S02E05

## Always More Braver

### Summary:

The Dread Company travels to Saltpans to see what has stopped the Army of The Vale.

## Always More Braver

After a month of traveling down the Green River, the Dread Company had picked up a small retinue of camp followers. There was a new cookhouse, a few knights and a batch of smallfolk. When they finally reached the village of Saltpans, the Vale army was impossible to miss. There was a large, orderly camp housing 10,000 troops, all showing the discipline and efficiency of professional soldiers. But just a half mile farther, there was a second camp. And this group was far less tidy. They were the Vale Mountain Clans, a wild, barbaric people. Their camp was more of a shanty town made of stick shelters and ugly hide tents.

Lord Connor of House Waynwood rode out with a small entourage to meet with the Dread Company. Ser Percy was feeling under the weather, and since there was no fighting to be had, he sent Maxir, Mad Minnie, Torrhen, and his squire Whistler to speak for him. Connor Waynwood explained that the problem wasn't with his men, but with the Vale Mountain Clan that they were ordered to accompany. For some reason, the Mountainfolk refused to cross the Trident River.

“This is what happens when you deal with savages,” he snorted, “I have half a mind to turn around and go home.”

Maxir Glenbain assured Lord Connor that he had come on behalf of the Eight Future Kings and that he would deal with the Mountainfolk personally. Connor conceded, adding that he would like one of his pages to travel with the Dread Company and deliver a message to the Eight Future Kings. She was a Gulltown girl by the name of Abrey Harte. The group looked her up and down – this was a young woman who could handle herself, a collection of knives and heavy leather clothes told them that she had grown up on the streets. Maxir agreed.Just then they could hear the sound of a horn and Connor said, “That would be the Mountainfolk. They're welcoming you to a meeting.”

The group, now including Abrey, walked across the grassy field at the river's bank to the camp of the Mountainfolk and into a large tent. There waiting for them were three clan chieftains, Dolf son of Dovor, Timett son of Hokha, and Cheyk daughter of Rulfa, War Chief of all the Clans. The chieftains welcomed the group, but soon explained that they had to return home.

“These Eight Kings promised us our lands, but they have no honour!” Cheyk said. “They asked us to cross the river where the king killed the dragon-man. We are on a hunt for this king and you want us to bathe in his river magic!?”

“You're afraid of a river?” Maxir asked.

“We are not cowards!” Timett barked. “This is magic. We are braver than you. Always more braver!”

It took a considerable discussion, but the group convinced Dolf, Timett and Cheyk that the army would move to a different part of the river to make a crossing.

Mad Minnie walked into the river, casting her incantations on the water. The Mountainfolk gathered around to watch. She asked one of them to come with him into the water. He was afraid at first, but entered. When he did, she sliced his hand with a knife, 'blessing' the river and removing its magic. The savages were deeply impressed.

As a gesture of friendship, the chieftains challenged the group to a fight. Cheyk, Timett and four of their warriors fought bare-knuckled against the Dread Company. Although it wasn't lethal, the punching, grappling and choking was fierce. Minnie, ever the lady, grabbed one of the warriors by the crotch and twisted with all of her strength. Her hand came back bloody. After all was said and done, all of the Mountainfolk lie unconscious while the Dread Company had minor scratches and bruises.

Maxir felt a problem in his ghostly, reanimated eye. The eye felt squeezed and uncomfortable in his socket. Minnie took a look into it and discovered something that upset her.

“You might want to keep yer eye patch down,” Minnie said, “You ain't always the only one lookin' out of it.”

Maxir did as she said, unimpressed.

With the Knights of the Vale and the Vale Mountain Clans reunited and refocused, the group decided where they would march their army. They could backtrack North to connect with Lord Marq Mudd, who had just defeated Ned Stark at The Twins. Or they could head Southwest to Casterly Rock and take revenge on Tywin Lannister. They could even march directly South to the capital at King's Landing. But in the end they decided that the best effort for the war would be to head West and assist Gylo Rhegan and the Rebel Army against King Robert and the main force of Loyalists.

The first stop on that trip was Lord Harroway's Town, an ancient village on the Trident River. The town wasn't more than a simple bridge, a sept, a small fort and about three hundred villagers. Torrhen and Abrey sneaked to the edge of the town by night, spotting an inept group of city watchmen and one gatehouse at the foot of the bridge. Inside the gatehouse they spotted six Loyalist soldiers. Surveying the area, they determined that a small, quiet team could cross the river and approach the gatehouse from behind. After dispatching the few guards, they could open the gate and the town would be defenseless to their army.

The group did just that, swimming across the river under the cover of night. Emerging on they other bank, they climbed up onto the bridge and caught the soldiers by surprise. The foot soldiers were easy sport for the Dread Company, even with their heavy armour. But out of the small guard house came two veteran officers and a giant of a man. Minnie and Torrhen recognized him as a man who had been following them from the ruins of Castamere to the town of Ashemark in the Westerlands. He was the bounty hunter known as Nick the Beast and he had traveled 1200 miles to find them.

The fighting was fearsome, Whistler remained alive only by dancing around the warriors blades, with each swing he was only an inch from death. Minnie saw the exchange going poorly and reached into her bag. There she found one of the fireworks the Eastern Sellswords had used to signal the Lannister Army when Castle Highhome had fallen. She lit the flare, rushed over to Nick, and stuffed it into his breastplate. Nick screamed with agony as he reached for the ties and straps on his armour. Maxir hacked at a soldier with Dreadwailer, the Glenbain family blade, Abrey threw her knives and Torrhen shot men down with frightening proficiency. Soon, Nick and the soldiers were all dead.

With the gate opened, the town was quickly occupied. But the leader of the town, a bailiff named Walter, refused to concede Lord Harroway's Town to the Rebels. Maxir responded by publicly beheading Walter and allowing the Mountainfolk to loot from the town's tower, but not the surrounding town.

The group found Nick the Beast's effects to be a fine (and enormous) suit of full plate armor, a greatsword, a note from Tywin Lannister with physical descriptions of Maxir, Minnie and Torrhen, and some simple personal items.

The Dread Company then marched on, sending ravens to coordinate with Marq Mudd and Gylo Rhegan.

## Experience

- Abrey, Maxir, Minerva, Torrhen and Whistler each received 12 XP, 4 Glory and 400 Silver Stags

- The Dread Company gained Lord Connor Waynwood and Cheyk daughter of Rulfa as Commanders

- Minerva has gained a Unit of 10 Mountainfolk warriors as religious devotees

## Dread Company Attributes

Community: 15
Discipline: 9
Equipment: 12
Power: 19
Renown: 7
Supply: 12
Wealth: 10

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