Winterfell

[Lord Howland Royce]

Olf look at the queer northmen. "The smallest of them all carries the most ancient blood," he grunted in the First tounge looking at the crannogmen.

[Fel]

Bardan Cassel watches in disbelief as the Skagossans suffer no punishment after attacking and killing so many at Karhold. Were Lord Karstark not a child, this surely would have prompted a terrible reactiom.

[barker520]

Mag ate little, as he watched all that was going around him. He had been involved in similar events when he was a child at Last Hearth, but Winterfell dwarfed the Umber's great hall. He looked to the far end of the hall where one of his men, Cudge Magnar, was speaking to one of the serving women and flashing his best smile. When had he learned the common tongue? He is a sneaky one, that one. He drank the ale well enough, but preferred his usual mix of wine, mead, and bear blood that he enjoyed in his cavernous hall at Deepdown.

[Lord Maleagant Bolton]

Maleagant Bolton had an angry look on his face as he returned from the privy.
Damn that Roose Stark and his greasy food, feels like i have been shitting forever.
His frowned face quickly turned into a surprised face when he entered the feast again. The loud wilding-like men that seemed to be everywhere where the first he noticed.
By the old gods, has the whole castle fallen while i was taking a dump?
But then he noticed one of these men actually sitting not far from Roose, who seemed at ease. He saw his own men to, and nothing seemed abnormal. People where still dancing, laughing and drinking.Oh well, another group of guests i guess, probably Skagosi. Gave me quite a scare though.
Maleagant had enough of his own soldiers mixed with the guests, to protect him, but he stroked his ear all the same, a secret signal for his two big guards to be extra cautious.
He was also surprised to spot this little man sitting near Roose.
So even the crannogmen have left their swamps.
And then he spotted a few sunburst sigils.
Has Roose gone mad, putting Karhold men and Skagosi in the same room? One wrong word from the wrong person, and this could turn into a bloodbath, especially when they start to get drunk.
Many of his own men where attending the feast, and Maleagant told ser Dwayne to warn them. Should any fight break out, they would make sure Maleagant got away.
And after the order was given, he, his guards and ser Dwayne took place at a table far away drom the dais, looking at the guests.

[barker520]

Mag, his muscled chest bare and his brown skin glowing slightly, observed this newcomer with his crystal blue eyes. He noticed the sigil of the flayed man, and he spoke in the common tongue. "Dreadfort Lord, will you speak with me?" He motioned to one of his wives, Lhyema, to rise from her seat and allow Maleagant to take it if he wished.

[Lord Maleagant Bolton]

Maleagant looked up as the Skagosi called him.
His eyes are as blue as those of Berenger And Beringar. And he speaks the common tongue well.
"Oh well, a feast is a feast," he muttered, "guess i should talk to the guests. Go enjoy the feast somewhat, ser Dwayne, but remain vigilant."
Then Maleagant got up, and went to the man. He took a quick glance at the beautiful woman with the strange stone necklace, before taking the seat she had just left. As usual, Berenger and Beringar stood behind him, as two living statues, ever watchful. The two understood their duty. By now, they where probable looking at the Skagosi to see if he was armed, Maleagant knew.
Maleagant looked at the man next to him.
"I will speak to you," he said, "but Dreadfort lord is such a impersonal title. You are free to call me Maleagant, and i would like to know who you are.""

[barker520]

"Mah-leeg-unt," Mag pronounced, slowly and with heavy accent. Valla had been improving his language, but it was still crude and slow. "I am Mag of the Stoneborn. I, Mag, have heard of your stone castle called Dreadfort. I would be happy if I could see it one day." He looked at Valla to make sure he had pronounced everything correctly, then drank more of the northern ale, before turning his blue eyes back on the Lord.

[Flex]

Finny looked at the strange looking man from below the table. She was a little scared of him.

[Lord Maleagant Bolton]

Mag of the Stoneborn? Stoneborn? Is the man implying his mother is a rock?
"Greetings, Mag of the stoneborn," Maleagant said to the Skagosi, "i must say you are one of the first to make an offer like this. The Dreadfort is not a place most people wish to see, though i don't really know why."
Maybe because we flay people?
"But should you wish to see it one day, feel free to visit, for i would be glad to recieve you. Might i ask what it is that makes you interested in the Dreadfort?"

[barker520]

Mag smiled at the acceptance. "I wish to see all places, not just Dreadfort. I wish to go places where no Stoneborn has went. My people are First Men, and so are our brothers of the mainland, Mah-leeg-unt of Dreadfort Stonecastle." He bent down to pet his shaggy mirrikai, Burk, lying at his feet, and rubbed Finny Stoneknife's hair, the little girl smiling at him.

[Flex]

Finny looked up at Mag and then the weird man again. "You look like a bird!" she said to Maleagant. "Can you fly?"

[Lord Maleagant Bolton]

A strange man indeed, so different from an ordinary plunderer. Heck, as if ordinary plunderers would actually steal books, like this one has. Best not to bring that up though.
"You are ... interesting," Maleagant said as he looked down at the strange beast lying at Mag's feet, "your habits and manner of speech are strange to me, yet you intrigue me. I know little about your people, would you be so kind as to enlighten me? How is life in Skagos, what are the habits of your people?
I heard that they eat human hearts. But best not to bring that up either, it's probably an old wives tale anyway.

And then this little girl made this comment so bold and rude, that he just had to laugh. Great, even they know me as the vulture. Or maybe not, she said bird, not vulture. Remembering Jack Lordsbane, he smiled at the little girl. "And who is this one," he asked, "this girl so small with a mouth so big? You are not the only one who seems to think i look like a bird though. Though i fear i cannot fly, people call me 'lord Eagle'."

[barker520]

Mag, usually the definition of calmness and impassiveness, suddenly looked excited about the question of his beloved homeland. "My people are strong, we are Stoneborn. We live under the old gods who watch us always, and do not offend them. We eat, drink, and live under the old gods who watch us always, and we fight the evil wildlings north of the ice wall and black brothers. They are First Men some, but do not obey old gods. We kill them and eat their hearts," he frowned at the thoughts of wildlings. "Our people are First Men, good people Muh-leeg-unt... Bolton?" he says the last name, trying to remember if it was correct. The Umbers had taught him the sigils and names of each northern House during his time at Last Hearth, but that had been many years ago.

[Flex]

Finny giggled. "I am Finny Stoneknife! I broke Stoneheads nose!" she said pointing to the big man who was sitting further away. "That is a shame ya can't fly! I'd love to fly..." she said, retreating back under the table.

[Lord Maleagant Bolton]

"We have catapults enough here, if you are so eager to fly," Maleagant laughed as the little girl crept back under the table as if she was a little mouse, "i would worry about the landing though." Could this little scrawny thing actually have broken a man's nose?

Then he turned back to Mag, who seemed to be fiercer and happier when he spoke of his homeland.
Not an old wives tale after all, Maleagant thought when the Skagosi got to that part. It did intrigue him though. He had flayed and tortured men before, but he had never eaten a heart before. "You are great men of the north then," Maleagant said, "and followers of the old gods, as it should be. The seven, this R'hllor, bah. Only the old gods rule."
And now Maleagant started to soften his voice a little bit. "But you say you kill the men and, hmmm, eat their hearts, yes? Could you ... explain this custom, hmm, a little more detailed, for it does interest me."