Tytos Blackwood 292 A.C
Tytos had sat by his son's bedside as maester Ambrose scuttled around the room gathering his medicines. The blood that had come from Brynden was due to a narrow gash across the boy's left eye. The bark of the Weirwood tree marking his son permanently Ambrose had said. Brynden was to be bandaged for a couple of days meaning his trip to Honeytree had to be postponed. The murderer was instead being brought here, to Raventree Hall, in order to face his judgment.
"Lord Brynden should be okay My Lord, I recommend that he rest, time heals all wounds as the adage goes".
"Thank you, I ask for some privacy with my son".
The maester bowed. "Of course, My Lord".
Once the maester had left Tytos ordered his two guards to block both ends of the corridor, his son's single red eye stared into his own dark grey questioningly. "What do we need to speak on father?"
"What happened in the Weirwood Brynden?"
Brynden paused.
"You can tell me son, it's okay."
His son nodded. "I had left the family rooms with a full mind father, I wished to clear it before joining you for our ride to Honeytree… Are we still going to be able to go?"
"No son, the prisoner is to be brought here, you can still join me for the trial but for now you are to stay at the Hall, is that understood?"
Brynden's face fell. "Yes father."
"Do not look so glum Brynden, the world is large and our lives are long, one day you shall see it all and the days you had to stay here will be naught but spots in your memory. However, for now I am Lord and more importantly I am your father so you shall have to trust that I know what's best for you."
"I trust you father."
"Good, now continue with your story."
Brynden nodded. "I needed to clear my head so I went to the Weirwood, I'd seen how at ease the Heart Tree made you feel and wanted to try to experience that for myself. However, things were strange father, the ravens weren't acting right, it was as if they were watching me. I continued to the base of the tree and knelt before touching the tree. My vision went dark for a moment but when it returned I was no longer myself father."
"Carry on Brynden, it is only us two here."
His son looked once around the room before smiling widely. "I was flying father, truly, I saw the great keeps of Westeros, Casterly Rock in its magnificent shades of gold, King's Landing and the Red Keep. Father, I flew to The Wall! It was gigantic and magnificent, but that wasn't everything I kept on flying and flying until I reached Winterfell. The walls as imposing as I'd read. Oh father, it was incredible I'd never dreamt of anything like it, anything so real."
Tytos nodded to himself as if he'd confirmed something he had only slightly believed. "Brynden, son, rest, we'll talk more on this later. For now, you need to sleep. I'll send someone to wake you before the trial this evening."
The father and son embraced again. Tytos glanced behind him as he was exiting and saw his son drifting away peacefully. His eyes shone at the sight and he smiled warmly to himself. Once out of the doorway his stoic mask slipped back into place ordering the two guards to stay posted on his son's door. No one was to enter but himself.
Tytos strode purposefully to his solar plagued with the words his son had spoken. Flying to nearly all corners of Westeros something he had no doubt many people would scoff at. Lord Blackwood knew better, his son was a warg, or at least that was his current theory. To be sure he had to do more research, he had not brushed up on the legends of the north and of the old gods in many years. As he rounded the corner to his solar he heard a shout from behind him.
"My Lord, the prisoner has arrived. What shall we do with him?"
Tytos replied without turning around. "Throw him in the dungeons for now."
The door to his solar opened. "But My Lord…"
The door to his solar closed. "…The dungeons are full."
The guard shook his head, his Lord had something else on his mind, it would do no good to disturb him further. The dungeons it was then.
Inside Tytos' solar was a vast array of books. Nearly the entire back wall was a bookshelf containing the works that the Lord of Raventree Hall had an interest in. Volumes ranging from religious texts, maester's notes, diaries from previous Lords of the Hall and also the target of Tytos' attention. Legends of the First Men a book he'd not read since he first came into Lordship twenty-something years ago. As he read more he became increasingly sure that what his son was experiencing was not dreams as the boy believed but instead was the first sign of warging manifesting in his son. What Tytos could not come to understand was that any mention of wargs in the book was followed with scepticism and disbelief, the trait clearly becoming increasingly rare as time moved forward. For it now to manifest in his son was something he could not understand. Tytos' mind quickly jumping to the legacy of Bloodraven and the many questions surrounding him and his supposed powers. A thousand eyes and one was what the realm at large believed and that was something Tytos himself would not doubt.
When Tytos finally finished the book he was astonished to find the sun so much lower in the sky than when he'd started. He had not planned for his reading to take so long. Tytos resigned himself to speaking to his son later on in the evening after sorting out the trial that had stretched for far too long. For now, he had to quickly sort out his duties for the day. He had numerous letters from people spanning the Blackwood Vale. One mill owner asking for permission to expand, a tavern owner wished for more guards near the town and a third letter from Walder Frey asking for one of his sons to be wed at the twins. Tytos scowled at the thought of one of his boys stuck with house Frey, that would not be a letter he'd answer. The final letter of the day was one he took great interest in. This was one with the raven sigil of his house stamped on the seal. The letter detailed how the Greyjoy Rebellion was nearing it's close, within the next couple moons his commander estimated they'd be able to come home. Tytos drank to the news, any increase in manpower was welcome. He'd grown tired of stretching his forces to sort out the problems on his lands. When his troops returned he could begin some projects he'd halted when the squids had entered into open rebellion.
With a much clearer head than when he'd entered his solar Tytos began the journey to the dungeons. It was time for the trial to begin. He got to the door of the dungeons and greeted the two guards outside.
"Alright lads, Ned go and fetch my brothers and the family of the deceased, Robert go and bring the prisoner up here me and you can escort him to the block."
Both men nodded. Ned strode off in the direction of the courtyard, no doubt Aeron and Dorian were both sparring or practicing with the new recruits. It wasn't long until his brothers arrived at the door to the dungeons.
Aeron smiled at him. "Tytos, we thought we'd come and give you a hand, no doubt the gods know you need it."
"Aye, maybe from Dorian but not you, you big lump of lard."
The brothers shared a laugh as they stood waiting for Robert to emerge from the darkness of the dungeons. Minutes passed without any sound or hint of the pair's arrival.
Aeron grunted. "What in the hell is taking so long."
Tytos eyes peered deeply into the dark abyss. "I'm not sure brother."
As usual, his brother's his brother's hot-headedness won out. "Fine, I'll go and grab them myself."
It was as Aeron arrived at the door to the dungeons that Dorian's ears picked up the faint sound of running. "Aeron wait!"
But it was too late. A prisoner jumped out of the darkness and skewered Aeron through the chest. His brother fell to the floor already dead. Both Blackwood brothers faced morphed into that of fury before together they drew their weapons. Tytos' longsword was ill-suited for the narrow hallways of Raventree Hall but that was all he had. His brother's daggers a much better fit for the fight that was to come. The prisoner removed his sword from Aeron's chest before spitting on him. Tytos eyes hardened and his teeth gritted. Neither party made a move, instead more and more prisoner's emerged from the dungeons. By Tytos' reckoning there must have been thirty of them, while the corridor provided a natural choke point meaning only three or four men could attack at once both brother's knew there were too many of them for the pair to handle.
Dorian glanced at his brother. "Tytos go, gather the men."
"I'm not leaving you here Dorian, we'll fight together, for Aeron!"
"No, if we fall these bastards will spread out into the castle. It'll take hours before they come across a group large enough to finish them off. Go! I'll buy you time."
Tytos nodded slowly. "Hold the line brother, I'll be back soon."
He turned and ran, for the first time in his life he felt craven but he knew what he had to do. His brother's sacrifice would not be in vain. While he was running he could he his brother's shouts.
"Come on you bastards! Let's be having you."
Tytos smirked while his eyes wettened, both his brothers having more in common than they'd like to admit. It did not take him long to find Ned and Jason alongside four others of his house guard. Without stopping he turned back round the way he'd came shouting for them to follow him. He pleaded with the gods as he made his way back to his brothers. 'Please let him still be standing'. He prayed that the old gods would not abandon him today. The group arrived back in the corridor to a sight of carnage. His brother was still alive, but barely, cuts had began to display themselves across his body from where the prisoners had clawed or bitten him in an attempt to slow him down. Eight of the prisoners were strewn around him in a circle, a testament to Dorian Blackwood's skill with the blades. Tytos and his guards rushed into the melee, weapons drawn, cutting through the initial group surrounding his brother. At which point Dorian dropped to his knees the bleeding clearly taking it's toll on his brother, with a last gasp Dorian wheezed.
"Told you I'd buy you some time, eh brother?"
His brother's body shivered as the last breath left his body. Tytos screamed in agony and fury. He launched himself into the middle of the crowd swinging his sword at anything he could see. His vision turned red from the blood of those he'd slain. The guards picking off those that got past him. It helped that the prisoners had no weapons Tytos thought to himself. His tunnel vision gave him incredible clarity at what was in front of him, his sword sang and his enemies fell however the danger of this tunnel vision soon became apparent. Tytos could not hear the warning shouts from his guards for they were too late. All Tytos could hear was the call for his pain to be answered with blood. At first Tytos was confused when he looked down at the sword that had pierced his belly, then when his knees buckled and his vision began to flag it was the pain from the wound. Thankfully the sword remained lodged in his abdomen slowing the bleeding down. Tytos cursed himself for forgetting the one prisoner who was armed. The same prisoner who was now stood over him ready to finish him. The same prisoner who's head now slid off his neck revealing Jason bloodied and tired but alive. The man who'd saved him. The rest of the guards cleared the corridor while Jason carried Tytos to safety.
"Take it easy My Lord, you'll aggravate the wound if you move too much."
Tytos coughed. "It's a bit too late for that lad, this will be the end of me lad."
"What My Lord? I'll go and grab the maester now, there's still a chance."
"No Jason. I've seen enough folk die to know when it's my time, and besides who doesn't want to go down fighting alongside his brother's. A good death I'd wager. Now lad there is some things I need you to do for me before I breath my last."
"Anything My Lord."
"Quickly now go and fetch some paper and ink, I find I need to write down some words. Oh, and grab the book Legends of the First Men from my solar."
Jason rushed off leaving Tytos alone to think on what he needed to say. He thought ideally he's have been able to write to each of his family but he could feel his life slipping away, the long sleep creeping ever nearer. He knew he had only the time for one letter, maybe less. So it was to be Bryden he wrote his final words to. Jason returned with the paper and ink ready as well as the book stashed in a little knapsack on his waist.
"Thank you Jason, you've been loyal to me during your tenure here, I'm thankful of that."
Jason smiled. "Aye My Lord, before I came to the Hall I was nothing but a beggar on the street, now I have friends and a purpose something I am incredibly grateful for My Lord."
Blood trickled down Tytos' lip. "Good Jason, I'd like you to do just a couple more things for me. When I give you this letter I need you to take it to Brynden. The book and the letter Jason, both his You need to get him out of the castle and quickly. Best before word of my death reaches the rest of the household."
"But My Lord..."
"No Jason. Listen to me. Brynden must be taken from this place; I trust that you'll see it done?"
Jason nodded.
"Good, I want you to swear in front of me now that you'll follow Brynden and protect him with your life, swear that you will protect my son."
Jason knelt. "I pledge my sword and my life to Brynden Blackwood; I swear this in front of the old gods and the new. From this day until my last day. My sword is his."
Tytos coughed violently and his voice began to fade. "Thank you Jason… Look.. after...my..son."
The Lord of Raventree Hall breathed his last. In one fell swoop all three of the Blackwood brothers had fallen. While usually this would be a time for Jason to mourn alongside the rest of his colleagues he instead had promised his dying Lord one final thing. Something he would see through. No matter what.
