[center][h2][color=skyblue]House Arryn[/color][/h2]
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The Vale of Arryn was quiet across its beautiful land. While struggles over the Iron throne persisted to the south, the naturally isolated eastern part of Westeros was peaceful. House Arryn, the rules of the Vale had been silent for decades, letters and ravens sent to them about affairs outside of their domain went unanswered. The lords of the Vale had their own problems, and by the Seven they were certain any ravens they sent to the south seeking aide would also go unanswered. 

Sterlan Arryn watched from a window in the Eyrie, the ancient castle as sturdy and defensible as ever. A light breeze blew leaves to the ground and knocked specks of snow off the mountain tops. The young lord's eyes were upon a clear ground where two figures stood, as they faced each other with clenched blunted swords. The taller one, clad in fine leather armor was in a defensive stance as their opponent, wearing more casual clothing, swung at them, each blow blocked with precision. 

"That was barely an attack, Harrold. Are you a swordsman or some wee lass who's never picked up a sword before?" Ryden Waynwood taunted, a knight of House Warnwood, one of the great noble families sworn to House Arryn. He was in his forties and a close friend of Sterlan's father when the man still breathed. His long brown hair had started to grey, a trimmed beard on his face hiding a small scar on his left cheek.

"Bet you won't see this coming!" Harrold exclaimed with the usual grin that was seemingly plastered on his face. He swung downwards towards Ryden's legs but the older knight read the move as it happened and deflected the blow. Harrold's sword bounced across the ground and rolled away from him. The young Valeman rushed towards it as Ryden smirked.

"You know if we were actually fighting then you would have died then and there." Ryden said with a laugh as he allowed his boisterous opponent to gather up his weapon. He retook the defensive stance as Harrold circled around him and searched for an opening. Sterlan, unnoticed by other of them watched with enjoyment. 

Harrold lunged forward and Ryden blocked the blow, but then the young man picked up the pace as his speed picked up. The actions forced Ryden to backpedal as he deflected blow after blow. Still experience and talent with a blade dwarfed speed and youth as the elder knight countered each blow with certain finesse. Then Ryden went on the offensive as he swung powerfully at Harrold, the young man blocked the blow but his whole figure shook from the force of it. As the training session went on Sterlan’s eyes were drawn away from it at the sound of a creaky wooden door opening.

“My lord, another letter arrived from the south." Maester Edam said politely as the grey robed stepped into the room. His chain collar rattling as he moved. 

Edam was a wise old man, his head was devoid of hair, a thick grey mustache covered his upper lip. The man was his father's maester, and his grandfather before that man. In one of his hands was a letter, carried by a raven to the Eyrie. The maester handed it carefully to Sterlan who grasped it with a stare. He read it over, speaking to Edam as he did so.

"Another asking for our great house to support their claim to the Iron Throne. How do they expect me to support them over a simple letter? If they want my allegiance then they should come to Vale and speak to me personally." Sterlan stated before he placed the letter into a cabinet containing more papers like it. He would devote a serious amount of time over who to write back to and what to say.

"House Arryn is still a great name across the realm and the knights of Vale's reputation in battle is known, my lord. I believe you will need to decide who to support, it would not be looked well upon for the Vale to stay neutral as they have in the past." The maester said with honesty, he watched as Sterlan walked past him into the stone hallway as he followed the lord.

"I do intend to support someone. We've been isolated too long," Sterlan said as he went down a short staircase that lead to another, Edam following him closely. "How do I pick someone to decide in such an impersonal way? A letter can hide one's true intentions, the last act I'd want to do is to align with a tyrant that goes against House Arryn's beliefs." 

Outside where the two figures sparred sounds could be heard as Harrold dropped his sword and fell to the ground with a grimace. Ryden had a smile on his face as he he mad contact with the boy's arm with his blunted blade. It gave a small cut, ripping the fabric of his shirt. He wouldn't die from it. He yanked Harry to his feet as Sterlan continued to descend down the Moon Tower. He entered into the Crescent Chamber, the reception hall for guests to the Vale. It was a lightly filled room, around a large fire sat some merchants, servants handed them refreshment as they exchanged tales of travel. Some noblemen were chatting in another part of the room, Sterlan smiled at them as he walked, Edam now alongside him.

"Your father would have said the same thing, my lord." Edam said with a smile, as Sterlan returned the expression.

"He would have indeed, he was a great man, I can only aspire to do what he wished to achieve before sickness robbed him of his life." The young lord said with sadness in his words. As he walked he noticed his brother Harrold and Ryden enter from the outside, Harry held his arm as it appeared Ryden had just finished laughing. 

"Little Harry got nicked by my blade, barely touched him with it and he's acting like he lost the whole arm." Ryden said as Edam shook his head and walked towards Harrold to inspect the wound.

"It's nothing life threatening, my lord. Will leave a scar but won't kill him." The maester said as he turned towards Sterlan who was shaking his head, nearly laughing at how his brother was over-exaggerating the 'injury'.

"Well, Edam, give him some medical care. Harry, where is our sister, last I saw she was with you?" Sterlan inquired as he wondered where Haleigh, Harrold's twin was. 

"She went off riding her horse, said something about picking flowers in the fields." Harry muttered.

"With guards?" Sterlan asked, he doubted anything would happen to her but it never hurt to be on the safe side.

"Yes, brother. Two of them." Harry answered before he was lead away with Edam, Ryden following the duo as well. Sterlan turned away to speak to a nobleman.
[hr]
Haleigh Arryn had a smile on her face as she rod her horse through the grass filled fields in the valley below the Eyrie. Her long brown hair blew in wind behind her as she breathed the fresh air outside of the castle. She enjoyed the wilderness and riding horses especially. Behind her were two guards also on horses, bored looks on their faces and swords on their belts. This wasn't their idea of fun, but it was better than patrolling at least. 

As she reached the top of a flower covered hill Haleigh hoped off of her steed then grasped its harness with one of her manicured hands. The Arryn girl walked through the grass slowly as the beautiful scenery around her shined. The Vale was gorgeous during this season, there was green all around her as birds chirped in the sky. She saw three deer dash into the forest as they heard the horses from a distance. There were no sounds of battle here, no screams of terror. There was a beauty in being in such an isolated area, it was untouched by war.

She didn't want to leave it, it was her home and there was so much beauty in it. But the truth was there, someday she would have to leave here and go where only the Seven knew. Marriage was expected for a girl like her, her brother was an honorable man, much like their father was. She knew he would only marry her to a man as good as he was. She just hoped wherever she ended up that it would at least come close the beauty of her homeland.