[Within the Northmen/Riverlander Camp on the Road to Riverrun]
'Finally, only a couple of more days.' The Lord of Raventree Hall thought tiredly due to the journey back to Riverrun having taken much longer than needed due to the large number of Northmen along with the accompanying riverlords and their men who, most have thankfully broken off on their way back to their castles and keeps.
Although he wished for nothing more than to return to his home into the embrace of his lovely wife and young son Brynden, who by now should be nearing his fifth name day, he still had a duty to fulfill, one that was to his house.
Before the Rebellion had broken out, Houses Blackwood and Bracken were on the cusp of breaking out into a small war of their own over some farmland that if he was being honest, neither side had any clue who it truly belonged to at this point.
For millennia their two houses had fought over plots of various land along with their religious differences following the coming of the Andals, and this conflict was just one in a long line of disputes both sides have held.
The farmland in question had changed hands from Bracken to Blackwood many a time through the centuries and lately, the Brakens were attempting to claim it yet again, If it wasn't for the rebellion breaking out and the two sides, much to the shock of many, joining hands under their liege lord Hoster Tully, there more then likely would've been bloodshed over the 'coveted' land.
So, as much as he would like to return home to his family and lands, Lord Tytos still had a score to settle by taking his petition to formally have the lands recognized as true Blackwood lands, of course, that blasted Lord Jonos would rather die than give up the perceived 'Bracken Claim'.
'How preposterous, those damn Andals know no bounds in their greed.' He huffed in annoyance, his eyes finding those of Jonos Bracken, the Lord Cunt of Stonehedge.
"Tch!" he sucked his teeth as he got up and left to go find himself some ale and food, preferably close to or even within the Northern encampment.
To this day, The Blackwoods have never forgotten their roots as true First Men, something those damned Brackens had done long ago.
Grabbing a drink and some food, Lord Tytos glanced around trying to find an open spot amongst the Northmen in front of their fires.
Just as he was about to begrudgingly return to the Riverlander camp, he spotted an open seat next to the young Eddard Stark, the would-be Lord of The North, if it wasn't for his nephew whose existence was quite the surprise, to say the least.
Tytos for the life of him still couldn't even begin to understand what the Late Lord Rickard was thinking in hiding his trueborn grandson.
He had met the now-deceased Lord of Winterfell once before to possibly discuss future trade and maybe even a marriage pact, the latter never coming to fruition of course.
Even then he could never get a good read on Rickard Stark, the man whose Southron Ambitions were famous even below the Neck.
'It's not every day that a Stark, much less THE Stark of Winterfell tries to further inch his way into southern politics, something that even he, despite being more Riverlander than Northern at this point, could wrap his head around at times.
Thinking about his family's past in the North, he could only feel regret, a regret that seemingly transcended generations and millennia.
It was no secret that the Blackwoods now regret the past actions that led them to be exiled from the north, from their home. Despite the Starks practically forgiving them in full, a testament due to the many times a Blackwood Married into the Starks and vice versa, the Blackwoods still remembered their vile actions.
Before he could fall too deep into his thoughts, the loud and rambunctious laughter of the Greatjon filled his ears as he was ushered to join them by Eddard Stark.
"Hahaha, And then, the bloke shit himself, as if he had never seen a man as large as me before!" Greatjon roared in laughter, his companions joining him.
"By the gods, it felt good seeing a real battle in so long, I haven't felt that alive since the waning days of the Nine Penny Kings!" Greatjon exclaimed, taking a deep swig of his ale.
'Now that brings back memories.' Tytos thoughts, remembering the battles on the Step Stones during the failed rebellion by Maelys "The Monsterous" and his companions.
He was but a but of 3 and 10 during the war, but his father Lord Benjicot Blackwood, thought it fitting for him to join the Blackwood men during the later stages of the war, and he was glad his father had made such a decision, if not, who knows how he would've fought in the Rebellion.
Either way, the lessons he learned on those gods forsaken rocks they call islands, helped keep him alive during the Trident, a bloody ordeal that he was glad was done and over with, and by the gods he hoped his son, and any future sons he shall have by the graces of the old gods, won't have to see such bloodshed as he did.
He could still see the look on his brother, Steffon Blackwood's face as he took a spear through the neck, thankfully, his once lively brother didn't stay in pain long, the gods took him into their embrace during the fighting.
'Sigh, and now, I have to return and tell his wife of his demise.' Tytos thought sadly, thinking of his brother's widow Elisa Whitetree, the daughter of Lord Gerold Whitetree, the head of a minor house sworn to the Blackwoods.
Not only his widow, but he had to try and break the news to Tytos' nephew Daven Blackwood, a boy of only 4.
Pulling himself out of his thoughts, he noticed the northern lords were now focused on him.
"So, Blackwood, decided to come and join us instead of those sissy, southerners huh?" Greatjon said with a wide smile, the two lords being kin through their parents, with Tytos' mother being the youngest sister of Lord Brandon Umber, the Greatjon's Father.
"Aye, couldn't bring myself to deal with the Brackens any longer." He replied, a grin spreading on his face as he took a deep drink from his ale.
And with that being said, the group of lords continued to rave and enjoy their time as they shared stories from the Rebellion or, in the case of his uncle, Mors Umber, his dalliances with wenches and the number of wildlings he had personally slew.
As the time went on, and the sun lowered and the night came out, most of the men of both encampments were well into their cups.
Despite this, the groups of northern lords and himself were still at it, most of them, save for the numbers, having slowed down in their drinking.
While they were all making merry and talking, Tytos had noticed that the young Warden of the North, Alaric Stark had been quietly examining him, as if looking for something that wasn't there.
His scrutinizing gaze almost unnerved the Lord of Raventree hall, much to his chagrin at being pushed to feeling such a thing from a boy of no more than 3, a boy younger than his own son Brynden.
'The boy most likely just recently was thought of my family's past in the north.' He dismissed the boy's questioning gaze to that of a child who just learned some history during his lessons.
Now reaching a point where he was just about ready to return for the night, he was pulled out of his thoughts of his wife and warm bed, when the Greatjon posed a question for him.
"Tell me, Lord Blackwood, just what was the reason for the Blackwoods being exiled from the North? My Lord-Father used to tell me of the days when the Umber fought the Starks before the North was united, and, forgive me if I overstep my lord, but the Umbers committed many offenses against the Starks, and yet here we are." the Greatjon asked, his last part being directed toward Eddard and Alaric, with the former waving away the Greatjons worry of a perceived slight.
"Hmm, now that you mention it, although I was given a rather extensive teaching on the Stark's conquest of the North, I don't remember the Maester, nor Father explaining what the reason for the Blackwood's expulsion from the North was." A thoroughly drunk Benjen Stark stated, his words half-slurred yet still coherent enough to understand
"I think you've drank enough for tonight little brother," Eddard said as he swiped the mug of ale from his younger brother's hands, much to the amusement of the surrounding lords as the younger Stark tried and failed at protesting his being cut off, even the unusually stoic young Alaric lightly chuckling as well before turning to Tytos, his face showing an almost, knowing look.
Shaking off the odd look from the Stark boy, his attention was drawn back to Benjen Stark as he made a declaration that he was going to go and face his wife-to-be Dacey Mormont, who, from all accounts is a fiery she-bear who was going to eat the boy alive.
Chuckling alongside the northern lords as he took another sip, everyone's attention quickly fell back to him once again, and so, with a sigh, and a deep sip of ale, he began to recount the story of his ancestor's exile.
"Alright, so, the reason for my house's exile from the north is, well, quite simple yet highly disgraceful." Lord Tytos began, every one of the gathered lords looking even more interested in his words, even the quiet Lord of the Dreadfort, Roose Bolton who had been sitting off to the side silent this entire night, seemed to hold just the slightest bit of interest.
"The way the tale goes according to my father and his father before him, is one of cunning, perceived ambition and overreach, and chief among them, treachery." That last bit stinging like a wasp's touch on the tongue to Tytos'
"Some thousand years ago, at least two millennia before the coming of the Andals, my ancestors, were the then overlords of all the Wolf's Wood, back then however, it was called something different, my own house drew our name from the very woods we ruled."
"The Blackwood, as it was called in the old days, was where my family got its start, as Kings of the Blackwood, which over many, many years, morphed into the Blackwood Kings, thus our house was born." Lord Tytos continued, the gathered lords even more intrigued now due to the revelations of the wolf's wood that were being made.
"A few centuries before my House's exile, the Blackwood Kings were subjugated by the Starks, and for their bravery and courage in standing in the face of the Winter Kings, they were allowed to continue to hold dominion over the woods."
"Enough of the history lesson Blackwood, get on with it!" Greatjon exclaimed, half slurring his words, no doubt deep in his cups. if not deeper than all of the lords there combined.
"Aye, well, my ancestor, as much as it pains me to say, Lord Robard Blackwood, held ambitions that knew no bounds, it didn't satisfy him that he was a high lord, no, he yearned for the days that the Blackwoods were kings," Tytos said as a disgusted look overcame him
"Lead on by his boundless ambitions, he sought to do something that not even the Red Kings had been able to do, he wished to extinguish the Kings of Winter, down to the last man." The Lord of Raventree explained solemnly, casting a quick glance to Eddard and Alaric Stark, and yet, all he saw was surprise from the former, and... pity, from the latter.
As if sensing the troubled thoughts he was having at the past of his house, Eddard Stark, and surprisingly, Lord Rickard Karstark also spoke up.
"You have nothing to feel ashamed of my lord, no man shall have to suffer for his father's misdeeds, no matter how heinous." The Quiet wolf said in sympathy
"Aye, what Ned says is true, besides, not only have the Starks forgiven your house by now, even my own have intermarried with yours plenty and had many dealings before, the North remembers aye, but The Blackwoods have shed their past from themselves when they left the North." Lord Rickard said while clasping Tytos' back.
"My thanks are yours my lords, well, as I was saying, Lord Robard had been able to broker a marriage between his son and heir Edmyn Blackwood to a younger daughter of King Osric III, the reigning Winter King of the time."
"It was at the wedding between his Son and the Stark girl whose name has now been lost through time, that the treacherous Lord and his conspirators enacted their plan and they managed to slew not only King Osric but also his eldest son and heir Brandon who was said to have rampaged alongside his Dire Wolf before being brought down by dozens of arrows."
"Along with the King and his heir, many more Starks, younger brothers, and cousins of the King, were later killed as well, it wasn't until the second son of King Osric escaped, that word spread of such a travesty," Tytos told of his house's black history as the various lords took in his words, many were disgruntled with his ancestor, yet none said anything against him
"Following the massacre, the new king, King Cedric Stark, rode with an army as his back toward the old Blackwood Castle, where they would besiege the castle and eventually crush and sack the inhabitants, if it wasn't for King Cedric having mercy and sparing the youngest son of Lord Robard, a boy of 6, then House Blackwood would've gone extinct and become yet another page in the long history of the Starks and their dominance." Tytos' finished
"After that, millennia would go by, and a few centuries after the Hungry Wolf pillaged Andalos, my ancestor, Lord Rodrik Blackwood, at the behest of his half-brother and liege, King Benedict I "The Just" would ride north and officially seek forgiveness for our House and our ancestor's actions."
"The then king, King Rickon IV would go on to not only forgive the Blackwoods but also offered to foster Lord Rodrik's son and heir, Lyonel Blackwood, who would go on to become best of friends with the king's son and heir Prince Alaric. The young prince even took his daughter Serena Blackwood as his queen later in life." Tytos said, wrapping up his tale, some of the lords giving light applause which he found amusing, both of the Starks next to him had different looks to them.
Eddard Stark seemed to have been happy about a joyous ending, while young Alaric seemed to almost have a nostalgic look in his eye, something so fleeting that Tytos might've even imagined it.
With his tale of his House finally finished, the gathered lords all said their farewells for the night as they retired to their tents to get some sleep before the Riverlander and Northern hosts continued on their journeys home.
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Authors Note:
Hey guys, sorry for taking so long, I don't know why but I've found it rather hard to come up with what to write in this period, so, the next chapter will be the last before a time skip happens bring us to around a year before the Greyjoy Rebellion.