The Dwelling

[The Forgotten God]

The messenger speaks to the Crowl, clearly perturbed by the massive host of masterless men and women. "The Lady Valerie Stark, acting on behalf of her lord brother, is kindly asking exactly what in the seven hells is going on here, my lord."

[Karyl Crowl]

"Prince Benjen stark asked me to fetch some men for his wars, so I married a wildling queen and adopted a wildling army." Karyl responds. "We'll be out of your Lady's hair soon enough."

[The Forgotten God]

"We've already killed three hundred," the man said. "And Lord Hornwood's two youngest daughters have vanished. They are twins of eleven, my lord. His lordship is most wroth."

[Karyl Crowl]

"Have your men search the camp, if they are in the camp then he can have them back." Crowl states getting to his feet. "If not then I'm sure those responsible will be found and the proper justice seen to."

[The Forgotten God]

The messenger futilely tries before departing. Even Crowl might hope, just a teensy bit, that the poor girls aren't in one of the stewpots. Savinia slides over to him. "Who is this Valerie Stark? A great warrior queen? Of ten years?"

[Karyl Crowl]

"Her.." Crowl starts, "Not so much, her brother though is a great lord of the kingdom and one of the finest blades I have ever seen on a battlefield. She gets her power from him, her name, and her ancestry."

[The Forgotten God]

"Goooood," Savinia purred. "We have come so far south, we shall see how powerful her name is." She motions to a giant. "Find that messenger. He shall be our guide to Winter's Fall."

[Karyl Crowl]

Crowl raises a hand to stop her momentarily. "This is but a fraction of the lands south of the Wall. Come the winter this place will be as barren as the true North. Our target is further south, where the snows rain lightly on the ground, with the food being plentiful and the best that you have ever tasted. That is where we will get you your castle and servants to rub your feet."

[The Forgotten God]

"And how many will we have, Karyl?" she asked. "We have lost thousands already. I hear word that some have even taken some small holdfasts. Armies lurk to the south, my dear. Armies and death. Little girls are here. Little girls and fisherfolk and not a soldier to be seen." She purrs. "Once Winter's Fall is gone, we have a little hostage and we get al lwe want," she said. "The burning sun of the south is not for the Free Folk, and the metal men and the lords and the people. I am not fool enough to think twenty thousand can take the whole lands of everywhere." She smiled as the giants approached. "But we are enough to take this castle, and the Moat Castellan to the south of it."

[Karyl Crowl]

"What do we have here?" Crowl states, "A land of conquest with no hopes of holding. Once Lord Stark finds out he will march his army up here and undo everything that we would set out to accomplish. Make yourself better then this man through different means, there is word that the Lord of a land south of here has perished and his armies thrown to the wind. I would seek to give you this throne of his, make you the queen of the land that puts this to shame with its beauty and resources " Crowl declares to her. "With the help of friends that goal is surely in reach."

[The Forgotten God]

"We go south when we have established..." she looks confused a moment, thinking of the word. "Leverage, yes, leverage. While we have nothing, kings will lie and deceive, and this empty throne shall be sat on by those unworthy. If we have a great castle and a lord's little snotty sister, then we have the power to say what we want, and to ensure it is given." She smiles. "Is she pretty, this Valerie Stark?"

[Karyl Crowl]

"Getting leverage will be harder then you think. The people here are stubborn if not pissy, once they sense a threat they will seek to take you down. We may take one or two castles but we cannot hope to hold the North with these men." Crowl states, "I promised we would walk through the Wall, and we did without loosing anyone except those who ran. Now trust me and follow me south."

[The Forgotten God]

"And what is this castle you promise us? Who shall we bend a knee to, then?" Savinia spits on the ground. "This Winter's Fall sounds large and strong and adequate. Your other king will bleed us dry and then cast us aside; they have no use for those whose knees are strong. We demand writing on the paper they value so much, and if not, then we take Winter's Fall and the gates to the north and we will roll the dice."

[Karyl Crowl]

"There are three castles that are open to be gifted to you, I will have a letter sent for proof so that your claim will not be detested once we get there." Crowl tells her. "And we pass Moat Cailin on the way, if you want insurance as to your new accommodations then I will not stop you from taking it."

[The Forgotten God]

"Not us?" Savinia said. "I had figured as much." She smiles. "Three castles, hmmm? Where are these castles?"