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Post by Daeron Wildfyre on Sept 9, 2020 15:47:53 GMT 1
As he saw Balon approach Daeron had already made space by his own fire.
"Plenty of fire and ale to go around for the Liberator of Pennytree, though I must say that a longer tourney lance is no match for a stouter war lance, especially given the effect it can have on its target." He follows up his ribalds with a lewd gesture, evidence that Wildfyre might not be on his first drink of the evening. Daeron had heard of Balon's successes in taking the surprisingly fortified village and more impressive was the fact that he managed to keep his men in line and bloodlessly occupy enemy territory. Perhaps the Snakeater was more gallant than Daeron had previously given him credit for.
Pointing his mug at some of the men around the fire he prods, "These men of yours claim that you had to rescue Redtusk from behind enemy lines, surely my friend Ser Roland wasn't so bold to land himself in some sort of trouble was he?"
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Post by Balon Blackbriar on Oct 8, 2020 4:54:18 GMT 1
"Plenty of fire and ale to go around for the Liberator of Pennytree, though I must say that a longer tourney lance is no match for a stouter war lance, especially given the effect it can have on its target." He follows up his ribalds with a lewd gesture, evidence that Wildfyre might not be on his first drink of the evening. Daeron had heard of Balon's successes in taking the surprisingly fortified village and more impressive was the fact that he managed to keep his men in line and bloodlessly occupy enemy territory. Perhaps the Snakeater was more gallant than Daeron had previously given him credit for. Balon smiled then laughed at Daeron's joke. "Too true my friend." After accepting an ale from a soldier Balon plopped down on an empty barrel. It seemed his comrades were well ahead of him in their revelry and he had some catching up to do. Pointing his mug at some of the men around the fire he prods, "These men of yours claim that you had to rescue Redtusk from behind enemy lines, surely my friend Ser Roland wasn't so bold to land himself in some sort of trouble was he?"Balon smirked and took a long drink as he decided how to answer. On the one hand it was Redtusk's actions that had allowed the assault to happen but on the other hand it was his actions that had led Balon's battle-hungry southron knights to surrender on the walls when they were overwhelmed. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand Balon took a neutral approach. "Redtusk fought as all assumed he would; with reckless abandon. He tore through the defenders and while the siege tower crumbled into a burning heap behind him he didn't hesitate to see the mission done. Thanks to him the gate was open and I led the men through and on to victory."
Balon told a slightly embellished version of the Siege of Pennytree. While Redtusk held the gatehouse (he made sure not to say 'hide') Balon's soldiers bore the brunt of the Blackwood counterattack. Thanks to Balon's unflappable courage and leadership the Brackens overcame great odds and turned a defeat into a victory. "I initially planned to use the siege tower as a decoy and scale the walls with my best men but the motte's incline was too steep. Instead we had to do what the Blackwoods wanted, fight in a narrow passage at an extreme disadvantage. As you can see," Balon waived to the men around them, "I didn't let those dogs slaughter us."Balon sighed and took a drink, "Was it tempting to slaughter the Blackwoods? Of course it was but doing the right thing and doing the easy thing are rarely the same." A sinister smile came up on his lips. "Plus from what I'm hearing the Blackwoods are doing an excellent job of showing the realms what blackguards and butchers they are. Why give them anything to rally behind?"
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Post by Daeron Wildfyre on Oct 14, 2020 1:54:38 GMT 1
He holds his cup in salute to Balon's final comments.
"Too true. When I was still his squire, Lord Starling was always quick to remind me that taking the high road was the difference between a true knight and a hedge knight. Both might be skilled and armored warriors, but one could always be relied upon to do the right thing and to aid others, while the other could only be counted upon to help himself. Once the rest of the realm hears of what happened during this conflict, the choice between honorable men and barbarians will be placed in starker detail. Even leal servants of the Iron Throne might find themselves slower to raise their banners if they know that it means having to fight alongside monsters."
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Post by Balon Blackbriar on Oct 15, 2020 8:02:17 GMT 1
Balon nodded along as Daeron spoke of Lord Starling. His father Donnel had once tried to get Balon into the Companions but his vulgar accusations and dark deeds had ensured that would never happen. No matter. I would've never been able to accomplish what I've done if I'd been at Kingsbridge. In truth Balon was more hedge knight than true knight but he was trying to become a better person. His murders had advanced his cause, his family, and his own wealth but it seemed there was no longevity in the road he was walking down. But then again is there longevity in being a true knight? Doing the right thing had set the Companions and the Starlings in the crosshairs of Lord Eldon and his dogs. Hard to see a long and fruitful life with Lord Piggy as your enemy.
"I fear that those loyal to the throne will make whatever excuses are needed to justify their comrades' actions. The pragmatic will say, 'Yes he's a monster but I get to return home to my lands thanks to him.' Take the Ironhand for example. Reports are trickling in that he is raiding Bracken lands. Do you think any sensible loyalist would refuse his counsel or prowess on the field?" Balon knew Ser Otho was a monster but he'd give his right arm to have that brute leading the vanguard. "Look at my cousin's half-brothers the Dornish Daverhyls. They're murderers and rapists but I don't see anyone distancing themselves from them."
Balon sighed, "Let us pray to the Seven that we win this war so those who are undecided and *pragmatic* will see our military might and rally behind us." Balon smiled, "Speaking of that, tell me of your siege. I heard it was a slog but you and your brother managed to secure the town."
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Post by Daeron Wildfyre on Oct 21, 2020 20:36:07 GMT 1
Daeron shrugged half in agreement.
"Aye, diehards with strong motives will fight alongside whomever they must, and I'm sure that at the end of the day I too would rather have one like Lord Oakheart, for example, with his men and talents by my side rather than across the field. That said, there are plenty of lords and knights who have yet to declare for one king or another who might be won over with displays of chivalry, and yes, martial might as well."
He leans back a bit and begins to bask in the glory that he imagined Balon was laying upon him.
"Mudgrave was... a challenge to be sure and it was a brutal example of how even a small number of archers in the right position can devastate light infantry. Far more of our men died by arrow than spear, but we managed to break down some walls to flank the defenders on the inside and use our numbers to our advantage. I slew perhaps scores of men, light armor being a poor defense against Kingsbridge steel, but it was Ser Normyn who led us to victory, keeping his head during the fight and pushing more men forward than he allowed to fall back and his own swordwork played no small part in taking the town either.
At the end of the day the men wanted little more than to vent their frustrations and anger out on the populace, but we kept them in line and managed a more peaceful occupation. Ser Lambert is captive at Stone Hedge and his soldiers were spared. After all, who can begrudge the smallfolk who bravely defend their homes? In my experience they could care less about which banner flies over their villages as long as they're safe."
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Post by Balon Blackbriar on Oct 23, 2020 7:07:54 GMT 1
"Aye, diehards with strong motives will fight alongside whomever they must, and I'm sure that at the end of the day I too would rather have one like Lord Oakheart, for example, with his men and talents by my side rather than across the field. That said, there are plenty of lords and knights who have yet to declare for one king or another who might be won over with displays of chivalry, and yes, martial might as well." Balon nodded in agreement to having men like Lord Walgrave on their side but pursed his lips in consternation at Daeron's claim to winning people over with chivalry. "Chivalry is a tricky thing. We'll win some to our cause with it, especially in the Reach, but I don't know if it'll be enough." He shrugged, "It can hurt us too. We might view an opportunity as unchivalrous and leave it be when it could've helped us tremendously. Look at the assassination of Lord Hightower." The anarchy caused by that shrewd move had sent ripples through the Reach that remained unsolved to this day. Balon shifted on his barrel and leaned forward before launching into a story, "Did I ever tell you about Fireball's lessons on strategy? One of his... exercises was a game of tiles that in essence was practice for commanding a battlefield. Different tiles represented types of troops, terrain, advantages and disadvantages, things like that. No matter what I did I could never beat him. Couldn't even get close. On one rainy day he ordered me to retrieve the bags of tiles so we could practice. After getting them I was almost back to the hall when I stopped, a sudden idea hit me. I removed some of the strongest pieces from his bag in an attempt to create an unfair advantage." A smile crept up on his lips from the memory, "For the first time ever I was winning against Fireball. My troop tiles were better, my advantages greater, his defenses weakened. Right before I won he realized what I did. He stood up and dumped his bag of tiles to see he'd been shorted." Balon shook his head and chuckled, "He hit me so hard I saw stars for damn near an hour. I knew he had a temper but cheating to win had infuriated him beyond my expectations." A sigh escaped from his lips, "That was the closest I ever came to winning. But I learned a lesson that day. Sometimes you need to remove pieces from play before the game starts if you want to win. It was underhanded and unchivalrous but it worked. Does that make sense?" Balon realized in a roundabout way he was asking what Daeron was willing to do to see Blackfyre put on the throne. He leans back a bit and begins to bask in the glory that he imagined Balon was laying upon him. "Mudgrave was... a challenge to be sure and it was a brutal example of how even a small number of archers in the right position can devastate light infantry. Far more of our men died by arrow than spear, but we managed to break down some walls to flank the defenders on the inside and use our numbers to our advantage. I slew perhaps scores of men, light armor being a poor defense against Kingsbridge steel, but it was Ser Normyn who led us to victory, keeping his head during the fight and pushing more men forward than he allowed to fall back and his own swordwork played no small part in taking the town either.
At the end of the day the men wanted little more than to vent their frustrations and anger out on the populace, but we kept them in line and managed a more peaceful occupation. Ser Lambert is captive at Stone Hedge and his soldiers were spared. After all, who can begrudge the smallfolk who bravely defend their homes? In my experience they could care less about which banner flies over their villages as long as they're safe." "That's quite the body count. I have no doubt your men looked to you and your deeds and used it as motivation to push through the breach and carry the day." Balon raised a mug in salute. "To you and Ser Normyn." After taking a drink Balon laughed at a thought, "A valuable lesson learned by both of us. If we have the option of siege or assault, take the siege." He agreed with Daeron on taking prisoners, "Tis better that order rules the day. Defending your home is one thing. Rampant slaughter and destruction is another."Balon looked around, "Pity Ser Parmen isn't around. I've heard strange things about what happened to him and hoped to hear a first hand account of what transpired at the sept or whatever the fuck that place was."
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Post by Daeron Wildfyre on Oct 29, 2020 18:34:49 GMT 1
Daeron chuckles at Balon's story finding every aspect fitting the character of the two men. He also realized the significance of the query that Balon was posing to him and decided to counter it with his own.
"A canny move Ser, but how did it end? You didn't win your game and your underhanded attempt led you to getting your ass beaten. Once you broke the rules, what was there to stop Fireball from cheating himself in the future and beating you even harder at your tile game?"
While Daeron wasn't opposed to fighting hard, he was wary of radically upending the rules of war. Wasn't chivalry what they were fighting to restore? Better to let Bloodraven and his lot be the first to break the rules so that any misbehavior would be seen as justified retaliation rather than boorish thuggery.
"I imagine that Ser Parmen is entertaining a lass, or two, in his tent somewhere. Those Redwyne men do love to harvest every vineyard they come across. As for his war stories, I too would love to hear what happened at that sept. Every story I've heard has been entirely different."
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Post by Parmen Redwyne on Nov 15, 2020 22:58:47 GMT 1
As usual Parmen was doing his best to play the dutiful husband, but it was damn difficult. There was this one hedge knight's daughter whose breasts seemed to defy gravity and whose smile promised all sorts of trouble. Seeking an escape Parmen had wandered off into the camps looking for a game of stones or an old warrior telling tall tales of battles long ago. Instead he saw a knight who had once knocked him on his ass in his own castle in front of all of his men. Maybe, that was why Parmen liked him.
"Wyldfyre! Good to see you Ser Daeron. You are a long way from Kingsbridge."
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Post by Daeron Wildfyre on Nov 18, 2020 2:24:30 GMT 1
With a sharp motion of his head, Daeron makes it clear to one of the squires that he's to give up his seat for the newcomer. He gives Ser Parmen a wry shit-eating grin as he approached. Everyone in camp had heard of his most recent exploits. Same Parmen, different kingdom.
"And you're even further from Highever if I had to guess." He offers the knight a flagon. "Here – from what I've heard you could use the hydration."
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Post by Balon Blackbriar on Nov 28, 2020 6:31:33 GMT 1
"A canny move Ser, but how did it end? You didn't win your game and your underhanded attempt led you to getting your ass beaten. Once you broke the rules, what was there to stop Fireball from cheating himself in the future and beating you even harder at your tile game?"
While Daeron wasn't opposed to fighting hard, he was wary of radically upending the rules of war. Wasn't chivalry what they were fighting to restore? Better to let Bloodraven and his lot be the first to break the rules so that any misbehavior would be seen as justified retaliation rather than boorish thuggery. "I imagine that Ser Parmen is entertaining a lass, or two, in his tent somewhere. Those Redwyne men do love to harvest every vineyard they come across. As for his war stories, I too would love to hear what happened at that sept. Every story I've heard has been entirely different." Balon raised his finger to object but when his mouth was half open he paused before he could say anything. Was Daeron right? Had he temporarily gained the upper hand in a battle but lost the proverbial war? He wasn't aware of anytime Fireball cheated in their tile game but had he ever checked? To Daeron's point if Balon fought dirty in the war to come wouldn't that just mean the other side would too? Balon realized his mouth was still open and his finger raised. He brought his hand down and rested it on a knee that was involuntarily bouncing. "Fair point Ser Daeron." Balon chewed on his lower lip for a bit as he tried to come up with some kind of counter. He settled on, "I believe the point Fireball was trying to make is if you study hard, practice hard, and go above and beyond to become the best, you won't have to cheat." He wanted to argue more about it but let the matter lie. In truth he was trying to get a friend to tangentially agree with his previous methodology in swinging the pendulum in Blackfyre's favor. Balon was thinking of a jape at the Redwynes expense when Ser Parmen arrived. "Wyldfyre! Good to see you Ser Daeron. You are a long way from Kingsbridge." Balon was agitated that he had been excluded from Parmen's greeting. "Greetings Septon Parmen." He said sarcastically, "Tell me how was your sabbatical at the Shattered Rock? While we were taking Pennytree and Mudgrave we heard the most queer rumors coming from your men. Tell us what the fuck happened up there?"
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Post by Parmen Redwyne on Nov 28, 2020 20:50:21 GMT 1
"Wyldfyre! Good to see you Ser Daeron. You are a long way from Kingsbridge." Balon was agitated that he had been excluded from Parmen's greeting. "Greetings Septon Parmen." He said sarcastically, "Tell me how was your sabbatical at the Shattered Rock? While we were taking Pennytree and Mudgrave we heard the most queer rumors coming from your men. Tell us what the fuck happened up there?"Parmen favored the large, loud knight with a tight smile and then proceeded to ignore him. To the best of his knowledge they had never spoken but Ser Balon was famous infamous throughout at least two of the seven kingdoms. Still...there was no need to be rude, Parmen knew better than most how rumors were fools pissing into the wind. The knight was Ser Donnel's son and anyway Parmen had a message to pass on from his House. "Thank you. It has been an exhausting day." Parmen took a gulp and smacked his lips. "The god's are merciful: for a moment I thought that you were drinking Riverlander wine and I was going to have to retreat to fight another day." Parmen finished his cup and accepted another before turning the other knight. "Ser Balon, I have not thanked you for your help in saving Lady Lyanna when she fell into the river at Highgarden." Weather she had fallen in or jumped was a matter that Parmen was not going to discuss publicly. "You have our gratitude for your quick thinking and bravery."
"Shattered Rock...was a goat fuck. I am curious what rumors you heard. Suffice is to say that the information we received regarding a massacre of wounded Bracken soldiers proved suspiciously incorrect. Instead we found a few septons and other members of the faith, a handful of peasants seeking forgiveness for their sins and several pious idiots who almost got themselves killed. I came damn close to ordering the charge when I first saw those knights ride out to challenge us and it would have been a slaughter on holy ground." Parmen shook his head remembering how close he had come to staining his soul. "I'll offer you three guesses as to how that misinformation was created and spread, but you probably will only need two."
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Post by Daeron Wildfyre on Dec 3, 2020 22:48:09 GMT 1
Ser Parmen's description of Shattered Rock only served to bring a dour frown to Daeron's face. Rare were the moments in which he could hide his feelings and the oblique mention of Bloodraven quickly soured his mood.
"I feel that my sinister half-brother is behind more schemes than this. If even half of my suspicions are correct, he's the true power behind the Iron Throne and is responsible for the murder of Lord Jon."
Although Daeron had precisely zero evidence for his bold accusations, the fact that there was no evidence was proof enough for him that a schemer of Bloodraven's caliber was responsible for most of the devious plots in the realm.
"All the more reason that we must crush him and his enablers at Battle Valley. Though not everyone fighting for them is nearly as culpable, the heathen Blackwoods and that pallid sorcerer are a danger to the Seven Kingdoms."
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Post by Balon Blackbriar on Dec 21, 2020 7:54:53 GMT 1
Parmen favored the large, loud knight with a tight smile and then proceeded to ignore him. To the best of his knowledge they had never spoken but Ser Balon was famous infamous throughout at least two of the seven kingdoms. Still...there was no need to be rude, Parmen knew better than most how rumors were fools pissing into the wind. The knight was Ser Donnel's son and anyway Parmen had a message to pass on from his House. "Thank you. It has been an exhausting day." Parmen took a gulp and smacked his lips. "The god's are merciful: for a moment I thought that you were drinking Riverlander wine and I was going to have to retreat to fight another day." Parmen finished his cup and accepted another before turning the other knight. "Ser Balon, I have not thanked you for your help in saving Lady Lyanna when she fell into the river at Highgarden." Whether she had fallen in or jumped was a matter that Parmen was not going to discuss publicly. "You have our gratitude for your quick thinking and bravery."
"Shattered Rock...was a goat fuck. I am curious what rumors you heard. Suffice is to say that the information we received regarding a massacre of wounded Bracken soldiers proved suspiciously incorrect. Instead we found a few septons and other members of the faith, a handful of peasants seeking forgiveness fortheir sins and several pious idiots who almost got themselves killed. I came damn close to ordering the charge when I first saw those knights ride out to challenge us and it would have been a slaughter on holy ground." Parmen shook his head remembering how close he had come to staining his soul. "I'll offer you three guesses as to how that misinformation was created and spread, but you probably will only need two."Of all the responses Balon expected, a thank you about Lady Lyanna was not one of them. Even though he knew Ser Parmen was a bannerman to House Levalle and Lord Alliser was his good-father Balon's conscious never connected the two. It seemed wrong for someone of Redwyne pedigree to be in service to a house with such a vile reputation. However if half the rumors about Parmen's extracurricular activities were true then perhaps he did belong with the Levalles. After a stunned moment Balon found an answer, "You... You're welcome ser." Balon relived the moment of swimming out to save Lyanna only to have Ashara (of all people) bring her back from the dead once they were ashore. "I carried her back to the safety of the Starkwood camp and stood vigil until she was able to return to the Florents. I haven't heard much since." Imry's cruelty appeared to have led to her suicide attempt and Balon hoped she hadn't tried again. "Is she doing well?"
Balon listened with great interest as he spoke about Shattered Rock. A trap? An attempt by the Blackwoods to frame the Brackens for attacking the faith. Damned clever. Luckily Parmen asked for a parlay. Balon would not have extended the same curtesy. Ser Parmen's description of Shattered Rock only served to bring a dour frown to Daeron's face. Rare were the moments in which he could hide his feelings and the oblique mention of Bloodraven quickly soured his mood. "I feel that my sinister half-brother is behind more schemes than this. If even half of my suspicions are correct, he's the true power behind the Iron Throne and is responsible for the murder of Lord Jon."
Although Daeron had precisely zero evidence for his bold accusations, the fact that there was no evidence was proof enough for him that a schemer of Bloodraven's caliber was responsible for most of the devious plots in the realm. "All the more reason that we must crush him and his enablers at Battle Valley. Though not everyone fighting for them is nearly as culpable, the heathen Blackwoods and that pallid sorcerer are a danger to the Seven Kingdoms." "Bloodraven's agents killed Lord Jon and now he tries to get the Brackens to commit murder against those that defend the Seven's flock." Balon parroted Daeron's words before spitting on the ground in disgust. "That whoreson needs to be stopped." Easier said than done. "What he didn't anticipate was the level head of Ser Parmen." Balon raised his cup to to him. "You saved your honor and the righteousness of the Bracken cause by showing restraint and I salute you ser." Balon shifted the conversation and smiled, "Have you spoken with your brother since you returned?" Balon's honorable behavior at Pennytree had improved Redtusk's opinion of him and he never passed an opportunity to have other people talk about how great he was. "He fought with a reckless abandon. I can only imagine what the two of you could accomplish together before this war is over."
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Post by Parmen Redwyne on Feb 8, 2021 21:19:28 GMT 1
Of all the responses Balon expected, a thank you about Lady Lyanna was not one of them. Even though he knew Ser Parmen was a bannerman to House Levalle and Lord Alliser was his good-father Balon's conscious never connected the two. It seemed wrong for someone of Redwyne pedigree to be in service to a house with such a vile reputation. However if half the rumors about Parmen's extracurricular activities were true then perhaps he did belong with the Levalles. After a stunned moment Balon found an answer, "You... You're welcome ser." Balon relived the moment of swimming out to save Lyanna only to have Ashara (of all people) bring her back from the dead once they were ashore. "I carried her back to the safety of the Starkwood camp and stood vigil until she was able to return to the Florents. I haven't heard much since." Imry's cruelty appeared to have led to her suicide attempt and Balon hoped she hadn't tried again. "Is she doing well?" "Bloodraven's agents killed Lord Jon and now he tries to get the Brackens to commit murder against those that defend the Seven's flock." Balon parroted Daeron's words before spitting on the ground in disgust. "That whoreson needs to be stopped." Easier said than done. "What he didn't anticipate was the level head of Ser Parmen." Balon raised his cup to to him. "You saved your honor and the righteousness of the Bracken cause by showing restraint and I salute you ser." Balon shifted the conversation and smiled, "Have you spoken with your brother since you returned?" Balon's honorable behavior at Pennytree had improved Redtusk's opinion of him and he never passed an opportunity to have other people talk about how great he was. "He fought with a reckless abandon. I can only imagine what the two of you could accomplish together before this war is over." "You are good to ask, sir. Lady Lyanna was recovering well before I left the Reach." And will likely continue to recover so long as my little shit of a brother-in-law is kept away from her."Aye, I thought of Bloodraven as well but in truth it could just as easily have been the Ironhand. That one has been fighting overseas in the Disputed Lands for years and the mercenary companies over there practice every atrocity known to man and a few that they invented themselves if half of the sailors stories are true. Either of them will be a dangerous enemy to whomever seeks to bring justice and honor to the Riverlands."Parmen shook his head and ginned at Balon's last comment. "I haven't had a chance to speak to Roland since we returned, but reckless abandon sounds about right for my brother. Tell me, is it true that you had to rescue him at Pennytree. Please, please tell me that is true. Your exploits will live forever because my brothers and I will never let him forget about it!" Parmen loved his brother and had idolized as a boy, but the Septons preached the benefits of humility and all seven gods knew that Roland could stand to be taken down a peg every once in a while.
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Post by Balon Blackbriar on Feb 9, 2021 8:22:56 GMT 1
"You are good to ask, sir. Lady Lyanna was recovering well before I left the Reach." And will likely continue to recover so long as my little shit of a brother-in-law is kept away from her. Balon gave an approving nod, "Good... good." There was a brief pause as Balon considered whether or not to ask about Imry; he ultimately decided to, "I'm surprised Ser Imry isn't here in the Riverlands fighting for fortune and glory." Imry was a glory-hound, Balon knew his own kind when he saw it. Moreover, waging war in the Riverlands would've put considerable distance between him and Lyanna. "Tell me ser, who do you think Ser Imry would've supported had he made his way north?" Balon knew there was discord within House Levalle but he didn't really know how much. Lord Florent supported Ser Daemon, Lord Alliser and his brother sided with the king, Ser Parmen was clearly a member of the Fire faction, but Balon didn't know where Imry stood. No harm in asking."Aye, I thought of Bloodraven as well but in truth it could just as easily have been the Ironhand. That one has been fighting overseas in the Disputed Lands for years and the mercenary companies over there practice every atrocity known to man and a few that they invented themselves if half of the sailors stories are true. Either of them will be a dangerous enemy to whomever seeks to bring justice and honor to the Riverlands." "Bloodraven, Ironhand, Ironhand at the behest of Bloodraven." Balon smirked, "How about we indict the entirety of House Blackwood to be sure." He laughed and took a large gulp of whatever alcohol had been handed to him. "Bringing Ironhand to justice sounds like a good idea. I hear the ransom for his head grows larger by the day." Balon imagined what he could do with that wealth and political capital if he captured or killed Ser Ulbert. "May one of us be so lucky to claim the bounty!" He raised his cup in salute. Parmen shook his head and grinned at Balon's last comment. "I haven't had a chance to speak to Roland since we returned, but reckless abandon sounds about right for my brother. Tell me, is it true that you had to rescue him at Pennytree. Please, please tell me that is true. Your exploits will live forever because my brothers and I will never let him forget about it!" Parmen loved his brother and had idolized as a boy, but the Septons preached the benefits of humility and all seven gods knew that Roland could stand to be taken down a peg every once in a while. A wicked smile crept up on Balon's face. "I'll tell you two stories about Pennytree and you can decide which one to repeat." The first story was the truth. Redtusk's brave foray from the siege tower onto the walls, leading the knights of the Reach towards the gatehouse. His mastery of personal combat got him inside and opened the gate but his lack of care for his troops led to their defeat and surrender. Once the gate was open it was only a matter of time before Balon broke the defenders' resolve. The second story, an obvious exaggeration designed to give something to Parmen to rib his brother with, was a tale of Balon's magnificence and Redtusk hiding in a room that just happened to be the gatehouse. Fortunately for Ser Roland the defenders were so busy trying to stop the fearsome Snaker Eater that no one noticed him sneak into the gatehouse and bring up the portcullis. "In truth I won because he succeeded. I owe him a drink."
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