They reached the Goldroad as the sun was setting and set a disciplined camp at the side of the road, atop one of the hills that carried it through the Westerlands. To the north the Ironmountain stood alone, clear against the sky and even from this distance the castle and town was alight with flames dancing into the darkening night. The keep at the top of the mountain was a large ten sided tower with grey stone sealed bridges leading to five shorter and smaller towers. The large round roof tops had entrances from where the servants came to light a ring of braziers around the roof edges each night.
The keep was then surrounded by several courtyards slightly lower down the mountainside, some carved into the mountain face others hanging over the side. Here were the barracks and stables and guest houses. All of this was surrounded by a thick and tall wall of rough hewn stone with leather hides nailed all along the outside and kept wet by the castle guard. The single gatehouse to the keep held strong oak doors with a thin iron plating on the front behind a castle-forged steel portcullis. The town then ran down the mountain haphazardly with many streams dancing through the streets and inns and taverns throughout. The Godswood of the Ironmountain was in truth just an ancient forest that grew on the slopes of the mountain and surrounded the castle and town entirely. Within it grew nearly a hundred different weirwood groves and it also held the all of the old tombs of the Ironfur Lords since the Age of Heroes.
Idris sighed as he gazed upon the home he was leaving behind perhaps even for several years. There were no weirwood groves in King's Landing, or even within a days ride. He turned back to the small camp, several campfires were already lit and a basic wood stake perimeter had been set with guards positioned at the edge. The Goldroad was the safest road these days but that wouldn't keep bandits from attacking lazy travellers. Jonella was cooking some rabbit stew over one of the fires, some of the men were helping her provide for the troops.
He walked over to the fire in front of the tent that he and his wife shared and carried the bowls of stew already finished out to the men on guard duty and sat with them while they ate, talking about the capital and the various stories that had found their way to the Ironmountain. Many of them felt that the court would be a hostile place, it was well known that the people of the Ironmountain were viewed as a savage people by those who followed the faith of the seven. And also that the people of King's Landing did not believe in the same values and follow the same customs as the Ironfur. There was little respect amongst these Andal noblemen for the commonfolk or even for merchants, a stark contrast with the Ironfurs who were reputed to know the name of every servant in the Ironmountain.
Jonella came around the camp collecting bowls and switching the guards for more rested guards. She and Idris stayed on guard duty together until the dawn when they finally slept after being replaced by some of their family guard. Shortly after sunrise the small army began to ride east. Moreland Castle would be their first stop just before midday and they expected to sleep that night in the safety of Deep Den.
The ride was uneventful and Moreland Castle was soon upon them, its walls were old and dilapidated and the heavy wooden doors scarred. A flag flew over the gate house bearing the green and brown stripes of Lord Robin Moreland. "State your name and purpose here!" A guard called down from the battlements above.
"I am the Lord Idris Ironfur of the Ironmountain, my men and I are riding for King's Landing at the command of Lord Tywin Lannister of Casterly Rock!" The man disappeared from the battlements for a moment. He returned quickly.
"Lord Moreland is not accepting guests at this time! Continue your way east and leave the Hornvale with haste! Be glad of Lord Moreland's mercy!" The man went away again. The gates remained closed. Idris looked back at the short train of men behind him. A shook his head to himself. Jonella rolled her eyes and her horse began to walk forward and around the small keep that rested by the Goldroad. The rest followed.
The group continued to ride across the backs of many hills before passing between two mountains and finally leaving the Hornvale just before sunset. It would be a few hours ride to Deep Den. As the night darkened quickly riders were sent ahead to Deep Den to ask the Lyddens for hospitality and accommodation. Others rode around the group with large iron lanterns shining bright lights down the hills and into the nearby trees to ward off bandits and to reveal the more foolhardy ones.
A crossbow bolt flashed in the light of the lanterns as it flew across in front of Idris and sailed away into the night on the far side of the riders. The train of riders scattered into a chaotic swarm, bolts flying into the mass seemed to be unable to stick into the thin light armour of the men and the soft canvas that covered most of the horses. A scream sounded from a copse of trees to the south of the road.
Confused men ran out of the trees chased by five riders who in the chaos had slipped unnoticed down the hill and into the woods. Their blades ran red with blood and the fleeing men were trapped inside the swirling mass of horses, many of the thirty or so bandits were trampled underfoot. Two survived and were pulled up by some of the men and dragged to the front of the train of men, that had swiftly reformed after the attack.
"No banners or markings of allegiance my Lord. Nor any camp that we saw."
"No camp? Then they are from a town or village nearby. Remove the dead from the road and hang these two from those trees. Bandits die, such is the law." Jonella nodded her head in agreement and the men carried the bodies into the copse of trees as the two bandits begged for mercy. Mercy didn't come.
The messengers sent ahead to Deep Den returned shortly afterwards. accompanied by riders in green and brown with a white badger blazing across their chests. "Lord Lewys Lydden promises warm food and warm beds for you and your men, my Lord." One of the Lydden riders bowed his head from atop his horse. "Let us ride swiftly, the night will only get darker and even armed men such as yourselves are in danger on the Goldroad at night." He then turned his horse about and began to ride towards the lights in the distance. Deep Den had just appeared over the crest of the hill and its large braziers promised a great deal of warmth. The men rode quicker at its sight, a few snorting at the mention of danger on the Goldroad.
Idris and Jonella smiled at one another as they passed through the gatehouse of the Lyddens' stronghold. It was far larger than Moreland Castle and while it had no town like the Ironmountain it was still very populous and noticeably so despite the late hour. An old bald man stood at the top of a short flight of steps just past the first courtyard with several armoured guards around him.
"Welcome to my home Lord Ironfur, Lady Winterbane. We haven't had visitors from the Ironmountain in many years. Would you dine with me before taking to your beds?"