Of Lords and Heirs
Second Day of the Third Month
Pyke, the Iron Islands
Rodrick the Reader, Head of House Harlw and Lord Regent of the Iron Islands in the name of its 'absent lady', had precious few things to smile about these past days. He had learned too many things about his people, his land, and the very sea that surrounded these shores to have much cause for cheer. Yet as he left the dark narrow chamber where a spell-forged brazier was kept, unknown by any but his most leal, most tried and tested allies, he smiled like a man in on the best jest of the century.
"Time to welcome the king over the water?" Ser Haras did not mince words, not here.
"We are going to have a
kingsmoot, Haras," the older lord chuckled. More seriously he added, "Gods give that it will be the last of them."
"Well that is one way to settle the old guard. The ones who haven't had their brains turned to mush, at least," the knight of the Grey Garden replied, hand going to the sword of Valyrian Steel at his belt. His own pledge, like his uncle's, was older than the sword, but it was good to feel the weight of it there, a solid reminder in a world that so often came unmoored.
False ravens went out into the stormy sky.
***
Fifth Day of the Third Month
No natter how wretched talk and scurrilous songs would have it, Edmure Tully was no man's fool, and this stank like a three day old trout. Months of growing tensions in the southeast, bandits, rebels, and faeries under every rock, with the lords doing less and less about any of it and now his father got a surge of support pushing him to go help Lysa, but quietly they said.
Blackwood, Keath, Roote, and Smallwood, they hardly had anything tying them together and as his father had pointed out, Lord Blackwood wouldn't dare try any treachery with the Brackens ready to swoop in, but the fact remained that pulling the Lord Paramount of the Riverlands from his keep with only a small escort was the perfect recipe for mischief in these troubled times.
"I don't think you should go, father, Lysa can see to Robert's inheritance..." At his father's disappointed look, he snapped, "Well, she's made her bed and now she has to lay in it. What's the purpose to setting the Riverands aflame?"
"You act as though there won't be any Tully here to watch over the keep and lands," the lord chided.
"Do you know how easy it would be for someone to kidnap you on the road and blame the damn wildlings?" Edmure would not let up. "There are wizards out there who can span the whole of Westeros in three spells, turn unseen with a word, and snatch you up with another one."
"And how much longer do you think we'll rule if I act like I'm afraid to go out my own gates beyond these 'wards' your pet wizard said he found?" The words had the sound of a well-worn argument. "No one 'took me' on the way to King's Landing or back, and they won't now."
"Well, there weren't giant metal things in the sky scouting for a bloody invasion were there?" Edmure said darkly. For a moment the solar was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Neither of them had mentioned the possibility of an invasion from Essos in so many words over the past few days, but you did not have to be a soothsayer to guess it. "Look, I can go to the Vale and support Lysa as best I can, smuggle her out if need be, and you can be here where the ravens can find you at need."
"Smuggle her out?" Hoster Tully paled. "You can't be thinking...?"
"I'm thinking I want to keep my sister alive rather than dead, and if that's means getting her out from under the eye of Templeton and his lunatics, that is what I'm doing."
And it was the last promise I made to uncle Brynden, he thought but did not say
. Grief had worn away some of his father's anger at his uncle's loss, but not all of it.
"Alright then, go," the old lord sighed. Edmure thought that was all he was getting out of him, but as he was closing the door he heard, "Warrior guide you and Crone watch over you." Something told Edmure he would need both.
Alas for him, it was other gods who had been watching more closely. On the windowsill a crow who had been sitting just a bit too still took startled wing, just as an ancient mind flew swifter still on winds of dream and memory.
Do you change any plans in light of Edmure going in Hoster's place?
[] Yes
-[] Write in
[] No, things are proceeding well enough
[] Write in
OOC: Low rolls for Riverlands manipulations unfortunately, but since Hoster was already inclined to act all that meant was that he would not be going himself. Not yet edited.
