The Gate; 598

[Sam]

Steffon frowned. "This is what the King asked of me, and I intend to follow through with his order, Ser. I summoned you because you are one of the most skilled warriors in the Stormlands and my lord father always spoke very highly of you. Do you have a better plan than mine, Ser?"

[The Stranger]

"Besides not pissing off forty thousand raging Dornishmen?" Barnaby bit his lip.

[Sam]

"The Dornish have precious little power outside of that sandy wasteland of theirs," Steffon replied. "We must tread softly inside Dorne, to be sure, but they lack the backbone to move out of the passes."

"The last time a Dornish army ventured into the Stormlands it was crushed in a matter of weeks, and their Prince slain. The Dornish have no stomach for fighting outside of Dorne," Ser Rodrick said, coming upon the pair. "Greetings, Ser Barnaby," he added.

[The Stranger]

Barnaby grunted.

"I still think its a terrible idea, for the record."

[Sam]

"Your concerns are noted, Ser, and I will welcome your counsel. But for now, we will ride south," Steffon said, as his squire brought his favorite charger up to him, saddled and ready. Steffon stepped up into the stirrups, swinging his other leg over the horse's back while Ser Rodrick mounted his own horse.

"Ser Barnaby, if my brother is wrong I will grant you full right to say 'I told you so' as many times as you please," Ser Rodrick said. "Let's not hold up the march now, eh?"
[Apprentice Persuasion]

A groom brought forward a fresh horse for Ser Barnaby, to replace his mount which was likely tired from its journey, and indicated that the knight should mount. Trumpets blared, and the column began to move out through the Gate, turning west and south around the castle in order to head into the Marches.

[The Stranger]

"Fucking ridiculous," Barnaby grunted, as he mounted the new horse.

[Ser Kenneth Coyn]

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A one armed soldier with the livery of the Bloody Chicken company arrives at Storm's End looking for the Lord's brother Rodrick.