"Haha, Aldric, meet my old comrade-in-arms, Ivo Ruth!"
The white-bearded burly man extended his hand. "You're Aldric! Harvard told me you and your men are very formidable. He isn't lying to me, is he?"
Aldric shook the man's hand firmly. "Decent, I guess. I can fight the Kingslayer to a draw myself. A while ago, leading men to wipe out bandits, my twenty men killed forty of theirs and captured twenty."
"Your casualties?"
"None."
Ivo Ruth slapped the table. "Not bad, lad, not bad."
"You didn't lose a single man in Purple Wisteria Village? Why didn't you tell me?" Harvard asked in surprise.
Aldric shrugged. "You didn't ask."
Ivo Ruth laughed loudly again. "Your own men, and you don't know? Harvard, you kill me! Hahahaha..." Although Aldric didn't know what was so funny, he chuckled along.
When Ivo's laughter subsided, he pointed at Harvard. "Harvard and I are old friends. When we were young, we gathered a group of brothers, fighting everywhere, North and South."
"When the Mad King Aerys sat on the Iron Throne, those were good days. About ten years, right?"
Ivo looked at Harvard. Harvard nodded. "Gotta be over ten years."
"Those ten years," Ivo continued, "one moment a lord betrays his liege and hires us; the next, peasants riot over heavy taxes and lords hire us to suppress them."
"Fathers attacking sons, brothers ambushing brothers... business everywhere, endless money everywhere."
"Pity. After the Usurper's War ended, Robert Baratheon took the throne, and our good days ended."
"We soldiers suddenly had no livelihood. Southerners, wary of us Northerners, didn't want us wandering their lands and drove us back."
"Harvard took his share and opened this tavern. I couldn't let go of the brothers, so I kept leading them through hard times."
Ivo Ruth pointed to the drinking veterans around. "After suffering these dozen years, some left, some died. Only these dozen remain."
Harvard interjected, "This war is unavoidable. I heard Lord Tywin already sent the Kingslayer to attack the Riverlands. Recently, Riverlands envoys asking the Young Lord for help are endless."
"For powers like the Westerlands and the North, once blood starts flowing, it only flows more, until one side has no blood left to bleed."
"We... no, you mercenaries will inevitably be dragged into this conflict."
"No lord will comfortably leave an uncontrolled armed force in his lair when marching out. So we will inevitably be pushed to the battlefield, likely as cannon fodder."
Hearing this, Aldric's mood grew heavy.
"Then what should we do?"
"What to do? Sell early for a good price."
Ivo Ruth seemed experienced. "Volunteer, pledge loyalty to lords, and you can negotiate pay. If forced by spearpoint, no chance to talk."
"And we must unite. As mercenaries, a few here and there won't get respect."
Aldric leaned forward. "How to unite?"
Ivo didn't look Aldric in the eye, swirling his wine. "We should unite under one banner, speak with one voice to negotiate with the lords."
Aldric chuckled lightly. "Brother Ivo, what does your banner look like? Show me?"
Ivo Ruth laughed self-mockingly. "My banner? What banner do I have? An old man almost discarded by time..."
"You know, I don't want to fight you youngsters. Harvard said you have forty men; I only have a dozen."
"If your men are as strong as you say, I don't mind following you. But even selling myself, I want a good price."
Ivo Ruth's bluntness stunned Aldric.
Aldric thought the guy wanted to swallow him, but he was rushing to be swallowed.
"Honestly, in my hometown, this is rare. I don't know how you operate here. Introduce me?" Aldric said.
Ivo signaled Harvard. Harvard explained, "For larger warbands, lords pay higher prices because they're easier to use than scattered ones. So Ivo means swapping these dozen men to your banner to negotiate price together."
Aldric frowned. "And me? What do I get?"
Ivo answered, "You can take a cut from our pay. Generally, fifteen percent."
Harvard persuaded too. "Fifteen percent isn't small. Maybe the price increase won't even cover that cut."
"But when the employer issues combat missions, it's by warband. Will you obey my orders?" Aldric asked.
"Whose order isn't an order? Just don't use us as cannon fodder," the other responded.
Aldric tapped the table, undecided.
What is this old guy planning? Giving me money for free? Is he digging a pit for me?
He looked at Harvard. Harvard is a decent partner; would he screw me for this guy? What's his benefit?
Aldric wasn't a real mercenary. His leadership and training were all from his hometown's legacy... which didn't teach how to handle this.
Unable to decide, Aldric stalled. "Harvard, Ivo, I'm the Commander, but the Silver Hand belongs to everyone. I need to discuss with my brothers."
"No problem. Discuss away. Give me an answer soon. Others might want this free fifteen percent business..."
Business done, they chatted about other topics.
As a "dirty outlander," Aldric had narrow connections and knew little about mercenary common sense.
For example, Lady Barbrey Dustin of Barrowton holding a grudge against Lord Eddard; Starks wary of Boltons; Mormont heir Lady Dacey unmarried, rumors of secret lovers... Aldric only listened.
Yet, this was crucial for mercenaries.
For pros, fighting ability was secondary; knowing where to stand was primary.
Otherwise, taking a deadly mission or offending a noble could get you wiped out by a lord with a casual excuse.
Aldric found it eye-opening.
After drinking, night fell. Aldric and Rennel returned to camp under starlight. Warriors had eaten and sat around campfires listening to Kevin preach.
After some practice, Kevin was skilled at preaching.
To increase appeal, with Aldric's permission, Kevin cleverly blended parts of the Faith of the Seven into An'she doctrines, integrating them better with the social environment.
Plus, since Aldric never avoided Kevin when telling stories to Rennel, Kevin interspersed interesting stories, making the preaching lively and full of laughter.
Seeing this harmonious scene, Aldric didn't interrupt. He patted Conrad and Eddie, signaling them to come out.
In his tent, Aldric repeated Ivo Ruth's request to Eddie, Rennel, and Conrad. "What does he mean? You two are veterans; analyze for me."
Eddie explained, "It's normal. Joining a larger mercenary group gives a chance to get paid by lords. Lonely few can only negotiate with sheriffs or petty nobles who can't raise enough soldiers."
"Expecting pay from big shots like the Lord of Winterfell is impossible. Not only no pay, but you also cover your own food and lodging."
Aldric was puzzled. "Then why join the war?"
Conrad laughed. "Mercenaries don't just earn salary. Joining the Lord's army is a huge benefit itself."
"Following the main army, we can scavenge loot on the battlefield—armor, warhorses, huge money. If lucky enough to capture enemy nobles, we can ransom them. Any family with wealth will pay."
"Even if they lack cash, we can sell captive nobles to other local nobles who can afford them. Lower price, but quick cash."
Eddie added: "Conrad only mentioned money. With better luck, killing an enemy general or saving a VIP on our side could get us recruited into a lord's direct troops. That's different."
"If timid or unlucky, failing to get those... robbing civilians works too."
"In wartime, no one polices looting, raping, and burning. As long as you don't rob our own lords' loot, you're fine."
"Have you two robbed?" Aldric asked.
After some time together, Conrad and Eddie knew their Commander's character was cleaner than a mercenary's.
They waved hands in denial. "No. Honestly, soldiers of our level aren't qualified to rob."
"Lords' soldiers rob first. When they've had enough, we get permission. Usually, besides corpses, nothing is left for us."
Aldric nodded. He guessed the two Vice-Commanders were lying, but at least they were willing to lie to him—a rare "honesty."
Past is past. Aldric wouldn't pursue it.
However, this conversation made Aldric realize the significant difference between his goal and a real mercenary band.
A real mercenary band existed to kill for money.
They didn't care if the money was bloodstained or if ghosts cried under their blades.
But his "Silver Hand" was cultivated as the Sun God's guardians and Westeros' Salvation Army.
If these warriors caught feudal mercenary vices, how could he lead them to defeat White Walkers and save the world?
Moreover, he planned to select seeds for Sunwalkers from them.
Thus, Aldric firmly believed he couldn't let his warriors mix with those old slickers to avoid bad influence.
Aldric planned to refuse Ivo directly and enforce discipline before marching, preventing misconduct in allies' territory.
After dismissing Eddie and Conrad, Aldric kept Rennel. "Rennel, go to Wolf's Kiss tomorrow and refuse Ivo. Make up a reason, just not too outrageous."
Rennel nodded but worried. "But what if Harvard has an opinion?"
Aldric thought. "Useless even if he does. Tell them: to use the 'Silver Hand' name, they must obey our discipline. Ask if they can."
Then Aldric listed four disciplines: "First, obey command in all actions; Second, no raping women; Third, no looting or destroying civilian property; Fourth, all battlefield loot goes to the public, distributed uniformly by need."
"Tell them these four first. See if they accept."
Aldric hadn't found clear answers on handling relations with civilians yet.
However, he knew these four basic disciplines were the team's foundation.
Once reputation was ruined, becoming rats everyone wanted to beat, and commoners fled at the Silver Hand's banner, Aldric's goal would be impossible.
Next afternoon, after training, Aldric took Kevin's spot and announced these military disciplines to everyone.
Mountain Clan warriors, still rural youths who hadn't experienced the indulgence of violence, accepted easily.
However, Free Folk members were somewhat dissatisfied.
Growing up beyond the Wall, they were used to taking what they wanted.
When Aldric accepted them without pay, they didn't object—expecting to "earn" rewards with "diligent hands" in wartime.
Now that Free Folk were basically integrated, Aldric realized the three-year term might be too long.
Objectively, if he paid nothing, the deterrence established by two heads would fade, and they might return to old ways.
So Aldric decided: Free Folk warriors would receive half the pay of Mountain Clan warriors for daily expenses from now on.
And after participating in one battle and proving ability and loyalty, they would get equal pay.
This move finally appeased the Free Folk. Only Aldric's purse suffered a big hit.
Rennel went to Wolf's Kiss and told Ivo Ruth.
As expected, Ivo said he couldn't restrain his men so strictly and had Rennel tell Aldric: "Are you running a mercenary band or a monastery? Can't do this, can't do that. What do you feed soldiers with? Shit?"
Hearing this, Aldric smiled it off superficially but marked the old man in his heart, planning to teach him a lesson later.
Time passed quietly amidst training shouts, trip hammer strikes, and Kevin's chatter.
Though Aldric stayed in camp daily, Liaison Officer Rennel ran around Winter Town collecting intel.
One snowy afternoon, before his usual return time, Rennel rushed back, shouting, "Aldric! Aldric! Bad news!"
Aldric put down his practice sword. "What is it?"
Rennel answered nervously, "Lord Eddard was executed by the King!"
Aldric's eyes widened in disbelief. "Aren't King Robert and Lord Eddard brothers in life and death?"
Rennel nodded heavily, adding, "King Robert is dead!"