Categories > Books > Harry Potter > All Men must Serve
Chapter 26: Enemies at the Gate
JON
I saw I was too far away to save Bran and too far from the bandstand to stop the crossbowmen without risking Margaery. So I pulled her over to the nearest table, Force pushing, to flip the table on its’ side, dumping all the food and drinks on it in the process. Holding Margaery close, I dove behind the table that would shield us from the crossbowmen.
“Stay here!” I commanded Margaery, before standing back up so I could rush to interpose myself between Bran and the Frey men on the Bandstand with the crossbows.
“Petrificus Totalis!” yelled Bran, as Black Walder Frey’s arms and legs locked together and he fell over. I ignored the stabbing pain I got from being in the vicinity of the spell.
The Lothar had, by now, killed everyone on the bandstand who was not a Frey. The crossbowmen fired. I grabbed the two bolts out of the air that were heading in my direction because they were aimed at Bran. But I couldn’t stop the others that shot into Lord Daryl Darry, Lord Lymond Goodbrook and Lord Lymond Lychester.
I Force pushed the Freys on the Bandstand back into the wall. But then the Force shifted my attention back to Margaery, who had not stayed down under cover as I had told her. Instead, she had a Frey man held by both hands, having just broken his wrists, while using her knee to kick him where he least wanted to be kicked. She let go of his hands and kicked him under the chin while she backflipped away from him.
“Stupify!” Bran had stunned another Frey.
On the Bandstand, the Freys were trying to get back on their feet and reload their crossbows. I shot a bolt of Force Lightning at one and held it as he screamed. Lothar was quicker and charged off the bandstand at me swinging his sword. I drew mine and blocked his swing before leaping over him, twisting as I did so that I landed facing his back, my next swing took off his head.
A crash through the window drew my attention back to the bandstand where a vine had snaked through the window, grabbed a Frey and pulled him out the window, as he screamed.
“Stupify!” Bran had taken down another one of them.
I rushed the bandstand as the Freys were frantically trying to reload. One of them succeeded and I deflected his bolt with my sword before carving into him. I cut my way through the remaining Freys until I was alone on the bandstand. Margeary and Bran had taken care of all the other hostiles in the room, with a little help from the non-Frey nobles. But the sound of multiple men screaming in agony came from outside the room. I glanced and Margaery and Bran.
“We’re fine,” assured Margaery. “We can take care of things here. Go!”
EDRIC
Not being interested in the social part of the conference, I had decided to walk the walls. I was around the corner from the main gatehouse when I noticed that there were a group of men wearing the twin towers of the Freys approaching the guards who were standing sentry just inside the gate. One of the Freys drew his dagger and stabbed one of the guards in the throat as the others drew their swords. I apparated down next to them as they killed the other guard.
POP!
The Freys turned to me when they heard the sound of my arrival. I silently cast a spell that made the sword of the middle one explode, sending shrapnel into the others. Looking out through the gates I could see that some of the Frey army were attacking the armies of the other lords and some of them were charging at me. The path to the drawbridge had Margaery’s special plants on both sides of it, all the way out for several hundred feet. This forest had only a narrow road through it so that the castle could be approached safely. I banished one of the corpses I had just made at one of the whomping willows, which set it off flailing at anyone within reach, this set of the other whomping willows, which were bashing anyone within reach, especially those that had tried tramping through the orchard. A little closer, the evergreens were shooting spiky needles at anyone within range. But the closest Freys had, by now killed the outer guards at the gate. They were almost close enough to reach me when I silently cast fiendfyre in their faces. It was a wave of fire with fiery animals mixed in that washed over the the charging Frey army. I ignored the screams of the men as I let it wash out about 50 feet before bringing the fiendfyre back under control. After all, I didn’t want to burn down the castle. So I slowly pulled back the raging inferno, bringing the flames back under my control until I was able to extinguish them. From the light the fire was giving off, I could see that the Frey army had disengaged from the other armies and that they were in full retreat before I had gotten the flames out.
“Looks like you’ve got this under control,” said Jon.
Merlin! I didn’t hear him come up behind me.
“Yeah, I don’t think they’ll try that again,” I replied before noticing that Jon was covered in blood.
“Everything alright in there?” I asked.
“It’s fine,” replied Jon. “Just a bit of excitement when the Freys tried to kill us all. No big deal. Bran and Margaery and I took care of it.”
MARGAERY
Jon and Edric had not produced any living prisoners. Fortunately, Bran and I had netted several, including the ringleader, Black Walder Frey, himself. Between Edric, Jon and myself we had lots of ways of obtaining information from him. And we used them all. We repeated the interrogation with Edric’s truth potion in front of the other Lords in attendance. I seems that there was another gathering of Riverland Lords going on at the same time as ours. This one was at the Stoney Sept, where Septon Walder, who was, of course, a Frey, had called together all of the most devout Seven worshiping Lords. But old Lord Frey had decided to stop this civil war before it began by eliminating the Witches of Riverrun, especially the Tullys, which would be Bran, myself, and our unborn child. A civil war had broken out! On our side, we had the Blackwoods and strangely, the Houses that had supported the Targaryans in Robert’s Rebellion: The Darrys, the Goodbrooks, the Lychesters, Mootons and Rygers. The other side was led by the Faith of the Seven and the Freys. Their forces included: the Haighs, Heddles, Lothstons, Mallisters, Paiges, Pipers, Charltons, and Brakens. We were outnumbered. But with the powers and abilities at our disposal, the other side did not stand a chance. I was quite surprised at the loyalty of the former Targaryan loyalists. But apparently, their love of the old Royal family also made them more sympathetic to magic.
Before discussing this in front of the Lords, I called together a family meeting of sorts with myself, Bran, Jon and Edric in attendance.
“Alright since we are going to war, does any one have past life experience leading armies?” I asked. “Because I don’t. I only have experience leading civilian companies and gangs.”
“I’ve led partisan groups, but not whole armies,” admitted Edric.
“I do,” replied Jon. “I’ve led both small squads and large armies in galactic scale wars.”
“Good. Bran will need you advising him,” I explained. “He’s Lord Tully. So the Lords will expect him to lead the Army. But, I’m sorry Bran. You don’t have the experience to lead an army by yourself and the Lords are going to have trouble respecting you because of your age. You need to let Jon lead the army, especially in the Field. When you are back in camp, you can lead the strategy meetings, but you need to listen to the advice of Jon and Edric.”
“I always do,” agreed Bran.
“I think we need to add another advisor,” suggested Edric. “Someone who is older and more experienced looking.”
“How about Lord Blackwood?” I suggested. “Tytos is a follower of the Old Gods like Bran. So that should help them get along.”
“We need to have a plan,” reminded Jon. “Now that this attack on us has failed, what is their objective?”
“Jojen thinks they will try to cut down the weirwood trees on the Isle of Faces,” announced Bran.
“So we need to stop them at Harrenhal,” mused Jon. “That’s where they can get the boats to go to the island.”
“So all of you are going?” I confirmed. “Then, I will stay here. I am not as powerful out there as I am when I lure people into my trap. Come to think of it, . . .I think we need more houseplants around here. . . .I will take care of the political side of the war, while you all are out doing the actual fighting. And speaking of politics, I think we need to alert the King about this civil war. I’ll help Bran send a raven, but can you carry a letter there in person, Edric. That way the news can get to him faster? After that, I will need you to carry another one to Bran’s father.”
Edric nodded his assent.
EDRIC
Margaery drafted a couple of letters on the spot. After showing them to Bran to make sure he agreed with everything in them, she had Bran sign and seal them, then hand them to me. They would be meeting with the Lords while I was away.
“Make sure you get this into the hands of Lord Petyr Baelish, the Hand of the King!” explained Margaery. “Tell him I want him to take this to the King!”
“Yes, my Lady,” I said, before apparating away.
POP!
I re-appeared in the barracks of the Red Keep in King’s Landing. Stanli, one of the Baratheon guards had been nearby when I appeared and he jumped with startlement.
“So it’s really true! You really are some sort of sorcerer!” gasped Stanli. I knew him well from my time here as a squire.
“Wizard, not sorcerer,” I corrected.
“Well why are you wizarding yourself here?” asked Stanli
“I have a letter for the King, I explained.
From the barracks, I headed for the Tower of the Hand. Some guards tried to stop me. But I just apparated past them and into the Hand’s Solar.
POP!
“Ser Edric! This is a surprise!” exclaimed the Hand, who had been sitting at his desk, writing something. “What brings you to see me?”
“I have a Letter from Lord Brandon Tully of the Riverlands to the King,” I explained. “Lady Margaery told me that this needs to be brought before the King as soon as possible!”
“Did she, indeed?” asked Lord Baelish, as he stood from his desk. “Then we will have to bring this to him immediately!”
He immediately led me out of the room, past the guards who had tried to stop me from seeing him, and down the hall. After many twists and turns we came to the room where Ser Mandon was standing guard outside the room. After challenging us, he let us into the room. Inside, the King was on top of a much younger woman thrusting into her as she gave off fake-sounding moans of pleasure.
“Seven Hells!” yelled the King when he noticed us. “Can’t you see I’m busy!”
“We have an urgent message from Lord Tully of Riverrun, Ned Stark’s son,” replied the Hand, as I held out the scroll for him.
He pulled out of the young woman and stood up before reaching for the scroll. His faced formed a from as he read it.
“Those damned Freys!” snarled the King, before breaking into a grin. “Get me some Parchment and pen. I need to write a letter to Ned! Can you deliver it for me Ser Edric?”
“Yes, your Grace,” I replied. “I was planning to go there next.”
“Good! Good!” replied the King. “And stop with that “your Grace” shit. You’re my natural born son. You are allowed to call me father!”
“Yes, father,” I replied.
He threw on a tunic as the woman climbed out the bed and gathered up her own clothes. It looked like she was planning to sneak out the door naked, holding a small bundle of clothes to her chest. But the king beat her to the door he opened the door and told Ser Mandon:
“Find Ser Barison. “We’re going to war!” Then, he seemed to to have noticed the woman because he told her: “You don’t have to leave yet. You can get dressed first.”
“Thank you, your Grace,” said the woman.
The King led us down the hall to another room with a desk. It was the King’s solar. “But everything was immaculate. If this room saw any use, it must have been cleaned since then. The Lord Hand opened the drawers of the desk and pulled out some parchment, and quill and ink pot, along with some sealing wax.
“Write it for me, Littlefinger,” commanded the King. “Dear Ned, The Freys are rebelling against your son. Call your Banners and get your ass down to the Riverlands. I will meet you at the Twins. Add in all my titles, blah, blah,blah. . . “
It took a few minutes for the Lord Hand to write all that before he announced: “All done, your Grace. Sign here.”
The King signed it, then the Lord Hand rolled it up and melted some sealing wax on it on which the king pressed his signet ring into it, which he had taken off while the wax was melting. My father, the King handed the scroll to me.
“Do have some faster way to take this than a raven,” asked the King.
“Yes, father,” I replied. “I will take this letter to Lord Stark immediately.”
“Your Grace,” said the Lord Hand. “May I see the letter from Lord Tul-”
POP!
I reappeared in the Gods’ Wood at Winterfell. Sansa and Lady were there, practicing her warging.
“Oh! you’re early!” said Sansa when her eyes returned to normal.
“I won’t be able to have our lessons as often,” I said.
“Why not?” whined Sansa.
“Can’t tell you why until after I have delivered these letters to your father,” I replied, holding up the letters from Bran and the King. As I strolled out of the Gods’ Wood, she and her dire wolf followed me.
“Hodor!” greeted the stable boy, as we walked past him.
I walked straight through the castle to Lord Stark’s solar before turning to Sansa. “Wait our here. I need to speak with your father alone before I can tell you what’s going on.”
I saw her smile with a hopeful look in her eyes as I knocked on the door.
“Enter!” called out Lord Stark.
I entered to find him him sitting at his desk. Maester Luwin was standing behind him leaning over. He had obviously been explaining some of the papers on the desk.
“Lord Stark, I have a couple of urgent messages from your son, Lord Brandon Tully and from the King,” I announced as I handed the scrolls to him. “You should read the one from Bran first.”
Opened the scrolls, first the one from Bran, then the one from the King.
“Maester Luwin, send out the ravens,” commanded Lord Stark. “I’m calling the Banners, All of them. Tell them to meet at Moat Cailin.
“There is just one more thing,” I interrupted. “Sansa wanted to know why I will not be able to come here for lessons for a while. But I could not speak freely until you knew that had happened. With your permission, what may I tell her.
“I think she’s old enough for the whole truth, Ser Edric,” said Lord Stark. “It will help if she knows that Bran was not hurt. You will protect my boy?”
“With my life!” I replied. “And I think I speak for Ser Jon when he says the same.”
“Yes,” agree Lord Stark, indicating the letter from Bran. “It gives me great comfort to know that Jon will be Bran’s general.”
After leaving Lord Stark’s presence, I made Sansa wait until we were back in the Gods’ Wood before telling her. The “servant”, Cat intercepted us along the way and followed us so she could chaperone us alone in the Gods’ Wood. When I told Sansa she was very upset the hear the news, as was Cat. But before I left, Sansa took my hands and said:
“Thank you for telling me. Stay safe.” she then leaned in and gave me a kiss me on the cheek. I smiled and apparated back to Riverrun.
POP!
MARGAERY
“Lady Margaery, I have a request,” said Jojen Reed. “I need to go with Bran, But I don’t want my sister to go to war with us. Can you help me find a reason for her not to go with us?”
“I could make her my Lady-in-waiting?” I suggested.
“I don’t think she would like that very much,” replied Jojen. “She sees herself more as a warrior than a Lady.”
“I could also make her my personal Sworn Sword?” I added, with a wink. “Someone has to guard Lady Tully while the men-folk are off at war.”
“She’ll like that idea a lot better,” mused Jojen.
JOFFREY
I re-wrote the words to ‘Revolution’ so that is was now a humorous/tragic song about how foolish we Lannisters were to rebel against the King. The last verse was about how our former wives were now being fucked by Wildings in the Westlands. The recent rebels, both Westlander and Ironborn hated it. But everyone else loved it! It caused a bar fight. I’ll never sing that one again!
JON
I saw I was too far away to save Bran and too far from the bandstand to stop the crossbowmen without risking Margaery. So I pulled her over to the nearest table, Force pushing, to flip the table on its’ side, dumping all the food and drinks on it in the process. Holding Margaery close, I dove behind the table that would shield us from the crossbowmen.
“Stay here!” I commanded Margaery, before standing back up so I could rush to interpose myself between Bran and the Frey men on the Bandstand with the crossbows.
“Petrificus Totalis!” yelled Bran, as Black Walder Frey’s arms and legs locked together and he fell over. I ignored the stabbing pain I got from being in the vicinity of the spell.
The Lothar had, by now, killed everyone on the bandstand who was not a Frey. The crossbowmen fired. I grabbed the two bolts out of the air that were heading in my direction because they were aimed at Bran. But I couldn’t stop the others that shot into Lord Daryl Darry, Lord Lymond Goodbrook and Lord Lymond Lychester.
I Force pushed the Freys on the Bandstand back into the wall. But then the Force shifted my attention back to Margaery, who had not stayed down under cover as I had told her. Instead, she had a Frey man held by both hands, having just broken his wrists, while using her knee to kick him where he least wanted to be kicked. She let go of his hands and kicked him under the chin while she backflipped away from him.
“Stupify!” Bran had stunned another Frey.
On the Bandstand, the Freys were trying to get back on their feet and reload their crossbows. I shot a bolt of Force Lightning at one and held it as he screamed. Lothar was quicker and charged off the bandstand at me swinging his sword. I drew mine and blocked his swing before leaping over him, twisting as I did so that I landed facing his back, my next swing took off his head.
A crash through the window drew my attention back to the bandstand where a vine had snaked through the window, grabbed a Frey and pulled him out the window, as he screamed.
“Stupify!” Bran had taken down another one of them.
I rushed the bandstand as the Freys were frantically trying to reload. One of them succeeded and I deflected his bolt with my sword before carving into him. I cut my way through the remaining Freys until I was alone on the bandstand. Margeary and Bran had taken care of all the other hostiles in the room, with a little help from the non-Frey nobles. But the sound of multiple men screaming in agony came from outside the room. I glanced and Margaery and Bran.
“We’re fine,” assured Margaery. “We can take care of things here. Go!”
EDRIC
Not being interested in the social part of the conference, I had decided to walk the walls. I was around the corner from the main gatehouse when I noticed that there were a group of men wearing the twin towers of the Freys approaching the guards who were standing sentry just inside the gate. One of the Freys drew his dagger and stabbed one of the guards in the throat as the others drew their swords. I apparated down next to them as they killed the other guard.
POP!
The Freys turned to me when they heard the sound of my arrival. I silently cast a spell that made the sword of the middle one explode, sending shrapnel into the others. Looking out through the gates I could see that some of the Frey army were attacking the armies of the other lords and some of them were charging at me. The path to the drawbridge had Margaery’s special plants on both sides of it, all the way out for several hundred feet. This forest had only a narrow road through it so that the castle could be approached safely. I banished one of the corpses I had just made at one of the whomping willows, which set it off flailing at anyone within reach, this set of the other whomping willows, which were bashing anyone within reach, especially those that had tried tramping through the orchard. A little closer, the evergreens were shooting spiky needles at anyone within range. But the closest Freys had, by now killed the outer guards at the gate. They were almost close enough to reach me when I silently cast fiendfyre in their faces. It was a wave of fire with fiery animals mixed in that washed over the the charging Frey army. I ignored the screams of the men as I let it wash out about 50 feet before bringing the fiendfyre back under control. After all, I didn’t want to burn down the castle. So I slowly pulled back the raging inferno, bringing the flames back under my control until I was able to extinguish them. From the light the fire was giving off, I could see that the Frey army had disengaged from the other armies and that they were in full retreat before I had gotten the flames out.
“Looks like you’ve got this under control,” said Jon.
Merlin! I didn’t hear him come up behind me.
“Yeah, I don’t think they’ll try that again,” I replied before noticing that Jon was covered in blood.
“Everything alright in there?” I asked.
“It’s fine,” replied Jon. “Just a bit of excitement when the Freys tried to kill us all. No big deal. Bran and Margaery and I took care of it.”
MARGAERY
Jon and Edric had not produced any living prisoners. Fortunately, Bran and I had netted several, including the ringleader, Black Walder Frey, himself. Between Edric, Jon and myself we had lots of ways of obtaining information from him. And we used them all. We repeated the interrogation with Edric’s truth potion in front of the other Lords in attendance. I seems that there was another gathering of Riverland Lords going on at the same time as ours. This one was at the Stoney Sept, where Septon Walder, who was, of course, a Frey, had called together all of the most devout Seven worshiping Lords. But old Lord Frey had decided to stop this civil war before it began by eliminating the Witches of Riverrun, especially the Tullys, which would be Bran, myself, and our unborn child. A civil war had broken out! On our side, we had the Blackwoods and strangely, the Houses that had supported the Targaryans in Robert’s Rebellion: The Darrys, the Goodbrooks, the Lychesters, Mootons and Rygers. The other side was led by the Faith of the Seven and the Freys. Their forces included: the Haighs, Heddles, Lothstons, Mallisters, Paiges, Pipers, Charltons, and Brakens. We were outnumbered. But with the powers and abilities at our disposal, the other side did not stand a chance. I was quite surprised at the loyalty of the former Targaryan loyalists. But apparently, their love of the old Royal family also made them more sympathetic to magic.
Before discussing this in front of the Lords, I called together a family meeting of sorts with myself, Bran, Jon and Edric in attendance.
“Alright since we are going to war, does any one have past life experience leading armies?” I asked. “Because I don’t. I only have experience leading civilian companies and gangs.”
“I’ve led partisan groups, but not whole armies,” admitted Edric.
“I do,” replied Jon. “I’ve led both small squads and large armies in galactic scale wars.”
“Good. Bran will need you advising him,” I explained. “He’s Lord Tully. So the Lords will expect him to lead the Army. But, I’m sorry Bran. You don’t have the experience to lead an army by yourself and the Lords are going to have trouble respecting you because of your age. You need to let Jon lead the army, especially in the Field. When you are back in camp, you can lead the strategy meetings, but you need to listen to the advice of Jon and Edric.”
“I always do,” agreed Bran.
“I think we need to add another advisor,” suggested Edric. “Someone who is older and more experienced looking.”
“How about Lord Blackwood?” I suggested. “Tytos is a follower of the Old Gods like Bran. So that should help them get along.”
“We need to have a plan,” reminded Jon. “Now that this attack on us has failed, what is their objective?”
“Jojen thinks they will try to cut down the weirwood trees on the Isle of Faces,” announced Bran.
“So we need to stop them at Harrenhal,” mused Jon. “That’s where they can get the boats to go to the island.”
“So all of you are going?” I confirmed. “Then, I will stay here. I am not as powerful out there as I am when I lure people into my trap. Come to think of it, . . .I think we need more houseplants around here. . . .I will take care of the political side of the war, while you all are out doing the actual fighting. And speaking of politics, I think we need to alert the King about this civil war. I’ll help Bran send a raven, but can you carry a letter there in person, Edric. That way the news can get to him faster? After that, I will need you to carry another one to Bran’s father.”
Edric nodded his assent.
EDRIC
Margaery drafted a couple of letters on the spot. After showing them to Bran to make sure he agreed with everything in them, she had Bran sign and seal them, then hand them to me. They would be meeting with the Lords while I was away.
“Make sure you get this into the hands of Lord Petyr Baelish, the Hand of the King!” explained Margaery. “Tell him I want him to take this to the King!”
“Yes, my Lady,” I said, before apparating away.
POP!
I re-appeared in the barracks of the Red Keep in King’s Landing. Stanli, one of the Baratheon guards had been nearby when I appeared and he jumped with startlement.
“So it’s really true! You really are some sort of sorcerer!” gasped Stanli. I knew him well from my time here as a squire.
“Wizard, not sorcerer,” I corrected.
“Well why are you wizarding yourself here?” asked Stanli
“I have a letter for the King, I explained.
From the barracks, I headed for the Tower of the Hand. Some guards tried to stop me. But I just apparated past them and into the Hand’s Solar.
POP!
“Ser Edric! This is a surprise!” exclaimed the Hand, who had been sitting at his desk, writing something. “What brings you to see me?”
“I have a Letter from Lord Brandon Tully of the Riverlands to the King,” I explained. “Lady Margaery told me that this needs to be brought before the King as soon as possible!”
“Did she, indeed?” asked Lord Baelish, as he stood from his desk. “Then we will have to bring this to him immediately!”
He immediately led me out of the room, past the guards who had tried to stop me from seeing him, and down the hall. After many twists and turns we came to the room where Ser Mandon was standing guard outside the room. After challenging us, he let us into the room. Inside, the King was on top of a much younger woman thrusting into her as she gave off fake-sounding moans of pleasure.
“Seven Hells!” yelled the King when he noticed us. “Can’t you see I’m busy!”
“We have an urgent message from Lord Tully of Riverrun, Ned Stark’s son,” replied the Hand, as I held out the scroll for him.
He pulled out of the young woman and stood up before reaching for the scroll. His faced formed a from as he read it.
“Those damned Freys!” snarled the King, before breaking into a grin. “Get me some Parchment and pen. I need to write a letter to Ned! Can you deliver it for me Ser Edric?”
“Yes, your Grace,” I replied. “I was planning to go there next.”
“Good! Good!” replied the King. “And stop with that “your Grace” shit. You’re my natural born son. You are allowed to call me father!”
“Yes, father,” I replied.
He threw on a tunic as the woman climbed out the bed and gathered up her own clothes. It looked like she was planning to sneak out the door naked, holding a small bundle of clothes to her chest. But the king beat her to the door he opened the door and told Ser Mandon:
“Find Ser Barison. “We’re going to war!” Then, he seemed to to have noticed the woman because he told her: “You don’t have to leave yet. You can get dressed first.”
“Thank you, your Grace,” said the woman.
The King led us down the hall to another room with a desk. It was the King’s solar. “But everything was immaculate. If this room saw any use, it must have been cleaned since then. The Lord Hand opened the drawers of the desk and pulled out some parchment, and quill and ink pot, along with some sealing wax.
“Write it for me, Littlefinger,” commanded the King. “Dear Ned, The Freys are rebelling against your son. Call your Banners and get your ass down to the Riverlands. I will meet you at the Twins. Add in all my titles, blah, blah,blah. . . “
It took a few minutes for the Lord Hand to write all that before he announced: “All done, your Grace. Sign here.”
The King signed it, then the Lord Hand rolled it up and melted some sealing wax on it on which the king pressed his signet ring into it, which he had taken off while the wax was melting. My father, the King handed the scroll to me.
“Do have some faster way to take this than a raven,” asked the King.
“Yes, father,” I replied. “I will take this letter to Lord Stark immediately.”
“Your Grace,” said the Lord Hand. “May I see the letter from Lord Tul-”
POP!
I reappeared in the Gods’ Wood at Winterfell. Sansa and Lady were there, practicing her warging.
“Oh! you’re early!” said Sansa when her eyes returned to normal.
“I won’t be able to have our lessons as often,” I said.
“Why not?” whined Sansa.
“Can’t tell you why until after I have delivered these letters to your father,” I replied, holding up the letters from Bran and the King. As I strolled out of the Gods’ Wood, she and her dire wolf followed me.
“Hodor!” greeted the stable boy, as we walked past him.
I walked straight through the castle to Lord Stark’s solar before turning to Sansa. “Wait our here. I need to speak with your father alone before I can tell you what’s going on.”
I saw her smile with a hopeful look in her eyes as I knocked on the door.
“Enter!” called out Lord Stark.
I entered to find him him sitting at his desk. Maester Luwin was standing behind him leaning over. He had obviously been explaining some of the papers on the desk.
“Lord Stark, I have a couple of urgent messages from your son, Lord Brandon Tully and from the King,” I announced as I handed the scrolls to him. “You should read the one from Bran first.”
Opened the scrolls, first the one from Bran, then the one from the King.
“Maester Luwin, send out the ravens,” commanded Lord Stark. “I’m calling the Banners, All of them. Tell them to meet at Moat Cailin.
“There is just one more thing,” I interrupted. “Sansa wanted to know why I will not be able to come here for lessons for a while. But I could not speak freely until you knew that had happened. With your permission, what may I tell her.
“I think she’s old enough for the whole truth, Ser Edric,” said Lord Stark. “It will help if she knows that Bran was not hurt. You will protect my boy?”
“With my life!” I replied. “And I think I speak for Ser Jon when he says the same.”
“Yes,” agree Lord Stark, indicating the letter from Bran. “It gives me great comfort to know that Jon will be Bran’s general.”
After leaving Lord Stark’s presence, I made Sansa wait until we were back in the Gods’ Wood before telling her. The “servant”, Cat intercepted us along the way and followed us so she could chaperone us alone in the Gods’ Wood. When I told Sansa she was very upset the hear the news, as was Cat. But before I left, Sansa took my hands and said:
“Thank you for telling me. Stay safe.” she then leaned in and gave me a kiss me on the cheek. I smiled and apparated back to Riverrun.
POP!
MARGAERY
“Lady Margaery, I have a request,” said Jojen Reed. “I need to go with Bran, But I don’t want my sister to go to war with us. Can you help me find a reason for her not to go with us?”
“I could make her my Lady-in-waiting?” I suggested.
“I don’t think she would like that very much,” replied Jojen. “She sees herself more as a warrior than a Lady.”
“I could also make her my personal Sworn Sword?” I added, with a wink. “Someone has to guard Lady Tully while the men-folk are off at war.”
“She’ll like that idea a lot better,” mused Jojen.
JOFFREY
I re-wrote the words to ‘Revolution’ so that is was now a humorous/tragic song about how foolish we Lannisters were to rebel against the King. The last verse was about how our former wives were now being fucked by Wildings in the Westlands. The recent rebels, both Westlander and Ironborn hated it. But everyone else loved it! It caused a bar fight. I’ll never sing that one again!
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