Chapter 58: Bloody moon
Proofread by: Akisu.
After settling everything the convoy moved.
Little Bri was sitting inside with her face close to the window watching the streets of Neverwinter like a picture slowly passing by.
Laika was still lazily sleeping on her side while Loki was trying his best to jump on Lady Barbrey's knees.
Lady Dustin looked up from her paper and patted her knees as the usual signal for the naughty wolf to jump up and he did.
She now patted the boy while reading the reports from the convoy that arrived earlier in the morning.
900 tons of grains and vegetables, 400 Aurochs, 800 cows and oxes, 4000 Dothraki's best stallions and mares, spices, gold, iron, tin, silver... the list just went on and on.
The thing that intrigued the woman the most was the contingent of people from the ex slaves, Lhazareens and Dothraki that were sent to the military academy by her son to learn how to lead and see the life here.
"Mama why are they bowing their heads to us?" a childish voice brought her out from her current thoughts.
She smiled praising the girl in her heart for using this sort of call, like instructed when they were alone or only with Ser Hadrian which the little naughty thing called grandpa.
Looking outside the carriage window, rows upon rows of people were standing on the sidewalk bowing down in respect when the Dustin House carriage passed.
"Because they respect us and are thankful to your big brother for the life we gave them." She answered brushing her hand on the young girl's hair.
"Will big brother come back soon?" Bri turned her head expectantly, but from the look of her foster mother, she knew it's not going to happen.
"Come here baby..." Lady Dustin pushes the grumbling Loki to her side and placed Bri on her knees. "Your brother is doing important things for our house's future, he won't be able to come back now, but I'm sure he misses you just as much as you do him. Why would he send you the small red wolf cub otherwise right?" She said convincing the child as she herself believed it.
"Mhm!" her small, repeatedly nodding head looked just like a chicken pecking the ground.
"It's just a shame I couldn't take it with me..."
"You will have all the time in the world to take it with you after it grows a bit, it's too young for the trip now. Just like the Little Valyrian your brother sent you on your last name day. I swear your brother will change the castle into a forest!"
The small girl brightened up and again started talking while in her foster mother's arms.
The carriage traveled for some time in the east gate's direction, that led to a road to Moat Cailin.
Neverwinter grew exceptionally and was now one of the biggest cities in Westeros hosting every profession possible, even mages, as a group of the children of the forest resided in the castle's Godswood.
The carriage surprisingly stopped just before the east gate when someone knocked on it's door.
"My Lady, House Stout sent 50 knights under the Lord's son Ronnel's command to escort you on your trip as your vassal Lord, they informed us that another 200 from House Seaworth will join us in the Neck." Ser Bryce looked at the Lady holding the small girl with gentle eyes.
He always knew she had a soft heart before and only after experiencing what she did, she changed so much but... that was inevitable.
"Let them do as they please." she dismisses the man and they moved again.
"So darling, what do you know about House Stout and Seaworth?" she used the situation to check the child's knowledge.
"Hmmm" Bri wanted to look like her mother so she imitated Lady Dustin's posture when she was thinking.
Putting one finger on her chin after crossing her arms she stated her answer.
"House Stout is a vassal of House Dustin, the current lord is Lord Harwood Stout and after him is his son Ronnel Stout. They reside in Goldgrass and have a few businesses that you gave them in the city. They have about 100 knights and are the east gate guards." the child lowered her head thinking.
"What about their coat or words?" Barbrey asked recognizing the face the child made when she didn't know something.
Her speculations were correct as a moment later Bri shook her head.
"When we get back you will check and relearn all the houses, even the petty ones like them." Bri nodded enthusiastically hearing the punishment, she was playful yet very smart and loved to learn from her teachers to the alienated castle Maester's disapproval as if anyone cared about him.
"House Seaworth is a new House in our service with Ser Davos as the founder and Master of ships with a seat at the Fever with the village, castle and the neighboring lands!" the child loved the man that always had time for her when he came to see Lady Dustin, he always brought her some pastries or other gifts. "Uncle Davos doesn't have any words yet, he jokes that it's because he didn't know how to write or read back then, but his coat of arms is a black ship on a pale grey field, with a white onion on its sails! Hehe" Lady Dustin shook her head at the actions of one of her most valued men.
"Big brother Dale and Allard are in the navy with uncle, while big brother Matthos joined the military academy, uncle said he's probably not his as they have sea water in their veins, brother Maric wants to join the navy when he grows up as well. Aunty Marya calls them onion knights whenever they are naughty!" Bri laughed out loud making even the usually stern Barbrey chuckle from the child's imitation of her friend Marya when she reprimands her boys. "They have 300 knights and 400 legionnaires trained by our house!"
"Good girl!" hugging the child the woman praised, she knew that the details about the army were only known as she overheard some conversations going on and was aware not to repeat it to anyone else.
The next few days were mostly uneventful until young Matthos joined their retinue with his men.
A force like this was quite normal for lords that could afford it, if one house would mobilize so many men, it might be frowned upon without earlier stating its purpose to the lords of the lands they had to cross, but since the coats of arms of three houses were visible on the flags carried by the escort the people who were aware could recognize the High House and it's vassals.
Knowing the Dustin's reputation as they helped the small folk and the lords in need throughout the years there was no problem with the size of it.
No one was stupid, even Tywin Lannister always traveled with up to few hundred knights at his side.
The more successful you are, the more enemies you will have and that was the truth.
It was a common thing when the Dustin's started to expand their business outside of their lands to see their buildings devastated or burned.
The small folk still whispered and remembered from time to time while drinking the period of the "Bloody moon".
During one month the cities that had the yellow establishments devastated or destroyed were flowing with blood of hundreds if not thousands.
There was no rock left unturned when the shadows infiltrated the cities first to gather intelligence and few days later assassins and disguised legionnaires came to finish the job.
The bodies of known gang members littered the streets, those that worked in the dark were found with their throats slit and all their gold missing, after clearly experiencing torture.
Since then, no gang or hired men dared to repeat it. The Lannisters had Castamere, while the Dustin's had the Bloody moon.
The difference between the two was that Dustin's didn't touch the innocent or civilians implementing other programs to help the communities later on.
That's why they were loved and respected by the small folk and the nobility mostly didn't dare to touch them.
"My Lady, the Twins..." Matthos said from outside the carriage and the Lady looked through the window at the ugly towers of House Frey.
She really didn't want to exit the warm, heated carriage just to see the weasel, yet she knew it will not be possible.
"Let's get this over with." she told her escorts when they neared the lifted bridge.
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EnderPL
EnderPL Big thank you to Akisu for deciding to help me with proofreading the chapters :). Saved me there bro! Thanks!
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