The Redfish (Chapter 4)

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Edmure POV

After traveling through Riverlands, I and Patrek reached the Riverrun, passing through the gates, we were welcomed by my father, master-at-arms, and maester.

“Welcome home, son.” My father, Hoster Tully welcomed me with a hug and after checking if I was fine, led me inside.

“Father, this is ser Patrek Mallister, a friend of mine.” I introduced Patrek.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lord Tully.” Patrek greets my father.

“A friend of my son, is a friend of the family, come inside you’re probably tired and hungry from the journey.” Father led us to the dining room.

After having a meal, and patrek making friends with everybody, I ask father to speak in private. Father led me in his solar and took a seat behind his table, I sat across from him.

“I heard many stories of your prowess in the battle of the Old Wyk.” He starts the conversation. “Do you have any idea how worried I was, boy?”

“I apologize, for worrying you, father,” I said mine apologizes.

“Ah, I can’t even call you boy anymore, you have grown up already and became a knight.” He sighs and says. “The Redfish, people call you now, come show me your new sword.”

“It’s Redrain,” I tell father and show the sword to him.

“A Valyrian sword, there are many houses who would do anything to get one.” He says.

“About that, I think Lannisters already have.” I say to him.” The bandits in Blackwood lands were from Westerlands.”

“It’s that so, I thought to use them, to take some lands from Brackens, if they haven’t dealt with them.” He replies to me. “It seems, they have gotten more brazen than before.”

“You understand what it means, Brackens have sided with Lannister, knowingly or not,” I say.

“Yes, I understand, if it happened once, it would happen next and Lannisters will use any opportunity to get more power.” He agrees with me. “But what do I do? Brackens are powerful house.”

“We need to make our house more powerful than any other house in the Riverlands,” I tell him.

“Ah, you have grown up indeed.” He tells me. “So you already have some ideas, I gather.”

“Yes, father, there is a town, Wendish Town, it is between Blue Fork and Red Fork, it is under house Darry, after the rebellion they have lost most of their power and lands, we could support them and make the town bigger and safer,” I explain him of my plan. “Having the town in the middle of Riverlands, we could make it an important outpost.”

“You know, that house Darry fought against King Robert, they are still loyalists to Targaryens.” He replies with a shake of this head.

“So what if they are, if there comes a time when Targaryens have a chance to take the throne, why wouldn’t we support them?” I ask.

“You speaking of treason.” He tells me.

“It has been six years, since the rebellion and what the Baratheon’s done for us, the Lannisters can send their man to our lands, who will burn and pillage our lands,” I reply to him. “After ten more years, how uncontrollable they will become, think about.”

“What of it? The Baratheon’s rule the Seven Kingdoms, not the Lannister’s.” He says.

“And for how long they will rule, once Robert is dead, Tywin will try to swallow all of us and still be unsatisfied,” I reply. “Anyways, I don’t mean to support Targaryen’s in any way, but we still could support Darry’s and if Targaryen’s come to power once again, we will have ties with them.”

“You’re right, Lord Tywin will never be satisfied with what he has, once the war starts, it will be our lands that burn, not anyone else’s.” My father agrees. “Fine, I will start the plans for the Wendish Town, at least I can watch the Darry’s more closely.”

“Oh, and I found that the bridge in the Ramsford village, is too old and needs to be repaired, we could garner more support from smallfolk if we help them out, as it seems that Freys won’t bother,” I inform him.

“Yes, if we show more support for the smallfolk than Freys, they will lose support from them.” Father agrees with me. “If that all, you should get some rest, leave the rest to me, I might be old, but I am still Lord Paramount of the Trident.”

“As you wish, father,” I reply to him.

…

The next days have become weeks as I trained with ser Desmond and Patrek, and planned the future of the Riverlands with my father. With the winter gone, the North having exhausted their food supplies, we started to plan to sell our supplies to them, at the discounted price.

The Wendish Town expansion plan will start once the Darry’s agree to it. At the time our priority is to make some towns, to help us to entice more merchants into our lands, and at the same time make more outposts.

Today I have decided will be the start of the second part of my plan, marriage, as there are no suitable partners in the Riverlands, I looked outside. Fist to come to mind is Arianne Martell, but knowing of Doran’s plan it would be hard to convince him. There are Tyrells, but Margaery is still too young for me and Tyrells wouldn’t want to marry her to me.

As my father had already wed his daughters to Arryn’s and Starks it would be too imposing to seek more marriages from those lands. Still, at worst there are house Frey, who always will have daughters to marry and if I played my cards well, I could take the Twins for house Tully.

Thinking of all the possibilities, I went to my father to ask for permission to go south. Dorne is part of my plan, knowing what the future will bring, alliance with them will assure me of the safety of the Riverlands. After knocking on the doors of my father’s solar and hearing him inviting me in, I went inside.

“Son, do you want something?” My father asks.

“Yes, I want to go to Dorne with Patrek, if you don’t have any plans for me,” I inform him.

“What would you want to do there?” He asks me.

“I thought that it would be good to form more ties with Martells and other families there,” I answer him.

“I don’t think Martells have a good opinion of us, but if you want to see more of the world, it is fine with me.” He agrees.

“Thank you, I will be leaving in the next few weeks,” I tell him and leave the solar.

…

Deflecting Patreks sword aside, I move forward and knock him to the ground. Ser Desmond moves to my side and swings his sword at my shoulder. Dodging the swing by bending down, I strike him at the chest, pushing him back.

“Good, it seems there’s nothing I can teach you anymore.” Ser Desmond tells me.

“Thank you, ser Desmond.” I thank him.

“You, ser Patrek need to keep distance while fighting, you only want to get close against spear wielders.” Then ser Desmond berates Patrek.

“I keep that in mind.” He replies not concerned in the slightest.

“I heard you be leaving again in a couple weeks.” Ser Desmond says to me. “You should stay longer, it becomes quite quiet without you.”

“Sorry, ser Desmond, but I have a place to be,” I tell him.

“Ah, to be young again, I wish I could travel too, but at my age, it gets more troublesome than it’s worth.” Ser Desmond says to me.

“Don’t worry, ser, I keep him out of trouble,” Patrek tells him.

“The only trouble I get will be the one you bring,” I reply.

“I only bring good trouble, trouble with woman, haha.” Patrek laughs at his own joke.

“Don’t worry, ser Desmond, I get back in one piece.” Instead of giving him more attention, I say to the master-at-arms.

…

The last days in the Riverrun I spend in the library, with maester Vyman by my side. Looking for any information about glass making, I remember that in my past life it was made from sand, soda ash, and limestone. The question is how to make soda ash, it was hound naturally if I remember correctly, and somehow made from salt and limestone.

After days of looking through the books, we found that there might be some mines with a white substance, which could be soda ash, in the North. Writing a letter to my good brother, Eddard Stark, to look for it, and if found I would buy it.

The clear glass will become an income for the Tully’s and a bargaining chip for Martell’s. Maester Vyman has promised to look it more and write to Citadel for more information.

…

“So, you’re leaving soon.” My father says.

“Yes, I go to Maidenpool and from there I catch a ship to Planky Town,” I reply to him.

“Good, maester Vyman has told me about your research in glassmaking.” He tells me. “Do you truly think you can make it?”

“The components are known, I just need to find a way to combine them,” I answer him.

“If you are successful, it would bring us leverage against other houses.” He says with a nod.

“We will need sand, the most, and I think we shouldn’t make it ourselves,” I inform him.

“Why is that?” He asks.

“The city Myr won’t like it, they are the ones who export most of the glass in the world, if we take it from them, they will become trouble for us,” I answer. “I am thinking of providing the substance for Martell’s, so they could make it.”

“How long it will take for them to find out what substances are needed?” He asks.

“It doesn’t matter, for now, it seems only North can provide it and we the only ones who can get it,” I answer.

“I don’t like it, but I will trust you on this.” He tells me.

“Thank you, father,” I reply.

“I have prepared a score of men for you.” He informs me. “Be careful, there are many men, who would want to take your sword from you, at any cost.”

“I will,” I reply to him.

Hoster POV

Looking at my son’s retreating back, I could only think how much he grows up. Soon he will have to take over the Riverrun with all the duties that follow. I can feel myself getting weaker every day, but now knowing that I can leave my home to my son, puts me at ease.

Brynden should have come back and seen Edmure, but he had to leave for Vale. At least Cat is doing fine already having three children of her own. Our family will only prosper with time, if only Lysa could bear an heir to the Vale, then we would be secured from two sides and only have to worry about Lannisters and Tyrells.

Still of bigger houses in the Riverlands, I can only trust Blackwood, Freys are aiming for my seat and Brackens are scheming something too. I need to watch them before they get be unprepared.

“My lord, was it truly wise not informing young Edmure of your condition.” Maester Vyman asks me.

“I still have some years in me,” I tell him. “Him knowing about it won’t achieve anything.”

“Still my lord, he has the right to know,” Vyman says.

“I tell him when the time comes to tell him,” I reply to him. “Leave me, I have work to do.”

If Edmure’s plan succeeds, it will bring the needed income for the other projects. Once Lannisters find about it, they will try to hinder us even more than ever before. I have to strengthen the borders between us and look out for any bandit groups that will emerge.