Entry Thirty-Five

Date: May 21, 300 After Landing, Spring, Long Winter

Location: Sea Dragon Point

The first of a dozen Ironborn dock builders and shipwrights arrived yesterday, Asha Greyjoy as it turned out was willing to pay the "gold price" for her friends. I was surprised to learn she considered me a friend, but I admit the relationship is mutual. I was even more surprised when the Regent for the Kingdom of the Iron Islands arrived as well, with a small fleet of six war-galleys.

The people of Sea Town didn't react very well to the Ironborn arrival, expecting a raid as well as the usual reeving and plundering that went along with such, but I managed to calm everything down when I explained the Iron Islands were our friends and allies of the North. Asha hadn't come to raid my new home, but to give it a gift. Among the cargo carried to us was food, raw iron and seasoned wood. Things we needed. Even more, 3 of the galleys were part of the gift as well.

It was too much. I couldn't accept such as a gift, so I offered to pay for the ships. Apparently that was a big mistake because before I knew it had insulted Asha and she was demanding blood. Dacey stepped in to try and calm things down, but all that managed to do was step the demand down from blood to a contest of skill. Knife throwing. I felt confident in this match and accepted, then Asha revealed the contest was between the two Ladies.

I was not pleased.

Now, Dacey is very good with an axe or a morning star, but knife throwing isn't her strongest skill. Even so, she accepted. Out of a best of ten contest, Asha won eight and the right to not only give me those ships, but to take a prize in return. I don't think I will go into the specifics of that prize here.

It had started to snow yesterday as well, and from the look of the clouds it will be another long-lasting storm. The new Capital is obviously not far enough along to shelter people, so Dacey and I had moved into one of the free houses. While in bad shape when I first saw it, unused for years, I was able to make it livable inside a few days with some help from a few builders. It is one of the larger ones, left over from a time when this region wasn't so…desolate, so it has a large indoor hearth and room enough to let several families sleep comfortably and with privacy. Its large central room around the hearth seemed designed for the long winters, as it is long and wide enough for a hundred people to sleep with their feet near the fire. Asha and few of her companions stayed with us there.

I actually really like this house. Its two stories, sits on a parcel of land near the Town but with its own fresh-water well and has enough land surrounding it to support a farm or ranch. The Capital may be the center of power, a giant explanation point on the region that says this land is important, but I think this humble little house will be my home.