A Meeting Under Storm Clouds

[targaryen]

Ocean's Herald bobbed gently on her mooring in the bay as the fishermen and traders of Lannisport scurried about the pier. Buckets of fish sat stinking in the Western sun as serving boys bartered with boat captains over their Lord's dinner. "Three silver a salmon!" roared a red faced, rotund man as he swung a fish above his head.

Kargan tied his raft to the pier and sprung up onto the planked walkway. He stooped to pluck Tide Pillar from the hands of a cabin boy who had accompanied him ashore before straightening himself. Kargan's garments were long, black and powered is dried sea spray, and they drank the sunshine as his wet, ragged hair clung to his cheeks and forehead. His murky blue eyes surveyed Tywin Lannister's smallfolk, and he had to refrain from licking his lips as memories of the assault on Lannisport flooded back to him. This was a different time though, and he was here to visit a Lannister who Kargan himself had witnessed paying the iron price during the Greyjoy rebellion. He was here to meet Ser Torin of House Lannister.

"Wait for me here, boy" he said coolly as he walked towards the stone steps that lead to the cobbled streets above the pier. To his left he heard a shout from a fisherman approaching the dock on a small wooden boat, "Robb Stark names himself a King!" yelled the sallow-skinned Braavosi man to the busy people of Lannisport, "Good health and strength to our King, Joffrey Baratheon!". Smiling, Kargan began up the stairs - "Yes, 'Baratheon' indeed" he thought to himself.

[Torin Lannister]

As Kargan was making his way off the pier Ser Torin was riding through the streets of Lannisport. A runner boy had coming racing from Lannisport to the Rock when Kargan's ship appeared in the distance. The Lannister was atop a black steed, a proud stallion. The rider was adorned in his favoured riding coat and breaches of beige and a tunic of crimson. Although the Lannister's were known to wear gold, it was a ring of silver he wore on a finger, an pleasant bauble from his first war as a Ser and leader of men. The hilt of his famed sword visible over his shoulder as he wore it on his back.

When the Ser Lannister was close enough to the pier there was a single man who could be Kargan Greyjoy. His reputation carved a unique specimen. Torin dismounted from the horse, handing the reigns to the closest guard and giving order for the Horse to be returned to Casterly stables. It was then he approached the Lord of the Iron isle. "The Reaper of Reapers!" Ser Torin exclaimed as he closed the distance between the two. "Lord Kargan, I am honoured you would make the journey to meet me." he offered with a pleasant bow. He was a Lord, not a very traditional Lord but a Lord none the less. It would not be said Torin was not a proper host.

[targaryen]

The imposing frame of Tywin's most feared son cast a shadow over the last few steps leading up from the pier to the busy street above. Kargan neared the top as Ser Torin leapt from the height of his horse and passed the beast to a Lannister guard. Torin could not be accused of being over dressed - the knight wore simple garb - but this suited the Lord of Pyke. "Young Lannister!" said Kargan, half snarling, half laughing. "Where are the doves? The golden trumpets?" he smiled roughly, extending one arm to grab Torin heartily by the shoulder, "Where are the fabled blonde haired maidens that are said to swarm Lannisport?" he said almost warmly. Kargan, a true iron born man, respected those from the green lands with iron born character, and Ser Torin was such a man. Besides, it couldn't hurt to be nice to a Lannister in while in Lannisport.

[Torin Lannister]

Ser Torin gave a light chuckle when the Lord of Pyke asked about doves and trumpets. It was good to know that someone the man who tolerated blood in his salt & iron veins could make a joke. When he reached up to take Ser Torin by the shoulder the Lannister did the same, his arm on the other side taking Kargan's opposite shoulder. "Normally for such a guest I would have a parade of song and dance to greet them, but for you we shall enjoy a thousand soldiers marching in perfect step through the main road. All in good time." And then he asked of the blonde maidens of Lannisport, it was good to know silly things like marriage didn't ruin his interests.

"Throw a stone in a random direction and if you don't hit the sea beside you, you'll probably hit one of our fables. But ignore simple maidens, I'll have the three most beautiful whores of Lannisport greet you before you depart. Take it as a gift." Like any big city there was no lacking of brothels or the like and in country of gold there was all that was needed to entice them to work here.

Ser Torin stepped back and made steps to enter the port-city proper. For there was a fine distance between the peer and a fine tavern from where to enjoy the marching procession. There was something inspiring about such a thing, the rows upon rows of perfection. The solid and uniform marching evidence of an army's ability to work in tandem.

[targaryen]

The talk of whores pleased Kargan, and Ser Torin's indication that no gold would pass hands pleased him further; it would not be said that a Greyjoy let another man pay the gold price for a woman's company on his behalf. The last time Kargan had been at Lannisport, he recalled to himself, he had a taken a Mallister Captain's daughter hostage before burning his ship and crew - a woman bought for the iron price on Kargan's proudest day. The women of the Iron Islands were hard and salty, like wombed cliff faces, and the sultry maidens of the Westerlands were more palatable to a weary Reaper. "I'd have brought some of my men on this jaunt had I known there were Westerland women on offer, Lannister", he said, eyeing a young mother and daughter as they walked by. "They might have even made salt wives of them." Kargan gestured for the large Lannister to walk with him. "So I'll be privy to a exhibition of Lannister military discipline eh?" he said, leading, "They might be needed in the field soon if that Braavosi pig down at the pier is to be believed?."

[Torin Lannister]

"And deprive me of conquests yet claimed? Wars have been started for less friend." As much a joke as it was Ser Torin wasn't overtly keen on Kargan bringing his reapers to Lannisport and taking salt wives. He had much more interest in seeing the Reapers of the Iron Islands unleashed on the North. But there was time to discuss that later, for now he was enjoying the sunshine of the day, the further they walked from the pier the less Torin could smell fish and the more he could smell fresh bread and ale. Much more to his liking.

"They'll not be needed in the field for long. The Robb Stark boy is a green as it gets, one taste of real fighting and he'll run back to his frozen den with his tail tucked between his legs." That was what all the experts were saying and it seemed likely to Ser Torin Lannister. But then again Torin was a Lion through and through, he didn't think anyone could defeat Lord Tywin Lannister on an open field.

[targaryen]

Kargan nodded as they strolled, taking in what Torin was saying; the Lion was confident, that much was clear. "Aye, the Stark boy is greener than green" he said in agreement, but even as the words passed his lips he found himself questioning the truth of them. "Still, if he's anything like his wretched father he won't bow out quietly." The sun cooked Kargan's salted skin as the walked, and his heavy leathers and woolens were dry and chaffing. "Your nephew did quite a job on old Eddard didn't he? It takes a confident boy to behead the Direwolf of Winterfell." A particularly voluptuous Lady of evident highborn birth sauntered by with a retinue of guards, and Kargan's mouth salivated at the sight of her and the thought of a headless Ned Stark - "I'd have rathered the boy sent Lord Stark to the islands to answer for his crimes again my House" he said, eyeing the woman as she vanished into the crowd.

[Torin Lannister]

"If he's anything like his father we'll have nothing to worry about. What did Ned Stark ever do? He helped Robert beat the Targaryens, even at that it was my father who took King's Landing." Ser Torin was no fan of Robert Baratheon but the war was remembered as "Robert's Rebellion" for a reason. "He helped Robert fight against you." The bile in Torin's throat at the mention of those two was figurative, but almost literal. "He had The Kings word and order in his hand , but without Robert to hold his hand Ned Stark was a naive boy who quickly found himself chewed up and spat out." King's Landing was called a den of snakes by some people of the North, well those snakes had too much venom for venerable and honourable Ned Stark.

"Robb Stark's uncle charged up to the Mad King and demanded Rhaegar fight him and managed to get himself and his father killed. The Stark's are short tempered fools who loose talent without the Baratheon's holding them up." Robb Stark would soon lose nerve when the Lion tore out the throat of a Wolf army.

"You may not take revenge on the man himself, but perhaps you could punish the boy for sins of the father." This was what Torin had invited Lord Kargan for. Talk of action, for they were men of action. As comfortable was Ser Torin was in King's Landing, he was more comfortable in a grand camp when his Father's army was on the move, a great red host.

[targaryen]

"You didn't see it from my position Lannister" Kargan retorted, slowing to a gentler pace as the talk intensified. "I stood with my men on Pyke as that son-of-a-whore drove a host of men through my gates. The Lords of the green lands conspired to force my people back under the crown, but it was Eddard and Robert that dealt the hammer blows."

Kargan's grip on Tide pillar tightened as he remembered the direwolf and stag fluttering together in his courtyard as the Iron Fleet burned and filled the air with ash and fire. "It was those Baratheon scum that killed my Maron and burned my fleet, and it was the Northern beasts who took my Theon. I'll never forget Ned and Robert, covered in blood and proud of their victory - the combined armies of Westeros came together to put down my damned rebellion Torin, but I bore no men hate thereafter, save for Eddard Stark of Winterfell and that fat bastard Robert."

He loosened his grip and smiled wryly, "And how boastful you lions are, even now, about how you 'took' King's Landing? From what I heard a score of suckling babes could have taken the Capital that day", he said in jest. Torin's talk of retribution for the sins of Ned Stark had not gone unnoticed, but Kargan was keen to let the Lannister speak first, lest a quick reply land him in trouble in the heart of Lannister territory.

[Torin Lannister]

"It is true, I did not see it from your position. I was busy enjoying the spoils of war." His words might have been offensive but his tone of voice was most obviously well meaning banter, he examined the ring upon his finger in an exaggerated manner to highlight it. The guilty smile on his face quickly became evident as he watched for a reaction from the old Kraken.

When he jested of suckling babes the Lion replied at first with a half chuckle and sideways glance, his face had that expression of is that so? "At least at King's Landing there was the remnants of the Targaryen loyalists for my father's army to slaughter. The finest moment of your rebellion was burning our fleet when it was at anchor. Stannis waited for your ships to have soldiers on them before sending them to a watery grave. The Iron Fleet, certainly sank like iron. But then again, Stannis likes to challenge himself with an actual fight." There were very few men in Kargan's position who Ser Torin felt safe making such jokes with. Other Lords got so terribly bitter about losing a battle here or there. There was of course a line one should never cross. The Lannister wouldn't make jest of his sons dying in the fighting, but faceless soldiers pledged from some bannerman? It was war. If one couldn't share war stories and make war jokes what could they do? It was perhaps a mark of respect that Torin believed Kargan would take it all in honest jest and not break down to squabble or throw his title around to demand respect.

They were approaching the main road through Lannisport, already it was evident there was something going on. People were gathered, the smallfolk of the port city. They lined the street to watch. The Heir to Casterly Rock gestured to a fine looking inn. Leading the way he stepped inside, there was a certain quieting as the occupants, who all appeared to be citizens of some wealth took note of whom was joining them. Ser Torin however gave them little attention, instead pointing to a busty wench of precious youth and eager disposition. "Wine and ale. Meat, all that you have...and fresh fruit. To the balcony. Do not confuse what I say....I am not asking for a great deal of meat. All that you have." With that the Knight gave a nod to the girl and she scuttled off to put in the order. Once again Ser Torin led the way, guiding the Lord upstairs and out to a balcony where they could enjoy the sun. It was warmer here for the building behind them protected against the breeze from the sea.

But the army was on view. The marching procession dominated the entirety of the main road. Lannister soldiers one and all, marching in perfect step with one another. Dozens of swordsmen moved together followed by dozens of pikemen. The Reapers may have been known for their ferocity and that was a dangerous thing, it could overwhelm a man, put him in a panic before steel even clashed. But these were the men Ser Torin would want. Soldiers who marched as one, fought as one. A thing crafted in the finest quality.

[targaryen]

Ser Torin was not the most intelligent of Lannisters, but his quick wit coupled with a sweet voice would have made him a sought-after singer, and he had cut Kargan down most effectively with his retort. "Aye, slaying iron men with your thumb in your mouth; you were just a boy, but by the Drowned God, you were not green" he snarled, laughing to himself. "Who lost a hand on the Iron Islands so that your finger may glisten?" he asked, "Is there not enough gold in the Golden Tooth? Did it please you to come and take our gold too?." It was a curious thing, Kargan thought, that he found himself strolling through Lannisport in the summer sun with the son of Tywin Lannister, a known opponent of the Lord Reaper. When the Lion's fleet crackled and burned in the bay of Lannisport, and young Westerland boys and maidens were snatched by rampant reapers, Victarion had said, "We won't see this port again, lest we take it by conquest" - he had been wrong. Lannister retribution was won when the Lions landed on iron shores, and since then relations between Kargan Greyjoy and Tywin Lannister had been easy, if not icy.

Torin joked about the rebellion, and Kargan had learned in the years after it that green land folk liked to remember dark history with jests and ribbing. "We lost men and woman in the burning Lannister, some I miss, more I was thankful to see the end of! Truth be told I owe King Stannis my appreciation for that." Kargan was testing the waters with his words - how would the Lannister react to him speaking of Stannis as King? He was keen to make more ripples in the water when they were seated on the balcony overlooking the Lannister host - "What of that letter, Ser, that he has sent to all the Lords and Ladies of the realm? Dark words on darker wings." As he waited for a reply the procession started. Though the host was small they were well drilled, and in that Kargan saw the influence of the Lannister warrior he had seen fighting on the Iron Islands. "Your men are obedient Lannister - as comfortable in kennels as in beds I'd wager?" he remarked as he soaked in the sun.

[Torin Lannister]

"Belonged to a fatman of House Merlyn...there was something pleasant about paying the Iron Price while fighting your people. If only my opponent was of a tougher sort." The man of the House may not have been much of a man, but those beneath him were made of tougher stuff. Even on the Ironborn lands there were people who grew fat on wealth. Stannis and Torin had seen to trimming some of the fat. Impressive there was any, fish was such a lean food source.

"I'll send Stannis you're regards." Torin started, but then Kargan brought up that disgusting letter Stannis had sent out. It had genuinely shocked Torin. "There was a time when I would have called Stannis one of the most honourable men in the Seven Kingdoms. Genuinely. He was....a true man. But that letter? Vile." Torin had many pleasant things and many nasty things to say about his siblings, perhaps more about Cersei then Jaime.....but incest? Disgusting. "I like to think they are most comfortable sleeping in tents, but that is perhaps just a Commander dreaming." They were probably most comfortable sleeping in bed with their wives, like most men.

[targaryen]

The Knight's response was controlled and calm - Kargan's words had not pierced his armor. "Aye, rumors sent by a bitter man" he scoffed in agreement, watching as Lannister armor glittered in the noonday sun. The serving wench had appeared and placed all manner of meats before them. "Still" Kargan said as he reached for a piece of charred cod, "I couldn't blame your brother if he and your sister did have have a trio of 'abominations', to borrow the word used by King Stannis. Half the men in Westeros would climb into bed with their sisters if they looked like Cersei." The cod was buttery and crisp, sprinkled in salt and herbs from the gardens of Lannisport, or maybe Highgarden. The Lannister guards looked up to Ser Torin as they marched by - "They love him" he thought to himself as buttery oil dripped from his fingers onto his leathers, "They look to him in the field too no doubt."

[Torin Lannister]

It was at this point that Torin's calm face was lost. An eyebrow raised as he took another look at Kargan. "I shall not pretend to have mastered the culture of the Iron Islands....but on 'the greenlands' we know the difference between love for a wife and love for a sister." But if Kargan needed his sister to keep warm in his damp Castle, he was a Lord. It was his prerogative. But such things were not the reason Torin had written to Kargan in the first place, there was more important matters at hand.

"But the reason for your journey..." Before continuing the Lion son picked up a leg of chicken, it was cooked well. That was what he liked. It was with perhaps less grace then was expected of one in his station that his teeth sunk in deep to the hot meat, a moment later wine washing it down and cooling tongue. "Whispers in the wind say Robb Stark has close to a hundred bannermen marching with him, if not more. He must have emptied the North if such rumours have a grain of truth."

[targaryen]

"Love is a strong and strange word Lannister - Iron Islanders seldom use it. And as for sisters and wives Ser, well, they both feel the same when the candles are blown out." Kargan Greyjoy spoke without care in the presence of the young Lion - the Green Landers hid behind a courtesy that was unknown to the Ironborn, and Kargan was gruff, even for a man of Pyke.

The procession of armed men was drawing to a close and the sun was slowly losing prominence in the sky above as clouds lumbered in from the sea. Several more chunks of fish found their way down Kargan's gullet, chased relentlessly by fine Dornish wine. But when Torin steered the topic towards the war, Kargan darkened and his mouth watered anew. "Aye" he growled, his wine-breath fouling the cool sea air, "I've heard similar stories." His eyes narrowed as he fixed them on Ser Torin - "What numbers do the Lannister scouts report?".