Game of Thrones: Knight’s Honor

After entering the stone hall, Lynd and the others were seated in the gallery. Someone brought out food and handed it to them.

Looking at the food before him, Lynd glanced at Gravel Tribe Chief Kav with a slightly surprised expression. Kav, sounding impatient, said, "Although you call us wildlings, we are not wildlings. We are just free people, and we know about guest rights."

Lynd chose not to argue. He reached out, picked up some food, and ate it. The others followed suit, taking a small portion as well, thereby establishing their mutual guest rights. Seeing this, everyone present heaved a sigh of relief.

In reality, the wildling tribes had a rudimentary understanding of guest rights. They knew only that if a guest consumed the host's food, the host would not harm them, though they were unaware that the custom specifically involved bread and salt. Lynd and his group's earlier show of strength had left a strong impression on the tribes. Nervous about a potential betrayal, the tribes had hastily prepared food for their guests to formalize the guest-host relationship.

Kav, without further preamble, declared, "Everyone knows why they are here, so I won't say much. Cast your stones! White is yes, black is no." With that, he walked directly to a pile of stones in the center of the hall, selected one, and placed it in a stone pit painted white with powder.

One by one, the leaders of the Gravel Tribe followed. Most unhesitatingly picked white stones and placed them in the pit, while a few lingered briefly before making the same choice.

Lynd watched in silence, his thoughts swirling. He hadn't expected such a democratic voting system in a semi-primitive tribe like the wildlings. What amused and baffled him, however, was the lack of anonymity in the process. Shouldn't a vote like this at least involve some form of concealment? Perhaps a shelter around the stone pit or a rule for the involved parties to step away? Instead, the open display of voting left him wondering if the tribe genuinely believed there would be no retaliation against dissenters.

Moreover, Kav's explanation of their submission to Tumbleton was laughably simplistic. It assumed that all the tribal leaders present were already fully informed, which struck Lynd as almost farcical. Yet, judging by Kav's solemn demeanor and the equally serious expressions of the other leaders—including the old shaman and even Wenda the White Fawn—it seemed this was simply how decisions were made within the Gravel Tribe.

The vote's result was soon revealed: nearly unanimous approval. Only the old shaman cast a dissenting vote, symbolically dropping a black stone into the black pit.

With the decision made, Kav sighed, walked to the stone platform at the side of the hall, and picked up an ancient stone axe. He then approached Nymeria, knelt on one knee, and presented the axe to her, holding it high with both hands. The other tribal leaders followed suit, kneeling behind Kav as her new advisers.

Nymeria was caught off guard by how swiftly everything concluded. Moments earlier, they had been at the tribe's entrance, braced for a fight. Yet here they were, mere minutes later, with the Gravel Tribe's leaders unanimously pledging their submission. All the speeches and arguments she had prepared to win them over turned out to be unnecessary.

Although surprised, Nymeria did not hesitate. She took the axe in both hands, raised it high above her head, and recited the Lord's Oath to all the leaders of the Gravel Tribe, both big and small, affirming their status as a citizen of the Gravel Tribe and her responsibilities as its Lady.

After Nymeria completed the Lord's Oath, the leaders of the Gravel Tribe, led by Wenda the White Fawn, recited the Oath of Loyalty, pledging their allegiance to her.

Once the oaths were exchanged, Nymeria handed the axe, the symbol of the Gravel Tribe's authority, to a female attendant for safekeeping. She then addressed the leaders with the plan she had discussed with Lynd beforehand:

"Since you have become my subjects, it is my duty to take care of you. I will now give you two choices. You may decide which path to take."

"The first choice is to continue your current way of life without significant change. However, you will be required to pay an annual tax based on the population of your tribe and send people to join my army to fight for me."

Hearing this, the leaders of the Gravel Tribe shook their heads, signaling their disinterest. They saw no benefit in maintaining their current way of life under these terms.

"The second choice," Nymeria continued, "is that I provide you with a new settlement. You will relocate there. The settlement includes farmlands for cultivation, lakes for fishing, and a silver mine. I will hire your tribe to mine the silver or work with you to mine it cooperatively."

At this, the atmosphere in the hall shifted noticeably, with many leaders breathing more rapidly. Chief Kav, unable to contain his curiosity, asked impatiently, "How do we cooperate?"

Nymeria glanced at Lynd before replying. "The cooperation is straightforward. The silver mine will be entirely managed by your tribe, while I will send supervisors. Ninety-five percent of the silver's yield will go to me, and five percent to your tribe."

"Twenty percent!" one of the house leaders interjected before Kav could respond. "Give us twenty percent, and we'll do it."

Nymeria's expression remained firm. "Only five percent," she said decisively. "And your tribe will also be responsible for the silver mine's security."

The house leader appeared ready to argue further, but Kav silenced him. After a moment, Kav nodded and said, "We agree."

With the choice made, Nymeria and the leaders briefly discussed the relocation. However, since the Gravel Tribe had yet to see the proposed site, the discussion remained preliminary. Specific details were deferred until representatives of the tribe could travel to Tumbleton to assess the location.

By the time Lynd and the others departed, their group had grown by two hundred people. Among them were one hundred elite warriors handpicked by Kav to join Nymeria's garrison as part of the tribe's obligation as her subjects. The other hundred, officially sent as divine guardians by the old shaman to serve Glory, were in practice under Lynd's command.

"Are you sure it's okay to give them the silver mine?" Nymeria asked, glancing back at the gravelly hillside where the Gravel Tribe resided, her tone tinged with skepticism.

"Please don't worry," Wenda the White Fawn reassured her. "The Gravel Tribe is very skilled at mining. In fact, it was because they were too good at it that the Lord of the Vale besieged them and drove them out of the Vale. They've been wandering here ever since."

"You don't have any other options right now," Lynd added bluntly. "The reconstruction of Tumbleton is progressing rapidly, and money is being spent like water. Most of the funds you had on hand are already gone. You've seen the account books Maester Yves brought. At the current rate of spending, even if I invest my own money, it won't last long. You need a steady and profitable source of income. The silver mine is your only viable option at this stage."

Nymeria expressed her concerns. "I don't have an issue with letting the Gravel Tribe manage the mining. My concern is the mine's location—it's too far from Tumbleton. If a large force from the west attacks them, I'm afraid we won't be able to provide timely assistance. Can the Gravel Tribe defend themselves on their own?"

"That's a valid concern," Lynd admitted with a nod.

As Nymeria pointed out, if trouble arose at the silver mine on the west bank, reinforcements from Tumbleton would face logistical challenges. They would either have to detour upstream along the Mander River, wasting valuable time, or risk an ambush by crossing the river with boats.

After a moment of thought, Lynd said, "It seems we need to find a way to build a bridge near Tumbleton."

Nymeria nodded in agreement. A bridge connecting the east and west banks near Tumbleton would provide much-needed control over the west bank, which was currently underutilized.

After their return from the Gravel Tribe, Lynd handed over the tasks related to the Gravel Tribe's migration, silver mining, and the bridge construction to Bert and Jon, focusing only on overseeing the broader plans. Nymeria followed his lead and delegated similar responsibilities to Maester Yves. However, given Yves's advanced age, she selected several individuals who had come to Tumbleton seeking work. Some of these people, having previously served as squires for nobles, had enough knowledge to assist Yves in handling these matters.

Tumbleton's acceptance of the wildling tribes as subjects caused little commotion among its inhabitants. At most, it served as a new topic for tavern conversations. What truly captured everyone's attention, however, was the arrival of Glory.

Previously, tales of Glory's immense size had been dismissed by many as exaggerations or drunken boasts. But when Glory returned to Tumbleton with Lynd from the Gravel Tribe, skeptics were forced to confront the truth: every word of those tales had been accurate.

For a time, curious crowds gathered outside the ruins of the barracks, eager to catch a glimpse of Glory through the gaps in the railings.

Unlike Tumbleton, where the focus was largely on Glory, the lords and nobles of the Seven Kingdoms were far more concerned about the Lady of Tumbleton accepting wildling tribes as subjects. To them, the rumors about Glory were nothing more than fanciful anecdotes, much like those told by people who had never seen Glory themselves.

Almost all the noble lords looked down on Tumbleton's decision, viewing it as an act of self-degradation. Many even speculated that it was only a matter of time before the Lady of Tumbleton would be indistinguishable from a wildling lord.

The nobles of the Seven Kingdoms shared a deep-seated disdain for the wildling tribes, treating them with outright contempt. In their eyes, wildlings were worth less than the animals in their hunting grounds. If a commoner poached game, they would face execution, but killing wildlings who sought refuge in those same hunting grounds not only carried no penalty—it might even earn the killer a reward.

Even in rare cases where some lords hired wildling tribes as mercenaries during wartime, the arrangement was purely transactional. Once the war ended, the relationship was severed without hesitation. In some cases, the contract might be terminated before the war was even over, with wildlings who had recently fought alongside the lords slaughtered as enemies. This history of betrayal was precisely why wildling tribes harbored deep mistrust for the oaths of the lords.

When news of Tumbleton's actions reached the wildling tribes, their reaction mirrored that of the lords and nobles, though their scorn was directed at the Gravel Tribe. They derided the Gravel Tribe's leader as foolish for believing the promises of Tumbleton's lord and entertaining the notion that wildlings could ever be considered subjects. Many predicted that the Gravel Tribe would be massacred after being lured out of the mountains, convinced that betrayal was inevitable.

Across the Seven Kingdoms, nearly everyone mocked Tumbleton, believing disaster was inevitable. Even Highgarden became concerned, dispatching several ravens to Bitterbridge with inquiries. These messages were relayed to Tumbleton by fast couriers, seeking clarification from Lynd about the situation.

Lynd, however, had no intention of having Nymeria explain her decision to make the wildling tribes her vassals. He understood that the lords' prejudices were too entrenched for any explanation to change their minds. Instead, he decided to redirect Highgarden's attention to something else—the silver mine.

Hiding the existence of the silver mine was never an option Lynd entertained. The truth would inevitably come out, and attempting to conceal it would only breed mistrust. His plan was to reveal the silver mine willingly, using it as leverage to secure Highgarden's trust and divert their focus from the controversy surrounding the wildling tribes.

So, Lynd advised Nymeria to write to Highgarden in her capacity as the Lady of Tumbleton. In the letter, she reported the discovery of silver mines in the central part of her territory on the west bank of the Mander River. He also suggested mentioning that the Westerlands might already be aware of these silver mines. At the same time, Nymeria was to formally request Highgarden to grant Tumbleton the right to mint the Silver Stag coin.

The Wardens of the Seven Kingdoms each hold the right to mint coins. This includes not only currencies unique to their own regions, such as Highgarden's rose coin, but also widely circulated currencies like golden dragons, silver stags, and halfpennies, used throughout the Seven Kingdoms and even in parts of Essos.

For example, the Lannisters of the Westerlands control the largest gold mine in Westeros, responsible for producing about 70% of the golden dragons in circulation. This wealth has made the Lannisters the richest nobles in the Seven Kingdoms, giving rise to the adage that even their excrement is made of gold.

Typically, the right to mint coins is reserved for the Lord Paramounts of each kingdom. However, when a Lord Paramount's territory lacks the appropriate mines, they may grant minting rights to a Lord with access to valuable resources. In such cases, the Lords must pay substantial taxes to the Lord Paramounts in return for this privilege.

Nymeria, while intelligent, lacked a deep understanding of coinage rights due to her limited exposure. Her thinking was straightforward: if she obtained the right to mint coins, she wouldn't need to sell the mined silver ore at a low price. Instead, she could mint her own silver stags, which would hold greater value for her to use directly.

Lynd, however, saw the broader implications. Control over the right to mint coins could translate into significant economic power. In some cases, economic influence could rival or even surpass military might in its impact.

Additionally, through correspondence with Lys Falwell, Lynd learned of large silver mines recently discovered near Slaver's Bay in Essos, which had caused the price of silver ore in the Free Cities to plummet. If Nymeria secured the right to mint coins, Lys Falwell could supply large quantities of inexpensive silver ore to Tumbleton. There, it could be minted into silver stags, turning the price differential into pure profit. This arrangement would be nearly as lucrative as mining the silver ore locally, offering a unique economic advantage.