Grandview

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

The home of the old house of Grandison, Grandview is a stone keep high in the hills above Shipbreaker Bay, out of the way of the usual roads and towns. While once a formidable castle, it has not been besieged in years, and a procession of Lady Grandison's have turned what was once cold halls into a more warm and welcome home. The path to the gate ends abruptly at a steep crevasse, only crossable by the heavy winched drawbridge.

Lord Valwert Grandison, Lord of Grandview, had served for near forty years as Castellan of Storm's End under a succession of Baratheon Lords -- usually a younger sibling of the King, most recently Prince Edrick Baratheon, who died in the war. After the war, Lord Grandison grungingly made peace and was reappointed as Castellan by the Redroyce, who was seeking to heal the divisions in the Stormlands and not show favor only to the supporters of the Dragons. Lord Grandison is near seventy. His first son and heir died in the war, as did his brother, and his much younger son by his second wife, Ser Giles Grandison, is now his heir.

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It was a relief to be able to bathe and eat good food at a castle's Great Hall. When she went down for supper, Aranya wore a delicate blue silk gown, one of the few garments that was clean (because she never wore it).

At table, Grandison looked somewhat better, and the smell of food was maddeningly tempting. "My lord," she said, through mouthfuls of hot meat, "You've been at Storm's End all these years, have you not? You must have seen the lords visiting Lord Rhodri. Are they loyal to him? Who does he favor?"

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

"Lords are loyal to whoever gives them bread and wine, they are no different from smallfolk. In public, they all profess their faithfulness to Lord Michael Dondarrion, but behind his back they whisper about the treachery at the Bloody Melee and his mysterious fall."

"As for the Redroyce, well Rhodri is well liked, especially by the young knights. I'd guess he's knighted about half the knights in the Stormlands who are between fifteen and twenty years, he is so fond of ceremony. That breeds a certain loyalty, each of those knights look upon him as benefactor and mentor. My son certainly does, he worships the man, forgetting he's only two years younger."

"Lord Rhodri benefits from not being the Lord Paramount. He does not have to favor one over another, for he does not decide disputes and none of the lords are vassal to him. Instead, he can be a mediator, and a host. Many young men travel to train in the yard under Storm's End."

Lord Valwert has been drinking deep of his cups, and it seems to have loosened his tongue.

[Percy Rivers]

Callen examined himself in the bedroom Lord Grandview had placed him in. He ran a hand through the hair that was slowly growing back. He decided against shaving it, and instead shaved off his beard. It was important now that all recognize him for who he was. Besides he would be moving enough that it wouldn't really help him hide from the Targaryens anyways. He slipped on a clean tunic and mantle and slipped a belt around his waste and went down to join the dinner. He entered the hall and glanced around, a fire was roaring in the fireplace. He let the warmth sink into his bones, winter was definitely on its way, and though it had not yet reached the south it was becoming chilly.

[The Smith]

A raven is sent with speed to Lord Grandison from the Arbor. The message is informal and suggests a friendship between the author and the recipient:

Val,

Andry and Cassy are in the Arbor. I am preparing ships and men. It is time to rise. Ours is the fury oncemore.

Send word back fast,

Peyton

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"And yet Lord Michael lingers on," Aranya said. "It will mean war with the stormlands, if Dondarrion's banners answer his call for battle." She did not want to say it yet, but brimming in her mind was the longing to cause a mutiny.

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

Maester Coddlewine enters the room, shuffling his steps slowly. He makes Lord Grandison appear spry and lively by comparison. He wordlessly passes a message -- clearly a tightly wrapped cylinder, the type that flies on raven's wings, to Lord Valwert.

Mumbling to himself, Valwert Grandison reads the message, and then beckons Callen over to take a look. "Interesting, interesting, it seems your kin in the Arbor are ready to rattle sabers." Grandison hacks and coughs, then continues, "Do you truly think the stag can stand in a dragon's lair?"

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"Let me see," Aranya said, and when Callen showed her the letter, she laughed. "Edmure and Andry are more persuasive than I thought."

[Deleted]

"Callen," Aranya leaned forward, but Grandison and Ser Hodrick could hear her voice. "We should take Storm's End now, while Rhodri and his knights are away, and Dondarrion is ill and ready to die. Once we have the stormlands secured, we can ride north to King's Landing." Her blood was raging for battle.

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

"You would need ten times your number merely to siege Storm's End, and even then you couldn't take it. Have you ever even been there woman? It is no castle, it is something else. It is made of smooth stone and is nearly as high as the Wall of Ice," Lord Grandison says, dismissively.

[Deleted]

"I've been to Storm's End," Aranya said. It had been when Rhodri had first come to his castle; the memory made her shift uneasily. "But it's curtain wall protects it from the sea, not the land. And there must be a way to take it other than laying siege to the castle. I remember one of the soldiers took me into Shipbreaker Bay, and said that in the old days men used to row into passages under the castle."

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

"And you think that passage goes unguarded? And you could even land a boat there and not be smashed upon the rocks? Phaw. You would be fools to try and take Storm's End. A few knights are gone, and the Redroyce, it is true. But still hundreds remain, under Ser Edrick Dondarrion's command. He is able and trained under Rhodri's watchful eye. Even if by some treachery you had success, your presence would immediately be known to the King, and Storm's End would become your prison."

"You could not hope to succeed, and as a result of your folly, your King would die. Now, miss, why don't you leave the plans of war to men who know of what they speak."

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"I learned how the sail as soon as I learned how to ride, old man," Aranya shot back before Mathis or Lustrig could stop her. "And I'm no stranger to battle. My men and I killed hundreds at the Battle of Casterly Rock, and I've killed countless others when Callen and I were escaping hunters in the east. I've raided for Lord BreynRoyce , fought for the Archon of Volantis, defended the Good Masters of Astapor and led skirmishes for Yunkai. Storm's End is just one castle, and if life has taught me anything, it's that anything can be broken. I am not afraid to row under Storm's End and ambush the castle. It wasn't guarded the last time we went there, and I don't see why it should be this time. And if it is, we'll fight. Our boats can hold more than enough men to take on whoever awaits us in those tunnels, and not many could fit in there anyway. I don't fear some callow boy who won a tourney."

[Deleted]

OOC: I've already been disconnected twice, so if it happens again, just blame it on Internet problems. I'll have to go in a few minutes anyway.

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

"I can tell you it is guarded for I am the Castellan there. And no, you do not have the men to take it. You are being a foolish girl. If you try and take Storm's End, Edrick won't be your problem, I will. I have my duty, after all."