Loren Lannister (298 A.C. Elventh Moon)
On top of the Wall.
Loren smiled as his brother pissed off the Wall. As he stood by the fire together with Jon Snow, he saw how the boy had changed; the words of his brother, and the lesson he had tried to teach him, had done their job.
He had learned to band together with his fellow watchmen and understood that he came from a privileged position. Even if it was that of a bastard, he was still a noble bastard from the most well-known house of the North.
Loren doubted it would be the last time the boy would be confronted with the world. The larger it became, the less it made sense, or the notion that justice and true honor even existed. It was a harsh world, yet even in that world one could choose to be cruel, harsh, or try to bring a little light into it. He always tried to do that for his people, his family, and the occasional stray he found. Jon and Tysha, oh, Tysha, the secret he had kept from his brother, the girl he had housed on his land for almost ten years. He had given her a small keep with a small household to keep her safe and provide her with the comfort she deserved, and the same for her daughter. Little Poppy, named after the flower, his niece and Tyrion's only child, a child Tyrion did not know. But he could not risk the truth coming out; he feared what his father would do if he ever found out.
Tyrion's steps pulled him out of his musing, and the mismatched eyes reminded him of Poppy, who had her mother's hair but her father's eyes.
"I'm sorry to see you both leave. It has been quite the eye-opener. The lessons, both in tact and in swords, I will not forget," Jon said solemnly, looking at them both strangely.
"Ah, it's either us or this cold. My brother has two little girls to get back to, and I have the library of King's Landing. I wonder if they have any new books. The royal library is perhaps the second largest in the realm. Winterfell's, though, has books I've never read before, lots of Northern folklore," Tyrion noted.
"Sadly, Snow, my brother is right. My girls wait for me, and I have a new ward as well from Winterfell," Loren said.
"A ward?" Jon asked.
"Indeed. Your sister Sansa's youngest friend, I believe, Beth Cassel. She was staying in Winterfell, so I offered her a wardship. She's a year or two older than my eldest, I believe," Loren replied.
"Why would you offer a wardship to a landless knight's daughter?" Jon asked, and Loren frowned at that.
"You do not know?" Tyrion asked. Loren laughed then.
"Hmm, surprising. I would have thought Rodrik would have told you and your brother about his fights at Pyke. I saved the old knight's life once, and we went on to fight together in the shield wall."
Snow's eyes widened. "Truly? No, he never told me. Him and Father might teach us to fight, but they rarely spoke of the battles they fought."
"Mmm, that explains it."
Snow looked at them thoughtfully. "When you both stop at Winterfell, send some words to my brothers. Tell them I miss them, and tell Bran that I miss him. Tell him I would visit if I could."
Snow sighed then. "He will never walk again, will never be a knight, or walk the Wall with me like we talked about."
Tyrion looked from Loren to Snow. "Well, it's better to be a rich cripple than a poor one. I'm a dwarf, and I'm grateful I'm a rich dwarf."
"Ride well, my lords Lannister. I hope to see you again in the future," Snow said as he put out his hand to both of them.
"Goodnight, Snow," Tyrion said as he took the boy's hand. After that, Loren took it.
"Remember the lessons of battle, but also of the world around you. You might have been raised with honor, but honor doesn't keep you alive. Dead is dead, and there is no returning from it."
"I will, my lord," Snow said.
"Good. I hope to hear of Jon Snow down in the south." Loren smiled as they left Snow standing with his direwolf, its eyes looking at him thoughtfully.
Winterfell
Winterfell looked empety, as rode inside of the courtyard.The northern bannermen who had traveled here to see the King were gone, as was a large part of the Stark household. Yet what surprised him most was that no one had come to greet them.
He glanced at Tyrion, who was likely thinking the same. Loren sighed as he dismounted, and so did the rest of his party and those from the Watch.
At that moment, two Stark guardsmen arrived. "His lordship is waiting to receive you in the Great Hall."
"Lead the way," Loren said, holding back an irritated reply.
"Hmm, the new lordling still needs to learn his way. If this is how he treats heirs to great houses, or a lord of Castermere," Bennard noted.
"That he does, but he also has a great deal of pride. Even Snow had that, but the boy also had humility, unlike his brother," Loren replied quietly.
"Quite right, brother. But let us follow these guards and meet Lord Robb," Tyrion added.
The walk to the hall irritated Loren even more. Soon enough, they arrived at the Great Hall. Upon the winter throne sat Robb Stark, and looking at him Loren could see Lord Stark, but it was Catelyn Tully he saw even more. Jon Snow looked more like his father, even if the boy was more handsome, according to his niece. He had smiled when Myrcella had told him about them: she said Robb had nice blue ones, but Jon's face was prettier. He had smiled at the girl, still so young and without spite, unlike her mother.
"I welcome you to Winterfell. Any man of the Night's Watch is welcome here," the pup said. Loren smiled then, his mismatched eyes finding the young lordling.
"A man of the Night's Watch, perhaps, but not me. Quite discourteous, boy," Loren said.
"I'm not your boy, Lannister. I am Lord of Winterfell while my father is away," the pup replied. Loren saw the young man's jaw twitch lightly.
"Then you might learn a lord's courtesy," Tyrion added.
"Indeed, Lord Stark. You may be a lord in your father's absence, but I am not merely a visitor. You are speaking to the Lord of Castermere and heir to the Rock," Loren said as he stared into the boy's eyes. He glanced around the room. No Lady Stark. No Ser Rodrik.
At that moment, loud footsteps entered the room. A giant of a man, if Loren recalled correctly named Hodor, carried little Brandon Stark.
"So it is true," Tyrion noted.
"Lad, do you remember anything about what happened?" Loren asked.
"He has no memory of that day," the maester said, sitting at a table near the throne.
"Curious," Tyrion said. Indeed so, and lucky. Loren suspected more and more what had happened, though he would never say such words aloud.
"Why are you both here?" the pup asked.
Loren turned toward Lord Stark. "Considering we both carry word from your brother, and that I am here to pick up my ward per my agreement with Ser Rodrik, who I see is absent, tell me, where is Lady Stark?"
He saw it then, the hint of uncertainty on the pup's face.
"My lady mother is away. Visiting my grandfather in Riverrun. And Ser Rodrik is part of her escort."
Loren smiled then, hearing the lie. "Ah, a shame. I found his company quite enjoyable the last time."
Tyrion joined in. "As for your brother Jon's words, he says he misses you both, and would visit if he could." Tyrion paused before looking at Bran. "Would your charming companion be so kind as to kneel. My neck is starting to ache."
Loren smiled at that. "Hodor, kneel."
"Do you like to ride, Bran?" Tyrion asked.
"Yes," the boy said uncertainly, before adding, "well, I mean, I did like to."
Loren looked at the boy sympathetically.
"What of it. The boy has no use of his legs," the maester noted.
"What of it," Tyrion retorted. "With the right saddle and horse, even a cripple can ride."
"I'm not a cripple," the boy said, frowning. Likely those around him avoided that word. They should not, the world is not kind to them.
"Then I'm not a dwarf. My father would be quite happy to hear it," Tyrion added with a smile.
He picked up a scroll he had been working on during the road. "I have a gift for you."
Brandon picked it up and unrolled it.
"Give it to your saddler. He will provide the rest," Tyrion said, then turned to Lord Robb and the maester. "Start with a yearling, and teach it to respond to reins and to the boy's voice."
Brandon looked at his brother with hopeful eyes. "Will I truly be able to ride?"
"You will. I use something similar because of my own height," Tyrion replied, and Brandon smiled even more brightly.
"Why would you want to help him?" the pup asked, and Loren had to resist rolling his eyes.
"I have a tender spot in my heart for cripples, bastards, and broken things," Tyrion replied.
The pup swallowed hard. "You have done my brother a kindness. The hospitality of Winterfell is yours."
"Well, we both know it is a false one at that, Stark. So my brother and I will take shelter in one of your inns in Wintertown. I shall return on the morrow to retrieve Lady Beth Cassel. Perhaps the next time I visit your castle, you will have learned your lord's courtesy," Loren said as the pup's cheeks reddened.
As his party followed him out, the lordling of Pyke followed them.
"If you wish for a good tumble in the sheets, ask for Ros," the squid said, looking at him as Loren mounted his horse.
"I do not need to spend coin for that, hostage. Perhaps my brother does," Loren replied, irritated.
"Oh, no need, brother, I sampled that cunt before," Tyrion replied, to the laughter of the party.
Loren smiled as the squid's face darkened.
"Tell me something. Where is Lady Stark truly?"
"At Riverrun, as my lord stated," the squid replied.
Loren smiled. "Loyalty to your captors is inspiring," Tyrion said. "I wonder what Baelon Greyjoy would say if he found out his son became a lackey."
"He is not my captor," the squid replied, anger creeping into his voice.
Loren grinned. "No, that was King Robert and Lord Stark. And I remember the look on your father's face when he heard the decree. He was lucky he got to keep his head."
"We were outnumbered ten to one," the squid retorted.
"A stupid rebellion then. All it caused was loss of life. Sailors of Lannisport burned. Your own brothers among them. One slain at Seagard as he foolishly tried to take it, another drowned at sea, and the last crushed beneath one of the towers of Pyke. I remember that one. Shortly after, I fought a sea battle against Lord Dunstan Drumm. Quite a fight it was, I was still young then. Yet I killed the man, pushing my dagger through his eye."
He drew Red Claw. "Here is the very blade he tried to kill me with. Red Claw is the name now, even if it is still Red Rain."
"I give you this advice, Greyjoy. Be smart, not stupid like the rest of your kin," Loren said as he sheathed the blade. Yet he doubted the squid would listen, as his face was red with anger or shame.
Tyrion threw the squid a gold dragon. "Here, the next tumble with Ros is on us."
As they rode away, Loren's mood was more sour than it had been before he rode through these gates.
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