Pyke Hall

[Erik]

Tyberion laughs at the jest and returns to the table with Wulf. "Bloody fools, the Dornish," He says, "not that the Freys are much better."

[Lord Gaspard Yronwood]

He watched the exchange conncering Dornish and Freys without expression. "You know, you owe me two drinks now. I payed for Doran's, after all." He picked up his pouch. "I'll take whatever you serve to the other Greenlanders..."

[Fel]

Wulf grunts. "Others take them all," he says to Tyberion, gulping down some ale. "I don't envy you ruling the West, Pyke Hall is bad enough."

Rodrik shrugged and nodded to Germun the barkeep, who brought two ales for Frey.

[Erik]

"Not too much different. The brawls can get a touch more out of hand for me, I'll wager. Shouldn't be much of an issue with Lefford dead, though. I ought to write Rodrick a thank-you note for that."

[Lord Gaspard Yronwood]

He passes the second ale to Belmore.

[Fel]

Wulf chuckled. "Mad fool, he made quite the pin cushion though," Wulf said, remembering how many weapons had been stuck in Lefford's body after his attempt.

[Ollie]

Edwyn had sat silent over his nigh untouched ale, listening to the bleating around him. Only when the brawl threatened did he raise his head to observe. The second ale Frey passed went untouched and unwanted, his first still well above half-way full.

"You're going to find one day Frey that not every man can be bought," he said, eying the pouch Victor had retrieved. "And when that day comes, not all the gold you throw in his face will stop him from killing you." Gripping his mug, the Valeman took another swallow, savoring the plain flavors on his tongue with a look of uninterest.

"You think the King will thank you for throwing your money at the smallfolk in his name? You'd be wrong."

[Erik]

"I think he wanted to do about the same to me. No matter now, thankfully." Tyberion says with a shrug. "I notice you were the only Ironman to rush to the king's defense. No love lost between Harlaw and Rodrick, I take it? Not to blame the man, I'd certainly not crawl to anyone and kiss their ring...at least not for only five islands."

[Lord Gaspard Yronwood]

He frowns, then sets the mug down. "You know, I don't really care what happens here in King's Landing. We'll continue growing richer while the Lannisters grow poorer. Your people will stay the same while everyone adapts. The Riverlands are excellent at adaptation, a new master every season. But its my sworn duty, so I arrive and I kneel and I see if there are any scraps on the table. That is my job. House Frey isn't a true great house, its a composition of businessmen and clerks who happen to be related. I have twenty three cousins relying on me to keep them fed and content." He sipped his water and continued.

"You're the same too, I think. You're here to fulfill a role you don‘t enjoy. Right now, you're thinking about where you left that scroll or what that book really meant, but you sit there enduring my company because you think maybe I'm going to eventually make you an offer, because that's what lords do. I wish you didn’t do that, Edwyn Belmore. Its okay to dance as long as you don’t step on other people’s toes…”

"I'm not feeding the Riverlands because I think the king might notice, I'm feeding the Riverlands because they're starving. The Freys aren't just cowards or opportunists, we're also the gatekeepers between North and South, and now we have to guide the center of Westeros. I don't mind having to drink pisswater and being looked down on. I'm not a hero, but I know House Frey won't survive if the Riverhouses continue shuffling and falling like cards every war."

[Ollie]

The Lord Belmore gave the Frey a hard look before he replied, dissecting each word as the riverlander spoke. When Victor had finished his impromptu speech, Edwyn rose the mug to his lips, taking a draught of simple ale to wet his tongue.

"An act of self-preservation dressed in noble garb doesn't change what it is. Men will take your money, and they might even thank you for it, but do not mistake to think that they will respect you for it," Edwyn with a severe glint in his voice. "Feeding the smallfolk is an honorable task, I will grant you that, but your priorities will always be seen by others as yourself, your house, and your kingdom, in that order."

"I am willing to cooperate with a man if it means I accomplish my task," he said, the harshness in the voice softened, but not disappeared. "But my tolerance only extends that far."

[Fel]

Dec 9, 2008 19:13:30 GMT -5 Erik said:

"I think he wanted to do about the same to me. No matter now, thankfully." Tyberion says with a shrug. "I notice you were the only Ironman to rush to the king's defense. No love lost between Harlaw and Rodrick, I take it? Not to blame the man, I'd certainly not crawl to anyone and kiss their ring...at least not for only five islands."

Wulf nodded, "aye, I wasn't too keen on defending the man myself either, but there you have it. I also didn't see you jumping in front of the king, weighed down by all the gold in your pockets, maybe?"

[Erik]

"Must have been it." Tyberion replies with a smirk. "Lefford was my step-uncle or some such relation, anyway. Kinslaying and all that. Which, now that I think of it, would make my brother Baldwin lord of the Golden Tooth, now. I'll have to send him some congratulations in the morning. But no matter." He waves the thoughts of succession from his head and takes a long pull from his ale, then gives Wulf a quizzical look. "Have you got a squire, Ser Wulf?"

[Lord Gaspard Yronwood]

"It doesn't matter what the Ironmen and the Westermen think. They own their own kingdoms. they know nothing about scraping to the top. Westeros is a vile, vile country. The Freys built their bridge and endured a thousand years of hatred and disgust to get this far. We're still peasants deep down. Still trying to avoid being stepped on by kings and nobles. Our banner depicts the only thing that allows us to be tolerated. I don't like how we live, but I'm still proud to be a Frey. I'm a liar and a thief and shark, but I'm still the best thing the Small Folk can aspire to."

He stands. "Well, that's enough honesty from me. Don't want to disgrace the Twins."

[Fel]

Wulf shook his head. "No squire. The greenlanders don't want an Ironborn and the Ironborn don't need a knight."

[Erik]

"On the contrary," Tyberion replies, "if you'd be interested, I've got a younger half-brother by my father, name of Piers. He's old enough to be squired by now, and you seem like what he could use. That damn mother of his pampers the boy. He needs some sense knocked into him, same as happened to me."