Tourney at Harrenhal III

I need to apologise to all of you. I created a big plot hole for no reason because I was away for so long. The strange change in Rickard Stark's behaviour came out of nowhere, but there was a reason for it. It was to set up a future plot point. Nevertheless, I did it horribly.

Therefore I slightly changed the ending of the last chapter. After the words (which I found a bit cringe) from Leman, the thoughts of Rickard are 'somewhat' explained and we see that something is going on, that we don't know yet. I hope this helps a bit.

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- 281 AC - 

- Kingsroad -

(3rd Person POV)

On their way to Harrenhal, the five siblings were riding south on the Kingsroad. After they talked with their father, he told them to go to attend the tourney and not sit around in Winterfell. Brandon didn't want to leave though and Eddard was also unhappy about the situation. Lyanna was unsure about all this that had happened, while Benjen simply didn't understand what was happening. Everyone knew that it was Leman who was responsible for the wounds their father had gained and it made them angry. 

Brandon was the one who was the loudest in his displeasure. He shouted at Leman and demanded to know what happened. Naturally, Leman refused to answer anything. What happened between him and his father in his solar, was not for them to know. Lyarra, their mother was aware of what must have happened, since she always doted on Leman the most, despite not seeing him that much. There were whispers in the North and Wintertown about Leman and how his 'hair' came to be. But Leman never cared about it, which pleased his mother. The coldness and the whispers she had to endure were no less than Leman who some even called a bastard. But she dealt with it how she should have, with the pride of a Lady of Winterfell. 

So when the inevitable clash between her big blonde baby wolf came ... she was prepared and knew what happened. Lyarra wasn't angry with Leman, on the contrary. She was proud of him for standing up to Rickard. Little did she know, that Leman didn't even tough Rickard, his aura alone nearly killed the man. 

So with Lyarra happy, Brandon angry and loud, Eddard was angry but silent. Having been taught about honour in the Vale by his foster father, Jon Arryn, he would never raise his hand against his father or anyone in his family. But what Leman did, was unforgivable and just shy of kinslaying in his opinion. Leman had started to understand that Eddard was ruined in the Vale. He had gotten soft and forgotten about the values taught in the North and House Stark. Honour was Arryn's business and while loyalty mattered to a Stark, you had to be ruthless and most importantly smart if you wanted to survive in the North. What does it matter if you're honourable, if you die in the process? It will make you the most liked man in the graveyard. 

Lyanna was different though. Her love for her brother was big, but that he hurt their father was still a hard blow for her. She still thought that there had to be more to the story than meets the eye. She knew Leman and knew it was impossible to be angered for no reason. Her common sense told her that this had to have reason and that Leman would never hurt their father for no reason. And yet there was a voice in her head, whispering dark thoughts to her. 

.

The group travelled south on the Kingsroad and eventually passed Moat Cailin. When Leman saw it, he thought that it was a very good castle. He didn't know why, but he could feel that his brother would have a blast with this one. He was confused about this idea since neither Brandon, Eddard or Benjen liked to build or reinforce castles. The ROB had taken away his meta-essence, but some of the memories inside the DNA were there. 

Moat Cailin was interesting to Leman. He of course knew about the Moat from his studies back in Winterfell but seeing it now is different. 

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Moat Cailin, sometimes called the Moat, is an ancient stronghold of the First Men on the northern edge of the great swamp known as the Neck, in the south of the north. It is less than twenty miles from the headwaters of the Fever River. Moat Cailin is one of the North's most important strongholds, though much of it now stands in ruins. It commands the causeway, the safe route for armies to travel through the swamps of the Neck.

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Moat Cailin is an effective natural choke point which has protected the north from southern invasion for thousands of years. The crannogmen of the Neck know unmapped routes through the swamps, such as narrow trails between the bogs and wet roads through the reeds that only boats can follow. The crannogmen are a reclusive people who dwell in the swamps of the Neck. They are ruled by House Reed from Greywater Watch. Their current young Lord is Howland Reed, who as it happens is also on his way to Harrenhal. 

Leman stopped riding and instead approached the ruins of Moat Cailin. 

"What are you doing Leman? We are going to be late at this rate!" Brandon shouted. He was still very pissed and angry with Leman and would not talk to him as he used to for a while. But Leman didn't even address Brandon and simply continued towards the Moat. The siblings sighed. 

"Well, you do you. We will continue to actually be punctual for the opening feast," Brandon shouted and then continued riding south. Eddard followed his brother. Lyanna looked at Leman in pain. She was sad that things had gotten to this point, but she also left eventually. Benjen wanted to follow his sister, but after looking at Leman one final time, he changed his mind and followed after his younger brother. Leman didn't care and rode forward. He unmounted and examined the ruins. Both he and Benjen observed things with interest.

"Did you know, Moat Cailin was once a great stronghold, with twenty towers, a wooden keep, and a great basalt curtain wall as high as that of Winterfell's? Today only great blocks of black basalt lay scattered about, half sunk in the ground where the wall once stood, and the keep rotted away. It is honestly sad to see it like this. I would have loved to see it at the height of its magnificence," Benjen said after a while. 

The remaining three towers, which are covered with green moss and white ghostskin, command the causeway from all sides so that enemies must pass between them. Attackers face constant fire from the other towers should they attempt to attack any one tower, wading through chest-deep water and crossing a moat full of lizard lions. Some of those, Leman crushed under his boot without a second thought. 

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The Gatehouse Tower, the largest of the remaining towers, is squat and wide. It is the only tower which still stands straight, even retaining some of the walls around it, although a tree grows through its northern side. The tower's hall of dark stone is spotted with lichen and has a high, drafty ceiling.

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In the eyes of most, it might have been a ruin or a fragment of what it once was, but to Leman it was potential. Potential to be something great and even greater than it ever was. Benjen continued with what he knew from the books he had to read. 

"Raised by the ancient First Men, it is claimed that Moat Cailin has defended against southern invasions for ten thousand years. Can you imagine? Ten thousand years. 

According to myth, the ... greenseers, I think they were called, the children of the forest worked dark magic at Moat Cailin. I don't know about that though. It doesn't look that dangerous to me. From the Children's Tower, they are said to have used the hammer of the waters on the Neck to break Westeros in two, separating the North from the South in the same manner they shattered the ... what was it again?"

"The Arm of Dorne."

"Right, the Arm of Dorne. The children failed and only succeeded in flooding it, however, creating bogs and swamps. Some scholars discount the legend, instead attributing the watery landscape to natural events. I don't know about that though. 

The Marsh Kings and their crannogmen held Moat Cailin - sometimes with the assistance of the Barrow Kings, Red Kings, and Kings of Winter - against all attacks from the south. The Kings of Winter from our House Stark eventually defeated the Marsh Kings, adding Moat Cailin to the realm of Winterfell. Hehe."

"Does that please you, brother? That your ancestors fought a bloody battle to take something that now lies in ruin?" Leman asked.

"Well ... no. But you know ... I thought it was a testament to our House's strength."

"Aye, it does prove that the members of House Stark at that point were in some way superior to the Marsh Kings. I wasn't judging you, I myself enjoy fighting and killing is naturally involved in that as well. What else do you know?" Leman asks. 

"Well, the swampy terrain was enough to prevent Moat Cailin from falling during the coming of the Andals to Westeros. It was a key defence of the north against which Andal armies threw themselves time after time with no success. 

The wooden keep rotted away "a thousand years past". The three remaining towers are more than capable of defending the passage to the south, however, provided that they are fully manned. Moat Cailin has never been taken from the south, although it is vulnerable from the north and the east. So someone would have to man it again to make it great and defend us from the South."

"Someone will, brother. Someone will."

"What do you mean?" Benjen asks. 

"You'll see."

.

The two young Starks eventually crossed the Neck, travelled further south on the Kingsroad and passed by the trident, reaching Harrenhal. A lot of things were going on at the same time. The roads leading to Harrenhal are crowded with nobles, knights, squires, and their retinues arriving from all over Westeros. Each house brings its banners, servants, and supplies. Lords and ladies were greeted with appropriate courtesies and escorted to their accommodations within the vast castle grounds, while the servants and lesser nobles had to settle in tents outside. 

The fields around Harrenhal become filled with colourful pavilions and tents as each house sets up its encampments. These tents vary in size and cost, reflecting the wealth and status of their occupants. Benjen and Leman observed everything as they rode through the tumult. The number of guards and men-at-arms within and around Harrenhal is significantly increased to maintain order and ensure the safety of the high-profile guests. Regular patrols are conducted within the castle and its surroundings to prevent theft, brawls, and other disturbances. But with the number of attendees, that is impossible. 

Thanks to the good senses of Leman, the two eventually found the place where the Northerners had set up their tents and also the Stark siblings. Leman has long since sent Freki and Geri to go on and about on their own. They always know where he is, so they will come and find him later at night. Unlike everyone else, Leman has no intention of setting up a tent. Over the years on Bear Island, he has long gotten used to sleeping in the wild. After all, the cold never bothered him. 

Leman started walking through the hundreds of tents on the fields around Harrenhal and observed everyone. He was interested to see what these southern Lords and the general populace were all about. Whether they were as bad as everyone said, or if it was all an exaggeration. He saw the looks of arrogance in the way the Lords and Ladies walked. The jealous when they saw someone who was higher stationed than them, greedy when money and power were involved and disregard for anyone lower than them. The smallfolk had to feed themselves and being popular was seen as a bonus if anything. The tourney itself is a way to gain popularity and support from many lords and their houses, but not to help the smallfolk. 

The more Leman saw, the more disgusted he became. His senses pick up so much more than anyone else and finding out the hidden, whispered words of plans and betrayal to rise the ladder. 

.

After walking for a while, he came upon a scene that almost made him break some spines then and there. He saw a small man, being beaten and kicked by three squires. The squires were taller than he was, but still boys if their looks were anything to go by. 

"Why are you trying to get back up, Frogeater!?" one of them shouted and kicked the young man in the rips. 

"Yeah, stop breathing, it stinks," another one says. 

Just as Leman is about to intervene, he sees something and stops. 

"That's my father's man you're kicking!" he hears his sister, Lyanna shout and run towards the three squires. 

"Huh?"

"A girl?"

"Wait that's-"

Lyanna grabs a tourney sword and runs towards the closest squire. She swings her sword, catching him off guard and hitting his face. 

*Smack*

"AHHH!" the wimp shouts. 

The skin opens and blood flows down his face. But Lyanna doesn't care at all and focuses on the next one. By this point, the other two have just gotten out of their shock and are trying to grab their own swords. Too slow though. Lyanna moves to the second one and slashes at his feet, knocking him over and making his face hit the ground hard. 

*Bang*

The final squire has finally managed to at least unsheath his sword but doesn't stand a chance against Lyanna. He might have done better if he weren't such a sad shit. Lyanna attacked with the ferocity that Leman knew from his sister. The other two stood up and were just about to run away from the beating when Leman appeared behind them. Two of them bumped into his ripped chest and nearly fell to the ground.

"Wha ..."

"Are you done with these, Lyanna? Or do you want me to give it a go?" Leman asks. 

"Hm, you can send them off." 

Leman grabs the three squires who are shaking at that point and slaps them with his free hand. 

*SLAP*

*SLAP*

*SLAP*

One slap for each of them. The slaps are so hard, that they fall on the floor and lose consciousness. So Leman lifts them up and just ... throws them to the back, like trash. 

"He's injured," Lyanna says as she checks on the young man lying on the ground. There are multiple bruises and cuts from the boots and gloved fists of the squires. Leman arrives and looks as well. 

"Who is this?"

"This is Howland Reed, the young Lord of Greywater Watch and the head of House Reed. Help me carry him."

"Sure."

Leman says and then lifts Howland up like he weighed nothing and puts him on his shoulder. Lyanna looks at Leman disapprovingly but he just shrugs. He won't carry a man in bridal style, that's just not something he will do.