This one has taken awhile since I haven't had to send children away for political purposes and real life ( it's impossible biologically for reasons I have no desire to explain.)

Winterfell 271

It was a busy day for The Stark in Winterfell , his desk covered in paperwork pretaining to every thing under the sun that somehow managed to be within the North at the same time.

First the onslaught of Foster-ship Letters , second the squabble between the knitters guild and the sheep farmers, third the Forresters and Whitehill's have raised the blood-feud again ,now the baliff's sent a case of appeal from a gossip found guilty of plucking a chicken that wasn't killed.

He let out a sigh.Who would want a bloody lord paramountcy when there are things like this to deal with.

" Lord , do you want anything? " Vayon asked

" Get me the scrivener , a keg of mead with frame,horn and tap , and send in that blasted gossip"

Rickard replied .

" Yes ser ... right away ser . what age of mead ser ? " Vayon asked.

" Three years ,good April" Rickard answered .

"Good choice ser" Vayon said

As Vayon walked out the door , the gossip walked in .She looked around and stood with a sense of worth often found in hags of her age , she wore a simple brown hobben dress with a white... well formerly white headscarf. On her arm was a basket with a cloth covering ,a smell of fresh bread. Her face was wrinkled beyond... well wrinkled , whether that was from smiles or frowns only the weirwoods knew.

Ah, a bribe ,maybe bannock with service berries by smell.

" Good day milaird, I've come to argue me case, of which I've been falsely accused." the gossip said .

Is this is going to be one of those cases where the accused is guilty but doesn't want to admit it because her family caught her, not the town watch.

"Good, now give me your name ." Rickard asked.

"Tanya Breakspear ,Milaird " she said with look of pride

" Please , take a seat my good gossip " . Rickard said trying to sound polite .

A certain one requires a disturbingly large portion of the old tongue grease, I'm going to hate myself for this on the morrow and simply use rightful authority ,.

Rickard looked down at the letter from the baliff , in which listed the accusers as her eldest daughter, the daughter's husband and her own husband.

She sat down in the chair "Thank you milaird for taking your time to look inta my case" said gossip Breakspear , .

"First question; who accused you of these crimes and do you have any witnesses against the baliffe's conclusion."

The hag fidgeted, then said " My husband Osric, Anya and her husband ,the pole-turner Tuor Snow." As the gossip is saying her witnesses Rickard was rereading the baliffe's report.

The husband , check , the eldest daughter check ,Glover's bastard son-in-law ... check!.

Oh to be at Castle Black now that the wildlings are here.

Just as she was finished the door opened and Vayon's head popped in,

eyeing the gossip in front him with face white-as-death and said " Lord Stark ?"

"Yes Vayon? Are the porters and Clerk Wallace here"asked Rickard, to which Vayon nodded in answer , " Tanya Breakspear, you are dismissed and will be required to notify your witnesses to also be present at the great hall at high noon on the morrow, I recommend you prepare your case , and do not attempt bribery..." pause Lord Stark did ,and swapped to the old tongue " bannock with service berries... pshaw , even the wildling's know I prefer crabbapple."

At that , the gossip stood up indignant and spouted in the old tongue also " Your honour , I'd never attempt bribery!" .

" Then please tell me my good woman; firstly, what exactly was your intent and second , how much lard and serviceberries is in said bannock?" asked Rickard in a amused tone. At that , the Gossip arose and went out in what at best would be described as a utter contempt for what was deemed new fangled and ... and it seemed that Rickard's refusal of bribes as just that.

What is it with elderly women in and around this keep? they don't act like this any where else... well to my knowledge atleast.

Then Rickard, looking at his page and steward( who were one and the same mind you), who was still pale as death-in-a-bread-basket and said" Vayon ,you are dismissed for the day".Vayon didn't react ,"Clerk Wallace would you do me the dubious honour of snapping your fingers in front of him?"

Snap!...Snap! and still naught from the boy .

Then the Clerk did something unexpected , he took out two gold peices from his pockets and waved them in front of the boy a few times, Vayon's colour returned, he made a grab for the gold , but Clerk Wallace was faster." Aww !" Vayon cawed seemingly unaware of his previous rigor horrida. At the failed filching, Wallace put the coins in his pockets,grimaced and looked back at the Stark and said "You really have your work cut out for you."

He's right about that, no lord in his right mind would want a coin swallowing steward , though then again every coin Vayon returned has been dry.

"While I must agree on that point... Vayon you're dismissed for the rest of the day, you can run along and go play" Said Lord Stark. At that , Vayon ran out of the room, face full of glee.

"Now what did you really want me here for friend? Surely not watching you give retort to a woman old enough to be dead twice oer" Wallace said

Can't beat the bush when it's not looking.

"You already know yourself , it's all over my desk" Said Rickard looking over the foster-ship offers. The pile was a mess .

Two candle notches later...

" I can't believe it" Said Wallace, holding a envelope.

UH oh this can't be good.

"What is it?" Rickard asked , he noted Wallace's face. It had that we've-hit-gold look in his eyes with a smile , whilst Clerk Wallace was merely a Bondsman directly sworn to Winterfell , he was the only man in four hundred years to have found gold among the Stark vassals, it was a small amount some mined ,mostly panned from some small rivers on his land .

"You've gotta be shit-ing me! " Wallace's face changed to dumbfounded as he picked up another envelope .

I take that back , his face is priceless . If only it would stay that way.

" Well what is it?" Asked Rickard. Wallace shoved the two envelopes in his hands and spouted "Ship fething Iron-men! ,Sacrimonious Valers! You've got to be kidding me!"

Rickard looked at the Envelopes , he looked at the seals . The fact that Wallace wasn't fond of anything that was'nt sworn to Winterfell. To see his reasoning ,all one had to do was to look at his wooden left foot and scars one would know them , well a rough hundredth of them .

He still blames the 'Targs' for everything since Aegon the Conqueror...wait, just a bloody minute.

Falcon and Kraken were the seals. argent upon azure and Or upon sable respectively .Arryn and Greyjoy.

It been a long time since the Ninepenny Kings Jon.

Rickard handed the Arryn letter to Wallace and spoke four words, four infamous words.

"Read it out loud."