Eyes and ears

[Theomore Tullison]

The tourney held several lessons learned for Theomore, chief among them that playtime was over, the stakes were raised and what before were pretty words, trade deals and other arrangements for a time of peace. Now however, those loyalties would be tested. Who would be the fair-weather friends and who would be the real ones that stood with you when the storm came washing over you?

And the storm was most certainly brewing, at Dragonstone and in the Red Keep. But it was likely quite some time in the coming, or at least as long as the king drew breath. But the sides were forming, the Reach under Hightower thumb, the Starks would follow their oaths and the north would follow the Starks, the Vale would follow the Arryns, and the princess was one of them. Casterly Rock seemed turned against Rhaenyra, leaving the Stormlands, a matter of wooing the Baratheons, and the fractious Riverlands. Well, the Iron Islands, too, but that would probably be a matter of where the ripest targets for reavings were rather than whatever any green or black could offer.

In short, the Riverlands would be where agents of both sides would be out in force like vultures, circling in search of weak prey. Theomore's bet would be on the Brackens and Blackwoods crashing, someone would want to see where the pieces falls if those comes to a blow. If he were so inclined, with a little help from Raff, who did actually suggest that maybe the two of them should do it, hopefully half in jest, Theomore could probably engineer an incident that would provoke a retaliation, and then the blood feud would be back in full swing. Given even odds, he'd take the bet that this would happen before he became a grand-uncle, and that would be what? Six moons from now?

And as far as the likely start was quite obvious, as is that it will end with the Targaryen words in such abundance that even Raff wouldn't look forward to it, but what lies in between is far less certain. There would be threats aplenty, and opportunities too. Spotting the first might be the key to avoid Mountain's Reach being consumed by the flames. Spotting the latter might be the key to open the door to the future of his own choosing. And for that, he needed friends of his own, high and low, loyal to coin, to promises, sometimes his charm is enough, other times the belief that Theomore is on their side, amusing when rivals can be found in that group.

And how to find them? It is simply a matter of being at the liberty of being mobile. For when storm clouds gathers, so does nobles. Minor tourneys, marriages, fairs, everything to celebrate their unity and affirm their allegiances to each other. And many inns and towns and holdfast inbetween. Good thing Theomore made a small fortune for himself at Riverrun, and a name, that too.