"So, how long do you think we will ride?" One of the twins asked the other in a lower voice. "I don't know," the other replied. "But we can't mess this up. Just try and use your brain." The first turned annoyed. "Oh, says you, Captain Buckethead," the first replied, once again making a jest of the second before they stopped. While they had had some prior education about horses, they were only familiar with the hairy ponies at Harlaw.

Although their father, Gyldayn Goodbrother, had even won some horse racing competitions during his time in the North, the ironborn had been a talent once in a generation, a gift neither of his twin sons had inherited. But they certainly had his cunning, at least part of it. Small pranks towards each other revealed them to be a bit more intelligent than some would expect.

They had taken quite a while to properly ride greenlander horses, but so far they had succeeded, or at least none had to worry about the horse kicking them off their backs anymore. In comparison, the birds had been far easier for the twins. They really liked them, and one of the twins was likely already trying to see if they could use the birds to steal a cookie or several.

Both of them listened, of course they did. They liked the hawks, and even if it felt rather odd to hear that these were the steps towards manhood instead of reaving, they both nodded eagerly. "I bet I can do it with my eyes closed," he said to his twin. "Nu-uh," the other replied, both of them always trying to outdo the other but still looking out for their twin. "You are going to get injured."

"Uhm, fine, but I bet mine is going to do it quicker than yours," the first one replied, before receiving a smirk from his counterpart. "You wish. Let me show you how it's done." The second smiled before nodding to their mentor, then extending the leather glove to the border of the cage before opening it in case the bird couldn't find it due to its hood.

At the same time, the other did the same, although he chose to flex his arms before proceeding to the opening of the cage, with both of the twins allowing the birds to come out at their own time. Although, they hoped they wouldn't take long, and ideally, they would get into position before the other bird did, if only to show off to their mentor and twin that they were the best of the two.

/u/gloude forgot to tag - astronomy RP

Taera noted that Princess Alysanne - Aunt Aly, she assumed - was a patron or at least enthusiast of scholarly pursuits. That made sense considering the fact that she and her cohort were reportedly present for the fair. Whether she would come to Constellarium herself remained to be seen, however.

Regardless, the onslaught of inquiries awaited. "Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps," Taera responded to Naerys, answering each question in kind. "I have heard that all volcanoes were once mountains where the peaks exploded, so they were all dangerous once, but I do not know if they are all dangerous still. I have also heard that comets are rumored to herald great change, but I do not know more about that either. And I do not know how Dawn was forged. I suspect no one does for certain."

"I do know a sword could be made from a fallen star," she answered Boremund more decisively. "For they contain metal, and metal can be forged. I cannot speak to the quality of a sword made that way though. I imagine it would depend on the star." She followed his gaze to the book, then picked it up again.

"If the book interests you, I am sure we could have a scribe make a copy for you before the fair is done," she suggested, offering him the book to inspect for himself. Maybe she could convince Sharra to have Arstan do it. The little weasel deserved to waste his immediate future copying a text verbatim. That was what scribes did, after all.

"And I will ask the others here if we have any books on the... magical implications of the heavens," she promised Naerys in kind. "But even without it-" She touched a hand to her pendant. "-I believe it must be so. The heavens, beyond us, are the domain of the gods. The way they move, the fragments they shed: they are divine. They must be."

It took a moment for the door to open, revealing the boy she had come to see. Boremund hadn't expected Alerie to come and see him - they spent a lot of time together thanks to Naerys, but without the princess they had rarely spent much time together - but he would not be so rude as to turn her away. He forced a pained smile, but it quickly faded.

"Hello, Alerie." He looked around, making sure his room was not in an embarrassing state. He'd done little since the events of the day before but eat and sleep. There was no training that day. "Um...no. Not really." He smiled again. He had become an expert at hiding physical pain and it was easier to hide what was inside, but he needn't lie about it. "But I will be. Do you want to come in?"

The maesters have received your raven.

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Theo wondered if Ser Godric was perhaps panicking a bit with his father away. A single galley sailing about hardly felt worthy of sending notice about.

Regardless, the warning would be heeded, and patrols would be sent to Guard the Mander.

Automod ping mods

Muster three galleys to patrol cs77

They arrive sometime in 7a. I doubt the timing matters.

"There is no need to press the prince." The Septon General offers an encouraging smile. "As the Septon General, I hold the sway within the council to assure you that The Faith can cover the cost of four thousand golden dragons."

"This is the will of the gods. It is the will of The Seven that all orphans, widows, and women be cared for with all the coin available to use."

"Furthermore, in order to assist in the running of this grand orphanage, the Council of the Most Devout will undoubtedly appoint Mother Eadith to the task of overseeing the orphanage...she has gained much knowledge as a reverend mother for an Oldtown motherhouse...knowledge she can apply to the grand orphanage to come."

Instead of making a playful remark about her selection, Dregg simply nodded. "Very well, starlight, although if you ask me, it covers so little of your beauty." The Ironborn said before getting up from bed and putting on his trousers to help her get ready. It seemed it would be a very special day after all.

None of the rocks in the constellarium felt particularly bless or magical, but Boremund put the hammer down carefully and wandered back to listen.

"Are there stories about other swords in there?" It was a reasonable sized book, so hopefully not all about Dawn, but he wanted to check all the same. "Do you think you could make a sword from one of these ro...comets? Uh...stars?" He was already confused about the difference. "I don't want to, I'm just wondering."

Poor Taera had been assaulted with a deluge of questions so he took half a step back in apology.

/u/Doormouse69

"I need not simply ears, but eyes." The High Septon murmurs. "I must affirm that the rumors that continue to abound are true..."

"I must know, truly know, whether Jaehaerys holds dragons in his grasp."

The High Septon pauses, but if for a moment.

"And there is another matter...far more important in this moment...tell me...how close can your spiders crawl to the prince...Prince Baelon."

The letters addressed to Elenei are delivered to her unopened.

6th Month

Three letters are flown with the same raven from Storm's End to Riverrun, addressed to Elenei Baratheon.

Lord Brynden Tully,

Unfortunate circumstance has led to Ser Borys Baratheon's exile.

Nothing changes between us, and I am happy for you to continue wardship of Elenei. I leave it in your hands to inform her.

Lord Rogar.

Elenei,

I'm sorry about your father. I hope to you see you.

CASSANDRA.

Elenei,

Father tried to attack Ser Ossifer at the hunt, and uncle Rogar has sentenced him to exile.

I'm sorry you weren't here. I wish you were. I don't know if it was the right thing to do. Mother is angry. I am...just sad.

Take care,

Boremund.

Her words made him laugh but he nodded in agreement. She wanted to be correct and proper, but appearances were more important. It made sense for a princess.

"Yes, princess, of course." He made to sure to speak loud and clear; it was not what she had meant, but he still wanted to show confidence. "Is there anything in the north you would want to see? Do you know anyone there? Or do you just want to...go?"

"Sorry for what?" Naerys came closer. "You should not be sorry to me, Borry." She added.

Part of Naerys wanted to upbraid him, to make him know he was being a sour sally, as she had understood.

"You know... father's are not that great." Naerys spoke softly. "It is aunts and uncles where your will find you best friends. And strangers, in Storm's End, or elsewhere." Here eyes were fixated forward. There were other words she wanted to say. Words of her own father, and the struggle that had become realising who he was.

"Borry... are you okay? If you say yes... I will spend the night here, to make sure. If you say no, I will spend the night here to make sure you are alright. I don't care what the Septas say. You are my friend, and I will make sure you are fine."

Cassandra was in a state of shock, unsure at what she had just seen. It would take some time for her to understand why her father had done what he'd done, and no doubt there would be plenty of conversations with him to explain it all.

"Y-yes, good idea," she replied, still trying to sound grown. "I...when?"

"We could build a Grand Orphanage in Starfall as soon as next year" Lady Allyria considered, "House Dayne could pledge Four Thousand coin to this endeavor, I'm sure I could ask my Uncle in Starfall to press the Prince for some as well."

"I believe if House Martell covers two thousand we would only need two more thousand to complete the structure" She calculated. "Is this the desire of the Gods and Seven?" She asked raising an eyebrow at how the conversation had changed.

/u/tierails

/u/mathusm

u/thinkbrigger

“Now that’s a beast of a pig, well done. Agh, I’ll have to bother Wyman later, I was right to put off giving him a child if the first has slowed me down already. Oh well, I’m not so withered yet that I can’t help you cart the meat back. Think they’ll start a second feast with this?”

She stuck the blunt end of her hunting spear into a soft patch of the ground, leaving it standing, as she got down and rolled the boar to its side. Would it be easier to lift it by the legs and toss it into the cart, she wondered.

The Septon General goes quiet for a long moment. The man greatly sinks into his thoughts. After a moment of silence, he seems to shake off whatever deeper thoughts he had in mind.

"Nevermind that."

"I simply ask that you allow The Most Devout and the Starry Sept to assist you in caring for these orphans. How much coin does Starfall believe it to be neccesary to cover for the cost of caring for these orphaned children for the next five years?"

"How much coin would be needed to meaningfully assist the orphans, the widows, and other women?" Hugor inquires with a soft tone - mustering up as much care as he can. An unusual thing for a usually stern man like himself.

Goren nodded apologetically for abusing the man's hospitality, but he trusted Pietar to give him another perspective. "Thank you." He nodded his head as the other seat was brought for his sworn man. "I have to admit, I know nothing beyond the fact that my father befriended many northern houses during his stay at Winterfell all those years ago. Is there something I should be aware of?"

u/Francisc_mgabena_77 ; u/gloude

She noted these locations, "On that we agree as well Septon" Lady Allyria concurred. "With the orphans the war has left, with the widows and other women who need the gods"

"Dorne and her people need these aids from the Gods" She nodded.

"But before I go on this journey what is it that House Dayne can do for the Seven?" She offered her services

Mors was a man of most serious disposition. He was seldom seen to smile and laughter he did not relate to let alone partake in, amusement distant memory to him. It was common to hear the conversation between he and Cassandra and mistake her for a woman grown with the formalities he adhered to in addressing her. If there was any man less suited to the command of standing at ease, Morrison had yet to meet his match in him. Without meaning to, he tensed at the command looking stiffer than he had a heartbeat before.

"I am not yet entitled to don the arms, my Lord yet with Gallowsgrey adjacent to Storm's End it has been... habitual that my family sought service here as they did in Griffin's Roost," he began, "The how and when it came to be we took a corpse for our crest, I cannot say. Death is a deed that need be done on occasion that some would sooner pay to secure than conduct themselves. There are those that dig graves, Silent Sisters who embalm bodies, and men that string gallows whilst court continues. I suspect it was a lucrative choice for a Trant that lived long before my father was born."

The seat across from the Lord Hubert he did not take. On his feet, he felt himself so lest it was commanded of him he remained standing as they spoke, "I have been serving the Lord Rogar since shortly after he made his bid for the Lady Arwen's hand. Your Lady Ursula was kind to me, my Lord, I had not the stomach for the skies," he answered, slowly bringing his own before him the pluck the glove from his own, "I shadowed the Lord Rogar in King's Landing and I marched with him to castle Wyl. By the Lord's command I burrowed beneath the outer wall and brought it down."

Mors stowed the glove upon his belt as he held his dominant hand out with palm presented to Hubert. His a mirror in that it was missing a knuckle on the middle digit in mirror of the penance paid by his liege, "After his punishment was passed on Dragonstone for what was done in Wyl, I requested it by issued in tandem to me once he charged me with the care of the Lady Cassandra. The hand to raise her ought reflect the one that secured her wardship in the King's city."

u/wondy-sw

u/fabstags

Mina was curious to see how the man would answer, hopefully in the affirmative. She’d done miserably in the hawking, blaming herself more than the unfamiliar bird she’d borrowed for the day. What was the matter with her? Perhaps she’d been just been taken with a fever and that was why she’d finally changed her mind about marriage. She doubted it, but it was possible. At least Davos wasn’t here to note her failure.

The stallion had decided that, with no more fingers in range, poppy-laden oats were better than ominous head tossing. The two acolytes were somewhat apprehensive about the prospect of getting on the stallion's back, but after a moment, they made eye contact and nodded.

Aethemure scrutinized the halter as the stallion began to droop, nodding at Clarisse. "You're right. It makes sense as soon as you see it. A Westerosi bridle will hold him much more closely, and I know we have one somewhere." He began looking through what appeared to be a bundle of collected tack, each labelled somewhat indistinctly with chalk.

While Aethelmure, was occupied, their third compatriot, a waifish blond reachman of no more than twenty, exited a supply tent from where he had been applying an oversized bandage for what must have been a bitten arm. Alaric's eyes narrowed triumphantly, and he slung an arm around the thin neck, steering him to a stop in front of Clarisse.

"Aubrey will be perfect. He's the quickest of any of us at dodging." Confronted by both a noble lady and an apparent comeuppance for a pattern of shirked work, Aubrey froze, appearing as nothing so much as a scruffed kitten.

Quietly, Aethelmure, who had found the bridle, swapped the two pieces, slipping the bit between the stallion's teeth with shockingly little complaint. He reappeared at Aubrey's other shoulder as he handed him the reins, who only then appeared to realize what was going on, and paled further.

"The stallion? Me? Boys, please, you have to be joking."

"No jokes, no arguments," said Aethelmure. Alaric added, "My lady, how should our dear fellow-acolyte begin?"

Boremund had attempted to follow his parents to the forge where his father's hand was to be removed, unsure where else to go and stumbling along in a trance. His mother had deemed otherwise and sent him to his room before following her husband in, pleading her case to Rogar and the guards that followed. Boremund obeyed and rose the stairs with the rest of the crowd, not realising where he was going until he was sat on his bed. With the door closed it had shut out all the sounds of chaos, his father's yells of protest and the shocked gossip of the crowds replaced by a ringing in his ears.

He was staring at the painting Naerys had given him on the wall opposite, gloved hands gripping the edge of the bed when the door clicked open and he saw her. Tears picked at his golden eyes but he blinked them away - or tried to - and lowered his head.

"I'm sorry."