Chapter 3: The Smell of a Weirwood
“.....and Honeytree” Jonos Bracken stabbed his finger at the map he had unfurled on the centre table in his pavilion. The table was made of a beautiful white weirwood, white as bone and smooth as silk. The smell of weirwood reminded Tytos of home. A deep, heavy wooden smell, that reminded him of the days he spent in the godswood in Raventree Hall, and its gigantic weirwood tree. The biggest one in the world supposedly. Tytos was married in front of that tree, and spent many a night with his wife beneath that tree. Brynden was probably conceived under that tree. A tree that was poisoned by the Brackens thousands of years ago out of jealously. Was this table some sort of slight by Bracken?
“The lands you stole from us will finally be returned.” Bracken had quickly changed from his armour and now wore a yellow tunic with a brown horse embroided upon it. He had a wench on hand for drinks and quick gropes.
Tytos rolled his eyes and shook his head, but he was in no position to be debate the issue. “Yes yes, fine, now can we discuss my family?” Bracken had spent the last hour lording his victory over him, most of which Tytos had barely listened too because the victory belong mostly to Jaime Lannister, who sat beside Bracken looking incredibly bored, his head resting in his hand, paying no attention to Bracken’s gloating.
“In due time, Blackwood” Jonos snorted “In due time my friend. I think I’ll also take…”
“You’ve acquired quite enough land, Lord Bracken.” Jaime’s head rose up and turned to Bracken. Tytos resisted the urge to smile, but couldn’t help but smirk.
Bracken nearly choked on his drink “But…. But your Lord father”
“Is dead” Jaime cut in “And what was promised was for subduing the Blackwoods, which you needed me for. I did half the work, so I should take half the land.” Figures a Lannister would take my lands for himself, thought Tytos, they’re all the bloody same.
“You have no claim on those lands! Those lands belong to-“
“To Lord Tytos, and so with him the rest of the land will remain.” Except this Lannister perhaps. Ser Jaime had changed quite a bit since Tytos had last seen him at the Battle of Whispering Woods. The loss of a limb can humble even a Lannister, make an honourable man out of him. Then Jaime stood up from the table, and Tytos caught a glimpse of his golden hand. Well, maybe not completely humble.
“Lord Tytos shall be allowed to return to his Raventree Hall as long as he agrees to bend the knee to the crown and renounce all fealties to the Starks. Of course, hostages will also be taken to ensure your loyalty to the crown.”
Tytos pursed his thin lips, and stared at the table for a moment. On the map laid out he saw Stone Hedge, where Bracken held 5 of his 6 remaining children and his wife. Family, Duty, Honour. The words of house Tully. King Robb was half Tully, surely he would forgive him for this. Lord Edmure was Tully, but Edmure was lord no more, and now he wasted away in Casterly Rock. Family first, duty second.
“Of course.”
“Then go ahead and kneel!” Bracken's dismay at losing lands, had quickly been replaced at his excitement to see Lord Blackwood kneel before him. He’d no doubt waited for this moment. “Kneel before The Kingslayer and swear fealty to your new king!”
And so Tytos knelt in the dirt before Lannister and the ever smug Lord Bracken, and renounced all he had fought for this last year, for the sake of his family. Swearing fealty to a 9 year old king. Swearing fealty to Cersei Lannister.
“Now for the matter of hostages.” Jaime said as Lord Tytos rose from his knee. The final part of the young wolf’s kingdom, left there in the dirt. He was disappointed in himself, the words of the oath to his new king tasted bitter in his mouth. Tasted of dirt and blood.
“’l’ll keep hold of Edmund and Bethany, you can have the rest of you children back.” Bracken said almost dismissively. That would have infuriated Tytos, had he not just been shocked by what he heard.
“Not Bethany! Please Jonos, she’s my only daughter. She’s-“
“The best way to keep you in line is what she is.” Bracken violently jutted a finger at Tytos.
“Please Jonos, she’s never been more than a day’s ride from me!”
“And Stone Hedge isn’t that far away from your hall, we’ll keep her safe. You can have you other two sons back.”
Tytos opened his mouth to speak again, to protest, but knew better. What’s one more defeat? He saw himself lucky to be getting any of his sons back. That and there was another matter remaining, meaning he could not risk upsetting Bracken. Not yet anyway.
“And my wife?” He forced the words from his mouth, dreading the answer.
“Oh yes” Bracken licked his lips. Tytos clenched his fist. “Your wife. You can have her back... for a price. These wars are expensive you know. I think 100 gold dragons is a fair price.”
“What!? My treasury is nearly run dry in the first place. I have to pay for repairs, weapons and arms, train new guardsmen. And now you expect me to pay your ransom? On top of the money I must send to the crown!?”
“Then I guess I’ll just hang on to her. She’ll make a fine serving wench. I need a new one.” Bracken pinched the bum of his whore “You can only feel the same ass so many times before it starts to get old.”
Tytos, infuriated, jolted up from the table, slammed his fists into the weirwood table “I SWEAR IT BRACKEN, BY THE OLD GODS, I’D STRANGLE YOU WITH MY OWN HANDS IF SER JAIME WASN’T HERE TO SAVE YOU!” Tytos meant what he had said. He was still sour that he would have defeated his long-time rival if not for the arrival of Lannister men.
Bracken sank back in his chair and chuckled. “Oaths to false gods mean nothing to me Blackwood. What matters now is gold. Your gold. And if you can’t pay with gold, then your wife will pay for it with service.”
Tytos clenched his fists, and wondered what would happen if he lunged at Bracken. Might he be able to choke the life from his thick neck before Ser Jaime stuck him with his blade? Could he break his neck? Maybe gouge out his eyes? Yes, Bracken was stronger than him, but no matter how strong you are, you can’t build muscle in your eyes. Every muscle in his body tensed as he prepared to leap over the table at Bracken, before Ser Jaime spoke.
“Your offer is quite unreasonable, Lord Jonos.”
“As is Lord Tytos’s decision to fight the crown. I’ll have his gold, or he won’t have his wife. She’s my prisoner, mine to do with as I see fit. 100 gold dragons. That’s my offer.”
“You won’t get 100 gold dragons, you’ll get 10. The 10 gold dragons you request will be taken from the amount Lord Tytos is sending to the crown and be given to you. You get your gold, and Tytos gets his wife.”
In that moment Ser Jaime reminded Tytos of an old friend. Just and fair, perhaps he had been too quick to judge. It was clear to see that Bracken was upset, and Tytos loved it. He didn’t want 100 gold dragons, he wanted 100 of Tytos’s gold dragons. The confusion spreading on his face suited him well, thought Lord Blackwood, he now looked as stupid as he was.
“I..... well.... I suppose bu-“
“Good” Jaime said swiftly. ”Then the matter is settled.” Tytos was beginning to like him.
“May I return home now, Lord Commander?”
“You may leave.”
It took 2 days for Brynden and Tytos to make the return ride from Riverhalt to Raventree Hall. Riding is significantly quicker when you have two men opposed to one thousand, as all of their men had either died, deserted, or been conscripted by Jaime Lannister to replace the men he’d lost. Brynden did most of the talking on the uneventful ride home, speaking of the men he’d killed, the injuries he sustained, and the whores he’d fucked before the battle. He’d been forced to wait outside under Bracken’s guard while Tytos negotiated, which Brynden hadn’t minded, since he trusted his father completely. Unfortunately for Brynden, his father did very little listening to him, very wrapped up in his own thoughts and if he had made the right decision. He wondered if it had all been worth it as they rode through the desert which had once been the Blackwood Vale. Razed and razed again, leaving his subjects to be slaughtered like sheep. The Blackwood Vale was a barren ash shadow of what it had once been. No plants grew where once was verdant, no villages stood where once was lively, and no people greeted their lords where once there was many. Tytos sighed to himself. He fought for his king, and those who trusted him paid the price. His wife, his children, his people. He spent the most of his trip contemplating his decisions. Yet while there was many uncertainties, there was one thing certain. Bracken will suffer.
“And then there was Melons. By the old gods she was good.” Brynden savored the words in his mouth.
“I guarantee you that wasn’t her real name, son.” He’d spent more than enough time with whores back in his day to know a fake name when he heard one. He also wanted to call his son out on speaking about the gods in reference to how well a whore could suck, but he didn’t have the energy. Sure, Brynden was a follower of the Old Ways, but not as much as Tytos would have liked. At least he doesn’t spend his time drowning people for favour, or praying to a black goat in the sky.
In the distance Tytos could see Raventree Hall come into view. The top of the timber keep peering out from behind the ancient stone walls, green from the moss covering them. There didn’t seem to be any damage to the walls themselves. No remnants of siege towers or ladders. Tytos had told his wife to drop the drawbridge when Bracken approached, and welcome him herself. By letting him in it’d hopefully keep casualties to a minimum. The garrison didn’t have the food to survive a siege anyway, most of it Tytos had taken for his men at Riverhalt. Yet as Tytos approached something seemed off. Something was missing from the skyline. Something dead and white. The realisation made Tytos feel sick, he could feel the worry in his stomach. He drove his heels in Night as hard as he could and the horse went full sprint towards
The drawbridge dropped and Night galloped into the courtyard, with Bryden trailing behind. He clenched his teeth so hard it hurt when he saw the inside of his grounds. Hundreds of blackened sticks shafts stood where the godswood had once. It smelt of ash and smoke. Tytos dismounted his horse and felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Denys, the captain of his garrison. He shrugged him off and clenched his teeth harder still. Not out of rage, but to try to stop himself from throwing up. He slowly walked through the black weirwoods, reliving the memories of his life, until he came to the centre. A small clearing surround the huge white stump. Tytos fell to his knees and prayed in the ash. Could the gods hear when they had been cut down and fashioned into a table? Tytos didn’t know. His tears left little puddles in the ash surrounding the hearth tree. He felt a presence behind him, but was too upset to look. He heard him kneel beside him, the ash crunching beneath him greaves. Brynden had begun to pray also. Tytos had expected that. Then the unexpected occurred. He heard more crunching of caked ash beneath legs and feet. Curious, he turned to see Denys kneeling down in prayer. Denys was no godly man, he’d never set foot in the godswood, except to chastise Tytos for hiding from his father. Denys had been here since Tytos was a boy, and in his sixtieth year, now he finds the gods? More crunching signalled the approach of more men. More of the garrison, came to kneel beside Denys. Then the stable-master, the cooks, the servants and peasants who had taken refuge in the castle during the siege. Tytos smiled as he realised what was happening, softening the pain a little as the tears drying from his eyes, leaving them as crusted as the ground. He turned back to the gods and he prayed. He prayed for justice.
