The blacksmith lifted some canvas tarps in the corner of his modest office on the second floor of the armory and reached a hand underneath in search of the hidden treasure.
"Not the trusting type anymore Mikken?" the Lord of Tumbledown Tower asked.
The dour man grimaced. "Too many strangers about. Too many Southerners," he muttered.
"The King?!" Lohgun teased. "And all the other of Lord Stark's honored guests?"
Mikken's grimace puckered even further, until he said, "Ahhh, here it is Badger, uh … I mean milord." From the less than secretive stash, the burly blacksmith pulled out two feet of slightly curved steel attached to an unadorned pommel.
The Badger snorted in amusement that a man who'd known him for twenty years would stumble to call him a poncy 'lord.' He thrust out a demanding hand, "Let me hold her."
Now it was the smith's turn to snort. "A good piece of steel is a him, not a her. He's made for killing. But …" he drawled with an evil grin, "… I suppose a dainty, bowed blade like yours is rather girlish."
The Badger accepted the sword with an approving hoot at Mikken's insult. "Small blade for a small man," he replied cheerfully, and then thrust his groin out with a grunt. "Gets the job done, or at least they don't complain when I leave."
A laugh rumbled in Mikken's powerful chest and belly at the short, stout man's antics.
"Ouch," Lohgun whispered. A dot of blood swelled out on his thumb where he'd tested the newly sharpened blade.
"Sharp enough for ya, Badger?"
"A'yup. Nobody treats her like you do Mikken."
"O'course not. I made him, didn't I? And four afore that you fuukin, picky little shit. Too long, no he don't curve enough, oh the weight ain't peeeerfect, the pommel haaaas ta be o'weirwood. And like I had nuttin' better to do with my time, as how I'm the Master of Winterfell's armory," ranted the blacksmith.
Lohgun slide the blade into the sheath at his side, all the while smiling wide in appreciation at Mikken's well-rehearsed screed. The Badger patted his belly, "Thinking of all your hard, hard work has made me hungry. Think I'll grab a bite." He flipped a quick hand salute and turned into the maze of the armory's second level.
Lohgun soon came to the archway for the covered bridge over to the Great Keep. His nose immediately detected the strong scent of wolf. Entering the bridge, he saw Ghost and Nymeria docilely sitting near Arya and Jon, who watched the courtyard below through the bridge's open window. He watched as at first the direwolves' ears perked up with his appearance, and then the pair decided to come investigate him. They loped up quickly and immediately started mouthing at his badger fur cape. The Lord of Tumbledown Tower tried to tug the edges of the cape from their mouths, but they only took it as incentive to play further.
"Ghost!" Jon Snow called.
"Nymeria," Arya said somewhat abashedly.
The direwolves released their grips and moved back toward their master and mistress. Both children gave him friendly smiles at his approach and then returned to looking out the window.
"What goes?" Lohgun inquired, joining them at their perch.
"The prince is giving Ser Rodrik a hard time about sparring again with Robb," Arya relayed.
"Joffrey's being a little shit," Jon intoned.
"What are you suggesting?" Ser Rodrik asked.
"Cold steel," the Prince demanded.
"Agreed," shouted Robb
Winterfell's Master-at-Arms rubbed the huge whiskers on the side of his face. "Too dangerous. I'll allow tourney swords.
Sandor Clegane moved his bulk in front of the slender, blond haired son of the King. "Here is your Prince. By what right do you tell him anything, ser?"
"As the knight of Winterfell charged by Lord Stark to train his heirs in the art of war," Ser Rodrik replied confidently.
"You train them to be women then?" the burn faced man taunted.
"To be knights!" cried Robb, defending the honor of his teacher.
"Bah," Clegane sneered.
"They will use steel when I say they may use steel," Ser Rodrik announced forcefully.
Prince Joffrey shrugged, "Come see me then Stark when your mommy lets you." Laughter erupted out of the Lannister men gathered in the courtyard. Theon Greyjoy and Cley Cerwyn grabbed Robb hard to keep him from giving chase after the Prince.
"Bully," Arya declared.
'Stupid little shit," Jon muttered.
The Lannister entourage started to leave towards the Great Keep. "Come along Tommen," Prince Joffrey called. "Playtime is over. Leave the children to their baby rattles;" words that caused a storm of laughter out of the boy's cronies and bodyguards.
Lohgun watched Robb struggle anew in Theon and Cley's grasp. He scowled at the sprog's insults to Ned's family and House. The badger fur cloak fell to the floor of the covered bridge. "Excuse me," he muttered, gently nudging Jon and Arya aside. The Badger put a foot on the sill of the open window and launched himself into space.
THUNK!
The unexpected suddenness of his landing momentarily stunned the score or so of swaggering Lannister cocks passing close to the impact point. The pause allowed Lohgun to spring back into a stand, regardless that a turned ankle barked at him. The nearest lackey took his renewed movement as a threat and started to pull out a blade. The Badger answered by planting a boot in the guard's chest, lifting the Westerlander in the air to sprawl a good ten feet away.
The Prince laughed, delighted at another's humiliation; but the Hound sidled in front of his charge, growling warily, "What do you want Badger!?"
"I have a wager for the prince. One even Ser Rodrik might like?" Lohgun smirked.
"Back, Dog," the boy commanded. A superior smile creased his smug face. "What can you possibly offer that I mighty want?"
"Why the chance to meet Robb Start with bare steel? Unless you're too afraid?"
Vanity wounded, the prince yelped, "I'm not afraid!"
"No, I don't suppose you are, more's the pity. But you're certainly stupid!"
Prince Joffrey gasped, then stuttered, "Kill him Dog, kill him!" The Hound strode forcefully ahead, while over a dozen Lannister hands reached for their swords.
Snickt!
The Badger surged forward even quicker; claws extended and dancing mere inches in front of Clegane's startled, scarred face.
"Hold!" Ser Rodrik's stentorian bellow rose above the din of the courtyard. "There'll be no brawling in Winterfell today! I'll have the head off the first man to swing!" The tension rested on a razor's edge, waiting for the smallest sign to unleash an explosion of violence, until the Master-at-arms bustled his way into the crowd, none too gently shoving men out of the way in his haste. "Lord Lohgun!" he declared, filling the title with shame and disappointment.
The Badger retracted his claws. The old knight gave him a short nod of approval.
"Clegane, take that hand off the pommel." Ser Rodrik commanded. The Hound glared down at the Master-at-arms. "Off!" the old knight repeated, refusing to be intimidated. Reluctantly the burn faced man complied. "Better," Ser Rodrik said with evident skepticism. "Now, Lord Lohgun, you said you had a wager. I think we might all be interested to hear it," he said with a sigh to show he felt no such thing.
Lohgun smirked. "Yes, a proposal for our royal guest." And the Lord of Tumbledown Tower sketched an overly elaborate bow towards the prince to mock him. "Allow a duel between me and your Hound here. If he wins, you spar with Robb using cold steel. If I win, you spar with tourney blades. Sound interesting?"
Blood thirst and cold calculation played openly over the boy's face. "Uhm, your duel. Would it be to first blood? Or third? Or maybe even 'til the shout of 'yield?'" Prince Joffrey's face grew more animated and excited as he spoke.
"Noooooo!" the Badger scoffed, raising a hand. Snickt! The middle claw popped up. "To the death," he whispered cold as ice.
Prince Joffrey's eyes shot wide in surprise.
Ser Rodrik's eyes bulged too and then he quickly started stroking his huge muttonchops so as to hide from the prince the smile breaking out on the old knight's face. Winterfell's Master-at-arms clearly had no doubt who would win such a battle and found great pleasure in contemplating it. "Ahh, uhh, I seeee," Ser Rodrik mumbled. "Most unusual. Most unusual. What, ahhh, say you, my Prince?"
"Come Hound! I want nothing more to do with this filthy animal, nor his ill-mannered japes!" The petulant boy gathered his precious dignity and entourage then walked away in a huff.
The Stark bannermen quickly replaced the Lannister ones crowded around the Badger. More than a few of them pounded on Lohgun's shoulders at his pluck in standing up to the snobbish heir.
"You've made an enemy there," Ser Rodrik announced.
"The boy makes them wherever he walks," the Badger countered with disdain.
Robb, Theon, and Cley chuckled their amusement. From up above on the covered bridge Jon and Arya whistled and clapped their approval. And Ghost and Nymeria howled it as well.
"You shamed me before the King, Lohgun," Ned said seriously.
"Robert wasn't even there," the Badger protested weakly.
The seriousness of the situation became evident when he answered the mid-day summons to Ned's apartment and Lohgun found Lady Catelyn ensconced there as well. The red headed women had always filled him with an irrational unease; and he'd long suspected his presence had the same effect on her, for she always chose the harshest possible motive when judging his actions. Most likely because she knew he owned the identity of Jon Snow's mother. Her begrudging treatment of the lad through the years obvious to all save Ned, who refused to release Lohgun, William, and Howland from their vows. Yet another cost from Robert's Rebellion. 'Joy,' he thought ironically.
"No," Ned agreed coolly. "But neither can he quietly stand for the insult given to his son, and thus to his wife, from inside my walls by my bannerman."
"And what of this royal guest's insults to your son, to your Master-at-arms, inside your House?" the Badger countered.
"He is only a boy," Ned sighed, looking sad and tired.
"A boy with bad blood," Lohgun pressed.
"And you've caused nothing but bad blood with the Queen and her family since very night you came here," Catelyn proclaimed hotly.
Lohgun shook his head, "Not so. Tyrion Lannister agrees with me. We've shared many a cup these past weeks. And he would agree with my assessment."
Catelyn rolled her eyes at mention of the Imp.
"Nevertheless," Ned ground on. "It is for the best if you took your leave of Winterfell until Robert and the Queen depart for King's Landing."
Looking in Ned's deep grey eyes, Lohgun knew defeat was inevitable, but decided to see if he could shake some good out of it. "Alright, I'll leave by dark; on my honor. I would never want to be the cause of a break between you and Robert. Even if the fat bastard's not quite the man he once was."
Ned slowly nodded his head in agreement and understanding.
"But I do seek a boon of you, Lord Stark," he thrust daringly.
"What do you want, Badger?" the Lord of Winterfell asked with sly smile.
"Send Jon Snow to Tumbledown Tower with me."
"Why?" asked Ned curiously.
"Why? snapped Catelyn suspiciously.
"The lad talks of joining Benjen on the Wall; and that right soon. Did you know that?"
Both the Lord and Lady shook their heads no.
"The Watch is honorable," Lohgun continued. "But not the place for a boy who's barely seen his fourteenth name day. I spent three years there, I know. Let Jon live with me, away from Winterfell, to be something other than Ned Stark's bastard. Give him a chance to choose his own path. Please?" the Badger begged.
Though she hid it well, a glint of interest showed in Catelyn's eyes. Ned sat quietly, thinking it through. At last he asked, "Have you spoken of this too him?"
"Yes. He's shown some interest, but is unsure. Ben thinks it a good idea, and has told Jon he could always become a brother in a year or two or three. Jon will come with me if you ask him to, Ned. Please?"
The Lord of Winterfell nodded his head in agreement. "Let's go find him then."
'Joy,' Lohgun thought, this time without a shred of irony.