The Dragon Cub| Game Of Thrones

SLEEPING WITH THE FISHES

Riverrun 294 AC.

The Blackfish.

Standing watching while his nephew missed the first arrow was annoying, when he missed the second it was embarrassing, by the third it was downright shameful. He stepped forward, grabbed the bow and lit the arrow, then without looking the Blackfish fired hitting the boat which carried his brother's body. He turned and walked away leaving the new lord of Riverrun to stew in his shame, that's if the boy even felt any.

Finding the Maester, his niece and nephew, standing over the body of his brother had been a shock, seeing the lack of grief on his nephew's face a worry, at least his niece had shown her own, which relieved him some. He had known his brother was ill, had heard enough about it for his coughing when he arrived not to be a surprise, but that he had died not long after they had spoken about the future, was both a shock and suspicious to him. That his nephew was showing so little sadness at the passing of his father, was something which sent his mind into areas he'd rather not delve into.

"I'm sorry for your loss old friend." Jonos said walking up to him.

"I thank you Jonos, come I find myself in dire need of a drink." he said.

Both men walked into the hall, he and Jonos took a seat beside Lord Jason Mallister, Lord Raymun Darry and Lady Shella Whent. Thankfully the Freys had deemed it important to sit closer to the high table and while he caught his niece and nephew looking at him over the course of the night, he found he cared not. Instead he drank and spoke of memories of his brother with people who actually respected him, people who had known Hoster to be a good man, despite his faults.

"So what's next for you Brynden, will you be coming back to help run the Riverlands?" Lord Jason asked.

"No, I'll be heading back to the Vale as soon as I can." he answered and saw each of the four at the table look to each other, worried looks on their faces.

"Spit it out Jason." he said looking to the Mallister lord.

"Your nephew is not suited to be Lord, Brynden, certainly not Lord Paramount." Jason said and he caught the others agreeing with him.

"Shella?" he said asking his kin.

"Jason has the truth of it Brynden, the boy is far too impetuous, far too concerned with how he looks, that affair in Kings Landing is proof enough of that. No matter that others tried to talk him out of it, he carried on, a lord that won't accept counsel is a poor one and I fear for us under his stewardship."

"He is the lord of Riverrun by all rights of gods and men, Lord Paramount too, speaking out against him won't do any good." he said shaking his head.

"No, but it needs to be said, this thing with the young lad, Snow, it worries me Brynden, it worries me greatly." Jonos said.

"You think he'd try to do something to the lad?" he asked though he knew the answer.

"He already did here and in Kings Landing." Raymun said his voice angry.

"The boy was attacked by bandits here and Kings Landing was just a drunken affair."

"Not the next morning it wasn't, he was sober in the hall when he tried to take the lad's hand, as for the attack here, they were no more bandits than I'm a Frey." Raymun said.