Chapter 74

Darway Castle was just like you had imagined, more Mountain than Castle, as you could count a total of at least eight Gatehouses as you continued to stroll through the fairly large Markets of both Eastwend and Westwend in search of something you hoped would become quite useful in the future. Though, your Search was sadly cut short when you heard that most Members of the local Merchant Guild had annoyingly already left the Premise for the Lands of House Henstor around two Weeks ago.

You supposed that it made Sense as most Merchants have very little that actually binds them to the Lands they trade on beyond some Contracts that could simply be terminated if they were willing to take the hit to their Purse. But that you could understand their Way of thinking didn't really help you with quelling your Annoyance at not obtaining those Dyes and the nice Fabric you wanted to get for your Companion. He would never be able to blend in with his massive Frame and that is if one was inclined to ignore the equally massive black Armour, so you needed him to fit in if blending in just wasn't an Option.

And while it sounds absolutely insane that stuff like the Colours one decides to wear might actually still matter to some People while the Vale was burning. The Fact of the matter was that these very same People that care about such Madness were the ones you were tasked to get close to for the Lannisters, and that much red simply wouldn't do. The Knight wasn't originally Part of your Plan, but you also didn't design your Infiltration with the current State of the Vale in Mind either, so you found yourself quite willing to add another few Layers of Contingencies to your Plan by openly deploying your Companion.

Lord Darway might have been surprisingly accommodating, but that had more to do with the Fact that the Knight behind you was covered in the Remains of the very Clansmen that butchered his Smallfolk at the time. And such a Deed naturally demands a decent Amount of Respect from any Lord that has a Shred of Honour, especially from the laudable and prideful Lords of the Vale. But you knew that a lesser Man would have certainly found more than a few Issues with your Companion's Presence, seeing as that particular Knight was clearly from House Lannister, so literally from the other Side of the Continent.

And you're sure that most Lords wouldn't be all that pleased to find some tongue-tied Knight of a Great House deep in the Forests of their Lands, where he did who knows what for who knows what Reason. Though, you supposed that the three-meter tall Knight didn't enter the Service of House Lannister to do anything other than smash their Enemies with his Warhammer, so you understood why everything around him felt as commanding as it did. But that you could understand their Standpoint for equipping him this Way didn't mean that you agreed with it for so much as a Second.

For despite all the Competence your Companion had shown you throughout your little Journey it genuinely feels like they didn't think of the Knight under the Armour as anything more than a Weapon to be used in House Lannister's Name. And that was if nothing else a massive Waste of Potential in your Eyes as his Prowess alone was enough to make him neigh perfect Assassin Material with how it would allow him to take on a Chamber filled with dozens of Knights relatively safely as far as you've seen.

You even adapted your Plan for infiltrating House Arryn to include him, as no one would suspect that the most noticeable Knight in the Vale and his Servant Girl could really be responsible for the Decapitation Strike through Poison and brute Force that you had in Mind. Mayhaps you could gain some Favour by bringing the matter up to your new Lords once you manage to finish your Mission to prove your Belief that it doesn't really matter if he's actually stealthy or not as long as there are no Witnesses once the Job is done.

It should be pretty similar to how no one clads their Archers with Plate as there's simply no Point in doing so, not everyone needs a Set of imposing Heavy Armour to do their Part, no, you would already be satisfied if his Equipment would become a bit more practical in the future. You genuinely believe that the Monster of a Knight you call your Companion wouldn't actually need to be stealthy to be an Assassin if his current Looks didn't so memorably scream Lannister to everyone around him as People wouldn't need that long to connect him to the Corpses afterwards.

It was a bit saddening that Darway Castle had to burn, but you were sure that you would lose your Head in no time at all if the Arryns were to move against your new Lords because Word got out about a certain giant Knight clad in deep red Fabric and blackened Steel. Which seeing as the Will to live has yet to leave you didn't sit all that well with you, so with your Mind made up, you return to your Inn and wait for Night to fall over the Vale once more.

You had little Interest in condemning the Province to a Bloodbath, but it's not like House Darway had the Strength to hold their Lands for much longer anyway if you consider that both of House Darway's biggest Towns, namely Eastwend and Westwend were protected by simple Wood Walls with Darway Castle between them. And a fully garrisoned Castle with two Towns worth of Guards in one Spot really makes for one impressively juicy Encirclement, especially with how the Territories of the Darways were already filled with at least hundreds of Clansmen that continue to swiftly extend their Fortifications in preparation to stretch the Lines again.

You could admit to yourself that you were by now just trying to justify what you were planning to do, as you already knew what would happen if the Cornerstone of House Darway's Defence was set alight and their Lord along with his Household would be slain in the current Situation. But when you said to yourself that it didn't matter you weren't lying to yourself either as the Mountain Clans had apparently taken far greater Holds within mere Hours.

You honestly can't see a future in which the Merchants now sitting in the Lands of House Henstor would get to see any of their old Patrons again, even if they fled this very moment, as they would just provoke an early Attack. The whole Mess continues to be absolutely disgusting, as you honestly didn't wish to worsen the Lot of these People, though you could tell that the Monster you call your Companion remained annoyingly unbothered as usual. And you of course knew by now that this lack of Interest depressingly doesn't stem from a Lack of Understanding, no, he just genuinely didn't give a damn about the problem of Morality you were still trying to push down, perhaps you were wrong, and he's really just a Weapon.