Bread and salt

I spent a majority of the night ransacking the forest around deepwood motte, closest to the bay trying to make it look like some iron born were illegally cutting trees for new ships, which happens from time to time as the iron islands have fuck all trees…

I took a good amount of lumber filling about half my inventory, I didn't end up hunting anything mainly due to the fact that it would hurt regular people more than galbart glover.

And I'm not some bleeding heart who wants to save every man, woman and child from a life of pain and misery, but I won't go around causing more of it just because I can.

The time morning rolled around I was back on the "main road" which was another animal track that enough people used to make it known as a "road"…..….

I came across a few villages on my travels, not that I could stop in and visit to see how things were due to the fact I was travelling late into the night, and really didn't see a reason to give witnesses a chance to how fast I can move.

I eventually came upon deepwood motte and it's actually pretty cool….just a big fortress town made out of wood, but it had a quiet elegance to it…

I made my way up to the front gates that had a small line of people formed, waiting to be inspected by the guards to come inside….I suppose we only did just get out of a war so people were still kinda jumpy…gotta make sure you don't let in the wrong folk and all that I suppose.

I just walk straight passed all the small folk who would normally complain about cutsies if it weren't for the man looking like a behemoth brown bear ready for war walking on 2 legs….

Yes I finally finished my bear cloak...and it's fucking dope, I left the upper part of the head as part of the cloak, as an organic hoodie, teeth and all, the bottom end of the cloak reaches down to my calves, while being wide enough to wrap around my self if needed but in general, it sits snug over my shoulders and hides my arms.

Im also wearing some seamstress made black trousers with actual pockets that came to my thick boi waist and down into my new special made boots

I decided to get a little fancy with those bad boys, with a base of blackened bear leather with fur covering from the shin upward , and the toe area was covered in thick grey iron plates with spikes.

I also decided to go with the theme and go for blackened leather gloves with grey iron plates cover the fingers and upper hands with spikes on the knuckles…

All that finished off with a black long sleeved tunic with a blackened leather belt covering my mid section….I'm not normally one to toot my own horn…..but holy fuck do I look menacing and awesome at the same time…..

So no, the small folk didn't want to complain about this particular man cutting like..

I approached the guard who looked just as intimidated at the people in line and I spoke before they had a chance to.

" My name is Lord Gideon Fenris, and I'm here to seek audience with Lord Glover"

That was me at least trying to keep formality for the moment, as one of the guards didn't even question it and ran off to let that rat Glover know his neighbour decided to drop in unannounced.

But he shouldn't really be able to be to upset at that, I don't have a maester or ravens to send things…..I've barely been a lord for a few weeks, so no one could really rebuff me for that…

That said, even when I get set up a little more with a castle and all that jazz, I absolutely don't want a maester, those grey robed virgins are super sus, and I want nothing to do with them.

Maybe Qyburn though, that dude was pretty smart and stayed loyal to the end, maybe I can pick him up on the cheap and have him teach some people and get some doctors going….

It wasn't till about 20 minutes later of me pondering how to get my mitts on the mad scientist Qyburn did that guard return with someone self important looking man and with a retinue of guards following….but I smelled a hint of arrogance on him….not to mention the poorly hidden sneers from the guards who followed

"Welcome to deepwood motte Lord Fenris, Lord Glover bids you welcome to his home and offers salt and bread"

He brought with him a small bowl of salt and a bit of bread, the breads looks a little stale though.

"Correct me if I'm wrong here but…..isn't it the person in charge of the place supposed to offer bread and salt?"

I'm fairly sure I'm supposed to be lead to his office….or solar? Well whatever it is, and given salt and bread to be given "protection"

" It's rather unfortunate my lord, but lord Glover is rather too busy to be able to great lesser lords at the gate…..you won't be able to meet Lord Glover today, but I'm sure we can squeeze you in an appointment in the next week or so"

He really emphasised "lesser lords" in a rather subtle manner with a smug face, and I can hear the distain in his voice, and again the new guards that followed seemed to be in on this little inner circle joke…..I don't think I'm usually one to think myself above others all that much…..even though I'm basically demi god…..but who the fuck do these guys think they're takin too…

I don't expect everyone to fall to their knees and prey like they did when a space marine showed up in a hopeless battle like in the 40k verse…..but being disrespected by petty little men like this in the open and to my face?

I came here to buy some iron and other metals and whatever else I might need for my emerging city and to establish "friendly" relations but that doesn't mean I'll let some glorified lap dog talk to me like that….fuck em then

So without responding my hand slowly extended from out of my new bear fur cloak while looking him square in the eye and reach for the bread….only for my hand to slowly move past it and move to his throat and pick him up.

Which stunned everyone around as I slowly lifted him up…he dropped the salt and bread but my other hand shot out quick as lightning and grabbed the bread before it hit the ground.

The guards around finally reacted and drew their weapons…..only now seemingly to realise just who they are looking down on.

I may be a new lord so technically have less "prestige" than the older family names of the northern nobility….but from the memories I got from my bodies auto pilot before I took over, I was feared as the greatest warrior in westeros….

"Take your hands off him!"

One of the braver guards who accompanied this little weasel managed to get out….but I ignored him to continue looking this arrogant messenger man in the eyes with no emotion on my face with my armoured leather gauntlet wrapped around his throat..

And just after the guard whimpered out his skin surface protest I slowly brought my other hand up and pushed the bread I caught into the lips of the suffocating man.

Using two fingers to push it into his mouth, all the while the man was gasping for air and trying to pry my hand off his neck….the bread entered without much trouble and I finally let go of the man.

As he fell to the ground I speak slowly and with purpose with a deep rumble that fit my hulking frame " I came here alone in good faith to show my trust of Lord Glovers competency of how well he protects his land and to greet a fellow lord and my new neighbour…..and to be talked down to with such disrespect from a piss ant like you…..I understand I'm a new lord so some push back would be inevitable, I even expected some form of vein power play by making me wait an hour or so to see him….but for his men to treat me with such disrespect mere moments after my arrival with sneers on their faces and malice in their hearts is something I will not tolerate….I'll be taking my leave and I'll make sure lord stark hears about how Lord Glover wished to humiliate a fellow lord through having his men utterly and totally disregard any and all civilised decorum to try and show him his place….."

I turn to leave without another word…..the guards blocking my way moving without any resistance as I make my way back down the animal track of a road I came from preparing for tonight…

I was a little annoyed at all the shit I was spouting about… but not really enough to give a heartfelt speech and run off like a drama queen…..it's because I couldn't rob the guy if I ate that bread and salt….it's like a big thing if you break guest rights, and if you do you're forever tainted or something and no one ever trusts you from there on….can't believe I forgot about guest rights….so I had to think fast

I figured if I was insulted and took off, it would make looting the place easier….I'm sure he will eventually have suspicions I was the one who looted all his shit and took off….but he wont know how, and with no proof there's nothing he can do…..and without having actually been under his guest rights everything should be peachy….I'm sure he'll try and blame me eventually though….I'm not sure what he'll do though

He could hire bandits or even have his own men act as bandits and harass and attack my territory…..but I'm sure he'll figure out the bandits he already sent are dead soon enough, so if he tries again that's fine with me…more free shit.

He could start a small scale war with me that would be coined as a civil war in the north, he would probably have a tonne more guys than me but….I'm sure he saw me fight during the rebellion….he would rather avoid that me thinks….

Maybe send an assassin to try and poison me?…..yeah cool story bro….

So all I had to do was play up being offended by his guys and take off, and it gives me the perfect excuse to walk away from the petty noble politics bullshit, not eat his salty bread, save time so I can get back home earlier….and give me an alibi for when his armoury and iron stockpiles go missing….you know what I think we could use some more seeds for planting too

…he'll send men after me to try and convince me to come back in a few hours I reckon….but they won't find me…

I'm no night lord astartes when it comes to stealth…but I'll be just fine…climbing the walls will be a piece of cake….I'm sure I can kill and nibble some guard flesh to find the armoury and Lord Glovers stock piles....I'll be in and out within half hour and back home before the sunrises….

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