Hail to the Stag Kings

Chapter 21: Mission to the Reach (Part 1)

—The Vale of Arryn—

The Eyrie...

The following morning, Gawain and his men were settling into their temporary barracks in the Eyrie. Everything was vastly different compared to their old quarters – they were so high up in the mountains to the point where all they could see was clouds below one of the Eyrie's four towers.

Before long, a Petyr arrived and pushed the door to the barracks open. "Fall in!" he ordered.

Gawain noticed how his men scurried about trying to assemble in an orderly fashion.

"Captain, you and your men are to accompany me to the main hall. General Samson says he has a mission for you lot."

This was sooner than Gawain had anticipated. Ever since the revolt during the battle of Riverrun he and his fellow captains, though allowed to move freely, had been under close watch. He had managed earlier yesterday to meet up with the seven other captains who had joined him in the mutiny: Lord Edwin Lyberr, Ser Osbert Cordwayner, Ser Esmond Sloane, Lord Kendrick Dunn, Ser Cenric Kellington, Lord Harlan Musgood, and Ser Bryan Tudbury. He had known all of them for years, some back to his childhood or to his time as a cadet at the Academy. They were all good men, who like him had chaffed under the restrictive measures imposed by Gerion Lannister and were disgusted by the blind loyalty so many showed to Argilac.

Yesterday they had gathered in a tavern and toasted their fallen comrades who had died at Riverrun. And it was there that Gawain had dispensed the news.

They were all wanted men now, by order of the military high command in King's Landing, they were considered deserters and each of them had a bounty of 100 silver stags for each head of the 'Caltrop Captains' as they were now called. To lighten the mood, Gawain had quipped "I would have thought we would have been worth more." It had garnered a few laughs. Additional news had indicated that each of them had been attained by the throne, with their titles and lands stripped from them. With arrest warrants issued for their families.

However, they had considered that. In the early stage of their scheming, they had discreetly sent messages to their families. They had managed to smuggle them out through Dorne, which thankfully remained neutral. A ship had then taken them to Essos, and then following their victory at Riverrun had brought them to the Vale. Gawain's mother and sister were currently safe at King's Crag, the home of his maternal grandfather, Lord Loren Egen. Still, Gawain and his men had seen the eyes of a certain Vale officer glaring at him and his comrades. And more than once he had heard some mutter 'turn cloaks' or 'spies.' They were ignored, it was not some random zealous or spiteful individual they needed to prove themselves to.

Gawain, buckling his belt which held his sword and pistol, grabbed his uniform coat, and gave an overconfident grin as he saluted to Petyr, "Lead the way, major."

Petyr dragged Gawain and his men through the halls of the Eyrie. The oldest amongst the Andal nobility, many of Vale nobles often looked down upon them - under orders of their leader, House Arryn, none were to ever speak out of turn amongst the recruits once they passed a thorough background check, though a few couldn't help but sneer at them.

Once in the meeting room, Gawain noticed a somewhat Small Council was formed around a large circular table made of marble with a detailed map of Westeros on the cover.

"You've met our Lord Admiral, Ser Jacaerys Velaryon," Petyr points, "commander of our naval forces and Master of Ships."

Jacaerys noticed. "It was only for a moment, though Samson assures me of the importance for recruits."

"And of course, our... Master of Coin and Lord Treasurer, Baelor Farrin. Bloody colonist—"

"I heard that, major," Baelor refuted. "And it was only because Prince Daemon broke me out of that damned prison do your motherland revolutionaries finally have the money they so desperately needed."