Chapter 174: A Raven, a White Tree and a Drunkard... (II)
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Chapter 174: A Raven, a White Tree and a Drunkard... (II)
****Happy New Year, dear readers!
I wanted to publish this yesterday, but I couldn't make it in time. I hope the chapter is worth the wait.
Happy Reading!****
-----
POV: Duncan
Tallhart House competitors marquee, Tournament Arena. About a quarter mile away from the Barrowgate.
Year 290 BC, the eighth day of the first moon.
About a day and a half after the detailed report of a Drunkard. One hour before the start of the Tournament... Updated from novelb(i)n.c(o)m
-------
"Is everything clear, Ser Henry? For the sake of Torrhen's Square, House Tallhart and the entire North, will you do as I have requested?" I asked in a tone more pleading than imperative.
"Phew... Yes, yes, General... I will do as commanded. Should I compete against the old man, the scion of House Blackwood, or the Drunken Knight, I will lose and ensure that the defeat is dignified and credible." The boy sighed slightly with an air of resignation, holding back something he wanted to add.
"What is it, Captain? Are you not satisfied with the reward offered to you? Do you desire something other than land and titles?" I asked, trying to spur on the taciturn best archer of House Tallhart, offering him a half-cup of the Summer wine. Henry always liked to drink a half-cup of red before a competition or a battle.
[The Sweet Red of Summer helps to loosen the fingers and heartstrings of a worthy lover of the bow.] He said.
Henry accepted the offer by taking a small sip as he blushed slightly.
"...Here, my Lord... Truly, there would be something... Not that I despise the generous offers of House Tallhart, let me be clear!" So said the young man in his early twenties.
"But...? Come on, Henry! In less than an hour, the Tournament will begin. Spit it out!" I incited.
"Yes, General! Here... Yes, emm, could I exchange the land offering for gold, Sir?" The Captain of the First Legion Archers unit asked.
"Gold...? But those lands would make you much more than the first prize over time. Besides, you were part of the unit of a Hundred Volunteers. You already exchanged your Damascus Steel rewards for gold. From what I know, my father should have rewarded you more than generously..." Henry was certainly not an individual of a thrifty nature. However, it still didn't seem possible that the guy could have already spent eight thousand gold dragons in less than three moons...
"There, yes, in truth: that gold is gone, my Lord... And, currently, I would be down three hundred..." A tremendous and catastrophic assumption crashed through my suppositions.
"With whom...? To whom do you owe that gold, Captain...? Please don't tell me-"
"... Deputy Commander Josua of Jhala, my lord." Now, everything was clear as day. All those mornings, Henry and Josua weren't just training in archery... It was still morning, an hour too immature to drink, but I poured myself a half-cup of red anyway and gobbled it down in one go.
"It's not that I can't win, General! On the contrary, I'm almost at her level! It's just that ... during our little daily competitions ..." Henry blushed, " ... lady Josua has been rather 'perceptive' in raising and lowering the stakes at the appropriate time." There was no need to explain to Henry the dangerous and exorbitant love game he was up against. The boy was totally smitten.
"... You shall have your gold. Is half the first prize a sufficient sum for you, Captain?" Henry sprang to attention, answering promptly:
"Absolutely, Lord General! Much more than enough." The eyes of the smitten archer sprang up with hope and expectation.
'At least for a couple of years, he should hold out, hoping the poor guy gives up first...' I thought to myself. If Josua did not continuously squander her gold with the most sublime and expensive pleasures the world could offer, that woman could have become even richer than the prince of Jhala.
"But... "Caution, Captain. You're aiming your bow too high at a challenging and dangerous target... Those arrows could come back and fall on your head." The young man, with a purple face and puppy love eyes, nodded without even considering my warning...
"Ah, General!" Henry awoke from his love bubble before I took my leave.
"Yes, Henry...?" Me.
"I understand that Lady Josua will be taking part in the upcoming punitive expedition in Brandon's gift and the future expedition beyond the Wall... Could I join as a volunteer in General Peter's unit and yours, my Lord?"
*****
End POV.
------
POV: Catelyn Stark
Tournament Arena. About a quarter mile away from the Barrowgate. The pavilion was reserved for noble spectators.
Year 290 BC, the eighth day of the first moon.
About an hour after the discovery of a possibly hazardous love interest...
--------
Catelyn was seated next to her loving father, the Lord Paramount of the Trident, the Lord of Riverrun and head of her lineage, Hoster Tully.
Immediately after the return of the Stark men from the campaign against the Greyjoys, Haymitch had been elevated from a mere knight errant in the guard's service to First Strategic Commander of Winterfell. The drunken bastard was one of her husband's first advisors and a trusted commander of the Stark militia.
Ned listened more to Haymitch's advice than to Maester Luwin's. And not only that, the drunkard was the private master-at-arms of that Jon Snow and his son Robb! Her husband preferred the guidance of that smelly, shameless disgrace Haymitch rather than Ser Rodrick Cassel!
There was something else linking those characters... but at first glance, Cat failed to pick up the clue before her eyes.
The usher of the competition took the floor, thus distracting Catelyn's first thoughts.
"Your Majesties! My Lords! My Ladies! Princes! Triarchs and City Lords... And to all you other good people of every known place!!!" Barbrey Mormont thundered, gaining applause from the stalls and the stands.
Nearly eighty thousand screaming spectators were gathered in the vast seven-acre arched stadium. Even the famous Harrenhall Tournament could only pick so many people in one place...
"Today...!" the cheers and commotion diminished, "TODAY! In this beautiful blue sky, at the gates of the new city of the North, the games for the celebration of the wedding, of the new city, of the new institutions formed, and... Most important of all, for the victory of all fronts of our beloved King Robert!!!" *Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!*"Yesss!", "Long live the King!", "Glory to Lady Barbrey!" *Clap! Clap!*
"... But before we begin this heated and coveted first competition between our 256 portentous archers! I, my husband, Lord Jorah, and all of House Mormont have a gift to bestow upon you all, honourable contestants!" The screaming audience fell silent... Everyone wanted to know what the new richest and most powerful woman in Westeros wished to bestow.
"As there has been an unexpected show of trust in the Never Winter Bank, to say the least, the prizes for the Tournament will be "modified!" raising them in proportion to the generosity shown by our allies and friends in the North!" This time, several competitors broke the proper formation to join in the applause.
Catelyn frowned slightly.
The prize for the first two winners in archery was already a disproportionate sum. If she remembered correctly, it had to be ten thousand gold dragoons for first place and five thousand for the second... A sum sufficient to make any noble scion hungry for glory and riches rises from the depths of the continent. And now the prize would even be raised?
"But fear not, my dear investors... Your coffers will be safe from this 'unexpected change'... It will be House Mormont who will shoulder the additional largesse!" Promulgated Barbrey addressing the noble stands, causing a small burst of hilarity...
"The prizes up for grabs will no longer be just two, but rather 'Three'... Three generous prizes for the best three archers!" After a short pause, assistants arranged themselves in front of the rows of competitors, opening several chests filled with golden coins and arranging trunks and handles covered in suits of the finest studded leather.
"Fifteen thousand gold dragons for the Third Place Winner! And the finest set of archer's armour, made to measure, of the finest Karstark leather ever devised, lined inside in the softest and most durable silk in creation, fitted with a special kit for any lover of the hunt, and studded with fine Elite-Quality Damascus Steel plates!" The roar of astonishment was definitely more pronounced from the noble stands.
"How much could that single suit of armour be worth, father?" Catelyn asked, trying to soften poor Hoster's anxieties with the moment's distraction.
"That specimen...? I couldn't say for sure. But if I remember correctly, on House Stark's price list, the price was around eight hundred gold dragons for a standard specimen of studded leather with Elite Steel." Catelyn quadrupled that price in her mind.
"...For Second Place: forty thousand gold dragons! "Three" Custom-made Sets, "And" a new product from the North! A very fine Weirdwood Longbow and Golden Heart Tree!" The crates and dummies doubled. After that came the element that trilled the solution to Catelyn's dilemma.
'The bows! That's what the Ranger, the Blackwood and Haymitch had in common! All three archers have bows similar if not identical to that!' Thought the woman urgently as she carefully observed the white instrument wielded by the three men. Although the boy's bow, Brynden Blackwood, differed a little in colour and shape, the bows of the Night's Watch and Ser Haymitch were identical to that of the prize. Catelyn still had an awful feeling.
"Ser Brynden Blackwood has a peculiar bow with him, very similar to the prize..." She pointed out, seeking her father's opinion.
"...Has your husband said anything to you yet?" Her father asked, momentarily setting aside the cruet of wildfire, called 'Bloody Snow', thrown at him.
"Tell me what?" Catelyn asked urgently.
"Winterfell is still negotiating with Riverrun, Raventree Hall, the Night's Watch and the Crown over the vassalage of House Blackwood. Ned is not as helpless as you think, Cat. Lord Stark wants to bring the former House of the North back into his ranks, offering House Tully a lucrative and generous ransom. We discussed it last night during the private banquet King Robert requested." This time it was Catelyn who was swept away by a landslide. So, unbeknownst to her, last night, her husband was negotiating for the future of the North and the Trident!
"Father! You cannot give up such a loyal and trustworthy vassal as Lord Tytos Blackwood! The Blackwoods are among the lineages with the strongest and best-trained militia in the Trident. The lands of the rivers-" Cat was interrupted.
"The Riverlands and my people will benefit greatly from this agreement, Cat. It has been centuries since House Tully has been helpless and impotent in the continuing bloody skirmishes between the Blackwoods and the Brackens... Putting a thousand leagues between two houses in eternal conflict could be the ultimate solution to this thousand-year feud. Besides, many believers of the Old Gods in the Blackwood lands are beginning to be harassed by the fierce supporters of that High Sparrow... I want to solve the problem before it gets bloody.
Raventree Castle, half the militia and smallfolk loyal to the Blackwoods would remain with us, mostly all the families believing in the Cult of Seven. In addition, Lord Tytos is prepared to surrender almost all his landed possessions at an almost bargain price, putting a stop even to that pesky Bracken/Blackwood land diatribe. And Lord Stark is prepared to pay a ransom in Damascus Steel for the respective weight of each member of House Blackwood, as well as granting us numerous trade advantages on products exported from the North."
'You mean on the products of House Tallhart!' roared Catelyn inwardly, holding back that thought.
Something suggested to her that behind that revolutionary political manoeuvre was the hand of that Demon.
"Giving up their ancient home like that? But what castle or lands would House Stark grant to the Blackwoods?" It would be Moat Cailin with the associated Northern lands of the Neck. For too long, those lands had remained unguarded... 'But if so, why put the Night's Watch in the way?' The answer came.
"The lands of the New Gift... Lord Commander Mormont will relinquish half of the Brotherhood's lands in Black. I believe the future manor of House Blackwood may become the disused manor of Queencrowns." Hoster replied, shocking Cat.
'The lands of the new Gift...? But of course, the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch is Jeor Mormont, Lord Jorah's father and Dacey's uncle... So there is certainly the hand of Duncan Tallhart and Barbrey Mormont behind this arrangement!' Cat reasoned with deep concern.
"And what would the bow have to do with it?" Catelyn asked, maintaining her demeanour with extreme effort.
An unreasonable and still unmotivated part of her wanted to shout at her father: [Disagree, father! Don't do it, please! You are giving the enemy what he desires!]
"Last night, we witnessed an impressive demonstration. That bow is the key incentive that convinced Lord Tytos to accept. It appears to be a weapon of even better performance and quality than the infamous Golden Tree Heart of the Summer Isles. House Blackwood would have a monopoly on production and trade on such a product... But, of course, I would ensure that Riverrun and my bannermen have the proper privileges in that market before accepting." Catelyn's face seethed. The woman had no arrows in her bow to rebut such a deal that was advantageous on all fronts.
Catelyn glanced at the Drunken Knight, the bastard cousin of Lord Tytos Blackwood. At first, it was only a suspicion, but now Catelyn was certain.
'You too are a dirty pawn of the bastard, Bastard!' Cat cursed every damned impure name born outside the nuptial thalamus.
Naively, the Tully of Winterfell thought she had moved ahead of her opponent. And yet, before the Silver Trout had managed to secure the loyalty of the Blue Towers, the Blood Demon had already wrested the Black Raven from her grasp...
****
End Part II
****
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
Chapter 174: A Raven, a White Tree and a Drunkard... (II)
****Happy New Year, dear readers!
I wanted to publish this yesterday, but I couldn't make it in time. I hope the chapter is worth the wait.
Happy Reading!****
-----
POV: Duncan
Tallhart House competitors marquee, Tournament Arena. About a quarter mile away from the Barrowgate.
Year 290 BC, the eighth day of the first moon.
About a day and a half after the detailed report of a Drunkard. One hour before the start of the Tournament... Updated from novelb(i)n.c(o)m
-------
"Is everything clear, Ser Henry? For the sake of Torrhen's Square, House Tallhart and the entire North, will you do as I have requested?" I asked in a tone more pleading than imperative.
"Phew... Yes, yes, General... I will do as commanded. Should I compete against the old man, the scion of House Blackwood, or the Drunken Knight, I will lose and ensure that the defeat is dignified and credible." The boy sighed slightly with an air of resignation, holding back something he wanted to add.
"What is it, Captain? Are you not satisfied with the reward offered to you? Do you desire something other than land and titles?" I asked, trying to spur on the taciturn best archer of House Tallhart, offering him a half-cup of the Summer wine. Henry always liked to drink a half-cup of red before a competition or a battle.
[The Sweet Red of Summer helps to loosen the fingers and heartstrings of a worthy lover of the bow.] He said.
Henry accepted the offer by taking a small sip as he blushed slightly.
"...Here, my Lord... Truly, there would be something... Not that I despise the generous offers of House Tallhart, let me be clear!" So said the young man in his early twenties.
"But...? Come on, Henry! In less than an hour, the Tournament will begin. Spit it out!" I incited.
"Yes, General! Here... Yes, emm, could I exchange the land offering for gold, Sir?" The Captain of the First Legion Archers unit asked.
"Gold...? But those lands would make you much more than the first prize over time. Besides, you were part of the unit of a Hundred Volunteers. You already exchanged your Damascus Steel rewards for gold. From what I know, my father should have rewarded you more than generously..." Henry was certainly not an individual of a thrifty nature. However, it still didn't seem possible that the guy could have already spent eight thousand gold dragons in less than three moons...
"There, yes, in truth: that gold is gone, my Lord... And, currently, I would be down three hundred..." A tremendous and catastrophic assumption crashed through my suppositions.
"With whom...? To whom do you owe that gold, Captain...? Please don't tell me-"
"... Deputy Commander Josua of Jhala, my lord." Now, everything was clear as day. All those mornings, Henry and Josua weren't just training in archery... It was still morning, an hour too immature to drink, but I poured myself a half-cup of red anyway and gobbled it down in one go.
"It's not that I can't win, General! On the contrary, I'm almost at her level! It's just that ... during our little daily competitions ..." Henry blushed, " ... lady Josua has been rather 'perceptive' in raising and lowering the stakes at the appropriate time." There was no need to explain to Henry the dangerous and exorbitant love game he was up against. The boy was totally smitten.
"... You shall have your gold. Is half the first prize a sufficient sum for you, Captain?" Henry sprang to attention, answering promptly:
"Absolutely, Lord General! Much more than enough." The eyes of the smitten archer sprang up with hope and expectation.
'At least for a couple of years, he should hold out, hoping the poor guy gives up first...' I thought to myself. If Josua did not continuously squander her gold with the most sublime and expensive pleasures the world could offer, that woman could have become even richer than the prince of Jhala.
"But... "Caution, Captain. You're aiming your bow too high at a challenging and dangerous target... Those arrows could come back and fall on your head." The young man, with a purple face and puppy love eyes, nodded without even considering my warning...
"Ah, General!" Henry awoke from his love bubble before I took my leave.
"Yes, Henry...?" Me.
"I understand that Lady Josua will be taking part in the upcoming punitive expedition in Brandon's gift and the future expedition beyond the Wall... Could I join as a volunteer in General Peter's unit and yours, my Lord?"
*****
End POV.
------
POV: Catelyn Stark
Tournament Arena. About a quarter mile away from the Barrowgate. The pavilion was reserved for noble spectators.
Year 290 BC, the eighth day of the first moon.
About an hour after the discovery of a possibly hazardous love interest...
--------
Catelyn was seated next to her loving father, the Lord Paramount of the Trident, the Lord of Riverrun and head of her lineage, Hoster Tully.
Immediately after the return of the Stark men from the campaign against the Greyjoys, Haymitch had been elevated from a mere knight errant in the guard's service to First Strategic Commander of Winterfell. The drunken bastard was one of her husband's first advisors and a trusted commander of the Stark militia.
Ned listened more to Haymitch's advice than to Maester Luwin's. And not only that, the drunkard was the private master-at-arms of that Jon Snow and his son Robb! Her husband preferred the guidance of that smelly, shameless disgrace Haymitch rather than Ser Rodrick Cassel!
There was something else linking those characters... but at first glance, Cat failed to pick up the clue before her eyes.
The usher of the competition took the floor, thus distracting Catelyn's first thoughts.
"Your Majesties! My Lords! My Ladies! Princes! Triarchs and City Lords... And to all you other good people of every known place!!!" Barbrey Mormont thundered, gaining applause from the stalls and the stands.
Nearly eighty thousand screaming spectators were gathered in the vast seven-acre arched stadium. Even the famous Harrenhall Tournament could only pick so many people in one place...
"Today...!" the cheers and commotion diminished, "TODAY! In this beautiful blue sky, at the gates of the new city of the North, the games for the celebration of the wedding, of the new city, of the new institutions formed, and... Most important of all, for the victory of all fronts of our beloved King Robert!!!" *Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!*"Yesss!", "Long live the King!", "Glory to Lady Barbrey!" *Clap! Clap!*
"... But before we begin this heated and coveted first competition between our 256 portentous archers! I, my husband, Lord Jorah, and all of House Mormont have a gift to bestow upon you all, honourable contestants!" The screaming audience fell silent... Everyone wanted to know what the new richest and most powerful woman in Westeros wished to bestow.
"As there has been an unexpected show of trust in the Never Winter Bank, to say the least, the prizes for the Tournament will be "modified!" raising them in proportion to the generosity shown by our allies and friends in the North!" This time, several competitors broke the proper formation to join in the applause.
Catelyn frowned slightly.
The prize for the first two winners in archery was already a disproportionate sum. If she remembered correctly, it had to be ten thousand gold dragoons for first place and five thousand for the second... A sum sufficient to make any noble scion hungry for glory and riches rises from the depths of the continent. And now the prize would even be raised?
"But fear not, my dear investors... Your coffers will be safe from this 'unexpected change'... It will be House Mormont who will shoulder the additional largesse!" Promulgated Barbrey addressing the noble stands, causing a small burst of hilarity...
"The prizes up for grabs will no longer be just two, but rather 'Three'... Three generous prizes for the best three archers!" After a short pause, assistants arranged themselves in front of the rows of competitors, opening several chests filled with golden coins and arranging trunks and handles covered in suits of the finest studded leather.
"Fifteen thousand gold dragons for the Third Place Winner! And the finest set of archer's armour, made to measure, of the finest Karstark leather ever devised, lined inside in the softest and most durable silk in creation, fitted with a special kit for any lover of the hunt, and studded with fine Elite-Quality Damascus Steel plates!" The roar of astonishment was definitely more pronounced from the noble stands.
"How much could that single suit of armour be worth, father?" Catelyn asked, trying to soften poor Hoster's anxieties with the moment's distraction.
"That specimen...? I couldn't say for sure. But if I remember correctly, on House Stark's price list, the price was around eight hundred gold dragons for a standard specimen of studded leather with Elite Steel." Catelyn quadrupled that price in her mind.
"...For Second Place: forty thousand gold dragons! "Three" Custom-made Sets, "And" a new product from the North! A very fine Weirdwood Longbow and Golden Heart Tree!" The crates and dummies doubled. After that came the element that trilled the solution to Catelyn's dilemma.
'The bows! That's what the Ranger, the Blackwood and Haymitch had in common! All three archers have bows similar if not identical to that!' Thought the woman urgently as she carefully observed the white instrument wielded by the three men. Although the boy's bow, Brynden Blackwood, differed a little in colour and shape, the bows of the Night's Watch and Ser Haymitch were identical to that of the prize. Catelyn still had an awful feeling.
"Ser Brynden Blackwood has a peculiar bow with him, very similar to the prize..." She pointed out, seeking her father's opinion.
"...Has your husband said anything to you yet?" Her father asked, momentarily setting aside the cruet of wildfire, called 'Bloody Snow', thrown at him.
"Tell me what?" Catelyn asked urgently.
"Winterfell is still negotiating with Riverrun, Raventree Hall, the Night's Watch and the Crown over the vassalage of House Blackwood. Ned is not as helpless as you think, Cat. Lord Stark wants to bring the former House of the North back into his ranks, offering House Tully a lucrative and generous ransom. We discussed it last night during the private banquet King Robert requested." This time it was Catelyn who was swept away by a landslide. So, unbeknownst to her, last night, her husband was negotiating for the future of the North and the Trident!
"Father! You cannot give up such a loyal and trustworthy vassal as Lord Tytos Blackwood! The Blackwoods are among the lineages with the strongest and best-trained militia in the Trident. The lands of the rivers-" Cat was interrupted.
"The Riverlands and my people will benefit greatly from this agreement, Cat. It has been centuries since House Tully has been helpless and impotent in the continuing bloody skirmishes between the Blackwoods and the Brackens... Putting a thousand leagues between two houses in eternal conflict could be the ultimate solution to this thousand-year feud. Besides, many believers of the Old Gods in the Blackwood lands are beginning to be harassed by the fierce supporters of that High Sparrow... I want to solve the problem before it gets bloody.
Raventree Castle, half the militia and smallfolk loyal to the Blackwoods would remain with us, mostly all the families believing in the Cult of Seven. In addition, Lord Tytos is prepared to surrender almost all his landed possessions at an almost bargain price, putting a stop even to that pesky Bracken/Blackwood land diatribe. And Lord Stark is prepared to pay a ransom in Damascus Steel for the respective weight of each member of House Blackwood, as well as granting us numerous trade advantages on products exported from the North."
'You mean on the products of House Tallhart!' roared Catelyn inwardly, holding back that thought.
Something suggested to her that behind that revolutionary political manoeuvre was the hand of that Demon.
"Giving up their ancient home like that? But what castle or lands would House Stark grant to the Blackwoods?" It would be Moat Cailin with the associated Northern lands of the Neck. For too long, those lands had remained unguarded... 'But if so, why put the Night's Watch in the way?' The answer came.
"The lands of the New Gift... Lord Commander Mormont will relinquish half of the Brotherhood's lands in Black. I believe the future manor of House Blackwood may become the disused manor of Queencrowns." Hoster replied, shocking Cat.
'The lands of the new Gift...? But of course, the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch is Jeor Mormont, Lord Jorah's father and Dacey's uncle... So there is certainly the hand of Duncan Tallhart and Barbrey Mormont behind this arrangement!' Cat reasoned with deep concern.
"And what would the bow have to do with it?" Catelyn asked, maintaining her demeanour with extreme effort.
An unreasonable and still unmotivated part of her wanted to shout at her father: [Disagree, father! Don't do it, please! You are giving the enemy what he desires!]
"Last night, we witnessed an impressive demonstration. That bow is the key incentive that convinced Lord Tytos to accept. It appears to be a weapon of even better performance and quality than the infamous Golden Tree Heart of the Summer Isles. House Blackwood would have a monopoly on production and trade on such a product... But, of course, I would ensure that Riverrun and my bannermen have the proper privileges in that market before accepting." Catelyn's face seethed. The woman had no arrows in her bow to rebut such a deal that was advantageous on all fronts.
Catelyn glanced at the Drunken Knight, the bastard cousin of Lord Tytos Blackwood. At first, it was only a suspicion, but now Catelyn was certain.
'You too are a dirty pawn of the bastard, Bastard!' Cat cursed every damned impure name born outside the nuptial thalamus.
Naively, the Tully of Winterfell thought she had moved ahead of her opponent. And yet, before the Silver Trout had managed to secure the loyalty of the Blue Towers, the Blood Demon had already wrested the Black Raven from her grasp...
****
End Part II
****
Chapter 174: A Raven, a White Tree and a Drunkard... II****Happy New Year, dear readers! I wanted to publish this yesterday, but I couldn't make it in time. I hope the chapter is worth the wait. Happy Reading!**** ----- POV: Duncan Tallhart House competitors marquee, Tournament Arena. About a quarter mile away from the Barrowgate. Year 290 BC, the eighth day of the first moon. About a day and a half after the detailed report of a Drunkard. One hour before the start of the Tournament... Updated from novelbin.com------- "Is everything clear, Ser Henry? For the sake of Torrhen's Square, House Tallhart and the entire North, will you do as I have requested?" I asked in a tone more pleading than imperative. "Phew... Yes, yes, General... I will do as commanded. Should I compete against the old man, the scion of House Blackwood, or the Drunken Knight, I will lose and ensure that the defeat is dignified and credible." The boy sighed slightly with an air of resignation, holding back something he wanted to add. "What is it, Captain? Are you not satisfied with the reward offered to you? Do you desire something other than land and titles?" I asked, trying to spur on the taciturn best archer of House Tallhart, offering him a half-cup of the Summer wine. Henry always liked to drink a half-cup of red before a competition or a battle. The Sweet Red of Summer helps to loosen the fingers and heartstrings of a worthy lover of the bow. He said. Henry accepted the offer by taking a small sip as he blushed slightly. "...Here, my Lord... Truly, there would be something... Not that I despise the generous offers of House Tallhart, let me be clear!" So said the young man in his early twenties. "But...? Come on, Henry! In less than an hour, the Tournament will begin. Spit it out!" I incited. "Yes, General! Here... Yes, emm, could I exchange the land offering for gold, Sir?" The Captain of the First Legion Archers unit asked. "Gold...? But those lands would make you much more than the first prize over time. Besides, you were part of the unit of a Hundred Volunteers. You already exchanged your Damascus Steel rewards for gold. From what I know, my father should have rewarded you more than generously..." Henry was certainly not an individual of a thrifty nature. However, it still didn't seem possible that the guy could have already spent eight thousand gold dragons in less than three moons... "There, yes, in truth: that gold is gone, my Lord... And, currently, I would be down three hundred..." A tremendous and catastrophic assumption crashed through my suppositions. "With whom...? To whom do you owe that gold, Captain...? Please don't tell me-" "... Deputy Commander Josua of Jhala, my lord." Now, everything was clear as day. All those mornings, Henry and Josua weren't just training in archery... It was still morning, an hour too immature to drink, but I poured myself a half-cup of red anyway and gobbled it down in one go. "It's not that I can't win, General! On the contrary, I'm almost at her level! It's just that ... during our little daily competitions ..." Henry blushed, " ... lady Josua has been rather 'perceptive' in raising and lowering the stakes at the appropriate time." There was no need to explain to Henry the dangerous and exorbitant love game he was up against. The boy was totally smitten. "... You shall have your gold. Is half the first prize a sufficient sum for you, Captain?" Henry sprang to attention, answering promptly: "Absolutely, Lord General! Much more than enough." The eyes of the smitten archer sprang up with hope and expectation. 'At least for a couple of years, he should hold out, hoping the poor guy gives up first...' I thought to myself. If Josua did not continuously squander her gold with the most sublime and expensive pleasures the world could offer, that woman could have become even richer than the prince of Jhala. "But... "Caution, Captain. You're aiming your bow too high at a challenging and dangerous target... Those arrows could come back and fall on your head." The young man, with a purple face and puppy love eyes, nodded without even considering my warning... "Ah, General!" Henry awoke from his love bubble before I took my leave. "Yes, Henry...?" Me. "I understand that Lady Josua will be taking part in the upcoming punitive expedition in Brandon's gift and the future expedition beyond the Wall... Could I join as a volunteer in General Peter's unit and yours, my Lord?" ***** End POV. ------ POV: Catelyn Stark Tournament Arena. About a quarter mile away from the Barrowgate. The pavilion was reserved for noble spectators. Year 290 BC, the eighth day of the first moon. About an hour after the discovery of a possibly hazardous love interest... -------- Catelyn was seated next to her loving father, the Lord Paramount of the Trident, the Lord of Riverrun and head of her lineage, Hoster Tully. Immediately after the return of the Stark men from the campaign against the Greyjoys, Haymitch had been elevated from a mere knight errant in the guard's service to First Strategic Commander of Winterfell. The drunken bastard was one of her husband's first advisors and a trusted commander of the Stark militia. Ned listened more to Haymitch's advice than to Maester Luwin's. And not only that, the drunkard was the private master-at-arms of that Jon Snow and his son Robb! Her husband preferred the guidance of that smelly, shameless disgrace Haymitch rather than Ser Rodrick Cassel! There was something else linking those characters... but at first glance, Cat failed to pick up the clue before her eyes. The usher of the competition took the floor, thus distracting Catelyn's first thoughts. "Your Majesties! My Lords! My Ladies! Princes! Triarchs and City Lords... And to all you other good people of every known place!!!" Barbrey Mormont thundered, gaining applause from the stalls and the stands. Nearly eighty thousand screaming spectators were gathered in the vast seven-acre arched stadium. Even the famous Harrenhall Tournament could only pick so many people in one place... "Today...!" the cheers and commotion diminished, "TODAY! In this beautiful blue sky, at the gates of the new city of the North, the games for the celebration of the wedding, of the new city, of the new institutions formed, and... Most important of all, for the victory of all fronts of our beloved King Robert!!!" *Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!*"Yesss!", "Long live the King!", "Glory to Lady Barbrey!" *Clap! Clap!* "... But before we begin this heated and coveted first competition between our 256 portentous archers! I, my husband, Lord Jorah, and all of House Mormont have a gift to bestow upon you all, honourable contestants!" The screaming audience fell silent... Everyone wanted to know what the new richest and most powerful woman in Westeros wished to bestow. "As there has been an unexpected show of trust in the Never Winter Bank, to say the least, the prizes for the Tournament will be "modified!" raising them in proportion to the generosity shown by our allies and friends in the North!" This time, several competitors broke the proper formation to join in the applause. Catelyn frowned slightly. The prize for the first two winners in archery was already a disproportionate sum. If she remembered correctly, it had to be ten thousand gold dragoons for first place and five thousand for the second... A sum sufficient to make any noble scion hungry for glory and riches rises from the depths of the continent. And now the prize would even be raised? "But fear not, my dear investors... Your coffers will be safe from this 'unexpected change'... It will be House Mormont who will shoulder the additional largesse!" Promulgated Barbrey addressing the noble stands, causing a small burst of hilarity... "The prizes up for grabs will no longer be just two, but rather 'Three'... Three generous prizes for the best three archers!" After a short pause, assistants arranged themselves in front of the rows of competitors, opening several chests filled with golden coins and arranging trunks and handles covered in suits of the finest studded leather. "Fifteen thousand gold dragons for the Third Place Winner! And the finest set of archer's armour, made to measure, of the finest Karstark leather ever devised, lined inside in the softest and most durable silk in creation, fitted with a special kit for any lover of the hunt, and studded with fine Elite-Quality Damascus Steel plates!" The roar of astonishment was definitely more pronounced from the noble stands. "How much could that single suit of armour be worth, father?" Catelyn asked, trying to soften poor Hoster's anxieties with the moment's distraction. "That specimen...? I couldn't say for sure. But if I remember correctly, on House Stark's price list, the price was around eight hundred gold dragons for a standard specimen of studded leather with Elite Steel." Catelyn quadrupled that price in her mind. "...For Second Place: forty thousand gold dragons! "Three" Custom-made Sets, "And" a new product from the North! A very fine Weirdwood Longbow and Golden Heart Tree!" The crates and dummies doubled. After that came the element that trilled the solution to Catelyn's dilemma. 'The bows! That's what the Ranger, the Blackwood and Haymitch had in common! All three archers have bows similar if not identical to that!' Thought the woman urgently as she carefully observed the white instrument wielded by the three men. Although the boy's bow, Brynden Blackwood, differed a little in colour and shape, the bows of the Night's Watch and Ser Haymitch were identical to that of the prize. Catelyn still had an awful feeling. "Ser Brynden Blackwood has a peculiar bow with him, very similar to the prize..." She pointed out, seeking her father's opinion. "...Has your husband said anything to you yet?" Her father asked, momentarily setting aside the cruet of wildfire, called 'Bloody Snow', thrown at him. "Tell me what?" Catelyn asked urgently. "Winterfell is still negotiating with Riverrun, Raventree Hall, the Night's Watch and the Crown over the vassalage of House Blackwood. Ned is not as helpless as you think, Cat. Lord Stark wants to bring the former House of the North back into his ranks, offering House Tully a lucrative and generous ransom. We discussed it last night during the private banquet King Robert requested." This time it was Catelyn who was swept away by a landslide. So, unbeknownst to her, last night, her husband was negotiating for the future of the North and the Trident! "Father! You cannot give up such a loyal and trustworthy vassal as Lord Tytos Blackwood! The Blackwoods are among the lineages with the strongest and best-trained militia in the Trident. The lands of the rivers-" Cat was interrupted. "The Riverlands and my people will benefit greatly from this agreement, Cat. It has been centuries since House Tully has been helpless and impotent in the continuing bloody skirmishes between the Blackwoods and the Brackens... Putting a thousand leagues between two houses in eternal conflict could be the ultimate solution to this thousand-year feud. Besides, many believers of the Old Gods in the Blackwood lands are beginning to be harassed by the fierce supporters of that High Sparrow... I want to solve the problem before it gets bloody. Raventree Castle, half the militia and smallfolk loyal to the Blackwoods would remain with us, mostly all the families believing in the Cult of Seven. In addition, Lord Tytos is prepared to surrender almost all his landed possessions at an almost bargain price, putting a stop even to that pesky Bracken/Blackwood land diatribe. And Lord Stark is prepared to pay a ransom in Damascus Steel for the respective weight of each member of House Blackwood, as well as granting us numerous trade advantages on products exported from the North." 'You mean on the products of House Tallhart!' roared Catelyn inwardly, holding back that thought. Something suggested to her that behind that revolutionary political manoeuvre was the hand of that Demon. "Giving up their ancient home like that? But what castle or lands would House Stark grant to the Blackwoods?" It would be Moat Cailin with the associated Northern lands of the Neck. For too long, those lands had remained unguarded... 'But if so, why put the Night's Watch in the way?' The answer came. "The lands of the New Gift... Lord Commander Mormont will relinquish half of the Brotherhood's lands in Black. I believe the future manor of House Blackwood may become the disused manor of Queencrowns." Hoster replied, shocking Cat. 'The lands of the new Gift...? But of course, the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch is Jeor Mormont, Lord Jorah's father and Dacey's uncle... So there is certainly the hand of Duncan Tallhart and Barbrey Mormont behind this arrangement!' Cat reasoned with deep concern. "And what would the bow have to do with it?" Catelyn asked, maintaining her demeanour with extreme effort. An unreasonable and still unmotivated part of her wanted to shout at her father: Disagree, father! Don't do it, please! You are giving the enemy what he desires! "Last night, we witnessed an impressive demonstration. That bow is the key incentive that convinced Lord Tytos to accept. It appears to be a weapon of even better performance and quality than the infamous Golden Tree Heart of the Summer Isles. House Blackwood would have a monopoly on production and trade on such a product... But, of course, I would ensure that Riverrun and my bannermen have the proper privileges in that market before accepting." Catelyn's face seethed. The woman had no arrows in her bow to rebut such a deal that was advantageous on all fronts. Catelyn glanced at the Drunken Knight, the bastard cousin of Lord Tytos Blackwood. At first, it was only a suspicion, but now Catelyn was certain. 'You too are a dirty pawn of the bastard, Bastard!' Cat cursed every damned impure name born outside the nuptial thalamus. Naively, the Tully of Winterfell thought she had moved ahead of her opponent. And yet, before the Silver Trout had managed to secure the loyalty of the Blue Towers, the Blood Demon had already wrested the Black Raven from her grasp... **** End Part II ****
