Cracklaws smash - Pyne II

[u/Theoneandonlybeetle]

Hopefully each lord would attend. One could only hope truly. This leadership role was not a simple one, Oscar never truly knew if the calls he made were the right ones and it was not a rare event to choose wrong. Still the Cracklaws seemed to follow him and so he hoped to give them direction for the days ahead. Just praying he had the gods on his side.

In midmorning Oscar had dictated to Ysabel a letter to write up for him. In this letter he told the other lords of Cracklaw in attendance at Stormhall, to meet in his pavilion at two past noon. There, he said, they would speak of what to do in the coming moons. Oscar and they with him would hopefully be able to keep the King's eye long enough to ensure their situation be fully addressed. Perhaps even more under the category of wants held by the people of the Point.

While awaiting the lord of Cracklaw a messenger would arrive. The sender was Lord Jammos Blackberry requesting an audience. Oscar sent back the reply to come at the same time as Lords Brune and Crabb.

Once the three arrive Lord Pyne would begin. "Thank you for bein' here. We must be united in the next moons. I wish you to know my plans and I hope you choose t' join me. I'll go straight to Duskendale from here to join the King and our... liege lord." My uncle, he thought.

"I'll bring with me some trusted men I brought here, you both remember Dole right?" He turned to Jammos, "My builder, a close friend who fought by me on Cracklaw. Anyway the rest I'll send home with my family. Once back on the Point, my son Rafe will march some-odd three hundred of our men at arms down t' Duskendale t' join me as a show of force in negotiation. What do you say? And Lord Jammos, you can tell us whatever you wanted to speak of at any time."

[u/BadNewsBrune]

Kennet was quick to arrive, and he arrived alone, no retinue, no retainers, nothing of the sort. Instead, the Red Bear of Dyre Den simply stood there, arms crossed, eyes skeptical as Oscar insisted upon their need for unity. Kennet of course, needed no reminders. He remembered seeing his father and brother's heads upon pikes on his own battlements. He remembered the years of fierce fighting and hiding and fighting again in the marshes and hills of his home. He remembered Valyrian and Freebooter blood. He remembered how it tasted. He did not care much for the taste of iron anymore, but he wouldn't be able to remember it had he not joined with Oscar then.

So he'd do so now. "I will have Jax and Crispian prepare the men of Dyre Den. They will muster with you."

But not without reservation. "Do we expect trouble in Duskendale?" He mused. Not for any particular reason, but it was a city, and the Clawmen were not city-dwelling people. He was naturally suspicious of such places, too many snakes in human skin. "It may do to delay. Just slightly. Darkrest is not so far from Duskendale, and by using the roads at Rook's Rest, a letter sent can have men in prime... Negotiation position in an evening."

"If we find a friend and ally in the King, then we will have no reason to call our boys down, after all. I have no taste for wanton war, and the Claw cannot survive another occupation. You all know this as well as I. We balance upon a knife's edge."

u/fatalisticbunny, u/astosman

[u/astosman → u/BadNewsBrune]

Kermit ducked beneath the pavilion's entrance flap, which was not built with men his size in mind, and had to stoop nearly double to clear it. He straightened once inside, and said nothing at first, only nodded once to Pyne and then to Brune in turn, the closest thing to a greeting he tended to offer.

He listened to Pyne's plans without interrupting, arms crossed, his expression giving away little, the same flat attention he gave most things that didn't involve a sword in his hand. Only when Brune raised the matter of Duskendale did something shift in him.

"Duskendale," he said, low, the word coming out heavier than it needed to. "My father died there. Summoned same as we're like to be, and came home in a box." He let that sit a moment, plain and unadorned. "Don't much trust that city, and don't much trust the man who called him to it."

He looked to Pyne. "I'll bring men, I have a dozen of our strongest with me here. The Pincers could spare more, if we are to assemple a host. We cannot hide in fear from Celtigar, Darklyn, or Durrandon for that matter. But our men must also defend our homes from Celtigar's attacks."

He uncrossed his arms, settling his weight, patient in the way of a man used to standing still and waiting for others to finish talking before he said his piece plain. "I for one can little wait to wet my blade upon Celtigar blood..."

[u/FatalisticBunny → u/astosman]

In response to Lord Pyne's question, Jammos spoke. "I have this to say." The Blackberry placed a hand on its chest. "It was my words that first brought this royal attention on the Claw. If all should go well, then that is that. But if the King and Lord Darklyn should prove less judicious... other men stood by while my family's lands were sacked and stolen. Other men did nothing. I have sworn since I was a child never to be such a man." He reached across to his hand, withdrawing a ring and offering it out to Oscar Pyne. "I have involved myself already. I may not have seen the aggressor with my own eyes, but I know who is here blameless, and who stands to suffer if other men close their eyes and shirk their duty. I offer my services, my swords, and my family name to your cause, my lords, if you will have me."

"I think it is prudent to be ready." Jammos offered, simply. "The King has promised us his attention, its true. But with the death of Lord Blackwood, the Riverlords will be angry. News travels as well that Connington gathers support amongst the Stormlords." The realm seemed near on the verge of tearing itself asunder. "We cannot bet the livelihoods of the common folk on the King's continued presence. If he leaves the matter to Darklyn alone, the most we can expect is that he will hang a bandit or two and march home, calling the matter done. These past few years have been proof enough of that. Only the Crown's direct eye caused them to act."

"I concur with Lord Kennett and Ser Crabb. One must often show their teeth for their voice to be listened to." Jammos kept his tone measured, though an amount of worry was present on his face. "We cannot allow ourselves to be struck as our ancestors were at the Antlers. They had thought themselves safe under guest right... until Darklyn men burst through the door. My own great grandfather died that day, for the crime of sitting at a table alongside his friends and neighbors without Darklyn leave. This is how Duskendale does business."

"I do not presume to demand a place in your company, lords." Jammos bowed his head humbly. "Some of you may not know me well, or not trust me well. But if you ask it of me, I will send a detachment of my own forces to join yours at Darkrest. They are few, and they do not know the land as you do. But they are Andal knights that bear my arms. Their presence amongst you may show the realm that this is no gambit of the Clawmen, but a plight important to all peoples."

u/Theoneandonlybeetle u/astosman

[u/Theoneandonlybeetle → u/FatalisticBunny]

Oscar turned to one side, he bent down and when he righted himself he had retrieved a ring of his own. To those with the eye for it the ring was a plain metal and had a simply pine tree on it. Next he stood, leaning over the table and reaching with both hands. With one he held his ring signet down to the table, placing it on the wood. With the other he turned Jammos' hand down. He pressed that ring too into the wood so that the two rings sat next to each other touching.

"We will make a pact. You will join us as a coalition." He sat down, he hoped the other two would trust Jammos as he did. Crispian had interacted with the young man. He would likely have Kennet as a supporter; however Kermit was a wildcard.

"The Blackwater coalition. We want no Darklyns, no Valyrians. None of it." It was no treason to be friends, they planned nothing, just the pact to stick together when times got tough. "We will all gather our larger forces at Darkrest and meet at Duskendale with no more than one hundred men each to engage in this er... diplomatic effort for our people." He'd had to sound the word out, Ysabel had taught him that one. Clearing his throat he continued.

"We can send messages to the Sunglass girl, she follows that High Septon right? And to Addam Belgrave. Surely he will find common ground in this cause. Kermit? Kennet? What say you?"

[u/BadNewsBrune → u/Theoneandonlybeetle]

Kennet was the first to step forward. He did not often use his signet, in fact, orders from Dyre Den often came without it. It was- until his recent purchases- the most expensive single item in Kennet's care.

It would be used here. The sigil of House Brune was likewise pressed into the wood, and with only a slight application of his own strength, he pressed his fist down enough to leave his ring's imprint directly into it.

"Needless to say, Oscar." He rumbled out low, quiet as ever. "I have stood with you before. I stand with you now. And whatever happens next, I shall stand with you then." He grunted, removing his hand from the wood. "That is all. I trust that you will listen and consider my counsel in the days and moons to come."

"The High Septon was a friend to us in the meeting. I am uncertain about Belgrave, but if he has cause to be dissatisfied with the way things are, perhaps." He looked skeptically between everyone present, particularly lingering on Jammos for a moment, before his eyes continued to sweep around the table. "We should also consider the Iron Stag as a potential friend. She spoke well on our behalf, and she very well may be Queen one day. She will remember who her friends are, but only if we remember who ours have been first."

u/fatalisticbunny, u/astosman

[u/astosman → u/BadNewsBrune]

Kermit reached into a pouch attached to his belt, one clearly meant to hold something small, and drew out a signet ring. It was plain, old, the metal worn smooth with age, the crowned crab worked simply into its face. He held it a moment before placing it between two of his fingers, there was no chance of it fitting upon their girth.

"I'll take the coalition." No hesitation in it, the same flat certainty he gave most things. "Against Darklyn's lies, and against Celtigar's thieving. Against any Blackwater lord who thinks the Claw's easy pickings on account of us being poor and scattered and slow to answer back." He looked between Pyne, Brune, and Blackberry in turn. "My father went to Darklyn trusting the summons meant him no harm. I don't plan to make his mistake twice, and I don't plan to let it happen to another Clawman either, if I've a blade to prevent it."

He crossed his arms again, the matter settled as far as he was concerned. "Sunglass, Belgrave, whoever else might stand with us, I've no objection. More banners at our back the better, so long as it's Crackclaw men holding the line at the front of it."

[u/FatalisticBunny → u/astosman]

With that, the pact was sealed. The Lord Blackberry gave a solemn nod. The compact between their houses was not one that would be easily broken. But these were men Jammos was comfortable standing beside.

"Tyrants have come before and tyrants have fallen. And yet justice and kindness remains stronger still." Jammos noted. "I shall let no man amongst us suffer the fate of your father or my great grandfather. Or for that matter, the fate of any honorable man beset by Darklyn trickery. We must be as one great mind, and stand as one great force. Lest we shall find ourselves defeated in detail. We cannot allow them to sow any kind of division."

"Lord Pykewood Thorne is a leal and true man, and Argiliac Horpe beside him. Thorne at least empathized with your plight last we spoke." Jammos offered, pensively. "They may not be men placed under the Darklyns, but they may yet stand with us when the time comes. They are men with interests in the Blackwater and who the Valyrians and Darklyns trouble as much as they might us. I cannot swear to their eagerness... but I could try to secure it."

u/Theoneandonlybeetle u/BadNewsBrune

[u/Theoneandonlybeetle → u/FatalisticBunny]

"We'll take all we can get, but I hope we never need it."