's life. Most of his standing forces are the bandits who left Raylansfair with him and they are loyal solely to their leader. If Bear gets taken out (or even just reconsiders the terms of their contract), this will be a blow to Edward's power he might not recover from. Alisa and Carvin might be his most loyal underlings, but there is no doubt that Bear is by far his most important one.
4) It seems that the pirates have contacts with the Dorne rebels! But I doubt they work together since I believe that probably they just share informations that can hurt their enemies
You are likely right here, a full alliance is not their style. However, they have a common enemy in House Martell (given that the pirates of Merman's Rest are mostly raiding the shores of Dorne for geographic reasons), so the Sandstorm in particular has an interest in delivering such information to Aeron, who in turn gracefully accepts the support.
5) Nice to know a little more about the Stark loyal lapdog aka House Manderly!
Ah, he is the one Manderly that isn't a Stark lapdog. After the destruction of the massive Manderly kingdom of old and the exile of the remaining Manderly's to the North, only few remained south and Warmond is the last of their line. This means, he belongs to a Manderly line that has never served House Stark. Actually, he belongs to a line that has never served anyone and due to this, he looks down on those sworn to the lords and kings of Westeros (as his arrangement with Aeron is definitely not the same).
6) Hype for the first naval battle of the story
Well... with how the votes currently seem, I am sorry I have to disappoint. However, fear not, there will be naval battles in Book 2 and 3, absolutely massive and climactic ones that should wholly satisfy all your naval battle desires.
7) Meanwhile in the Reach I'm almost sad that we don't see some action...but I like the conversation in this part!
Straight to the action, that is rarely my style. It just feels so much more fitting to build up such scenes with suspension. I want to keep Drake and Elias a bit shady in this part, but wish to keep the confirmation if they are bad guys or not for later. Action should happen in this chapter though, it won't be the most action-packed of the book, but it will be feature some decent amounts.
8) Welcome back to the story Magnus and Bennet! Jeez you are probably between the characters that not only had a very brief screentime but even was introduced ages ago!(btw where is Dimitri?XD)
Yeah, both kinda had the worst luck with the choices, as some of Ilish's choices in Chapter 6 and 7 could have potentially given them a lot more screentime. But they are back now and back for good. Dimitri though... well, technically he just got reintroduced in InGen's April Fool's part, do not forget that! Truth be told though... he might be back at some point. By now he is almost a meme, so I gotta find the exact right spot for him, where his appearance actually lives up to the massive expectations.
9) I'm curious to see what this strange situation in this Kersea part will lead
Oh, I'm sure it'll be fine. Nothing bad ever happens in such situations, ever
EDIT: [GO with Edward and Jadith] The heist is a much cooler storyline
[Decline the drink] Nah she is fine
RT:
1) Yohoho!Another pa… morert between pirates! And it seems that Alys had fun having a conversation with them..for now
2) Aeron really show who is the boss here and he even mantain a calm attitude!
3) Without even know Akjeen reallydodge a bullet here! Edward literally save his life!
4) It seems that the pirates have contacts with the Dorne rebels! But I doubt they work together since I believe that probably they just share informations that can hurt their enemies
5) Nice to know a little more about the Stark loyal lapdog aka House Manderly!
6) Hype for the first naval battle of the story
7) Meanwhile in the Reach I'm almost sad that we don't see some action...but I like the conversation in this part!
8) Welcome back to the story Magnus and Bennet! Jeez you are probably between the characters that not only had a very brief … [view original content]
Technically, we have a tie for the second vote here, but I ended up solving it by counting the first vote twice, especially in the absence of Kersea's submitter. Means, she'll decline the drink. The other choice was nearly unanimous and well, I can't say I am too surprised. I would have liked to write some naval battle scenes, but I can promise my ideas for Merman's Rest shouldn't be too boring either. I hope Alys' storyline in general in this chapter will be a nice one. I know for a fact, Kersea's will be, so I am not too worried there, I aim for a pretty tense meeting in the Hammered Harp. Also, in the wake of her recent choice and the new people she met, I would like you to know, I made dis:
Ahem... The next part should be out today or tomorrow! You probably notice by this, not much of it is written so far. The reason for that is, I was gone the entire day yesterday and had no time to properly write, as I was returning from my grandfather's place. It has been a nice vacation, very relaxing for the most part and I had a nice Easter celebration. I hope your week has been similarly nice! I have started writing a bit on Tuesday and will expand on it today, but I am not certain I will manage to finish it. I suppose tomorrow at latest is more likely, but I want to close the voting now to give you an update on how far I am with the writing and since I am not too certain more votes will come in if I leave it up for another day. I am currently writing a Willfred part, the first for him in this chapter, showing his next steps in his alliance with Helenys Bellward against Petyr and Maron. There is certainly going to be room for another PoV, which I currently plan to grant either to Lachlan or the Hawk, our new Vale of Arryn PoV's, showing either Lachlan's meeting with Orson Royce or the Hawk's meeting with the Rat and the Pig.
Alright then, many apologies for the longer wait. Reason is that I had to rewrite a couple paragraphs here. I was not too certain about some of the exposition here, but feel it is necessary to move the plot into the right direction. As such, I rewrote until I was happy with the outcome. Hopefully you enjoy it and I can only promise, the next wait between the parts won't be as long
Willfred
It was around noon when Willfred, flanked by Jack and Prins, entered the courtyard. Roger was already there, as was Vashord Tallian and Helenys with her servant. It was a cool autumn day and Willfred was clad in thick leather, with a cloak in red and silver and a fur collar. His sword was by his side, solely for decorative purposes. And deep down, he hoped he didn't have to draw it ever again over the course of his stay in Raylansfair.
They all had gathered in the courtyard. Lord Vyrwel himself was surrounded by his most faithful, the knights Hugo Farnham, Ian Shortwood and Darren Tallwood. His daughter Edith was there as well and Maester Eddard. And in the distance, Willfred saw King Mern's observer, Kasyn Luck, silently watching the scenery and no doubt just waiting for a sign of disobedience on Vyrwel's part.
Helenys greeted him with a brief nod, while Roger allowed himself a thin smile. “You don't look good, boy”, he spoke. “Haven't slept well again?” Willfred shook his head. “The stress”, he said and it was only a partial lie. Truth be told though, the nightmares had gotten worse as well, or at least they hadn't gotten any better.
He knew, today would be significant though and the last he wanted was his uncle being worried for him when he should rather focus on their duties. The arrival of a new guest in Raylansfair was a delicate process, as Helenys had told him, one that might be perfect to shake up the delicate balance of power in the city.
“Understandable”, Roger admitted. “What we aim to do won't be easy. In your age, I felt similar, though to be fair, I don't even want to imagine how you must feel right now, the weight of our house and kingdom on your shoulders” Willfred nodded, absent-mindedly. It was worse than that. Breaking up this alliance between Petyr Vyrwel and Maron Mullendore, it sounded like one hell of a task on a good day. But today of all days, where he was supposed to take the important first steps for this goal, he was tired out of his mind and slowly suspecting he was losing the same.
It was there that the horns sounding from the wall announced the arrival of the awaited guests. The first who approached was a familiar face though, in form of Maron Mullendore. His masked freaks were absent for this gathering, perhaps a good thing given their usual effect on people, instead a group of guardsmen accompanied him, each on horses.
Behind them, two banners, each carried by a knight in full armour. Both seemed distantly familiar and in fact, it had been only a few weeks since he had last seen one of them. The words he once had to learn came back almost instantly. Three green oak leaves on yellow, House Oakheart of Old Oak. A black wall with red stripes running down, a grey shark fin on top. House Selwyn of Selwyn Tower.
Behind the guards and the banner carriers came the lords themselves, their entourage farther behind. Lord Oakheart was a familiar sight, a warrior with brown hair, bearded and imposing. The other man had to be Donnel Selwyn, even if Willfred had never seen the man before. He was older, in his seventies already, clean shaven and with tanned skin. Though tall, he was also slightly overweight, his light blonde hair combed over the beginning baldness. Contrasting the smile on Oakheart's face, his expression was a stern one, a frown with his eyes narrowed. Wearing light armour, he actually made an almost martial impression, paired off with a blood red cloak draped over his shoulders.
There were others behind him and Willfred even spotted a closed carriage, probably holding Lord Selwyn's family and closer advisors. The lord had an unusual amount of people with him, especially compared to Lord Oakheart's modestly sized company. It was a display of strength, as he marched there with at least two dozen guards, all heavily armoured and armed, himself sitting on a fine, black destrier.
Petyr looked down at his daughter, giving her a brief smile, before he stepped forward. He and Maron exchanged a nod and by then, Lord Oakheart had already descended from his horse. Willfred looked at the man, before briefly glancing at Kasyn Luck. The knight was looking perhaps slightly surprised, slowly narrowing his eyes, but he otherwise remained unmoved, as Petyr and Lord Devrin exchanged a hug.
“My friend!”, Petyr told him. “It has been too long. I am pleased you were able to arrange your return so quickly” Devrin smirked at this comment. “Well, we do have a lot to discuss”, he spoke. “For example, there is the matter of my company” He turned around, to where Lord Selwyn had descended from his horse by now. One of his men, certainly his son judging by his similar features, had helped him down and the old lord was approaching them by now.
“Petyr, may I introduce my brother-in-law, Lord Donnel Selwyn”, he proclaimed. “The Stonewall, Lord Admiral of the Misty Islands, Sea Tamer and Feeder of Sharks” Lord Donnel had reached Petyr by now, extending his hand for a handshake. “And uh...”, Devrin continued. “Lord Donnel, may I introduce Petyr Vyrwel, Lord of Raylansfair”
With a charming smile, Petyr grabbed Donnel's hand and for a moment, they remained that way, locked in a firm handshake, before Donnel broke into a wide, thin-lipped smile of his own. “I am very pleased to make your acquaintance, Lord Selwyn”, Petyr said, to which Donnel gave him a nod. “The pleasure is all mine, Lord Vyrwel”, he said. “I would like to thank the tremendous people of Raylansfair for receiving me today”
He glanced over his shoulder briefly, his smile having faded as quickly as it came. “And ah, this is my family, they're wonderful people”, he announced and the man that likely was his son, a tall and imposing man in his late thirties with short, dark brown hair walked over to the carriage and opened the door.
The first to climb out was a good-looking woman in her forties, brown-haired and blue-eyed, with her skin slightly tanned from the sun. She had a smile for Devrin first, only then walking up to Donnel. Two young women followed next to each other, both of them tall, blonde and beautiful. Like their parents, their skin was slightly tanned and the young man that followed shared these features, being tall and blonde of hair. While the women wore elegant, yet simple dresses, nothing too out of the ordinary for their wealth and despite their beauty, it was the man that caught Willfred's attention. Where each member of the Selwyn family wore a red cloak, his was grey and made from an odd fabric. Even from afar, Willfred was certain it wasn't cloth, but something more akin to leather.
Finally, two men, each trying their best not to look at each other, as they hurried past the Selwyn family to flank their lord. Both were tall, yet that was about the extent of their similarities, with one man having tanned, yet eerily pasty skin, wavy grey hair and a wild beard, with a smug smirk adorning his wrinkled face. The other, probably about twenty years younger, was more well-groomed, his pale skin contrasting the usually sun-tanned appearance of the Selwyn family. Both had collars around their neck indicating that both served as House Selwyn's maester.
Lord Donnel briefly flashed a toothy smile at Petyr, before he patted the eldest of his children onto the back. “Here is my firstborn, Dustran!”, he introduced him and Dustran, standing proud, smug and tall, showed only the hint of a bow in front of Lord Vyrwel. The woman that was now approaching with her children couldn't possibly be his mother, Willfred was certain that at best only a few years separated them.
“My wife, Lady Selyse”, Donnel continued. “And our children, Derik, Vanesha and Valeris” Petyr smiled widely at the younger Selwyn's, even taking the time to give the stunningly beautiful Vanesha a kiss onto the back of her hand, which caused the young woman to blush slightly. “And these are my advisors, Maesters Lucifer and Gylbert”
The older one, Lucifer, nodded briefly, while the younger Gylbert outright bowed in front of the Lord of Raylansfair. Petyr gave both a nod in return, before placing his attention entirely on Lord Selwyn again. Meanwhile, Willfred spotted Maron Mullendore and Devrin Oakheart in a quiet conversation, both keeping their voice low enough for him not to understand a word.
“Mylord Donnel, you and your family are truly welcome here”, Petyr said. “May I invite you to my hall? I have prepared bread and salt. You shall be my guests and we shall deal with important matters at hand” He was going to add something, but Donnel Selwyn cut him off right there. “Yes, we shall”, he said solemnly. “Me and you, we are going to make a beautiful deal, it'll be tremendous”
If Petyr was caught off guard by Donnel cutting him off so casually, he did not show it. Instead, he turned to his entourage, softly smiling as he put a hand onto Edith's shoulder. The young girl looked at the physically imposing Lord of Selwyn Tower, with wide eyes, as she took a step forward. “Mylord Selwyn it... it is an honour to meet you”, she mumbled and Donnel raised an eyebrow.
“My daughter”, Petyr explained. “Edith” Now, the lord frowned slightly. “Your bastard daughter, yes”, he said and Petyr tilted his head. “Is that a problem?”, he asked, to which Donnel shook his head. “Oh, of course not”, he replied. “I'm not one of these people who say all bastards are bad. I know a couple very fine bastards myself”
Petyr smiled coldly. “But?”, he asked and Donnel shook his head. “Ah, I'm just saying, there's some people who don't like bastards, you always gotta be careful with these”, he explained. “You have her here, she's a great girl, but there could be people who don't like having her kind around”
“Are there any of these people in your entourage?”, Petyr asked and though his voice was still friendly, Willfred noticed the slight hint of displeasure in it. Instead of Donnel, it was Maester Lucifer who answered.. “Of course not”, he assured him, with a calm, deep and slightly hoarsy voice. “Lord Selwyn is simply stating a fact. Now, you mentioned bread and salt?”
Slowly, Petyr seemed to relax again. “Of course. Follow me, mylords” He turned to the Great Hall, his men following, then accompanied by Lord Selwyn and his entourage. Helenys waited for a moment, as a sly smile formed on her face. “Petyr is nervous”, she whispered. “This is good. Maybe we can use this newcomer to our advantage” With these words, she turned to follow the Lord of Raylansfair.
Willfred was about to do the same, as he at least wanted to keep an eye on the situation, waiting for Helenys to make her move first. However, in this moment, Jack gave him a nudge with his elbow. “Ser”, he warned him and as Willfred followed his gaze, he saw Maron Mullendore approaching him, followed by Devrin Oakheart.
“Ser Willfred”, the one-eyed knight greeted him, with a smile that could very well be considered charming. Yet there was something about the man that made Willfred wary. At the very least, the recent rumours were unsettling, about some incident at a farm just outside of the city. Jack had spoken to some of the guards, men who were deeply terrified of their new castellan, after he supposedly bashed a poor farmer's head in. And indeed, there was a raw brutality in his movements, just barely concealed by his knightly manners.
“Ser Maron”, Willfred greeted him, before taking a slight bow in front of Lord Oakheart. “Mylord” He slowly narrowed his eyes. “How can I help you?” The knight waited for a moment, glancing past Willfred, where Helenys, Roger and Tallian were already leaving. Only Jack and Prins remained by his side. “I was hoping we could have a talk”, he spoke. “It occurred to me we haven't had a proper talk yet”
“Just a friendly chat?”, Willfred asked, allowing himself a confident smirk, even if his attitude suffered under his severe lack of sleep. With a brief grin, Maron shook his head. “Not quite”, he said. “Albeit I wouldn't be opposed to that either. No, it is about your own task, the one you've been sent here for”
Willfred glanced over his shoulder, at the group that entered the Great Hall. “Well, I'd love to talk...”, he began. “But you know, your guests have arrived” Maron shrugged. “So?”, he asked. “It is a boring ceremony and little more. You are our guest already, no need for you to attend”
“Instead, I suppose you wish to have a word”, Willfred said and Maron nodded. “Me and Devrin both”, he spoke. “In private. Albeit I presume your loyal soldiers can accompany you if you do not trust our intentions” His smile grew slightly wider. “After all, I do believe we both have a common goal and I think it is time we learn how to help another”
[Follow Petyr][Follow Maron]
Lachlan
“Are... you sure you can't tell me more?”, Lachlan asked and Remi rolled her eyes. “Yeah, that's what I get for making the offer”, she sighed. “Fine, but I'm only going to tell this once, so you better use that head of yours to listen”
Lachlan nodded, leaning against the wall as the young woman looked around briefly. “My father isn't too happy about this either, but apparently, the Order got involved”, she revealed. She quickly realized that Lachlan had no idea what she was speaking about, so she raised an eyebrow. “The Order?”, she spoke. “Never heard of them?”
“Can't say I have”, Lachlan confirmed and Remi chuckled. “Perhaps if you'd spend less time jousting and more time studying, you would have”, she advised him. “Though that was before your time and mine. The Order used to be active some decades ago. A group of idealists on a hopeless mission and, in fact, something I always believed to be but a footnote in history”
“Yeah, but what is this Order actually?”, Lachlan asked and Remi shrugged. “Apparently, they were supposed to serve the law. The dream was to have a group of advisers, independent judges, an institution the people of Westeros could look up to, granting advice to those wise enough to listen and making sure the law would be uphold”, she explained. “Many of them were airheaded idealists, but highborn and as such, they had the backing of wealthy houses all over the continent. House Reyne of Castamere, House Redwyne of the Arbor, House Manderly of White Harbour, they all believed in the sort of world the Order wanted to create”
Lachlan narrowed his eyes. “I... don't really understand. Their purpose was to serve the law, but... which law? Arryn's? Or Gardener's? Durrandon's?”, he asked, to which Remi shook her head. “Definitely not Durrandon's”, she told him. “The arrogant stag was among their fiercest critics, seeing their mere presence as presumptuous, an insult to the power of the crown. Which, in a way, it was. The Order had no authority, of course, but their backers made them bold, made them an issue too influential to be ignored and that was the idea. To be a nuisance to all those who think they stand above the law, by speaking up against them, fiercely and in public and by commending those who act just” She shrugged. “In many ways, all they asked for was that lords and kings stayed true to the laws they themselves put up. You'd be surprised how many took issue with that”
“Not at all”, Lachlan told her. “A noble idea, but... I think I can see the issue” A brief smirk flashed across Remi's face. “Oh wonder, Ser Keding is on the right track”, she said with a slightly teasing voice. “The Order never had any real authority. Their dream was to convince those above them that they could do good, that they could create a better world if they would follow the ideals the Order preached about”
Her smirk faded slowly. “Commendable idealism, as father would say, but to think they ever had a chance is naïve beyond measure. King Ronnel's grandfather supported them, as did the old Reach king, Garse and Loren Lannister's father at least tolerated them”, she continued. “The dream was to create a set of rules they all uphold, a law to look up to, unmovable, independent. But kings change and the ones that followed had little interest in supporting a group that was, at its very core, meant to be a thorn in their side”
“Explains why I never heard of them”, Lachlan said and Remi gave him a nod. “They never got farther than concepts, early plans, the beginnings of their true vision”, she said. “What truly broke them apart was the very corruption they sought to fight though. It would be ironic if it wouldn't be so sad. Turned out, the ones up in charge much rather took the support of their highborn backers to grow old, fat and lazy. From what father told me, they haven't gotten involved in decades, whatever influence they had long gone and, as I said, nothing more than a footnote”
“But they got involved here?”, Lachlan asked and Remi gave him a nod. “It's been a surprise, but one of their members is here, talking to my father right now”, she revealed, before she let out a frustrated sigh. “And I myself would know nothing about them, if not for that terrible woman telling me everything about them, every single name, every single trial they ever made”
Lachlan opened his mouth to voice his next question, but Remi cut him off. “And before you ask, I am not certain why they got involved here, but it is connected to the reason why you and the others have been called to Runestone”, she told him, answering what he was just about to ask. “Something about one of their very own, using the resources of the Order to do something my father and the Queen Regent really wouldn't like”
He raised an eyebrow. “Like literally everything they do?”, he asked and Remi smirked. “Oh, I think my father was happy with them merely talking a big game, feasting and wasting the gifts they had been given to fulfil their dream”, she replied. “But this is bigger. There is trouble in Gulltown and it could be actually massive. We're talking ambition here and war”
And it was this statement that caused Lachlan to tense up. Remi's talk about the Order had painted them as nothing but a nuisance, idealists on a mission, but virtually unable to change anything. War however, that was something else. The Vale had been at peace for thousands of years. War was something neither of them was prepared for.
“I think I would like to meet this woman”, he said and Remi shook her head. “Trust me, you most definitely would not”, she warned him. “But I'm afraid there is no way around. You go and wait in there, I'll get my father and his advisers” She turned to leave, giving him a brief, cold smile as she passed him. Lachlan sighed, before he turned to the door behind him. For a moment, he was going to knock, but then, he shrugged and just entered.
It was a small room, barely decorated, but containing comfortable chairs and a table with a small array of cold food, fruit, bread and meat, just enough to pass the time. A fire was burning in the fireplace, filling the room with a comfortable warmth and the two men were sitting close to it.
One of them was dressed in a brown coat, hiding a wiry physique. He had dark brown hair, shaggy and barely groomed, held back by a white headband of the sort occasionally worn by sailors in Gulltown. His skin was slightly tanned, almost sunburnt, hiding the hint of a beard shadow, though putting emphasis on the small, light scars on bare arms.
The other man was one Lachlan recognized. Dressed in dark red and blue, he was a tall man with the build of a seasoned fighter, but a youthful, handsome face, clean-shaven and with dirty blonde hair, short and neatly groomed. Light brown eyes widened slightly in recognition, as he rose from his chair. Kyle Coldwater, Lord of Coldwater Burn.
“Keding”, he greeted him and Lachlan took a step forwards. “Coldwater”, he spoke sternly, as they stared at each other for a moment. Then, Lachlan broke into a wide smile, shared by the other man and they embraced each other. “Good to see you, cousin”, he said and Kyle, placing both hands on his shoulders, nodded, his smile equally happy. “Likewise”, he said. “I heard news of your arrival and well, safe to say your company will be much welcome here, in this mess we find ourselves in”
Lachlan chuckled. “Lady Royce told me a bit about it already”, he said. “Some sort of Order, eh?” Kyle rolled his eyes. “Yeah, it's worse than that”, he said. “Bunch of pricks if you ask me, acting as if they have any right to judge you and me” He shook his head. “And you know there's one of them here right now?” Lachlan nodded, to which Kyle narrowed his eyes. “You know she is related to both of us?”
This was indeed something new. Lachlan raised an eyebrow, giving Kyle an inquisitive stare and the young lord smirked. “Sure Remi did not tell you about that one”, he said. “Great aunt Viera has returned. To be frank, I never thought she'd return to this part of the Vale and I wouldn't have been sad about her absence”
Viera... Lachlan knew his mother, sister to Kyle's father, had an aunt by that name, but out of the entirety of House Coldwater, his cousins were really the only people he ever had any sort of contact with. This did nothing to change the situation, but it made him more tense. His mother had never spoken highly of Viera and neither had Remi.
“Any idea why?”, he asked. “Remi has told me a bit, but honestly, it only served to concern me” Kyle sighed, glancing at the other man, who had been watching them calmly. “You should be concerned”, he now said, with a smooth voice. Slowly, he rose from his chair. “I brought the news to Runestone. It's a scheme, a very clever one and one I do not claim to understand in its entirety. But at its core lies the landing of a sellsword army on the shores of Gulltown”
He approached the two, extending a hand into Lachlan's direction. The two men looked at each other, before he grabbed and shook it. “The name's Valydyn, pleased to meet you”, the man with the headband said. “Lachlan Keding”, Lachlan replied and Valydyn nodded. “I know”, he said. “I've heard about you. The future of your house, as they say. Your cousin speaks highly of you”
Kyle did not smile. “Valydyn suspects House Shett to be involved in all this”, he said and his serious demeanour was perhaps the most concerning thing. Usually laid back, Lachlan had never seen Kyle that serious before. Not born to be a lord, he had no love for his duties and seeing him like this over an issue apparently connected to them it meant something severe was going on. “Sterling Shett is not much of a supporter of Lord Royce, but apparently he plans to take things to the next level”, his cousin explained. “A civil war at worst and at the worst possible time as well. Queen Sharra's envoy told us about another war on the horizon and well... the last thing we need is Shett and his Tollett allies stirring up trouble down here”
“Another war?”, Lachlan growled, clenching his fists as he heard this. He was a knight and no stranger to combat, but war? The Vale was not prepared for war, be it civil or from outside forces. Kyle sighed. “I... well, didn't quite listen when that was brought up”, he admitted. “Didn't sound too important at the time, I'm sure it's just the usual big talk by the other kings. They'll turn around when they see the Mountains of the Moon”
Valydyn frowned. “Trust me, this might be a bit bigger than that”, he spoke. “And Shett's actions come at the worst moment. He hadn't told anyone of his intentions, so Lord Royce assumes they are of a hostile nature. Why else would he lead an army to our shores, in secrecy?”
Lachlan gulped, as this did make a certain amount of sense. “Remi mentioned something about a member of the Order involved”, he spoke, to which Valydyn nodded. “Though their royal supporters are dead by now, they still have contacts to the houses of Westeros and Lady Viera mentioned them travelling out of the Vale again, to renew some of their fundings”, he explained. “There is reason to believe one member of the Order acts on his own, using these fundings to support Shett's goals”
“Only further proof Ser Sterling is up to no good”, Kyle claimed. “The more I hear about this Order, the more I think it was a mistake to not hang them all decades ago. Shit like that is why we have civil unrest, why the smallfolk acts up. If they grow active again, who knows what's next. A peasant rebellion, because they think we don't rule well enough?”
“The Order has a noble goal”, Valydyn countered. “You might not see it from your high seat, Mylord Coldwater, but whenever there is injustice in this world, when lords and kings bend the law to their favour, the people at the bottom tend to suffer the most. The Order gives them a voice”
Lachlan's cousin shrugged. “Yeah and that is dangerous”, he said. “See, I don't claim that what we have is perfect, but it's comfortable. If it's not broken, why try to fix it? I'm fine with it” Valydyn shook his head. “You are a lord”, he said. “Of course you are fine with it. But look at the Riverlands and tell me that it's not broken”
“The Riverlands aren't the Vale”, Kyle said. “So I really couldn't care less. The Order has some ideals, I really respect that, but what they do is not fixing an issue, it's making things harder for all of us, for me, for Lord Orson and Queen Sharra and even for the common people they seek to support” He sighed, as he sat down in his chair again. “I don't know too much about this sort of stuff, but I know, when we have a rebellion because some group of farmers doesn't like the way we deal with things around here, then absolutely nobody wins. And that makes the Order dangerous”
Valydyn sighed, as he sat down as well. “I don't think they are dangerous, just... perhaps a bit too ambitious for their own good”, he said. “Their goals might be naïve, but if more people would think like them, perhaps the world would be a better place”
Kyle shot him a brief smile, charming as always. “That is where we respectfully disagree”, he spoke, before he glanced at Lachlan, who had remained silent throughout this discussion. “Say, cousin, you heard what we said. This Order pricks, what do you think about them? Dangerous and dead wrong, aren't they?”
Truth be told, Lachlan was not too sure what to think here. It was not as if he was an expert on the Order. Neither was Kyle, nor Valydyn, as he presumed. Their goals sounded noble indeed, as ineffective as they were conducted. In these regards, he found himself quite following Valydyn's argument. That being said, he understood Kyle, he really did. What they had wasn't perfect, but was it truly bad enough to put it all at risk?
Well the Selwyns certainly seem like an interesting family, and I did mostly enjoy Donnel in this part. For example, him having two maesters is a funny and subtle nod at his clearly arrogant nature. However, a tiny bit of criticism I must give is that few of his lines were kinda immersion breaking. They didn't ruin the part by any means, and it's not so much that I couldn't imagine a noble lord saying these lines in this setting, but some of them just made me lose the image I was building in my head for Donnel as a character and replaced it completely with Trump flailing around in a medieval fantasy setting Don't get me wrong, I understand his character is supposed to be a reference to Trump in itself, but some of the lines were just a bit too on the nose, as funny as they were. I honestly think it's a pretty fun idea to have a character inspired by Trump in this setting, but I hope in the future he'll be developed enough that I don't have to keep thinking him just as a Trump joke dropped in the middle of the story Anyway, for the choice...
[Follow Maron] Eh, I think by now we should know to be careful when it comes to Maron. Let him tell Willfred what he needs to tell, and then we can figure out how to undermine him, rather than pissing him off straight away by refusing his invitation.
[Agree with Valydyn] Since I see this mostly as a character building choice, I'd like to take the more idealistic option The Order, huh? Considering their goals, I wouldn't actually be surprised if they support the Targaryen conquest. I mean, the Targs are offering a centralized governance for all of Westeros, which should help with bringing about the Order's vision, if I've understood it correctly.
Alright then, many apologies for the longer wait. Reason is that I had to rewrite a couple paragraphs here. I was not too certain about some… more of the exposition here, but feel it is necessary to move the plot into the right direction. As such, I rewrote until I was happy with the outcome. Hopefully you enjoy it and I can only promise, the next wait between the parts won't be as long
Willfred
It was around noon when Willfred, flanked by Jack and Prins, entered the courtyard. Roger was already there, as was Vashord Tallian and Helenys with her servant. It was a cool autumn day and Willfred was clad in thick leather, with a cloak in red and silver and a fur collar. His sword was by his side, solely for decorative purposes. And deep down, he hoped he didn't have to draw it ever again over the course of his stay in Raylansfair.
They all had gathered in the courtyard. Lord Vyrwel himself was surrounded by his most faithful, the knights Hu… [view original content]
Alright then, many apologies for the longer wait. Reason is that I had to rewrite a couple paragraphs here. I was not too certain about some… more of the exposition here, but feel it is necessary to move the plot into the right direction. As such, I rewrote until I was happy with the outcome. Hopefully you enjoy it and I can only promise, the next wait between the parts won't be as long
Willfred
It was around noon when Willfred, flanked by Jack and Prins, entered the courtyard. Roger was already there, as was Vashord Tallian and Helenys with her servant. It was a cool autumn day and Willfred was clad in thick leather, with a cloak in red and silver and a fur collar. His sword was by his side, solely for decorative purposes. And deep down, he hoped he didn't have to draw it ever again over the course of his stay in Raylansfair.
They all had gathered in the courtyard. Lord Vyrwel himself was surrounded by his most faithful, the knights Hu… [view original content]
Well the Selwyns certainly seem like an interesting family, and I did mostly enjoy Donnel in this part. For example, him having two maesters is a funny and subtle nod at his clearly arrogant nature. However, a tiny bit of criticism I must give is that few of his lines were kinda immersion breaking. They didn't ruin the part by any means, and it's not so much that I couldn't imagine a noble lord saying these lines in this setting, but some of them just made me lose the image I was building in my head for Donnel as a character and replaced it completely with Trump flailing around in a medieval fantasy setting Don't get me wrong, I understand his character is supposed to be a reference to Trump in itself, but some of the lines were just a bit too on the nose, as funny as they were. I honestly think it's a pretty fun idea to have a character inspired by Trump in this setting, but I hope in the future he'll be developed enough that I don't have to keep thinking him just as a Trump joke dropped in the middle of the story Anyway, for the choice...
Yeah, I gotta admit, Donnel is one of the hardest characters to get right, actually probably the hardest character. The thing is, my intention is not to have a carbon copy of Donald Trump in the story. That is not only completely unfitting, but would also be downright impossible to write in any unbiased way, as I have yet to meet a person who doesn't have any strong feelings either in favour or against the person her was based on. My own views on Trump are known to be very negative, yet at the same time I wish to respect the political views of readers who might support the man and the actual credibility of the story, both of which demand of me to write the character as a three-dimensional, complex person, with strength and flaws like any other character. Pretty much the last thing I want is the character being just some dumb throwaway joke, that would be a complete disfavour to the amount of work that was put into him and the Selwyn family and I cannot imagine anyone being even remotely happy with that. Because let it be clear, the Selwyn family has some serious depth and they will be an absolute joy to write. Donnel just happens to be the core of the family, the one most obviously based on a real person, so I consider him the hardest to get right. A very particular and actually welcome challenge, if I may say. My ultimate goal is that he will be seen as a character in his own right, someone who just happens to look like Trump and shares some character traits with him. I'm up for it, but at the same time, just giving him some Trump style lines to say (such as making deals and the particular use of the word 'tremendous') is temptingly easy. I think the challenge will be to develop him as a character in his own right, one that can be enjoyed by people regardless of political opinions, but to also make it clear that there are similarities and to show these without feeling like a parody. That being said, your criticism is highly welcome here! As I said, this is completely new to me and it is something where I myself have to learn. There will be aspects where I succeed, but with other parts of his character, it will be harder and require some attempts to get it right and as such, I am always eager to hear which aspects I succeeded at and which still require further work. We'll see, but in the end I am very confident that I will succeed at the goal
The Order, huh? Considering their goals, I wouldn't actually be surprised if they support the Targaryen conquest. I mean, the Targs are offering a centralized governance for all of Westeros, which should help with bringing about the Order's vision, if I've understood it correctly.
You understand correctly here. The Order does have some aspects that are shockingly progressive for Westeros, but actually not even unheard of. They are just another way for the smallfolk to blow off some steam, something we see in the books and show with the Sparrows, but unlike them, they are a movement carried by idealists among the ruling elite of Westeros and that is the main reason why they never got the popularity of the Sparrows. It's a bit of a shame, because between the Sparrows and the Order, the Order is by far the more rational and benevolent group. They wish for an independent, ominpresent and powerful law that kings and lords have to follow just like the common man. If, for example, Harren Hoare, decides to randomly kill someone, he should be treated the same as a common farmer who commits murder. The issue with actually applying this is obvious, but that doesn't make the dream behind it any less commendable, especially as this comes from people at the top of the Westerosi food chain. The Targaryen conquest is one step into the right direction, as for the first time in Westerosi history, it will at least mean a centralized government capable of building up a law that has to be followed all over the continent. In fact, the one coming closest to their actual dream will be Jahaerys and his reforms. So, it is possible that they will see Aegon as a step in the right direction.
Well the Selwyns certainly seem like an interesting family, and I did mostly enjoy Donnel in this part. For example, him having two maesters… more is a funny and subtle nod at his clearly arrogant nature. However, a tiny bit of criticism I must give is that few of his lines were kinda immersion breaking. They didn't ruin the part by any means, and it's not so much that I couldn't imagine a noble lord saying these lines in this setting, but some of them just made me lose the image I was building in my head for Donnel as a character and replaced it completely with Trump flailing around in a medieval fantasy setting Don't get me wrong, I understand his character is supposed to be a reference to Trump in itself, but some of the lines were just a bit too on the nose, as funny as they were. I honestly think it's a pretty fun idea to have a character inspired by Trump in this setting, but I hope in the future he'll be developed enough that I don't have t… [view original content]
Alright then, many apologies for the longer wait. Reason is that I had to rewrite a couple paragraphs here. I was not too certain about some… more of the exposition here, but feel it is necessary to move the plot into the right direction. As such, I rewrote until I was happy with the outcome. Hopefully you enjoy it and I can only promise, the next wait between the parts won't be as long
Willfred
It was around noon when Willfred, flanked by Jack and Prins, entered the courtyard. Roger was already there, as was Vashord Tallian and Helenys with her servant. It was a cool autumn day and Willfred was clad in thick leather, with a cloak in red and silver and a fur collar. His sword was by his side, solely for decorative purposes. And deep down, he hoped he didn't have to draw it ever again over the course of his stay in Raylansfair.
They all had gathered in the courtyard. Lord Vyrwel himself was surrounded by his most faithful, the knights Hu… [view original content]
Alright then, many apologies for the longer wait. Reason is that I had to rewrite a couple paragraphs here. I was not too certain about some… more of the exposition here, but feel it is necessary to move the plot into the right direction. As such, I rewrote until I was happy with the outcome. Hopefully you enjoy it and I can only promise, the next wait between the parts won't be as long
Willfred
It was around noon when Willfred, flanked by Jack and Prins, entered the courtyard. Roger was already there, as was Vashord Tallian and Helenys with her servant. It was a cool autumn day and Willfred was clad in thick leather, with a cloak in red and silver and a fur collar. His sword was by his side, solely for decorative purposes. And deep down, he hoped he didn't have to draw it ever again over the course of his stay in Raylansfair.
They all had gathered in the courtyard. Lord Vyrwel himself was surrounded by his most faithful, the knights Hu… [view original content]
[Follow Maron] You can't even try to shatter an alliance if you don't know the members
[Agree with Kyle] The Order is of course a bad thing
RT:
1) It seems that Willfred isn't going to start his storyline in this chapter if he himself feel that bad 2) Jeez Raylainsfair after this part is going to be even more crowded! 3) It seems strange to me that Devrin decide to visit again Raylainsfair since it seems to me a bad choice from the members of the triumvirate to be all at the same place 4) Oh boy is the Sewlyn family crest a sign that FoT jump the shark with this part? Let's discover my opinion in the next point 5) To be honest when I heard for the first time that someone wanted to create for this story a character that resemble the current president of the USA I was completly against (and not for political reasons but because I think that make a character copying a RL person is almost as lazy as make a self insert character) and I admit that my opinion of the introduction of that character doesn't never improve during the time before this faithfull moment (expecially because I suspect that the creator even copy the rest of the president family). Finally speaking about the introductions..I admit that I expect worse from this part and I like the strange but fun idea of two maester for the same lord; however while I can't say much for obvious reasons about the rest of the family members Donnel itself seems to me a character that maybe try a little to much to be like the RL person that he is based upon,he isn't too cringeworthy eh (like I expected him to be) but there is still some time before you surprise me and make me appreciate the character or prove my first impressions right and I finally put him together with Wolfius and Vaasrand 6)Finally leaving Willfred part in the second Lachlan part we learn of the existence of an idealist group called The Order and I can't say to like them too much since it seems yet another future pro targaryen group (but I like the opinion that Kyle have of them!) 7) I'm curious to read who is the terrible woman that Remi mentioned in this part 8) Speaking of the new characters today we see the Lord Coldwater (cool) and Valydine (that I can say without shamethat I have forgot the profession) 9)Maybe I misunderstand but is Kyle aunt (and not Lachan mother of course) a member of the Order? While the Lord/Lady of House Shett is probably a rogue member of that organization?
Alright then, many apologies for the longer wait. Reason is that I had to rewrite a couple paragraphs here. I was not too certain about some… more of the exposition here, but feel it is necessary to move the plot into the right direction. As such, I rewrote until I was happy with the outcome. Hopefully you enjoy it and I can only promise, the next wait between the parts won't be as long
Willfred
It was around noon when Willfred, flanked by Jack and Prins, entered the courtyard. Roger was already there, as was Vashord Tallian and Helenys with her servant. It was a cool autumn day and Willfred was clad in thick leather, with a cloak in red and silver and a fur collar. His sword was by his side, solely for decorative purposes. And deep down, he hoped he didn't have to draw it ever again over the course of his stay in Raylansfair.
They all had gathered in the courtyard. Lord Vyrwel himself was surrounded by his most faithful, the knights Hu… [view original content]
[Follow Maron] Maron doesn't have his cronies around (unless they're in the shadows but that's a concern for later) and he's probably trying to get him on his side, but Will has already set himself against him, maybe he can find some useful information. [Agree with Valydyn] While Kyle is family and his dismissal is understandable, the Order does have ideals that, in this world and age, look very out of place but have a certain draw to the common and noble folk alike.
So Houses Shett and Tollett are possibly conspiring against House Royce, or at least that's how it looks. House Arryn has to act quickly and quell a possible rebellion, or their fleet will be unable to face the Targaryen on the south.
Alright then, many apologies for the longer wait. Reason is that I had to rewrite a couple paragraphs here. I was not too certain about some… more of the exposition here, but feel it is necessary to move the plot into the right direction. As such, I rewrote until I was happy with the outcome. Hopefully you enjoy it and I can only promise, the next wait between the parts won't be as long
Willfred
It was around noon when Willfred, flanked by Jack and Prins, entered the courtyard. Roger was already there, as was Vashord Tallian and Helenys with her servant. It was a cool autumn day and Willfred was clad in thick leather, with a cloak in red and silver and a fur collar. His sword was by his side, solely for decorative purposes. And deep down, he hoped he didn't have to draw it ever again over the course of his stay in Raylansfair.
They all had gathered in the courtyard. Lord Vyrwel himself was surrounded by his most faithful, the knights Hu… [view original content]
1) It seems that Willfred isn't going to start his storyline in this chapter if he himself feel that bad
Ah, he kinda has to. It's making an already hard task even harder, but Willfred doesn't really want to wait and see if his condition gets better on its own. Right now, he actually partially blames the city of Raylansfair for him feeling not so great at the time, so going through with the mission as soon as possible will be in his interest.
2) Jeez Raylainsfair after this part is going to be even more crowded!
And they won't be the last new characters in Raylansfair. However, I can hint that a couple of characters won't stay there forever and some might even leave in this chapter. It is still the main location though and as such, it holds the greatest amount of characters, even if not all of them necessarily appear in every chapter.
3) It seems strange to me that Devrin decide to visit again Raylainsfair since it seems to me a bad choice from the members of the triumvirate to be all at the same place
It is not always a bad choice. In this case, they have important business to discuss in person, but Devrin mostly came to Raylansfair because out of the entire triumvirate, he has the best connection to House Selwyn, on account of his sister being Donnel's wife. Knowing that Donnel can be a difficult man to deal with, he opted to accompany them, to negotiate between his allies and his brother-in-law.
4) Oh boy is the Sewlyn family crest a sign that FoT jump the shark with this part? Let's discover my opinion in the next point
Hehe, I never saw it that way. Probably should hint that nope, they are actually not particularly outlandish characters. House Selwyn does have a strong seafaring theme going on though, with sharks being a prominent animal motif in at least one member of the family. So, I really do not think they jump the shark, rest assured here.
5) To be honest when I heard for the first time that someone wanted to create for this story a character that resemble the current president of the USA I was completly against (and not for political reasons but because I think that make a character copying a RL person is almost as lazy as make a self insert character) and I admit that my opinion of the introduction of that character doesn't never improve during the time before this faithfull moment (expecially because I suspect that the creator even copy the rest of the president family). Finally speaking about the introductions..I admit that I expect worse from this part and I like the strange but fun idea of two maester for the same lord; however while I can't say much for obvious reasons about the rest of the family members Donnel itself seems to me a character that maybe try a little to much to be like the RL person that he is based upon,he isn't too cringeworthy eh (like I expected him to be) but there is still some time before you surprise me and make me appreciate the character or prove my first impressions right and I finally put him together with Wolfius and Vaasrand
Well, what I can tell you is, I doubt anyone was more sceptical than me at first, because in the end, characters who can be compared to real life people are hard to get right. This should clue you in, I actually ended up convinced of the house and am very happy with the work done to make each member feel unique and not like a carbon copy of someone in Trump's social circle. Donnel is, in many ways, the one with the strongest similarities, but the others differ pretty severely. In some cases, I'd even say the similarities are superficial and don't go beyond their mere position in Donnel's family. For exaple, Dustran Selwyn is absolutely nothing like Donald Trump jr. in terms of personality and the only similarity is that he is the oldest son. I do not blame you for having a rather negative opinion on the thought of including a character based on a real life person, though I am glad you decide to give them a chance before making up your mind. I can promise you that in the end, if my plans all work out, none of the Selwyn family will feel out of place. I very much doubt some will leave much of an impression for now (though will get some scenes later on), but I plan to work more with Donnel in this chapter and hopefully, by the end of it he'll be seen as his own character, who just happens to look like Trump and share some traits with him. With others in his family, it'll be way easier, but he obviously first has to escape the stigma of being the strongest reference. Viewed in its entirety though, I really don't think the Selwyn family has too many similarities to the Trump family, but I do know about some rather subtle stuff that I cannot reveal right away. Perhaps the similarities are simply the ones that are more obvious at first, but in time, the finer nuances of the characters should get some time to shine.
6)Finally leaving Willfred part in the second Lachlan part we learn of the existence of an idealist group called The Order and I can't say to like them too much since it seems yet another future pro targaryen group (but I like the opinion that Kyle have of them!)
Well, the Order is quite controversial in-story, because their ideals would majorly disrupt the Westerosi society if properly implemented. Kyle brings it up, especially from his perspective as a nobleman, he takes issue with them. One thing that should be noted though, the Order consists of idealists, sometimes hopelessly naive in their goals. While some will definitely see that Aegon's vision is ultimately something that benefits them, others are strictly against the use of war to get what they want, especially as from the standpoint of the law, Aegon's Conquest has no ground to stand on, it is pretty much the opposite of lawful and the simple, brutal power play they stand against. The more pragmatic among them might decide that Aegon's vision is more important than such trivialities, while the more idealistic ones will probably be less happy to support him.
7) I'm curious to read who is the terrible woman that Remi mentioned in this part
Ah, I can go ahead and confirm it here, it is the same Viera Coldwater that was mentioned later on, I don't meant to confuse here. Remi considers her to be terrible, but I suppose you can make a better impression for yourself when you see her in person in the next Lachlan part. I can also reveal, she is not the only one currently in a meeting with Lord Royce.
8) Speaking of the new characters today we see the Lord Coldwater (cool) and Valydine (that I can say without shamethat I have forgot the profession)
Hehe, glad you like Kyle. He is an interesting guy, adds quite a flavour to the lordly characters in the story due to some traits he has. Valydyn meanwhile, his full profession hasn't been named here, but Remi described him as a specialist last time, sort of a spy/investigator kind of character in service of Lord Royce.
9)Maybe I misunderstand but is Kyle aunt (and not Lachan mother of course) a member of the Order? While the Lord/Lady of House Shett is probably a rogue member of that organization?
No, you misunderstand it here, the member of the Order, Viera, she is the great-aunt of Kyle and Lachlan, which makes her the aunt to Kyle's father and Lachlan's mother. When it comes to the rogue Order member, that is an identity to be revealed in the next Lachlan part. Keep in mind here, there are two Shett's of interest. Remi and Orson suspect Ser Sterling Shett, the head of the house. Meanwhile, the Hawk is under the impression he was hired by Sterling's daughter, Octavia. It remains to be seen which of the two is wrong, or maybe they are both right in a certain way.
[Follow Maron] You can't even try to shatter an alliance if you don't know the members
[Agree with Kyle] The Order is of course a bad th… moreing
RT:
1) It seems that Willfred isn't going to start his storyline in this chapter if he himself feel that bad
2) Jeez Raylainsfair after this part is going to be even more crowded!
3) It seems strange to me that Devrin decide to visit again Raylainsfair since it seems to me a bad choice from the members of the triumvirate to be all at the same place
4) Oh boy is the Sewlyn family crest a sign that FoT jump the shark with this part? Let's discover my opinion in the next point
5) To be honest when I heard for the first time that someone wanted to create for this story a character that resemble the current president of the USA I was completly against (and not for political reasons but because I think that make a character copying a RL person is almost as lazy as make a self insert character) … [view original content]
Maron doesn't have his cronies around (unless they're in the shadows but that's a concern for later) and he's probably trying to get him on his side, but Will has already set himself against him, maybe he can find some useful information.
Well, when it comes to his usual cronies, the Moggy is really not one to be in the shadows, while the Sphynx is, as we know, busy with a family reunion. The Tom remains and he can be quite stealthy, but it can be doubted if Maron takes such measures in his own castle. He has Devrin Oakheart by his side, who is a seasoned warrior, but in terms of physical danger, Willfred, together with Jack and Prins, is likely actually at an advantage.
While Kyle is family and his dismissal is understandable, the Order does have ideals that, in this world and age, look very out of place but have a certain draw to the common and noble folk alike.
Aye, they look out of place in the Westerosi society, but because of that, I believe they have a special draw especially for those suffering from injustice. Three hundred years later, the Sparrows promise a similar ideal and ironically, while the current Faith dislikes the Order, it is likely the Order would highly approve of the Sparrow movement. What I believe is, in dire times, such as the Westeros around the time of the Conquest, such ideals always get the greatest support. It is how even outlandish madmen such as Lodos get their power.
So Houses Shett and Tollett are possibly conspiring against House Royce, or at least that's how it looks. House Arryn has to act quickly and quell a possible rebellion, or their fleet will be unable to face the Targaryen on the south.
You are right, House Arryn should act decisively here. Their problem is that the current king is a child with no understanding of real politics yet, whereas the Queen Regent is someone who has been raised with the knowledge that her entire purpose in life will be to be the trophy wife of a capable ruler. Now that Sharra is forced to be this ruler herself, she is way out of her comfort zone, having to learn everything about ruling in a very short time while also raising both of her sons. That being said, while Sharra might still has to learn a lot, she has the luxury of having an experienced bannerman in Orson Royce, who should be the primary line of defense in case two of his own bannermen decide to conspire.
[Follow Maron] Maron doesn't have his cronies around (unless they're in the shadows but that's a concern for later) and he's probably trying… more to get him on his side, but Will has already set himself against him, maybe he can find some useful information.
[Agree with Valydyn] While Kyle is family and his dismissal is understandable, the Order does have ideals that, in this world and age, look very out of place but have a certain draw to the common and noble folk alike.
So Houses Shett and Tollett are possibly conspiring against House Royce, or at least that's how it looks. House Arryn has to act quickly and quell a possible rebellion, or their fleet will be unable to face the Targaryen on the south.
[Follow Petyr] How can I not vote this? I mean, it's the Donnel. Maybe we can meet one of his wacky family.
[Agree with Valydyn] I guess? Side note: I keep thinking of the Order 1886, a game I have NOT played, when I see "the Order". Or maybe the Order of the Stone. Or maybe the Sith Order. Who knows?
Behind the guards and the banner carriers came the lords themselves, their entourage farther behind. Lord Oakheart was a familiar sight, a warrior with brown hair, bearded and imposing. The other man had to be Donnel Selwyn, even if Willfred had never seen the man before. He was older, in his seventies already, clean shaven and with tanned skin. Though tall, he was also slightly overweight, his light blonde hair combed over the beginning baldness. Contrasting the smile on Oakheart's face, his expression was a stern one, a frown with his eyes narrowed. Wearing light armour, he actually made an almost martial impression, paired off with a blood red cloak draped over his shoulders.
I got a very sharky grin when I saw this. Mental image straight away. I have been waiting for this moment for months (years?) and was kind of anxious to see the results.
Both were tall, yet that was about the extent of their similarities, with one man having tanned, yet eerily pasty skin, wavy grey hair and a wild beard, with a smug smirk adorning his wrinkled face.
Oh, what person could this be? What, their name is Lucifer? I wonder what kind of character that guy is like...
“Yes, we shall”, he said solemnly. “Me and you, we are going to make a beautiful deal, it'll be tremendous”
If Petyr was caught off guard by Donnel cutting him off so casually, he did not show it.
While I suppose I agree with the immersion breaking, I have to admit, this is really cracking me up. Curious about what exactly this "deal" will be. Maybe a nice wall somewhere.
It seems people don't hate Donnel, at least so far, because he's based on Trump. That reassures me. I made sure to try to keep him unique, and with his family they are something different. So sorry he's hard to write, but you know, he's a larger-than-life kind of guy (does that make sense in this context? I mean, he's based on a living person who is already pretty out there...) To my fellow readers, I hope he does not harm your enjoyment in this great story at all. I hope you guys liked the two maesters thing especially, that idea I really had a chuckle out of. Also, for the record, I submitted the family months apart from each other, and well, oops that Selyse is the brother of Oakheart, an ally of Mullendore. Didn't know when it all came together, so I was like "Well, damn." when that was first revealed. I think my reaction in my comment on the part that first introduced that indicate some of my shock. I also hope you enjoy the other Selwyn-related characters, whenever they show. There is one person in particular, with a major connection to another currently introduced character (who is not a Selwyn), I think will be very memorable, but we'll get to know her soon.
Alright then, many apologies for the longer wait. Reason is that I had to rewrite a couple paragraphs here. I was not too certain about some… more of the exposition here, but feel it is necessary to move the plot into the right direction. As such, I rewrote until I was happy with the outcome. Hopefully you enjoy it and I can only promise, the next wait between the parts won't be as long
Willfred
It was around noon when Willfred, flanked by Jack and Prins, entered the courtyard. Roger was already there, as was Vashord Tallian and Helenys with her servant. It was a cool autumn day and Willfred was clad in thick leather, with a cloak in red and silver and a fur collar. His sword was by his side, solely for decorative purposes. And deep down, he hoped he didn't have to draw it ever again over the course of his stay in Raylansfair.
They all had gathered in the courtyard. Lord Vyrwel himself was surrounded by his most faithful, the knights Hu… [view original content]
I got a very sharky grin when I saw this. Mental image straight away. I have been waiting for this moment for months (years?) and was kind of anxious to see the results.
According to the character list, Donnel Selwyn was submitted in July 2016. Feels kinda crazy that he has been in the waiting list for so long, but it does mean you have waited for this for close to two years. I certainly hope I won't disappoint here
Oh, what person could this be? What, their name is Lucifer? I wonder what kind of character that guy is like...
Yeah, I am certain he'll turn out to be a great guy, nothing suspicious about that name at all. On a completely unrelated note, I recently watched that Lucifer series and now I have a completely different mental image of that character.
While I suppose I agree with the immersion breaking, I have to admit, this is really cracking me up. Curious about what exactly this "deal" will be. Maybe a nice wall somewhere.
Hehe, it is as I said above, the easy thing to just give him some lines like that and call it a day. It certainly won't be my intention to have him break the immersion, I just couldn't think of anything he'd rather say here when cutting Petyr off like that. That deal though... well, it might be revealed in the near future, perhaps.
It seems people don't hate Donnel, at least so far, because he's based on Trump. That reassures me. I made sure to try to keep him unique, and with his family they are something different. So sorry he's hard to write, but you know, he's a larger-than-life kind of guy (does that make sense in this context? I mean, he's based on a living person who is already pretty out there...) To my fellow readers, I hope he does not harm your enjoyment in this great story at all. I hope you guys liked the two maesters thing especially, that idea I really had a chuckle out of. Also, for the record, I submitted the family months apart from each other, and well, oops that Selyse is the brother of Oakheart, an ally of Mullendore. Didn't know when it all came together, so I was like "Well, damn." when that was first revealed. I think my reaction in my comment on the part that first introduced that indicate some of my shock. I also hope you enjoy the other Selwyn-related characters, whenever they show. There is one person in particular, with a major connection to another currently introduced character (who is not a Selwyn), I think will be very memorable, but we'll get to know her soon.
Ah, I definitely hope he won't be hated once I had the chance to fully establish him. I mean, I know the work that went into him and his family and will try to do them justice. It might be hard to write him at times without taking the real Trump into account too much (such as Trump quotes, a selected few might translate well into the story if heavily rewritten, but I kinda feel like if he suddenly starts ranting about how a wall has to be built to keep out the Dornish, that'd be a bit too cheesy), but I absolutely love the challenge. Considering that most characters simply don't give me this sort of challenge, this is highly appreciated. And well, I suppose we'll see how he will be received in the end, but if it all works out, the goal is to make him a well-received character, even if he will probably not end up particularly sympathetic or likeable.
[Follow Petyr] How can I not vote this? I mean, it's the Donnel. Maybe we can meet one of his wacky family.
[Agree with Valydyn] I guess?… more Side note: I keep thinking of the Order 1886, a game I have NOT played, when I see "the Order". Or maybe the Order of the Stone. Or maybe the Sith Order. Who knows?
Behind the guards and the banner carriers came the lords themselves, their entourage farther behind. Lord Oakheart was a familiar sight, a warrior with brown hair, bearded and imposing. The other man had to be Donnel Selwyn, even if Willfred had never seen the man before. He was older, in his seventies already, clean shaven and with tanned skin. Though tall, he was also slightly overweight, his light blonde hair combed over the beginning baldness. Contrasting the smile on Oakheart's face, his expression was a stern one, a frown with his eyes narrowed. Wearing light armour, he actually made an almost martial impression, paired off with a… [view original content]
I got a very sharky grin when I saw this. Mental image straight away. I have been waiting for this moment for months (years?) and was kind o… moref anxious to see the results.
According to the character list, Donnel Selwyn was submitted in July 2016. Feels kinda crazy that he has been in the waiting list for so long, but it does mean you have waited for this for close to two years. I certainly hope I won't disappoint here
Oh, what person could this be? What, their name is Lucifer? I wonder what kind of character that guy is like...
Yeah, I am certain he'll turn out to be a great guy, nothing suspicious about that name at all. On a completely unrelated note, I recently watched that Lucifer series and now I have a completely different mental image of that character.
While I suppose I agree with the immersion breaking, I have to admit, this is really cracking me up. Curious about what exactly this "deal" will be. Maybe a n… [view original content]
Alright then, many apologies for the longer wait. Reason is that I had to rewrite a couple paragraphs here. I was not too certain about some… more of the exposition here, but feel it is necessary to move the plot into the right direction. As such, I rewrote until I was happy with the outcome. Hopefully you enjoy it and I can only promise, the next wait between the parts won't be as long
Willfred
It was around noon when Willfred, flanked by Jack and Prins, entered the courtyard. Roger was already there, as was Vashord Tallian and Helenys with her servant. It was a cool autumn day and Willfred was clad in thick leather, with a cloak in red and silver and a fur collar. His sword was by his side, solely for decorative purposes. And deep down, he hoped he didn't have to draw it ever again over the course of his stay in Raylansfair.
They all had gathered in the courtyard. Lord Vyrwel himself was surrounded by his most faithful, the knights Hu… [view original content]
The first one was a pretty clear outcome, though the second one has been rather close, almost ending in a tie. As it is, Willfred will get to spend some time with Maron Mullendore and Devrin Oakheart now, means more development for the latter in particular, which might not be a bad thing. I was almost certain you'd choose to stay away from them though, to be honest Now, Lachlan's choice was mostly a character building one on how he himself sees the Order, but it will, in a more minor way, also influence how Kyle and Valydyn will see him respectively and that will be reflected in the parts to come, as both will take a rather prominent role in his storyline.
The next part will be out today. Originally scheduled for yesterday I, uh, got a bit distracted by the new Overwatch event (Even though I had to play as freaking Genji) and that means I only got one of the two planned PoV's ready No worries though, the next part will be out today. It will feature PoV's from the Hawk and Raenna, the former of which is completed already. However, in my desire to speed up the writing a bit, I doubt there will be many parts without two PoV's in the future. Maybe that way, I can reach the end of Chapter 4 until the end of this year. So, the last time we saw the Hawk was also his first part. You might remember, he is an old sellsword, leader of the Company of the Hawk, who travelled to Westeros together with the Company of the Pig and the Company of the Rat, all three of which hired by the Iron Bank of Braavos on orders of a certain Octavia Shett. Arriving on the shores near Gulltown, the Hawk then arranged a meeting between him, the Pig and the Rat, which will be seen in his next part. Meanwhile, Raenna arrived at the Last Hearth in her latest part, where she met the triplet sisters of Roffe and Dag, as well as their adorable pet bears. She also met Kory Umber, the youngest Umber brother and source of worry for Dag, aka the reason Raenna is even there. After meeting the newcomers, he quickly excused himself to leave, taking care of something, but Raenna, having just arrived, decided it would be best not to arouse suspicion, so she instead went with the rest of her group to the Great Hall, deciding there would be a time to spy on Kory later on.
Hello everyone! After a bit of a break, I once again have another set of character drawings for you, this time focused on the Northern cast. Hopefully I'm early enough to post this before the next part
Hello everyone! After a bit of a break, I once again have another set of character drawings for you, this time focused on the Northern cast. Hopefully I'm early enough to post this before the next part
Oh yes, you are most definitely still in time for the next part These drawings, I'll never get enough of them, because they are simply that good. Starting at the top with Malina, I like how there are these clear similarities to Dante, but she still has her own unique look to stand out. I wasn't sure how that colour combination of green and Karstark would actually look, but she pulls it off well. Harrold meanwhile, he really has to be one of the finest drawings yet. That grin is amazing and he has perhaps the best helmet ever drawn. Goofy, a bit wild and definitely badass, that whole drawing suits him well and is a strong contender for being my favourite of this set. Eon then, he has a more standard look, but he somehow really stands out for me regardless, especially with the differences to his fellow northern warrior Harrold. The yellow colour also makes him unique, I think there haven't been many characters wearing yellow in the story yet. Now, with Dag, I love the details, such as his hand resting on Mutt's head. I must admit though, when I first saw it, I did not recognize the glove, but thought to myself "Well damn, that wolf has a pretty sweet hairstyle" and now I can't get that picture of Mutt with some Kid Omega hairstyle out of my head again Seriously though, the drawing is wonderful. My favourite however has to be Roffe, because in terms of sheer badassery, there has rarely been a better drawing before. I just love the axe, the beard, the cold expression and especially that wolf. I imagine it might not be too easy drawing animals, but you did it amazingly well here, as Giant looks positively intimidating. So, in short, I really like these a lot
Hello everyone! After a bit of a break, I once again have another set of character drawings for you, this time focused on the Northern cast. Hopefully I'm early enough to post this before the next part
The direwolf's appearance as described in the final Lyria part:
Lyria saw black fur, she felt strong paws on her shoulder, smelled the reeking stench that came out of its snout and she saw the fresh blood around it.
Yet as she looked into its eyes, yellowish-golden and then she saw it.
The size of the wolf is said to be about the size of a horse, and you could give it red eyes if you think it'll look more beastly. It also has a name but I think it would be better for the name to be revealed in the story itself so you could just caption it as "The Beast of Raylansfair".
Wolfsbane/Ryler's dog appearance: Basically just an Irish Wolfhound. I have a picture but I can't figure out how to post it.
He called for them and so they came. The Pig and the Rat were both overly punctual, neither wanting to give the other the satisfaction of being the first. The leaders of the Three Companies came together, for the first time after their landing in Westeros, in the small camp the Hawk's men had set up by the rocky coast.
The Rat's malformed body was resting on a throne, carried around by his main bodyguards, the Norvoshi warriors Vogo the Axe and Vassah the Shield. Though the man was physically crippled, a hunchbacked dwarf with an oversized head, hardly capable of the hard work his underlings had to pull off on a regular basis, he possessed a brilliant mind and in a way, he was a worthy successor to the first Rat. A sad smile formed on the Hawk's face as he remembered his cunning friend.
The Pig and his men meanwhile arrived on zorses, sturdy animals capable of carrying his massive weight. He was like every Pig that came before him, tall, fat, but of a hulking strength, jovial in times of peace, yet absolutely ruthless in times of war. His skin was light, a stark contrast to the Rat's Summer Islander origins and there was a thick beard covering his upper lip.
Each of them had brought three men for the meeting. In case of the Rat, there were his Norvoshi guards of course, the pride of his company, as well as Vii. The young girl walked ahead, her sword sheathed, as she carefully scanned the surroundings. She did not trust him, the Hawk knew it, she barely trusted any of them. A clever girl, he had to give her that much.
Meanwhile, the Pig had no need for proper bodyguards. His companions were Agar the Cold, his second-in-command, together with Maldar the Quiver, a Summer Islander and master archer of the Three Companies, and Jorario the Beast, a man from the far east and the one in charge of the Pig's beasts of war.
Slowly, the Pig and his men descended from their zorses, with the Hawk's men quickly there to lead the animals away, while the Rat approached him already. The Hawk leant back in his chair, taking a sip from the fine wine Captain Bartmer had given him. Behind him stood Montoya and Sharako and technically, Hazar the Weak was supposed to be with them as well. True to his name though, the young boy had been too scared and the Hawk too impatient to force him. In his stead, the far less welcome presence of Jaqiros Nestoris had taken his place.
“Hawk!”, the Pig roared, as he approached him. The Hawk greeted him with a thin smile, as the man had already grabbed a whole carafe of wine. Pouring it down his throat, he nonchalantly entered the tent, sitting down on a pillow next to the Hawk's chair. The Rat simply gave a nod to both, as his guards lowered the chair right next to the Hawk. Then, they took position behind him, with Vii by his side, while the Pig's men moved to the corners of the tent. Agar the Cold meanwhile knelt down next to the Pig.
“My friends”, the Hawk greeted both men. “I am pleased you managed to arrange it so quickly” The Pig flashed him a grin, while downing the carafe of wine, whereas the Rat narrowed his eyes. “I called for you, Hawk”, he reminded him, but the Hawk merely shrugged. “Oh, you have to keep in mind, I am an old man”, he spoke with a smirk. “It is simply more convenient for me to call for you instead”
The Rat sighed, as he lifted his small body up a bit, reaching forward for a cup of wine. His smile widened. “Of course”, he simply said and his smile did not grow smaller as he looked at the Pig's frown. “You complain too much, small man”, the Pig growled. “The Hawk has called us for a reason, I believe”
The Hawk nodded, as he looked at Jaqiros. The Iron Bank representative took a step forward, though a handsign caused him to stop. “My friends, this is the first time all three of us are in Westeros together”, the Hawk intoned. “This is going to be a delicate mission, as I am certain. Discussing our next steps will be mandatory”
The Rat raised an eyebrow, whereas the Pig shrugged. “The Company of the Pig follows your call”, he said. “As long as you lead us to battle” Out of his one eye, the Hawk glanced at Jaqiros, who frowned slightly. “A fully blown battle will be the last resort”, he said. “You must understand, this is Westeros, not the Disputed Lands of Essos. The Vale of Arryn is strong and prosperous, violence so rare that it might provoke a reaction we cannot afford from the numerous lords of these lands”
“But violence is an option?”, the Rat was quick to ask and before the Hawk could do it, Jaqiros nodded. “Oh, very much so. But as I said, we must be more subtle about it. This is why Lady Octavia hired all three of you. The Company of the Hawk in particular for their remarkable subtlety”
“This Lady Octavia... Shett, I presume? May I ask, why exactly has she hired the Three Companies?”, the Rat asked and Jaqiros gave him a cold, sleek smile. “Oh, it will narrow down to what you are best at”, he told them. “The Iron Bank of Braavos has been highly satisfied with your work, so we forwarded you to Lady Octavia, in order to... collect some debts”
This put a smile onto the Pig's face, as he grabbed for the second carafe of wine. Wisely enough, the Hawk had brought several, even if most weren't filled with the expensive ones he had received from Bartmer. Those were for another occasion and for his men only. “Aye, I can get behind this!”, the fat sellsword roared. “Collecting debts, maybe breaking some bones if they don't pay right away... sounds fucking lovely”
The Hawk, of course, had known about this aspect of their work, at least in some capacity, for Jaqiros had been remarkably tight-lipped about most of the actual task they had been hired for. Yet neither he nor the Rat could decline the generous upfront payment of the Iron Bank. The Pig meanwhile, he was in this for blood and the Iron Bank knew before. Perhaps he had been hired for a particular reason.
“And I do suppose you cannot tell us any more than that?”, the Rat asked, his shrewd eyes narrowed slightly. Jaqiros shook his head. “Not because I don't want to”, he claimed. “It is simply that Lady Octavia is the one behind this assignment. The Iron Bank of Braavos is merely one of several backers”
The Rat clenched his teeth. “I doubt she is the mastermind behind this, so do me a favour, don't even pretend you're not using her for your own goals”, he hissed. “That girl is, what, twenty?” Jaqiros shook his head. “Twenty-seven”, he corrected him. “A good age for a conqueror, as the self-proclaimed King Aegon would be likely to incline. She harbours several qualities the Iron Bank approves of. Ambition, a touch of greed and utter ruthlessness. Top of that, she is cunning”
“And she hires a sellsword army to land near Gulltown. Does she intend to sack the city?”, the Hawk asked, joining in on the Rat's questioning. He did not doubt that ultimately, at least Jaqiros was a pawn, one who did not know the full picture, but he had to know more than he was giving them right now.
“Gulltown belongs to House Shett by right”, Jaqiros stated. “Perhaps she just seeks to reclaim what was taken by House Grafton” His tone made it clear that he did not believe this and didn't even bother with hiding it from the sellswords. Even the Pig caught up to it, narrowing his eyes, as he lowered the carafe of wine.
The Hawk was the only one who maintained his smile. “But I suppose we both know it won't stop there”, he brought up and Jaqiros shook his head. “What she wishes beyond that, I cannot say. But you will serve, will you not?” The Hawk shook his head. “There are some things the three Companies won't do”, he replied. “Though I am certain you are aware of it, else you wouldn't have chosen to hire us”
Jaqiros' smile grew only slightly smaller. “I was told some things were negotiable”, he stated firmly. “And I am prepared to meet your price” The Rat nodded at this. “They are”, he spoke, while the Pig shook his head. “Not everything”, he clarified. “But your lady can negotiate”
The Hawk looked from the Rat to the Pig. “I do assume we will meet Lady Octavia soon, is that correct?”, he asked and Jaqiros gave him a nod. “She is expecting you, yes”, he spoke. “Another reason why I am glad you chose to call for both of your companions. There are, as you can imagine, rules to this meeting. Most importantly would be that Lady Octavia wishes that each of you have, at most, one companion with you”
While the Rat's bodyguards grew visibly uncomfortable from this statement, the man himself remained outwardly calm. “Vii will accompany me. She'll do”, he said, a small, genuine smile flashing over his face as he looked at the girl. She replied with a stern nod. The Pig meanwhile patted his second-in-command onto the back. “Agar the Cold!”, he ecxlaimed. “A true warrior, with the worth of a hundred men!”
Jaqiros raised an eyebrow. “That will be settled then. And you, Ser Hawk? Whom would you like to accompany you?” The Hawk smiled at him. “Not you”, he said. “Though I'm afraid that's not an option” Instead of bothering with Jaqiros reaction of polite contempt, he looked at the people with him. If he had only one to choose, he had to make it count, even if he doubted that Octavia Shett intended to lure him into a trap.
Montoya the Duelist was the first to come to mind. Loyal, resourceful and a fighter as good as the Hawk in his youth. He was, however, perhaps the only man he trusted with actually leading the company in his absence, his second-in-command for a reason. Sharako would be another choice. His spymaster wasn't a fighter, more suited for subterfuge and skulduggery, yet his intelligence was without doubt.
And finally, Hazar. The Hawk had to smirk at the thought of the boy, his squire, his raw diamond to form. He wasn't a fighter, he could barely lift a heavy blade, much less actually defeat anyone and he lacked the experience of Sharako, even if his mind was undoubtedly sharp. But he had to learn some day. After all, the Hawk had sworn he would teach the boy and perhaps this was an occasion where he could.
[Take Montoya][Take Sharako][Take Hazar]
Raenna
The Great Hall of the Last Hearth was spacious, with a central fireplace larger than the room Raenna grew up in. Rows of benches stood around it, with the Umber's table of honour the closest to the fireplace itself. It was comfortably warm, if somewhat stuffy, albeit the smoke was able to escape through a set of openings in the roof.
Raenna was seated between Briar and Malina, who herself was next to Roffe. The Lord of the Last Hearth had brought food and wine and soon, Raenna had broken bread with him, a guest of honour in his hall. Soon, the cold was gone from her bones, a familiar warmth returning to her body and she sighed in comfort, as she drank the hot wine Dag had brought her, or what passed as wine in these parts. For her taste, it was almost a bit too strong, but it was undeniably welcome on such a thoroughly unpleasant day.
Roffe himself had drunken the most of them all, yet he still showed no signs of slowing down. If anything, Harrold looked genuinely impressed at the man and Raenna had the feeling even Giant could drink any of them under the table, given the familiar intensity with which the wolf looked at Roffe's mug.
The Lord of the Last Hearth chuckled as he noticed his companion's stare. “Ah, this thing is too much like me!”, he roared, as he poured some wine into a bowl, lowering it for the wolf to drink. Malina smirked at this sight, while Runa rolled her eyes. “You know you should not give him that much to drink”, she complained. “It's not good for him. Nor you”
Roffe flashed her a grin, as he chuckled. “Sister, I know damn well what's good for me”, he claimed. “Means the same goes for Giant. That wolf is smarter than any of us” Kari raised an eyebrow. “Smarter than you for sure”, she teased him from the far side of the table. There was an empty chair next to her, where Kory was supposed to be sitting, but the man hadn't shown up yet, after over half an hour of being in the Umber hall. Raenna knew he was possibly doing something related to the task she had been given, but she could not dare arousing the suspicion of his sisters. They knew nothing and it was probably better that way.
“Ah, my friends, let us drink!”, Roffe exclaimed, raising his mug and one by one, the others followed. Raenna did as well, even though she already felt the dizzying effect of the wine. The only one naturally not joining in was Briar and the girl was visibly upset at Raenna forbidding her from drinking the wine Roffe had offered her so carelessly. Instead, she sipped at her water, while pouting. “To lasting alliances!”, Roffe continued. “To friendship and family!”
“To friendship and family!”, the Umber's chimed in, as did the other Northerner's. Raenna hesitated for a moment longer, before a thin smile flashed over her face. “To friendship and family”, she mumbled. She had to think about them right there, the friends she had lost. Terroma, dead. Kersea, dead. She didn't even know what had happened to Samuel. Was he alive, or did his quest for revenge claim his life... already, as she had to add. There were no happy endings for them, for him, perhaps for her. And yet... she felt a sting of regret, as she thought of what could have been.
“Why the long face, mylady”, Jorn, seated next to Briar, asked in a jovial tone and she faked a smile. “You must be mistaken”, she said. “I've never felt better” To this, Jorn's smile faded. “With cheap wine, in a castle you've never been to before and surrounded by people you barely know?”, he brought up. “Then that is a reason to be sad, I presume”
Raenna raised an eyebrow. “I... have you ever regretted not doing something?”, she asked and Jorn smiled. Next to him, Harrold told Nea Umber about his first battle, while Eon looked on, occasionally shaking his head in disagreement. “Plenty of times, mylady”, Mormont confirmed. “I do suppose we all have. It's family in my case. You though? What could worry you so much?”
She hesitated a moment to reply. “I... don't really know what it is. How to say it, at least”, she stuttered and Jorn tilted his head. “A broken heart?”, he deduced. “What sort of a man would do that?” Raenna shook her head. “No, not that...”, she said. “Actually, I've been the one who left”
“My point stands. What sort of a madman would let you leave?”, Jorn spoke and Raenna sighed, as she took another sip from her wine. “A man on a mission”, she spoke. “We both were on a mission at the time. Now... we're half a world apart, I suppose”
Briar looked up from her water, her expression a mixture of the stubborn pout and genuine interest to contribute to their talk. “Are you talking about Samuel?”, she asked and Raenna's eyes widened. “I...”, she began, though Jorn cut her off. “Samuel, huh?”, he stated and Briar nodded proudly. “They kissed!”, she said, giving Raenna a wide, deceptive grin.
Raenna herself blushed widely of course and she had to resist the urge to just pull her hood up. “Briar, that is enough”, she hissed and the young girl fluttered her eyelashes. “Do I get some of the wine now?”, she asked and Malina, who had half-heartedly talked to Roffe, chuckled at this. “This girl...”, she smirked. “If she's that devious just to get a cup of wine, I don't want to see how she can be when the stakes are higher”
“Like two cups of wine, I suppose”, Jorn said and Malina nodded. “It is good wine, Lord Umber”, she brought up and Roffe grinned. “It's hard to get it up here and we rarely drink it. Means what few bottles we have is stored well, then presented to only the most honoured guests”
“Well, I feel plenty honoured already!”, Harrold exclaimed and Raenna was glad the topic had moved on from Samuel. She caught Jorn's glance, him raising an eyebrow, though he thankfully decided to remain silent. This was not what she wanted to discuss.
At last, Roffe, biting into a loaf of bread, looked at his sisters. “Say, where is Kory?”, he asked. “He has been gone for some time now” It was Kari Umber who answered, while playing with her braided hair. “Give him some time, Roffe”, she replied. “He often leaves the castle, especially when we're having guests. Acts strangely even around friends of old. I... don't think he deals well with having company around”
“Sooner or later he has to get used to it”, Roffe growled, though Dag put a hand onto his shoulder. “Kari is right”, he told him. “What Kory has been through, it's worse than what any of us can imagine. A prisoner to the wild ones for years... maybe it'll take just as long for him to recover”
The Lord of the Last Hearth frowned. “I hope not”, he admitted. “But whatever it is that keeps him from us, it's rude to the guests” He put down his wine and rose from the chair with the determination of a drunken man. “I'll fetch him!”, he proclaimed.
Dag raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure this is a good idea, brother?”, he asked, but Roffe merely shook his head. “Ah, bugger a grumkin with your objections”, he said loudly. “You know bloody well that Giant has the best nose around. He always finds his family”
Quickly, Harrold stood up, pulling a more reluctant Eon with him. “Then we shall accompany you, mylord!”, he promised. “They say four eyes see more than two, so I guess six has to be even better” Eon sighed. “Of course...”, he mumbled. “Just my luck again”
“Brother, I am sure he'll return soon”, Kari argued. Roffe shook his head again. “He won't return soon enough”, he growled. “He is now part of our family again, so he will act the part. Remember when the Norrey came to visit us? They used to be best friends and Kory didn't even recognize him!” He slammed a fist onto his table. “No, Kari, I will not tolerate that. All we do with this is risking to lose him entirely”, he explained, before looking at Harrold. “Hornwood and Dustin, your help is much welcome. Mylady Raenna, would you like to come with us as well?”
Dag sighed over the lack of subtlety, while Nea Umber narrowed her eyes. “Why her?”, she asked, though Raenna was quick to defuse the situation with a smile. “It is because I have experience with this sort of stuff”, she said. “Down south, I used to track down people on a regular basis. Lord Roffe knows of my talents”
Roffe grinned, as he put a hand onto her shoulder. “That I do”, he confirmed. “The four of us and Giant, we shall find Kory swiftly, wherever he is in this castle. Give him the chance to spend some time with our guests, I am sure he'll recover with ease in that case”
Nea did not seem to be convinced, but Runa smiled at Roffe's suggestion. “That sounds lovely”, she said. “Good luck then, but don't be too harsh on him” Roffe shook his head. “Eh, I won't, you know that”, he stated, as he, Harrold and Eon turned to the door. Raenna slowly rose from her chair, glancing from Malina, to Jorn.
“No way”, Jorn declined and Malina shook her head as well. “Going out there to search for the missing Umber brother?”, she asked. “I am sorry, but I rather prefer the comfort we are offered here. Harrold and Eon might be good for something after all. And you, of course, I think you should go”
“I want to go as well”, Briar said, putting down her water. “This is boring in here!” Raenna and Malina exchanged a look and both raised an eyebrow. “Young lady, I don't think this is a good idea”, Malina said. “Lord Roffe will take his wolf with him, it might be dangerous”
Briar shook her head. “He's a nice wolf”, she claimed. “And as I said, this is boring. You all get drunken and have fun and all I do is sitting around, doing nothing” She looked at Raenna with the wide eyes of an overly excited child. “Can I come?”, she asked. “Please, please, please...” She pouted and Raenna sighed, looking at Malina for help.
The Karstark lady chuckled. “I'd keep an eye on her while you are gone”, she offered. By now, Briar was pouting. “Please let me come”, she said. “I can help, I promise I'll be good. And I won't get on your nerves, I promise, please” Malina chuckled. “That is, if you can resist her, of course”, she added.
Alright, I'm slowly starting to develop a basic understanding of the dynamics of the Three Companies, and at least some of the many characters in it And ah, I suppose it was just a question of time when the Iron Bank would get involved
[Take Hazar] Better leave Montoya in charge, especially since the Pig is already bringing a good fighter. I was going to pick Sharako first, but I suppose it's better to use this opportunity to train Hazar. And I trust we already have enough cunning in form of the Rat.
[Leave Briar with Malina] Ah, this is surprisingly hard choice However, aside from this just being the safer option, I feel like Malina and Briar will come along well. In fact, out of Raenna and Malina the latter would probably be the better influence for Briar. Not that Raenna is bad, but well, her lifestyle is a bit more dangerous.
The Hawk
He called for them and so they came. The Pig and the Rat were both overly punctual, neither wanting to give the other the satisf… moreaction of being the first. The leaders of the Three Companies came together, for the first time after their landing in Westeros, in the small camp the Hawk's men had set up by the rocky coast.
The Rat's malformed body was resting on a throne, carried around by his main bodyguards, the Norvoshi warriors Vogo the Axe and Vassah the Shield. Though the man was physically crippled, a hunchbacked dwarf with an oversized head, hardly capable of the hard work his underlings had to pull off on a regular basis, he possessed a brilliant mind and in a way, he was a worthy successor to the first Rat. A sad smile formed on the Hawk's face as he remembered his cunning friend.
The Pig and his men meanwhile arrived on zorses, sturdy animals capable of carrying his massive weight. He was like every Pig that came befo… [view original content]
[Take Montoya] He's the better fighter of the three so he should be ok.
Yeah, last time the Vale saw a war was over 700 years ago when they warred against the North for possession of the Three Sisters. [Leave Briar with Malina] I'm sure she will be safe with Malina, plus, she needs to interact with some other people.
The sisters are literally a continent away from each other.
The Hawk
He called for them and so they came. The Pig and the Rat were both overly punctual, neither wanting to give the other the satisf… moreaction of being the first. The leaders of the Three Companies came together, for the first time after their landing in Westeros, in the small camp the Hawk's men had set up by the rocky coast.
The Rat's malformed body was resting on a throne, carried around by his main bodyguards, the Norvoshi warriors Vogo the Axe and Vassah the Shield. Though the man was physically crippled, a hunchbacked dwarf with an oversized head, hardly capable of the hard work his underlings had to pull off on a regular basis, he possessed a brilliant mind and in a way, he was a worthy successor to the first Rat. A sad smile formed on the Hawk's face as he remembered his cunning friend.
The Pig and his men meanwhile arrived on zorses, sturdy animals capable of carrying his massive weight. He was like every Pig that came befo… [view original content]
Alright, I'm slowly starting to develop a basic understanding of the dynamics of the Three Companies, and at least some of the many characters in it And ah, I suppose it was just a question of time when the Iron Bank would get involved
Glad to hear this! I think the greatest challenge with the three companies is that they consist of so many named characters, it'll likely take a while to get a full grasp on each of them. I hope at least the basics are established by now, such as the relations between the three leaders and some key figures. Undoubtedly, more will follow. And well, the Iron Bank is indeed involved now, one of several interested parties supporting the events in the Vale right now, but to what goal remains to be seen.
Ah, this is surprisingly hard choice However, aside from this just being the safer option, I feel like Malina and Briar will come along well. In fact, out of Raenna and Malina the latter would probably be the better influence for Briar. Not that Raenna is bad, but well, her lifestyle is a bit more dangerous.
I wasn't sure how hard a choice this would be, but I'm happy I managed to make it a hard one. I won't disagree here, Malina is definitely a better influence. Raenna knows that much, she knows how dangerous her lifestyle is and sort of breaking out of it is a major goal for her. In the North, she has received her new life, but it hasn't really changed the things she does, she still pretty much is a killer for hire, just working for a king instead of a criminal now.
Alright, I'm slowly starting to develop a basic understanding of the dynamics of the Three Companies, and at least some of the many characte… morers in it And ah, I suppose it was just a question of time when the Iron Bank would get involved
[Take Hazar] Better leave Montoya in charge, especially since the Pig is already bringing a good fighter. I was going to pick Sharako first, but I suppose it's better to use this opportunity to train Hazar. And I trust we already have enough cunning in form of the Rat.
[Leave Briar with Malina] Ah, this is surprisingly hard choice However, aside from this just being the safer option, I feel like Malina and Briar will come along well. In fact, out of Raenna and Malina the latter would probably be the better influence for Briar. Not that Raenna is bad, but well, her lifestyle is a bit more dangerous.
Yeah, last time the Vale saw a war was over 700 years ago when they warred against the North for possession of the Three Sisters.
That is indeed the last true conflict the Vale has fought. Ever since, there were some assorted quarrels with the mountain clans, but nothing major and this is one of the main reasons why Alester Arryn and his guards were killed by the mountain clans. The knights of the Vale might have the better equipment, but the clans have warred against them and each other for thousands of years without a real break inbetween, means they are experienced. The Vale holds an impressive military potential, but I don't think it has been fully used ever since the Andals took these lands from the First Men. Compare it to the relatively sparsely populated and harsh North, with threats from every side, their army is smaller in numbers but certainly more capable.
The sisters are literally a continent away from each other.
Aye, Briar is now in the northernmost stronghold of Westeros, whereas Kersea is heading to one of the southernmost cities. At least Kersea knows her sister is alive (albeit she suspects her safe and sound in Winterfell), whereas Briar is slowly starting to suspect that there is something Raenna and Brandon don't want to tell her about her sister.
[Take Montoya] He's the better fighter of the three so he should be ok.
Yeah, last time the Vale saw a war was over 700 years ago when they… more warred against the North for possession of the Three Sisters.
[Leave Briar with Malina] I'm sure she will be safe with Malina, plus, she needs to interact with some other people.
The sisters are literally a continent away from each other.
The Hawk
He called for them and so they came. The Pig and the Rat were both overly punctual, neither wanting to give the other the satisf… moreaction of being the first. The leaders of the Three Companies came together, for the first time after their landing in Westeros, in the small camp the Hawk's men had set up by the rocky coast.
The Rat's malformed body was resting on a throne, carried around by his main bodyguards, the Norvoshi warriors Vogo the Axe and Vassah the Shield. Though the man was physically crippled, a hunchbacked dwarf with an oversized head, hardly capable of the hard work his underlings had to pull off on a regular basis, he possessed a brilliant mind and in a way, he was a worthy successor to the first Rat. A sad smile formed on the Hawk's face as he remembered his cunning friend.
The Pig and his men meanwhile arrived on zorses, sturdy animals capable of carrying his massive weight. He was like every Pig that came befo… [view original content]
The Hawk
He called for them and so they came. The Pig and the Rat were both overly punctual, neither wanting to give the other the satisf… moreaction of being the first. The leaders of the Three Companies came together, for the first time after their landing in Westeros, in the small camp the Hawk's men had set up by the rocky coast.
The Rat's malformed body was resting on a throne, carried around by his main bodyguards, the Norvoshi warriors Vogo the Axe and Vassah the Shield. Though the man was physically crippled, a hunchbacked dwarf with an oversized head, hardly capable of the hard work his underlings had to pull off on a regular basis, he possessed a brilliant mind and in a way, he was a worthy successor to the first Rat. A sad smile formed on the Hawk's face as he remembered his cunning friend.
The Pig and his men meanwhile arrived on zorses, sturdy animals capable of carrying his massive weight. He was like every Pig that came befo… [view original content]
The Hawk
He called for them and so they came. The Pig and the Rat were both overly punctual, neither wanting to give the other the satisf… moreaction of being the first. The leaders of the Three Companies came together, for the first time after their landing in Westeros, in the small camp the Hawk's men had set up by the rocky coast.
The Rat's malformed body was resting on a throne, carried around by his main bodyguards, the Norvoshi warriors Vogo the Axe and Vassah the Shield. Though the man was physically crippled, a hunchbacked dwarf with an oversized head, hardly capable of the hard work his underlings had to pull off on a regular basis, he possessed a brilliant mind and in a way, he was a worthy successor to the first Rat. A sad smile formed on the Hawk's face as he remembered his cunning friend.
The Pig and his men meanwhile arrived on zorses, sturdy animals capable of carrying his massive weight. He was like every Pig that came befo… [view original content]
The Hawk
He called for them and so they came. The Pig and the Rat were both overly punctual, neither wanting to give the other the satisf… moreaction of being the first. The leaders of the Three Companies came together, for the first time after their landing in Westeros, in the small camp the Hawk's men had set up by the rocky coast.
The Rat's malformed body was resting on a throne, carried around by his main bodyguards, the Norvoshi warriors Vogo the Axe and Vassah the Shield. Though the man was physically crippled, a hunchbacked dwarf with an oversized head, hardly capable of the hard work his underlings had to pull off on a regular basis, he possessed a brilliant mind and in a way, he was a worthy successor to the first Rat. A sad smile formed on the Hawk's face as he remembered his cunning friend.
The Pig and his men meanwhile arrived on zorses, sturdy animals capable of carrying his massive weight. He was like every Pig that came befo… [view original content]
It's almost annoying how adorable Briar is! I think it best to be a little stern with her.
Haha, I suppose that is the case with children in a certain age They are either annoying, adorable or annoyingly adorable. It'll pass eventually. Just wait until Briar gets into her teens and gets into her bratty phase, dropping gems such as "It's not just a phase, this is who I really am" or "You're not my real mom, you can't tell me anything", while poor Raenna somehow has to manage raising her into a responsible adult person, a definition she herself might not even exactly fit. Being stern, I won't disagree, sometimes it does the trick.
[Take Hazar] Student teacher relationship.
[Leave Briar with Malina] It's almost annoying how adorable Briar is! I think it best to be a… more little stern with her.
@WildlingKing it was a real treat and pleasant surprise to see that Malina art. It's good, I like it.
Oh man and she's already a little sassy! Poor Raenna. In all seriousness I think there's a time to have fun and let Briar have her way but it's important for her to know that begging won't automatically have things go her way... even if she is super adorable.
It's almost annoying how adorable Briar is! I think it best to be a little stern with her.
Haha, I suppose that is the case with chi… moreldren in a certain age They are either annoying, adorable or annoyingly adorable. It'll pass eventually. Just wait until Briar gets into her teens and gets into her bratty phase, dropping gems such as "It's not just a phase, this is who I really am" or "You're not my real mom, you can't tell me anything", while poor Raenna somehow has to manage raising her into a responsible adult person, a definition she herself might not even exactly fit. Being stern, I won't disagree, sometimes it does the trick.
Comments
EDIT: [GO with Edward and Jadith] The heist is a much cooler storyline
[Decline the drink] Nah she is fine
RT:
1) Yohoho!Another part between pirates! And it seems that Alys had fun having a conversation with them..for now
2) Aeron really show who is the boss here and he even mantain a calm attitude!
3) Without even know Akjeen reallydodge a bullet here! Edward literally save his life!
4) It seems that the pirates have contacts with the Dorne rebels! But I doubt they work together since I believe that probably they just share informations that can hurt their enemies
5) Nice to know a little more about the Stark loyal lapdog aka House Manderly!
6) Hype for the first naval battle of the story
7) Meanwhile in the Reach I'm almost sad that we don't see some action...but I like the conversation in this part!
8) Welcome back to the story Magnus and Bennet! Jeez you are probably between the characters that not only had a very brief screentime but even was introduced ages ago!(btw where is Dimitri?XD)
9) I'm curious to see what this strange situation in this Kersea part will lead
[Stay in Merman's Rest]
[Decline the drink]
[Stay in Merman's Rest]
[Accept the drink]
Oh, I am deeply sorry, but it seems I have put things in a slightly confusing way there. Allow me to clarify, the heist will only be seen if you actually choose for Alys to go with Edward. The price for a probably exciting naval battle is spending more time with Edward, I am afraid. If you decide not to go with him, the consequence will be that you will only get to see the aftermath of the battle, there won't be an extra PoV just for this heist.
Yeah, it was a fun conversation. In fact, Alys would probably enjoy her time with them, if not for the fact that they are pirates and most likely just waiting for a moment of weakness and she is absolutely aware of this.
A true leader should not have to lose his calm to get his point across. Aeron rarely raises his voice and even when he does, it is not done in anger. All this, of course, doesn't mean he never gets angry, but he at least always tries to keep cool. Should he ever lose that, expect shit to really hit the fan. For now though, my goal is to show him as a calm, but still imposing character.
He got lucky there indeed and he is not fully aware of the danger he has been in. Edward however dodged a bullet as well with this, by convincing Aeron to spare Akjen's life. Most of his standing forces are the bandits who left Raylansfair with him and they are loyal solely to their leader. If Bear gets taken out (or even just reconsiders the terms of their contract), this will be a blow to Edward's power he might not recover from. Alisa and Carvin might be his most loyal underlings, but there is no doubt that Bear is by far his most important one.
You are likely right here, a full alliance is not their style. However, they have a common enemy in House Martell (given that the pirates of Merman's Rest are mostly raiding the shores of Dorne for geographic reasons), so the Sandstorm in particular has an interest in delivering such information to Aeron, who in turn gracefully accepts the support.
Ah, he is the one Manderly that isn't a Stark lapdog. After the destruction of the massive Manderly kingdom of old and the exile of the remaining Manderly's to the North, only few remained south and Warmond is the last of their line. This means, he belongs to a Manderly line that has never served House Stark. Actually, he belongs to a line that has never served anyone and due to this, he looks down on those sworn to the lords and kings of Westeros (as his arrangement with Aeron is definitely not the same).
Well... with how the votes currently seem, I am sorry I have to disappoint. However, fear not, there will be naval battles in Book 2 and 3, absolutely massive and climactic ones that should wholly satisfy all your naval battle desires.
Straight to the action, that is rarely my style. It just feels so much more fitting to build up such scenes with suspension. I want to keep Drake and Elias a bit shady in this part, but wish to keep the confirmation if they are bad guys or not for later. Action should happen in this chapter though, it won't be the most action-packed of the book, but it will be feature some decent amounts.
Yeah, both kinda had the worst luck with the choices, as some of Ilish's choices in Chapter 6 and 7 could have potentially given them a lot more screentime. But they are back now and back for good. Dimitri though... well, technically he just got reintroduced in InGen's April Fool's part, do not forget that! Truth be told though... he might be back at some point. By now he is almost a meme, so I gotta find the exact right spot for him, where his appearance actually lives up to the massive expectations.
Oh, I'm sure it'll be fine. Nothing bad ever happens in such situations, ever
The Voting is closed!
Alys is going to stay in Merman's Rest
Kersea is going to decline the drink
Technically, we have a tie for the second vote here, but I ended up solving it by counting the first vote twice, especially in the absence of Kersea's submitter. Means, she'll decline the drink. The other choice was nearly unanimous and well, I can't say I am too surprised. I would have liked to write some naval battle scenes, but I can promise my ideas for Merman's Rest shouldn't be too boring either. I hope Alys' storyline in general in this chapter will be a nice one. I know for a fact, Kersea's will be, so I am not too worried there, I aim for a pretty tense meeting in the Hammered Harp. Also, in the wake of her recent choice and the new people she met, I would like you to know, I made dis:
Ahem... The next part should be out today or tomorrow! You probably notice by this, not much of it is written so far. The reason for that is, I was gone the entire day yesterday and had no time to properly write, as I was returning from my grandfather's place. It has been a nice vacation, very relaxing for the most part and I had a nice Easter celebration. I hope your week has been similarly nice! I have started writing a bit on Tuesday and will expand on it today, but I am not certain I will manage to finish it. I suppose tomorrow at latest is more likely, but I want to close the voting now to give you an update on how far I am with the writing and since I am not too certain more votes will come in if I leave it up for another day. I am currently writing a Willfred part, the first for him in this chapter, showing his next steps in his alliance with Helenys Bellward against Petyr and Maron. There is certainly going to be room for another PoV, which I currently plan to grant either to Lachlan or the Hawk, our new Vale of Arryn PoV's, showing either Lachlan's meeting with Orson Royce or the Hawk's meeting with the Rat and the Pig.
Alright then, many apologies for the longer wait. Reason is that I had to rewrite a couple paragraphs here. I was not too certain about some of the exposition here, but feel it is necessary to move the plot into the right direction. As such, I rewrote until I was happy with the outcome. Hopefully you enjoy it and I can only promise, the next wait between the parts won't be as long
Willfred
It was around noon when Willfred, flanked by Jack and Prins, entered the courtyard. Roger was already there, as was Vashord Tallian and Helenys with her servant. It was a cool autumn day and Willfred was clad in thick leather, with a cloak in red and silver and a fur collar. His sword was by his side, solely for decorative purposes. And deep down, he hoped he didn't have to draw it ever again over the course of his stay in Raylansfair.
They all had gathered in the courtyard. Lord Vyrwel himself was surrounded by his most faithful, the knights Hugo Farnham, Ian Shortwood and Darren Tallwood. His daughter Edith was there as well and Maester Eddard. And in the distance, Willfred saw King Mern's observer, Kasyn Luck, silently watching the scenery and no doubt just waiting for a sign of disobedience on Vyrwel's part.
Helenys greeted him with a brief nod, while Roger allowed himself a thin smile. “You don't look good, boy”, he spoke. “Haven't slept well again?” Willfred shook his head. “The stress”, he said and it was only a partial lie. Truth be told though, the nightmares had gotten worse as well, or at least they hadn't gotten any better.
He knew, today would be significant though and the last he wanted was his uncle being worried for him when he should rather focus on their duties. The arrival of a new guest in Raylansfair was a delicate process, as Helenys had told him, one that might be perfect to shake up the delicate balance of power in the city.
“Understandable”, Roger admitted. “What we aim to do won't be easy. In your age, I felt similar, though to be fair, I don't even want to imagine how you must feel right now, the weight of our house and kingdom on your shoulders” Willfred nodded, absent-mindedly. It was worse than that. Breaking up this alliance between Petyr Vyrwel and Maron Mullendore, it sounded like one hell of a task on a good day. But today of all days, where he was supposed to take the important first steps for this goal, he was tired out of his mind and slowly suspecting he was losing the same.
It was there that the horns sounding from the wall announced the arrival of the awaited guests. The first who approached was a familiar face though, in form of Maron Mullendore. His masked freaks were absent for this gathering, perhaps a good thing given their usual effect on people, instead a group of guardsmen accompanied him, each on horses.
Behind them, two banners, each carried by a knight in full armour. Both seemed distantly familiar and in fact, it had been only a few weeks since he had last seen one of them. The words he once had to learn came back almost instantly. Three green oak leaves on yellow, House Oakheart of Old Oak. A black wall with red stripes running down, a grey shark fin on top. House Selwyn of Selwyn Tower.
Behind the guards and the banner carriers came the lords themselves, their entourage farther behind. Lord Oakheart was a familiar sight, a warrior with brown hair, bearded and imposing. The other man had to be Donnel Selwyn, even if Willfred had never seen the man before. He was older, in his seventies already, clean shaven and with tanned skin. Though tall, he was also slightly overweight, his light blonde hair combed over the beginning baldness. Contrasting the smile on Oakheart's face, his expression was a stern one, a frown with his eyes narrowed. Wearing light armour, he actually made an almost martial impression, paired off with a blood red cloak draped over his shoulders.
There were others behind him and Willfred even spotted a closed carriage, probably holding Lord Selwyn's family and closer advisors. The lord had an unusual amount of people with him, especially compared to Lord Oakheart's modestly sized company. It was a display of strength, as he marched there with at least two dozen guards, all heavily armoured and armed, himself sitting on a fine, black destrier.
Petyr looked down at his daughter, giving her a brief smile, before he stepped forward. He and Maron exchanged a nod and by then, Lord Oakheart had already descended from his horse. Willfred looked at the man, before briefly glancing at Kasyn Luck. The knight was looking perhaps slightly surprised, slowly narrowing his eyes, but he otherwise remained unmoved, as Petyr and Lord Devrin exchanged a hug.
“My friend!”, Petyr told him. “It has been too long. I am pleased you were able to arrange your return so quickly” Devrin smirked at this comment. “Well, we do have a lot to discuss”, he spoke. “For example, there is the matter of my company” He turned around, to where Lord Selwyn had descended from his horse by now. One of his men, certainly his son judging by his similar features, had helped him down and the old lord was approaching them by now.
“Petyr, may I introduce my brother-in-law, Lord Donnel Selwyn”, he proclaimed. “The Stonewall, Lord Admiral of the Misty Islands, Sea Tamer and Feeder of Sharks” Lord Donnel had reached Petyr by now, extending his hand for a handshake. “And uh...”, Devrin continued. “Lord Donnel, may I introduce Petyr Vyrwel, Lord of Raylansfair”
With a charming smile, Petyr grabbed Donnel's hand and for a moment, they remained that way, locked in a firm handshake, before Donnel broke into a wide, thin-lipped smile of his own. “I am very pleased to make your acquaintance, Lord Selwyn”, Petyr said, to which Donnel gave him a nod. “The pleasure is all mine, Lord Vyrwel”, he said. “I would like to thank the tremendous people of Raylansfair for receiving me today”
He glanced over his shoulder briefly, his smile having faded as quickly as it came. “And ah, this is my family, they're wonderful people”, he announced and the man that likely was his son, a tall and imposing man in his late thirties with short, dark brown hair walked over to the carriage and opened the door.
The first to climb out was a good-looking woman in her forties, brown-haired and blue-eyed, with her skin slightly tanned from the sun. She had a smile for Devrin first, only then walking up to Donnel. Two young women followed next to each other, both of them tall, blonde and beautiful. Like their parents, their skin was slightly tanned and the young man that followed shared these features, being tall and blonde of hair. While the women wore elegant, yet simple dresses, nothing too out of the ordinary for their wealth and despite their beauty, it was the man that caught Willfred's attention. Where each member of the Selwyn family wore a red cloak, his was grey and made from an odd fabric. Even from afar, Willfred was certain it wasn't cloth, but something more akin to leather.
Finally, two men, each trying their best not to look at each other, as they hurried past the Selwyn family to flank their lord. Both were tall, yet that was about the extent of their similarities, with one man having tanned, yet eerily pasty skin, wavy grey hair and a wild beard, with a smug smirk adorning his wrinkled face. The other, probably about twenty years younger, was more well-groomed, his pale skin contrasting the usually sun-tanned appearance of the Selwyn family. Both had collars around their neck indicating that both served as House Selwyn's maester.
Lord Donnel briefly flashed a toothy smile at Petyr, before he patted the eldest of his children onto the back. “Here is my firstborn, Dustran!”, he introduced him and Dustran, standing proud, smug and tall, showed only the hint of a bow in front of Lord Vyrwel. The woman that was now approaching with her children couldn't possibly be his mother, Willfred was certain that at best only a few years separated them.
“My wife, Lady Selyse”, Donnel continued. “And our children, Derik, Vanesha and Valeris” Petyr smiled widely at the younger Selwyn's, even taking the time to give the stunningly beautiful Vanesha a kiss onto the back of her hand, which caused the young woman to blush slightly. “And these are my advisors, Maesters Lucifer and Gylbert”
The older one, Lucifer, nodded briefly, while the younger Gylbert outright bowed in front of the Lord of Raylansfair. Petyr gave both a nod in return, before placing his attention entirely on Lord Selwyn again. Meanwhile, Willfred spotted Maron Mullendore and Devrin Oakheart in a quiet conversation, both keeping their voice low enough for him not to understand a word.
“Mylord Donnel, you and your family are truly welcome here”, Petyr said. “May I invite you to my hall? I have prepared bread and salt. You shall be my guests and we shall deal with important matters at hand” He was going to add something, but Donnel Selwyn cut him off right there. “Yes, we shall”, he said solemnly. “Me and you, we are going to make a beautiful deal, it'll be tremendous”
If Petyr was caught off guard by Donnel cutting him off so casually, he did not show it. Instead, he turned to his entourage, softly smiling as he put a hand onto Edith's shoulder. The young girl looked at the physically imposing Lord of Selwyn Tower, with wide eyes, as she took a step forward. “Mylord Selwyn it... it is an honour to meet you”, she mumbled and Donnel raised an eyebrow.
“My daughter”, Petyr explained. “Edith” Now, the lord frowned slightly. “Your bastard daughter, yes”, he said and Petyr tilted his head. “Is that a problem?”, he asked, to which Donnel shook his head. “Oh, of course not”, he replied. “I'm not one of these people who say all bastards are bad. I know a couple very fine bastards myself”
Petyr smiled coldly. “But?”, he asked and Donnel shook his head. “Ah, I'm just saying, there's some people who don't like bastards, you always gotta be careful with these”, he explained. “You have her here, she's a great girl, but there could be people who don't like having her kind around”
“Are there any of these people in your entourage?”, Petyr asked and though his voice was still friendly, Willfred noticed the slight hint of displeasure in it. Instead of Donnel, it was Maester Lucifer who answered.. “Of course not”, he assured him, with a calm, deep and slightly hoarsy voice. “Lord Selwyn is simply stating a fact. Now, you mentioned bread and salt?”
Slowly, Petyr seemed to relax again. “Of course. Follow me, mylords” He turned to the Great Hall, his men following, then accompanied by Lord Selwyn and his entourage. Helenys waited for a moment, as a sly smile formed on her face. “Petyr is nervous”, she whispered. “This is good. Maybe we can use this newcomer to our advantage” With these words, she turned to follow the Lord of Raylansfair.
Willfred was about to do the same, as he at least wanted to keep an eye on the situation, waiting for Helenys to make her move first. However, in this moment, Jack gave him a nudge with his elbow. “Ser”, he warned him and as Willfred followed his gaze, he saw Maron Mullendore approaching him, followed by Devrin Oakheart.
“Ser Willfred”, the one-eyed knight greeted him, with a smile that could very well be considered charming. Yet there was something about the man that made Willfred wary. At the very least, the recent rumours were unsettling, about some incident at a farm just outside of the city. Jack had spoken to some of the guards, men who were deeply terrified of their new castellan, after he supposedly bashed a poor farmer's head in. And indeed, there was a raw brutality in his movements, just barely concealed by his knightly manners.
“Ser Maron”, Willfred greeted him, before taking a slight bow in front of Lord Oakheart. “Mylord” He slowly narrowed his eyes. “How can I help you?” The knight waited for a moment, glancing past Willfred, where Helenys, Roger and Tallian were already leaving. Only Jack and Prins remained by his side. “I was hoping we could have a talk”, he spoke. “It occurred to me we haven't had a proper talk yet”
“Just a friendly chat?”, Willfred asked, allowing himself a confident smirk, even if his attitude suffered under his severe lack of sleep. With a brief grin, Maron shook his head. “Not quite”, he said. “Albeit I wouldn't be opposed to that either. No, it is about your own task, the one you've been sent here for”
Willfred glanced over his shoulder, at the group that entered the Great Hall. “Well, I'd love to talk...”, he began. “But you know, your guests have arrived” Maron shrugged. “So?”, he asked. “It is a boring ceremony and little more. You are our guest already, no need for you to attend”
“Instead, I suppose you wish to have a word”, Willfred said and Maron nodded. “Me and Devrin both”, he spoke. “In private. Albeit I presume your loyal soldiers can accompany you if you do not trust our intentions” His smile grew slightly wider. “After all, I do believe we both have a common goal and I think it is time we learn how to help another”
[Follow Petyr] [Follow Maron]
Lachlan
“Are... you sure you can't tell me more?”, Lachlan asked and Remi rolled her eyes. “Yeah, that's what I get for making the offer”, she sighed. “Fine, but I'm only going to tell this once, so you better use that head of yours to listen”
Lachlan nodded, leaning against the wall as the young woman looked around briefly. “My father isn't too happy about this either, but apparently, the Order got involved”, she revealed. She quickly realized that Lachlan had no idea what she was speaking about, so she raised an eyebrow. “The Order?”, she spoke. “Never heard of them?”
“Can't say I have”, Lachlan confirmed and Remi chuckled. “Perhaps if you'd spend less time jousting and more time studying, you would have”, she advised him. “Though that was before your time and mine. The Order used to be active some decades ago. A group of idealists on a hopeless mission and, in fact, something I always believed to be but a footnote in history”
“Yeah, but what is this Order actually?”, Lachlan asked and Remi shrugged. “Apparently, they were supposed to serve the law. The dream was to have a group of advisers, independent judges, an institution the people of Westeros could look up to, granting advice to those wise enough to listen and making sure the law would be uphold”, she explained. “Many of them were airheaded idealists, but highborn and as such, they had the backing of wealthy houses all over the continent. House Reyne of Castamere, House Redwyne of the Arbor, House Manderly of White Harbour, they all believed in the sort of world the Order wanted to create”
Lachlan narrowed his eyes. “I... don't really understand. Their purpose was to serve the law, but... which law? Arryn's? Or Gardener's? Durrandon's?”, he asked, to which Remi shook her head. “Definitely not Durrandon's”, she told him. “The arrogant stag was among their fiercest critics, seeing their mere presence as presumptuous, an insult to the power of the crown. Which, in a way, it was. The Order had no authority, of course, but their backers made them bold, made them an issue too influential to be ignored and that was the idea. To be a nuisance to all those who think they stand above the law, by speaking up against them, fiercely and in public and by commending those who act just” She shrugged. “In many ways, all they asked for was that lords and kings stayed true to the laws they themselves put up. You'd be surprised how many took issue with that”
“Not at all”, Lachlan told her. “A noble idea, but... I think I can see the issue” A brief smirk flashed across Remi's face. “Oh wonder, Ser Keding is on the right track”, she said with a slightly teasing voice. “The Order never had any real authority. Their dream was to convince those above them that they could do good, that they could create a better world if they would follow the ideals the Order preached about”
Her smirk faded slowly. “Commendable idealism, as father would say, but to think they ever had a chance is naïve beyond measure. King Ronnel's grandfather supported them, as did the old Reach king, Garse and Loren Lannister's father at least tolerated them”, she continued. “The dream was to create a set of rules they all uphold, a law to look up to, unmovable, independent. But kings change and the ones that followed had little interest in supporting a group that was, at its very core, meant to be a thorn in their side”
“Explains why I never heard of them”, Lachlan said and Remi gave him a nod. “They never got farther than concepts, early plans, the beginnings of their true vision”, she said. “What truly broke them apart was the very corruption they sought to fight though. It would be ironic if it wouldn't be so sad. Turned out, the ones up in charge much rather took the support of their highborn backers to grow old, fat and lazy. From what father told me, they haven't gotten involved in decades, whatever influence they had long gone and, as I said, nothing more than a footnote”
“But they got involved here?”, Lachlan asked and Remi gave him a nod. “It's been a surprise, but one of their members is here, talking to my father right now”, she revealed, before she let out a frustrated sigh. “And I myself would know nothing about them, if not for that terrible woman telling me everything about them, every single name, every single trial they ever made”
Lachlan opened his mouth to voice his next question, but Remi cut him off. “And before you ask, I am not certain why they got involved here, but it is connected to the reason why you and the others have been called to Runestone”, she told him, answering what he was just about to ask. “Something about one of their very own, using the resources of the Order to do something my father and the Queen Regent really wouldn't like”
He raised an eyebrow. “Like literally everything they do?”, he asked and Remi smirked. “Oh, I think my father was happy with them merely talking a big game, feasting and wasting the gifts they had been given to fulfil their dream”, she replied. “But this is bigger. There is trouble in Gulltown and it could be actually massive. We're talking ambition here and war”
And it was this statement that caused Lachlan to tense up. Remi's talk about the Order had painted them as nothing but a nuisance, idealists on a mission, but virtually unable to change anything. War however, that was something else. The Vale had been at peace for thousands of years. War was something neither of them was prepared for.
“I think I would like to meet this woman”, he said and Remi shook her head. “Trust me, you most definitely would not”, she warned him. “But I'm afraid there is no way around. You go and wait in there, I'll get my father and his advisers” She turned to leave, giving him a brief, cold smile as she passed him. Lachlan sighed, before he turned to the door behind him. For a moment, he was going to knock, but then, he shrugged and just entered.
It was a small room, barely decorated, but containing comfortable chairs and a table with a small array of cold food, fruit, bread and meat, just enough to pass the time. A fire was burning in the fireplace, filling the room with a comfortable warmth and the two men were sitting close to it.
One of them was dressed in a brown coat, hiding a wiry physique. He had dark brown hair, shaggy and barely groomed, held back by a white headband of the sort occasionally worn by sailors in Gulltown. His skin was slightly tanned, almost sunburnt, hiding the hint of a beard shadow, though putting emphasis on the small, light scars on bare arms.
The other man was one Lachlan recognized. Dressed in dark red and blue, he was a tall man with the build of a seasoned fighter, but a youthful, handsome face, clean-shaven and with dirty blonde hair, short and neatly groomed. Light brown eyes widened slightly in recognition, as he rose from his chair. Kyle Coldwater, Lord of Coldwater Burn.
“Keding”, he greeted him and Lachlan took a step forwards. “Coldwater”, he spoke sternly, as they stared at each other for a moment. Then, Lachlan broke into a wide smile, shared by the other man and they embraced each other. “Good to see you, cousin”, he said and Kyle, placing both hands on his shoulders, nodded, his smile equally happy. “Likewise”, he said. “I heard news of your arrival and well, safe to say your company will be much welcome here, in this mess we find ourselves in”
Lachlan chuckled. “Lady Royce told me a bit about it already”, he said. “Some sort of Order, eh?” Kyle rolled his eyes. “Yeah, it's worse than that”, he said. “Bunch of pricks if you ask me, acting as if they have any right to judge you and me” He shook his head. “And you know there's one of them here right now?” Lachlan nodded, to which Kyle narrowed his eyes. “You know she is related to both of us?”
This was indeed something new. Lachlan raised an eyebrow, giving Kyle an inquisitive stare and the young lord smirked. “Sure Remi did not tell you about that one”, he said. “Great aunt Viera has returned. To be frank, I never thought she'd return to this part of the Vale and I wouldn't have been sad about her absence”
Viera... Lachlan knew his mother, sister to Kyle's father, had an aunt by that name, but out of the entirety of House Coldwater, his cousins were really the only people he ever had any sort of contact with. This did nothing to change the situation, but it made him more tense. His mother had never spoken highly of Viera and neither had Remi.
“Any idea why?”, he asked. “Remi has told me a bit, but honestly, it only served to concern me” Kyle sighed, glancing at the other man, who had been watching them calmly. “You should be concerned”, he now said, with a smooth voice. Slowly, he rose from his chair. “I brought the news to Runestone. It's a scheme, a very clever one and one I do not claim to understand in its entirety. But at its core lies the landing of a sellsword army on the shores of Gulltown”
He approached the two, extending a hand into Lachlan's direction. The two men looked at each other, before he grabbed and shook it. “The name's Valydyn, pleased to meet you”, the man with the headband said. “Lachlan Keding”, Lachlan replied and Valydyn nodded. “I know”, he said. “I've heard about you. The future of your house, as they say. Your cousin speaks highly of you”
Kyle did not smile. “Valydyn suspects House Shett to be involved in all this”, he said and his serious demeanour was perhaps the most concerning thing. Usually laid back, Lachlan had never seen Kyle that serious before. Not born to be a lord, he had no love for his duties and seeing him like this over an issue apparently connected to them it meant something severe was going on. “Sterling Shett is not much of a supporter of Lord Royce, but apparently he plans to take things to the next level”, his cousin explained. “A civil war at worst and at the worst possible time as well. Queen Sharra's envoy told us about another war on the horizon and well... the last thing we need is Shett and his Tollett allies stirring up trouble down here”
“Another war?”, Lachlan growled, clenching his fists as he heard this. He was a knight and no stranger to combat, but war? The Vale was not prepared for war, be it civil or from outside forces. Kyle sighed. “I... well, didn't quite listen when that was brought up”, he admitted. “Didn't sound too important at the time, I'm sure it's just the usual big talk by the other kings. They'll turn around when they see the Mountains of the Moon”
Valydyn frowned. “Trust me, this might be a bit bigger than that”, he spoke. “And Shett's actions come at the worst moment. He hadn't told anyone of his intentions, so Lord Royce assumes they are of a hostile nature. Why else would he lead an army to our shores, in secrecy?”
Lachlan gulped, as this did make a certain amount of sense. “Remi mentioned something about a member of the Order involved”, he spoke, to which Valydyn nodded. “Though their royal supporters are dead by now, they still have contacts to the houses of Westeros and Lady Viera mentioned them travelling out of the Vale again, to renew some of their fundings”, he explained. “There is reason to believe one member of the Order acts on his own, using these fundings to support Shett's goals”
“Only further proof Ser Sterling is up to no good”, Kyle claimed. “The more I hear about this Order, the more I think it was a mistake to not hang them all decades ago. Shit like that is why we have civil unrest, why the smallfolk acts up. If they grow active again, who knows what's next. A peasant rebellion, because they think we don't rule well enough?”
“The Order has a noble goal”, Valydyn countered. “You might not see it from your high seat, Mylord Coldwater, but whenever there is injustice in this world, when lords and kings bend the law to their favour, the people at the bottom tend to suffer the most. The Order gives them a voice”
Lachlan's cousin shrugged. “Yeah and that is dangerous”, he said. “See, I don't claim that what we have is perfect, but it's comfortable. If it's not broken, why try to fix it? I'm fine with it” Valydyn shook his head. “You are a lord”, he said. “Of course you are fine with it. But look at the Riverlands and tell me that it's not broken”
“The Riverlands aren't the Vale”, Kyle said. “So I really couldn't care less. The Order has some ideals, I really respect that, but what they do is not fixing an issue, it's making things harder for all of us, for me, for Lord Orson and Queen Sharra and even for the common people they seek to support” He sighed, as he sat down in his chair again. “I don't know too much about this sort of stuff, but I know, when we have a rebellion because some group of farmers doesn't like the way we deal with things around here, then absolutely nobody wins. And that makes the Order dangerous”
Valydyn sighed, as he sat down as well. “I don't think they are dangerous, just... perhaps a bit too ambitious for their own good”, he said. “Their goals might be naïve, but if more people would think like them, perhaps the world would be a better place”
Kyle shot him a brief smile, charming as always. “That is where we respectfully disagree”, he spoke, before he glanced at Lachlan, who had remained silent throughout this discussion. “Say, cousin, you heard what we said. This Order pricks, what do you think about them? Dangerous and dead wrong, aren't they?”
Truth be told, Lachlan was not too sure what to think here. It was not as if he was an expert on the Order. Neither was Kyle, nor Valydyn, as he presumed. Their goals sounded noble indeed, as ineffective as they were conducted. In these regards, he found himself quite following Valydyn's argument. That being said, he understood Kyle, he really did. What they had wasn't perfect, but was it truly bad enough to put it all at risk?
[Agree with Kyle] [Agree with Valydyn]
[Follow Maron]
[Agree with Kyle]
Well the Selwyns certainly seem like an interesting family, and I did mostly enjoy Donnel in this part. For example, him having two maesters is a funny and subtle nod at his clearly arrogant nature. However, a tiny bit of criticism I must give is that few of his lines were kinda immersion breaking. They didn't ruin the part by any means, and it's not so much that I couldn't imagine a noble lord saying these lines in this setting, but some of them just made me lose the image I was building in my head for Donnel as a character and replaced it completely with Trump flailing around in a medieval fantasy setting
Don't get me wrong, I understand his character is supposed to be a reference to Trump in itself, but some of the lines were just a bit too on the nose, as funny as they were. I honestly think it's a pretty fun idea to have a character inspired by Trump in this setting, but I hope in the future he'll be developed enough that I don't have to keep thinking him just as a Trump joke dropped in the middle of the story 
Anyway, for the choice...
[Follow Maron] Eh, I think by now we should know to be careful when it comes to Maron. Let him tell Willfred what he needs to tell, and then we can figure out how to undermine him, rather than pissing him off straight away by refusing his invitation.
[Agree with Valydyn] Since I see this mostly as a character building choice, I'd like to take the more idealistic option
The Order, huh? Considering their goals, I wouldn't actually be surprised if they support the Targaryen conquest. I mean, the Targs are offering a centralized governance for all of Westeros, which should help with bringing about the Order's vision, if I've understood it correctly.
[Follow Maron]
[Agree with Valydyn]
[Follow Maron]
[Agree with Kyle]
It's so weird to see Trump in the asoiaf universe XD
Yeah, I gotta admit, Donnel is one of the hardest characters to get right, actually probably the hardest character. The thing is, my intention is not to have a carbon copy of Donald Trump in the story. That is not only completely unfitting, but would also be downright impossible to write in any unbiased way, as I have yet to meet a person who doesn't have any strong feelings either in favour or against the person her was based on. My own views on Trump are known to be very negative, yet at the same time I wish to respect the political views of readers who might support the man and the actual credibility of the story, both of which demand of me to write the character as a three-dimensional, complex person, with strength and flaws like any other character. Pretty much the last thing I want is the character being just some dumb throwaway joke, that would be a complete disfavour to the amount of work that was put into him and the Selwyn family and I cannot imagine anyone being even remotely happy with that. Because let it be clear, the Selwyn family has some serious depth and they will be an absolute joy to write. Donnel just happens to be the core of the family, the one most obviously based on a real person, so I consider him the hardest to get right. A very particular and actually welcome challenge, if I may say. My ultimate goal is that he will be seen as a character in his own right, someone who just happens to look like Trump and shares some character traits with him. I'm up for it, but at the same time, just giving him some Trump style lines to say (such as making deals and the particular use of the word 'tremendous') is temptingly easy. I think the challenge will be to develop him as a character in his own right, one that can be enjoyed by people regardless of political opinions, but to also make it clear that there are similarities and to show these without feeling like a parody. That being said, your criticism is highly welcome here! As I said, this is completely new to me and it is something where I myself have to learn. There will be aspects where I succeed, but with other parts of his character, it will be harder and require some attempts to get it right and as such, I am always eager to hear which aspects I succeeded at and which still require further work. We'll see, but in the end I am very confident that I will succeed at the goal
You understand correctly here. The Order does have some aspects that are shockingly progressive for Westeros, but actually not even unheard of. They are just another way for the smallfolk to blow off some steam, something we see in the books and show with the Sparrows, but unlike them, they are a movement carried by idealists among the ruling elite of Westeros and that is the main reason why they never got the popularity of the Sparrows. It's a bit of a shame, because between the Sparrows and the Order, the Order is by far the more rational and benevolent group. They wish for an independent, ominpresent and powerful law that kings and lords have to follow just like the common man. If, for example, Harren Hoare, decides to randomly kill someone, he should be treated the same as a common farmer who commits murder. The issue with actually applying this is obvious, but that doesn't make the dream behind it any less commendable, especially as this comes from people at the top of the Westerosi food chain. The Targaryen conquest is one step into the right direction, as for the first time in Westerosi history, it will at least mean a centralized government capable of building up a law that has to be followed all over the continent. In fact, the one coming closest to their actual dream will be Jahaerys and his reforms. So, it is possible that they will see Aegon as a step in the right direction.
[Follow Maron]
[Agree with Kyle]
[Follow Maron]
[Agree with Kyle]
[Follow Petyr] Seems to me that Maron is trying to get Wilfred on his side and behind Petyr's back. I think it'll be best to avoid him.
[Agree with Kyle]
[Follow Maron] You can't even try to shatter an alliance if you don't know the members
[Agree with Kyle] The Order is of course a bad thing
RT:
1) It seems that Willfred isn't going to start his storyline in this chapter if he himself feel that bad
2) Jeez Raylainsfair after this part is going to be even more crowded!
3) It seems strange to me that Devrin decide to visit again Raylainsfair since it seems to me a bad choice from the members of the triumvirate to be all at the same place
4) Oh boy is the Sewlyn family crest a sign that FoT jump the shark with this part? Let's discover my opinion in the next point
5) To be honest when I heard for the first time that someone wanted to create for this story a character that resemble the current president of the USA I was completly against (and not for political reasons but because I think that make a character copying a RL person is almost as lazy as make a self insert character) and I admit that my opinion of the introduction of that character doesn't never improve during the time before this faithfull moment (expecially because I suspect that the creator even copy the rest of the president family). Finally speaking about the introductions..I admit that I expect worse from this part and I like the strange but fun idea of two maester for the same lord; however while I can't say much for obvious reasons about the rest of the family members Donnel itself seems to me a character that maybe try a little to much to be like the RL person that he is based upon,he isn't too cringeworthy eh (like I expected him to be) but there is still some time before you surprise me and make me appreciate the character or prove my first impressions right and I finally put him together with Wolfius and Vaasrand
6)Finally leaving Willfred part in the second Lachlan part we learn of the existence of an idealist group called The Order and I can't say to like them too much since it seems yet another future pro targaryen group (but I like the opinion that Kyle have of them!)
7) I'm curious to read who is the terrible woman that Remi mentioned in this part
8) Speaking of the new characters today we see the Lord Coldwater (cool) and Valydine (that I can say without shamethat I have forgot the profession)
9)Maybe I misunderstand but is Kyle aunt (and not Lachan mother of course) a member of the Order? While the Lord/Lady of House Shett is probably a rogue member of that organization?
[Follow Maron] Maron doesn't have his cronies around (unless they're in the shadows but that's a concern for later) and he's probably trying to get him on his side, but Will has already set himself against him, maybe he can find some useful information.
[Agree with Valydyn] While Kyle is family and his dismissal is understandable, the Order does have ideals that, in this world and age, look very out of place but have a certain draw to the common and noble folk alike.
So Houses Shett and Tollett are possibly conspiring against House Royce, or at least that's how it looks. House Arryn has to act quickly and quell a possible rebellion, or their fleet will be unable to face the Targaryen on the south.
Ah, he kinda has to. It's making an already hard task even harder, but Willfred doesn't really want to wait and see if his condition gets better on its own. Right now, he actually partially blames the city of Raylansfair for him feeling not so great at the time, so going through with the mission as soon as possible will be in his interest.
And they won't be the last new characters in Raylansfair. However, I can hint that a couple of characters won't stay there forever and some might even leave in this chapter. It is still the main location though and as such, it holds the greatest amount of characters, even if not all of them necessarily appear in every chapter.
It is not always a bad choice. In this case, they have important business to discuss in person, but Devrin mostly came to Raylansfair because out of the entire triumvirate, he has the best connection to House Selwyn, on account of his sister being Donnel's wife. Knowing that Donnel can be a difficult man to deal with, he opted to accompany them, to negotiate between his allies and his brother-in-law.
Hehe, I never saw it that way. Probably should hint that nope, they are actually not particularly outlandish characters. House Selwyn does have a strong seafaring theme going on though, with sharks being a prominent animal motif in at least one member of the family. So, I really do not think they jump the shark, rest assured here.
Well, what I can tell you is, I doubt anyone was more sceptical than me at first, because in the end, characters who can be compared to real life people are hard to get right. This should clue you in, I actually ended up convinced of the house and am very happy with the work done to make each member feel unique and not like a carbon copy of someone in Trump's social circle. Donnel is, in many ways, the one with the strongest similarities, but the others differ pretty severely. In some cases, I'd even say the similarities are superficial and don't go beyond their mere position in Donnel's family. For exaple, Dustran Selwyn is absolutely nothing like Donald Trump jr. in terms of personality and the only similarity is that he is the oldest son. I do not blame you for having a rather negative opinion on the thought of including a character based on a real life person, though I am glad you decide to give them a chance before making up your mind. I can promise you that in the end, if my plans all work out, none of the Selwyn family will feel out of place. I very much doubt some will leave much of an impression for now (though will get some scenes later on), but I plan to work more with Donnel in this chapter and hopefully, by the end of it he'll be seen as his own character, who just happens to look like Trump and share some traits with him. With others in his family, it'll be way easier, but he obviously first has to escape the stigma of being the strongest reference. Viewed in its entirety though, I really don't think the Selwyn family has too many similarities to the Trump family, but I do know about some rather subtle stuff that I cannot reveal right away. Perhaps the similarities are simply the ones that are more obvious at first, but in time, the finer nuances of the characters should get some time to shine.
Well, the Order is quite controversial in-story, because their ideals would majorly disrupt the Westerosi society if properly implemented. Kyle brings it up, especially from his perspective as a nobleman, he takes issue with them. One thing that should be noted though, the Order consists of idealists, sometimes hopelessly naive in their goals. While some will definitely see that Aegon's vision is ultimately something that benefits them, others are strictly against the use of war to get what they want, especially as from the standpoint of the law, Aegon's Conquest has no ground to stand on, it is pretty much the opposite of lawful and the simple, brutal power play they stand against. The more pragmatic among them might decide that Aegon's vision is more important than such trivialities, while the more idealistic ones will probably be less happy to support him.
Ah, I can go ahead and confirm it here, it is the same Viera Coldwater that was mentioned later on, I don't meant to confuse here. Remi considers her to be terrible, but I suppose you can make a better impression for yourself when you see her in person in the next Lachlan part. I can also reveal, she is not the only one currently in a meeting with Lord Royce.
Hehe, glad you like Kyle. He is an interesting guy, adds quite a flavour to the lordly characters in the story due to some traits he has. Valydyn meanwhile, his full profession hasn't been named here, but Remi described him as a specialist last time, sort of a spy/investigator kind of character in service of Lord Royce.
No, you misunderstand it here, the member of the Order, Viera, she is the great-aunt of Kyle and Lachlan, which makes her the aunt to Kyle's father and Lachlan's mother. When it comes to the rogue Order member, that is an identity to be revealed in the next Lachlan part. Keep in mind here, there are two Shett's of interest. Remi and Orson suspect Ser Sterling Shett, the head of the house. Meanwhile, the Hawk is under the impression he was hired by Sterling's daughter, Octavia. It remains to be seen which of the two is wrong, or maybe they are both right in a certain way.
Well, when it comes to his usual cronies, the Moggy is really not one to be in the shadows, while the Sphynx is, as we know, busy with a family reunion. The Tom remains and he can be quite stealthy, but it can be doubted if Maron takes such measures in his own castle. He has Devrin Oakheart by his side, who is a seasoned warrior, but in terms of physical danger, Willfred, together with Jack and Prins, is likely actually at an advantage.
Aye, they look out of place in the Westerosi society, but because of that, I believe they have a special draw especially for those suffering from injustice. Three hundred years later, the Sparrows promise a similar ideal and ironically, while the current Faith dislikes the Order, it is likely the Order would highly approve of the Sparrow movement. What I believe is, in dire times, such as the Westeros around the time of the Conquest, such ideals always get the greatest support. It is how even outlandish madmen such as Lodos get their power.
You are right, House Arryn should act decisively here. Their problem is that the current king is a child with no understanding of real politics yet, whereas the Queen Regent is someone who has been raised with the knowledge that her entire purpose in life will be to be the trophy wife of a capable ruler. Now that Sharra is forced to be this ruler herself, she is way out of her comfort zone, having to learn everything about ruling in a very short time while also raising both of her sons. That being said, while Sharra might still has to learn a lot, she has the luxury of having an experienced bannerman in Orson Royce, who should be the primary line of defense in case two of his own bannermen decide to conspire.
[Follow Petyr] How can I not vote this? I mean, it's the Donnel. Maybe we can meet one of his wacky family.
[Agree with Valydyn] I guess? Side note: I keep thinking of the Order 1886, a game I have NOT played, when I see "the Order". Or maybe the Order of the Stone. Or maybe the Sith Order. Who knows?
I got a very sharky grin when I saw this. Mental image straight away. I have been waiting for this moment for months (years?) and was kind of anxious to see the results.
Oh, what person could this be? What, their name is Lucifer? I wonder what kind of character that guy is like...
While I suppose I agree with the immersion breaking, I have to admit, this is really cracking me up. Curious about what exactly this "deal" will be. Maybe a nice wall somewhere.
It seems people don't hate Donnel, at least so far, because he's based on Trump. That reassures me. I made sure to try to keep him unique, and with his family they are something different. So sorry he's hard to write, but you know, he's a larger-than-life kind of guy (does that make sense in this context? I mean, he's based on a living person who is already pretty out there...) To my fellow readers, I hope he does not harm your enjoyment in this great story at all. I hope you guys liked the two maesters thing especially, that idea I really had a chuckle out of. Also, for the record, I submitted the family months apart from each other, and well, oops that Selyse is the brother of Oakheart, an ally of Mullendore. Didn't know when it all came together, so I was like "Well, damn." when that was first revealed. I think my reaction in my comment on the part that first introduced that indicate some of my shock. I also hope you enjoy the other Selwyn-related characters, whenever they show. There is one person in particular, with a major connection to another currently introduced character (who is not a Selwyn), I think will be very memorable, but we'll get to know her soon.
According to the character list, Donnel Selwyn was submitted in July 2016. Feels kinda crazy that he has been in the waiting list for so long, but it does mean you have waited for this for close to two years. I certainly hope I won't disappoint here
Yeah, I am certain he'll turn out to be a great guy, nothing suspicious about that name at all. On a completely unrelated note, I recently watched that Lucifer series and now I have a completely different mental image of that character.
Hehe, it is as I said above, the easy thing to just give him some lines like that and call it a day. It certainly won't be my intention to have him break the immersion, I just couldn't think of anything he'd rather say here when cutting Petyr off like that. That deal though... well, it might be revealed in the near future, perhaps.
Ah, I definitely hope he won't be hated once I had the chance to fully establish him. I mean, I know the work that went into him and his family and will try to do them justice. It might be hard to write him at times without taking the real Trump into account too much (such as Trump quotes, a selected few might translate well into the story if heavily rewritten, but I kinda feel like if he suddenly starts ranting about how a wall has to be built to keep out the Dornish, that'd be a bit too cheesy), but I absolutely love the challenge. Considering that most characters simply don't give me this sort of challenge, this is highly appreciated. And well, I suppose we'll see how he will be received in the end, but if it all works out, the goal is to make him a well-received character, even if he will probably not end up particularly sympathetic or likeable.
Lucifer is a pretty damn good show.
**{Follow Maron}
**{Agree With Valydyn}
The Voting is closed!
Willfred is going to follow Maron
Lachlan is going to agree with Kyle
The first one was a pretty clear outcome, though the second one has been rather close, almost ending in a tie. As it is, Willfred will get to spend some time with Maron Mullendore and Devrin Oakheart now, means more development for the latter in particular, which might not be a bad thing. I was almost certain you'd choose to stay away from them though, to be honest
Now, Lachlan's choice was mostly a character building one on how he himself sees the Order, but it will, in a more minor way, also influence how Kyle and Valydyn will see him respectively and that will be reflected in the parts to come, as both will take a rather prominent role in his storyline.
The next part will be out today. Originally scheduled for yesterday I, uh, got a bit distracted by the new Overwatch event (Even though I had to play as freaking Genji) and that means I only got one of the two planned PoV's ready
No worries though, the next part will be out today. It will feature PoV's from the Hawk and Raenna, the former of which is completed already. However, in my desire to speed up the writing a bit, I doubt there will be many parts without two PoV's in the future. Maybe that way, I can reach the end of Chapter 4 until the end of this year. So, the last time we saw the Hawk was also his first part. You might remember, he is an old sellsword, leader of the Company of the Hawk, who travelled to Westeros together with the Company of the Pig and the Company of the Rat, all three of which hired by the Iron Bank of Braavos on orders of a certain Octavia Shett. Arriving on the shores near Gulltown, the Hawk then arranged a meeting between him, the Pig and the Rat, which will be seen in his next part. Meanwhile, Raenna arrived at the Last Hearth in her latest part, where she met the triplet sisters of Roffe and Dag, as well as their adorable pet bears. She also met Kory Umber, the youngest Umber brother and source of worry for Dag, aka the reason Raenna is even there. After meeting the newcomers, he quickly excused himself to leave, taking care of something, but Raenna, having just arrived, decided it would be best not to arouse suspicion, so she instead went with the rest of her group to the Great Hall, deciding there would be a time to spy on Kory later on.
Hello everyone! After a bit of a break, I once again have another set of character drawings for you, this time focused on the Northern cast. Hopefully I'm early enough to post this before the next part
Do you think you could do one on Wolfius' direwolf and Ryler's dog?
Oh yes, you are most definitely still in time for the next part
These drawings, I'll never get enough of them, because they are simply that good. Starting at the top with Malina, I like how there are these clear similarities to Dante, but she still has her own unique look to stand out. I wasn't sure how that colour combination of green and Karstark would actually look, but she pulls it off well. Harrold meanwhile, he really has to be one of the finest drawings yet. That grin is amazing and he has perhaps the best helmet ever drawn. Goofy, a bit wild and definitely badass, that whole drawing suits him well and is a strong contender for being my favourite of this set. Eon then, he has a more standard look, but he somehow really stands out for me regardless, especially with the differences to his fellow northern warrior Harrold. The yellow colour also makes him unique, I think there haven't been many characters wearing yellow in the story yet. Now, with Dag, I love the details, such as his hand resting on Mutt's head. I must admit though, when I first saw it, I did not recognize the glove, but thought to myself "Well damn, that wolf has a pretty sweet hairstyle" and now I can't get that picture of Mutt with some Kid Omega hairstyle out of my head again 
Seriously though, the drawing is wonderful. My favourite however has to be Roffe, because in terms of sheer badassery, there has rarely been a better drawing before. I just love the axe, the beard, the cold expression and especially that wolf. I imagine it might not be too easy drawing animals, but you did it amazingly well here, as Giant looks positively intimidating. So, in short, I really like these a lot 
Yeah, certainly, I'd need the descriptions for how they look though
The direwolf's appearance as described in the final Lyria part:
The size of the wolf is said to be about the size of a horse, and you could give it red eyes if you think it'll look more beastly. It also has a name but I think it would be better for the name to be revealed in the story itself so you could just caption it as "The Beast of Raylansfair".
Wolfsbane/Ryler's dog appearance: Basically just an Irish Wolfhound. I have a picture but I can't figure out how to post it.
The Hawk
He called for them and so they came. The Pig and the Rat were both overly punctual, neither wanting to give the other the satisfaction of being the first. The leaders of the Three Companies came together, for the first time after their landing in Westeros, in the small camp the Hawk's men had set up by the rocky coast.
The Rat's malformed body was resting on a throne, carried around by his main bodyguards, the Norvoshi warriors Vogo the Axe and Vassah the Shield. Though the man was physically crippled, a hunchbacked dwarf with an oversized head, hardly capable of the hard work his underlings had to pull off on a regular basis, he possessed a brilliant mind and in a way, he was a worthy successor to the first Rat. A sad smile formed on the Hawk's face as he remembered his cunning friend.
The Pig and his men meanwhile arrived on zorses, sturdy animals capable of carrying his massive weight. He was like every Pig that came before him, tall, fat, but of a hulking strength, jovial in times of peace, yet absolutely ruthless in times of war. His skin was light, a stark contrast to the Rat's Summer Islander origins and there was a thick beard covering his upper lip.
Each of them had brought three men for the meeting. In case of the Rat, there were his Norvoshi guards of course, the pride of his company, as well as Vii. The young girl walked ahead, her sword sheathed, as she carefully scanned the surroundings. She did not trust him, the Hawk knew it, she barely trusted any of them. A clever girl, he had to give her that much.
Meanwhile, the Pig had no need for proper bodyguards. His companions were Agar the Cold, his second-in-command, together with Maldar the Quiver, a Summer Islander and master archer of the Three Companies, and Jorario the Beast, a man from the far east and the one in charge of the Pig's beasts of war.
Slowly, the Pig and his men descended from their zorses, with the Hawk's men quickly there to lead the animals away, while the Rat approached him already. The Hawk leant back in his chair, taking a sip from the fine wine Captain Bartmer had given him. Behind him stood Montoya and Sharako and technically, Hazar the Weak was supposed to be with them as well. True to his name though, the young boy had been too scared and the Hawk too impatient to force him. In his stead, the far less welcome presence of Jaqiros Nestoris had taken his place.
“Hawk!”, the Pig roared, as he approached him. The Hawk greeted him with a thin smile, as the man had already grabbed a whole carafe of wine. Pouring it down his throat, he nonchalantly entered the tent, sitting down on a pillow next to the Hawk's chair. The Rat simply gave a nod to both, as his guards lowered the chair right next to the Hawk. Then, they took position behind him, with Vii by his side, while the Pig's men moved to the corners of the tent. Agar the Cold meanwhile knelt down next to the Pig.
“My friends”, the Hawk greeted both men. “I am pleased you managed to arrange it so quickly” The Pig flashed him a grin, while downing the carafe of wine, whereas the Rat narrowed his eyes. “I called for you, Hawk”, he reminded him, but the Hawk merely shrugged. “Oh, you have to keep in mind, I am an old man”, he spoke with a smirk. “It is simply more convenient for me to call for you instead”
The Rat sighed, as he lifted his small body up a bit, reaching forward for a cup of wine. His smile widened. “Of course”, he simply said and his smile did not grow smaller as he looked at the Pig's frown. “You complain too much, small man”, the Pig growled. “The Hawk has called us for a reason, I believe”
The Hawk nodded, as he looked at Jaqiros. The Iron Bank representative took a step forward, though a handsign caused him to stop. “My friends, this is the first time all three of us are in Westeros together”, the Hawk intoned. “This is going to be a delicate mission, as I am certain. Discussing our next steps will be mandatory”
The Rat raised an eyebrow, whereas the Pig shrugged. “The Company of the Pig follows your call”, he said. “As long as you lead us to battle” Out of his one eye, the Hawk glanced at Jaqiros, who frowned slightly. “A fully blown battle will be the last resort”, he said. “You must understand, this is Westeros, not the Disputed Lands of Essos. The Vale of Arryn is strong and prosperous, violence so rare that it might provoke a reaction we cannot afford from the numerous lords of these lands”
“But violence is an option?”, the Rat was quick to ask and before the Hawk could do it, Jaqiros nodded. “Oh, very much so. But as I said, we must be more subtle about it. This is why Lady Octavia hired all three of you. The Company of the Hawk in particular for their remarkable subtlety”
“This Lady Octavia... Shett, I presume? May I ask, why exactly has she hired the Three Companies?”, the Rat asked and Jaqiros gave him a cold, sleek smile. “Oh, it will narrow down to what you are best at”, he told them. “The Iron Bank of Braavos has been highly satisfied with your work, so we forwarded you to Lady Octavia, in order to... collect some debts”
This put a smile onto the Pig's face, as he grabbed for the second carafe of wine. Wisely enough, the Hawk had brought several, even if most weren't filled with the expensive ones he had received from Bartmer. Those were for another occasion and for his men only. “Aye, I can get behind this!”, the fat sellsword roared. “Collecting debts, maybe breaking some bones if they don't pay right away... sounds fucking lovely”
The Hawk, of course, had known about this aspect of their work, at least in some capacity, for Jaqiros had been remarkably tight-lipped about most of the actual task they had been hired for. Yet neither he nor the Rat could decline the generous upfront payment of the Iron Bank. The Pig meanwhile, he was in this for blood and the Iron Bank knew before. Perhaps he had been hired for a particular reason.
“And I do suppose you cannot tell us any more than that?”, the Rat asked, his shrewd eyes narrowed slightly. Jaqiros shook his head. “Not because I don't want to”, he claimed. “It is simply that Lady Octavia is the one behind this assignment. The Iron Bank of Braavos is merely one of several backers”
The Rat clenched his teeth. “I doubt she is the mastermind behind this, so do me a favour, don't even pretend you're not using her for your own goals”, he hissed. “That girl is, what, twenty?” Jaqiros shook his head. “Twenty-seven”, he corrected him. “A good age for a conqueror, as the self-proclaimed King Aegon would be likely to incline. She harbours several qualities the Iron Bank approves of. Ambition, a touch of greed and utter ruthlessness. Top of that, she is cunning”
“And she hires a sellsword army to land near Gulltown. Does she intend to sack the city?”, the Hawk asked, joining in on the Rat's questioning. He did not doubt that ultimately, at least Jaqiros was a pawn, one who did not know the full picture, but he had to know more than he was giving them right now.
“Gulltown belongs to House Shett by right”, Jaqiros stated. “Perhaps she just seeks to reclaim what was taken by House Grafton” His tone made it clear that he did not believe this and didn't even bother with hiding it from the sellswords. Even the Pig caught up to it, narrowing his eyes, as he lowered the carafe of wine.
The Hawk was the only one who maintained his smile. “But I suppose we both know it won't stop there”, he brought up and Jaqiros shook his head. “What she wishes beyond that, I cannot say. But you will serve, will you not?” The Hawk shook his head. “There are some things the three Companies won't do”, he replied. “Though I am certain you are aware of it, else you wouldn't have chosen to hire us”
Jaqiros' smile grew only slightly smaller. “I was told some things were negotiable”, he stated firmly. “And I am prepared to meet your price” The Rat nodded at this. “They are”, he spoke, while the Pig shook his head. “Not everything”, he clarified. “But your lady can negotiate”
The Hawk looked from the Rat to the Pig. “I do assume we will meet Lady Octavia soon, is that correct?”, he asked and Jaqiros gave him a nod. “She is expecting you, yes”, he spoke. “Another reason why I am glad you chose to call for both of your companions. There are, as you can imagine, rules to this meeting. Most importantly would be that Lady Octavia wishes that each of you have, at most, one companion with you”
While the Rat's bodyguards grew visibly uncomfortable from this statement, the man himself remained outwardly calm. “Vii will accompany me. She'll do”, he said, a small, genuine smile flashing over his face as he looked at the girl. She replied with a stern nod. The Pig meanwhile patted his second-in-command onto the back. “Agar the Cold!”, he ecxlaimed. “A true warrior, with the worth of a hundred men!”
Jaqiros raised an eyebrow. “That will be settled then. And you, Ser Hawk? Whom would you like to accompany you?” The Hawk smiled at him. “Not you”, he said. “Though I'm afraid that's not an option” Instead of bothering with Jaqiros reaction of polite contempt, he looked at the people with him. If he had only one to choose, he had to make it count, even if he doubted that Octavia Shett intended to lure him into a trap.
Montoya the Duelist was the first to come to mind. Loyal, resourceful and a fighter as good as the Hawk in his youth. He was, however, perhaps the only man he trusted with actually leading the company in his absence, his second-in-command for a reason. Sharako would be another choice. His spymaster wasn't a fighter, more suited for subterfuge and skulduggery, yet his intelligence was without doubt.
And finally, Hazar. The Hawk had to smirk at the thought of the boy, his squire, his raw diamond to form. He wasn't a fighter, he could barely lift a heavy blade, much less actually defeat anyone and he lacked the experience of Sharako, even if his mind was undoubtedly sharp. But he had to learn some day. After all, the Hawk had sworn he would teach the boy and perhaps this was an occasion where he could.
[Take Montoya] [Take Sharako] [Take Hazar]
Raenna
The Great Hall of the Last Hearth was spacious, with a central fireplace larger than the room Raenna grew up in. Rows of benches stood around it, with the Umber's table of honour the closest to the fireplace itself. It was comfortably warm, if somewhat stuffy, albeit the smoke was able to escape through a set of openings in the roof.
Raenna was seated between Briar and Malina, who herself was next to Roffe. The Lord of the Last Hearth had brought food and wine and soon, Raenna had broken bread with him, a guest of honour in his hall. Soon, the cold was gone from her bones, a familiar warmth returning to her body and she sighed in comfort, as she drank the hot wine Dag had brought her, or what passed as wine in these parts. For her taste, it was almost a bit too strong, but it was undeniably welcome on such a thoroughly unpleasant day.
Roffe himself had drunken the most of them all, yet he still showed no signs of slowing down. If anything, Harrold looked genuinely impressed at the man and Raenna had the feeling even Giant could drink any of them under the table, given the familiar intensity with which the wolf looked at Roffe's mug.
The Lord of the Last Hearth chuckled as he noticed his companion's stare. “Ah, this thing is too much like me!”, he roared, as he poured some wine into a bowl, lowering it for the wolf to drink. Malina smirked at this sight, while Runa rolled her eyes. “You know you should not give him that much to drink”, she complained. “It's not good for him. Nor you”
Roffe flashed her a grin, as he chuckled. “Sister, I know damn well what's good for me”, he claimed. “Means the same goes for Giant. That wolf is smarter than any of us” Kari raised an eyebrow. “Smarter than you for sure”, she teased him from the far side of the table. There was an empty chair next to her, where Kory was supposed to be sitting, but the man hadn't shown up yet, after over half an hour of being in the Umber hall. Raenna knew he was possibly doing something related to the task she had been given, but she could not dare arousing the suspicion of his sisters. They knew nothing and it was probably better that way.
“Ah, my friends, let us drink!”, Roffe exclaimed, raising his mug and one by one, the others followed. Raenna did as well, even though she already felt the dizzying effect of the wine. The only one naturally not joining in was Briar and the girl was visibly upset at Raenna forbidding her from drinking the wine Roffe had offered her so carelessly. Instead, she sipped at her water, while pouting. “To lasting alliances!”, Roffe continued. “To friendship and family!”
“To friendship and family!”, the Umber's chimed in, as did the other Northerner's. Raenna hesitated for a moment longer, before a thin smile flashed over her face. “To friendship and family”, she mumbled. She had to think about them right there, the friends she had lost. Terroma, dead. Kersea, dead. She didn't even know what had happened to Samuel. Was he alive, or did his quest for revenge claim his life... already, as she had to add. There were no happy endings for them, for him, perhaps for her. And yet... she felt a sting of regret, as she thought of what could have been.
“Why the long face, mylady”, Jorn, seated next to Briar, asked in a jovial tone and she faked a smile. “You must be mistaken”, she said. “I've never felt better” To this, Jorn's smile faded. “With cheap wine, in a castle you've never been to before and surrounded by people you barely know?”, he brought up. “Then that is a reason to be sad, I presume”
Raenna raised an eyebrow. “I... have you ever regretted not doing something?”, she asked and Jorn smiled. Next to him, Harrold told Nea Umber about his first battle, while Eon looked on, occasionally shaking his head in disagreement. “Plenty of times, mylady”, Mormont confirmed. “I do suppose we all have. It's family in my case. You though? What could worry you so much?”
She hesitated a moment to reply. “I... don't really know what it is. How to say it, at least”, she stuttered and Jorn tilted his head. “A broken heart?”, he deduced. “What sort of a man would do that?” Raenna shook her head. “No, not that...”, she said. “Actually, I've been the one who left”
“My point stands. What sort of a madman would let you leave?”, Jorn spoke and Raenna sighed, as she took another sip from her wine. “A man on a mission”, she spoke. “We both were on a mission at the time. Now... we're half a world apart, I suppose”
Briar looked up from her water, her expression a mixture of the stubborn pout and genuine interest to contribute to their talk. “Are you talking about Samuel?”, she asked and Raenna's eyes widened. “I...”, she began, though Jorn cut her off. “Samuel, huh?”, he stated and Briar nodded proudly. “They kissed!”, she said, giving Raenna a wide, deceptive grin.
Raenna herself blushed widely of course and she had to resist the urge to just pull her hood up. “Briar, that is enough”, she hissed and the young girl fluttered her eyelashes. “Do I get some of the wine now?”, she asked and Malina, who had half-heartedly talked to Roffe, chuckled at this. “This girl...”, she smirked. “If she's that devious just to get a cup of wine, I don't want to see how she can be when the stakes are higher”
“Like two cups of wine, I suppose”, Jorn said and Malina nodded. “It is good wine, Lord Umber”, she brought up and Roffe grinned. “It's hard to get it up here and we rarely drink it. Means what few bottles we have is stored well, then presented to only the most honoured guests”
“Well, I feel plenty honoured already!”, Harrold exclaimed and Raenna was glad the topic had moved on from Samuel. She caught Jorn's glance, him raising an eyebrow, though he thankfully decided to remain silent. This was not what she wanted to discuss.
At last, Roffe, biting into a loaf of bread, looked at his sisters. “Say, where is Kory?”, he asked. “He has been gone for some time now” It was Kari Umber who answered, while playing with her braided hair. “Give him some time, Roffe”, she replied. “He often leaves the castle, especially when we're having guests. Acts strangely even around friends of old. I... don't think he deals well with having company around”
“Sooner or later he has to get used to it”, Roffe growled, though Dag put a hand onto his shoulder. “Kari is right”, he told him. “What Kory has been through, it's worse than what any of us can imagine. A prisoner to the wild ones for years... maybe it'll take just as long for him to recover”
The Lord of the Last Hearth frowned. “I hope not”, he admitted. “But whatever it is that keeps him from us, it's rude to the guests” He put down his wine and rose from the chair with the determination of a drunken man. “I'll fetch him!”, he proclaimed.
Dag raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure this is a good idea, brother?”, he asked, but Roffe merely shook his head. “Ah, bugger a grumkin with your objections”, he said loudly. “You know bloody well that Giant has the best nose around. He always finds his family”
Quickly, Harrold stood up, pulling a more reluctant Eon with him. “Then we shall accompany you, mylord!”, he promised. “They say four eyes see more than two, so I guess six has to be even better” Eon sighed. “Of course...”, he mumbled. “Just my luck again”
“Brother, I am sure he'll return soon”, Kari argued. Roffe shook his head again. “He won't return soon enough”, he growled. “He is now part of our family again, so he will act the part. Remember when the Norrey came to visit us? They used to be best friends and Kory didn't even recognize him!” He slammed a fist onto his table. “No, Kari, I will not tolerate that. All we do with this is risking to lose him entirely”, he explained, before looking at Harrold. “Hornwood and Dustin, your help is much welcome. Mylady Raenna, would you like to come with us as well?”
Dag sighed over the lack of subtlety, while Nea Umber narrowed her eyes. “Why her?”, she asked, though Raenna was quick to defuse the situation with a smile. “It is because I have experience with this sort of stuff”, she said. “Down south, I used to track down people on a regular basis. Lord Roffe knows of my talents”
Roffe grinned, as he put a hand onto her shoulder. “That I do”, he confirmed. “The four of us and Giant, we shall find Kory swiftly, wherever he is in this castle. Give him the chance to spend some time with our guests, I am sure he'll recover with ease in that case”
Nea did not seem to be convinced, but Runa smiled at Roffe's suggestion. “That sounds lovely”, she said. “Good luck then, but don't be too harsh on him” Roffe shook his head. “Eh, I won't, you know that”, he stated, as he, Harrold and Eon turned to the door. Raenna slowly rose from her chair, glancing from Malina, to Jorn.
“No way”, Jorn declined and Malina shook her head as well. “Going out there to search for the missing Umber brother?”, she asked. “I am sorry, but I rather prefer the comfort we are offered here. Harrold and Eon might be good for something after all. And you, of course, I think you should go”
“I want to go as well”, Briar said, putting down her water. “This is boring in here!” Raenna and Malina exchanged a look and both raised an eyebrow. “Young lady, I don't think this is a good idea”, Malina said. “Lord Roffe will take his wolf with him, it might be dangerous”
Briar shook her head. “He's a nice wolf”, she claimed. “And as I said, this is boring. You all get drunken and have fun and all I do is sitting around, doing nothing” She looked at Raenna with the wide eyes of an overly excited child. “Can I come?”, she asked. “Please, please, please...” She pouted and Raenna sighed, looking at Malina for help.
The Karstark lady chuckled. “I'd keep an eye on her while you are gone”, she offered. By now, Briar was pouting. “Please let me come”, she said. “I can help, I promise I'll be good. And I won't get on your nerves, I promise, please” Malina chuckled. “That is, if you can resist her, of course”, she added.
[Allow Briar to come] [Leave Briar with Malina]
[Take Hazar]
Let's train up our apprentice
[Allow Briar to come]
Alright, I'm slowly starting to develop a basic understanding of the dynamics of the Three Companies, and at least some of the many characters in it
And ah, I suppose it was just a question of time when the Iron Bank would get involved 
[Take Hazar] Better leave Montoya in charge, especially since the Pig is already bringing a good fighter. I was going to pick Sharako first, but I suppose it's better to use this opportunity to train Hazar. And I trust we already have enough cunning in form of the Rat.
[Leave Briar with Malina] Ah, this is surprisingly hard choice
However, aside from this just being the safer option, I feel like Malina and Briar will come along well. In fact, out of Raenna and Malina the latter would probably be the better influence for Briar. Not that Raenna is bad, but well, her lifestyle is a bit more dangerous.
[Take Montoya] He's the better fighter of the three so he should be ok.
Yeah, last time the Vale saw a war was over 700 years ago when they warred against the North for possession of the Three Sisters.
[Leave Briar with Malina] I'm sure she will be safe with Malina, plus, she needs to interact with some other people.
The sisters are literally a continent away from each other.
Glad to hear this! I think the greatest challenge with the three companies is that they consist of so many named characters, it'll likely take a while to get a full grasp on each of them. I hope at least the basics are established by now, such as the relations between the three leaders and some key figures. Undoubtedly, more will follow. And well, the Iron Bank is indeed involved now, one of several interested parties supporting the events in the Vale right now, but to what goal remains to be seen.
I wasn't sure how hard a choice this would be, but I'm happy I managed to make it a hard one. I won't disagree here, Malina is definitely a better influence. Raenna knows that much, she knows how dangerous her lifestyle is and sort of breaking out of it is a major goal for her. In the North, she has received her new life, but it hasn't really changed the things she does, she still pretty much is a killer for hire, just working for a king instead of a criminal now.
That is indeed the last true conflict the Vale has fought. Ever since, there were some assorted quarrels with the mountain clans, but nothing major and this is one of the main reasons why Alester Arryn and his guards were killed by the mountain clans. The knights of the Vale might have the better equipment, but the clans have warred against them and each other for thousands of years without a real break inbetween, means they are experienced. The Vale holds an impressive military potential, but I don't think it has been fully used ever since the Andals took these lands from the First Men. Compare it to the relatively sparsely populated and harsh North, with threats from every side, their army is smaller in numbers but certainly more capable.
Aye, Briar is now in the northernmost stronghold of Westeros, whereas Kersea is heading to one of the southernmost cities. At least Kersea knows her sister is alive (albeit she suspects her safe and sound in Winterfell), whereas Briar is slowly starting to suspect that there is something Raenna and Brandon don't want to tell her about her sister.
[Take Montoya]
[Allow Briar to come]
****(Take Sharako)
****(Allow Briar to come)
[Take Montoya]
[Allow Briar to come]
[Take Hazar] Student teacher relationship.
[Leave Briar with Malina] It's almost annoying how adorable Briar is! I think it best to be a little stern with her.
@WildlingKing it was a real treat and pleasant surprise to see that Malina art. It's good, I like it.
Haha, I suppose that is the case with children in a certain age
They are either annoying, adorable or annoyingly adorable. It'll pass eventually. Just wait until Briar gets into her teens and gets into her bratty phase, dropping gems such as "It's not just a phase, this is who I really am" or "You're not my real mom, you can't tell me anything", while poor Raenna somehow has to manage raising her into a responsible adult person, a definition she herself might not even exactly fit. Being stern, I won't disagree, sometimes it does the trick.
Oh man and she's already a little sassy! Poor Raenna. In all seriousness I think there's a time to have fun and let Briar have her way but it's important for her to know that begging won't automatically have things go her way... even if she is super adorable.