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Post by Ser Willis Blackfort on Jul 11, 2016 21:31:48 GMT
Willis, well on the way to mending, was sitting in on the petitioning, off to the side. Though it would be ill-advised for him to get in a fight just yet, his ears pricked up at the prospect. Might not be so boring staying at Harrrenhal, after all.
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Post by Edwyn Blackfort on Jul 11, 2016 21:33:44 GMT
Edmure thought for a moment. If Belric was here, Edmure would have pressed his brother to allow him to lead a force to this village to expel the intruders.
"You have a similar number of men to Lord Smallwood I assume." he asked, thinking that was probable, but wanting confirmation from Lord Roger , before he considered what response to make.
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The Gambler
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Post by The Gambler on Jul 11, 2016 21:43:32 GMT
"Less now, but we could fend them off well enough without Piper's shadow hanging over us," he replied, with conviction. "I've some sixty good men to my name with their spurs. Smallwood has to have at least eighty. Piper at least a hundred. The one benefit of winter is that no lord is overly eager to deploy more troops than they can afford to feed at the moment, so the most we've seen from Smallwood at a time is twenty and only a handful from Piper, though I have far more to worry from those few."
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Post by Edwyn Blackfort on Jul 11, 2016 22:22:17 GMT
Edmure nodded. "Let it not be said that Harrenhal does not help those who fall under our rule." He thought for a moment.
"I will send a raven to Riverrun informing my brother. He will want to know. In the meantime I will augment your own forces with Harrenhal knights and footsoldiers. How many that will be I will need to think upon further."
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Post by The Gambler on Jul 11, 2016 22:34:45 GMT
"Well every moment you spend thinking, is another my people spend under Lord Smallwood's boot," Vance replied. "I'll not be leaving here without aid, so send your ravens and call your men. I'll stand vigil in this hall until Harrenhal honors its oaths."
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Post by Edwyn Blackfort on Jul 12, 2016 2:35:53 GMT
Edmure smiled mirthlessly.
"You'd better have a drink then." indicating the wine the servant had brought earlier. He turned to the servant who had been waiting patiently. "See that Lord Roger is fed as befits his station."
He studied the clearly agitated Lord for a short moment. "We will not be acting rashly in this matter." he said firmly. "I understand you have the welfare of your people at heart and you wish to see the Smallwoods and Pipers out of your lands. That is our desire also and we will do take the necessary steps to see that occurs."
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Post by The Gambler on Jul 12, 2016 2:47:35 GMT
"As I said, ser, I will wait," the lord replied, still ignoring the wine, standing with his back straight and hands behind his back. "A true lord does not eat and drink as his people suffer. Do you think I would be here if this was not a matter of urgency? Is it not telling that I did not simply send a rider in my stead? If your granary was swarming with rats, would you root them out immediately, or wait to discuss the matter and pray they don't grow fat on your winter stores?"
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Post by Edwyn Blackfort on Jul 12, 2016 2:58:27 GMT
Edmire's mirthless smile didn't waver. "You have made clear the urgency, Lord Roger. You must understand that given our recent arrival at Harrenhal which can measured in weeks, not months or years, we are somewhat ill-prepared ourselves to engage in full scale war. We do not have limitless men and if we are not careful this may escalate into something unmanageable. I have promised aid and will see that it is delivered promptly."
He grabbed the cup meant for Lord Roger and drank, before gesturing for another cup to be filled. "As a starting point, how many extra men do you think you will need to drive the Smallwoods out of your village?"
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Post by The Gambler on Jul 12, 2016 3:14:05 GMT
"Treat with the bastards then if you're too chickenshit for war!" Lord Vance spat, clearly considering climbing the dais and knocking that smile off Edmure's face. He was not a man that lost his composure often, but after waiting months for aid, being told to wait even longer was unacceptable. "Lost your taste for it already? Just when I thought owing my fealty to a woman was bad enough, now a gutless coward has taken her place. "
"I've the necessary knights to chase those Smallwood pricks out as it is, but as I've told you, there are a handful of Piper's knights with them. He's counting on me killing them, hoping I do, praying for the excuse to annex half my territory while my new liege lord plays patty cake with Lord Tully and his brother sits on his ass telling me to be patient. Without that grain, my people starve!"
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Post by Edwyn Blackfort on Jul 12, 2016 4:34:03 GMT
"Of course he's waiting for an excuse." replied Edmure beginning to lose his own patience. He wondered if Lord Roger was actually listening to what he was saying.
"That's why we must not act rashly. I'll say it again. I have promised aid and will see that it is delivered promptly. My father was killed by knights belonging to Lord Piper during the war, so I have no intention of letting these whoresons get away with taking land that belongs to you and by extension us. But neither will I provoke a war we cannot win. If we do not act wisely, you'll lose more than just half your territory."
He thought for a moment. "I'll make it clear to Smallwood and Piper that you have Harrenhal's full support. If Piper is thinking that he can re-inforce Smallwood hoping to force an incident, two can play at that game." He paused for a long moment doing some calculations in his head.
"You say that Piper has committed only a handful of his knights." he said finally. "Very well then. As an initial measure you may take five of Harrenhal's knights and ten of our guardsmen with you when you return to Atranta. Moreover I will supply one of my kinsmen to command Harrenhal's force. They will also act as an observer and intermediary between Harrenhal and yourself. That will buy us time to prepare for a larger intervention."
While he waited for that to sink in, he beckoned to the nearby servant, still waiting patiently. "Find my uncle Jon." he said. "Tell him I wish to speak with him here."
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Post by Ser Willis Blackfort on Jul 12, 2016 16:38:09 GMT
Willis rose to his feet, not wincing too much. "Two kinsmen, if you don't mind, Edmure. I'll ride with them."
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Post by Edwyn Blackfort on Jul 12, 2016 21:35:43 GMT
"My cousin Ser Willas Blackfort." Edmure said by way of introduction to Lord Roger. He had thought to send Ser Willem Rivers as his representative, but he had no objection to Willas going. Willas was a Blackfort by name as well which might carry more weight with Lord Roger.
"Very well cousin." He turned to the Lord of Atranta. "Make that six knights and ten guardsmen."
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Post by The Gambler on Jul 13, 2016 4:31:05 GMT
(You don't actually know that your father was killed by Piper knights during the war. For all you know he was killed by a peasant with a stick.)
"I will meet you and your men at the gates then, Ser," Lord Roger replied simply to Willis, turning and striding from the hall without another word, clearly impatient.
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Post by Edwyn Blackfort on Jul 13, 2016 5:41:09 GMT
Edmure rolled his eyes at Willas, as the Lord departed the Hall, clearly unimpressed by the man's lack of gratitude or understanding. He took a seat, somewhat weary from the exchange and the long day it had been already. Here he would have to stay until Jon arrived and the list of petitioners was exhausted. A thought struck him.
"Find my cousin Ser Willem Rivers and send him here." he instructed one of the nearby guards.
As the guard hurried off, Edmure leaned back in his seat, making himself comfortable. He beckoned to Willis. "Take a seat cousin. Tell me, have you ever commanded men before?"
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Post by Ser Willis Blackfort on Jul 13, 2016 5:56:45 GMT
Willis took a seat closer to Edmure, shaking his head. "Not truly. Small bands in the war, no significant actions."
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