Post by The Stranger on Apr 21, 2008 12:20:44 GMT -5
After another supper in the great hall at Godsgrace, Robb retired to his quarters feeling very happy. The last three months in Dorne had went unexpectedly well; with the combined leadership of himself, Ser Keldon, Lord Irwyn, and the Hand of the King, the rebuilding efforts around the Greenblood regions had progressed at a very surprising rate. The port at Lemonwood had been completely restored, as had four villages around Godsgrace, thanks to Robb and his men from Horn Hill.
The only thing nagging at the back of Robb's mind was money. The Crown forces had hardly no income of their own in Dorne; the rest of Westeros was still recovering from the expensive war, and it being in the middle of winter did not help at all. Thus far, Robb had been forced to seeking out timber where ever possible, from sending out his men to cut down sparse forests, to bargaining for some at the Lemonwood Port. He had rebuilt plenty of homes and boats for the smallfolk, but there were still countless number of villages within the area that needed repairing. And so rather than lie down and thank the seven for giving him such a beautiful future life in Lady Lysette, Robb quickly changed into more comfortable garb and headed down to the maester's chambers. He also called for the logistics and supplies leader from the Crown army to come for a meeting.
He greeted the maester and the supply man warmly and explained what he wanted to do. "I have no way of knowing where I need to rebuild and to what extent, if I am not aware of our income, future incomes, and future supply situation, ser." The man nodded his head in acceptance and handed over his books. Robb had included the maester for the simple reason that maesters were usually smart; something that he or the supply man did not know, the linked man probably would.
After examining the books and figures for some time, Robb thanked them and headed back to his quarters again, this time to think. The amount of provisions and funds that were being donated into the Dorne reconstruction project was sparse indeed; he would have to find his own ways of helping the people if that was his goal. Suddenly, he an idea. It might not work, and it would have to be approved by both the Lord Hand and the villagers, but he thought it was worth a try.
He left the next day, as was his routine, with two hundred of his men from Horn Hill. Instead of traveling to the closest unrepaired village, he stopped in at the last village they had rebuilt. The people were happy to see him, as he knew they would be. He passed out a little bread that he had been grudgingly allowed to borrow from the castle's supplies, and then summoned the village leader. "Missin' us already, milord?" the old man said with a toothless grin. Robb laughed. "Of course, Loren. But I have proposition for you." He explained to the man how he wished for all of the villages' men of working age, probably around 75 or 100 in total, to work for him at the next village. "I have to pay my soldiers every time they come work for me, Loren. But if I have the villagers from this town and the other three we have rebuilt, then it won't be so hard. And after the day's hard work is over, I will personally escort every man who toiled hard for me to the nearby castle at Godsgrace for some bread, cheese, and water. I already know the Lords won't care about it, since they are already letting me pass out the food in large bulk at the villages. Every castle has a surplus of bread, cheese, and water. This way, the villages can be rebuilt faster, the men can eat from the castle which leaves more from the gardens for their family. The women can work the gardens easy enough, there isn't any plowing or any manly work going on in wintertime for the crops. What do ya think, Loren? Will your men work for me and help rebuild your homeland?" The man had thought about it and then called for a town meeting. Robb went back to Godsgrace for the day but had a feeling that his deal would be accepted.
The next day, Robb left Godsgrace before dawn with only a handful of men. Each of the four villages he traveled to, men were ready to accompany them for work. Some traveled on skinny horses, donkeys, or mules; some used their new fishing boats to travel upstream to their destination. Somehow, they all got here; 400 anxious men ready to work at the next village, rather than 200 reluctant soldiers that Robb had been using. The work went surprisingly well; within three days every villager in the fifth town had a new home. After a week, the inn had been rebuilt. Each day after the work, the men rode back to Godsgrace and to sit in the shade of the inner walls. The Crown guards had been weary at first, but had soon saw the men just wanted food. Bread, cheese, and water were given, and they were content. Some even ate only half of their bread, to save extra for their families. These were good men.
Robb began to wonder how he had ever wished the death of every dornish man just a few months earlier. The thoughts of his dead father and brother pushed any guilt out of his mind.
Results:
Robb increases to expert in Stewardship.
Robb increases to apprentice Leadership.
The only thing nagging at the back of Robb's mind was money. The Crown forces had hardly no income of their own in Dorne; the rest of Westeros was still recovering from the expensive war, and it being in the middle of winter did not help at all. Thus far, Robb had been forced to seeking out timber where ever possible, from sending out his men to cut down sparse forests, to bargaining for some at the Lemonwood Port. He had rebuilt plenty of homes and boats for the smallfolk, but there were still countless number of villages within the area that needed repairing. And so rather than lie down and thank the seven for giving him such a beautiful future life in Lady Lysette, Robb quickly changed into more comfortable garb and headed down to the maester's chambers. He also called for the logistics and supplies leader from the Crown army to come for a meeting.
He greeted the maester and the supply man warmly and explained what he wanted to do. "I have no way of knowing where I need to rebuild and to what extent, if I am not aware of our income, future incomes, and future supply situation, ser." The man nodded his head in acceptance and handed over his books. Robb had included the maester for the simple reason that maesters were usually smart; something that he or the supply man did not know, the linked man probably would.
After examining the books and figures for some time, Robb thanked them and headed back to his quarters again, this time to think. The amount of provisions and funds that were being donated into the Dorne reconstruction project was sparse indeed; he would have to find his own ways of helping the people if that was his goal. Suddenly, he an idea. It might not work, and it would have to be approved by both the Lord Hand and the villagers, but he thought it was worth a try.
He left the next day, as was his routine, with two hundred of his men from Horn Hill. Instead of traveling to the closest unrepaired village, he stopped in at the last village they had rebuilt. The people were happy to see him, as he knew they would be. He passed out a little bread that he had been grudgingly allowed to borrow from the castle's supplies, and then summoned the village leader. "Missin' us already, milord?" the old man said with a toothless grin. Robb laughed. "Of course, Loren. But I have proposition for you." He explained to the man how he wished for all of the villages' men of working age, probably around 75 or 100 in total, to work for him at the next village. "I have to pay my soldiers every time they come work for me, Loren. But if I have the villagers from this town and the other three we have rebuilt, then it won't be so hard. And after the day's hard work is over, I will personally escort every man who toiled hard for me to the nearby castle at Godsgrace for some bread, cheese, and water. I already know the Lords won't care about it, since they are already letting me pass out the food in large bulk at the villages. Every castle has a surplus of bread, cheese, and water. This way, the villages can be rebuilt faster, the men can eat from the castle which leaves more from the gardens for their family. The women can work the gardens easy enough, there isn't any plowing or any manly work going on in wintertime for the crops. What do ya think, Loren? Will your men work for me and help rebuild your homeland?" The man had thought about it and then called for a town meeting. Robb went back to Godsgrace for the day but had a feeling that his deal would be accepted.
The next day, Robb left Godsgrace before dawn with only a handful of men. Each of the four villages he traveled to, men were ready to accompany them for work. Some traveled on skinny horses, donkeys, or mules; some used their new fishing boats to travel upstream to their destination. Somehow, they all got here; 400 anxious men ready to work at the next village, rather than 200 reluctant soldiers that Robb had been using. The work went surprisingly well; within three days every villager in the fifth town had a new home. After a week, the inn had been rebuilt. Each day after the work, the men rode back to Godsgrace and to sit in the shade of the inner walls. The Crown guards had been weary at first, but had soon saw the men just wanted food. Bread, cheese, and water were given, and they were content. Some even ate only half of their bread, to save extra for their families. These were good men.
Robb began to wonder how he had ever wished the death of every dornish man just a few months earlier. The thoughts of his dead father and brother pushed any guilt out of his mind.
Results:
Robb increases to expert in Stewardship.
Robb increases to apprentice Leadership.