Vassal Character List

House Greenwood

Lord Bennard Greenwood

Jon Greenwood (Heir of Greentree)

House Whitewood

Lord Syemon Whitewood

Hadrian Whitewood (Heir of Stonetree)

Brandon Whitewood (Second son of Lord Syemon)

House Greene

Lord Rogar Greene (Master-at-Arms of White Harbor)

Rogar 'Little Rogar' Greene (Son of Rogar Greene)

House Stonel

Benedict Stonel (Head of House Stonel and the Bank of Frost)

Justin Stonel (Son of Benedict Stonel and Captain in Greystark Fleet)

Roland Stonel (Head of the docks of White Harbor)

House Woolford

Lord Timetheus Woolford

Kenderick Woolford (Son of Timetheus Woolford and Heir)

Jocelyn Woolford (Daughter of Timetheus)

Thorkell Woolford (Son of Timetheus)

Chapter 4

Lord Bennard Greenwood POV

The morning mist hung over the Shivering Sea as it spread out farther than any eyes could see. Its thick coverage blocked out the view of the sea for miles. Lord Bennard Greenwood gazed upon the sea waiting for the ships to return into port. His thoughts soon turned to the missive he received a day prior, 'The Targaryens really know how to piss off the wolves. What stupidity is going on in King's Landing killing both the Lord Paramount and his heir?'.

His house would answer the Greystarks' call with bronze and iron, but the thought of war left his old body tired. Lord Bennard was two and fifty. He was a greybeard by the standards of his people. His once raven locks grew to become silvery, grey with age. His face was lined with crow's feet reaching from his eyes outwards towards his cheeks. He once stood proudly above the men that served him but now, he seemed to grow shorter and shorter as the seasons changed. His eyes once shown with a determined icy, blue fire but had dimmed with age. Now people could only see a cloudy, blue when his gaze pierced them.

He stood at the harbor gazing upon the two sea towers waiting for the return of his son Jon. He had sent his son on patrol with the Greenwood Fleet to patrol the sea surrounding the settlement of Greentree. There had been an increase of slaver activity farther up North than he was comfortable with. 'Those slaving scum must be going farther up North. While I do not care much for Wildings, even they are better off than getting caught by those Essoi slaving scum', thought angrily. Bennard could still remember those vile beings as his memory went back to the War of the Ninepenny Kings. His grip on his weirwood cane strengthened as he was brought back into memories of long ago.

The smell of brimstone and smoke filled his nostrils as he gazed upon the ruins of their camp as the flames grew larger. It was like the seven hells had befallen upon the encamped Northern army as they slept. The sounds of dying men and the screams of the living drowned out the cries for aid. Essoi soldiers filled into the camp taking away camp followers and soldiers alike. The slaving scum did not discriminate as they both sought to gather more slaves and to weaken their army to halt the progress of the Royal forces in the Stepstones. Bennard's rage grew as he saw the women who followed them throughout the campaign being corralled while the soldiers were put to the sword for trying to save them. Bennard yelled out in frustration as he sought to gather the men around him as the camp continued to burn. His rage-filled scream drew the attention of Greenwood soldiers and levies as they gathered around their Lord. He drew in a deep breath and yelled out a thunderous, "Charge", as he sprinted to meet the Essoi scum head on.

Bennard slowly drew in a calming breath as he tried to pull himself out of the memory. The smell of brimstone and ash still filled his nose as he slowly became aware he was still on the docks of Greentree. Sweat slowly dripped down his weathered forehead as the last remnants of the memory left his vision. He calmly unclenched his hand that had gripped the weirwood cane in a death grip. In the distance he could make out sails with the sigil of a green raven on a weirwood tree on a field of black. His son had returned with the fleet. He slowly hobbled towards the closet dock followed behind by his retinue. The small fleet of twenty ships slowly turned into the direction of the docks. One after another the ships slowly came to a halt as they made landfall at the docks. The waves crashed upon their prows as the gangplanks of each ship fell onto the docks. One after another the thumping sound of the twenty gangplanks as they hit the dock Bennard was standing upon.

Bennard could see the men slowly disembark the ships in a sea of green and black of their tabards with his house's sigil. At the front of men coming off the Green Raven (flagship of the Greenwood fleet) was his son and heir Jon. His son shared the same raven hair he once had. His son's gleaming smile could be seen alongside the sapphire blue eyes of their house. Jon stood at an even six feet as he slowly walked towards his father. The smoothness of his face could be seen the closer he got as his aquiline nose and scar free face drew near his father. Bennard could only smile at his son as they stood face to face.

"Father, I have returned with the fleet. The Essoi have been seen sailing farther up North past the Wall. I believe they are raiding the wildings around Hardhome or even further North", said Jon as his voice boomed over the noise of the disembarking men.

"Quiet lad I may be going blind, but I can still hear", laughed out Bennard as he stared at his son.

"I apologize my lord but who else will make you deaf", replied to Jon wittily as his smile grew larger.

"You will be the death of me boy though hopefully you'll learn more respect before then", jokingly said Bennard as a small smile graced his face.

"You will have more than enough time while still putting up with me Hahahahaha", laughed out Jon as his blue eyes gleamed with joy.

"Aye I may have more time but hopefully I can finally see you married off Jon", said Bennard as his tone turned serious.

"Maybe I will but woe be that day as the whores will miss my presence", said Jon. The thought of marriage was not on his mind as he loved his freedom. "I will marry when I feel like it father".

"You better soon my son since I have betrothed you to the Woolford lass", said Bennard tiredly. His heir really needed to marry as soon as possible. They were the last of their house. House Greentree had suffered enough loss due to sickness and war. Bennard thought of the family he had lost, 'My brothers died in the previous war, and they left no children of their own. My wife passed and gave me no more children. Jon, you must see that House Greentree is on the brink of extinction'.

"I will do as you order father, but I will find no happiness in this decision", said Jon reluctantly.

"Enough of this talk have the men been mustered?", questioned Jon.

"Aye, we are gathering the last of our troops at the castle. We will send around 600 soldiers to White Harbor. Our other troops and whatever levies we scrounge up will be stationed here at Greentree to reinforce our defenses here", stated Bennard as they made their way towards the castle of Greentree. The castle itself was around the size of the Wolfsden with stout walls and a stone keep overlooking the settlement. The keep had seen better days though as its walls and even the keep itself could be seen in its disrepair. 'Edwyle may be right, we must focus on repairing our seat. I have not focused on it since we have expanded the town and our fleet since the War of the Ninepenny Kings', thought Bennard on his interactions with the Heir of White Harbor.

Bennard had not cared for the seat of his family since the deaths of his siblings. He felt haunted by the memories of growing up with his brothers before they died to those Essoi scum. The thought of the ghosts that haunted him brought back the last memories he had of them. His eyes grew misty as he was brought back to that infernal day of the raid on their camp.

The charge of his forces met the slavers head on in a thunderous clash of infantry. His sword had never been tested as much as of today. He could feel the weight of the thrust of a slavers spear as it struck his shield. He could remember the sting in his arm as he powered through the plow. Once he was inside the spearman's guard, he thrust out his sword into the spearman's throat. The splashing of crimson blood fell upon his face as he withdrew the sword from the spearman's throat. He could only grin wildly as he saw the life ebb away out of the soldier's eyes. His troops followed his example and fought with a primal fury as they slowly drove the Essoi soldiers back away from the women and what soldiers that remained on this side of the camp. He would have continued on in his slaughter if he did not hear the piercing wail of his brother Thorren. His gaze slowly swept to the back of their formation as he gazed upon a sight that would haunt him for the rest of his days. Thorren was cradling the head of his youngest brother and twin of Thorren. Bennard could only stare in shock as Jon's raven locks gave way to an empty, soulless gaze. His body was unmoving as Thorren shook his twin trying to get him to move. The wailing of his brother grew as Bennard started to run to them. His gaze firmly planted on Thorren's grief stricken face as he rushed to his unconsolably brother. He desperately tried to make it to them as his rage cooled into horror. He did not realize that an archer was behind him as he was only focused on Thorren. Bennard was close to his brother as soon out of the corner of his eye an arrow whizzed by him. His whole world slowed to a crawl as he saw the arrow slowly move past him. Time resumed as all he could hear in front of him was a grotesque gasping sound. He slowly turned and his world came crashing down. The arrow had hit his brother Thorren in the throat. Blood slowly came out of the wound as he slowly drowned in his own blood. Bennard could only try and stem the bleeding as he made it to Thorren. His eyes became cloudy as his tears streamed down his face. His eyes made contact with Thorren's as they slowly grew dimmer. The light of his brother's eyes dulled as his body grew slack in Bennard's arms.

"Father…Father…Father please come back to me. Father, you aren't in the war. You are in Greentree", yelled Jon desperately as he brought Bennard in a rough embrace to hopefully bring him out of the nightmare

Bennard could only gasp as his tears parted to see the face of his worried son. His breath had been taken away from him as he looked upon his boy. He looked so much like Jon and Thorren before they passed. He could only cry more deeply as he held his son to him. Even to this day his pain of losing his brothers would bring him low.

"I am here, my son. I am sorry I got caught up in the past", said Bennard tiredly. His age continued to catch up to him. It seemed that he would be brought back to that horrifying day more often. He could only curse this new war under his breath. He slowly regained control of himself as his son continued to ground him in this moment.\

With a shaking in his voice he said to Jon, "You must take the troops to Stonetree and meet with the Greystarks. I cannot perform this duty Jon. I feel that I am starting to get more lost these days".

"Aye I will. I will meet with the Greystarks and take your place in this war. I will even marry the Woolford girl. Soon we'll have little ravens for you to watch over", said Jon as he grew resigned to the idea of marriage.

Bennard grew hopeful at this as he feared for the future of their house. He feared for his son who was the last of his family. He feared for what this war would bring to his house and the whole North. He had lost too much in the last one and felt he could only hope it would not take his son from him.

Author's Note: I know from the last chapter that I mentioned that I would write about the responses and perspectives of all the vassal houses. I just felt that I was on a roll with House Greenwood's perspective. I decided to break up some of the vassal perspectives in different chapters as I wanted it to not feel rushed. I also thought it would be interesting to include some history and character building of Bennard's past. He is of a similar age to both Barthogan and Brandon though he lost a lot in the War of the Ninepenny Kings. I wanted to capture that he is dutiful but is also dealing with his own ghosts. I thought it would add some more depth to his character as he is still haunted by the previous war. I thought it would also make some sense of how his castle is in disrepair as he has grown to despise the castle as he is haunted by the ghosts of his siblings who died in the war. I will later on in the story write more about his son Jons perspective as he is sent with the Greenwoods troops towards White Harbor. The story will probably be slower going as I want to write more of the vassal characters and the Greystarks themselves since I feel that it will give them more of a human touch. I will try to upload weekly as I want to write longer chapters and go into more depth of the characters themselves. Stay cool and I hope to hear more from you folks as the reviews have really helped me out with creating this story.