Chasing Shadows

[Hengest]

"Lucky bastard." Smirked Luwen.
She raised an eyebrow, hardly impressed. The Vale Knights listened on in fright, unable to comprehend how a sergeant could be allowed to speak to a lady and his commander so.
They swayed side by side in their saddles. "I was shocked by Victor Tyrell, though. He cast down his own father."
"Stranger things have happened, milady." Sighed Luwen.
She couldn't help smile a little, his accidental use of 'milady' belied his true respect for her, even though he spent most of his time ribbing her. It amused her that the Vale knights must be really confused now!
"True, nothing should surprise me but I haven't seen as much of the world as you."
"Ha! Don't be so sure. I've just been around longer than you, and one thing I can tell ye lass, it's that folk are folk wherever you go."
"Really?" She scowled, what an outlandish thought.
"No not really. But almost." He conceded.
She laughed. No doubt confusing the Vale knights to a hitherto unknown dimension.
"I have a mind to fight these ghosts we hear rumours of. Even the Reachmen suffer to those brigands."
"You think it will earn you some favour with the Reachmen? Make up for your offences?" He sniffed, there was dust in his nostrils.
"You don't?"
"Are you serious?" He smirked. "You raid and ride from town to town, crossing the Mander like stitches across a wound and you think they will accept you with open arms to defend their lands?"
"Well, when you put it like that."
"Besides, Tyrell will not allow you to embarrass him by doing his job." Luwen shook his head and turned to look behind at the ten thousand men. "Enough men to do whatever you want though."
"Rather that than raiding. Hardly the name I want to make for myself."
"No. Don't raid in peacetime."
"Save the smallfolk from ghosts?" She reasoned with a smile.
"Aye," he sighed admitting defeat. "Go on then."

[Adamat]

To Lady Sirsha Stark of the Bloody Gate,

My Lady Stark,
Sadly, I feel the need to call my vassals' men back home, but you may feel free to look for bandits in the Reach with your personal levy and troops. I will however tell you that you need to ask King Baelor for his blessing before patrolling his lands.

Signed, Ser Marq Arryn, Heir to the Eyrie, ruling in absence of Lord Garrett Arryn, Hand of the King

[Oznerol]

A raven arrives:

"You may do whatever is needed to finish with those brigands and bandits. Bring their leaders to me so they shall feel the King's Justice. I'm pleased by your late actions in this war, and your support to the Crown. I will be eager to meet you at the Capital"

(SEAL AND SIGNATURE)

[Hengest]

Her company of Valesmen were now decidedly fewer than a year ago when she marched from the Bloody Gate to war in the south. Now she had but one fifth of her original forces, the rest had been Arryn's own vassals after all. But 1500 men were still a good portion of blue and white banners. Leading her troop was of course her own grey wolf banners of House Stark, followed by the ragged bulk, the famous Tattered Banners.

The came upon Tumbleton at dawn, having sent outriders ahead with copies of the King's Warrant.

[Dirty Chai]

[OOC: Would you rather start a new thread where we can RP the game of cat and mouse? Keep it all coordinated..
I can move all the new, relevant posts into that if you want.]

[Hengest]

The townsfolk of Tumbleton were still in shock and the houses still smouldering from the torch. Many places had been simply razed to the ground leaving black charred frames. Shrivelled bodies of women and children lay in the debris. People wept openly in the streets and fields huddled together.

Swordmaster Luwen bent down and scraped the cinders with his dagger, the looked around through the grey drafts of smoke.

"Ill." He said to himself, but all the knights could hear. "An ill wind."

"What does your tracker say?" Asked the Vale Knight, Ser Marsden.

"My tracker?" She smirked, looking around at her hundreds of bannermen wandering now through the desolation with silent, sorry faces. "Swordmaster Luwen will no doubt divine some greater significance to this than bandits."

"You seem very sure of his interpretation." Scowled Ser Marsden. "My lady." He was still suspicious of them, although much of his insolence had now transferred to Luwen.

"Think." She turned and tapped Marsden's helmed forehead.

He was a little put out, but grinding teeth, smiled at her bravado. "You mean this is too thorough?"

"Far too thorough." Luwen added with a raised voice, some yards in the distance, now stood on a raise of rubble in the midst of a burnt out smithy. "Look at how the buildings have been targetted. They are cutting back infrastructure, smithies, stables." He turned to face Sirsha and Marsden. "These men are trained soldiers, experienced, veterans perhaps."

Sirsha nodded. It wasn't like the mindset of Wildlings nor the little of the Mountain Clans she had seen in the Vale. It was not senseless violence, it was very much chanelled, planned and expertly executed.

Marsden sighed, removing his helmet in the charred heat, it was hard to breathe. "Where to now? The scouts have given us precious little to work with."

Luwen clambered down the rubble towards them. "Aye, you see that's what makes me wonder, an' all."

Sirsha looked up quizically.

"An army did this, but an army that disappears, no traces or tracks for our scouts."

"What are we dealing with, Luwen." She asked rhetorically.

A voice from one of the Vale knights cut through the smoke, he sadhed forward with a jingle of armour, his horse trotting alongside him. "We've received answer from Tyrell. He says he is willing to work together."

Sirsha turned to Luwen and Marsden in turn with raised eyebrows and a smile.

The knight continued, "Old Oak, another raid, he says."

"What?" Marsden ruffled his hair and stared at the ground. That was on the other side of the Reach. "How the hell did they get there?"

Sirsha hissed. "A ruse by Tyrell? It can't be the same warband, surely."

Luwen shook his head. "I think it's worth following. We have no leads here anyway."

Marsden reached out for Sirsha's shoulder. "Listen, if it is the same men...."

"I know." She sighed. "..if it is the same men..."

"Then we have problems." Finished Luwen.

[Wheatley]

Lady Sirsha

You would understand if I have a hard time to trust you. Take your men to Old Oak if you want to be of use. That is where the latest attack occurred. Investigate and report back to me. It is important that we communicate so these raiders are caught quickly.

- Lord Victor Tyrell

[Pontifex Maximus]

A missive arrives from The Rock

"Lady Stark,

You will not enter the Westerlands with any men under arms without paying a 25,000 dragon stipend to the Rock. If you intend to pay, send payment forthwith. If you do not intend to pay, do not enter the Westerlands under arms or you will be thrown out with force.

Signed,
Ser Guy Lannister"

[Wheatley]

Lady Sirsha,

Lannister seems unwilling to aid and threatens to start a war should I trespass. My scouts tell me the enemy moves north, you should be able to catch them. You have a warrant from the king to march wherever, so if the Lannisters attack you, they are attacking an army sent out by the crown. It should buy you time to catch them. Search the Westerlands, they show up and vanish again so look for small groups. They could be returning back into the Reach so I'll keep watch at home.

- Best of luck, Lord Paramount Victor Tyrell.

[Lord Dread]

To Lady Sirsha Stark,
unfortunately our hands are bound in affairs of the Westerlands as Lady Lannister has to decide what is happening in her realm. His grace should be informed about it, since the Lady is also the Queen of Westeros and it won't be wise to awaken sleeping lions in times of peace. We will be careful about the current movements inside the Westerlands and definitly watch out, but as long as the Westerlands aren't crossing with their armies our borders, we can't intercept. Probably there are other reasons for raising their levies as I doubt that his grace would tolerate the Lannisters to break the King's peace. Since it was our House, who decided the outcome of the rebellion, King Baelor would punish them for any further crimes against us and our vassals, so we do trust, that Lady Lannister is wise enough to have other reasons for her actions, in case you tell us the truth.
I wouldn't doubt your words, but probably the Lion is also joining the hunt of these odd "ghosts", if it should be the truth, that they do exist. But rumors may probably rumors and it could just be a normal group of bandits, acting clever by scaring people.

Lord Edric Tully, Lord Paramount of the Riverlands