Corton

[The Drowned God]

Jard looked blankly at Brandon. "Er, well I don't know nothing 'bout none of that. I just meant one of them spooky ice men that keep the snarks and grumkins company across the Wall."

[Lord Howland Royce]

"The Great Other is supposed to be the enemy of the God of Fire, R'hllor. Spooky ice men, snarks and grumpkins?" Brandon asked curiously. "I wasn't raised in Westeros," he explains.

[The Drowned God]

"Ruhlore?" repeated Jard, trying to pronounce the foreign word. "I ain't never hear of no God of Fire."

"You really don't know anything about the Others, and the snarks and grumpkins?" Jard looked uneasy. "Well eh, there just stories, used to frighten children." Jard chuckled. "You should'a seen the looks I used to scare outta Dan when he was a little one with them stories."

[Lord Howland Royce]

"Well I'm a grown man, I can handle ghost stories for little children," Brandon said taking a sip form the ale.

[The Drowned God]

"Well they say that the Others are the things across the Wall that came during the Long Night, don't they? And a hero defeated them, and he err, brought back the summer, or something. Been a long time since I heard the tale, truth be told." Jard said, scratching his head.

[Lord Howland Royce]

"That sounds awfully familiar," Brandon said as he thought about the tales of Lightbringer. "Do you have many children?"

[The Drowned God]

Jard counted on his fingers. "I'm thinking it's four, but I've the feeling one of them is escaping me. And you, Ser Brandon?"

[Lord Howland Royce]

"I have none at the moment, haven't found a proper wife yet," Brandon shrugged.

[The Drowned God]

"Eh, probably for the best, that is. Sometimes I find myself wishing I could just drop everything, buy myself some horse and just travel from village to village, kinda like you mentioned yourself. Make it all the way down to Gulltown even, maybe." He grinned.

[Lord Howland Royce]

Brandon smiled, "Well if you can get your sons to take up business while you are gone and you save some money you'd be able to visit Gulltown sometime".

[The Drowned God]

Jard laughed, "aye, I'd like to see that lot of nogoods in charge of the tannery. Try as I might I can't decide which one out of them would do the worst job."

[Lord Howland Royce]

Brandon chuckled and was at last aware of how much time had passed, "I think I'll seek out your boy tomorow. If you manage to keep him in your house when I arrive, you could get a headstart in saving that money".

[The Drowned God]

Jard nodded, looking out at the night sky. "Aye, if he comes back round, I won't let him leave the house. Don't worry about finding us, just follow the scent." He tapped his nose and chuckled, then said goodbye and left.

[Lord Howland Royce]

The morning after, Brandon went to Jard's house. It wasn't particulary hard to find as Jard was quite correct that it smelled an awful lot. He knocked on the door.

[The Drowned God]

Brandon could hear some commotion coming from inside. When the door was finally pulled open, Jard held a boy by the ear.

"Here," he said, thrusting the boy towards Brandon, "snuck in last night after I was asleep and tried to sneak out again this morning. But he'll have to wake up earlier than that to fool his old man." Jard laughed.

Dan struggled against his father, before evetually shouting out, "I don't know nothing!"