Summerhall

[Percy Rivers]

"What in the seven you ask? My lord of Grandview the seven have brought me back to Westeros. The Crone guided me, the Stranger kept me from death, the Mother gave me her mercy, and the Father has judged me worthy. The Smith has forged the sword that will grant me my kingdom and the Warrior has blessed it. As for the Maiden she has granted me a personal envoy with her in the form of one of her choicest," he gestured towards Aranya (who in truth was no maiden, but the effect was good).

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

"Your grace, I am without words, I am stunned."

Lord Grandison tries to rise to his feet, forgetting the pain in his leg. He promptly collapses the ground screaming. Blood seems to be flowing from one of his riding boots.

[Percy Rivers]

Callen saw the blood and ordered the maester to be brought forward. They had found him weeks ago along the road riding the oddest of things. It looked as if he had stretched a metal bar along two wagon wheels and had attached them to chains, allowing him to propel himself along the road by pumping two petals with his legs. He had brought with him a boy (obviously his assistant) who was weighed down with countless bags of scrolls scribbled with designs for the weirdest contraptions and machines. He seemed cheery enough and told them that his name was Vinci Reed, and that he had decided to leave his study at the Citadel after 56 years there and go test his experiments in the real world. The men had quickly dubbed him Vinci the Oddball as the man was often seen going into frantic spats of creativity, pulling out another scroll and either designing something new, or taking notes on the local plant life, or just sketching a small picture. For all his oddity's the man was an excellent healer and had served Callen well.

Vinci came forward muttering to himself and wearing a happy expression on his face as always, He bent over Grandison's boot and sniffed, "bring me the essence of wormwood and some bandages, he'll be alright, the wound is not deep." The worry on Callen's faced eased a little and he leaned back towards Grandison. "Keep still, this man is a good healer, he will be able to take care of you," he watched as Vinci worked, satisfied that all was going well he turned back, "how have these past few years treated you then? How is it serving underneath the Redroyce? I hear he's an able enough lord, though still a traitor."

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

As the boot is pulled off, it is revealed that Grandison's bone is broken at the ankle. It will need a splint.

Grandison grunts and wheezes into speech, "The years, your grace, they have suited me well enough." Lord Valwert flashes angry eyes at the Maester as Reed's movements cause him some pain. "My son, my last son, he has become a man and it cheers me so."

[Percy Rivers]

Callen smiled, all around him his men had disarmed Grandison's it seemed as though everything would work out. "How old is your son now Valwert?"

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

"He is nineteen and a champion at the joust. The Waking Lion, everyone now calls him. But excuse me, your grace, the prodigal king has returned from the grave and I can only speak of my own son."

"Not like that you idiot!" Grandison shouts at the Maester. "Must I make the splint myself!"

Turning back to Callen, he says, "Your grace, unless you have an army more than bandits you remain a ghost. How will you defend your life?"

[Deleted]

Aranya was stunned at how quickly Lord Valwert had come round to their side. But it is his son who will be the real challenge.

[Deleted]

"We are here to defend him," Aranya said. She laid the dark steel of her sword's blade against her hand, in case Lord Grandison was in any doubt. "And yes, so will you. You are the stag's man, aren't you?"

She knelt easily beside him as he lay on the floor, and looked at him with her large, dark eyes. "The King has come a long, hard way since Maelys the Lizard threw him from the Red Keep. He needs more men like you, my lord, if he is to defend himself. And he'll have them, I will see to that. But what of your son? The Waking Lion, you call him. Where is he now? The King has need of such swords."

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

"Eh, my son? He marches with the Redroyce to the Wall to gut some wildlings. As for me, I'm an old man, an old man with a broken leg, I've no blade worth offering the Stags."

"We cannot remain here along this road. Too much travel here. Have my men here build a stretcher, take me back to Grandview. You'll be well out of sight there."

Grandison starts gesturing at his men about turning around.