timestamp: the lion’s bride, pt. i ; second seed, 300 ac location: outside of king’s landing, northern camp tagging: @vargher
brandon scrutinizes the map laid before him, doing his best to recall what robb had already taught him. it perhaps would have been simpler if he had some experience with the characters before, but at this point he was closer to simply memorizing what certain lines together meant, more than he was at understanding how to read them. his nose scrunches up, reminiscent of a displeased child. ' s’not really my skill set, ’ he reminds robb, glancing over his shoulder at the other. he had not done something new in quite some time. ' i know you’ve got plans that aren’t on t’maps. ’
While many of the Night’s Watch came from lower class-life, some had indeed come from wealth. Therefore, there were whispers and sneers regarding the Norrey, judgements were cast and debated — leaving Jon, Sam, and a few others they had befriended to the side in silence. Befriended being a loose term, perhaps mentored was more accurate. Jon had adapted that ability to provide proper teachings and strategic wisdom, from his father, or most notably from Robb. Robb, his heart stings with the thought of him. What use would a bastard be to him out there, anyway? War had no room for self-pity and moments of vulnerability between half-brothers. He is only meant to half-love, anyway — and not meant to receive any love to begin with. Nonetheless, he walks still with that old pride jutting out his chin and causing his shoulders to hunch over despite his ironclad spine. He dislikes the continued jabs that Thorne seems to make at him, and while he often dreams of splitting his skull open, he has yet to show his teeth. This isn’t to say he doesn’t have them. This isn’t to say there are many moments he feels his gloved hands curl into fists and his upper lip twitch like that of a wolf’s snarl. Tarly’s seen it, nudged him in the ribs a time or two. The steward of the north, the bastard of the north — either way his role has been slimmed down to almost nothing. A speck of dust. A grain of sand. It’s because of this inward disdain that he believes the assumed leader of the Norrey is speaking to another. He slows his walk, head angled towards the group of them, mouth gone slack and in between a frown and a smile. He is made to look invisible at times, although he guards himself just as fiercely as any of the Starks would. Awkward in appearance, desperate to look at ease here in the cold — and the majority of the time he is at home here. Boots shuffle closer as he offers up a curt nod, curiosity seemingly getting the better of him as he outstretches his arm, slender fingers reaching and lifting the letter with respectful gentleness. ‘I’ll read what I can.’ Because he doesn’t want to admit that he is well-versed in reading and writing, education being significantly the one thing that he tries to hide from the others. Let him blend in here, let him become more animal than man. No matter where he goes, however, there always is something that makes him stand to the side a bit more — he is not part of the brotherhood, only a steward. This is remembered even as he clamps down on his tongue, grey eyes dropping to the piece of parchment. A mention of a certain death, and with that he hesitates, knowing down in his stomach that this man must be of importance to someone at that table. Jon clears his throat roughly, a sound of stalled news. It wasn’t his place, was it? Would he want a stranger to tell him of the death of his loved ones? He felt discomfort in his stance and shifted his weight so he stood a bit wider, head bowed almost out of shame. ‘There’s […] been a death. Are y’sure y’wouldn’t rather have the commander look at it? I’ve not any right to be reading this.’
whispers never killed a man though, did they ? the norrey had concerns of their own beyond what the watchers thought of them. perhaps, when they lent swords between them to spite the widlings who creeped too far from their own place, but the situation itself forced a kind of trust — — mutually assured destruction if you could not trust the man next to you when there was something wild at your front and the howling winds at your back ; you did not have to like him, think him civilized or anything of the sort, it only required trust. a commodity that was worth more than fox furs or sharp swords in brandon’s mind, and that was his father’s doing.
brandon considers whether the crow he’s selected at random — — the first to walk past them too slow at the right moment — — would have any reason to obscure the contents of the letter ; knowing what was in the thing might have helped. careful observance is taken of the way the man’s eyes scan the words, tracing over the letters. yet, his doubts begin to slip away when death is mentioned. what death south of here would be any concern to them ? thoughts begin to tumble, faster than he can keep up with them — an avalanche plummeting from the heavens. in his heart he knows it has to be owen before more information is given, and he shifts his gaze to the others to see if anyone else is thinking the same. eskyld is nearly as blanched as he feels, which is a dreadful confirmation.
' where’s the raven from ? ’ he pushes, ignoring jon’s questions. he was impatient, didn’t have time for the commander to be fetched for this. what time were they wasting just sitting here ? ‘ the only men we have south of the gift are with the ned’s son. ’ only one man in truth, and brandon wonders if he felt alone when he passed because of it. ‘ is it from his camp ? ’
Last time the two had occasion to meet, there was a field of dead men and the wounded were crying out in some gruesome scene. It was not the best of impressions one could give, both covered in the lives of others and looking positively ragged, but Jeyne, since her encounter with Northmen at oxcross would say any preformed opinions were mostly wrong on her part. She was a lady, and the heir to the Norrey was a lord but there was a sense that neither of them was the traditional definition of the words given to them by birthright. They had come down for this wedding, to watch feuding die or any number of reasons. The Westerling woman was unsure if the battle guard to the king in the north would recognize her without the death she wore on the last occasion but Jeyne would remember those who treated her kindly and were interesting human beings. Clearing her throat she spoke up, voice radiating the warmth it was known for and the same tone with which she had occasion to speak to him before. “Brandon the younger? We look different you and I since the time we last saw each other. I am pleased to see you - we clean up well enough don’t we.”
he never felt quite right about claiming a lordship, given who and what his people were ; given who and what he was. there was little patience in him to suffer through the traditions of court, and if another addressed him as such he — — the name that is spoken is one he has not heard in full in some time, given that the elder was hundreds of miles north he seemed of little concern to most, but she had not been most when he met her last. brandon looks up and manages a smile for her, to wide for polite company perhaps but genuine in its expression.
' aye, well — — you certainly do, ’ he replies, stepping towards her slightly. it seemed a full transformation from battlefield medic to lady of the south had been made in their time apart, though he saw glimpses of what she was in the cracks. ' i really only washed up. ’ there were no formal dressings for a mountain man, and he was here as a member of a guard more than any right of his own, so he still wore the leathers she had last seen him in though, yes, there were a bit deal cleaner.
location: robb’s camp
with: Open
Chapter: The lion’s bride - part one
Catelyn didn’t recall who spoke the famous words ‘ Wolves dont’s belong south of the neck.’ Her husband perhaps, or just some old wive who still reminisced about days long past and grieved the loss of Rickard and Brandon Stark still. But the frequency with which had heard it spoken aloud by the Northeners in the recent days almost made her feel uneasy. These words she considered to be untrue. After all, their leader was not but a wolf. And a trout, never felt out of place surrounded by this much water. – Catelyn, once a proud Tully, did not feel this way about the change of cold snow to water. When crossing the water-rich lands, like the Neck, she felt like a fish in water. The sound and song of the land around her familiar and reminding her of her youth. If the reason for their travels south were not so grim, she might even enjoy them. If only she could stop her mind from racing.
Not even Ned’s familiar touch could sooth her mind in the slightest, as she was well aware that a Lannister-sworn guard was ever watching their moves. She feared for his life, as well as that of her children, and their faith after the affairs were over. All of this uncertainty weighed heavy on her. The river-colored eyes of the Lady of the North hardly showed the toll the situation took on her. But in the moments when she was caught off-guard, one could catch a glimpse of weariness. The concerned mother behind the poised negotiator.
In order to remain strong, there was little else that she could do except for making a small escape every so often. Cat had a suspicion her eldest might have ordered some loyal men to keep an eye on his mother. Their eyes seemed more watchful, whenever she would navigate through the camp. These eyes kept her from crumbling, but at the same time made the weight on her shoulders feel even more heavy. To escape them, if only for a moment, felt like a relief. – A shaded spot near a riverbed, not too far from the Robb’s camp, proved a suitable place to escape all the rising tension. An escape from the plotting and whispers of war. Knelt bij the river, she let her hand run through the water. Letting it’s cool touch cleanse her mind of the worries of that day. A moment of peace… until she heard foodsteps behind her. Her eyes closed, a soft sigh escaping from her lips. “If there are people who require my presence, tell them I shall be returning shortly.”
mountain men did not belong here either. water that moved this quickly, skipping over rocks and weaving through the landscape like some sort of leviathan, could not be trusted the way that frozen, slow moving creeks could be. then again, brandon the elder had succeeded in one thing when he raised his son, that of creating a soul who did not trust easy. these open landscapes felt like exposure, and he was already sporting a sunburn that covered the bridge of his nose. he was used to the elements, his elements, but these felt foreign and inimical. he was no fish or wolf, for those at least had fins to swim with or legs to walk on, but a thistle growing in a mountain crag. it should have been impossible for him to be here ; yet, for the love of a cousin, more a brother, he had arrived in the northern camp, swearing the ancestral sword of the norrey to the robb.
and by his side he should be, but since robb had saved his life, a bond had grown between the two men — a brother lost, a brother gained, neither his in truth but what did emotion care for such particulars ? and thus the rest of the wolf - pack were taken into his watchful eye. an entire battle guard surrounded her son now, but here she was alone. that is what concerned him. protecting robb could look like standing by his side at all hours, or could it look like taking a walk to the river to ensure that no deceitful or concealed lions had made their way to his mother. briefly he thinks of his own, the woman who holds a wild mountain spirit and gifted it to him ; the scales weighing his father’s previous success of the instilled distrust tip to level out when the reckless streak she had gifted him shines brighter than the northern stars.
‘ aye, no need to worry about that. ‘m not here to keep y’ t’any schedule or nothin’ like. ’ there’s a distinct lack of my lady but it is not meant to be disrespectful, just how he was raised. ‘ the robb has plenty of men around him, as does the ned. thought perhaps a sword at your side would be advisable, as i don’ trust any of these southrons as far as i could throw them. ’
that the invitation for the wedding of king joffery and lady sansa was extended to sun house was expected, that the same invitation was extended all the way to her was severely unexpected. a trunk is packed with her best dresses, her best clips and her best cloaks. she’d been in king’s landing only a day, but she’s already dressed to impress.
ireyne stands on a balcony overlooking the ocean, tipping her head up to the sun. it reminds her of home, the scent of salt on the air. it’s familiar. she hears someone step out beside her and there’s a moment of surprise as she looks over the other. “ have you taken a wrong turn? ” she inquires gently. he did not look as though he belongs in king’s landing, does not look as though he is someone worth anything. looks could be deceiving.
the norrey had not received any such invitation, the only raven sent from the south a threatening message to tell them to abandon a cause they had not yet joined. he was only allowed in as a personal guard to the robb, and even then he is the subject of sneers. it’s tempting to simply start a skirmish within the grand hall, but he has enough sense to know it would only be a slaughter — — even then, perhaps more desirable than pretending that wasn’t what he wanted to be.
he finds wine that is far too fine for his tastes, but wanders around with a tankard full anyway, treating the keep like it was a mole’s town tavern. he follows a sound he has heard a few times before at the bay of ice, though the ocean here sounded softer. ‘ aye, might have. likely when i went south at the neck. ’ he replies, glancing over to the lady standing there and cannot help the creeping smile that appears. ‘ found you though, didn’t i ? ’ perhaps there were other ways to entertain oneself in this city, bloodlust set aside.
timestamp: the lion’s bride, pt. i ; second seed, 300 ac location: outside of king’s landing, northern camp tagging: @grcywtr
' i d’know about all this, ’ he murmurs, a hint of truth as the chief - to - be paces through the muck, referring to their arrival in king’s landing for any reason other than a battle. he wears a scowl as he does so, before glancing over to meera. ‘ are they as insufferable as i imagine them to be ? ’ he asks, continuing after a beat, ‘ an’ i’m not sparing them any favors, meera — — truly insufferable. i’m assuming they all have ballsack personalities, bein’ kind, and about two functioning minds between them. ’ the southron court seems like a pending hellscape, and he had no wish to play nice for the sake of politics. he manages to crack a smile though, playing off his rant as something more than anger.
‘ i mean, look at the way they fight, aye ? marchin’ out into open fields. animals are smarter than that. ’ he preferred the mountainous terrain he called home, which offered places to hide and more opportunities for a tactical mind to work.
timestamp: prologue ; late 299 ac location: the wall, castle black tagging: @bastarhd
a raven addressed to the norrey ; it’s an oxymoron, really. an example of the failure of the southron generals to understand a people, even before the seal is split. beyond the obvious that they kept no maester, no tower or camp that did not wander, there was the question of which entity the letter was even intended for — the clan or the norrey himself. yet, it was brandon and a few others who returned with the brother of the night’s watch who had found them on a hunting trip ; neither the norrey himself nor the full clan. they sat now at a long table, starring down at the markings on the paper which they had been left with. it was likely meant to give them privacy, but there were few words they could make out collectively.
' aye ! ’ brandon calls at the man who walks into the dining area they had taken over, waving a hand to beckon him closer. ‘ could use a hand if you can spare it ? ’ he asks, leaning back in the wooden chair until it creeks slightly. ‘ we’ve got about six words between us, and i think the letter is significantly longer than that and doesn’t use — which did you have olyvar ? ’ ‘ ale. ’ ‘ doesn’t make any mention of ale, does it ? no, it doesn’t. said it was a serious raven. did the bird frown when it showed up, aye ? ’ it’s always something like this, something to hide the anxiety that runs like the water of a frozen river — still there beneath the surface, but well hidden unless you knew where to look.
location: king’s landing, the red keep.
timeline: chapter one.
with: @youngeir
formalities had been exchanged with all guests, including those from the north, upon their arrival, but fear had restrained sansa from saying anything more. the northerners are there guest, but sansa cannot help feel like it is a test designed for her by her captors. she can feel the lions watching her - now more than ever. are you truly loyal? they seem to ask. as loyal as a deer surrounded by predators, sansa thinks, but they cannot know. one wrong word, one wrong move, and she’ll find herself falling when freedom is so close. so she waits until the lannisters are occupied with other matters before approaching him. anxiety claws at her stomach. be brave, she tells herself. a conversation is no treason. “ they say you serve my brother. ” she speaks softly. the cheerful bride-to-be she has presented to everyone is gone; a demure girl stands in her place. “ how… how does he fare? ”
formalities indeed, which was nothing that brandon was truly familiar with. he suspected all the ladies of the court were looking at him like he was a wild dog someone had let in. likely, it was only by his connection to the robb that he gained entry at all, rather than his supposed lordship. he wonders what she sees, wild dog or man, and ( given her lineage ) which was preferred. it’s certainly a sight at the very least, the mountain man still clad in his leathers despite how far south he had wandered, looking back at the princess to be, two times over.
‘ aye, ’ brandon confirms giving a nod. she seems solemn, which truthfully he finds as difficult as formal occasions, even if he can perhaps understand the reason why. he himself requires open spaces, and she had been kept in this gilded prison for some time now. ‘ i suppose that’s the truth of it, though he saved my life more recently, ’ the corner of his lips tip up, giving her a smile, but the joke is meant to mean more than the silly idea that robb served him in any capacity; brandon owed her brother his life, and that was a debt he took seriously. hopefully sansa would find that reassuring. ‘ he is the same as when i met him, healthy and determined. ’
“it is good to see the norrey standing with winterfell,” ned said as a greeting to young brandon. his lannister guard had actually seemed uneasy to move further into the camp, and too afraid to stir anything up, let him roam free upon his honor that he would return when his dealings were done.
ned simply told them to march on. he would return to king’s landing. in their eyes: to see his daughter wed. in his eyes: to free his daughter from a life of the seven hells his wife spoke of so often.
humor is a shield like no other. it is one brandon has held in his calloused hands since he was a much younger man ; immature jests at owen and mychal’s expense to distract from what surrounded them when the winds turned. perhaps that’s why even the ned, standing in blacks in a camp of northern soldiers in enemy territory is spared a smile, bright like sunlight off snow. ‘ aye, well let me stand up first, ’ he answers, pushing himself upward from where he had been sitting to greet the man face to face. ‘ then you can tell me how good it is. ’
he lets a breath go at the mention of his father, nodding at the request he knew would come. ‘ older than you last saw him, otherwise he’d be here with us. as best as he can be, though. ’
hello friends ! i am so excited to be writing brandon, especially with you lovely group of people! it’s been two years or so since i took a crack at him, so please excuse any dust as i settle in to him once again, and i hope you enjoy him as much as i do!
º . ♔ ⸻ the capital of king's landing welcomes BRANDON ❛ THE YOUNGER ❜ NORREY, the HEIR of THE NORREY. news borne by a raven sends word that he bears a resemblance to ANEURIN BARNARD. the TWENTY SEVEN year old CIS MAN is reputed to be STAUNCH and ADRIOT, but with the eyes of court watching their every move, they might turn out to be BRUSQUE and IMPETUOUS. when songs are sung, their verses speak of GENTLE LAUGHTER ECHOING THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS, SOUNDING LIKE A THREAT TO THOSE BELOW ; AN HEIR WHO APPEARED LIKE A SHADOW, ASSUMED LOWBORN WITH A STOLEN SWORD, BUT PROVED HIMSELF IN THE WOLF'S CAMP ; HOW THE ACT OF PICKING A THISTLE DEMANDS A LEVEL OF RESPECT and THE VOICE OF ONE THAT IS THE VOICE OF ALL, THE NORREY SPEAKS FOR THE NORREY. whispers throughout the seven kingdoms claim that their allegiance lies with THE NORREY and HOUSE STARK, where they conspire to SECURE SAFETY FOR HIS PEOPLE. but in the end, fealty means little when you play the game of thrones.
tl;dr → brandon the younger is the eldest son of the norrey ( known also as lord brandon of house norrey to the northern nobles ) and the next in line to be chief of the norrey mountain clan. // canon change: after the capture and execution of owen norrey, brandon’s cousin and member of robb stark’s battle guard, the norrey clan swore themselves to the stark’s cause or, more specifically, against the deceitful men of the south. // as occurred later in canon, the norrey was too old to join the campaign himself, brandon took his place.
a document containing brandon’s full biography, timeline, and various headcanons can be found in the pinned post on this blog! i’m very excited to build out connections for brandon but please keep in mind that most of these connections will have to be recent ones, given the nature of the life brandon lived before joining robb’s battle guard. the possible exceptions are those who would have been in winter town when brandon was younger or members of the night’s watch that may have collaborated with the norrey in the past. a few connections i’d love to have are included beneath the cut!
a first friend . when brandon joined the north’s army he was very much an outsider. while there were other norrey men that he easily fell in with, this would be the first person whom brandon did not know before joining that he became close with.
on the verge of enemies . due to being raised in quite a different environment than most nobles, but still carrying a noble title, brandon has a habit of acting perhaps too comfortably around other titled individuals. brandon was likely too honest with this character, or spoke to them in a way that could be read as disrespectful, and a rift has grown between them because of it.
a debt to repay . the idea of protection is very important within norrey culture, and this would be someone who protected brandon in a way he sees as lifesaving. brandon is honor bound to save the life of this individual in return.
misadventures in flirting . brandon is likely not anyone noble’s ideal choice for a wedding match; the northern clansman are considered to be more “ civilized ” than their counterparts in the vale, but they are still seen as somewhat boorish and only petty lords, rather than true nobles. however, brandon has never been one to let expectations stop him, and has struck up a flirtatious relationship with a lord or lady who’s quite a bit above his status.
simple pleasures . in a similar line as above, though perhaps not quite so daring, brandon likely has a few physical relationships that he has established since coming south, with those a bit less concerned about his intentions or house of origin.
the friend of my brother . or, more accurately, his cousin, but that didn’t sound as nice. brandon’s cousin owen was a member of the northern army before brandon himself. this would be someone who knew owen while he was alive and was a friend of his.
complementary rival . brandon can be exceptionally lethal, and this would be a character that is equally so. this is the legolas and gimli ‘ how many did you get ? ’ friendly rivalry between northern comrades that we deserve. the two show off to each other, try to always have one up, but when it came down to it, would have each other’s back no matter that shit they talk.
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