Winter's Promise

5th Month of 298 A.C. King's Landing

Lord Eddard Stark

Jon Arryn, a man Ned had grown up admiring, and why would he not? The man had raised him from the time he was eight years old, and had taught him much and more about the ways of life, about what it meant to be a man, and how there were some lines that you just did not cross. He had not always seen eye to eye with the man, the issue of the sack of King's Landing, being the main point that demonstrated that, however, as he had grown older, he had grown to understand, just why his mentor had said and done some of the things he had done. There were some things that just could not be avoided, and if it meant getting one's hands dirty, then it was to be done, and there was no point asking questions about it. That had been a difficult lesson for him to learn, but learn it he had, and now, well now he did not think on it. Still, there were some parts of Jon Arryn's life that were left shrouded in mist for Ned, he did not, or rather had not known too much about the life of the man, before Ned and Robert had arrived within the Vale. Now he did, he knew that Jon had grown up during a time of deep uncertainty within the Vale, his father was the only son of Lord Ronnel Arryn and had been born late in his father's life. For a time it had seemed as though the dragons or perhaps even the Royces would take over the Eyrie, and it had come quite close to that actually happening. Jasper Arryn had nearly died, during a fight with someone or the other, and as such, the throne and the Royces had begun making their own bids for the falcon throne. Of course Jasper Arryn had gone onto survive, but he had been scarred by the experience, and had gone onto teach his eldest son and heir all about being distrusting of those outside the family. Jon Arryn, Ned had learned, had not trusted many people whilst he had been alive, and might well have been responsible for a fair few of the deaths that had occurred in the Vale. Ned could not blame him for that, the protection of the family had to come first, before the good of the realm in some circumstances as it were. Jon Arryn, Ned had learned, was a good man, who circumstance had forced to do many things, things that many others would not want to do. Ned respected him for that, and missed him all the more for it.

Stannis Baratheon, on the other hand, was a man who to Ned seemed as if he was content to play the game of mourning for his entire life. Born the second son of Lord Steffon and Lady Cassana Baratheon, Stannis had grown up in Robert's shadow, never doing enough to justify being praised or looked at with awe. And this, it seemed had caused the young boy and later the man to look toward something that might well make his life that more meaningful. He had adhered to the principle of the law, as Barth had written it, and bearing in mind that Barth whilst being a slightly crazy man and a friend to the old King, was still a Septon, he had created quite a rigid and unmovable version of the law. Stannis had therefore, come into some early difficulties with that, as Ned had found. There was that issue with the brothel owner's daughter when he was fifteen, something the young Stannis had not known how to deal with, and as such had asked for help from his uncle, Ser Harbert Baratheon, the next day the girl and her father had turned up floating in Shipbreaker's bay. Then there was that issue with the stable boy, and the boy had complained to Ser Harbert, and later turned up dead. It seemed Robert's second brother, left a trail of dead bodies no matter where he went, a constant desire to be seen and heard, causing all kinds of death and destruction as a consequence. It was quite sad really, and as such, the fact that Stannis had been working with Jon Arryn, was something that Ned had found quite interesting, he wondered why the two had been working together, what they had been looking for, and why, after Jon Arryn's death, Stannis had fled. That was something that had really peaked Ned's interest. That the two had gone to Tobho Mott's forge, as the last thing ever done together, was something Ned had just had to see. He needed to know what was there within that forge that had forced them to go there some four times, as if preparing for something. He needed to know what it was, and he needed to know how he might use it. And so here he was, Tobho Mott's forge, with the man himself standing there looking at him nervously.

Ned nods to the man and asks. "Lord Arryn and Lord Stannis came here a fair few times did they not Tobho?"

"Aye, they did my lord hand, that they did." the man responds nervously.

"Do you know why they came here so often?" he asks.

There is a moment's silence, and Ned can tell that the man is considering lying to him, he gazes at the man, giving him the distinct impression that lying to him would not be a good thing. "They came here asking questions about something or the other. I think it was to do with Gendry."

Gendry? A name Ned has heard once or twice before, he looks at the man and asks. "Do you know why they came here asking questions about Gendry? Who is Gendry?"

"He's my apprentice my lord hand. Has been since the time he was four namedays old." Mott says. Something like pride clear in his voice.

"Might I be able to speak to the lad?" Ned asks.

Mott looks at him nervously then. "Why my lord hand? Has he done something wrong?"

Ned shakes his head then, and smiles reassuringly. "No, nothing like that, I just wished to speak with him is all."

The man considers him once more and then nods, turning behind him he calls out. "Gendry, lad, come here."

There is a moment's silence, and then a figure comes out from the back of the forge. A tall lad, with thick muscular arms, and a mop of black hair, blue eyes staring out intently before him. Ned inhales softly, the lad looks exactly like Robert did at that age, and he begins wondering if there might be a more specific reason as to why Jon came here. "What?" the boy asks looking between Mott and Ned, Ned hides a smile then.

Mott glares at the boy and says. "The hand wants to speak with you lad."

Gendry looks at him then and says. "What is it you wish to know my lord?"

There is definitely an air of Robert about the boy, and Ned's mind is working in over time trying to figure out if there was something definitive reason for Jon Arryn to come here. "Lord Arryn, the previous hand, and Lord Stannis came here a few times before me did they not lad?" he asks.

"Aye they did." Gendry says simply.

"Tobho here has told me they came here asking questions about you. Do you know why that might've been?" Ned asks.

Gendry looks at him, as if sizing him up, and Ned remembers how Robert would do that with someone they had just met. "I do not know why they came here my lord hand, but they did ask me a lot of questions."

"Questions about what precisely?" Ned asks.

There is a brief moment, where Ned thinks the boy is going tell him to bugger off, and turn around and disappear back into the heart of the shop, but a look from Tobho, and the boy remains still. "They asked me about how I was finding working here in the forge, and how long I had worked here. Well Lord Arryn did anyway, the other one, Lord Stannis did nothing but stare at me."

How curious. Ned thinks, his mind whirring with this new piece of information. "And what did you say in response?" he asks.

The boy looks as if he really does not want to answer this question, almost as if he has answered it many times before, but still he responds. "I said that I enjoy working here, that there was nothing more fulfilling that I could think of, considering my talents. And that I had been here since I was four namedays old."

"As I told you my lord hand." Mott is quick to say.

Ned nods at the man and turns his attention back to the boy. "What else did they ask you Gendry?"

There is another pause, as the boy begins looking at Mott, almost as if he is seeking reassurance for something, Ned finds that most curious. Eventually the boy replies. "They asked me what had happened to my mother and father. Whether I still saw them. Lord Arryn did anyway."

"And what did you tell them?" Ned asks.

Another moment's silence and then the boy responds. "I told them that I had never known my father, and that my mother had died when I was small, or she abandoned me or something like that. I do not know, I do know that my mother had blond hair, and she used to sing to me."

Ned notes how the boy looks quite uncomfortable at this, and he ponders that, wondering why that might be. "And what did Lord Arryn ask after you told him this?"

A pause then, the boy looks distinctly uncomfortable, he shares a look with Mott and when the man nods, he continues speaking. "He asked me if I remembered what my mother looked like, other than the blond hair."

Ned feels as if he is on tender hooks now, there is a delightful piece of information being dangled before him, just waiting to be used here, and he is not quite sure what it is. "And what did you say in response?" he asks curiously.

"I said that I knew she had a soft voice, and soft hands. And that her eyes were green." the boy responds.

So is that your great secret? Ned wonders. Aloud he merely says. "Very well, thank you very much Gendry, you have been very helpful to me." The boy merely nods, before looking at Mott, who looks at him then, and when Ned nods, the boy bows once before turning and walking back into the confines of the shop.

A silence falls over them then, Ned looks at Mott, waiting for him to speak, and Mott seems to be doing all he can to avoid speaking. Eventually though, Mott speaks, as Ned knew he would. "He hasn't done anything wrong my lord hand. He has remained out of sight, and he has always been a good lad. I have not filled his head with ideas, nothing of the sort."

Ned is surprised by this outburst, he was not expecting it, and is not sure what to make of it. However, he knows better than to ask the man what he is on about, instead he asks. "Who was it who put the boy into your care Tobho?"

Mott looks confused by this, as if he is uncertain how to respond, or even if he should respond. "I do not know." he says eventually, and seeing Ned's look of disbelief he goes onto say. "I did not get a clear look at their face, but they were wearing a hood, and spoke as if they were highborn. They said the boy was to grow up here, learning how to smith, and that if he ever tried anything funny, he would be killed, as would I."

Ned looks at the man a moment and then says. "Very well, make sure he does not leave here." With that he turns and walks out of the forge, and nods at Jory who is waiting for him outside.

The man smiles at him and asks. "Did you find what you were looking for my lord?"

Ned looks at him and responds. "I think I might have found more than what I was bargaining for. Something that might well make what I have planned that much easier."

Jory simply smiles in acceptance then, and they walk from the forge back to the Red Keep in silence, all the while Ned's thoughts are a whir with activity. Jon clearly came here for a reason, he clearly wanted to make certain of something, but how would he know where to go? And Stannis, well that man has always left a trail of death behind him, so perhaps he might have known about this child. There are a lot of unanswered questions, but there is one thing Ned is certain of, the woman that Gendry describes is one he has met before, hells he probably knows her quite well. He smiles slightly that that thought, no matter what she does, she always leaves a trail behind her, there will come a time when that will hurt her, and perhaps now is that time. Eventually they come back to the Tower of the Hand, and Ned nods to Jory, before he sits down and begins looking through the letters that have come for him, letters from within King's Landing, from some people who know where their bread is buttered, and from those throughout the kingdoms, informing him of the goings on of the realm. Ned learned a long time ago, that it is always good to know what the enemy is up to, and by the gods does the enemy have a firm hand in many places. A knock on the door, takes him from his thoughts and he calls out for whoever it is to enter, and he finds himself surprised to be looking at one Tristan Rivers, bastard of Darry.

The man bows before him and then takes the seat Ned offers. "Well, I must say that this is quite a surprise Ser Tristan. I had thought you were over the seas, serving with the company. What brings you here?"

Tristan Rivers is a man who Ned has come to value over time, but he is also a man that Ned does not exactly trust, he wears a lord's ransom in golden arm rings, and is a notorious fighter. The man grins at him before replying. "There is some information I have gathered that I think might be quite useful for you my lord hand."

Ned looks at the man, wanting to know what this information might be, but also knowing that there is a game that needs to be played first. And so, he looks around his room, before standing up and picking up a small ring from the chest near the door, and placing it on the table before Tristan, he waits for the man to pick it up and look at it, before he speaks. "And what information is this precisely?"

The man waits a moment before speaking, looking at the ring, seeing it through all different sorts of angles, before he eventually puts the ring on one of his fingers and smiling responds. "The Golden Company is on the move. They are moving from the Slaver cities back westward, toward Volantis and from there toward the Disputed Lands."

Ned feels his interest grow at this and he asks. "Are they going to be fighting in the war between Volantis and Braavos?"

Rivers smirks then. "Oh most definitely, it would make a most magnificent pay day. But the reason that they are fighting within the war, is not because Maegyr wants them to fight, it is because Viserys Targaryen has decided he wants to get some experience fighting, and as such has asked for the company to fight alongside him."

"And the company agreed to that? What is Strickland thinking? Viserys Targaryen is not the most stable men to be around, let alone to have as a commander in a war." Ned responds.

Rivers laughs then. "Aye, that is true, but he is mad, and as such he has promised his sister's hand to the first person who can bring him, the horselord's head. He wants the Horselord dead, for he rightly believes that the man has no intention whatsoever of fighting to help put him on the throne."

"So what are you telling me? The company is fighting for him, because they want a girl?" Ned asks.

"Aye that is what I am telling you." Rivers responds looking expectantly at him.

Ned looks at the man and then rather reluctantly states. "And you want to know, what I want you to do, and what I am willing to pay to see done, is that correct?"

"Got it in one my lord hand." the man responds smiling.

Feeling himself stiffen slightly, Ned looks at the man and then responds. "If you can kill the Horselord, and bring me the girl, I will make sure you get your lands back, and this time you will have the chance to settle the score with Raymun."

Tristan claps his hands then. "Brilliant, absolutely brilliant news my lord."

They both stand up then and clasp hands, Ned bids the man farewell, watching him disappear out of the door, wondering how he got in, and finding himself thinking that he does not really care to know. He finds his thoughts drifting back to Daenerys Targaryen, and the things he knows about her, he wonders if they are true or not. He wonders if the king will be able to deal with her accordingly when the time comes. He hopes so, by gods he hopes so.