“I can't believe you solved my big problem so easily,” Nyria Footly said in disbelief as she received Lynd, who had just returned from the battlefield, in her tower house.
Lynd replied in a deep voice, “It was just luck. They never expected to face an army like mine. They thought Tumbleton was all they had to deal with.”
“What are you going to do next?” Nyria asked.
“Build a stronghold,” Lynd said. “First, rebuild the dock. Transporting supplies by road is too much trouble. There are too many mountains, canyons, and hills here, making it hard for wagons to travel. The old roads have been abandoned for too long, and many parts are damaged. Without repairs, they’re simply not fit for use.” He paused before adding, “You wouldn’t mind if I demolish so ruins to use the stone, would you?”
“No, not at all,” Nyria replied. “If there weren’t so few people here and so little need for houses, those ruins would have already been taken down. This tower house, for instance, was built with stones from the old town hall, and it’s held up very well—it’s been standing for hundreds of years.”
“Thank you, my lady,” Lynd said.
“No, I should be the one thanking you,” Nyria said, bowing her head toward him. She added, “I imagine you have much to do, Ser Lynd, so I won’t waste your ti. But I hope you can tell about battles when you have a mont.”
“Are you eager to fight?” Lynd asked with interest, instead of taking his leave imdiately.
Nyria turned her gaze to a massive two-bladed axe hanging on the wall beside her and admitted, “Yes, I long for battle, but unfortunately, my status ans I cannot fight freely.”
Lynd’s eyes shifted to the axe. He could tell it was made from high-quality materials, with steel comparable to the knightly swords wielded by Garlan. Its excellent condition suggested it was well-maintained, with the most recent care given only a few days ago.
“May I?” Lynd asked, pointing at the giant double-edged axe.
“Of course,” Nyria nodded.
Lynd walked over, removed the axe from the wall, and swung it casually a few tis. Despite his ease in wielding it, the axe was far heavier than his knightly greatsword, nearly as heavy as two combined.
“I can see you don’t know how to use an axe,” Nyria said with a laugh, watching his clumsy movents. She stood, took the weapon from his hands, and demonstrated her skill in the tower room.
Her technique was impressive—clearly developed to suit her strength and build. The movents were designed for group combat, allowing her to cut down enemies over a wide area with powerful swings. However, the large arcs and sweeping attacks made the style less suited for individual duels.
“Who taught you to fight?” Lynd asked curiously as Nyria finished her demonstration.
Nyria steadied her sowhat chaotic breathing, returned the giant axe to its rack, and replied, “The champion of a competition in ereen. Soone paid a lot of money to have him teach how to fight.” She seed disinclined to dwell further on the topic and instead turned to Lynd. “I watched you fight the Red Viper last night. You defeated him very easily.”
“Do you think the Red Viper is weak?” Lynd asked in return.
“No. If the Red Viper is considered weak, then what am I, who is like a child before him?” Nyria shook her head. “I hope you can train and teach how to fight.”
“Your combat skills are already very mature and well-suited to you. You don’t need anyone to teach you,” Lynd said, shaking his head. “The only thing you lack is actual combat experience.”
When he noticed Nyria’s disappointnt, he added, “If you don’t mind, I can be your sparring partner.”
Nyria’s face lit up with a smile. “Thank you, Ser Lynd! In that case, I won’t keep you from your work.”
Lynd nodded and left the tower house. As he passed through the village, he noticed the curious gazes of the townsfolk. Word of his victory over the bandits had clearly spread throughout Tumbleton.
Lynd also took the opportunity to observe the people. He noticed they were strong and healthy, resembling soldiers more than farrs. Their gait suggested so had received military training. They would make ideal soldiers, but the drawback was that they were all bound to masters.
Returning to the ruins, Lynd instructed Jon to docunt everything that had occurred in the past few days—Lord Tywin’s plans, the remnants of the Targaryens hiding in the valley, and Lady Nyria Footly’s attitude. After Jon finished writing, Lynd sealed the report with wax and handed it to him, instructing him to take a few n and deliver it imdiately to Lord Tyrell.
To minimize risk, Lynd directed Jon to avoid the road. Instead, he arranged for a fisherman in Tumbleton to purchase a small boat. Jon was to travel down the Mander River and switch to horses upon reaching Bitterbridge.
After Jon’s departure, Bert assud the role of steward. Though not a skilled fighter, Bert excelled in administrative duties and provided valuable advice on constructing the stronghold.
With ample stone and foundations available, the camp’s buildings were erected swiftly. Within two days, a prototype camp was completed. Further work was needed to build facilities like barracks and stables, but progress was steady.
However, rebuilding the pier presented challenges. While the Mander River appeared gentle, even in the hilly upstream region, its waterway had height variations that made upstream navigation difficult. In the past, long-paddle boats with rowers enabled cargo to reach Tumbleton from downstream. But with Tumbleton in ruins, those boats and their rowers had vanished, making it impossible for supplies from Bitterbridge to travel via the river as Lynd had planned. This ant overland transport remained the only viable option, prompting so to question the effort spent rebuilding the pier.
Both Bryn and Raul felt that the focus should be on suppressing bandits and training the army, viewing the pier as a waste of manpower with little impact on their imdiate goals.
Bert, however, believed otherwise. He argued that rebuilding the pier could significantly aid Lynd’s cause. Once repaired, the pier would allow the abandoned road connecting Tumbleton to The Roseroad to be reopened, creating a more efficient trade route.
Although Lynd would not directly benefit from taxes on the trade route, he could use his exemption rights to establish a freight business and generate funds for his military expenses.
In Bert's opinion, Lynd now possessed a significant sum of money—over 20,000 golden dragons. While this seed like a substantial amount, it wouldn’t last long without a steady inco stream. Salaries, post-war rewards, and other expenses would create a considerable financial burden. Bert believed that Lynd’s top priority should be to fill his coffers.
Although Bert's point was valid, he didn't fully understand Lynd's situation. The 200-strong army under Lynd didn’t require salaries or paynt for daily consumables like food and fodder. However, Bert was correct in one regard: Lynd did need to secure additional funds. He intended to expand his army, and half of the costs for the expanded force—salaries, food, and equipnt—would fall on him. Furthermore, there would be rewards and other expenses, which together amounted to an enormous sum.
Lynd also didn’t want to follow the common practice of recruiting farrs, arming them with their own weapons, and disbanding them after the war. He wanted to train a group of professional soldiers loyal solely to him, an army he could retain even after the current anti-bandit campaign ended. With this in mind, expenses for weapons, equipnt, and other needs made 20,000 golden dragons seem insufficient.
Despite these challenges, Lynd remained committed to rebuilding the wharf, though he had no intention of undertaking the project alone.
“You want to restore and rebuild that abandoned wharf?” Nyria asked, freezing montarily at Lynd's proposal. “No rchant ships have docked there for over a hundred years. What’s the point of rebuilding it now?”
“No rchant ships are coming now, but that doesn’t an they won’t in the future,” Lynd explained seriously. He laid out his plan to rebuild the wharf, clear the abandoned road connecting to The Roseroad, and eliminate the bandits, mountain folk, and wildling tribes that infested the area. This would open the route to rchant caravans heading south from The Roseroad.
After finishing his explanation, Lynd added, “This will benefit you as well. The taxes generated by the caravans would provide a significant inco. You could also build warehouses and trading centers, and I believe Tumbleton will soon regain its forr prosperity.”
Nyria looked at Lynd with a strange expression. “Ser Lynd, you are supposed to be a knight of House Tyrell, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” Lynd replied with a nod.
Nyria laughed. “Then why does it feel like you’re a knight of my House Footly?”
“The Lord granted a tax exemption for a certain number of years,” Lynd said with a smile. “If the trade route through Tumbleton is opened, I can use that exemption to generate considerable profit. I’ve always believed in a win-win situation—it’s rewarding to help your companions while also benefiting yourself.”
“In that case, I agree to rebuild the destroyed dock,” Nyria said straightforwardly. However, seeing Lynd’s expression remain unchanged, she asked, “Are there other issues?”
“There are two,” Lynd admitted. “First, I don’t have enough manpower. My people are occupied with training and other tasks related to suppressing the bandits, so I can’t spare enough n for the dock’s reconstruction.”
Nyria smiled. “So, after all that, you’re asking to rebuild the pier?”
“I can pay the people involved in the reconstruction,” Lynd offered.
“There’s no need. Since the pier is mine, I’ll provide the people and the funds,” Nyria replied, shaking her head. “What’s the second problem?”
Lynd continued, “The second problem is the boats. Ordinary boats can only travel downstream, but to go back upstream to Tumbleton from the middle reaches, you’ll need the special long-oar boats that were used in the past—”
Before he could finish, Nyria interrupted, “Don’t worry about that. So of the older people among my subjects still know how to make those long-oar boats. I’ve heard that as long as they don’t carry too much cargo, these boats can return upstream to Tumbleton by rowing alone.”
“In that case, it’s settled,” Lynd said with a nod. “I’ll also clear the abandoned road as soon as possible.”
“Wait, Ser Lynd,” Nyria called out as he was about to leave. “Although you’ve finished talking about your plans, I still have sothing to discuss.”
Lynd looked briefly surprised but quickly regained his composure. “Please go ahead.”
Nyria said, “I hope to cooperate with you in suppressing the bandits.”
“Aren’t we already cooperating?” Lynd asked, puzzled.
“The cooperation I’m talking about is in warfare,” Nyria clarified with a serious expression. “The army of House Tyrell you lead will have to leave here sooner or later and return to Highgarden. If I’m to maintain the smooth flow of the rchant road in the future, I’ll inevitably need to clear out any bandits that gather. To prepare for that, I want to personally lead troops in every anti-bandit operation you participate in from now on.”
It had to be said, Nyria’s proposal was enticing. Lynd had been considering how to recruit farrs from Tumbleton just two days ago. Now, Nyria was offering troops on her own initiative, saving him the need for additional costs. This was advantageous in every way.
However, Lynd didn’t agree imdiately. After a mont’s thought, he said, “Although I don’t know the exact population of Tumbleton, I estimate it doesn’t exceed 2,000 people. More than half of that number are likely old, weak, sick, or disabled. Of the remaining few hundred, I’d guess fewer than 200 could imdiately take up arms. Moreover, these 200 people are Tumbleton’s key labor force, essential for farmland reclamation and planting. If there were significant casualties, it might destabilize Tumbleton, which is the rear for our operations. I wouldn’t want anything to go wrong here while we’re fighting at the front.”
Nyria smiled. “Ser Lynd, you’re mistaken. While I only directly control Tumbleton, my jurisdiction extends over 37 villages within my territory, with a total population of more than 70,000. I can deploy 10,000 young and strong fighters.”
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