Trouble in the South

(A/N: Sorry boys, inkstone was down the past 2-3 days. Thank fuck it came on cause not writing was making me queasy as all hell.)

Pinkmaiden received us with open arms once they learned of my connection with their liege lord, the steward led me to a room in one of the keep's towers, and it was... good enough for a night's stay.

I'd learnt not to have high expectations from a medieval society, a soft mattress to rest and a warm fire to sleep by was more than enough, even if the effects of weather were superficial at best and mildly annoying at worst.

In the morning, the same steward from the day before led me to the Great Hall where I was invited to break my fast with the lord in charge of the keep in the absence of Clement Piper himself, his youngest son.

The blood relation there was so apparent that I'd have to be blind to miss it... Young Lewys Piper was like a child version of his father, short, rotund, with wild and bushy red hair. The only difference was that Lewys was wearing a wool tunic where his father was wearing plate armour.

I cast a glance at the boy by my side before sipping on my milk.

"A-Are you sure you won't take..." He spoke between bites, gorging on pheasant roasted with herbs with a side of mashed potatoes, "Anything stronger?"

I shook my head with an amused smile, "I don't drink in the morning... Milk is fine."

None of the 'strong' alcohol I'd encountered in this world thus far had any effect whatsoever, so all I was really left with was a bitter aftertaste... something I didn't really enjoy.

And besides, old habits died hard.

An addled mind meant one that could slip up in a fight, that was costly when a fight could start as soon as someone laid eyes on me.

"Well... whatever suits you, my lord." He wiped his mouth with the back of one of his thick hands, "I h...hope you've enjoyed your stay." He stumbled over his own words, and paused in-between, seemingly in deep thought, which told me just how inexperienced he was.

But then again, he was a child.

I nodded, "That I have."

Raising my head, I looked around the mostly empty great hall curiously, "I don't see Addam."

The rain had stopped just before dawn, though I could still smell the wet earth it left in its wake, and birds of prey sang freely outside, searching for what food they could.

"Your squire?"

"I... guess?"

It didn't really matter.

"...The steward tells me he declined to join us out of respect?" Lewys seemed confused too, tilting his round head in thought.

I just shrugged, "So long as he was fed."

"Of course, my lord! It would be a stain on our honor."

...I was unused to this level of courtesy, it was the same with the genuine gratitude I received from the common folk we'd helped on our way here.

It felt so incredibly odd to not be persecuted or seen as a heretic even when I tried to help... Which was in all honesty, surprising in itself, since I believed that I'd long stopped caring for things of that manner.

No, there was something else there too... I could see it in this little boy's eyes.

They were glistening with a somewhat naive admiration, and I was its recipient... He was taking note of everything I did, from the way I walked in, to the way I talked, even the way I ate or smiled.

Lewys Piper was idolising me like children looked to knights and heroes of folklore.

For a reason I knew but couldn't understand.

Wiping my hands on the table cloth, I rose to my feet again and Lewys followed suit, brimming with excitement, "To the stables, my lord? Are you off to fight the brigands that harass our people so soon?"

"...Yeah." I licked my dry lips, "I'm looking for Gregor Clegane."

I wondered what sort of titles or monikers they'd come up with for me once word started spreading... And it would spread, quicker than one would think, gossip was one of the main sources of entertainment in these times.

"Ah!" A big smile formed on Lewys' thick lips, "I should have known that someone like you would not abide by his actions!"

He followed after me like a little puppy, staring in wonder as I retrieved the great axe I'd stole-...er, 'borrowed' from Seagard, before I made my way past the grey corridors of the Keep, past a yard where the few soldiers that stayed behind as guards were busy training or just idling, through a smaller wooden gate and out into the stables.

Surprisingly, Lewys kept up with my brisk pace... even if he had to run, which may or may not have made some of his men laugh wryly.

I glanced over my shoulder and asked something that'd been at the back of my mind for a bit now, "What do you think about House Frey?"

A noble house I'd wiped out for their cruelty.

He stopped walking, cocked his head before closing his eyes in thought, "Father says they're greedy bastards. My older brother thinks they're kho-co-coniving weazels."

That seemed to be about the general consensus... I'd found out from random conversations that the River Lords didn't like each other much, and ALL of them hated the Freys with a passion.

It took hard work to be that disliked by your peers.

I gave a small nod and walked up to Roach who... was glaring at the terrified stableboy.

"What did you do, boy?"

He turned his head to the side and neighed, almost like he was shrugging. I narrowed my eyes and looked around his stall, "...Oh."

Turned out he'd bitten through the wood, and kicked down the wall behind him to make more room... He'd also set fire to something judging by the charred ground under his feet.

He was becoming an unruly little thing.

I held out my palm, "Come on."

A few moments passed in silence before he snorted and leaned his head into my palm, nestling against it... Unlike before, when I felt soft flesh, his skin felt incredibly hard and rough to the touch, almost scale-like.

"Woooah!" Lewys practically jumped, rubbing his eyes multiple times, "Where did you get him!? Do you think I could get one!?"

I involuntarily ruffled his hair, slightly smiling, "Roach is one of a kind, I'm afraid."

The horse lifted his head and neighed proudly.

"So his name's Roach?! That's... a strange name."

Oh?

He scratched his cheek in thought, "Shall I send for your squire, my Lord?"

-

Addam came running into the stables and leaned down onto his knees to calm his haggard breath.

I found this quite odd, he was always either sweaty or short for breath.

Not that I was complaining, his unique knowledge on his homeland was a welcome addition to my own, and I could always double check the names of locations and territories with him.

"I see you've decided to join us, Addam. Sleep well?" I inquired amusedly as I reached for Roach's reins and led him out of the stall.

Addam had exchanged his tabard for a thin navy chemise and dark trousers... and coupled with his lean body, they suited him quite well.

"Yes, ser..." He admitted nervously, "And, you're wearing the same clothes? I thought you would change them so I-..."

How considerate.

I tipped my hat with a pleased smile, "I had them washed. This fit is too good to let go."

"What? Did the one I ordered do something to offend you, my lord?" Lewys spoke up, small fists clenched.

The problem with children was, you could never truly know just how they'd react to something because of their growing minds.

"Ah, no. I just got too tired." I waved my hand and shook my head, "So I slept instead of telling him what I wanted."

He seemed to accept that explanation and let it go with a small sigh... but when I climbed onto Roach, I noticed that his face looked conflicted, "Is my fa-"

Before he could finish his words, one of the stewards ran in, his state more haggard than even Addam's as he approached his liege, "T...here was a second Lannister host, my lord!"

I raised my brow and quickly took the letter from his hand, scanning its contents before passing it to Lewys.

The boy froze in place, unsure of what to do.

Apparently, while Jaime Lannister was invading through the Golden Tooth aiming directly for Riverrun, the ruling seat of House Tully, a second army took the longer way around the hills between the two Kingdoms and entered the Riverlands from the South, destroying everything in their path.

It was led by... Lord Tywin Lannister... and his brother, Kevan Lannister.

I couldn't help but smile slightly at the prospect before glancing over to Lewys, curious to his response, "Do you want me to go there? ...The Mountain is still in this area."

Though, I reasonably doubted that the castle itself would be in any danger.

"W-Would... it matter?"

"More than you think." I stroked Roach's back, waiting for an answer.

"Then... please."

I gave him a thumbs up, "Great answer."

People who cared for their peers were amazing, much more amazing than those who simply cared for themselves and nothing else... or maybe I was overestimating the thought process of a child.

Turning to Addam, I put a hand on his shoulder, "You're gonna have to stay here... We'll continue our quest once I'm back."

He nodded numbly, unsure and lost as I looked back at Lewys, "Here's hoping Robb Stark doesn't take much longer to arrive. I accept your sidequest, Lord Lewys Piper."

It'd been quite some time, in human standards, since I'd left Winterfell, and the Northern Host was probably marching down as we spoke, gathering men from each of the noble houses sworn to the Starks as they travelled.

I wondered what Robb Stark would do next.

With an amused grin, I climbed Roach.

"Let's go, boy."

-

Hope you enjoyed.

Comment your thoughts or suggestions for the story.

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For the book folk, this is a major deviation from early canon.

 Originally, Jaime blows through the Golden Tooth uncontested, and besieges Riverrun. Tywin uses the same route to invade the Riverlands further.

With the loss, the Rivermen have gone back to reinforce Riverrun and plan further.

But with that force routed, Tywin has changed his tactics accordingly (accounting for the new variable) and passed his own host along the much shorter Gold Road, past Blackwater Rush, to invade through the South which has no such choke points and allows for expansive land battles.

Can you guess why?

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