Winterfell

[barker520]

Mag's strong muscles began to grow tense, and his expression fierce, his magnetic blue eyes growing wrathful and hard. He looked at Maleagant was visibly trying to hold back his anger, "Is man who says tree-worshipper here? I do more than spit. I crush their bones with my stone axe then take their wife and daughter to bed."

[Lord Maleagant Bolton]

Maleagant watched how Mag got all tense and fierce.
He can be scary when he is angry.
"Relax my friend," he said, "we are all true men of the north here. None of us would support any of these fake gods. But even here in the north, we have been plagued by followers of this Lord of Light, this R'hllor. The deeds of these people are known. Not long ago, a northern lord was actually burned alive by a crazy group of followers. An "offer" to their god, appearantly, bah."

[barker520]

Mag relaxed, but said, "Lord of Light? That is not true. No Lord of Light. Just old gods who watch us always. After the great feast in Oldenlove next year I will sail my warriors and kill these false men. I will eat these men to please the old gods who watch us always." Drinking his ale, he said to Maleagant, "I also hear things. I am Stoneborn, but my ears are not stone. I hear men call themselves and each other ser. I hear with my no-stone ears that a man must worship seven false gods to be called ser. Why do they forsake the old gods who watch us always?"

[Lord Maleagant Bolton]

Eat the men? Now that sounds like a party.
"It is true," Maleagant said, "to be knighted, you have to take your vows before a septon, thereby acknowledging the seven. But i believe you know the perfect picture of a knight, the picture young boys have in their heads. That is why many people become knights. They wish to find glory for themselves, a name. Power, influence and wealth they crave, wishing to create a legacy. So do not make the mistake of thinking they really believe in the seven. Some will, i agree, but for most the things i listed are the sole reasons they become knights."

[barker520]

Mag did not know quite how to respond. He did not, in fact, know the perfect picture of a knight. The best kind of knight he could think of was a dead one, spurting blood from a blow by his stone axe. Turning to the large guards behind Maleagant, genuinely curious, Mag said, "Greetings, Twin Silent Giants! What are your names?"

[Lord Maleagant Bolton]

Maleagant just had to smile when he saw his guards looking at Mag. They wheren't really used to talking, or to being spoken to.
Strong and grim as they normally where, now they just looked like two lost boys.
"Berenger," said the first, with a voice that had grown strange and hoarse of disuse. "Beringar," said the other, his voice even stranger than the one of his brother.
Mag kept looking at the two, probably expecting more words, and Maleagant laughed when he saw the confusion of the Skagosi as the two brothers kept silent. "Give it up my friend," he smiled, "you could look at them for a few hours, and they still wouldn't say another word. They aren't to talkative, i fear. Aren't to talkative, ha. Only mutes are less talkative than they are.
"They are my guards, yet not really my guards. They are, hmmm, how to explain this? You have friends, yes?"

[barker520]

Mag looked down from the blank expressions of the large men and turned to answer. "Friends? Yes, I am Magnar. All of Stoneborn are my friends. We all are First Men." He turned back to the guards, still curious. "What weapon do you men use? Steel or stone?"

[Lord Maleagant Bolton]

"To me, these two are more then friends," Maleagant said, "i have known them for many years. We have grown so accustomed to eachother, that we hardly even need words to communicate. Just here, with you looking at me, i could order them to cut any man in this room down, and you would not hear me give the command."
He looked serious now, to show he wasn't kidding.
"Ofcourse, everybody knows these two belong to me, but it was just an example. We are all first men, you say, but are we all friends? We are all men from the north, but do you trust everybody in this room? I do hope you do not, for enough men here would gladly kill you.
"In this entire room, there are only three people that have my complete trust. The first one is myself, the other two are Berenger and Beringar. I hope this helps you understand the relationship i have with them. I rarely talk to them, so men think i care nothing about them. Only the opposite is true. And they fight with steel, yes."

[barker520]

"Men your glad to have on your side, instead of your enemy's side? Yes, I understand that." Turning back to the men, still more curious about fighting that intrigue, Mag said, "Swords or axes? I am good with an axe. I would like to train with you in the yard, Silent Giants."

[Lord Maleagant Bolton]

"These two only fight to protect me," Maleagant said, "never for anything else. I do believe i have a match more to your taste though." Then he called for the Ironhammer. The small, beardy man looked at the Skagosi with unblinking eyes.
"This man is called, hmm, ser Dwayne Ironhammer," he said, wondering how Mag would respond to the title, "he is good with a warhammer. I believe he would be interested in a match. However, between friends there need not be any bloodshed, especially not at a feast. So it wil be a friendly sparring match to determine who is the better fighter, but not to the death. Do you agree?"

[barker520]

Mag rose. "Ironhammer, I am Mag of Stoneborn. Muh-leeg-unt Dreadfort Lord say you are great warrior. I am proud to meet and train with brave Ironhammer, under the eyes of the old gods who watch us always. I will not call you ser, though. That is evil word." He continued to stand, as if he expected some kind of response.

[Lord Maleagant Bolton]

"I have been informed that you are the ruler of the Skagosi," the Ironhammer replied, polite as ever, "i am honored to learn from a man like you, and do not care whether you call me ser or not. Ser, king, prince,... In the eyes of the old gods titles are mere man-made, unimportant words, so why would i care? If you are willing to start, i will come to the training grounds with you."

[barker520]

Mag eyed him. "I do not agree. Old gods know all. But I like your honesty. Old gods also like honesty. I am honored to go to training yard with you, Ironhammer." The feast was winding down, and neither Mag nor the northerner appeared to be drunk, so the two headed out without another thought on the matter.

[Ollie]

A few days later, the tiny crannogman inquires with the maester of Winterfell about the fate of the wounded northman, Burley.

[The Stranger]

The Maester explains that after several bottles of wine, and some stitching, the mountain man walked away under his own power.