Of Strife Old and New
Eighteenth Day of the Eighth Month 293 AC
Lord Darry proves as amenable as you had expected to your requests, from seeking out more allies in the southern Riverlands to turning a blind eye to outlaws who fly the three-headed dragon. As for permission to hire smallfolk to be your eyes and ears he actually goes a step further and offers the help of his castellan, the aforementioned Jonthor to find those who might be best suited for sulking and spying and adding that you would not go far wrong hiring those free companies outright. They must have plenty of spies of their own to known when the King's forces are moving, after all.
Mention of Baelish's plans to sell crop rituals earns you a surprising tale from the days before the war. It seems the self-styled Mockingbird did not leave Riverrun under a good omen, but after being thrashed by the late Brandon Stark in a duel over the honor and presumably the hand of Catelyn Tully. It's hard to imagine the flint-hearted Master of Coin doing something so utterly naive. Then again nine years is no small measure of time for a man to change, and you can well imagine how that duel could have forged the man he became, almost gleeful in living down to highborn expectations of the newly elevated.
Regardless of his reservations about Baelish, Ser Raymun is more than satisfied with your assurances that you will look over any crop ritual he buys. However, your last suggestion about where he might find willing trade partners does raise an objection.
"Wildlings, Your Grace? How can you trust them?" the lord asks incredulously.
"I certainly do not trust them to aid me out of the goodness of their hearts," you assure him. "Rather I trust them to do what is in their own best interests and in so doing finally help me put an end to the raids that have troubled the Vale since the Andal conquest."
To his credit it does not take Ser Raymun long to realize what you mean. "You wish to give them land to farm like civilized people? Why would they want to farm when they can steal and kill as they have been doing for centuries?"
"I don't suppose they want to work the land for its own sake any more than anyone else. What they truly want is not to starve," you reply. "Raiding, hunting, and gathering wild plants all count in a certain measure upon good fortune, and luck is a fickle thing to be trusting with the lives of one's children day in and day out."
A moment later the Riverlord nods. "The Arryns have been trying to kill the clans ever since they took the Vale. Mayhap it is time to try and tie them down, though I hope you will not take offense at my saying that I would prefer them well away from my lands when that day comes."
"No offense taken as none was meant," you answer easily before moving on to explain the list of contacts Dalla had given you when last you met.
***
As Ser Raymun heads off into the city alongside his nephew and another of his household knights you turn your gaze to an Inquisition report regarding another visitor from the Seven Kingdoms. Sandor Clegane, brother to the Mountain-that-Rides, is empathically
not a knight, as he explained quite forcefully to the Inquisition agent who had tried to strike up an acquiescence on his first evening in the city. He is also according to as yet unverified rumor on very poor terms with his elder brother. For now you put more stock and hope in the rest of the report, which paints a picture of good behavior so far, no hint that he might be spying, not even any drunkenness or tavern brawls. Even investigating the brothel he had patronized showed no complaints.
Acceptable company though hardly entertaining... the report reads. Better than many who call themselves knights managed. Being tossed out of a brothel for being disruptive is second only to drunken brawls in the number of incidents involving Westerosi come to compete in the tourney according to the Lawmen.
You could certainly have use for a man who had risen so far in the melee, not to mention the slap in the face of Lannister pride if he defects.
What do you do next?
[] Speak to Ser Benjicot about his band of loyalists in the Riverlands
-[] Write in
[] Approach Mors Umber to see why the man is here so openly
-[] Write in
[] Approach Sandor to learn more about him and possibility to recruit him
-[] Write in
[] Stay here and write the letter to Lord Stark about the danger Bloodraven averted
-[] Write in
OOC: The reason why Viserys calls mention of Sandor hating Gregor unsubstantiated rumor is because we are still six years before canon. Sandor has had a lot less time to make his hatred of his brother clear and public.
