Winterfell

[The Stranger]

"Nay. Tay be her. But if ya saw that many of us at once, might scare all the other fellers off, and we'd never get a match."

[Ollie]

With a sudden force, the clansman before him spun sickeningly. Olander's open mouth stammered silently, and with a sway the lordling hit the ground, his gut a violent roil. "Mays-wah... Maester..."

[The Stranger]

The Burley chuckled, and hefted the crannogman over his shoulder, dragging him to the Maester.

The Maester can only sigh and say, "You again!"

[Ollie]

Olander can only allow himself to be tended to, sleeping until the next morning.

[Ollie]

/////

The crannogman wanders down to the training yard. The Winterfell men shake their heads and whisper under their breath. They don't need three guesses to know what he's after.

[The Stranger]

Men begin to gather around the training area as the Cragnnogman searches for his Elusive Burleys. Sure enough, he finds them, bastard sword Burley, Battle Axe Burley, and Ball and Chain Burley. They watch him in wonderment, the eldest shaking his head.

"You da'nt give up do you Frog-eater."

[Ollie]

Olander brushes a lock of mud colored hair out of his languid eyes. "The small are forever at war with the large," he says quietly. "Only fitting that the Reed should battle the Burley." Coolly, the crannogman takes his trident and rests his weight against it.

[The Stranger]

"We ain't got no quarrel with your kind Marsh-man," Says The Burley, as he rocks his chain back and forth like a pendulum. "I danna why you insist on call'n us out."

[Ollie]

"Since the age of the Children of the Forest, the Reed's have slogged through the swamps. You call us frogeaters and mudmen, name us weak in size." Olander thumbs his nose, and readies his clean tipped spear, though he makes no move to attack.

"I aim to change that disdain, clansmen," the Reed says, eyes unblinking. "The old gods might hear our words and judge them true, but men are wont to judge by action."

[The Stranger]

"End yer silliness and go back to yer swamp, er if you be staying in Winder'fel than fetch us each a flagon of ale and rest 'ye heels wit us instead. For if we are ta da dis again," He hefts the flail, "I ain't be given no quarter this time."

[Ollie]

The Reed's body was motionless for a full five heart beats before he responded. "Seems I'll only be fetching the two of you ale," he says, relaxing his stance and motioning to the Bastard Sword Burley with the point of his trident, "But he fetches mine."

[The Stranger]

For a moment Bastard Sword Burley looks as if he's about to let loose, but a glare from his grandfather puts an end to it, and the man goes with Reed to fetch some Ales.

[Ollie]

Olander Reed departs.

[Ollie]

//////////

After a lengthy journey through the ill weather, a bone chilled Olander Reed arrives at Winterfell.

[Ollie]

Several days later a half-frozen crannogman arrives with a round object bundled carefully inside his cloak. Shaking the snow from his knotted, black-brown hair, the courier makes like an arrow for Lord Roose's Solar.