The Skullcracker at Harrenhal

[Velasco]

Harrenhal as viewed from the shore of the God's Eye

The Skullcracker's hirsute beard had concealed the slight gasp he had emitted at the first sight of Harren's Hall. He scratched his left sideburn profusely even as his eyes wandered over the horizon, to the very top of the crooked towers...he counted five. The Ironborn were a dirty, inferior lot, even in the mind of this half-Skagosi bastard. But there was nothing inferior about this castle. They said the blood of the Andals ran thick in the veins of the Hoare kings, and on that count Haggorn was able to spare his mind much confusion and willingly admit to himself that the barely Iron-blooded Harren the Black was responsible for what was surely one of the wonders of Westeros. Haggorn himself was a well travelled man and knew the North like the back of his hand (Skagos and the Neck included) but never had he set sight upon so grand and expansive a seat - not even in the Free City of Braavos, though admittedly Haggorn was a biased viewer more inclined to appreciate the ghastly Harrenhal than the finer manses of the Essosi elite.

He would have liked to show this place to Erena, his dearly departed Erena, but it was not to be. Erena had been his sweetheart, the first girl to catch his eye and warm his heart. His grandmother Aregelle Stark had taken him to Deepwood Motte when he was a young lad, his first proper venture across a significant stretch of land. They had passed with their company through the Wolfswood and visited all of the local houses, the She-Wolf and her pup feasting at all the halls (no matter how simple, in some the walls even shook when the wind blew too hard) at last arriving at the hall of the Master of Deepwood, lord to them all. The Master of Deepwood Motte held an inferior title thanks to some ancient arrangement no one could quite remember, but despite this blot was still counted as one of the most important banner-men of Winterfell. The Bastard of Last Hearth had been well treated thanks to his grandmother, but the Glovers were lords in all but name and like to marry their daughters well, to Lords of even higher rank. But Erena...Erena had a mind of her own. In the fields of oat and barley which flanked her father's seat of motte-and-bailey she had stolen from him his first kiss, and when she had fallen ("fallen"?) into one of the deeply dug ditches which lined the place, it was Haggorn who had fallen ("fallen") in after her to pull her out.

He had returned a few years later with his father, now Lord of Last Hearth. Lord Hodor insisted with the Master and even roped in his Stark kin to obtain his desired end: the betrothal of his bastard Haggorn and Erena, the first step down the road of legitimizing Haggorn (for Hodor had no trueborn son who survived beyond his second name-day) and making him his successor. When the Master of Deepwood Motte at last relented, Haggorn had long claimed Erena for his own in the ancient fashion, against the mossy outerwalls and log palisades. Lord Hodor was a fickle man, however, and no sooner had Master Glover granted his consent than Hodor sought a revision of the accord. He and his clanswoman wife were estranged from each other, often at loggerheads with one another, and he had need of a young wife to give him trueborn sons. Nobody asked Haggorn, nor Erena, and they had the good sense not to say a word. It was not long thereafter that Lady Umber fell through the ice and died, leaving the way clear for Hodor's usurpation of his son's beloved.

Hodor had died in time, but now before putting several babes in Erena. Only two would make it to adulthood, the two of them women. Aregelle and Shalla were their names, and they rode with Haggorn now. Their half-sister and mistress, Lady Darla, had wanted her sisters to remain at Winterfell, but they would have none of it. Haggorn could not deny them, not when they looked at him with those eyes...Erena's eyes. Erena had been a good woman...and when her husband passed away, she had prevented Haggorn from usurping his seat and married him herself in exchange for his pacific recognition of Darla's succession. Darla was only his half-sister, and Erena's step-daughter...Haggorn had variously considered marrying her himself (it was the southron gods who had all the rules, after all) or slitting her throat, but Erena had stayed his hand and prevented any bloodshed. She had made a family out of them, better than Hodor ever had, and when she passed they had all wept bitter tears.

And so Darla ruled, and Haggorn cared for his half-sisters and gooddaughters.

[Velasco]

The Battle of Harrentown was a battle such as the Skullcracker had never seen. More men lay dead at the end of that day than Haggorn had ever seen fight...well, ever. He had watched as the Northern host pummeled through the men of Harrenhal with an advantage of barely hundreds. At more than one point it seemed as if the Riverlanders might even stem the tide of the Northern assault and push them back altogether. It was close...too close, for Haggorn's liking. Were he in charge, he would not have engaged with such unfavourable odds.

His general, however, was a younger, wilder man. Brandon Snow, the Bastard of Winterfell, commanded several of the North's great lords - vicious and brutal men like the Flints and the Magnars, and Glovers and Mormonts and others besides. His adversary, Lord Lyonel Strong, brought a force of Vances and Wodes and Rygers and Goodbrooks which, numerically at least, almost matched the Northern host by a margin of a few hundred.

In spirit and fervour, however, the Riverlanders could little compare.

Brandon Snow got his victory, Haggorn at his side, but both saw their good share of blood, sweat and (though they'd be loathe to ever admit it) tears before the day was done.

The victorious host had quickly secured Harrentown, a plump little town which had grown in the shadow of the great castle, its stomach fed by the rich produce of the ample fields watered by the Gods Eye and a fat sliver of the commerce which passed north-south through these lands. And so Harrentown had been secured and they had moved their men towards the gates of the magnificent seat. Charred as the extremities of Harrenhal were, they still made a more than impressive sight. Lord Lyonel Strong and his men, surrounded and without chance of relief, had capitulated soon enough and let Snow's men in.

How sorry would they be at such haste.

Brandon Snow was little inclined to observe unnecessary niceties in the aftermath of his conquest. In the Hall of the Hundred Hearths he had had executed Lord Lyonel Strong, his axes slicing through the man's face and spine, before parting his infamous son and heir Breakbones (Harwin Strong, said to be the strongest man in the Seven Kingdoms) from his sword hand and smashing in the face of the man's second son, Edmure Strong. The new Lady Strong and her eldest daughter he claimed for bedwarmers, though the vehement protests of Lady Mormont on behalf of the ladyfolk saw Brandon begrudgingly turn over Lady Breakbones to the She-Bear.

As for Haggorn, he was kin to Stark (and thus to Snow) and commander of the second largest force in the Winter Wolves. More men than the Boltons, than the Dustins and Flints, and reinforcements were on their way. He had therefore unabashedly claimed one of the choicest cuts. Indeed, the choicest cut besides Snow.



Helicent Strong was a maid, young and innocent and pure, a comely girl of twelve namedays. She had spent her whole life in a cushioned existence at Harrenhal, the daughter of the much fêted Breakbones and his Crownlander wife, herself a daughter of a great magnate whose lands bordered House Strong's own. No doubt her parents already had some grand marriage alliance laid out for her, once she had served a couple of years in the household of some great lady - perhaps even Queen Alicent's, or Princess Helaena's, had Viserys not died and torn the kingdoms apart in the process of doing so. Haggorn did not know, nor care, and for his purposes thought it best to make no inquiries, lest talk of any prior marriage contract somehow impugn his own matrimony with the lass.

Haggorn had first decided to take one of the Lord's daughters for wife the moment he had set eyes upon Harrenhal. He had imagined some hasty negotiation after the castle fell, the captured Lord without much option, perhaps eager for friends among the Northern host to stay the worst of defeat. But Brandon Snow had happened, and negotiations pushed along somewhat, to say the least.

Forestalling any turns of mind from Brandon, Haggorn resolved to wed the girl there and then, the same day of the castle's fall. Brandon Snow had made his residence in the Kingspyre Tower, which contained the Lord's chambers and an expansive solar of great use in such occasions: there he warmed his bed with the elder daughter while his men looted and assaulted all around. Haggorn made his abode in the Widow's Tower, which was unfortunately connected to the Kingspyre Tower by a bridge, but which (rather more strategically) was built atop's Harrenhal keeping cells.

With the elder daughter pulled away to...welcome Snow, Haggorn's betrothed found herself with unquestioned claim to the attentions of the sobbing and frightened female servants. Some were of noble extraction, those which had the greatest intimacy with the ruling family, while those of lesser extraction were naturally employed in less enjoyable tasks such as drawing baths and so on. These women would prove invaluable in the immediate hours, as they knew exactly where everything was, ahead of the looters among the Northmen.

The Lady Helicent Strong was bathed and calmed with some very diluted sweetsleep courtesy of the Maester. A Myrish bodice which had most likely been her mother's was hemmed in for her use, with a necklace of rose pearls wrapped tightly around her neck and a body of fox fur provided by her betrothed straddling her shoulders, as befit the wife of a Northman. When the sun set and the moon arose, the Lady's tears had abated and her turbulent spirit been calmed with some reassuring words from the Skullcracker himself. Her bruised and battered father, the once formidable Breakbones, likewise medicated with some sweetsleep and informed this was the only means of sparing his darling girl's life, was brought to her. Under guard they were taken to and through the walled godswood, the young girl weighed down by the thick cloak bearing her father's sigil which covered her, until at last they arrived. They proceeded from the back of the Umber assembly awaiting them before the heart tree. The weirwood heart tree of the Harrenhal godswood was a terrible sight, with an angry visage full of hatred, mouth twisted and eyes flaring. And yet it was here that Haggorn intended to claim his bride.

Who comes before the gods?

[Velasco]

Brandon Snow and Haggorn Skullcracker were both the sons of Skagosi mothers seduced by men from the mainlands, cousins as the gods would have it. Lord Hodor was the first to taste of the Stoneborn's bounty. His cousin Lord Rickon followed his example seven years later, perhaps emboldened in his purpose having seen how strong and bold Hodor's son grew. Like Hodor, Rickon would soon abandon his wild bedwarmer and consort with a woman from the mainland. Wheras Hodor had wed a daughter of the Wull, Rickon would take a Flint instead, a wise choice as time would prove. As for the bastards, their importance diminished as trueborn siblings were born. Haggorn and Brandon had not been strangers to each other at that time, but Brandon alone was raised in Skagos with his maternal kin.

It was therefore not all that surprising that at Harrenhal Brandon entrusted affairs to the Magnar, despite the small force the latter commanded. Most crucially the Magnar was given custody of Lord Harwin Strong and his male kin, now prisoners of Snow; it was the Magnar who headed the escort who saw Harwin Breakbones through the godswood to give away his daughter, and it was to be the Magnar who saw him back to the dungeons afterward.

It was, thus, the Magnar whom Haggorn Skullcracker approached in the makeshift wedding feast held that night, having seen to it that the Magnar was seated next to him on the high table.

Uncle, a private word?

[Velasco]

Haggorn Skullcracker sat upon the high seat of Harrenhal, looking out over the Hall of the Hundred Hearths. There were not a hundred hearths, he had counted, but just over thirty was still more than any other hall he had ever seen in his life. Cleaning up the damn place had been a war all in itself, between the dead bodies of those killed in the Battle of Harrentown, the men Brandon had killed on the day of the place's surrender and the men who had died ("by accident") in the fire which the Skagosi had ("by accident") fomented in the lower rungs of the Widow's Tower. His men were doing the best they could to garrison the immense fortress, all the while ensuring the local peasantry toed the line and kept the granaries well filled.

So far, so good.

At least the seat was comfortable.

He smiled as his young wife was lead to sit at his side. She was young and impressionable enough that he had hope she would grow to love him in due time...forgetting the more unpleasant aspects of their union's nature and embracing her new situation. He was a powerful man, after all, the commander of a small army and brother to Lady Stark. If the Rogue Prince could make good on his promise, he'd soon be legitimized too, making him an altogether inviting marriage prospect for any Westerosi lady: the goodbrother of one of the greatest Lords Paramount was no petty yeomen, that was for certain.

Alas, she was a little too young. Haggorn was not the most educated of men, but even he knew that young girls had not the hips to bear children. He would have to wait a year...more likely two or three...before putting a babe in that belly. He had fathered children before, big strong sons, so he could only look forward to the great beasts Breakbones' daughter would give him. Trueborn sons too, giants to rule the Gods Eye with the approval of the gods.

Of particular interest to Haggorn were the tales of the Green King of the Gods Eye, an ancient hero of the First Man race. His blood did not run in Haggorn's veins, or those of his wife, but on the Isle of Faces at the center of the lake ruled the order of the Green Men. They were his kin, in spirit if not in blood, silently ruling their island for hundreds of years after hundreds of years, unchallenged and unbothered by the world outside. Haggorn often considered going to counsel with them, for their wisdom was legendary, and on their isle the old gods still ruled supreme. But for now he was needed at Harrenhal. He could not leave without causing undue harm or distress to the shakey situation he found himself in - at least not until the Rogue Prince wrote again. His sister and uncle were near, but not near enough, and if he found himself forced to defend his position, he had better be in position.

All the same, Haggorn did not protest when his bard ("without prompting") began each day's supper with a new song of his own composition, entitled the Green Lord of the Gods Eye.

[Lord Dread]

A messenger arrives upon the Walls of Harrenhall, bearing the colour of House Tully. The man brought a letter from Ser Vance himself to the fortress, waiting outside to get from the Northmen another message.

To Haggorn Snow, bastard of House Umber,

as much as we congratulate the North and the forces of House Stark to aid us, we hereby order your troops to leave the fortress.
Words have reached us from an illegitimize message, to which we do not approve on nor your appointment as Lord Regent. A bastard can't marry a noblewoman and neither will the Riverlands accept any legitimization of yours in front of the Iron Throne to marry an innocent woman of House Strong. Harrenhall belongs to the Tullys and in case of doubts a man, appointed by House Tully will reign over the keep.
As well we order you to release any survivors and remnants of House Strong out of your custodity - it is on our side to judge upon them, not on yours, Snow.

We intend you to deliver the castle peacefully to our forces, as we need the North's support at Deep Den to encircle the Lannister armies. Any act of refuseing the order will be seen as treason upon our rightful cause.
Send us a message back over the rider, we sent to inform you.
Pray to the Gods, that he will arrive alive with a proper at our location, as otherwise we will see it as the man being murdered in your intent of unwilling to leave the castle and attack the keep in name of the rightful Queen of Westeros and the Riverlands.

Our forces will arrive soon for the peaceful exchange, as I will in personal inspect the situation


Family, Duty, Honor

Ser Mance Vance, Lord Regent of the Trident in the name of House Tully, Steward of Riverrun

(SIGNED AND SEALED)

[Poach]

[OOC: Here to moderate. Is there justification for the above letter arriving on time to prevent the wedding? It appears not, to me.]

[Velasco]

OOC: Letter would arrive several weeks, if not months, after the wedding. Brandon Snow captured the castle, Haggorn Skullcracker married the girl that same night, Brandon left the castle and named Haggorn "Castellan", Haggorn wrote to Daemon, Daemon wrote to the Tullys, Daemon and the Tullys exchanged another letter each, Vance wrote the above letter to Haggorn.

[Lord Dread]

[OOC: No matter if it arrives in time, I am still the overlord of Harrenhall. Haggorn has no rights at all over the keep, neither has his wife, if a male Strong lord is alive. House Tully can install their own Lord Regent over Harrenhall, if they need to.
Thus, once the letter arrives I leave it to his side to respond. If he does not, the letter implies what happens.]

[Velasco]

[OOC: No matter if it arrives in time, I am still the overlord of Harrenhall. Haggorn has no rights at all over the keep, neither has his wife, if a male Strong lord is alive.
Thus, once the letter arrives I leave it to his side to respond. If he does not, the letter implies what happens.]

OOC: That's not what he's asking. Everyone is well aware where Harrenhal is located on the map.

[Lord Dread]

OOC: Oh, right, you asked for moderational approval of Lord Strong granting a northern bastard, who raped his daughter and after the whole garrison gots tortured, partly eaten by cannibals under Snows command, the hand for his daughter. Nearly forgot.

[Velasco]

OOC: Oh, right, you asked for moderational approval of Lord Strong granting a northern bastard, who raped his daughter and after the whole garrison gots tortured, partly eaten by cannibals under Snows command, the hand for his daughter. Nearly forgot.

EDIT: Just stop. Leave it be.

[Poach]

[OOC: Moderation conclusion:

- The marriage happened by force. Forced marriage is still marriage for as long as the person who forced it remains in a position to enforce it, which Haggorn certainly is right now.
- Skullcracker controls the castle and is thus de facto the current Castellan. He rules by right of being the guy in charge of the soldiers there.
- House Tully can disapprove of this and seek redress with the Starks, the Umbers, or the Targaryens. Or they can send troops to the castle and restore their control by force.

In conclusion no rules have been broken by forcibly marrying Haggorn to the Strong girl, and no rules have been broken by Velasco forcibly appointing a Castellan of Harrenhal. He's only taken money from the province using the Occupation mechanism, which is entirely legitimate. Haggorn will not be regarded as the legitimate ruler of Harrenhal (and thus cannot collect taxes except via Occupation or use troops) until either House Tully or a Rhaenyra Targaryen declare him rightful. Targaryen trumps Tully.

Tully can of course react to Rhaenya doing that, if she ever does, however they please.]

Edit: LM's research has concluded that bastards can't technically inherit, so Lady Strong is still in the strictest sense the Lady of Harrenhal. Haggorn would need to be legitimised to become legally the Lord of Harrenhal. With Haggorn in firm command by use of force, however, such legal arguments are mere technicalities. Might is right, at the end of the day.

The unlawful seizure of land has, by certain arguments, put the Riverlands and North in a state of war with each other.

[Lucius Malfoy]

OOC: Haggorn and Brandon would need a royal decree in order to lawfully inherit Harrenhal. Due to this, the lawful successor would be the Strong lady or House Tully (most likely Tullys due to male succession rights), so all the acts performed by Brandon such as the declaration of Haggorn as Castellan are unlawful in the Riverlands, but lawful due to force of arms. The absence of a royal decree puts things on edge as this could be viewed by the Tullys and the Riverlords as an act of belligerence and unlawful seizure of land by a foreigner. On one end, Haggorn is the de facto lord by force, but this still causes a strain in Riverland and Northerner relations. The seizure by force makes it all even more tenuous in terms of relations. We will have to see how Daemon, Vance and the North handle this and see where it goes.

[Velasco]

OOC: A bastard can't inherit, in usual circumstances, although they can when there are no other heirs. More importantly, they can also be given land directly, since their "imperfect" bloodline doesn't make them incapable of holding land on their own right - Orys Baratheon for example. Regardless of birth anyone can be granted land or inherit it horizontally (ie, not from their parents), as Ramsay with the Hornwood.

In this case Haggorn did not seize Harrenhal. Brandon Snow, marching in Lord Stark's name, knocked out the Strongs in accordance with information from the Black Council. Haggorn was named Castellan by Brandon when he left, but he is not claiming Harrenhal as his own property or calling himself Lord. He is only defending the rights and inheritance of his Riverlander wife, the legitimate heiress of the family.

[Pericles of Athens]

Lord Rickard Stark arrives outside Harrenhal with nearly twenty five thousand Northern banners behind him. He demands to be informed upon the situation on the God's Eye.

[Velasco]

Lord Rickard Stark arrives outside Harrenhal with nearly twenty five thousand Northern banners behind him. He demands to be informed upon the situation on the God's Eye.

Haggorn Skullcracker had kept Vance's rider waiting, but Lord Rickard his goodbrother is greeted at the gates and shown in. After the necessary pleasantries are exchanged Haggorn shows Rickard the confused and troublesome letter from Ser Mance Vance.

I wed the girl, Lord Rickard, good and proper. Haven't hurt her either. If I hand her over to this man, I don't fancy my chances I'll ever see her pretty little face again. I've kept the castle like I promised Snow, good and proper. Cleaned it out, burnt the bodies, granaries are full, the peasants in order, the roads clear and the countryside swept clean of broken men. My wife is the Lady of this castle now, by all the laws and customs of the Andals and First Men and anyone else you ask. The lords sworn to Harrenhal will fall in line as soon as the Queen and the Tullys recognize my wife's title. But this Vance...he's demanding I hand her over, and the castle, and everyone else we captured with our men...for his judgement.

He sighed and studied Rickard's face for a reaction.

No idea what he means by that, but can't be good. He'll marry the girl himself or give her to someone else. Look at that last line,...says he's marching here to take her away. How can I accept that with any honour or dignity left?

In other news that old trollop Mormont has defected from the Winter Wolves, raced away to King's Landing last I heard. Took my mother-in-law with her too.

[Pericles of Athens]

Harrenhal was huge, twisted and dank - a hideous eye sore that could be seen for miles and miles. Rickard could smell the scent of death as they made their way through the haunted ruin it clung to the wooden floors, the stone walls and even the dirt. He noticed the scaring of recent fires and the fresh blood stains on the floors. The Stark banners began setting up shop in the abandoned and unpopulated towers, those who couldn't fir began setting up shop outside the keep. Rickard's nose twitched and his eyes narrowed. Where is Lord Strong or his sons? He questioned, Lord Strong was old but his eldest son was the one who'd been rutting with the Queen. I will enquire after Lady Mormont, oath breaking has never been tolerated amongst Northmen. He sighed.The Mormonts have always been loyal, she was always loyal to my father, but betrayal is still betrayal.

[Lord Dread]

OOC: I assume the messenger is still present.

The outrider, sent by Ser Vance, went towards Brandon on horseback, slightly annoyed upon Snow haveing not even thought upon an answer.

"Mylord... Stark, I assume?", he asked careful, as he spotted the Stark coat of arms among the man, "Maybe you are able to settle this conflict peacefully, as this man seems to refuse to give up a rightful province of the Riverlands in absence of a proper Lord Regent. House Tully's orders are clear - Harrenhall has to be ruled by a Riverlander Regent, supported by Rivermen bannermen.
Your forces are required west against the Westerlands. Due to Snow's demands, we will lose the flank, we promised House Arryn to clear for surrounding Golden Tooth from both sides. It is your bannerman's fault, so the Riverlords demand you to obey the orders of the Lord Regent."
He made a small pause before continiueing.
"And truth to be told, House Tully will not recognize the marriage between a bastard and a noblewoman as lawful, no matter if the Targaryens think they can legitimize anyone they want to", he added, slightly worried, as those were the last words he heard from the host, "The Riverlords are willing to declare war upon Haggorn Snow and his supporters, no matter the ongoing situation with the Westerlands. We see this act as a grave insult within our territory and Prince Daemon has promised us already his support in not legitimizing the bastard."
The messenger feared that he would be killed at some point - the Northmen were unpredictable and jugdeing the size of the host retreating back to the city. Words would most likely reach Riverrun soon - and it might mean war between the North and the Riverlands.

[Velasco]

Harrenhal was huge, twisted and dank - a hideous eye sore that could be seen for miles and miles. Rickard could smell the scent of death as they made their way through the haunted ruin it clung to the wooden floors, the stone walls and even the dirt. He noticed the scaring of recent fires and the fresh blood stains on the floors. The Stark banners began setting up shop in the abandoned and unpopulated towers, those who couldn't fir began setting up shop outside the keep. Rickard's nose twitched and his eyes narrowed. Where is Lord Strong or his sons? He questioned, Lord Strong was old but his eldest son was the one who'd been rutting with the Queen. I will enquire after Lady Mormont, oath breaking has never been tolerated amongst Northmen. He sighed.The Mormonts have always been loyal, she was always loyal to my father, but betrayal is still betrayal.

Your brother killed Lord Strong. Two axes, one in the head, one in the spine. His sons did not resist the combination of their wounds and a fire sparked by the Skagosi. The Rogue Prince has been informed they did not survive the capture of the castle...but I have not said a word as to how, my Liege.

OOC: Blood stains would have been washed out, Haggorn took care to clean the place up.

OOC: I assume the messenger is still present.

The outrider, sent by Ser Vance, went towards Brandon on horseback, slightly annoyed upon Snow haveing not even thought upon an answer.

"Mylord... Stark, I assume?", he asked careful, as he spotted the Stark coat of arms among the man, "Maybe you are able to settle this conflict peacefully, as this man seems to refuse to give up a rightful province of the Riverlands in absence of a proper Lord Regent. House Tully's orders are clear - Harrenhall has to be ruled by a Riverlander Regent, supported by Rivermen bannermen.
Your forces are required west against the Westerlands. Due to Snow's demands, we will lose the flank, we promised House Arryn to clear for surrounding Golden Tooth from both sides. It is your bannerman's fault, so the Riverlords demand you to obey the orders of the Lord Regent."
He made a small pause before continiueing.
"And truth to be told, House Tully will not recognize the marriage between a bastard and a noblewoman as lawful, no matter if the Targaryens think they can legitimize anyone they want to", he added, slightly worried, as those were the last words he heard from the host, "The Riverlords are willing to declare war upon Haggorn Snow and his supporters, no matter the ongoing situation with the Westerlands. We see this act as a grave insult within our territory and Prince Daemon has promised us already his support in not legitimizing the bastard."
The messenger feared that he would be killed at some point - the Northmen were unpredictable and jugdeing the size of the host retreating back to the city. Words would most likely reach Riverrun soon - and it might mean war between the North and the Riverlands.

OOC: He is being kept waiting, under guard. He hasn't seen Haggorn and certainly no one in Perry's force.

[Pericles of Athens]

Good gods.. Rickard said holding his head in his hands. It certainly sounded like his brother, though not the one who's lived at Winterfell it sounded like Brandon when he was fresh off the boat from Skagos all those years ago. So you the bride was taken by force.. a man can't consent to such a thing when he's a hostage in his own keep. How could you think this would be legitimate?! Haggorn clearly thought to avoid punishment by naming his brother as the culprit but they both seemed at fault here, what a start to a ing war.

OOC: You wouldn't know about the Skagosi setting the fire, they claimed it was a cooking accident gone wrong. Neither Brandon nor the Stoneborn would have trusted Haggorn with further knowledge.