Chapter 26: 'The North's Greatest Threat.'
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Chapter 26: 'The North's Greatest Threat.'
POV: Of a Squire:
New Castle, White Harbor.
Two weeks after a Lannister left Torrhen's Square....
Lord Wyman Manderly's poor 14-year-old squire, Jerha Ged, was waiting in front of the Lord of White Harbor's personal privy.
Usually, Lord Wyman needed to use the privy, to empty his bowels, at least twice a day. Each time, the wait was at least half an hour...most of the time an hour.
The young squire, had learned to his detriment that, Lord Wyman, did NOT want, at all, to be disturbed during those 'SACRED' moments of the day...but he had to risk it.
"Tock! Tock! My Lord...it's Jerha..." Said, the poor boy.
"Jerha...what happened the last time you disturbed me, when I was at the privy?" Wyman.
"...I cleaned the latrine from top to bottom, my Lord..." replied Jerha remembering the horrible times he had.
"That's right! Hopefully you won't have to do it...urgh...a second time!" Lord Wyman replied.
"But my Lord..." the squire.
"No buts! Go away!!!" Manderly ordered sternly.
Jerna, waited another five minutes of visceral noises and moaning.....dared second time.
"Tock! Tock! My lord, it's still me....it's an important matter, my lord." Said Jerha pulling out every ounce of courage he possessed.
"FOR THE SEVEN HELLS!!! I HOPE SO FOR YOU BOY! OR THAT'S WHERE YOU'LL BE GOING WHEN YOU HAVE TO CLEAN THIS PLACE UP!" Grumbled angrily, Lord Wyman.
After a few creaks, a groan of physical exertion, the crack of the door opened....
"WHAT?!" Said Wyman holding up his breeches with one hand.
"An unexpected emissary, my lord. Lord Leobald Tallhart, requests an audience with you himself! He is waiting in the waiting room, my lord..." Said the squire trying to be, as clear and direct as possible.
"WHAT?! TALLHART??? AND YOU WAITED ALL THIS TIME TO TELL ME?!!!! WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN THAT PUNCTURED SKULL?!!! QUICK HELP ME...ARGHH!!!! HOLD ON TO ME I'M FALLING!!!...HOLD ON TO ME!!!"... "SDRHUSH!! CRACK!!! SQUOSSHH!!!" Lord Wyman, fell backwards stumbling through his breeches. The poor little guy, tried in vain to hold his lord, weighing almost two quintals.
The wooden latrine cracked...broken wood and sewage, splashed everywhere....
" HURRY! HELP ME YOU IMBECILE! USE THOSE HANDS TO PULL ME UP INSTEAD OF COVERING YOUR NOSE!!!"
End POV
----------------------
POV: Of a page;
Karhold.
About three days after a latrine split....
Young Eliot Flint, ran with all the strength he had. He had to find his Lord Rickard no matter what.
"MY LORD RICKARD!!! MY LORD, WHERE ARE YOU???" Shouted Eliot.
"AH! Thank the gods! Young Lord Harrion!"
"Eliot what on earth are you shouting about? It's barely past dawn! Do you need a slap on the ears boy?" Reprimanded Harrion still in his night clothes.
"No time my Lord!!! Where is the Lord your father?!" Eliot.
"Are you out of your mind? You know very well he was supposed to leave at dawn with Eddard, for his first hunt. What's going on?" Harrion.
"OH NO! This is a disaster...A REAL DISASTER! HOW LONG HAS HE BEEN GONE, MY LORD?!!! Shrieked Eliot panicking.
"An hour or so....calm down boy and tell me what's going on!" Said Harrion grasping the shoulders of the page in his father's service with his hands.
"Now, take a deep breath and 'without waking up the whole castle', calmly explain to me why you are looking for my father." Said Harrion trying to be less rude. One day, it would be his turn to rule. He had to learn how to handle critical situations....
"Yes, my Lord....uff...phew...Thank you, my lord! I am calm now." Harrion nodded, satisfied by those words.
"...Lord Helman...Lord Helman Tallhart is at the castle gates, my lord...he requests an audience with your father!" Eliot said, trying to express it clearly, concisely, but above all without showing a state of panic.
"...."
"LORD HELMAN TALLHART??!!! IS HE PRESENTLY IN THE CASTLE??!!! ARRIVED SO SUDDENLY??!!! HURRY UP ELIOT! WAKE UP MY MOTHER AND ALL THE SERVANTS! GET MY HORSE SADDLED! TELL THE KENNEL MASTER TO GET THE BEST HOUNDS READY!!! RUN!!!!!!" Harrion, screamed putting his all into it, nearly fainted from the lung strain.
End POV.
-------------------------
POV: A future warrior of the North;
Last Hearth.
"We shall see." The Leech Lord, nodded his hand, starting the proceedings. He kept his eyes half-closed at all times, not lowering his gaze on the 'healer' for a moment.
"Tock!", "Tock!", "My Lord." Roose Bolton stopped Adoamros' hand with a gesture as he was about to lay the first leech down with a pair of tweezers.
"Come in, Locke." The door opened, and one of Roose Bolton's most trusted men entered the bathing rooms of the Lord of Dreadfort.
"My Lord, an emissary from House Tallhart, named Ramas requests an interview with you." Locke.
"Ramas? Never heard of him...how many men did he bring with him?" Roose.
"Twelve my Lord, the fellow looks dangerous..." Roose Bolton carefully considered his watchdog's words.
"Send them in, and offer them refreshment and hospitality. Have only this Ramas pass through the waiting room. Disarm him, and prepare six men for escort to the interview. I will come in a little while." Said Roose Bolton.
Locke bowed and prepared to carry out his orders.
Many similar visits to various castles in the North were taking place in the same week.
End POV.
--------------------------
POV: Author;
Torrhen's Square.
One day after Gerion Lannister left the castle....
"This isn't a joke is it?" Helman asked as he looked at his brother Leobald.
"You tell him, Maester Qyburn." Leobald replied as he looked at one of the four people present, in the halls of the restricted council of the Tallhart family.
"It is confirmed, my lord. Lady Berena is expecting. For almost two moons to be exact." Qyburn replied, with a gentle tone and a slight smile on his face.
"I'm going to have a cousin!!!ahahah!" Blurted Duncan as he approached to hug his Uncle.
"We're going to have a party! The biggest one of all! Let all of Torrhen Square celebrate with us!" Helman ordered, still in disbelief at the news.
The reason for so much skepticism, was because of the couple's countless attempts at pregnancy. After three years of failure...they had begun to lose hope. Qyburn had been helping the couple for almost a year now. Between various tonics, physical exercises, medicinal infusions and treatments, eventually Leobald and Berena were successful.
"No way! We're behind schedule. I know you brother. You'd be able to do three days of partying. We just emptied the cellars and warehouses to accommodate the Lannisters. Something small and discreet will suffice." Leobald replied as he continued to hug his nephew.
"Nonsense! Maester Qyburn, warn Paul after the meeting. Within three days I want a memorable party to be set up. Let the whole North talk about it!...In fact, let's invite all the great houses of the North! Top priority to the Hornwood House." Said Helman pondering what was best to do.
"No brother every day is precious! WINTER IS COMING!" Said Leobald in a slightly furious tone.
"Father, may I suggest a middle ground?" Said Duncan interposing himself between the two men's argument.
"....let's hear it." Said both Helman and Leobald simultaneously.
"We should take advantage of this gift from the gods, father. We should still go and speak to all the lords of the North. Let us celebrate and squander money...but for the benefit of Torrhen's Square and the entire North. We could still start our campaign of visiting the various lords, but instead of sealing the trade agreement...invite them in person to the party. That way, we would show everyone the respect they are due. We would pay a surprise visit to all the great families..." Duncan caught his breath for a moment and his Uncle continued for him.
"If we postponed the feast in two months or so...we might have time to invite all the families of the North to our table...We'd seal all the due agreements there, and we might even bring forward the road project. Even Lord Stark would come. If we whispered the idea of the 'roads throughout the North' project, when we made the proposal to Ned Stark it would be impossible for him to refuse....Genius!" Said Leobald, smiling.
"...we'll do it this way. Who's going to visit who?" Helman.
"We should visit the most important Houses in person...Manderly, Hornwood, Umber, Karstark and Stark. The Starks last, so we can tell them that the whole North will be there." Duncan.
"We'll take advantage of the trip to reach the barrier and have our 300 recruits trained by the Night's Watch Rangers." Helman.
"You forget the Boltons nephew...I thought you were unmatched in history! Ahahahah." Said Leobald.
"I haven't forgotten...I won't let any of my family into Dreadfort ...not if Roose Bolton is the Lord in charge." Said Duncan showing a hint of anger and ruthlessness.
"What do you mean son? Roose Bolton is certainly a creepy guy but he's a Northman...he wouldn't dare violate the laws of hospitality." Said Helman...Leobald did not intervene and silently appraised.
"No father, you are mistaken...Roose Bolton would be capable of this and more...but he would take the proper precautions so that no finger would be pointed at him. Like in the Battle of the Trident..." Said Duncan.
Helman's eyes widened and he began to think seriously...but he couldn't find a reason to give any credence to those words.
"Explain yourself, nephew." Said Leobald showing a hard, unforgiving look. The man had a couple of guesses...but they were only guesses.
Duncan grabbed a sheet of paper and some wooden checkers.
"During the battle, our legion consisted of men: Boltons, Mormonts, Dustins, and Tallharts. Respectively: 2,500 men, 400, 800 and 1,300 against Ser Barristan's 8,000..." Everyone nodded following the explanation.
"Roose Bolton implemented a good strategy of decoying and encircling the enemy head.....however he used the 'wrong' men in the 'wrong' places...but it was a calculated mistake. He knew very well that the Mormonts and Tallharts were the fiercest and best prepared units...and knowing this anyway he used us as an expendable vanguard. Barristan would have been able to break through the center sooner if the Bolton units had been part of it. Half of Roose Bolton's army, was made up of peasants who could barely use a pike. Why not use those peasants instead of men well trained to fight? I assure you the answer is not 'Because he cared about those innocents, forced to fight instead of plowing the fields'...." Duncan paused to give his father and Uncle time to absorb the information.
"...THAT BASTARD!!! IN FACT HIS LOSSES AMOUNTED TO LESS THAN 300 MEN!!! HE USED US AS A SHIELD!!!!" Shrieked Helman furiously.
"...He won the battle, showing himself as a 'conquering hero of the North' taking few losses and at the same time, weakened the other Northern Houses....and no one could have blamed him...he could justify that move in many ways..." Leobald maintained more control and continued the reasoning behind his nephew's explanation.
"Probably, Tom and hundreds of other Tallhart men would still be alive if the general of the legion had been someone else." Said Duncan in a vindictive tone.
"Roose Bolton...is surely one of the most dangerous people in the North. If he had wealth and military power on par with the Lannisters or the Tyrells...he would be the greatest threat in Westeros and Essos."
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Chapter 26: 'The North's Greatest Threat.'
POV: Of a Squire:
New Castle, White Harbor.
Two weeks after a Lannister left Torrhen's Square....
Lord Wyman Manderly's poor 14-year-old squire, Jerha Ged, was waiting in front of the Lord of White Harbor's personal privy.
Usually, Lord Wyman needed to use the privy, to empty his bowels, at least twice a day. Each time, the wait was at least half an hour...most of the time an hour.
The young squire, had learned to his detriment that, Lord Wyman, did NOT want, at all, to be disturbed during those 'SACRED' moments of the day...but he had to risk it.
"Tock! Tock! My Lord...it's Jerha..." Said, the poor boy.
"Jerha...what happened the last time you disturbed me, when I was at the privy?" Wyman.
"...I cleaned the latrine from top to bottom, my Lord..." replied Jerha remembering the horrible times he had.
"That's right! Hopefully you won't have to do it...urgh...a second time!" Lord Wyman replied.
"But my Lord..." the squire.
"No buts! Go away!!!" Manderly ordered sternly.
Jerna, waited another five minutes of visceral noises and moaning.....dared second time.
"Tock! Tock! My lord, it's still me....it's an important matter, my lord." Said Jerha pulling out every ounce of courage he possessed.
"FOR THE SEVEN HELLS!!! I HOPE SO FOR YOU BOY! OR THAT'S WHERE YOU'LL BE GOING WHEN YOU HAVE TO CLEAN THIS PLACE UP!" Grumbled angrily, Lord Wyman.
After a few creaks, a groan of physical exertion, the crack of the door opened....
"WHAT?!" Said Wyman holding up his breeches with one hand.
"An unexpected emissary, my lord. Lord Leobald Tallhart, requests an audience with you himself! He is waiting in the waiting room, my lord..." Said the squire trying to be, as clear and direct as possible.
"WHAT?! TALLHART??? AND YOU WAITED ALL THIS TIME TO TELL ME?!!!! WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN THAT PUNCTURED SKULL?!!! QUICK HELP ME...ARGHH!!!! HOLD ON TO ME I'M FALLING!!!...HOLD ON TO ME!!!"... "SDRHUSH!! CRACK!!! SQUOSSHH!!!" Lord Wyman, fell backwards stumbling through his breeches. The poor little guy, tried in vain to hold his lord, weighing almost two quintals.
The wooden latrine cracked...broken wood and sewage, splashed everywhere....
" HURRY! HELP ME YOU IMBECILE! USE THOSE HANDS TO PULL ME UP INSTEAD OF COVERING YOUR NOSE!!!"
End POV
----------------------
POV: Of a page;
Karhold.
About three days after a latrine split....
Young Eliot Flint, ran with all the strength he had. He had to find his Lord Rickard no matter what.
"MY LORD RICKARD!!! MY LORD, WHERE ARE YOU???" Shouted Eliot.
"AH! Thank the gods! Young Lord Harrion!"
"Eliot what on earth are you shouting about? It's barely past dawn! Do you need a slap on the ears boy?" Reprimanded Harrion still in his night clothes.
"No time my Lord!!! Where is the Lord your father?!" Eliot.
"Are you out of your mind? You know very well he was supposed to leave at dawn with Eddard, for his first hunt. What's going on?" Harrion.
"OH NO! This is a disaster...A REAL DISASTER! HOW LONG HAS HE BEEN GONE, MY LORD?!!! Shrieked Eliot panicking.
"An hour or so....calm down boy and tell me what's going on!" Said Harrion grasping the shoulders of the page in his father's service with his hands.
"Now, take a deep breath and 'without waking up the whole castle', calmly explain to me why you are looking for my father." Said Harrion trying to be less rude. One day, it would be his turn to rule. He had to learn how to handle critical situations....
"Yes, my Lord....uff...phew...Thank you, my lord! I am calm now." Harrion nodded, satisfied by those words.
"...Lord Helman...Lord Helman Tallhart is at the castle gates, my lord...he requests an audience with your father!" Eliot said, trying to express it clearly, concisely, but above all without showing a state of panic.
"...."
"LORD HELMAN TALLHART??!!! IS HE PRESENTLY IN THE CASTLE??!!! ARRIVED SO SUDDENLY??!!! HURRY UP ELIOT! WAKE UP MY MOTHER AND ALL THE SERVANTS! GET MY HORSE SADDLED! TELL THE KENNEL MASTER TO GET THE BEST HOUNDS READY!!! RUN!!!!!!" Harrion, screamed putting his all into it, nearly fainted from the lung strain.
End POV.
-------------------------
POV: A future warrior of the North;
Last Hearth.
"We shall see." The Leech Lord, nodded his hand, starting the proceedings. He kept his eyes half-closed at all times, not lowering his gaze on the 'healer' for a moment.
"Tock!", "Tock!", "My Lord." Roose Bolton stopped Adoamros' hand with a gesture as he was about to lay the first leech down with a pair of tweezers.
"Come in, Locke." The door opened, and one of Roose Bolton's most trusted men entered the bathing rooms of the Lord of Dreadfort.
"My Lord, an emissary from House Tallhart, named Ramas requests an interview with you." Locke.
"Ramas? Never heard of him...how many men did he bring with him?" Roose.
"Twelve my Lord, the fellow looks dangerous..." Roose Bolton carefully considered his watchdog's words.
"Send them in, and offer them refreshment and hospitality. Have only this Ramas pass through the waiting room. Disarm him, and prepare six men for escort to the interview. I will come in a little while." Said Roose Bolton.
Locke bowed and prepared to carry out his orders.
Many similar visits to various castles in the North were taking place in the same week.
End POV.
--------------------------
POV: Author;
Torrhen's Square.
One day after Gerion Lannister left the castle....
"This isn't a joke is it?" Helman asked as he looked at his brother Leobald.
"You tell him, Maester Qyburn." Leobald replied as he looked at one of the four people present, in the halls of the restricted council of the Tallhart family.
"It is confirmed, my lord. Lady Berena is expecting. For almost two moons to be exact." Qyburn replied, with a gentle tone and a slight smile on his face.
"I'm going to have a cousin!!!ahahah!" Blurted Duncan as he approached to hug his Uncle.
"We're going to have a party! The biggest one of all! Let all of Torrhen Square celebrate with us!" Helman ordered, still in disbelief at the news.
The reason for so much skepticism, was because of the couple's countless attempts at pregnancy. After three years of failure...they had begun to lose hope. Qyburn had been helping the couple for almost a year now. Between various tonics, physical exercises, medicinal infusions and treatments, eventually Leobald and Berena were successful.
"No way! We're behind schedule. I know you brother. You'd be able to do three days of partying. We just emptied the cellars and warehouses to accommodate the Lannisters. Something small and discreet will suffice." Leobald replied as he continued to hug his nephew.
"Nonsense! Maester Qyburn, warn Paul after the meeting. Within three days I want a memorable party to be set up. Let the whole North talk about it!...In fact, let's invite all the great houses of the North! Top priority to the Hornwood House." Said Helman pondering what was best to do.
"No brother every day is precious! WINTER IS COMING!" Said Leobald in a slightly furious tone.
"Father, may I suggest a middle ground?" Said Duncan interposing himself between the two men's argument.
"....let's hear it." Said both Helman and Leobald simultaneously.
"We should take advantage of this gift from the gods, father. We should still go and speak to all the lords of the North. Let us celebrate and squander money...but for the benefit of Torrhen's Square and the entire North. We could still start our campaign of visiting the various lords, but instead of sealing the trade agreement...invite them in person to the party. That way, we would show everyone the respect they are due. We would pay a surprise visit to all the great families..." Duncan caught his breath for a moment and his Uncle continued for him.
"If we postponed the feast in two months or so...we might have time to invite all the families of the North to our table...We'd seal all the due agreements there, and we might even bring forward the road project. Even Lord Stark would come. If we whispered the idea of the 'roads throughout the North' project, when we made the proposal to Ned Stark it would be impossible for him to refuse....Genius!" Said Leobald, smiling.
"...we'll do it this way. Who's going to visit who?" Helman.
"We should visit the most important Houses in person...Manderly, Hornwood, Umber, Karstark and Stark. The Starks last, so we can tell them that the whole North will be there." Duncan.
"We'll take advantage of the trip to reach the barrier and have our 300 recruits trained by the Night's Watch Rangers." Helman.
"You forget the Boltons nephew...I thought you were unmatched in history! Ahahahah." Said Leobald.
"I haven't forgotten...I won't let any of my family into Dreadfort ...not if Roose Bolton is the Lord in charge." Said Duncan showing a hint of anger and ruthlessness.
"What do you mean son? Roose Bolton is certainly a creepy guy but he's a Northman...he wouldn't dare violate the laws of hospitality." Said Helman...Leobald did not intervene and silently appraised.
"No father, you are mistaken...Roose Bolton would be capable of this and more...but he would take the proper precautions so that no finger would be pointed at him. Like in the Battle of the Trident..." Said Duncan.
Helman's eyes widened and he began to think seriously...but he couldn't find a reason to give any credence to those words.
"Explain yourself, nephew." Said Leobald showing a hard, unforgiving look. The man had a couple of guesses...but they were only guesses.
Duncan grabbed a sheet of paper and some wooden checkers.
"During the battle, our legion consisted of men: Boltons, Mormonts, Dustins, and Tallharts. Respectively: 2,500 men, 400, 800 and 1,300 against Ser Barristan's 8,000..." Everyone nodded following the explanation.
"Roose Bolton implemented a good strategy of decoying and encircling the enemy head.....however he used the 'wrong' men in the 'wrong' places...but it was a calculated mistake. He knew very well that the Mormonts and Tallharts were the fiercest and best prepared units...and knowing this anyway he used us as an expendable vanguard. Barristan would have been able to break through the center sooner if the Bolton units had been part of it. Half of Roose Bolton's army, was made up of peasants who could barely use a pike. Why not use those peasants instead of men well trained to fight? I assure you the answer is not 'Because he cared about those innocents, forced to fight instead of plowing the fields'...." Duncan paused to give his father and Uncle time to absorb the information.
"...THAT BASTARD!!! IN FACT HIS LOSSES AMOUNTED TO LESS THAN 300 MEN!!! HE USED US AS A SHIELD!!!!" Shrieked Helman furiously.
"...He won the battle, showing himself as a 'conquering hero of the North' taking few losses and at the same time, weakened the other Northern Houses....and no one could have blamed him...he could justify that move in many ways..." Leobald maintained more control and continued the reasoning behind his nephew's explanation.
"Probably, Tom and hundreds of other Tallhart men would still be alive if the general of the legion had been someone else." Said Duncan in a vindictive tone.
"Roose Bolton...is surely one of the most dangerous people in the North. If he had wealth and military power on par with the Lannisters or the Tyrells...he would be the greatest threat in Westeros and Essos."
Chapter 26: 'The North's Greatest Threat.'POV: Of a Squire: New Castle, White Harbor. Two weeks after a Lannister left Torrhen's Square.... Lord Wyman Manderly's poor 14-year-old squire, Jerha Ged, was waiting in front of the Lord of White Harbor's personal privy. Usually, Lord Wyman needed to use the privy, to empty his bowels, at least twice a day. Each time, the wait was at least half an hour...most of the time an hour. The young squire, had learned to his detriment that, Lord Wyman, did NOT want, at all, to be disturbed during those 'SACRED' moments of the day...but he had to risk it. "Tock! Tock! My Lord...it's Jerha..." Said, the poor boy. "Jerha...what happened the last time you disturbed me, when I was at the privy?" Wyman. "...I cleaned the latrine from top to bottom, my Lord..." replied Jerha remembering the horrible times he had. "That's right! Hopefully you won't have to do it...urgh...a second time!" Lord Wyman replied. "But my Lord..." the squire. "No buts! Go away!!!" Manderly ordered sternly. Jerna, waited another five minutes of visceral noises and moaning.....dared second time. "Tock! Tock! My lord, it's still me....it's an important matter, my lord." Said Jerha pulling out every ounce of courage he possessed. "FOR THE SEVEN HELLS!!! I HOPE SO FOR YOU BOY! OR THAT'S WHERE YOU'LL BE GOING WHEN YOU HAVE TO CLEAN THIS PLACE UP!" Grumbled angrily, Lord Wyman. After a few creaks, a groan of physical exertion, the crack of the door opened.... "WHAT?!" Said Wyman holding up his breeches with one hand. "An unexpected emissary, my lord. Lord Leobald Tallhart, requests an audience with you himself! He is waiting in the waiting room, my lord..." Said the squire trying to be, as clear and direct as possible. "WHAT?! TALLHART??? AND YOU WAITED ALL THIS TIME TO TELL ME?!!!! WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN THAT PUNCTURED SKULL?!!! QUICK HELP ME...ARGHH!!!! HOLD ON TO ME I'M FALLING!!!...HOLD ON TO ME!!!"... "SDRHUSH!! CRACK!!! SQUOSSHH!!!" Lord Wyman, fell backwards stumbling through his breeches. The poor little guy, tried in vain to hold his lord, weighing almost two quintals. The wooden latrine cracked...broken wood and sewage, splashed everywhere.... " HURRY! HELP ME YOU IMBECILE! USE THOSE HANDS TO PULL ME UP INSTEAD OF COVERING YOUR NOSE!!!" End POV ---------------------- POV: Of a page; Karhold. About three days after a latrine split.... Young Eliot Flint, ran with all the strength he had. He had to find his Lord Rickard no matter what. "MY LORD RICKARD!!! MY LORD, WHERE ARE YOU???" Shouted Eliot. "AH! Thank the gods! Young Lord Harrion!" "Eliot what on earth are you shouting about? It's barely past dawn! Do you need a slap on the ears boy?" Reprimanded Harrion still in his night clothes. "No time my Lord!!! Where is the Lord your father?!" Eliot. "Are you out of your mind? You know very well he was supposed to leave at dawn with Eddard, for his first hunt. What's going on?" Harrion. "OH NO! This is a disaster...A REAL DISASTER! HOW LONG HAS HE BEEN GONE, MY LORD?!!! Shrieked Eliot panicking. "An hour or so....calm down boy and tell me what's going on!" Said Harrion grasping the shoulders of the page in his father's service with his hands. "Now, take a deep breath and 'without waking up the whole castle', calmly explain to me why you are looking for my father." Said Harrion trying to be less rude. One day, it would be his turn to rule. He had to learn how to handle critical situations.... "Yes, my Lord....uff...phew...Thank you, my lord! I am calm now." Harrion nodded, satisfied by those words. "...Lord Helman...Lord Helman Tallhart is at the castle gates, my lord...he requests an audience with your father!" Eliot said, trying to express it clearly, concisely, but above all without showing a state of panic. "...." "LORD HELMAN TALLHART??!!! IS HE PRESENTLY IN THE CASTLE??!!! ARRIVED SO SUDDENLY??!!! HURRY UP ELIOT! WAKE UP MY MOTHER AND ALL THE SERVANTS! GET MY HORSE SADDLED! TELL THE KENNEL MASTER TO GET THE BEST HOUNDS READY!!! RUN!!!!!!" Harrion, screamed putting his all into it, nearly fainted from the lung strain. End POV. ------------------------- POV: A future warrior of the North; Last Hearth. "We shall see." The Leech Lord, nodded his hand, starting the proceedings. He kept his eyes half-closed at all times, not lowering his gaze on the 'healer' for a moment. "Tock!", "Tock!", "My Lord." Roose Bolton stopped Adoamros' hand with a gesture as he was about to lay the first leech down with a pair of tweezers. "Come in, Locke." The door opened, and one of Roose Bolton's most trusted men entered the bathing rooms of the Lord of Dreadfort. "My Lord, an emissary from House Tallhart, named Ramas requests an interview with you." Locke. "Ramas? Never heard of him...how many men did he bring with him?" Roose. "Twelve my Lord, the fellow looks dangerous..." Roose Bolton carefully considered his watchdog's words. "Send them in, and offer them refreshment and hospitality. Have only this Ramas pass through the waiting room. Disarm him, and prepare six men for escort to the interview. I will come in a little while." Said Roose Bolton. Locke bowed and prepared to carry out his orders. Many similar visits to various castles in the North were taking place in the same week. End POV. -------------------------- POV: Author; Torrhen's Square. One day after Gerion Lannister left the castle.... "This isn't a joke is it?" Helman asked as he looked at his brother Leobald. "You tell him, Maester Qyburn." Leobald replied as he looked at one of the four people present, in the halls of the restricted council of the Tallhart family. "It is confirmed, my lord. Lady Berena is expecting. For almost two moons to be exact." Qyburn replied, with a gentle tone and a slight smile on his face. "I'm going to have a cousin!!!ahahah!" Blurted Duncan as he approached to hug his Uncle. "We're going to have a party! The biggest one of all! Let all of Torrhen Square celebrate with us!" Helman ordered, still in disbelief at the news. The reason for so much skepticism, was because of the couple's countless attempts at pregnancy. After three years of failure...they had begun to lose hope. Qyburn had been helping the couple for almost a year now. Between various tonics, physical exercises, medicinal infusions and treatments, eventually Leobald and Berena were successful. "No way! We're behind schedule. I know you brother. You'd be able to do three days of partying. We just emptied the cellars and warehouses to accommodate the Lannisters. Something small and discreet will suffice." Leobald replied as he continued to hug his nephew. "Nonsense! Maester Qyburn, warn Paul after the meeting. Within three days I want a memorable party to be set up. Let the whole North talk about it!...In fact, let's invite all the great houses of the North! Top priority to the Hornwood House." Said Helman pondering what was best to do. "No brother every day is precious! WINTER IS COMING!" Said Leobald in a slightly furious tone. "Father, may I suggest a middle ground?" Said Duncan interposing himself between the two men's argument. "....let's hear it." Said both Helman and Leobald simultaneously. "We should take advantage of this gift from the gods, father. We should still go and speak to all the lords of the North. Let us celebrate and squander money...but for the benefit of Torrhen's Square and the entire North. We could still start our campaign of visiting the various lords, but instead of sealing the trade agreement...invite them in person to the party. That way, we would show everyone the respect they are due. We would pay a surprise visit to all the great families..." Duncan caught his breath for a moment and his Uncle continued for him. "If we postponed the feast in two months or so...we might have time to invite all the families of the North to our table...We'd seal all the due agreements there, and we might even bring forward the road project. Even Lord Stark would come. If we whispered the idea of the 'roads throughout the North' project, when we made the proposal to Ned Stark it would be impossible for him to refuse....Genius!" Said Leobald, smiling. "...we'll do it this way. Who's going to visit who?" Helman. "We should visit the most important Houses in person...Manderly, Hornwood, Umber, Karstark and Stark. The Starks last, so we can tell them that the whole North will be there." Duncan. "We'll take advantage of the trip to reach the barrier and have our 300 recruits trained by the Night's Watch Rangers." Helman. "You forget the Boltons nephew...I thought you were unmatched in history! Ahahahah." Said Leobald. "I haven't forgotten...I won't let any of my family into Dreadfort ...not if Roose Bolton is the Lord in charge." Said Duncan showing a hint of anger and ruthlessness. "What do you mean son? Roose Bolton is certainly a creepy guy but he's a Northman...he wouldn't dare violate the laws of hospitality." Said Helman...Leobald did not intervene and silently appraised. "No father, you are mistaken...Roose Bolton would be capable of this and more...but he would take the proper precautions so that no finger would be pointed at him. Like in the Battle of the Trident..." Said Duncan. Helman's eyes widened and he began to think seriously...but he couldn't find a reason to give any credence to those words. "Explain yourself, nephew." Said Leobald showing a hard, unforgiving look. The man had a couple of guesses...but they were only guesses. Duncan grabbed a sheet of paper and some wooden checkers. "During the battle, our legion consisted of men: Boltons, Mormonts, Dustins, and Tallharts. Respectively: 2,500 men, 400, 800 and 1,300 against Ser Barristan's 8,000..." Everyone nodded following the explanation. "Roose Bolton implemented a good strategy of decoying and encircling the enemy head.....however he used the 'wrong' men in the 'wrong' places...but it was a calculated mistake. He knew very well that the Mormonts and Tallharts were the fiercest and best prepared units...and knowing this anyway he used us as an expendable vanguard. Barristan would have been able to break through the center sooner if the Bolton units had been part of it. Half of Roose Bolton's army, was made up of peasants who could barely use a pike. Why not use those peasants instead of men well trained to fight? I assure you the answer is not 'Because he cared about those innocents, forced to fight instead of plowing the fields'...." Duncan paused to give his father and Uncle time to absorb the information. "...THAT BASTARD!!! IN FACT HIS LOSSES AMOUNTED TO LESS THAN 300 MEN!!! HE USED US AS A SHIELD!!!!" Shrieked Helman furiously. "...He won the battle, showing himself as a 'conquering hero of the North' taking few losses and at the same time, weakened the other Northern Houses....and no one could have blamed him...he could justify that move in many ways..." Leobald maintained more control and continued the reasoning behind his nephew's explanation. "Probably, Tom and hundreds of other Tallhart men would still be alive if the general of the legion had been someone else." Said Duncan in a vindictive tone. "Roose Bolton...is surely one of the most dangerous people in the North. If he had wealth and military power on par with the Lannisters or the Tyrells...he would be the greatest threat in Westeros and Essos."
