Gherrold McCoy.
He walked over to his table, long, wavey brown hair with a small beard. He picks up the letter that the maester had left him. "House Bolton." he uttered. Gherrold looked out into the snow coming down from the north, winter has come. he studdied the letter whilst sipping some dornish wine. "Lord Gherrold of house McCoy I, Ramsey Bolton, first true born son of Roose Bolton heir to the dreadfort and winterfell. Desire to collect the standard tax we have collected same as always, I hope you can make the tax payment to avoid an awkward situation. Signed Ramsey Bolton." he read out with blood boiling with that bastard's voice in his head. He scrunched up the letter and tossed it into the fire and finished his wine, Gherrold was twenty years old and lord of the raven's nest. the castle tower of House McCoy, it laid in a plain that was was close to the shore. House McCoy were Raven trainers as well as breeders, most of the houses around westeros buy the ravens and a representative of house McCoy would go to train the ravens on where to take the messages and where to return. This gave house McCoy a good income but they were nothing compared to the lannisters and tyrells when it came to wealth, but for a northern house they had what they needed. Gherrold had locked himself in his room due to his depression and would only come out every so often. This was brought on by the massicere of his family back at the red wedding where walder frey and roose bolton has betrayed robb stark's cause and joined the crown, his army had managed to make it to the raven's nest mostly intact, but with all four hundred men none could have saved his father. His father left him as lord of the raven's nest, whilst he, His step son J'aimz (Gherrold's Bastard brother) went to war. Their Father fell at the hand's of the freys and boltons at the red wedding, But J'aimz went into hiding, some letters were sent to Gherrold every now and again after the red wedding. Gherrold's mother dissappeared without a trace. Leaving Gherrold and his cousins Myars and Gorga McCoy along at the Raven's Nest. Maester Corren, Gherrold's trusted friend had been trying for years to coax Gherrold out of his depression. Slowley Gherrold had left his room slightly more, but tread carfully as House Bolton had kept their eyes close on all the northern lords. including the strong military house, house McIntyre. The McCoys and McIntyres were always good friends, one would offer military services and one would offer a good source of crops as well as money. House McIntyre's sigil was a a red and white pheonix in a blue night sky with several starts above it's head, their words were "Rising Again" which spurred from many years ago when House McIntyre fell into disrepair and became a small house with no lands, But Gherrold's friend Dayvid McIntyre's great grandfather had rebuilt the house into what it was with the assisstance of house McCoy. thus creating the house words "rising again". House McCoy's sigil was six ravens flying over the castle tower "The Raven's nest" in a blue night with three mountains in the back. The words of house McCoy were "Ravens Nest Here". an elderly man with long white hair and thin white beard covering his face approached Gherrold, the scratching of his robes and the shakes of his chains is what Gherrold could hear. "My lord, you are well?" Gherrold's maester, Corren asked. "Yes dahn, i am well. I would be better if we didn't have a bastard coming." Gherrold said tossing the letter into the fire and watching it burn. "We would all fair better if Lord Ramsey hadn't had his eyes set here." Corren stated. Gherrold turned around to see his maester standing at the door. "What news do you bring me?" Gherrold asked curiously. With a small sigh and sitting at the end of Gherrold's bed his eyes met Gherrold's. "The towns people of steadcrook are here, they wish to discuss the attacks on their viliage." Gherrold looked out of his window and saw a few groups of people arriving into the tower castle, He changed into his fomal clothing then left to meet with the town's people. A political family such as the McCoy's people skills were always needed, Gherrold wasn't the best as expressing his feelings when it came to dealing with people he had cared about but his people. The people that looked to him as lord, he would die for them, and he would see to them and make sure they are cared for. Hourse went by, Gherrold noted down several things.
All attacks were from men in a mix of stark, karstark and bolton colors.
The men appeard at several parts of Steadcrook villiage and attacked and took mostly coin and valued items.
they always burt a single McCoy sigil.
These clues are what Gerald had to invistigate and find out who and why they were attacking the villiage, as much as Gherrold wanted to blame the boltons, he couldn't. It did seem something like what they would do but, why not the usual shake down? Why the random attacks? Gherrold arose from his seat and spoke to the court, all went silent and stared at the young lord in the high end of the hall. "On the bones of my father and his fathers before him. I, Lord Gherrold McCoy, Lord of the Raven's Nest and Keeper of the message will pull what little resources we have and investigate, and I shall lead this investigation personally." Gherrold said in a trembling voice. He turned around to his maester, the elderly man with a proud smile stared at the boy becoming a man in front of him. "Maester Corren, Send twenty men to steadcrook and tell them their lord orders an archery perimiter from the Steadcrook tower." Gherrold commanded. The gave a small nod and a smile. "M'lord, is there much need for there to be a millterized action?" Gherrold's Spymaster, (which the McCoys called recivers) Farderick M'wanzah asked. "An attack on my people, or any disregard to my lands is an insult and attack onto me. Those who do so will recieve my judgement, I dismiss the court until I have more evideance." Gherrold Said in a loud commanding voice. The court looked at him, then bowed and left. Gherrold starred out onto the fields a head and prayed for help to arrive.
End of Chapter 1